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Obama Scores in Fantasy Football

Candidate steps up to sportswriter's challenge

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 24, 2008 4:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – Barack Obama's too busy be a great fantasy football partner, but the man knows his stuff, writes Rick Reilly at ESPN. The candidate accepted Reilly's challenge to help him draft a team for a week in a fantasy football league and the sportswriter found him on the campaign bus poring through stats. "Man, this is more important than politics!" Obama said  "This is football!"

Obama, who played a bit of football himself in school but switched to hoops in ninth grade, picked Drew Brees and Clinton Portis, who had great games. Reilly's picks struggled so the pair finished 32,190th for the week—still in the top fifth of the league, and still ahead of John McCain, who turned down Reilly's challenge.

Barack Obama, accompanied by former Pittsburgh Steelers players Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris, leaves the Soldiers and Sailors Museum and Memorial in Pittsburgh, Pa., earlier this year.
Barack Obama, accompanied by former Pittsburgh Steelers players Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris, leaves the Soldiers and Sailors Museum and Memorial in Pittsburgh, Pa., earlier this year.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Barack Obama poses with a football during a tour of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.
Barack Obama poses with a football during a tour of the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.   (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer )
Barack Obama played football in school, he told Rick Reilly, but he switched to basketball after a coach told him to trample an opponent's back.
Barack Obama played football in school, he told Rick Reilly, but he switched to basketball after a coach told him to trample an opponent's back.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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