When Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed a law last week mandating daily 30-minute sessions of physical activity in elementary schools, he didn't do it on the playground. Instead, Crist and several lawmakers headed to the Miami Dolphins training camp to throw footballs, gawk at NFL stars, pick up personalized jerseys, and (oh yeah) sign a bill. To demonstrate how the NFL pertains to children's fitness, Crist said that he "made [his] best grades during football season." That makes sense, because riding the pine as a back-up quarterback on a bad Wake Forest team probably left the future governor with ample time to study--even during games. (After his sophomore year, Crist transferred to Florida State, where a number of students have an absolutely marvelous time and graduate without studying at all.) If the event seemed unrelated to elementary education, it had a galvanizing effect on the adults, at least. Representative Martin Kiar exclaimed that it was "the coolest bill-signing ever." One wonders, though, if Kiar was secretly disappointed that Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who also attended the signing, didn't suggest a nautical after party on Biscayne Bay. Regardless, it was an event for adults that had little to do with yet another state mandate for its already-burdened schools.
"Law mandates a daily dose of activity for school kids," by Beth Reinhard, Miami Herald, May 18, 2007
