The presidential debates are here again, as are baseball games and the National Football League (NFL) season. That got me thinking about the intersection of sportsmen and politicians. Presidential candidates try to tailor their message to target as broad a cross-section of Americans as possible. Americans love sports. What if, in an upcoming lawsuit, we ask President Obama and Mitt Romney to discuss sports as a political issue? They never seem to answer the political questions posed in the presidential consultations anyway, and we still hear more evasions and attacks than substantive answers. What if we call these two men the “All-American Guy”? After carefully weaving the following 10 questions, sports questions carefully weaving, I hope we can deceive ourselves. what about elders?
1) Who do you blame for the ongoing NHL lockout?
Respondents’ answers to this question could reveal their true feelings about the role of organized labor and physical desire in America.
2) What do you think of union-busting Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s recent support for the NFL?
This problem does two things at the same time: it again forces the candidates to discuss unions but also to political hypocrisy.
3) Do the billionaire sports owners ask for taxes to finance the sports facilities?
What I am asking here is whether subsidizing private enterprise is an appropriate use of public money in a free market economy.
4) Do you think the salary cap is a good thing in the American sports majors?
That is, should the free market be regulated? They were talking about the constitution of Wall Street in the first presidential debate, but they could have made their positions clearer in response to my question.
5) 28.4% of the players on the 2012 opening rosters in Major League Baseball (MLB) were foreign-born, the third highest of all. Do you think globalization is a good thing for the American institution?
Let’s see if we can pin down the candidates’ views on immigration. It’s always a tricky thing when it comes to the head, so maybe an oblique approach will give better answers.
6) Should Congress strip MLB of its anti-trust exemption?
I know it’s a big deal every time we talk about baseball union issues, but the answers Obama and Romney give here show how they really feel about the rich and power to dominate over the lives of the common people.
7) How do you feel about expansion games in the MLB?
If they approve, they could suggest that the idea of expanding the opportunity to perform well to more teams. If they disapprove, desire only admits the possibility of the chosen ones.
8) What do you think about the widespread use of instant replay in sports?
That is, is it more important to have law and order in society or is it better to help us ensure that we have the right? This can apply to any real life issues, including death penalty.
9) According to the rules of golf issued by the United States Golf Association (USGA), players are largely responsible for their adherence to the rules of the game. Do you think this kind of ho-array shows a lack of USGA oversight?
Perhaps this central question boils down to one of the main differences between the two political parties: the extent of government control necessary and appropriate, especially regarding the economy.
10) How do you think the records and accomplishments of MLB players on steroids will be handled?
This is a tricky question because it is so open-ended, but I hope that the candidates can debate guilt and innocence. Will they be special, because only proven criminals are confused, or will they use broader strokes?
Sources:
“ NHL Lockout in 2012? See the results.” — About.com
“Scott Walker tweets support of unionized NFL refs” — Yahoo! News
“2012 Presidential Controversies Over Regulation: Wall Street Reform” — ABC News via YouTube
“Day rosters open 243 players born outside of us” — MLB.com
“Baseball’s Con Game”
“Rules and Decisions” — USGA.org
