Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
14 Big Businesses That Started in a Recession
It might seem counterintuitive to start a new business when the economy is in the dumps. But a recession can actually be the ideal time for launching a company. In fact, many well-known and successful organizations were born during an economic slump.
Why do these companies succeed? Usually it's because the founders recognized a market need and filled it. Identifying that need — whether it’s related to entertainment, travel or even streamlining how businesses operate — is the key to any thriving enterprise, regardless of the economic climate in which it begins. The following major corporations made it big during recessions by doing just that.
Hyatt Corp. opened its first hotel’s doors at the Los Angeles International Airport during the Eisenhower recession (1957 to 1958). The chain rose to worldwide fame in the following decades and now operates more than 365 hotels in 25 countries with premium services such as wifi hotspots.
Burger King Corp., with its flame-broiled burgers, is another recession startup. The company began in 1954 when James McLamore and David Edgerton opened a Burger King restaurant in Miami, Fla. During another recession in 1957, the company introduced its successful signature burger — the Whopper. Today, the company operates more than 11,100 locations in 65 countries.
IHOP Corp. is another star from the Eisenhower recession. The first restaurant in the now national chain opened its doors July1958 in Toluca Lake, Calif. Owners Al and Jerry Lapin were at the helm of the fast growing company, which began franchising just three years later. Today, there are more than 1,300 locations across the U.S.
The Jim Henson Company was created by famed puppeteer Jim Henson in 1958. Henson's business was responsible for some of the best-known puppet characters of all time including Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Elmo. Today, the privately held company is managed by Henson's children and continues to thrive by creating popular kids-friendly shows and movies.
LexisNexis is a research hub for the law, media and more. The company, originally a government contractor, began its LexisNexis computerized legal research service during the 1973 oil crisis that rocked the country into steep economic slump. The now Web-based service is used in 100 countries by individuals in law, government, education and business.
FedEx Corp. began operations on April 17, 1973 as Federal Express, a nod to the Federal Reserve, with whom founder Frederick W. Smith had hoped to get a contract. He didn't, but the company that delivered 186 packages to 25 cities on its first night of operations now manages more than 7.5 million shipments everyday worldwide.
Microsoft Corp. wasn't always the jaw-dropping enterprise it is today. In 1975, when it was created by Harvard University dropout Bill Gates, Microsoft was just a little company in Albuquerque, N.M. It dealt in rudimentary computing languages and began its climb to business stardom with the success of MS-DOS, which was sold and marketed to IBM Corp. and then-IBM clones. Today, the company is estimated to earn more than $60 billion in revenue per year and is branching into new areas including VoIP and CRM.
CNN might be a news giant now, but in recession-plagued 1980, it was a little-known station called The Cable Network News. It revolutionized how people received information when it premiered as the first 24-hour all-news channel. Today, 1.5 billion people across the globe watch CNN.
MTV Networks brought something new and different to the music scene when it debuted in the economic slump of 1981. Intended to be an all-music-video channel, MTV used VJs (video jockeys) to host programs and facilitate transitions between videos. Today, MTV is a global brand with dozens of shows, music-related and not.
Trader Joe's started as a chain of convenience stores called Pronto Markets in the slow financial times of 1958. In 1967, the company changed its name to Trader Joe's and began to carry unique grocery items under its own brand. The company now operates more than 280 stores in the U.S.
Wikipedia Foundation Inc. was born during the recent post-9/11 recession. Established in January 2001, the online encyclopedia had more than 100,000 entries by 2003. Today it is home to more than 2.5 million articles and continues to grow.
Sports Illustrated magazine was launched on August 16, 1954, at the tail-end of a recession. The magazine benefitted from fortunate timing as a boom in professional sports exploded soon after its founding. Sports Illustrated now sells about 3 million copies in the U.S. each week.
GE (General Electric Co.) was established in 1876 by famed American inventor Thomas Edison. In the middle of the Panic of 1873, a six-year recession, Edison created one of the best-known inventions of all time — the incandescent light bulb. In terms of market capitalization, GE is now the third largest company in the world. The enterprise has evolved from a manufacturing-strong business to an enterprise earning more than 50 percent of its revenue from its financial services division.
