You may have noticed that another new writer has joined us! And we take it from all the recommends you've given his first post that you like him. We forgot to give him a proper introduction on that post, so we're making up for it now. Mark Downing works in video production, but also wrote at the sports desk of a New Jersey newspaper, and it's that experience, along with his love of the Philadelpha sports scene in general, that we hope to put to frequent use here at Phillyist.

Today’s primary just might decide who gets the Democratic presidential nomination. Still undecided? Let’s take a look at the candidates’ sports resume. After all, the White House has a long history of resident jocks. There was football player Gerald Ford, a two-time national champion at the University of Michigan. George Bush Sr. was the captain of the Yale baseball team. Richard Nixon even enjoyed bowling in the basement of the White House. Here’s how the 2008 candidates stack up:

Hillary Clinton
Her high school yearbook lists her as a “Senior Leader,” described as someone who “served as assistants to the physical education teachers. Their skills and training provided invaluable aid to both the students and the busy gym teacher." Hillary played softball, pickup basketball and tennis according to this New York Times article.
Philly Flavor - The former first lady both compared herself to Rocky and held a rally at the hallowed Palestra.

Barack Obama
We all know Barack sucks at bowling. But make no mistake about it: the Illinois senator is a straight baller. Obama recently expressed his love for the game on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He honed a street ball style on the courts of Honolulu and contributed to Punahou High School’s 1979 Hawaii state championship. After the interview, Barack let the cameras inside a North Carolina gym to record a pickup game with some troops from Fort Bragg, and dude’s got some game. Barack even likes to fill out a bracket or two for a $10 office pool.
Philly Flavor - In the Gumbel interview, Obama revealed he had a poster of Dr. J on his wall growing up in Hawaii. Outspoken ex-Sixer Charles Barkley came out in support of Obama.

In a tight race, what's the only way to choose a winner? Wii Tennis, of course.

Image Credit: Flickr user dantekgeek