Hello readers, I’d like to cordially welcome you to this new column. Our focus here is on our nation, its sports and its politics. While one is inherently more desirable than the other, sports being inspirational and awe inspiring and American politics being embarrassing and constantly under the cloud of controversy . . . or is it the other way around? Indeed, I could switch those adjectives and nouns and find many who would agree. Nonetheless, the truth is that both affect my life in profound ways.
In this column the goal is to provide a unique perspective on the most interesting stories in sports and politics. The title of this column references where I am writing from, which could be anywhere in the American Southwest.
Let’s not waste any more time. As I keep one eye on the Iowa caucuses and the other on college football, I am looking for one thing: greatness. I remember the one time that I met and shook hands with greatness. I was in the Nashville airport waiting to board a flight and I saw him?Muhammad Ali. I walked up to him, he looked into my eyes and let a big smile stretch across his face. He then slowly threw a left, right, left. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a Nation of Islam pamphlet and signed it. I walked away dizzy.
Greatness does not come around often, but when it does it is an obvious quality. West Virginia, in the wake of a seemingly devastating act by Rich Rodriguez, displayed it for a moment in the Fiesta Bowl by stomping the crap out of Oklahoma, whereas Tennessee and Wisconsin displayed mediocrity in the Outback bowl, along with a host of less than entertaining Bowl games.
The New England Patriots, love them or hate them, are painted and stuffed with it. So don’t be so overzealous in your hatred for them Titans fans, they ain’t losing.
Our games give us plenty of great moments, individuals and teams from time to time. From the shot heard around the world to the field goal block and score by Appalachian State, sports delivers greatness more often than other sections of our culture.
On the other hand, politics probably delivers it with the least frequency. In fact, when I look into this pool of presidential candidates I think maybe I should go to the polls and write in a curse word then kick a hole in the voting machine. To me I see 15 or so people saying and doing what a team of consultants has ordered; they are going through the motions. And, that is the game, but even the game of getting elected can be played a little better.
Obama is the big talker, Clinton is a pragmatic opposable figure that can only move her arms, Huckabee is an evangelical and we have one of those now, Ron Paul is hindered by the fact that his supporters do not leave the house for fear of sunlight, and Fred Thompson does not look good without make-up. Then there is Rudy, the little runt that stood on a pile of rubble in 2001 and has been cashing in on it ever since along with his fierce competition, Mitt Romney the Mormon, which is enough to make me brush him off.
Other honorable mentions such as this-ain’t-2004 Edwards and that little alien Dennis Kucinich don’t exactly get my heart beating with the pitter-patter of excitement and hope. I am sorry, but I cannot believe Chris Dodd or that fat guy from New Mexico is going to lead the country into a brighter future.
So, I have to lower my expectations, which seems to be the only option for concerned Americans trying to figure out who they want to be their next president. When I put my dunce cap on and see the field of candidates I think the following: Rudy Giuliani is another Bush and that is bad, Clinton is another Clinton and that is good, Obama is lofty but Presidential, Huckabee is a funny redneck not to be confused with the former funny redneck President or the current funny . . . redneck . . . president . . . oh God.
The principles of political science tell me that the last two presidents had one thing in common: they were charming country boys that people could relate to. And let me tell you, if you want a Democrat to be elected president in 2008 you had better pray the Republicans don’t send Mike Huckabee to the plate, because he will work the count like A-Rod.
It would take an unusual clarity or some devastating controversy to convince the average voter that voting for rednecks is a 50-50 gamble.
So, looking into the upcoming year, I’m left with very little hope. I think the Patriots will win out, the Titans are getting better and somehow Clinton or Obama will make it through and they will battle it out with Giuliani or Huckabee for the title. I don’t worry about the Mormon, no way in hell that will happen. I don’t have a problem with Mormons personally, but many do.
Given that I have eliminated greatness from the requirements, along with a few other things, I have a less stringent method of elimination. That method is simply one question: of the front runners, who seems like they would be best cleaning up Bush’s mess? The sober answer is Hillary Clinton and the drunk answer is we’re screwed.
On a heavier note, the world does turn while we Americans play our games. The turmoil in Pakistan is a critical problem; maybe (or hopefully) Bush will handle that properly. I may give the guy a hard time, but I’d like to see him do some good in his last year. If he could sew all this up and leave the building like Lloyd Carr left Michigan, I’d be the first one to clap. However, given the evidence, that is not likely to happen.
The fact is that we have one more year of God-knows-what coming out of the White House, the Middle East, the grocery store, and the Spears sisters.