HP (Hewlett-Packard Development Company LP) was inauspiciously born in a Palo Alto garage at the end of the Great Depression. The electronic company, initially supported by a mere $538 investment, has grown into the first technology business to exceed $100 billion in revenue, earning $104 billion in 2007. It now operates in nearly every country in the world.
Recessions, however, aren’t advantageous only to start-ups. Pre-existing companies can also make incredible gains in years where the economy is down. Some of the most recent success stories are those of Google, PayPal and Salesforce.com Inc. From 2000 to 2001 each of these companies thrived, leading PayPal to go public in 2002, followed by Google and Salesforce.com in 2004.
Why do these companies succeed? Usually it's because the founders recognized a market need and filled it. Identifying that need — whether it’s related to entertainment, travel or even streamlining how businesses operate — is the key to any thriving enterprise, regardless of the economic climate in which it begins. The following major corporations made it big during recessions by doing just that.
Hyatt Corp. opened its first hotel’s doors at the Los Angeles International Airport during the Eisenhower recession (1957 to 1958). The chain rose to worldwide fame in the following decades and now operates more than 365 hotels in 25 countries with premium services such as wifi hotspots.
Burger King Corp., with its flame-broiled burgers, is another recession startup. The company began in 1954 when James McLamore and David Edgerton opened a Burger King restaurant in Miami, Fla. During another recession in 1957, the company introduced its successful signature burger — the Whopper. Today, the company operates more than 11,100 locations in 65 countries.
IHOP Corp. is another star from the Eisenhower recession. The first restaurant in the now national chain opened its doors July1958 in Toluca Lake, Calif. Owners Al and Jerry Lapin were at the helm of the fast growing company, which began franchising just three years later. Today, there are more than 1,300 locations across the U.S.
The Jim Henson Company was created by famed puppeteer Jim Henson in 1958. Henson's business was responsible for some of the best-known puppet characters of all time including Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog and Elmo. Today, the privately held company is managed by Henson's children and continues to thrive by creating popular kids-friendly shows and movies.
LexisNexis is a research hub for the law, media and more. The company, originally a government contractor, began its LexisNexis computerized legal research service during the 1973 oil crisis that rocked the country into steep economic slump. The now Web-based service is used in 100 countries by individuals in law, government, education and business.
FedEx Corp. began operations on April 17, 1973 as Federal Express, a nod to the Federal Reserve, with whom founder Frederick W. Smith had hoped to get a contract. He didn't, but the company that delivered 186 packages to 25 cities on its first night of operations now manages more than 7.5 million shipments everyday worldwide.
Microsoft Corp. wasn't always the jaw-dropping enterprise it is today. In 1975, when it was created by Harvard University dropout Bill Gates, Microsoft was just a little company in Albuquerque, N.M. It dealt in rudimentary computing languages and began its climb to business stardom with the success of MS-DOS, which was sold and marketed to IBM Corp. and then-IBM clones. Today, the company is estimated to earn more than $60 billion in revenue per year and is branching into new areas including VoIP and CRM.
CNN might be a news giant now, but in recession-plagued 1980, it was a little-known station called The Cable Network News. It revolutionized how people received information when it premiered as the first 24-hour all-news channel. Today, 1.5 billion people across the globe watch CNN.
MTV Networks brought something new and different to the music scene when it debuted in the economic slump of 1981. Intended to be an all-music-video channel, MTV used VJs (video jockeys) to host programs and facilitate transitions between videos. Today, MTV is a global brand with dozens of shows, music-related and not.
Trader Joe's started as a chain of convenience stores called Pronto Markets in the slow financial times of 1958. In 1967, the company changed its name to Trader Joe's and began to carry unique grocery items under its own brand. The company now operates more than 280 stores in the U.S.
