Nexus Of Sports & Politics Doesn't End Well For Ex-Sports Stars

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Sports and politics are arguably two of the subjects people get the most passionate about, but when the two collided Tuesday night, even the biggest sports name recognition wasn't enough to win some elections.

Florida Representative Connie Mack IV carried the lineage of the Hall of Fame baseball manager Connie Mack. Yet even though Florida Senator Bill Nelson was considered to be vulnerable; he easily knocked off Mack, the great-grandson of Mack.

Former WWE chairperson Linda McMahon spent more than $70 million of her own money running for the U.S. Senate. Despite the widespread popularity of the WWE, McMahon lost for a second time on Tuesday in the race for Connecticut's U.S. Senate seat.

The WWE ditched its attitude era and tried family-friendly programming over the last several years while McMahon was running for the Senate. The WWE even tried to scrub all videos from its attitude era off the Internet when they were being used against McMahon.

George Allen, who is the brother of current Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen and the son of former Redskins coach George Allen along with a former Senator himself, couldn't turn back the challenge of Tim Kaine in Virginia.

Danny Tarkanian, the son of legendary University of Nevada-Las Vegas head basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian lost his bid for a Congress in Nevada. It was his fourth straight political defeat.

Some former players were also on the ballot on Tuesday night across the country as well. Former Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jon Runyan won re-election to his seat in Congress from New Jersey. Other ex-players weren't as lucky.

Clint Didier, a one-time star tight end for the Redskins lost his bid to become public lands commissioner in Washington. Phil Hansen, a former Buffalo Bills defensive end, also lost his election for the Minnesota legislature.

At least in the 2012 election nexus of sports and politics, sports came up throughout most of the night.

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