Michael Ventre

Imagine “Hail To The Chief” being replaced by “We Will Rock You.” Imagine some trash talk directed at Capitol Hill rather than another lockerroom. Imagine giving up big checks from major American corporations and instead taking them from . . . different major American corporations.

Imagine that some of the athletes who want you to root for them now want you to vote for them.

The idea of professional athletes running for office in the U.S. is nothing new. There have been many, including Jack Kemp, Jim Bunning, Steve Largent and others. But none has gone from the pinnacle of the professional ranks in sports to the Oval Office.

It’s surprising, because it’s a natural transition, at least in this era of mass media. He who has access to the airwaves can sell himself, as Peyton Manning has proved so adeptly. If an athlete is a winner and is liked, he has a built-in national following at the polls.

With the Iowa Caucuses and the primaries approaching, and with them a seemingly endless barrage of news coverage, it seems like an ideal time to examine just which personalities from the world of sports might make the jump into national politics and run for president.

Here are 10 such individuals. Their parties and viewpoints are irrelevant at this point. They’re being mentioned here primarily for the one essential element that will get one elected:

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Charles Barkley

Mark Lennihan / AP file

First of all, he likes to talk. You couldn’t shut him up if you Tasered him. In a series of debates, he would keep being admonished by the moderators for exceeding his time limits, but he would also steal the show with his common-sense approach to problem-solving. He already has a built-in audience from his work as an NBA analyst on TNT, so assuming that at least a fraction of those people are registered voters he would have an advantage. If elected, he would join a rich tradition of fat presidents that includes Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison and William Howard Taft. His first order of business would probably be to declare, “Why just State Dinners? Why can’t we have State Breakfasts and State Lunches, too?”

Peyton Manning

Chuck Burton / AP

Candidates do not stand a chance of getting elected unless they have an understanding of television and advertising. Manning is on TV so often that he actually qualifies under FCC rules as a channel. With his unique access to TV, he could launch a run for the presidency while still remaining a darling of Madison Avenue. Example: “I promise to pay off the national debt – with my new MasterCard.” Peyton is charismatic, likeable and smart. And since he won the Super Bowl, he no longer has the stigma of being unable to win the big one. The only drawback is brother Eli. Jimmy Carter suffered embarrassment during his Administration when brother Billy was photographed while urinating on an airport tarmac. Let’s hope Peyton gives Eli a good talking-to before the inauguration.

Joe Torre

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images file

He has widespread appeal. Even at the most heated moments of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry during his tenure in New York, he was burned in effigy in the New England area the least among pinstriped personalities. The calming influence that he brought to an often fractious Yankee clubhouse will serve him well when dealing with the House and Senate. Scandal is a way of life in Washington, and Torre has endured his share in the Bronx. Just hanging around guys like Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Roger Clemens during the steroids era helped him understand how spin works. And after dealing with the New York media, facing the White House press corps will seem like a vacation by comparison. He’s getting a little old for the job (67), so he’d better run soon. In fact, if you examine the current field, it might be a good idea if he entered the race now.

Tom Brady

Rick Stewart / Getty Images

It is estimated that there are over 303 million people living in the United States, and approximately one-third are registered voters, split about evenly along gender lines. So if only half of registered voters show up at the polls, that’s about 25 million women, all voting for Brady. Well, maybe not Bridget Moynahan, but surely all the others. You get the idea. Then add all the guys in America who know football and realize how good he is as a leader, and it’s a landslide. Brady is modest, telegenic and radiates success. He has gone through a lot of difficult challenges as a professional football player, perhaps none so great as having to attend a State of the Union address without falling asleep. He would have to convince reporters that he only met Bill Belichick once or twice, in order to avoid the taint of Spygate.