Wikipedia Foundation Inc. was born during the recent post-9/11 recession. Established in January 2001, the online encyclopedia had more than 100,000 entries by 2003. Today it is home to more than 2.5 million articles and continues to grow.
Sports Illustrated magazine was launched on August 16, 1954, at the tail-end of a recession. The magazine benefitted from fortunate timing as a boom in professional sports exploded soon after its founding. Sports Illustrated now sells about 3 million copies in the U.S. each week.
GE (General Electric Co.) was established in 1876 by famed American inventor Thomas Edison. In the middle of the Panic of 1873, a six-year recession, Edison created one of the best-known inventions of all time — the incandescent light bulb. In terms of market capitalization, GE is now the third largest company in the world. The enterprise has evolved from a manufacturing-strong business to an enterprise earning more than 50 percent of its revenue from its financial services division.
HP (Hewlett-Packard Development Company LP) was inauspiciously born in a Palo Alto garage at the end of the Great Depression. The electronic company, initially supported by a mere $538 investment, has grown into the first technology business to exceed $100 billion in revenue, earning $104 billion in 2007. It now operates in nearly every country in the world.
Recessions, however, aren’t advantageous only to start-ups. Pre-existing companies can also make incredible gains in years where the economy is down. Some of the most recent success stories are those of Google, PayPal and Salesforce.com Inc. From 2000 to 2001 each of these companies thrived, leading PayPal to go public in 2002, followed by Google and Salesforce.com in 2004.
Fat parents could be paid to walk their children to school
Under the scheme people who exercise would receive supermarket-style vouchers to spend on sports gear and healthy food.
Those attending keep-fit classes or weight loss clubs could be eligible for rewards, as well as those walking to bus or train stations.
Critics claim the rewards will be a form of bribery. It is thought machines would be placed in schools or stations so parents or commuters could swipe their cards to tot up points.
The proposal will be assessed during a pilot project in Manchester, one of nine areas designated as "healthy towns".
It will be announced today by Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, who will encourage every business to take action agains obesity.
But the plans have caused controversy, with small business leaders warning that they were already too stretched and that the current economic climate was "not the right time" to ask them to do more.
Mr Johnson is expected to say that a massive effort is required to alert the nation, and especially parents, to the risks of obesity, as he outlines plans for a nationwide £325 million "revolution" on the problem.
Research for the Department of Health shows that almost nine out of ten parents fail to recognise that their children are overweight or obese.
Experts predict that half of adults could have weight problems by 2050, creating a health crisis expected to cost the NHS £50 billions.
More than 12,000 businesses, charities and local groups have signed up to help promote the Government's campaign.
But Mr Johnson has called for more to join their number.
He said: "I am today challenging every CEO of every company who can influence what we eat and how we exercise to come forward and tell us how they are going to help beat this national epidemic.
"Obesity affects us all so everyone must get involved."
But Stephen Alambritis, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said that it was "not the right time" to ask more of small employers.
He said: "If this message is targeted to the CEOs of the top FTSE companies that is understandable but at the moment many small employers are struggling to keep their staff on the payroll and it is not the right time to ask more of them."
Businesses which have signed up to the initiative include ITV, which is to run a series of programmes tracking viewers' attempts to live healthier lives, and Kellogg's, the cereal giant, which will support breakfast clubs in deprived areas.
The Department of Health said that it had also come to "unprecedented" arrangements with Tesco and Asda, the supermarkets, to offer discounts on healthy food.
"Ten million people visit their corner shops every day and 36 million shop at Asda and Tesco each week - the fact that grocers and supermarkets are on board means we can really influence what goes into our shopping trolleys," Mr Johnson said.
"It's unprecedented for supermarkets to join the Government and pledge to cut prices on healthy food. But this isn't an exclusive club. Anyone who promises to help families to be healthier can join."
Mr Johnson said that research had shown that the challenge of convincing parents to change their habits would be difficult.
He said: "The message that we received from parents was clear: we recognise that obesity is a big problem, but it's not our problem."
