FanHouse Tim Russert

The late Tim Russert loved sports almost as much as he loved politics, and this goofy video promoting the Boston College basketball team is a testament to that:

Via Deadspin.

Russert, who died Friday at age 58, was a loyal fan of the teams in his native Buffalo, but he also became a devoted fan of Boston College, where his son attended, and the pro teams in Washington, D.C.

Previously on FanHouse:
RIP Tim Russert, Fan of the Buffalo Bills
Meet the Press: Ryan for Heisman
Tim Russert Pumps the Caps
Red Sox Nation Corrupts Tim Russert

And in so doing loses its journalistic integrity . . . I kid, I kid. Sports is not Left/Right//Center politics.

So anyway, check out the image at right of one grinning Tim Russert and his Ryan for Heisman shirt. Not bad for a quarterback at a private Jesuit school in pro sports mad Boston. Beat Miami on a Hail Mary to Kevin Challenger and he may really be onto something.

As for Russert, well last I checked he still has a Berman-esque affection for his hometown Buffalo Bills. Yet it's nice to see his interests expanding into the college game.

The NFL is boring. Matt Ryan's stirring comeback performance in the last two minutes against Virginia Tech . . . is not.

(Via: Eagle in Atlanta)

When my brother and I were mere tykes taken by elaborate touchdown dances we formed an Ickey Woods fan club. It wasn't a big organization, just the two of us actually, but we had a hard time figuring out which of us would be in charge of it. Our parents humored us and listened to our respective pitches and I got to be President because I was older while my brother held the important dual titles of secretary and treasurer. We sent a football card off to Woods, it came back with a somewhat dubious signature and we were quite thrilled with ourselves. A few months later Ickey blew out his knee, we lost interest and I've never joined another fan club since.
All of that brings me to the ongoing President of Red Sox Nation lunacy. What the title means, why people are actively campaigning for it and why anyone cares is beyond me. After all it's not the President of the United States and no serious newsman would be interested in who ends up winning. A serious newsman like Tim Russert, say, but thanks to Red Sox Monster and Deadspin, I find out that he played the role of my parents this morning.

NBC's Tim Russert, host of "Meet the Press," will make a guest appearance on NESN as he moderates a discussion among the candidates for the President of Red Sox Nation. He will be joined by NESN's Red Sox field reporter Tina Cervasio serving as co-moderator.

The show, "Red Sox Nation: The Presidential Debate," will be videotaped at Boston University 's George Sherman Union this Thursday, September 27 at 11:30 a.m. It will air on NESN at 10:30 p.m. or immediately following NESN's post-game coverage of the Red Sox-Twins game on Friday, September 28.