In some cases it was quite intentional,such as the effort of the White House staff to arrange a photo opportunity on the front lawn of the executive mansion with race car driver Mario Andretti,so Nixon could develop some popularity among race fans.
Others were less intentional,such as his habit of attending baseball and football games and watching the game from the stands with all the other fans,presenting himself as a man of the people,rather than viewing from a luxury box with the team owner.
Unlike his hero Theodore Roosevelt,who helped create the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) while in office,Nixon repeatedly backed away from opportunities to use the prestige of his office to have an influence in the world of sport,such as preventing the relocation of the Washington Senators baseball team to the Dallas Ft.Worth area.He did,however,attempt to use sport as venue to shape cultural values.