{"id":77203,"date":"2015-08-11T13:11:19","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T13:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sandbox.web.rcn.net\/rcntv\/?p=77203"},"modified":"2023-04-18T21:51:09","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T21:51:09","slug":"behind-mic-starting-lineup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/behind-mic-starting-lineup\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Mic: The Starting Lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a sports fan, this past week was rather uneventful.\u00a0 Unless you are a huge major league baseball fan, there is not much happening in the way of major sports stories.\u00a0 No important football yet (the Vikings beat the Steelers<\/a> 14-3 in the Hall of Fame game \u2013 ho hum!); NBA and college basketball is done; the ice is gone in the hockey arenas; the PGA is next week and so on.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 okay, enough of the analogies.\u00a0 By now, I guess you can surmise that this week\u2019s blog will not be about sports but about an equally entertaining competition \u2013 the race for the presidency.<\/p>\n

Based on various polls around the country, Fox News<\/a> selected the starting lineup \u2013 supposedly, the ten most electable candidates.\u00a0 High ratings were pretty much guaranteed when the poll leader was Donald Trump<\/a>.\u00a0 24 million viewers tuned in.\u00a0 Trump claimed Monday that number would have been no more than two million had he not been on the stage.\u00a0 I know he is the reason I watched.<\/p>\n

Donald did not disappoint.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 His lead in the polls increased over the weekend to double digits.<\/p>\n

If any real good came out of Thursday night for the Republicans, it was the emergence of some of the other starters.\u00a0 Marco Rubio<\/a>, although being the youngest candidate, seemed to take the right tone with his answers and came across as both likable and intelligent.\u00a0 Ohio Governor John Kasich<\/a> seemed to have the most common sense when dealing with those communities of people that Republicans can\u2019t embrace.\u00a0 He maintained the Republican principles personally, but showed tolerance for those who did not agree with his opinion.<\/p>\n

The losers in my mind were the bickering duo of Rand Paul<\/a> and Chris Christie<\/a> as well as the underwhelming performance of Jeb Bush<\/a> who many believe will eventually get the nomination.\u00a0 He has to raise his game in the next debate.<\/p>\n

Scott Walker<\/a>, Ben Carson<\/a>, Mike Huckabee<\/a>, and Ted Cruz<\/a> did not stand out in my mind.<\/p>\n

Nor did the moderators.\u00a0 There were very few policy questions, solution questions, and, for that matter, governing questions.<\/p>\n

I also am somewhat bewildered that this process has been embraced by the political parties.\u00a0 No coach would ever want the opposition to know their foibles and weaknesses.\u00a0 Here, the opponent is given plenty of fodder to use when the REAL campaign begins.\u00a0 Unlike sports, in politics no scouting report is necessary, no \u201cspygate\u201d needs to be contemplated, and no insider information culled.\u00a0 The opposition will simply point out the real shortcomings of their own teammates.\u00a0 Strange.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cgame\u201d?<\/p>\n

Rest assured, there will be changes in the starting lineup!<\/p>\n

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME NO-HIT MUSINGS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. I guess I should not have been surprised when listening to the tributes given for Frank Gifford<\/a> 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.\u00a0 He was a special talent for sure.\u00a0 And I\u2019m old, I guess.<\/li>\n
  2. 43,000 fans came to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday to watch the Eagles practice<\/a>!! It was Military Day and, following the practice, the players gave the members of the Armed Forces who attended their special military version jerseys.<\/li>\n
  3. Eating crow is not my favorite meal, but if the Phillies <\/a>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\u2019t, I am checking scores.\u00a0 Maybe it was Ryne Sandberg.<\/li>\n
  4. It is always special to get your first hit in the major leagues. Richie Shaffer<\/a> of the Tampa Bay Rays got his first hit<\/a> last Tuesday and it was a home run.\u00a0 His teammates jokingly gave him the \u201csilent treatment\u201d.\u00a0 Watch:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n