Why are so many people in sports republican?

[Kucinich Feingold]

I mean look at this list.


Brent Jones
George Brett
Troy Aikman
Vin Scully
Jack Buck
Bobby Bowden
Mike Ditka
Al Michaels
Dan Dierforf
Jim Nance
Boomer Esiason
Greg Norman
Cylde Drexler
John Elway
Peyton Manning
Raymond Floyd
Dale Earnhardt
Joe Gibbs
Jeff Gordon
Phil Garner
Keith Hernandez
Peter Jacobson
Jim Kelly
Davis Love
Karl Malone
Dan Marino
Jack Nicklaus
Mark O’Meara
Lute Olson
Roger Penske
Byron Nelson
Lou Piniella
A Rod
Curt Schilling
Jason Sehorn
Mike Shanahan
John Smoltz
Pat Summerall
Lynn Swann
Bobby Valentine
Steve Young
Kristi Yamaguchi
Lanny Wadkins
Jeff Burton
Kurt Busch
Ernie Banks
Carlos Beltran
Craig Biggio
Adam Dunn
Matt Hasselbeck
Bernie Kosar
Mary Lou Retten
Roger Staubach
Chris Spielman
Keri Strug
Bob Feller
Steve Largent
Danny Ainge
Mario Andretti
John Andretti
Paul Azinger
John Madden
Tom Glavine
Roger Clemens
Johnny Bench
Steve Carlton
Gary Carter
Jeff Kent
Mike Piazza
Cal Ripken Jr.
Brooks Robinson
Tommy Lasorda
Carlton Fisk
Al Leiter
Dale Murphy
Mark McGwire
Dennis Eckersley
Donny Baseball
Ted Williams
Joe Paterno
Tom Osborne
Ben Crenshaw
Chris Evert
Ozzie Smith
Joe Torre
Dave Winfield
Barry Zito
Greg Anthony
Bob Cousy
John Havlicek
David Robinson
Brett Favre
Jack Kemp
Lou Holtz
Bart Starr
John Lynch
Joe Theismann
Reggie White
Arnold Palmer
Gale Sayers
Harmon Killebrew
Bo Jackson


Is it because they are rich or it's because of their religon? Also tons of athletes wouldn't want a gay athlete on their team. Most other entertainment such as music and movies have more liberals.

[wilt the stilt]

1. I think athletes live

in a world unto themselves and have a difficult time relating to anyone else. They lead a life of being fawned over. Also most of the athletes you have there are extremely gifted and most of them rarely make good managers because they can't relate to less gifted people. Most actors and musicians in order to be really good have to feel outside themselves and relate to people outside themselves in order to capture the emotion that will make them successful. Because of that they understand the trials and tribulations of the more average person.

Remember most republicans/conservatives only do things that directly benefits themselves. Conservatives never fought for civil rights because it's of no benefit to themselves. ust my take.

[hughee99]

6. Unlike actors and musicians, athletes don't really have to be likable

to the public. If you can play sports, you can make someone a lot of money, and for the most part, people won't boycott a sporting event because a specific athlete is an a-hole. Your success (win or lose) is based mostly on your (and your teammates) talents. In the arts, your success can be based to a much larger extent on people willing to appreciate what you do.

Michael Vick can win a SB this year regardless of how people think about him, and get a huge contract because of it. Even if Mel Gibson makes a great movie, his personal life will seriously impact the box office, and he'd NEVER get an Oscar nomination for it.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Jockhead syndrome

Getting major cashmoneybucks for doing nothing productive, and just playing 'a game' distorts the soul and very often leads to the spiritual poison of greed -- which inclines them toward a shameful shrunken life of Republiconism.

[Capt. America]

3. Rethugs like to make their politics simple "us vs. them" and about "winning" and "losing" and

"running up the scoreboard", instead of about people's lives.

[Upton]

4. Do we really need this garbage?

Seems like we get one of these posts from time to time. Usually from a sports hater trying to justify their dislike for something others of us love. I've got an idea, if you don't like sports...don't watch them.

Oh, and just for your information, if Steve Young is a Republican, it's probably because he's a Mormon, actually a direct descendant of Brigham Young. Believe it or not, others are entitled to their political views, whether we agree with them or not.

[wilt the stilt]

5. agree with you n/t

[Kucinich Feingold]

13. I love sports.

This wasn't any diss of any kind to sports. Just wondering what makes lot of them Republican. I wouldn't care who they support, just like I don't care what movies stars or musicians who they support.

