WASHINGTON – The New York Giants and New York Jets share an NFL stadium but their owners don’t share political views. Woody Johnson of the Jets is a top fundraiser for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, while Giants co-owner Jonathan Tisch is a generous backer of President Barack Obama.
They’re among a host of owners, executives, athletes and coaches from across the sports world supporting candidates in the 2012 election cycle.
Even the NFL and Major League Baseball have political action committees that are funded by sports owners and executives. They’ve donated to congressional members and the parties’ congressional fundraising arms, but haven’t picked a presidential candidate — at least not yet.
It’s no secret why the sports industry is weighing in.
Immigration policy, intellectual property rights, Internet gambling, and performance-enhancing drugs are among the issues connected to sports that Washington lawmakers address. The industry lobbies on those matters and more.
Johnson said the skills needed in football and in Washington aren’t that much different.
“To win on the football field you have to not only have the best players and best coaches, but you have to be organized very well,” Johnson said. “You have to have a sense of overall goals, but also manage the
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