By Nicole Bartnik: Subscribe to Nicole's RSS feed
July 23, 2012 7:14 PM EDT
With the Nov. 6 election quickly approaching, President Barack Obama is gearing up for a hard-fought campaign against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
To wind down from the weight of being commander-in-chief, Obama is
known to sit back and enjoy what many fellow Americans look to for
solace and comfort: sports.
Obama makes no effort to hide his immense interest in watching sports, with basketball being one of his lifelong passions. There is Barack-etology, in which the president unveils his NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament picks during "March Madness." Then there are his brief appearances on Monday Night Football, pickup games with friends and colleagues, and an occasional coaching role on his daughter Sasha's youth basketball team.
In March, the president even invited British Prime Minister David Cameron along to an opening round game of the NCAA men's tournament before discussing relations between the two allies.
Last week, Obama immersed himself in the Olympic spirit as he watched the U.S. men's basketball team rally from an early deficit to beat Brazil, 80-69, in a friendly.
"Obviously the talent that we've got at this point is unbelievable. ... So there's no reason that we shouldn't bring home the gold. We just have to stay focused," he said.
Obama's interest and enthusiasm for sports extends far beyond basketball. He frequents the green on many Sundays for a round of golf, regularly follows college and professional football, and is a knowledgeable baseball fan, and the White House is not shy about sharing the president's fandom.
While there is nothing unusual about fondness of sports, Obama's high-profile position means his hobbies and interests are scrutinized more than the average sports fan. For example, when Obama had filled out his NCAA college basketball bracket on ESPN, his critics complained that he was wasting time on frivolous matters rather than attending to more important issues.
Others note that it only takes 20 minutes out of a busy schedule to assess the bracket and select picks, and Obama's interest in the tournament connects him to the average American. A president who can analyze teams and matchups thoroughly, as many sports fans do, counters the perception that the most powerful man in the world cannot enjoy everyday activities.
Meanwhile, Romney took the opposite approach when it came to the NCAA tournament. The Republican nominee said he wouldn't fill out a college basketball tournament bracket.
"I'm not plugged in well enough this year to do that," Romney briefly told reporters in March.
To most voters, Romney's indifference to the NCAA tournament has little to no effect on their opinion of him. Some may view Romney's attitude as a sign that he is simply too busy working on settling important political and economic matters to take time to follow sports, while others may argue that it demonstrates Romney's inability to relate to the average citizen, whether true or not.
Obama's interest in sports can also work against him. While addressing voters in June on Romney's home turf of Massachusetts, Obama jokingly thanked Boston for trading Kevin Youkilis, a much-beloved Red Sox infielder, to Obama's favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox.
Obama makes no effort to hide his immense interest in watching sports, with basketball being one of his lifelong passions. There is Barack-etology, in which the president unveils his NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament picks during "March Madness." Then there are his brief appearances on Monday Night Football, pickup games with friends and colleagues, and an occasional coaching role on his daughter Sasha's youth basketball team.
In March, the president even invited British Prime Minister David Cameron along to an opening round game of the NCAA men's tournament before discussing relations between the two allies.
Last week, Obama immersed himself in the Olympic spirit as he watched the U.S. men's basketball team rally from an early deficit to beat Brazil, 80-69, in a friendly.
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During that game, the president gave a brief halftime interview with ESPN regarding Team USA's chances in London."Obviously the talent that we've got at this point is unbelievable. ... So there's no reason that we shouldn't bring home the gold. We just have to stay focused," he said.
Obama's interest and enthusiasm for sports extends far beyond basketball. He frequents the green on many Sundays for a round of golf, regularly follows college and professional football, and is a knowledgeable baseball fan, and the White House is not shy about sharing the president's fandom.
While there is nothing unusual about fondness of sports, Obama's high-profile position means his hobbies and interests are scrutinized more than the average sports fan. For example, when Obama had filled out his NCAA college basketball bracket on ESPN, his critics complained that he was wasting time on frivolous matters rather than attending to more important issues.
Others note that it only takes 20 minutes out of a busy schedule to assess the bracket and select picks, and Obama's interest in the tournament connects him to the average American. A president who can analyze teams and matchups thoroughly, as many sports fans do, counters the perception that the most powerful man in the world cannot enjoy everyday activities.
Meanwhile, Romney took the opposite approach when it came to the NCAA tournament. The Republican nominee said he wouldn't fill out a college basketball tournament bracket.
"I'm not plugged in well enough this year to do that," Romney briefly told reporters in March.
To most voters, Romney's indifference to the NCAA tournament has little to no effect on their opinion of him. Some may view Romney's attitude as a sign that he is simply too busy working on settling important political and economic matters to take time to follow sports, while others may argue that it demonstrates Romney's inability to relate to the average citizen, whether true or not.
Obama's interest in sports can also work against him. While addressing voters in June on Romney's home turf of Massachusetts, Obama jokingly thanked Boston for trading Kevin Youkilis, a much-beloved Red Sox infielder, to Obama's favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox.
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