Football, politics intersect in elections
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) – Former Pittsburgh Steeler great Franco Harris waited patiently. Then, like a good running back, he took advantage of an opening to give ex-teammate Lynn Swann, the GOP candidate for governor, a good-natured dig. “Lynn is a great person. He was a great football player,” Harris said at a recent Democratic congressional fundraiser. “He’s running in the wrong direction.”
The worlds of football and politics have intersected this year in Pennsylvania, where rookie campaigner Swann – winner of four Super Bowls with the Steelers – is seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, a political veteran.
Swann’s status as a sports hero in Pennsylvania has given him a big boost, and he recognizes that.
“Regardless of whether or not people think they know enough about me, they do know my name,” the 54-year-old Swann said in an interview. “It’s associated with a productive image, a positive image and positive values. I think that’s going to be extraordinarily important come Election Day.”
Swann is not the only former sports figure in the country to be running for office, but he is the most high profile trying to win office for the first time. But even if his name is golden, earning him warm receptions wherever he goes, it has not helped him overcome Rendell’s double-digit lead in the polls.
Ex-teammates have provided some help, but generally have not taken high-profile supporting roles in the race – either for or against him.
Former Steeler defensive back Mel Blount introduced Swann at his campaign kickoff in January. And fellow Hall of Fame receiver John Stallworth has helped him with fundraising. Others, the campaign says without identifying them, have also been supportive.
As for Harris, a Democratic activist in Pennsylvania, he supports Rendell and has raised money for the party but tries to stay out of the spotlight.
“What’s important to me is that the American people be better informed,” Harris said.
And despite their political differences, Harris remains Swann’s friend. He is godfather to one of Swann’s three children, said Amber Wilkerson, a campaign spokeswoman.
Another big name in football in Pennsylvania – Penn State coach Joe Paterno – is playing his choice for governor close to the vest.
Paterno has campaigned in the past for GOP candidates, even seconding President George H.W. Bush’s nomination at the Republican National Convention in 1988. He said recently that he voted for Rendell four years ago, but likes Swann, too, and is unsure who he will vote for this year.
Swann, in the end, has had to rely on his own hard-won success in the NFL to help generate enthusiasm and support for his campaign.
His football past drew some of the most animated exchanges during a recent campaign stop at a community center in Lancaster.
Bystanders whispered and snapped pictures as he toured the center, where he surprised one Steeler fan after walking into her office.
“Had I known you were going to be here, I would have worn my black-and-gold,” said Garnet Keller, who had a Steeler banner hanging on her door and another behind her desk. They talked about the plight of the current team, which has struggled early this season.
“I love football, and I liked him when he played football,” said 61-year-old worker Wanda Woods. “But you can’t go on that to get a vote. He needs to step up and say what he wants to do as governor, not as a football player.”
Swann said he has carefully laid out his positions on the issues, including his plans to slash state taxes and overhaul the property-taxation system, but he said the media has not always conveyed them to voters.
As for distancing himself from his achievements as a professional athlete, Swann said that is not going to happen.
“I’m very proud of my past. You played nine years, won four Super Bowls, and I’m in the Hall of Fame,” Swann said. “Why would you ever run from that?”
Sports metaphors, as a result, continue to crop up in his speeches.
“I hope to be able to make one more catch on November 7th,” Swann said at his Lancaster campaign stop, “and that is to catch enough votes to become governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”