"The aim of Change4Life is to help parents understand that obesity is a problem for all of us and that it causes severe illnesses and premature death.
"Finger wagging and lecturing won't work, that's why Change4Life is designed to be supportive and helpful."
Research commissioned for the Department of Health shows that just 11.5 per cent of parents whose children were overweight or obese children recognised that they had a problem.
Those attending keep-fit classes or weight loss clubs could be eligible for rewards, as well as those walking to bus or train stations.
Critics claim the rewards will be a form of bribery. It is thought machines would be placed in schools or stations so parents or commuters could swipe their cards to tot up points.
The proposal will be assessed during a pilot project in Manchester, one of nine areas designated as "healthy towns".
It will be announced today by Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, who will encourage every business to take action agains obesity.
But the plans have caused controversy, with small business leaders warning that they were already too stretched and that the current economic climate was "not the right time" to ask them to do more.
Mr Johnson is expected to say that a massive effort is required to alert the nation, and especially parents, to the risks of obesity, as he outlines plans for a nationwide £325 million "revolution" on the problem.
Research for the Department of Health shows that almost nine out of ten parents fail to recognise that their children are overweight or obese.
Experts predict that half of adults could have weight problems by 2050, creating a health crisis expected to cost the NHS £50 billions.
More than 12,000 businesses, charities and local groups have signed up to help promote the Government's campaign.
But Mr Johnson has called for more to join their number.
He said: "I am today challenging every CEO of every company who can influence what we eat and how we exercise to come forward and tell us how they are going to help beat this national epidemic.
"Obesity affects us all so everyone must get involved."
But Stephen Alambritis, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said that it was "not the right time" to ask more of small employers.
He said: "If this message is targeted to the CEOs of the top FTSE companies that is understandable but at the moment many small employers are struggling to keep their staff on the payroll and it is not the right time to ask more of them."
Businesses which have signed up to the initiative include ITV, which is to run a series of programmes tracking viewers' attempts to live healthier lives, and Kellogg's, the cereal giant, which will support breakfast clubs in deprived areas.
The Department of Health said that it had also come to "unprecedented" arrangements with Tesco and Asda, the supermarkets, to offer discounts on healthy food.
"Ten million people visit their corner shops every day and 36 million shop at Asda and Tesco each week - the fact that grocers and supermarkets are on board means we can really influence what goes into our shopping trolleys," Mr Johnson said.
"It's unprecedented for supermarkets to join the Government and pledge to cut prices on healthy food. But this isn't an exclusive club. Anyone who promises to help families to be healthier can join."
Mr Johnson said that research had shown that the challenge of convincing parents to change their habits would be difficult.
He said: "The message that we received from parents was clear: we recognise that obesity is a big problem, but it's not our problem."
"The aim of Change4Life is to help parents understand that obesity is a problem for all of us and that it causes severe illnesses and premature death.
"Finger wagging and lecturing won't work, that's why Change4Life is designed to be supportive and helpful."
Research commissioned for the Department of Health shows that just 11.5 per cent of parents whose children were overweight or obese children recognised that they had a problem.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
25 Years Ago Today, Bill Gates Announced Windows 1.0
Two decades and a half ago today, Bill Gates unveiled Microsoft's first operating systems. Oh, it wasn't for sale yet—no, no, it's still only 1983 and we wouldn't see Windows on store shelves until 1985. But that didn't stop the young heart throb Gates.
Gates wasn't at all shy when promoting his debut Windows OS at New York's Helmsley Palace Hotel that day, claiming that it, powered by a unique graphical interface, would be running 90% of IBM systems by 1984 (before missing the launch date by a year, of course). To his credit, that ridiculously lofty number is just about identical to the Windows marketshare of today.
Windows 1 wouldn't be around for long, with its Windows 2 predecessor following just two years later. But if you have a fond memory of the old OS, now would be a good time to share it with the class in the comments.
Palin offered $2M to appear in porn movie
Sarah Palin has received her first job offer since failing in her bid to become vice-president of the United States -- to appear in a porno movie.
