Mr. President, The Ball Is In Your Court

Sports journalist Sally Jenkins pens a letter to President Obama in her Washington Post column outlining 10 ways to change the sports landscape in America. Obama, a serious baller and self-professed sports junkie, should take note.

Jenkins writes:

As with any issue vital to the republic, what you need is a sports czar to point you in the right direction and set your agenda as well as help you avoid the mistakes of your predecessors, such as boycotting the wrong thing or biking when you should be thinking.

Her open letter includes such suggestions as:

• eliminating the skewed BCS system in college football
• making college freshman ineligible for sports so they can concentrate on school activities including academics
• informing the American public that there’s no difference between men’s basketball and women’s basketball and highlighting the point by inviting Candace Parker to the White House for a game of one-on-one.
• enforcing equal pay for women’s sports (hello…)  Tennessee Vols coach Pat Summit, who has won eight national championships, makes about half of what her male counterpart, who has never made it past the Sweet 16, makes.

Jenkins notes that most of the suggestions concern college or amateur sports. We’ll have to wait for Obama’s second term to tackle the pros. Read the full article here.

Obamanation: Staying in shape at the White House

Jan. 19, 2009 – President Barack Obama, wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia will have plenty of perks when they move into the White House, a 55,000 square-foot Georgian-style mansion with 132 rooms and 32 bathrooms.

Lucky for the Obamas, the perks include a plethora of sports and recreational facilities. With a tennis court, putting green, running track, horseshoe pit and swimming pool right on the property, there’s no reason for the first family not to stay in shape.

Both President Obama and the first lady have exercise routines that would put most people to shame. Michelle Obama used to join a friend for 4:30 a.m. workouts, and Barack, a professed basketball junkie, usually starts his day in the gym.

We know the President and first lady will take advantage of the amenities, but can you imagine what life in the WH will be like for seven year old Sasha and ten year old Malia? In addition to having a private movie theatre and personal chef, they can have pool and bowling parties, tennis and golf lessons on their front lawn, and homework breaks in the game room.

Fitness is a tradition for residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. George W. Bush is an avid mountain biker, former President Bill Clinton jogged around Washington and former President George H.W. Bush liked to golf and jog, play tennis and pitch horseshoes.

The White House was originally built in the late 1700s at a cost of $230,000 – or about $3.5 million in today’s dollars. The house has obviously gone through a few changes over the years – electricity, plumbing and central heat are just a few of the upgrades – but the White House hasn’t changed that drastically since the early 1950’s.

Some of the improvements and amenities include:

• The White House tennis court, first built in 1902 behind the West wing, was moved to the west side of the south lawn in 1909. The White House tennis court has been a favorite outdoor recreation area for many presidents and their families. In place since the Theodore Roosevelt years, everyone from the Wilson daughters, Coolidge sons, Ford, and Bush has played. Florence Harding hosted the first women’s tennis exhibition, and Nancy Reagan held a fund-raiser tournament here.

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Take your daughters to the polls!

November 3, 2008 – On the eve of election day, we thought this video – produced by the White House Project – was appropriate. If you’re a mom, consider taking your daughters to the polls tomorrow. And daughters, ask your parents or older siblings if you can be their +1 in the voting booth. More information about The White House Project.