Thanks, Obama.
(Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Thanks, Obama.
(Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
SPORTSREDEF PICKS
Obama: Sports Fan in Chief, Internet Hall of Famer, Costco Golf Balls, 7 Marathons in 7 Days...
Mike Vorkunov, curator January 20, 2017
QUOTABLES!
quote of the day
Basketball was always a sanctuary for him when stuff in his life was tough. And it's been a lifelong love affair. Some people cheat the game. He's never cheated a game.
sports
rant n' rave
rantnrave://

Enjoy these last few hours of the BARACK OBAMA presidency. We may never have another like him. His politics and his basic human decency were something special. The juxtaposition between him and the president-elect couldn’t be clearer – even in their love of sports. Obama views sports as a way to connect people and create bonds. Our new REDEF SportsSet, “Barack Obama: Sports Fan in Chief,” digs deep into how sports affected his world view as president. DONALD TRUMP is a sports fan, too, but of a different kind. He has been a golfer and golf-club owner, a casino owner, a team owner. His entry into sports is from a side of privilege. Into sports and suites that take money and power to attain. Obama’s favorite sport is basketball – which requires just a ball and a court, stresses teamwork and is played across different demographics and socioeconomic conditions. There’s something telling in that, too. Obama is beloved by athletes; they tweeted and Instagrammed hosannas to him in his last weeks. Trump has been less accepted in parts of that world (then again: the PATRIOTS). How will sports include President Trump? Will this president fill out MARCH MADNESS brackets on ESPN? How will networks and leagues treat him? It’s a new world as of 12:01 pm ET today.

Mike Vorkunov, curator

January 20, 2017