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Barack Obama the basketball star and other sporting politicians
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Dan Fitch /
09 December 2008 /
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Sports and politics are pretty similar. In both, you have to pick your side and stick with them through thick or thin. You end up being just as obsessed with jeering the opposition, as you are with your own team. Most importantly, getting to the top in either sports or politics, takes a single-mindedness and dedication that is beyond most people.
Sport is also a good way of showing a politician's human side. If a candidate plays sports, it shows that they're just a regular guy and this helps the electorate identify with them.
Barack Obama's route to the White House was certainly aided by his love of basketball. Here's is the low-down on Obama's basketball career, along with some other politicians with links to sports.
Barack Obama - Left loving basketball player secures courtship on court.
Barack Obama was one of the star players for Hawaii's Punahou High School 1979 state basketball champions. Back in those days Obama was known as 'Barry' and his prowess on the court inspired the team to nickname him 'Barry O'Bomber'. Those assuming that Obama's presidency will spell an end to the United States' rather gung-ho approach to the 'War on Terror', will be hoping that this nickname doesn't resurface.
In later life, it was basketball that helped pave the way for Obama to marry his wife Michelle. Early on in their relationship, the then-named Michelle Robinson, asked her brother Craig Robinson to play basketball with Obama, in order to find out if he was the type of player that constantly called fouls or hogged the ball. Obama obviously fared OK, as the couple married in October 1992.
Obama prefers to play pickup basketball, a version of the game with unspoken rules, no referees and plenty of elbows. As is appropriate for a Democrat president, Obama is a leftie, whose signature move is to feint to the right, before shooting with his left.
Sarah Palin - Should have stuck with basketball?
Obama wasn't the only election candidate with a love for basketball. The Republican's vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, was also a successful high school player.
Though hopelessly out of her depth when it came to serious politics, Palin can be proud of the fact that she was the point guard and captain of the Wasilla High School basketball team, that were state champions in 1982.
Like Obama, Palin also earned a nickname on the court. Her team-mates called her Sarah 'Barracuda', presumably because of her aggressive play on court rather because than any preceived physical resemblance to the fish.
Tony Blair - From soccer hero to misfit.
In 1995, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair, shocked everyone with his prowess on the soccer field. Blair was filmed playing a game of head-tennis with the former England captain Kevin Keegan, in which they successfully kept the ball in the air for several minutes.
Back then the newly crowned Prime Minister could do no wrong, but if the following clip is anything to go by, as the years passed his soccer abilities diminished at the same rate as his political reputation.
Idi Amin - One heavyweight you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of.
The former military dictator and President of Uganda, Idi Amin, had blood on his hands long before his regime slaughtered 500,000 people.
In 1951 Amin became the heavyweight boxing champion of Uganda. In this clip he gives a speech at a boxing awards ceremony and explains how the sweet science and being a bloodthirsty dictator, have more in common that you'd have imagined.
George Weah - Most popular man in Liberia fails to become president of Liberia.
Liberia soccer legend George Weah is a former FIFA World Player of the Year and is quite possibly the greatest footballer to have ever hailed from Africa.
In Liberia he was a national hero, so when he declared his intention of running for the country's presidency in 2005, it looked like he was a shoe-in for election. Especially considering that Weah's wealth enabled him to buy his own TV and radio stations.
However, allegations surfaced that Weah had taken French citizenship when playing for Paris St Germain. This, allied to the fact that Weah lived in New York, brought into question how dedicated the candidate was to Liberia. Weah eventually lost the election to the 67 year old grandmother, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
Boris Johnson - London Mayor recreates scenes of 1945 as he floors Germany.
The floppy haired Mayor of London Boris Johnson has clearly never played soccer in his life, so who made the decision that he should represent an England team in a match against Germany?
In 2006 Boris was selected to play for the England legends team, consisting of former international players and celebrities, in a charity match against a side of German legends.
The English aristocracy tend to favour rugby and it was a tackle more akin to this sport that Boris used to floor the former Germany international Maurizio Gaudino.
Boris later commentated "There was no malice in my actions. I was going for the ball with my head, which I understand is a legitimate move in soccer."
Jesse Ventura - WWF star aims to be champion of the White House.
After a wrestling star retires, they normally only hit the headlines when they die in middle-age, after years of steroid abuse. But Jesse Ventura, or 'The Body' as he was known in his wrestling days, made the news for more positive reasons in 1998, when he became Governor for Minnesota.
As a wrestler, Ventura's proclaimed "win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat", so he was clearly a natural for politics. Ventura served as an independent governor until 2002, when he declined to run for re-election.
It is rumoured that Ventura is considering running for President in 2012. Obama had better get into training, if that particular fight ever comes to fruition. In the following clip, Jesse gives his views on what really happened on 9/11.
