Brady & Voting

Did you happen to catch the Tom Brady interview on 60 Minutes this past Sunday? What a great example of humility and perspective that is so often lacking in our sports heros. As quarterback for the New England Patriots Tom Brady has won 3 Superbowls, has never lost a playoff game, and is 21-2 when the game is decided by 3 points or less. He was the 199th player selected overall and was only given a chance to play when Drew Bledsoe was creamed by Mo Lewis in a game against the Jets in 2001. Here is a quote from the interview that really impressed me:

He [Brady] has turned down million-dollar endorsement deals because he didn't think they were right for him, and many of the ones he does, he shares with his teammates.

But with all Brady's fame and career accomplishments, Kroft was surprised to hear this from him: "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, 'Hey man, this is what is. ' I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, 'God, it's got to be more than this. ' I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be."

"What's the answer?" asks Kroft.

"I wish I knew. I wish I knew," Brady replies.

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Today is voting day in various places around the country. Here in the Tri-State area there are two big races to be decided. In New Jersey there is the Gubernatorial election between Republican Doug Forrester and Democrat Sen. John Corzine. The race has been pretty nasty with no real issues having been discussed. My prediction is that Corzine will win since Forrester has been so closely associated with Bush (who isn't too popular around here, or in the majority of the country for that matter).

Here in The City we are all expecting a landslide victory for incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He is running against Fernando Ferrer who never really had a chance (which is a good thing in my opinion). Bloomberg has done an amazing job as mayor. Especially since he took office just six-weeks after 9/11 and was facing a 4 billion dollar city deficit from those attacks. Under his watch the city is financially healthy, crime has continued to decrease, the schools are getting better, home owners have gotten $800 property tax rebates, smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants or bars, and he has started to really make sense about what should happen at ground zero. Kurt Anderson of New York Magazine sums up the thinking of most of the people in this city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 6 to 1. He says "And so, just as suddenly, I decided that in the election this week I wouldn't default to the Democratic line, or abstain, that instead I'd forgive Bloomberg his Republicanism. Life changes fast."

It's a good thing, because it's my opinion that if you don't vote, then your opinions about policy or politicians shouldn't matter or be taken into consideration. If care enough to whine about it, or sing about it, you should care enough to vote about it.