Projo Offbeat Blog

With his victory yesterday, Barack Obama became something more than president-elect of the United States. He became a much better basketball player.

He might still miss some shots, but he will never be accused of taking a bad shot.

He will never commit a foul. And he will never get fouled.

Oh sure, plenty of his opponents will claim to have fouled the Commander in Chief when he misses a shot. And some of those "guilty" defenders might have actually been standing in the same area code as the first basketball player when he took that errant shot.

During Obama's campaign, we learned that the candidate, already a good basketball player, gets his exercise and relaxes by playing hoops. In fact, he eased the stress of awaiting yesterday's results with a pick-up game.

Through the years, we've heard a lot about our presidents' favorite sports and fitness routines. President Bush was a runner before hurting his knee and shifting to mountain biking. President Clinton was a runner and a golfer.

I remember following President Clinton when he vacationed on Martha's Vineyard. On the president's regular jogs, a few Secret Service agents would run alongside him. President Clinton was a little heavier then, and he wasn't setting any speed records, but the agents, who looked to be in tip-top shape, didn't sprint out in front of him. They stuck to his side.

I figured those agents had a better assignment than the agents who accompanied President Clinton to the golf course. It could be dangerous duty with the president spraying golf balls around the course. And I suspect some of those Secret Service agents learned to look the other way when the president filled out his scorecard.

With a full Secret Service detail, President Obama won't have trouble finding a few athletic guys to play hoops at the White House, but he might have trouble finding guys who will give him a good game.

Who would call a foul on the most powerful man in the world? Who would dare play tight defense on a man whose life he has pledged to protect with his own?

The typical player has two worries when he starts playing a pick-up basketball game: Will anyone pass to me? And if they do, will they think I shoot too much?

President Obama won't have those concerns. His hands will be sore from catching all the passes.

And if he launches a shot from the White House lawn that lands on Pennsylvania Avenue, all he will hear is, "Nice shot, Mr. President. I think I fouled you on that one."

 Tags  Barack Obama basketball election president President Bush President Clinton

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