Craig Robinson on Obama
Kevin Kamberg
Being in the midst of week 2 of the cold/flu from hell and not exactly running on all cylinders, I've checked and don't believe this has been covered here yet...
As has already been noted, Obama's Brother-in-Law is the new Head Coach of the OSU men's basketball program. NCAA Tournament junkies may remember him better as the first ever two-time Ivy-League Play of the Year who helped lead the Princeton Tigers to two NCAA Tournament appearances in the early '80s.
Here's hoping that he can guide the program back to some semblence of what it was when the great Ralph Miller was their coach. But that's not what this post is about.
A little over a week ago AOL Sports published an interview with Craig Robinson that was all about Obama: Obama Earns Hoops Vote of Confidence
Not only is Obama a decent pick-up B-Ball player, but his wife Michelle and the rest of the Robinson clan apparently share Bill Bradley's philosophy that you can tell a lot about a person by playing pick-up basketball with them. So early on in their courtship she sent Barack to play a pick-up game with her brother Craig for that very purpose.
Needless to say, Barack passed the test. But what Craig Robinson learned about Barack Obama that day gives us an important insight into what kind of President he would be.
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11:25 a.m.
Apr 8, '08
With everyone mocking Obama for his bowling skills, maybe he should have invited them on to the court.
11:48 a.m.
Apr 8, '08
This stuff goes a little far. You can sometimes tell if somebody's a total ass by the way they play ball -- but some people are able to hide their assiness if they want to make a good impression. You can tell if somebody has respect for the rules or the beauty of the game, but usually that takes playing with someone for years, in a variety of situations and moods, to start to come up.
Here's an idea: judge a political candidate on his political record and policy positions. Judge an athlete on his game.
Apr 8, '08
Not only will Obama usher in a post-political utopia, but he'll be indirectly responsible for the Beavers winning a NCAA championship.
It just gets rosier and rosier.
John
Apr 8, '08
I'm glad you're calling attention to this. If sports isn't about character, then why do so many parents tell their kids that it is? Only someone whose mind is already made up would diregard something like this.
I've looked everywhere for indications of what kind of person each candidate is. This story meshes perfectly with everything I've ever read by people who have met and worked with Obama from both sides of the aisle. He is widely respected as a fair and intelligent person even by those who disagree with his political views.
1:36 p.m.
Apr 8, '08
given the "enthusiasm" of the Ducks' student section at Mac Court, i'm wondering if the President's brother-in-law will need Secret Service protection when the Beavers come to Eugene for their annual whupping. (otoh, maybe he can get someone from the Service to show his players what "defense" actually means.)
1:52 p.m.
Apr 8, '08
LOL - That's brutal, T.A.
But certainly not outside the bounds of fairplay in Oregon.
;-)
Apr 8, '08
Tricky Dick Nixon was a good bowler. That is why nobody should mistake bowling skills or the lack thereof, for character. Bowling is pretty really, really old school. John McCain is probably a pretty good bowler from his years in the Officers Clubs and Congress. Obama looks like he would kick a@# at Wii. It's new vs very, very old.
Apr 8, '08
That's beautiful, man!
At least his bil doesn't work for Columbia. Looks like Bill Clinton has outpenned Penn:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/bill-clintons-ties-to-col_n_95651.html
On Sunday evening, Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist, Mark Penn, resigned from his post after it was revealed he was working (on the side) for the passage of a Colombia Free Trade Agreement that his candidate opposed.
But within the Clinton campaign, Penn is not the highest-ranking adviser with financial ties to groups and individuals supporting the passage of the measure.
Former President Bill Clinton has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars speaking on behalf of a Colombia-based group pushing the trade pact, and representatives of that organization tell The Huffington Post that the former president shared their sentiment.
In June 2005, Clinton was paid $800,000 by the Colombia-based Gold Service International to give four speeches throughout Latin America.
Apr 8, '08
Kevin, I know I know, a pathetic segway for me to go off-topic. winky. wish someone would post this story about BC, but I suppose it will be all over the internets tomorrow.
Apr 8, '08
Can't wait to rub this story about Obama's bil in the face of an old, persuadable "Republican" friend who played for Ralph and now coaches elsewhere.
bwhahahahaha!
2:31 p.m.
Apr 8, '08
backbeat12, write it up and submit it as a guest column. God knows that Kari has repeatedly asked folks to do just that. More participation is better than less participation, IMO.
It's all up to the editors, of course. But I personally would wager better than even odds that they'd post it.
Apr 8, '08
Kevin, I'm not ready to reveal myself, so can't do it. Thanks though.
Apr 8, '08
I'm just what my name says. Anybody else as worried about our beautiful USA as I am? Yep, I fit into the mold - I'm for Clinton. I'm proud to be from a blue state, but sadly, my local area (McMinnville and Yamhill County is resoundingly red! I may not post often, but I'll definitely lurk!
Liberal Elder
9:50 p.m.
Apr 8, '08
I liked the article, but what's Coach Robinson going to ever say, really?
"He's family, but my man gets posted up worse than Bobby Hurley's love child."
"Dude needs to shut the mouth and give up the ROCK, know'm sayin'?"
Meanwhile, they better give Coach five years. It's going to take much, much patience and perseverance to resurrect Beaver hoop.
Apr 9, '08
hehe. this is so funny..
last time we picked a president by choosing the one we want to have a beer with.
this time we will pick a president because he's good at the a pick-up game.
hehehe
Apr 9, '08
Why should you care where President Clinton had speaking engagements? If you look at Senator Clintons financial disclosure forms (which she gives up yearly as a Senator) theres a long list of countries he had speaking engagements. Why do you want this to be a conspiracy?