It had been rumored - since mid summer - that former NBA coach/broadcaster/General Manager Dick Versace was interested in running for the Congressional seat that will soon be vacated by Rep. Ray LaHood. In July, the venerable LaHood (R-IL), announced his plans to retire from his position as Representative for the 18th Congressional District (central Illinois). LaHood will serve out his current term.
Well, the rumors were true. Dick Versace has announced that he will, indeed, run for Congress, as a Democrat, in the 18th District. The flamboyant Versace was the head basketball coach at Bradley University before moving on to coach the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons in the NBA. Vercace later served as the General Manager for the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies.
This should be fun to watch. I like Versace, but I'm not sure how he'll be viewed by the voters of the 18th District. When he was coaching at Bradley (in Peoria, IL), folks around Peoria often criticized Versace for being too "slick," and too much of a Chicago guy.
Despite his employment in downstate Peoria, Versace maintained his primary residence in Chicago. He did have a home in Peoria, but he spent most of his free time - and most of the off season - living it up in the big city. Downstate Illinois folks didn't exactly cotton to that.
Dick Versace is a fun, big city guy, with a double-sized personality. He was masterful at selling his basketball program - both in the recruitment of players and in his dealings/relations with the media. A career in politics seems like a good fit for Versace, because the guy's a natural at selling himself. However, it remains to bee seen if downstate voters will buy his act.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
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6 comments:
Does Versace still wear that white powdered wig? If so, he wouldn't look a bit out of place in congress........if it was still 1776!!! ;-)
I haven't seen Versace recently, but he had ditched the white powdered wig look by the mid 90's. I'm not sure whether that was a wig, a hair piece, or if it was his real hair; but by 1996 or '97, Versace was pulling it all back into a pony tail (which, come to think of it, is still quite 1776-esque).
I don't think there are many white powdered wigs in Congress these days, but the white puffy hair/cotton ball look can still be seen in the Senate (Ted Kennedy and Christopher Dodd immediately come to mind). That's one reason that I've always thought that Lute Olsen should run for the Senate: he's got "Senator hair."
I guess since James Trafficante is no longer in the House - been locked up in a different "house" for a few years now - Congress could use a colorful guy with goofy hair. Versace could fit that bill.
Way to take cheap shots at P-town (that's Peoria for all you people north of I-80), and at "downstate folks."
P-Town Pimp,
I wasn't taking cheap shots at Peoria, or downstate Illinois. I was trying to convey the fact that Peorians and downstaters never fully embraced Versace because of his style/attitude.
By living in Chicago part of the year (and even commuting, at times, during basketball season), Versace fit the stereotype of the arrogant, city slicker Chicago "type" - who finds down state living to be too boring for his taste - that down staters revile. They liked him - up to a certain point - because his teams won, and brought national attention to Peoria and to Bradley. But they never truly accepted him, because of his personal style.
Remember, when Versace left Bradley for the NBA, he said something to the effect of: "I'm too big of a deal to be stuck in this town forever (I'm paraphrasing)." Versace was always about the bright lights and the big city. Now he's back in central Illinois asking people to vote for him. That's all.
By the way, I think you downstate guys secretely love to be "offended" by us "North of I-80 types."
P-Town,
I've had some time to think some more about your objection. As I said, I wasn't taking shots at Peoria, or down state.
But on second thought, I will admit that the line, "down state Illinois folks didn't exactly cotton to that," was almost preposterously folksy (and was intended to be).
So, yeah, that may have crossed the line. As Manute Bol used to say (before everybody and their grandmother started saying it too): my bad.
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