For a sports fan, this past week was rather uneventful. Unless you are a huge major league baseball fan, there is not much happening in the way of major sports stories. No important football yet (the Vikings beat the Steelers 14-3 in the Hall of Fame game – ho hum!); NBA and college basketball is done; the ice is gone in the hockey arenas; the PGA is next week and so on. So, to me, the best competition this week took place in Cleveland when ten Republican candidates took the stage for the first presidential debate of the 2016 presidential campaign.
As far as the game of politics is concerned, this was the opening day in baseball; the start of the NFL season; the dropping of the puck – okay, enough of the analogies. By now, I guess you can surmise that this week’s blog will not be about sports but about an equally entertaining competition – the race for the presidency.
Based on various polls around the country, Fox News selected the starting lineup – supposedly, the ten most electable candidates. High ratings were pretty much guaranteed when the poll leader was Donald Trump. 24 million viewers tuned in. Trump claimed Monday that number would have been no more than two million had he not been on the stage. I know he is the reason I watched.
Donald did not disappoint. Although I did feel the moderators treated him rather unfairly with the opening question, he still managed to say things that only he seems to be able to say and, instead of paying a political price for his answers, only gains in popularity every time he says something outrageous and/or ridiculous. His lead in the polls increased over the weekend to double digits.
If any real good came out of Thursday night for the Republicans, it was the emergence of some of the other starters. Marco Rubio, although being the youngest candidate, seemed to take the right tone with his answers and came across as both likable and intelligent. Ohio Governor John Kasich seemed to have the most common sense when dealing with those communities of people that Republicans can’t embrace. He maintained the Republican principles personally, but showed tolerance for those who did not agree with his opinion.
The losers in my mind were the bickering duo of Rand Paul and Chris Christie as well as the underwhelming performance of Jeb Bush who many believe will eventually get the nomination. He has to raise his game in the next debate.
Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, and Ted Cruz did not stand out in my mind.
Nor did the moderators. There were very few policy questions, solution questions, and, for that matter, governing questions.
I also am somewhat bewildered that this process has been embraced by the political parties. No coach would ever want the opposition to know their foibles and weaknesses. Here, the opponent is given plenty of fodder to use when the REAL campaign begins. Unlike sports, in politics no scouting report is necessary, no “spygate” needs to be contemplated, and no insider information culled. The opposition will simply point out the real shortcomings of their own teammates. Strange.
After this political game film is analyzed, who will learn from their mistakes, who will be benched, and who will be promoted for the next “game”?
Rest assured, there will be changes in the starting lineup!
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME NO-HIT MUSINGS)
- I guess I should not have been surprised when listening to the tributes given for Frank Gifford following his passing on Sunday, that so many of the observations came from those who were too young to have ever seen Gifford play. I grew up watching Frank Gifford run and catch the ball for both Southern Cal and the Giants; I saw the Chuck Bednarik hit when it happened; and I listened to Frank on Monday Night Football. He was a special talent for sure. And I’m old, I guess.
- 43,000 fans came to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday to watch the Eagles practice!! It was Military Day and, following the practice, the players gave the members of the Armed Forces who attended their special military version jerseys.
- Eating crow is not my favorite meal, but if the Phillies continue to play the way they have since the All-Star break, crow will be on my plate. I am actually watching them again and, when I can’t, I am checking scores. Maybe it was Ryne Sandberg.
- It is always special to get your first hit in the major leagues. Richie Shaffer of the Tampa Bay Rays got his first hit last Tuesday and it was a home run. His teammates jokingly gave him the “silent treatment”. Watch:
- High school and college football are a month away! I can’t wait!
