Here comes the game again…\u00a0 the lights are on… the stage is set… this should be interesting… the game of the night… the game of the month…<\/p>\n
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What will the refs be like?\u00a0 … silent?\u00a0 … deferring?\u00a0 … biased?\u00a0 Let\u2019s hope not.\u00a0 Replacement moderators just don\u2019t seem all that effective.<\/p>\n
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Ah, blue for one team \u2014 red for the other.\u00a0 Wait \u2014 there\u2019s also some pink in there.\u00a0 It is still October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.\u00a0 The Intramuralist so appreciates how those on center stage still bring attention to someone other than self.<\/p>\n
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Ok, wait… here come the ground rules…\u00a0 (Mr. Ref, they don\u2019t listen to the rules; haven\u2019t you noticed?\u00a0 Haven\u2019t you seen all that fighting at the bottom of the pile \u2014 all that scrapping and punching and grappling when the mics aren\u2019t on?)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There went the coin flip.\u00a0 The incumbent will go first.\u00a0 (Nice posture, by the way, gentlemen… although too many stare downs on the line already… kind of creepy… what are they looking at \u2014 each other\u2019s helmet?\u00a0 … tie?)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hmmm… the teams\u2019 staring continues.\u00a0 Strategists must have said, \u201cYou need to look right at the other team.\u201d\u00a0 Oooh… strategists must have also said, \u201cDon\u2019t look so mad,\u201d but that one\u2019s a little harder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keep your game face on!\u00a0 Intimidate them!\u00a0 But be sure to look confident and strong.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am<\/strong> strong,\u201d <\/em>the sigh seemed to say.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Golly, that pronoun \u201cI\u201d came off a little strong there.)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Personal foul!\u00a0 You can\u2019t say that on television!\u00a0 The world is watching.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lining up again.\u00a0 Next play.\u00a0 Next question.\u00a0 Here we go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They are fighting… they are actually fighting!\u00a0 Throw the flag!\u00a0 Throw the flag!!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ooops… there went the flag.\u00a0 But once again, of course, the teams disagree on who the foul should be on.\u00a0 They even disagree on what the foul should be about.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unsportsmanlike conduct!\u00a0 Yes, the whistle blows again.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yikes, he was offsides there.\u00a0 (Funny how they always deny it.)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Quit grabbing!\u00a0 That\u2019s holding!!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 15 more yards… or was that seconds?\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to discern sometimes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I, me, my, myself.<\/strong><\/p>\n We hear that a lot in this format.\u00a0 I\u2019m stunned, in fact, at how much these leaders refer to themselves and their plethora of accomplishments.\u00a0 Hmmm… I would think leadership equates to a little more humility.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Geepers… that sure seemed like an illegal block.\u00a0 Then again, that can only be employed by the moder- – I mean, referee… that is, if the ref gets too involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A call for leadership… yes, I like that… responsible, ethical, knowledgeable, transparent, courageous, consistent, non-political…\u00a0 humble, too… oh, wait… they aren\u2019t that good at that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ah, invoking the name of those who\u2019ve gone before us \u2014 those \u201cHall of Famers,\u201d so-to-speak.\u00a0 We can almost see the names on the back of the jerseys… J. Kennedy… R. Reagan… yes… invoke those names; it makes us feel better.\u00a0 They also employ the names they believe will make us think lesser of the other team\u00a0\u2014 or maybe that they’re a little weaker, less effective somehow… \u00a0J. Carter… G. Bush \u00a0(p.s. I can\u2019t put of their other choice words in print).<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hey, teams, have you made any mistakes?\u00a0 Can you admit it?\u00a0 What personal fouls will you acknowledge you committed?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are you kidding?!\u00a0 We only acknowledge fouls that are visible and proven!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And that, my friends, is what\u2019s wrong with Monday Night Football… I mean, the presidential debate… I mean, football…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s hard to tell…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here comes the game again…\u00a0 the lights are on… the stage is set… this should be interesting… the game of the night… the game of the month… What will the refs be like?\u00a0 … silent?\u00a0 … deferring?\u00a0 … biased?\u00a0 Let\u2019s hope not.\u00a0 Replacement moderators just don\u2019t seem all that effective. Ah, blue for … <\/p>\n