Queen of Sports

Athletes in Politics

As you all know, yesterday was election day! We are happy to report that there were several former athletes in the running!

Former NFL lineman Jon Runyan was elected to Congress in New Jersey. But the race in Oregon where former NBA center Chris Dudley is running for governor is too close to call!

Joe, a Republican in New Jersey, is a former Philadelphia Eagles lineman who spent 14 years in the NFL, defeated Democrat John Adler in a tight US House race.

Chris played center in the NBA with several teams in the NBA including the Portland Trailblazers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns. According to The Oregonian in Portland, Chris had a slight lead over Democrat John Kitzhaber.

Some other notable athlete related political news:

• Former NBA center, Shawn Bradley lost his bid for office for the Utah Legislature.
• Former NFL quarterback, Heath Shuler, who played for the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints, was re-elected to Congress from North Carolina in a pivotal race for Democrats.
• Alan Page, the Pro Football Hall of Famer for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, retained his seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court.
• In Connecticut, Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment who is married to Vince McMahon, was beaten for the US Senate seat by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

There were also two sports-related initiatives on the ballots in two states:

• In Mesa, Ariz., voters approved funding for a new spring training facility for the Chicago Cubs.
• Voter in Missouri approved tighter regulations on dog breeders, a measure promoted by St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

Joshua Cribbs Voted!

Cleveland Browns football player Joshua Cribbs voted in today’s election! The proud athlete showed off his voting sticker this afternoon.

Photo: Twitter

Ohio Senate Candidate Mocks LeBron Spot

Check out this video of Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Lee Fisher who has spoofed the latest LeBron James Nike commercial. Pretty funny, definitely gets high marks for creativity!

You can check out the original LeBron spot here.

Athlete Sighting: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Former Los Angeles Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was snapped in the above picture backstage at the Rally for Sanity event in Washington, DC this weekend. Kareem is seen with rapper Kid Rock.

The event was hosted by The Daily Show’s John Stewart and The Colbert Report’s Stephen Colbert and featured musical guests including The Roots, John Legend, Ozzy Osbourne, Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens), Sheryl Crow and Tony Bennett.

Photo: Twitter

Politicians Make Wagers On World Series

The World Series gets underway on Wednesday night with the San Francisco Giants taking on the Texas Rangers. So let the wagers begin!

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas) announced the details of a friendly wager over the upcoming World Series. Both are passionate for their hometown teams and are competing for bragging rights.

If the Rangers win, Nancy will supply Joe with some of San Francisco’s famous Ghirardelli Chocolates. If the Giants win, Joe will give Nancy a delicious deep-dish pecan pie from the historic Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas.

“I am looking forward to an exciting World Series with the young and talented Texas Rangers, but I am certain that the grit, determination, and team spirit of the Giants will once again lead them to victory and shock the world,” said Nancy. “While Texas is famous for its two-step, I am about to show Congressman Barton my own: first the Giants will be victorious; second, I will enjoy his pecan pie.”

But Joe was quick to reply with “The Texas Rangers famous motto is ‘One Riot, One Ranger’ and they are known for always getting their man. This baseball team shares a name and a mission with those law enforcement legends. They have already taken down the Rays and the Yankees. The Giants are next on the wanted poster. I thought the Rangers winning the World Series for the first time would be sweet enough, but when Speaker Pelosi put some Ghirardelli’s chocolate on the line – I knew victory would be even sweeter!”

But that’s not the only political wager on the series, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome and the mayor of Arlington, Texas, Robert Cluck have also made a bet on the baseball finale.

Each mayor has agreed that the loser will provide a day of community service in the winner’s town while wearing a jersey of the winning team. But that’s not all, the losing mayor will provide the winning mayor with a bunch of delicious hometown goodies. If San Francisco loses, Gavin has agreed to send Robert Dungeness crab, sourdough bread, Ghirardelli chocolate and Anchor Steam beer.

If Texas loses, Robert will be shipping over BBQ food from a local joint called Spring Creek BBQ.

Who would you bet on to win the world series, the Giants or the Rangers?

Dana White Attending Rally With Joe Biden For US Senator Harry Reid

The President of the UFC will be joining the Vice President of the United States, at a rally in Reno in support of the candidacy of U.S. Senator Harry Reid this morning. Dana White and Joe Biden will be attending the rally that is taking place at the University of Nevada Reno campus. UFC fighter Chuck Liddell is also planned to be in attendance. The morning-long campaign-sponsored rally will be free and open to the public.

Photo: Deano / Splash News

Pete Carroll Meets With Former President Clinton

Seattle Seahawks coach met with former President Bill Clinton today. The dynamic duo spent some time discussing the upcoming midterm elections.

Don’t these two kinda look alike???

Photo: Twitter

Nancy Pelosi And Arlen Specter Put Wager On Giants-Phillies Series

In a high-stakes wager placing Ghirardelli and Hershey’s chocolates on the line, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Arlen Specter announced that they have placed a friendly wager on the National League Championship series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants.  The winner of the bet will receive a supply of delicacies from the loser’s home district: Ghirardelli’s chocolate from San Francisco or Hershey’s chocolate from Pennsylvania.

“I am not sure which part of this bet will be sweeter, the Phillies in the World Series again, or enjoying Ghirardelli’s chocolate while watching the Phillies in the World Series,” Arlen said.  ”I commend Speaker Pelosi for sticking with her team – but Charlie Manuel’s lineup is just unstoppable and unhittable.”

“San Francisco’s Ghirardelli chocolate will be safe from Senator Specter: the Giants are going all the way,” Nancy said.  ”I look forward to enjoying some Hershey’s – preferably, dark – chocolate while watching our beloved Giants in the World Series.”

After two games, the series is even at 1 win a piece. Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Obama Speaks At Home Of Former Miami Heat Star

President Barack Obama held a fundraiser, rallying Democratic donors, at the Coral Gables home of former Miami Heat star, Alonzo Mourning. Also in attendance were current Miami Heat stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, along with former Los Angeles Laker Magic Johnson. Obama gave credit to the Democratic party for helping to boost the economy with the tough new votes lawmakers have contributed to. The event raised an estimated $1 million for congressional Democratic candidates.

Photo: SocialMiami.com

Happy Birthday Grant Hill!

Phoenix Suns small forward Grant Hill is turning 38 years old today!

Fun Facts About Grant: He was born in Dallas Texas. His father, Calvin Hill attended Yale University and was a three-time All-Pro running back for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. His mother, Janet, who went to Wellesley College shared a suite with future United States First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham when both were freshmen there. On the night Hill was drafted in the NBA, he received a congratulatory phone call from President Bill Clinton. Later, Grant publicly supported John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential bid.

Grant was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the third pick in the NBA Draft after graduating from Duke University in 1994. While in Detroit, Grant was introduced to Tamia by singer Anita Baker. The two married on July 24, 1999.

The couple had their first child, a daughter named Myla Grace Hill, on January 23, 2002. In 2003, they announced on the TV show Extra that Tamia had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In an interview with Smooth magazine, Tamia reported that the disease is seemingly in remission and she has symptoms now and then but they are controlled. On August 9, 2007, Tamia gave birth to their second child, Lael Rose Hill.

Grant has had several endorsement deals through his career including ones with Sprite, TAG Heuer, McDonald’s, Fila, Adidas and Nike.

Grant was one of several athletes/celebrities featured in the 2005 Nickelback video for their song Rockstar:

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Happy Birthday Grant!