Florida-based porn director Cezar Capone has offered to pay Palin $2 million to appear in an adult film production.
Capone promises in an open letter on his website that the film would be distributed internationally, shot in high definition and feature a "beautiful mother recognized by all of America as well as the rest of the world -- the most desirable woman over 40."
To prove he's serious about the offer, Capone says he's prepared to hold the money in escrow immediately.
To sweeten the deal, Palin's husband Todd has been offered a co-starring role in the production, for which Capone would be "prepared to kick in an extra $100,000," and a new Arctic Cat snowmobile.
Palin hasn't publicly responded to the offer, which was sent to her administration office in Juneau, Alaska, on Nov. 6.
Hustler Magazine recently released a spoof Palin porn video titled Nailin' Paylin.
Solar at Sea: Chinese Cargo Ships Will Have Solar Sails
The Australian company, Solar Sailor, has signed a deal with the largest Chinese shipping line COSCO to outfit their tankers with large solar-powered sails controlled by a computer that angles them for maximum wind and solar efficiency and the company claims that the sails will pay for themselves within four years.
The sails are 30 meters long, covered with solar PV panels that will provide 5 percent of the ships' electricity and will harness enough wind to reduce fuel costs by 20 to 40 percent.
The shipping and air travel industries have been the hardest to conform to new energy efficiency demands. Planes and tankers require huge quantities of fuel, but our global economy depends on both of them to survive, so they've been difficult industries to regulate. Even the latest environmental standards set by the EU included gimmes for shipping and airline companies.
It seems as though China is slowly but aggressively moving into a position of leadership in the transition to a global green economy.
The sails are 30 meters long, covered with solar PV panels that will provide 5 percent of the ships' electricity and will harness enough wind to reduce fuel costs by 20 to 40 percent.
The shipping and air travel industries have been the hardest to conform to new energy efficiency demands. Planes and tankers require huge quantities of fuel, but our global economy depends on both of them to survive, so they've been difficult industries to regulate. Even the latest environmental standards set by the EU included gimmes for shipping and airline companies.
It seems as though China is slowly but aggressively moving into a position of leadership in the transition to a global green economy.
A Shapeshifting Skyscraper in Miami's Skyline?
A PR flak in New York left a cryptic voicemail on Riptide's machine late last week: Florence-based superstar architect David Fisher is planning a "major press conference" in Miami on Tuesday, she said, to announce plans for a project here.
The mysterious news is even more intriguing given the project Fisher's been shilling in a few other major cities for the past year: an insane-looking rotating skyscraper. Each floor in the building would spin independently, creating a constantly changing shape on the skyline.
Fisher told the New York Times a couple weeks ago that he's looking for a place in Manhattan to build a rotating tower. And he's supposedly breaking ground for another one in Dubai in a few weeks.
Could Miami be next? Has Fisher heard about the little condo bust that's left half-built towers packed with empty units up and down the bayfront?
The mysterious news is even more intriguing given the project Fisher's been shilling in a few other major cities for the past year: an insane-looking rotating skyscraper. Each floor in the building would spin independently, creating a constantly changing shape on the skyline.
Fisher told the New York Times a couple weeks ago that he's looking for a place in Manhattan to build a rotating tower. And he's supposedly breaking ground for another one in Dubai in a few weeks.
Could Miami be next? Has Fisher heard about the little condo bust that's left half-built towers packed with empty units up and down the bayfront?
How the New Bond Movie Pissed Off the Entire Nation of Bolivia
Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster explains how he almost touched off an international incident -- and 10 more behind-the-scenes secrets with 007, including the film's Oscar hopes and new Bond girls.
Marc Forster has directed some of the most lauded movies of the last ten years. Movies like Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland, which, between them, earned nine Oscar nominations and two wins. He directed The Kite Runner, too, an emotional drama about two Afghan boys whose friendship falters after one of them is raped. Naturally, he was selected to direct the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.
