Olympians and Professional Athletes for Bush (Some great names on this list)

Bush/Cheney Campaign Email | October 20, 2004

[RWR8189]

[Open letter signed by 24 Olympians and Professional Athletes]   To our fellow Americans:   We have given much thought to the values and characteristics that make a great athlete.  Our lives have been spent trying to run farther, push further, and jump higher than the person beside us, or across the field of our chosen sport.  With years of training and exhaustive competition beneath our belts, we have identified the values necessary to compete and win--values like personal strength, determination, a sense of fair play and faith.   The same qualities that make a great athlete make a great President--the determination to do what is right, regardless of the latest polls, the personal strength to bear the weight of the nation on your shoulders, and the faith that a higher power will direct the actions of good people. We see in President Bush these same qualities. In 2001, our nation was attacked without cause or provocation.  The President's values saw us through those dark days after the terrorist attack.  The economy was rocked by the dual blows of the terrorists' cowardly action and the reckless disregard of the rules by a few rogue executives.  But President Bush's decisive, principled leadership has moved America forward, and today our nation is safer and our economy is strong and getting stronger. The fight against terrorism takes decisiveness.  It takes continued support for our troops and first responders.  But most importantly, it takes courage and inspirational leadership in the White House.  In these critical times, our President has had the courage to stand up and do what's right. For that and for his unwavering character, we choose George W. Bush as our President for the next four years.  He is a leader we can depend on to make the tough decisions and the right decisions.  Please join us in supporting a candidate of courage, President Bush--a leader who backs our troops defending our nation and shares our values. Sincerely,

[tallhappy]

Ernie Banks!

[Kryptonite]

Strappin' Jack Elway?

[JLS]

I was surprised Beltran was on the list. Not that I had any reason to think one way or another. I was also a bit surprised that Munoz was a signator.

I always suspected Karl Malone might be a Bush guy. This was the first confirmation of that that I remember right now.

[AbramsGunnerE5]

ELWAY!

[AbramsGunnerE5]

How come Ditka isn't on the list? He's in the Hall of Fame....

[Anti-Christ is Hillary]

I love John Elway.

[KAUAIBOUND]

I am not surprised to see Lynn Swann on the list. He is one of the most intelligent pro athletes ever.

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Al Michaels (MNF play-by-play), Jerome Bettis, and Troy Aikman are also big Bush contributors!

[LiberalBassTurds]

Awesome.

[dsutah]

Karl Malone came to the Iowa straw poll back in the 2000 election season. He also came to visit GWB in the White House after he won. It's good to see he is still a big supporter! I was half afraid he'd turn liberal Dem after he moved to California to join the "Lakers"; but I guess he's still a Repub./Bush/Cheney supporter!

[Fracas]

Anthony is head of Bush-Cheney 04 in Cincinnati. He's as Republican as Reagan..and a great guy.

[cambodia]

Karl Malone has always been a big GWB supporter - was half expecting him to speak at the convention. Also, one of my favorite athletes as I'm from Utah (we've forgiven his move to the Lakers last year).

[dancusa]

Anthony Munoz had a cameo part in The Right Stuff. The Alan Sheppard charecter went into his Jose Jimenez routine,I think Munoz had give him an enema.It was pretty funny.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Of course Ernie Banks is for W's re-election - let's play two!

[Grani]

I love John Elway.

I heard he was going to be in a movie about O.J. Simpson and Nicole. He was going to play the slow white Bronco.

[Anti-Christ is Hillary]

lmao.........OUCH. We also call him the 2 minute man.

[Grani]

lmao.........OUCH. We also call him the 2 minute man.

I'm not touching that line with a ten foot pole!

[smith288]

Adam Dunn and Chris Spielman!! Whoot Whoot!

[rhema]

When I read two articles about Spielman by Dick Schaap and Mitch Albom (whose piece was entitled "Gift of Sacrifice"), I came to realize what a man Chris Spielman really is. It's an eye-opener to compare Spielman and his endorsement of Bush to the feckless, self-absorbed celebrity lightweights who've endorsed Kerry.

Rob Bentz wrote this about Chris Spielman in Sports Spectrum:

When Chris Spielman played for the Buffalo Bills, he was everything a middle linebacker should be: tough, strong and smart, with passion, total commitment and loyalty to the game. He played the entire 1995 season with a torn pectoral muscle that he sustained in the season opener.

But the game took a distant second place in this thinking during the 1998 season. He chose to stay home. He cooked, took care of his kids, and cared for his wife—by choice. Stephanie, Chris's wife, was struggling through the stark reality of breast cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and nausea were Stephanie's opponents. During her fight Chris was at her side; his actions supported his "family before job" credo.

Asked by a reporter from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle if he'd consider a return to the Bills late in the season, Spielman said, "I'd play in a heartbeat, but what kind of man would I be if I backed out on my word to her? I wouldn't be a man at all."

Football fans saw Spielman as a man because of his aggressive, leave-it-all-on-the-field style of play. But what really makes him a man? It's his personal sacrifice and unending commitment and loyalty to his wife.