Ok, everyone, this week in honor of the recent election, I have started things off with two articles about how the election is affecting sports. There are many effects, both positive and negative, but nonetheless there will be changes. There is also an article about athletes with epilepsy, the overwhelming popularity of football in Mexico, and an inside look at what the top college linemen coaches are looking for in a high school recruit.

The recent election has everyone making changes, including the seemingly political-proof sports industry. As the article states, agents are looking to get their clients’ signing bonuses signed before the new year in order to avoid the tax increase newly elected President Barack Obama plans to implement. This has serious ramifications on the bargaining position of the athlete. Now that the athlete and agent have a deadline to avoid higher taxes, they may be forced to sign a bonus for less than they originally planned.

This recent election is historic and no matter what your personal or political beliefs are, all Americans should hope that Obama makes this a better country. His victory is already inspiring and giving hope to the kids in the inner-cities who in the past haven’t had much to look forward to except sports.

This article is a shout-out and inspiration to all those athletes out there conquering sports despite their disabilities. It is also awesome to see an athlete reach out to an organization and show his support and gratitude for their diligent efforts. Many charitable organizations go unnoticed, but due to the philanthropic efforts of Alan Faneca, athletes dealing with epilepsy will have more opportunities to play and succeed in sports.

This article is just showing the growth of the sport and the global effect it is having. Mexico has the second largest group of fans right behind the U.S. and could be a potential outlet for players who don’t make it to the NFL. With arena football on the rise and foreign countries paying lots of money for top American basketball players, football players may see another option in Mexico. It will be exciting to see how the popularity of the sport in Mexico affects American football.

This is for all of our offensive linemen out there with college football aspirations. This is an article written with consultation with three of the top college linemen coaches in the country and explores the characteristics they look for in a lineman. This is an invaluable look into a position in football that is rarely in the spotlight and goes largely unnoticed. So linemen, enjoy and good luck.

As always, this blog is for you guys and if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, send them to me at tim@accessathletes.com. Enjoy all the games this weekend and let’s hope the JoePa and our Nits can keep their BCS Championship hopes alive.

Access Athletes, LLC owns the exclusive copyright to all information contained within the articles posted on The Real Athlete blog. All information is for the End user's use only and may not be sold, redistributed, or otherwise used for commercial purposes without the expressed consent of Access Athletes, LLC. The information is an educational aid only and it is not intended as and nor shall it be construed as legal, medical, financial, psychological or other professional advice or treatment for individual situations, conditions, or predicaments. The information provided in The Real Athlete blog articles shall not constitute an attorney-client, doctor-patient, psychologist-patient relationship or any other professional-client relationship for that matter. The End user shall seek the advice or treatment of his or her own qualified licensed professional(s) and the End user shall not rely on the information contained herein as such. End users who leave comments on the blog articles or email the contributors personally shall have no expectation of privilege or confidentiality. Additionally, we strongly recommend that you consult your doctor, nurse, nutritionist or pharmacist before following any of our workout or nutrition regimens to ensure that it is safe and effective for you.

Access Athletes, LLC makes no representation or warranties as to the information, opinions, or other services or data you may access, download or use as a result of accessing The Real Athlete blog. All implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or use are hereby excluded. Access Athletes, LLC does not assume any responsibility for your use of or reliance on any of the information provided by The Real Athlete blog.

Weekly Athlete Rundown, 11/7/08