[Kingofalldems]

7. Interesting name there

Hmmm.

[pinto]

8. What's your point?

:shrug:

[Kucinich Feingold]

14. I just seem to see more athletes being the elephant most of the time.

There some Democrat athletes but few beyond what the Republicans have for athletes.

[caraher]

19. The adjective is "Democratic"

Folks around here are sensitive to that. It's not "Democrat Underground," after all!

I'd imagine someone with a lot more time on his hands than I have could generate a list of athletes who are Democrats that's equally long. It would also be interesting to control for income; I'd be surprised if pro athletes as a group are more Republican than those at their income level.

Here's a list of athlete's contributions.

[Kingofalldems]

21. Democrat athletes eh?

[Forkboy]

23. Don't ruin the fun so soon!

:)

[KamaAina]

9. Random observations

Karl Malone has on several occasions been the victim of racial profiling, despite being the only nearly seven-foot-tall African American driving a fancy car with vanity plates in Utah. :eyes:

Dan Marino is an activist for autism, on behalf of his son. Apparently it hasn't dawned on him that it was Democrats like Hillary Clinton who got the Combating Autism Act passed. :eyes:

Bernie Kosar declared bankruptcy, back before his party made it virtually impossible for individuals to do so. :eyes:

Please don't tell Bertha V. about Brooks Robinson. He's the owner of her beloved Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. :(

And finally: Brett Favre. Who would have thought? :sarcasm:

[jakefrep]

10. Principally, it's about money...

...secondarily, it's about authoritarian instincts. Both of which are in ample supply in professional sports. The Republicans do a pretty good job of pandering to both.

Unless any of these individuals decide to run for office, I'm not particularly interested in their political views.

[Forkboy]

11. So we can have an annual thread about it.

[Auggie]

12. Random list... I could just as easily find as many sports figures who are Democrats

[Ter]

15. Let's see it

:)

[Auggie]

20. In a few weeks

My clients need me

:)

[TZ]

16. So what?

Does that mean I have to like Michael Vick if he is a Democrat?
Its never been about party affiliation too me. Fact is, I have a lot of conservative friends that I respect, even if I don't agree with them.
AND there are people like Joe Gibbs who have done TONS of charitable work in the DC area. And is a truly nice, class guy. But I guess I should just hate him because he doesn't share my politics...:eyes:

[Iggo]

17. Money.

[TZ]

18. Yep...Fred Smoot who was then a Washington Redskin out and out

said that in 2004
"This election season, Washington Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot has a predicament faced by many NFL players: a Democrat's background and a Republican's income


...They turn Republican. I see it all the time," Smoot said. "It all goes back to changing your economic value."



Smoot, a black from modest means in Mississippi, has decided to choose his roots over his pocketbook. He is supporting Democratic Sen. John Kerry for president.

"When you go into a higher tax bracket, all of a sudden you don't want to vote for this candidate because he's going to raise taxes," Smoot said. "I thought about it. I'm not going to solely vote for this candidate just because he's going to save me a couple of dollars and it not turn out to be the best thing for me or my country"
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/10/28/bc.fbn.redskins.politic.ap/

[LisaM]

22. I think education factors in

Most of these people don't have college degrees. I remember some Republican focus thingie (it might even have been Frank Luntz commenting) on how rich people don't tend to be Democrats unless they're well educated, in which case the dynamics shift somewhat.

[Kucinich Feingold]

25. Actually, most athletes do go to colleges...

So the education factor isn't that big.

[LisaM]

26. Football and basketball players, yes (though they don't all graduate)

though fewer basketball players are even bothering with the one year or so of college. But most baseball and hockey players don't. I bet most NASCAR drivers don't either.

[Kucinich Feingold]

27. Agree.

[hughee99]

28. The only Nascar driver I know that does is Ryan Newman

I think he has a masters in some sort of automotive engineering from Perdue.

[PVnRT]

29. B.S., Vehicle Structural Engineering, Purdue, 2001

[hughee99]

30. Thank you.

You corrected me on both the degree type and spelling of Purdue. :)

[MrSlayer]

24. Many of them are Superchristers as well as filthy rich.

A deadly combination.

[Kucinich Feingold]

31. This might be the reason

[Kucinich Feingold]

32. BUMP