Kernan to declare Indiana a football state in State of the
State Address
By Ross Leslie, THG Sports
Monday, January 12, 2004
Governor Joe Kernan is giving his first State of the State Address Tuesday
evening in Indianapolis, where he will speak to members of the Indiana General
Assembly. Along with the usual gubernatorial banter about the economy and
education, Kernan is expected to make a very important declaration that could
have a tremendous impact on the Hoosier State for years to come.
Because of the recent success of the Indianapolis Colts, Kernan is preparing a
speech that will declare Indiana a football state. This action will surely be a
controversial one, considering Indiana’s storied high school and college
basketball history, but one that Kernan feels is important if Indiana is to
become a state that will be able to compete economically in the future.
“This decision has been a tough one,” said Kernan Sunday evening, “It is
something I have been pondering most of the football season. The Colt’s great
victory over the Chiefs today was the deciding factor. Had they lost, it would
have been much harder to convince the public that becoming a football state is
the right thing to do.”
Kernan believes that in order for Indiana to shake its backward, hayseed image,
it needs to give up basketball as its signature sport. “Look at the other states
that are considered ‘basketball states’: Kentucky and North Carolina. One is
judged by the company they keep, and those two states are not very good company.
Their economies are terrible and they have a couple of the worst education
systems in the country. Indiana needs to be associated with states like Texas,
Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania: football states that are political powerhouses.
Only then will the rest of the nation take us seriously, giving us the
opportunity to grow and prosper economically.”
When asked about the uproar that will probably ensue due to his declaration,
Kernan holds his ground. “As governor, I am forced to make decisions on behalf
of my state that are very tough. Sure, I know that many in our state will not
agree with my decision, but I have to do what I feel is better for Hoosiers in
the long run. Anyway, I have made a lot of smart investment decisions over the
years, so if I am booted out of office or lose the next election, I can retire
and live comfortably the rest of my life. I guess what I am saying is, screw the
critics!”
Another factor that will determine how much backlash Kernan receives is how the
Colts fare the next two games. They have a tough game next weekend versus the
New England Patriots, followed by the Super Bowl if they can make it out of
Foxborough alive. “The Colts know that Indiana being a football state will
generate a tremendous amount of revenue. I discussed my upcoming State of the
State Address with Coach Dungy a couple weeks ago, and so far they are holding
up their end of the deal. I look for the Colts to be playing for it all in
Houston February 1.”
