When Barack Obama won the presidential election on Wednesday night, that meant, among other things, that come January 20, 2009 the new presidential sport will be basketball.

I, for one, think that is a good thing.

I play basketball with a group of guys my age on Wednesday nights, and it's one of the highlights of my week. The reasons I enjoy hoops are many, but here are a few:

• It gets my competitive juices flowing, as you need to win to play the next game.
• To be successful you need to work together/function as a team.
• It's a great workout.
• It takes my mind off of whatever else I was thinking about before stepping onto the court.

I suspect Obama likes basketball for some of these reasons, and others as well. Given the pressure and demands of the presidency, an activity like basketball can help him stay relaxed and sharp both on and off the court.

And if he's ever looking for another player for a pickup game, I'm just a few miles away.