The Conservative Cave
The Bar => Sports => Topic started by: BlueStateSaint on September 03, 2009, 05:47:23 AM
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I wish that some mole would post this in any sports forum at the DUmp . . .
Why Your Coach Votes Republican
In Politics, Football's Bosses Usually Run Right; Mr. Friedgen Picks on 'Socialists'
By STEVE KORNACKI
American politics are rich with characters and stereotypes—Joe the Plumber, Harry and Louise, Nascar dads and hockey moms, to name a few. But one persistent type hasn't gotten much attention: the Republican football coach.
During the 2008 campaign cycle, college and NFL head coaches (and their wives) contributed a total of $13,286 to John McCain and the Republican National Committee. From that same group, Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee received just $4,600—half of it from Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and the other half from San Jose State's Dick Tomey.
In all, 20 coaches active in the 2008 season gave to Republican candidates seeking federal office. Three donated to Democrats. This disparity is even more striking given that, among the individual donors in the '08 campaign cycle, Mr. Obama outraised Mr. McCain by more than a 5-to-1 margin.
Pep Talk From Holtz
Some coaches display their largely conservative instincts in non-financial ways. Jack Del Rio of the NFL's Jaguars led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance at a Sarah Palin rally in Jacksonville last fall. Longtime Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs addressed last summer's Republican National Convention. Lou Holtz fired up congressional Republicans with a pep talk in 2007 and recently flirted with running for Congress in Florida. Ralph Friedgen, the portly University of Maryland coach, good-naturedly called one of his Canadian players a socialist last fall.
There's no evidence that coaches with a conservative bent are better coaches or more likely to get jobs. Football coaches aren't the most diverse group, which may help explain their political similarities.
In general, athletes seem to lean rightward--they work hard for their jobs, and don't like anyone who gets on the team due to nepotism, or connections, or "looking good."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204731804574386952311239532.html