Exploring a Presidential Passion for Sports

President Bush said a highlight of his presidency was attending the Army-Navy game as commander-in-chief. (By Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
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To the extent sports intersected with policy during his time in the White House, Bush defended the stands he took and the tone he struck.

He used his 2004 State of the Union address to call on professional athletes and leagues to get rid of steroids, stressing the obligation to set good examples for youngsters.

But could more have been done, particularly because the list of once-revered athletes linked to performance-enhancing drugs has only grown, snaring Olympic champion Marion Jones and Tour de France victor Floyd Landis, among many others?

"I'm sure so," Bush said. "But it's easy to second-guess. The question is: Is more being done now? It seems like they are making great strides. [But] are they going to invent detection devices to take care of the next round of exotics?"

Asked his reaction when he learned that pitcher Roger Clemens had been linked to steroids, Bush first demurred, then said, "I was surprised."

And he steered well clear of talk of a college football playoff -- the hot-button issue among sports fans that Obama has adopted as his own. "I do not have an opinion on it," Bush said, "except for the fact that I'm sorry the Texas Longhorns aren't there." Florida and Oklahoma will play for the national championship on Jan. 8.

At 62, Bush is physically fit -- the result of a regime that he has dutifully followed the past eight years, directing that a 45-minute workout, followed by a 30-minute cool-down, during which he said he reads and works on speeches, be scheduled on his calendar six days a week.

By a conservative estimate, that's 2,496 hours spent on a treadmill, elliptical machine or mountain bike during his presidency. Bush said exercise has been critical to maintaining both health and equilibrium.

"I exercise real hard," Bush said. "It helps clear my mind. It relieves frustration. It helps me sleep at night. It helps me get over the really good food they have here at the White House."

And having a 90-second commute to his gym -- on the top floor of the White House, outfitted with a stationary bike, Arc trainer, elliptical machine and weights -- makes it especially convenient. He'll read a book while working out on a machine, then pop downstairs to his office in the residence (separate from the Oval Office) for 30 minutes afterward, he said, "to do my homework."

During overseas flights he'll often hop on a stationary bike on Air Force One and ride for an hour or so.