What, Sunday morning and no Super Bowl poll!?
Okay, so let's face it, the Daily Kos community is not really known for its sports fanaticism. And why should it? Like most of you, I'm here to change the things that really matter: achieving universal health care; legalizing gay marriage, decriminalizing marijuana, adequately funding public education and transportation, etc. However, today might offer an opportunity to reflect...
Living in Florida, I remember when George W. Bush attended the Daytona 500 in February 2004. I'm originally from Indiana; nevertheless, I have never had the least bit of interest in automobile racing. So, like the rest of my progressive comrades, I rolled my big, blue eyes at just how predictably cynical it appeared that some good ol' boy Republican president running for reelection would strut his ass down to Central Florida and make his way to the Daytona Speedway to court Joe Six-Pack. Of course, the crowd ate it up like a mad-carnival chili-dog. Can you imagine John Kerry even considering such a feat? Not unless he wanted to leave with his wetsuit torn to tatters. Yes, Florida went way red in 2004, and there was no Supreme Court to blame that year.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that one event led to Bush's reelection victory, but it would be foolish to deny its symbolic importance. I myself am very selective about the sports I watch, mainly professional football and some college basketball. Do I REALLY existentially care about watching other people exercise, even the most talented human beings on the planet? No. But I do follow the teams that I follow -- why?
I realized a few years back that without some basic knowledge of what was going on in the sports world, I was not able to hold a conversation with a lot of people, like friends of friends in a bar, or waiting at the airport. In many situations when political talk was off the table, or felt inappropriate, I could always bring up the next big game. Even now when I call my dad, whose political views I essentially share, the Colts or IU basketball have become a default entryway into any conversation.
It's excellent that HuffPost has recently added a sports section. Some may criticize their increased focus on entertainment, but I say, "You go girl!" Because to pull in the average American, you've got to first be able to talk about what most people care about. And let's face it, most human beings have got so much to worry about in their own lives that the escape of Tiger Woods' affairs seems a lot more appealing than reading the fine print of the next economics bill.
So does it matter who wins the Super Bowl? You betcha.
Take the poll, and post your predicted spread below. No secret who I'm going for -- reaoooow!! (Colts 31, Pats 27)
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