The NBA and NFL lockouts brought to our attention the unmistakable divide between the players and front offices in sports. That divide is exemplified in the political sphere as well. Executives and players once again find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to donations to this upcoming election's presidential campaigns.
To the surprise of no one, the Republican candidate Mitt Romney holds a considerable edge in the number of executives and owners of sports teams that have supported him, securing donations from 27 executives and owners. President Barack Obama, on the other hand, has only managed 11 such donations. However, in what may signify the enthusiasm of Obama's supporters in comparison to Romney's, seven of the 11 donors to the president's campaign [3] have contributed $5,000, the maximum amount allowed by law for a presidential election. Conversely, not a single one of Romney's donors has offered that much, with no one contributing more than half that amount.
When it comes to the athletes and coaches themselves, Obama holds a considerable edge over Romney in all facets. While Romney has secured donations from but three athletes, Jeremy Guthrie, Todd Heap, and John Beck, the president has been offered donations by 10, including Doc Rivers, Greg Popovic, and Baron Davis. Like Obama's executive supporters, a majority of athletes that contributed to his campaign contributed the maximum amount allowed. Of the 10 athletes and coaches who have donated, eight of them contributed $5,000 dollars. On the other hand, Jeremy Guthrie contributed $2,500 to Romney's campaign and Todd Heap offered $2,000, while John Beck donated just $400.
In total, Obama currently holds the edge in total sports donations, collecting just under $82,000. His Republican rival has thus far collected just over $65,000 in total sports donations.
Read more at Bloomberg Businessweek. [4]