Democrats and Republicans on campus pounded fists, yelled, even cried (well, at least Dems did) on Tuesday night, as the presidency dangled in uncertainty with the swing state of Ohio. But Walter Reyes, an Ohio native, sat at his computer typing a paper. He had other commitments.

‘I would watch it if I could,’ said Reyes, the Syracuse football team’s starting running back. ‘But once you get off practice, you just want to go home and relax. And I had work to do.’

Emblematic of most of SU, Reyes skipped the presidential election last night. Uncharacteristically, though, Reyes voted.

It wasn’t the most scientific survey taken. But a quick go-around revealed something relatively unusual about SU: Syracuse players cared so little about this year’s presidential election, few knew about the issues and even fewer voted.

But this is about the players. And Reyes was one who voted. He went for Democratic candidate John Kerry absentee from Ohio, the state that awarded Bush a second term.

With such a charged election and politically active campus, the 2004 election was supposed to energize the youthful voter. But among SU players, the election drew less interest than NBC’s ‘Joey.’

This, despite how some issues directly affected certain players.

Center Matt Tarullo had the most direct connection to the election. His friend, Bruce Michaels, is a communications specialist in Iraq. Tarullo’s friend will finish his 18-month tour soon, Tarullo said.

But though Tarullo bemoans how thin the military has been spread, and realizes how difficult recruitment has become, he still supports Bush.

‘I think Bush has done a good job,’ Tarullo said. ‘He’s had a tough situation with 9/11, and I think he has done a good job dealing with terrorism.’

Tarullo suggested the team would be split 75-25 in favor of Bush, a striking stance for a country so divided. Since players know so little about the issues, Tarullo explained, they would just favor the incumbent.

Other players said since politics is talked about so little, to gauge an estimate would be almost impossible.

Most people polled, though, seemed to support Kerry. Punter Brendan Carney, a Pennsylvania native, failed to register from the swing state.

‘But if I was voting,’ he said, ‘I’d go for Kerry. I’m kind of embarrassed I’m not voting. I feel kind of out of the loop. I haven’t been paying as much attention as I probably should.’

So why such a total disregard for national politics?

One possibility: the stereotype of the meaty, brainless athlete. It has been visible for decades, especially in football.

But that doesn’t seem right. SU players seemed busy, not dense.

Cornerback Marcus Clayton had investment in this year’s election. The Florida native lived through the 2000 debacle. His grandmother complained about the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters.

Clayton proudly advertised himself as a Democrat who disliked war and would rather have had Kerry.

He even registered for this year. But he failed to vote.

‘I didn’t want to go through all that time to get the ballot,’ Clayton said. ‘Especially if my vote isn’t even gonna be counted. I just feel like the U.S. already knows who’s gonna win. It doesn’t matter what I do.’

It didn’t Tuesday. Bush claimed Florida, one of three crucial swing states (along with Pennsylvania and Ohio).

‘My grandma is probably mad,’ Clayton said. ‘She doesn’t like Bush.’

Defensive end Julian Pollard watched last night’s election with some classmates. He failed to vote, either out of New York or his home state of Connecticut. But he would have voted for Kerry.

But he refuses to complain.

‘I’m embarrassed I didn’t vote,’ Pollard said. ‘But how can I sit here and say it’s bull when I didn’t take the initiative to make change?’

Maybe Pollard has a point. He has four long years to think about it.