The movie takes place 20 minutes after 2006's Casino Royale ends, as Bond sets out to avenge the murder of the woman we're supposed to believe he actually loved. Like any Bond movie, there are explosions, cars, and women. Unlike any Bond movie, there's concern that 007 might cry. Here, Forster addresses our skepticism.
ESQ: Even you must have been surprised when you were asked to direct this.
MF: I didn't want to do it. I took the meeting out of pure courtesy. But then I read an interview with Orson Welles that asked him to name a big regret in life, and he said he wished he'd done a mainstream movie. So I thought, Why not?
ESQ: How do you think you made your mark on the franchise?
MF: I tried to embrace the framework of villain, girls, and cars but at the same time make the film my own, visually and emotionally. I tried to be honest, in an emotional sense, to Bond's character.
ESQ: So you made him a sissy?
MF: There is this emotional scar in him, but he's trying not to admit it.
ESQ: Is he at least still philandering?
MF: He's definitely still philandering. He has to be. It's part of Bond's charm.
ESQ: Could you have made the first Bond movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture?
MF: Uh, no.
ESQ: How did you pick new Bond girls Gemma Arterton and Olga Kurylenko?
MF: I thought it would be easy to cast a Bond girl, because there are so many beautiful women in this world. But not many of them can act. Their acting needed to be really strong and three-dimensional. Historically, the role of women in the world has changed. You can't have someone in a Bond film just as a sex object.
ESQ: Guess so. But beauty is still the most important part, right?
MF: Oh, yeah. They have to be sexy and beautiful. That's what people expect, and that's what Bond is about.
ESQ: How grotesque is the villain?
MF: I didn't want a villain we gave a crutch to, like the teeth for Jaws, or even the last one who had tears of blood. [Mathieu Amalric]'s villain's threat comes from within. At the beginning, it's more of a creepiness. As the movie goes on, it's revealed more and more what kind of villain he is.
ESQ: Is it true that he's based on Dick Cheney?
MF: I heard [Amalric] based it more on [Nicolas] Sarkozy and Tony Blair.
ESQ: And did you really piss off the entire nation of Bolivia during filming?
MF: The Bolivians and Chileans have a tension going on for a very long time. There was a war a while back, and because of that, Bolivia doesn't have access to the sea, while Chile does. Bolivia didn't like that we shot in Chile, saying it was Bolivia. It's as if you were to shoot in Paris and say it's London. The French wouldn't like that.
ESQ: Tell us the rumor that the set designer was inspired by the color of Daniel Craig's eyes, isn't true.
MF: He didn't tell me that.
Marc Forster has directed some of the most lauded movies of the last ten years. Movies like Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland, which, between them, earned nine Oscar nominations and two wins. He directed The Kite Runner, too, an emotional drama about two Afghan boys whose friendship falters after one of them is raped. Naturally, he was selected to direct the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.
The movie takes place 20 minutes after 2006's Casino Royale ends, as Bond sets out to avenge the murder of the woman we're supposed to believe he actually loved. Like any Bond movie, there are explosions, cars, and women. Unlike any Bond movie, there's concern that 007 might cry. Here, Forster addresses our skepticism.
ESQ: Even you must have been surprised when you were asked to direct this.
MF: I didn't want to do it. I took the meeting out of pure courtesy. But then I read an interview with Orson Welles that asked him to name a big regret in life, and he said he wished he'd done a mainstream movie. So I thought, Why not?
ESQ: How do you think you made your mark on the franchise?
MF: I tried to embrace the framework of villain, girls, and cars but at the same time make the film my own, visually and emotionally. I tried to be honest, in an emotional sense, to Bond's character.
ESQ: So you made him a sissy?
MF: There is this emotional scar in him, but he's trying not to admit it.
ESQ: Is he at least still philandering?
MF: He's definitely still philandering. He has to be. It's part of Bond's charm.
ESQ: Could you have made the first Bond movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture?
MF: Uh, no.
ESQ: How did you pick new Bond girls Gemma Arterton and Olga Kurylenko?
