Black players cheer Obama's historic win

[Red October]

Black players cheer Obama's historic win
By Matt Gelb, Todd Zolecki and Ashley Fox

Inquirer Staff Writers

Jimmy Rollins is ready and willing to lend a hand to Barack Obama's campaign for president.

"He can wear my jersey and take batting practice," the Phillies shortstop said yesterday. "Heck, yeah."

A day after Obama secured enough delegates to become the first African American to be a major party's nominee for president, several black Philadelphia athletes reveled in the history of the moment.

"This was something a lot of us won't really understand the significance of this period, probably for some years now," Eagles safety Brian Dawkins said yesterday. "To think we had a woman and an African American running for a party, you give me five years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, that's absolutely totally unheard of, to have so-called minorities running for that office. This is a huge, huge day and time."

Obama's challenger for the Democratic Party nomination is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.). She has not yet conceded the race, but Clinton aides said she would endorse Obama and bring a close to her campaign at an event Saturday in Washington.

Obama, who represents Illinois, will face the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

Rollins said Obama has superstar appeal, much like Ronald Reagan, and thinks the American public is ready to elect a black man as president.

"It's just time," Rollins said. "America is so much different than it was in light of everything that has happened. People want something new. This has been going on for so many years and, at this point, it's getting worse, so why not try something new? Maybe Barack can be that answer."

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/19558029.html

Noooooooo!!!!    These are two of my all-time favorite players!  Why Dawkins and Rollins, huh?  Why not Terrell Owens and Rodney Peete?  Goddammit!! 

  I'm not listening 

[NHSparky]

Another reason why I don't give athletes (regardless of party) much credence unless and until they get their heads out of their asses and into a book.

[ReardenSteel]

Noooooooo!!!!    These are two of my all-time favorite players!  Why Dawkins and Rollins, huh?  Why not Terrell Owens and Rodney Peete?  Goddammit!! 

T.O. and Peety, LOL   

Meh. Sounds like some jack-a$$ reporter went out and sought these opinions for an article the reporter wanted to write anyway. Fark him and his paper. Some 90% of blacks are for BHO. I'm sure that includes many of my own favorite athletes and other role models/heroes etc. I could not care less. IMO it's just typical biased reporting by the Inquirer.

However, if my man Walter Jones or even LeBron James were to go out making speeches and doing ads for that Commie Obama I'd be greatly disapointed. Vote for the man if you must, send him your money if you wish, but your political opinions mean jack-$hit to me.

[Chris_]

Jimmy Rollins is ready and willing to lend a hand to Barack Obama's campaign for president.

"He can wear my jersey and take batting practice," the Phillies shortstop said yesterday. "Heck, yeah."

The man can't even bowl a 300 game.  I really don't think he's up to hitting a home run in a major leauge ball park. 

[Tantal]

This will all sound great until they find themselves paying a few hundred thousand a year more in taxes. There's nothing more likely to turn someone into a conservative than working hard for something only to have it confiscated by Uncle Sam.

[Rebel]

If I were black, and Barack's the best my race had to offer, I'd be pretty pissed off. Hell, I'm already pissed off McCain is ours. ...then again, I don't care what color the person is so long as they share my views.