Since I was a little boy, I've loved politics nearly as much as I've loved sports.
I remember days when I would walk around with my Scholastic Encyclopedia of Presidents of the United States, telling my parents over and over again how William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia only 31 days into office, or how seven presidents were left-handed.
At the same time, I used every part of my body to play football, soccer or basketball. Sports were a major part of my life.
Now old enough to vote, I find it absolutely shocking how much the two topics have intertwined.
Many people say that this presidential election is the biggest in the history of this country. Does that mean that it has to have an influence on this nation?
Everywhere you turn, athletes are influencing people on this year's presidential election, whether they want them to or not.
On Oct. 29, Jay-Z and LeBron James threw a rally for Barack Obama at The Q in Cleveland. Over 20,000 people attended the rally, solidifying James' opinion on Election Day.
"Nov. 4 is the most important day of our lives," James stressed at the event.
In a conference call last week, Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards included his feelings on the presidential race.
"I'll be voting for Barack [Obama]," Edwards said. "The reason is I think that a change needs to be made and that's the biggest change out of the two candidates. Besides that, I haven't really been following it too closely in terms of their issues, their policies and what they differ on. I just feel like [Obama] is the most different from the one we have in power right now. Hopefully, he'll get elected."
Many might think that each of these scenarios might be for theatrics or that these ploys by athletes might be taking away from the game.
Do people realize that, like us Joe Six-packs and Barbara Milk-maids, they too care about their country?
While you might sit with your friends at a table at a restaurant and give your reasoning for who you are voting for, does that make it wrong for Edwards or James to talk to their teammates about it in the locker room?
No.
So what if James and Edwards support Obama? Will that improve how many free throws James has in his next game or if Edwards will throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns next Sunday?
No- not unless Edwards heads to the Canadian Football League if John McCain becomes our next president.
All jokes aside, these athletes have every right to say what they feel concerning the election, as well as hopefully influence a person or two.
Does anyone remember the 2000 presidential election?
The election that might haunt the minds of millions was decided by 537 votes, when all was said and done. President George W. Bush earned 2,912,790 votes while Al Gore earned only 2,912,253. If 538 Gore supporters from Florida went out and voted, the past eight years could be extremely different.
Athletes are people too. Instead of worrying about what they think, perhaps you should go out and vote and let this country know what you think.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