MF: I thought it would be easy to cast a Bond girl, because there are so many beautiful women in this world. But not many of them can act. Their acting needed to be really strong and three-dimensional. Historically, the role of women in the world has changed. You can't have someone in a Bond film just as a sex object.
ESQ: Guess so. But beauty is still the most important part, right?
MF: Oh, yeah. They have to be sexy and beautiful. That's what people expect, and that's what Bond is about.
ESQ: How grotesque is the villain?
MF: I didn't want a villain we gave a crutch to, like the teeth for Jaws, or even the last one who had tears of blood. [Mathieu Amalric]'s villain's threat comes from within. At the beginning, it's more of a creepiness. As the movie goes on, it's revealed more and more what kind of villain he is.
ESQ: Is it true that he's based on Dick Cheney?
MF: I heard [Amalric] based it more on [Nicolas] Sarkozy and Tony Blair.
ESQ: And did you really piss off the entire nation of Bolivia during filming?
MF: The Bolivians and Chileans have a tension going on for a very long time. There was a war a while back, and because of that, Bolivia doesn't have access to the sea, while Chile does. Bolivia didn't like that we shot in Chile, saying it was Bolivia. It's as if you were to shoot in Paris and say it's London. The French wouldn't like that.
ESQ: Tell us the rumor that the set designer was inspired by the color of Daniel Craig's eyes, isn't true.
MF: He didn't tell me that.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Top 10 Most Athletic Presidents in U.S. History
Let’s see, McCain is a Phoenix Suns fan who played junior varsity football in high school and boxed in the Navy. Eh.
Obama is a White Sox fan who threw out the first pitch in Chicago before Game 2 of the ’05 ALCS. He led Occidental College’s basketball team in scoring. He recently played hoops with North Carolina All-American Tyler Hansbrough and ESPN’s Stuart Scott and can, for some reason, ID former Celtics’ towel-waver M.L. Carr. He can make 3-pointers. He’s been on HBO’s Real Sports. Dude even has his own signature sneaker.
Though it’s difficult to trust a man who bowls a 37, Barack Obama could/should/will? become one of the most athletic Presidents in U.S. history.
Watched ESPN’s Redskins-Steelers last night and Chris Berman asked both candidates what they’d change about sports. Obama: College football playoff. McCain: Steroid legislation.
Translation: Obama is a sports fan; McCain a politician familiar with sports.
Got me thinking. We see former athletes like Bill Bradley and Steve Largent and Thomas Lott become senators and such, but will there a be a day when a player becomes Prez? Tiger Woods maybe? Tom Brady? Roger Staubach will always have my vote. Ditto for Nolan Ryan.
For now we’ll have to settle on a President who loves sports. Obama, who’s risen to stardom without any assists from Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, says his first amendment to the White House would be a hoop over the garage. In the hours before he'll make history, the guy is going to play some basketball. Good enough for me.
Assuming the BCS projections aren’t too askew, Obama will win tonight and immediately jump near the top of the list of Most Athletic Presidents in U.S. History:
10. George W. Bush His first-pitch strike – in a bullet-proof vest -- before Game 1 of ’01 World Series at Yankee Stadium is best sports moment ever for a U.S. President
9. Woodrow Wilson Played center field for Davidson College
8. Richard Nixon Scrappy linebacker at tiny Whittier College
7. Jimmy Carter Played baseball and ran cross country in the Navy
6. Teddy Roosevelt Boxed at Harvard and played tennis on the White House front lawn
5. Ronald Reagan Played football at Eureka College and portrayed “The Gipper” in Knute Rockne
4. George H. Bush Left-handed first baseman led Yale to baseball’s College World Series in ‘48
3. Dwight Eisenhower A linebacker/running back at Army, the “Kansas Cyclone” hurt a knee tackling Jim Thorpe in 1912
2. Barack Obama Lanky lefty led Occidental College’s basketball team in scoring in ‘79
1. Gerald Ford All-American center led Michigan’s football team to National Championship in ’33
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