Politics always seems to be present in the realm of sports, whether it's conference realignments, bowl invitations or antitrust exemptions. Whereas politicians frequently intermingle with the world of sports, bodybuilder-turned actor-turned governor Arnold Schwarzenegger became the most recent former athlete to make the foray into politics after being sworn in to office yesterday.
Admittedly, bodybuilding may be as much of a sport as ballroom dancing and synchronized swimming, but Ahhhnold is not the only psuedo-sport athlete to make the successful jump to politics.
A few years ago, former wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura won the governorship of the state of Minnesota, thanks in large part to his (in)famous past persona. While Schwarzenegger was campaigning on "terminating" the competition and "pumping up" the state of California, Ventura refrained from any explicit wrestling references, such as "coming off the top rope" or putting the Democrats and Republicans in a "sleeper hold." How about a little no-holds-barred Texas cage match analogy -- talk about some nice political rhetoric!
Although the bodybuilder and wrestler may have had some more catchy slogans, athletes from more traditional sports also have made the leap from local sports hero to elected politician. The most famous athlete turned politician is the 38th President of the United States Gerald Ford.
In addition to being the only person to occupy the oval office without being elected, Ford played center and was the MVP and captain of the University of Michigan football team in the 1930s. While playing for the Wolverines, Ford enjoyed two undefeated seasons.
When former Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent retired in 1989, he held the NFL record for career catches (819) and touchdown receptions (100). In 1994, Largent was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma. In 1995, he completed the exacta with his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite his successful run as U.S. representative, however, Largent was defeated in his bid to become governor of Oklahoma in 2002.
Perhaps the greatest combination of athletic and political success is basketball star and long-time U.S. Senator Bill Bradley. A two-time All-American at Princeton, Bradley was NCAA basketball player of the year in 1964 and the Final Four's most outstanding player. During an illustrious career with the Knicks, Bradley won two NBA titles in the 1970s. He also was captain of the gold-medal winning basketball team in the 1964 Olympics. After a 16-year stint as a New Jersey senator, Bradley failed in his bid to become the 2000 Democratic presidential candidate. Despite all of these accolades, Bradley may be most famous to those under the age of 25 for his multiple and hilarious Sportscenter commercials.
Another football legend who took advantage of his athletic fame and turned it into political fortune is former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne. After winning two national championships, sharing another title and compiling a career record of 255-49-3 with the Huskers, Osborne ran for Congress in 2000 and won easily. Osborne was the most popular man in the state during his 24-year run as head coach of the beloved Huskers. In fact, with Nebraska's recent fall from football grace, many Nebraskans should consider recalling Osborne and persuade him to put the headsets back on.
Who knows, with a win against Virginia Tech, maybe Al Groh can add mayor of Charlottesville to his resume.
Read More
No. 7 women’s tennis’s season comes to frustrating end in NCAA Round of 16
By Gracie Genereux | 1 hours agoTennessee blitzed Virginia on its home court.
Virginia baseball earns series win after Teel walks off Miami
By David Sewall | 2 hours agoVirginia needed a win, and got one in exciting fashion.
No. 5 seed women’s lacrosse drubs LIU in NCAA first round
By Peter Kratz | 7 hours agoVirginia got the better of LIU in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
