Posted on 08/25/2008 4:02:58 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson
We all knew Barack Obama is a White Sox fan, but the presumed Democratic presidential nominee took it a bit further in an interview with ESPN.
Obama joked about the stereotype of Cubs fans, who probably are tired of being described as partying people-watchers instead of serious baseball fans.
"You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there," Obama said, according to transcripts released by ESPN. "People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball."
The interview, which took place Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C., will be aired on SportsCenter tonight at 5.
Here is the interview with ESPN's Stuart Scott, which will be rebroadcast during Tuesday’s 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. SportsCenters:
Barack Obama: “My favorite player when I was a kid was Dr. J. He had those old Nets shorts with the socks up to here. Those Converse Dr. J's, that was the outfit then.”
Stuart Scott: “If your vice president had to be an athlete, who would you pick?”
Obama: “Well, I'll tell you what. I'm a Chicago guy, so I'm thinking Walter Payton. ‘Sweetness.’ That guy had durability -- he could block as well as run. Michael -- doesn't lose, and, since I haven't won the presidency yet, that wouldn't be a bad teammate to have. I'd just keep on feeding him and figure he'd hit the last shot.”
Scott: “Because of human rights issues, there was a loud cry for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Games. If you had been President, faced with that, what would you have done?
Obama: “Well, I said very early on that I don't want Olympics to be overly politicized. But, when a host country is violating human rights, I think we have to say something. It would have been an appropriate statement for the President to say that, ‘I will not go to the opening games unless we have seen some progress on the issue of Tibet.’ If all of us are silent all the time, then human beings all across the globe are being silenced and being oppressed in ways that I don't think captures the Olympic Spirit.”
Scott: “Congress played a vital role through its hearings, and baseball union and players union into more frequent testing for performance enhancing drugs and stricter penalties. When you were watching the hearings, what did you think of them?”
Obama: “I love baseball. Baseball is America's pastime. I'd like to see the baseball Commissioner handle this without Congress being involved. We've got a lot of stuff on our plate.”
Scott: “If the Cubs and the White Sox both make it to the World Series?
Obama: “I would be going.”
Scott: “Who would you root for?
Obama: “Oh, that's easy. White Sox. I'm not one of these fair weather fans. You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball. Southside.”
I’ll admit, they look like they’re on a mission this year. But they also did in 84, 89, 03, 04....all with the same results. I’ll expect more of the same this year.
I don’t care, I’m a Sox fan. But I saw the Cubs sweep the Brewers (away), and I decided they have one heck of a team.
To get the homo vote.
For some strange reason, you didn't mention '69.
WOW, the best collapse the Cubies ever crafted
The Cubs are having a great year and you’re a serious fan, but I gotta say this has been my general observation of both crowds.
My friend, Mary Frances Veeck, the widow of Bill Veeck who owned the White Sox many years ago, is a HUGE Obama supporter. Oh well, love her anyway.
I know I don’t speak for all Cubs fans, but when the Sox
are playing well, I pull for them also.
I know for me, I’m a Chicago fan, always have been.
When the Cubs play the Sox, well Go Cubs Go
I was two at the time. But I can imagine it was the same story. Wasn't it a goats fault that year?
It was the typical dump in September, and the Mets started
to get hot at the right time. They won the series that year.
Oh well, I've seen a lot of terrible years, I'm soaking this
one up.
We went to one game at the old Comisky Stadium to see a good White Sox team (1979 pennant winners, as I recall). If you were over 10 and male at that awful place, you were smoking, drinking, swearing and getting into fights.
I'd rather have my baseball served up in Wrigleyville. Another reason to detest the lightweight Senator Obama.
Hmmm, name calling. Thats about the intellegence level of the response I expected from a cubs fan. Its funny, you see the same type of response on the Daily Kos...but that would make sense, now wouldn't it.
Haven’t dead democrats actually won elections too?
Maybe. However, Snopes has a story that is marked as “true” where a Foot Powder won an election. I believe it happened in Ecuador. I am dead serious! Did I say dead? I’m not a Dem, for the record. Check out the story if you get a chance. A foot powder!
Oh, I believe you. The question is, Did the footpowder go back on any of it’s promises? Did it raise taxes?
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