Tom Farrey mentions our namesake while making a good point in his “Health care and Chicago’s bid” piece for ESPN.com:

… a Chicago Olympics could do as much to reform health care in this country as anything he’s arguing over with Republicans at the moment.

That legislation his rivals on Capitol Hill are furiously trying to kill, or at least amend to the liking of their lobbyists? That’s about sick care, who has to pay for what when folks need to see a doctor. Health care is about preventing illness so you don’t have to see a doctor nearly as much. It’s about keeping bodies from breaking down so they don’t become a drag on the system, the economy — as well as the individual himself or herself.

And there’s no better way to do that than getting children to fall in love with sports, as participants, so that lifetime patterns of fitness are established. Heart disease treatment costs more than $4,000 a year. A gym membership costs $400 a year. ‘Nuf said.

The baller-in-chief seems to get the connection. He also seems to get the role the federal government can play in helping create the conditions that will get kids off the couch, especially in urban cities where sports options are limited and the obesity crisis is real.