President Obama: Put Down Your Brackets And Run the Darn Country

U.S. Presidents have often had a strong enthusiasm for sports.  After all, that is one way to relate to the common voter.

Even if the commander in chief isn’t a fan, each year he will welcome the players of the respective sports championship teams to the White House where he will be given his own jersey, which I have to think would be a little redundant at this point.

In fact, there was a specific time during Reagan’s second term, after the Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl, that he approached the podium with a pigskin in hand and asked, “Where’s (wide receiver) Ricky Sanders?”

Reagan then floated a pass into the hands of Sanders, who proceeded to do the first touchdown dance in a suit.

Even when our nation’s capital’s teams aren’t doing well, presidents' tend to have their own allegiances.

Heck, even someone from Arkansas, where there are no pro teams, can become a fan of a college basketball team as did Bill Clinton with the Razorbacks.

Which brings us to our current President, Barack Obama.  Even before he was elected, he spouted off on how he wanted there to be “some playoffs in college football”. 

Recently, he, like most of us, has been playing the brackets of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament. 

So far he seems to be doing pretty well.  ESPNews has published his record through the first couple of games, and although not amazing, not too bad either.

But unlike the rest of us, he actually HAS an important job to do that not only affects him, his family, or his coworkers, but ALL OF US. 

After all, he is the leader of the free world. 

Now, with our country facing its worst deficit since the Great Depression, our President cannot be reached because he’s too busy watching the NCAA tournament. 

Of course, politicians have become distracted by sports in the past. Remember Jesse the “Mind (yeah right)” calling games for the ill-fated XFL?

Being a resident of New Jersey, I remember our governor Christie Whitman becoming a Devils fanatic during their first Stanley Cup run. 

But all that can be said of Obama’s first couple of weeks in office is his fantasy sports record.  I wonder if his upset pick in the tournament chokes would he cut off scholarship funding to them?

I’m sure the motivating factor for him becoming President is so he can get that free jersey mentioned above.

And if a team he doesn’t like, and or doesn’t pick to win, becomes champion and heads to the White House, will he turn them away? 

Him being a Bears fan, I kind of look forward to the Green Bay Packers winning it all just to see how he reacts.

Who knows?  Perhaps he’s holding out on doing his job to force the NCAA to start a college football playoff system. 

Heck, being from Chicago, he might even hold off until the Cubs win the World Series, in which case he might as well hole up in his office and watch any type of NCAA action even if it’s women’s golf.