It was the longest running gag on the political front this year and
the media got sucked in time after time.
That robust laughter you hear over there comes from the coach.
George Perles, the football guy, played the media like a concert
violinist, which he ain't.
When he said he might run for governor, lots of reporters, who
should have known better, ran for their typewriters…er, what do they
use now?
Anyhow when the list of potential gov candidates was printed, there
was ole George. Sure he was at the bottom, but he was on the list and
that's what kept him laughing all the way past the May 11 filing
deadline line to run.
Instead of filing 15,000 petition signatures to secure a spot on
the August primary ballot, the former MSU coach was sitting on the
couch at home nursing a bad back and even more painful legs.
You see for the last three weeks or so, G.P. has been in the
hospital following back surgery to correct a pain he's had for 15 years.
"I spent too much time in the huddle," he jokes.
Doctors inserted some "screws and pins" into his back and now the
pain is gone but because he has not used his legs in weeks, he has to
use a walker to get around until he's back on his feet.
Having missed the filing deadline and never having the fire in his
gut to run in the first place, Mr. Perles was still laughing.
"We could have had a ball," he suggested and added, "But I had a
ball.'
His tongue in check phantom campaign for governor was never much
more than that. He knew it, but apparently the hot shots in the media
did not.
Maybe it was wishful thinking as Perles would have been one heck of
a governor to kick around.
Return to good health soon, coach. The next race for governor is
only four years off.