Ravens Coach Jokes About Presidential Run During Political Ramblings After Practice

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh may have been hinting at a 2016 presidential run after remarks made during a Saturday afternoon press conference.

The conversation started about refs and quickly took a turn toward governmental issues.

In a discussion about Thursday night’s game against the Saints, Harbaugh called the officials “rusty” after they apparently missed an intentional grounding call in the preseason opener. He feels they need more time during training camp to be better prepared for the regular season.

“But they only get three days of practice in training camp, so they’re going to be rusty,” he says. “If they got a little bit more practice in training camp, I think they would do a little bit better.”

Harbaugh jokes, saying he’s made that proposal to the NFL.

“It’s interesting because when you ask the league, they’ll say the union won’t let them do it. When you ask the refs, they all say they want to do it. My proposal is that they get together and get on the same page.”

And that’s where the discussion takes a political turn.

“To me both sides want it, maybe they should start talking to one another. Maybe like our government too,” Harbaugh says.

“Maybe talk to one another, solve a problem once in a while, instead of creating a problem. Be more concerned about the country than you are your party. How about we do that? Let’s try to fix things around here, you know, in this country. That’s what made us great.”

After the brief ramble, Harbaugh jokes “I’m going Trump here.”

“Build the wall. It’s not that hard. If you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. At the same time, we’ve got 12-15 million hard-working people here. Give them a shot! Give them a chance to become a citizen!”

Reporters ask if he’s hinting at a president run and Harbaugh laughs and says,” I might be coming out, I might be running.”

So now we have to ask the question…would you be a Harbaugh 2016 supporter?

Via: CBS Baltimore 

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Super Bowl Champs Get $130,000 to Promote Obamacare

The professional football team that won this year’s Super Bowl is getting $130,000 from American taxpayers to promote Obamacare, according todocuments obtained by Judicial Watch this week.

The deal was secured on September 9 between the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) and Maryland health officials. The White House has tried recruiting professional sports leagues—especially the NFL and the National Basketball Association (NBA)—to help promote the president’s healthcare law but they have declined.

In fact, the NFL confirmed months ago that it would not participate in the Obamacare public relations campaign, offering the media this written statement: “We have responded to the letters we received from members of Congress to inform them we currently have no plans to engage in this area and have had no substantive contact with the administration about [the health-care law’s] implementation.” Washington D.C.’s mainstream newspaper called it a “blow to the administration.”

But Maryland officials evidently appealed directly to the home team, announcing in early September that the Ravens would help market the state’s Obamacare exchange known as Maryland Health Connection. Both parties refused to offer specifics when the deal was initiated and Judicial Watch filed a Maryland Public Information Act request for details.

In a “Sponsorship Agreement” between the Maryland Health Connection and the Ravens, the state will pay the Super Bowl champs $130,000 to push Obamacare on television, radio, the team’s official website, its newsletter and in social media. This includes the Ravens Report Show on cable TV and a number of pre and post-game radio segments as well as Facebook and Twitter plugs.

Via: Judicial Watch

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Baltimore Ravens to aid Obamacare enrollment effort in Maryland

The NFL may have spiked the White House’s request for Obamacare PR help — but the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens just called an audible.

The team has signed onto efforts to market the health law to Marylanders, according to an announcement from Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and officials running the state’s Obamacare insurance exchange, known as Maryland Health Connection.

“Research shows that 71 percent of the uninsured population in Maryland have watched, attended or listened to a Ravens game in the past 12 months,” the announcement said. “The partnership will provide Maryland Health Connection with the opportunity to reach and engage fans while making them aware of the new opportunity they have for health coverage beginning this fall through the health insurance marketplace.”

(PHOTOS: 25 unforgettable Obamacare quotes)

A Ravens spokesman said the team would reveal more details on Wednesday, after a conference call to discuss its role. According to the Maryland Health Connection, the team is expected to assist during a six-month enrollment period that begins on Oct. 1, a few weeks into the start of the NFL season. The partnership is intended “to connect with Maryland residents about the importance of developing a health coverage game plan.”

In Maryland, the partnership with the Ravens is one facet of a broader enrollment effort, which also includes a social media campaign and partnerships with CVS and Giant Food. The stores will provide shoppers with information about coverage.

The White House’s overtures to professional sports leagues have largely gone unheeded, leaving it to individual teams and players to decide whether to partner with their states’ exchanges. The NFL was among the sports leagues that Republican lawmakers warned against participating in Obamacare outreach efforts, and the league responded by insisting it had no plans to do so.

Via: Politico

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