Friday, September 23, 2005

Lynn Swann formally announces run for PA governor

"I'm running to be the next governor of Pennsylvania."
Lynn Swann, who won 4 super Bowl rings with the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, announced his decision as final to make a run for the governorship of Pennsylvania. He gave the keynote speech at a gathering of Black America's Political Action Committee (BAMPAC), the nation's leading conservative African-American PAC. Swann said,
"Why am I doing this - undertaking the challenge of trying to unseat an incumbent? It's not to gain fame - I'm already famous. It's not to gather the reins of power. I know that I can build a great team and let them run . . ."
Swann said he was startled to learn that his success at USC and with the Steelers was only the tip of the iceburg of his potential.
"I didn't know. No one told me. I wasn't trained to understand how much more there was. We realize only a small fraction of the potential we have in this country."
Swann related that his parents already had two sons but his mother wanted a girl. When he came along instead, she named him Lynn and set out to turn him into a dancer. Swann said he got the pink bicycle and pink dress. He studied ballet, jazz and tap dancing before discovering football. That dance training paid off, however, as he made one of the truly great pass catches in Super Bowl history against the Cowboys. If you will recall, he caught a pass on the right sideline, over his right shoulder, after the ball had already crossed the sideline, and still managed to keep his feet inbounds. A catch that only a trained ballet dancer could have pulled off.

Swann has been a leader of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization for 25 years. One has to wonder why he would seek to enter the world of politics, a far dirtier business than pro football. I guess he wants to make a difference in a lot of people's lives. Good luck and God bless.

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