Sports and Politics

BY JOE JOE WRIGHT

Joejoe.wright@cordeledispatch.com

 

Like two old bed fellows, they go together like peas and carrots like peanut butter and jelly like ham and burger. Where would we be in this world without one stepping into or out of the other. Presidents, Senators and representatives alike have all been huge sports fans or they came from a sports background.

Let’s see Barak Obama (golf and basketball), GW Bush (baseball), Ronald Reagan( football and swimming), Senator Bill Bradley (basketball) Jack Kemp (football) oh I can go on and on JC Watts(football) . Even on a local level I could sit here and rattle off a bunch of people. Sports and politics go together because they involve the same HUMAN characteristic and what is that? Competiveness . It is hard wired into our DNA to compete. Whenever our playing days are over well we look for something else to do. Now most of you probably thought I was going to talk about “the politics of sports” well I will a little. Nothing gets under peoples skin more than when politicians involve themselves in sports with their OWN AGENDA. Take a few years ago when then Georgia Speaker of the House Tom Murphy decided that the state of Georgia was going to interject into his daughters literary competitions in what became known as the one and a half rule. He was upset and out to abuse his power even though it was probably the best thing to do. It happens from time to time. Congress jumped all over major league baseball in the Steroid scandals. Since most people don’t respect congress there interaction meant very little to the American people. However, as long as we have sports in the USA we will have politicians jumping into arena.

Now all this writing is leading up to the main point of the article. The SPLOST is back at our door and what are we going to do. Crisp County is in desperate need of some newer sports facilities. We need all of our extracurricular activities spaces expanded. This needs to be done now! The football stadium is about 45 years old and needs some renovation, we don’t have adequate facilities for middle school programs. Soccer the red headed step child of sports in South Georgia is growing by leaps and bounds and is deserving of proper facilities. We need a vastly increased weight room, band room, Jr ROTC room you name it and it needs some growing room or repair. Well all that costs that five letter word MONEY! Where are you going to get it. If you look to the federal government you are looking in the wrong direction. The deficit there is approaching 19 trillion dollars, they need to cut spending. Besides everytime they give you money they stick to many stipulations on it. The State of Georgia ain’t much better but they will give us 13 million for a new school, key word there is new. Myself and many other citizens in Crisp County would like to see our sports team be second to none to anyone Georgia. To achieve this goal we need MONEY and to get this money we need to get some POLITICS INTO SPORTS and then ease them back out again. I am not 100% sure as to the exact cost of all that the board of Education wants to do but let’s say it is a 30 million price tag. The State of Georgia will give us 13 million for a new school and SPLOST money gives us the rest. However, as a county we only have to come up with 40% of the cost because 60 % of the money comes from people who live outside of our county but spend their money here. So basically we spend 6 million to get 30 million in goods and services. I ain’t no rocket scientist and my kids are grown but as we use to say in the car business that dog will hunt. I don’t like politics in sports but hey sometimes you have do what you have to do. A yes vote on the SPLOST on Tuesday will give Crisp County what amounts to a free loan of $23,200,000.00 for the future expansion of our childrens , children’s educational experience. What’s in your wallet!!! I welcome your comments.