Waking up to Hope

Allow me this one time to step away from sports (but not completely as you'll see).

Yesterday was a momentous day for this country. I have friends who thought they would never see an African-American become President of the United States. They were wrong.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama got seventy-nine more Electoral College votes than he needed to win The White House. President-Elect Obama easily beat Arizona Senator John McCain, who gave it everything he had, but couldn't run with Obama, and couldn't run away from the long, long shadow cast by President George W. Bush.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did not vote for President-Elect Obama. I considered it. Considered it heavily in fact. But, in the end, I just didn't think he had enough experience.

The majority of the country did not agree with me. To a lot of people Senator McCain represented more of the same. More of the same stodginess that has been the hallmark of Washington for years. More of the reason why many of us are in the position we are in.

To these people, President-Elect Obama represents hope. He's a new face. He reminds a lot of people of a forty-something man who sixteen years ago came out of nowhere to beat George H.W. Bush. Despite some of the problems his administration faced, I don't think anyone will say Bill Clinton was not a successful President.

That's why I wake up this morning with hope. I may not have voted for President-Elect Obama, but he will be my President. He will be charged with trying to help pull this country out of the economic mess we are in right now.

He is already off to a good start. In case you missed it on Monday, he told ESPN that he'd like to see College Football go to a playoff.

Now, anyone who hates the BCS can't be that bad, can they?