With Election Day in full swing, I thought it might be fitting to mix athletes and politics. Several notable ex-athletes are involved in today’s election, continuing a long line of athletes turned politicians. We have two former athletes involved in races governor today. Here’s the top five athletes that have been involved in politics.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The “Governator” is expected to win his reelection bid today against Democrat Phil Angelides. The once roided bodybuilder turned actor turned politician has been the Governor of California since 2003. His tenure has included countless puns involving Terminator lines and accusations of Nazi admiration.
Lynn Swann: The Hall of Fame wide receiver is also making headlines today. He’s the Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania. His campaign team, “Team 88″, is similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season: destined for failure. Swann is behind in the polls, which somewhat surprises me because of his Steeler ties. But I suppose Steelers fans are a bit too depressed to rock the vote today. It appears the “Immaculate Election” will not go Swann’s way this year.
Jesse Ventura: The former WWF wrestler and announcer, Jesse “The Body” became Jesse “The Mind”, as he became governor of Minnesota from 1999-2003. Ventura continued to stay active in WWE affairs, serving as a special guest referee in a Stone Cold Steve Austin- Triple H match, as well as hosting the XFL Pregame Show. Ventura didn’t run for a second term.
Charles Barkley: Barkley has switched political allegiances several times. He was a proud Republican “until they lost their minds” and now considers himself an independent. The “Round Mound of Rebound” is strongly expressing desire to run for governor of Alabama. He won’t be eligible until 2014 but Barkley wants to “talk about real issues” including schools, crime, and “making Alabama a better place for all people.” Luckily, we still have eight more years of Barkley manning the TNT booth during NBA telecasts.
Mike Ditka: Ditka considered running for Senator of Illinois in 2004 against eventual winner Barack Obama. However, he decided against it. Monster of the Midway or not, a political race between an angry Ditka and a young up-and-coming politician would have been entertaining. Ditka pulled out of the race because his wife was against it and because Ditka had commitments to his line of restaurants, not to mention his commitment of screaming at the NFL Live cameras on ESPN.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Write in Randy Stufflebeam for Governor! He represents the middle-class and is our only hope. http://www.runrandyrun.com