If the Biden – Ryan Debate was an NFL football game…

Anybody watch NFL football in the last couple of years? Morning-after quarterbacking by pundits attempting to characterize the tenor and result of the Vice-Presidential debate inspired me to use football as an analogy to analyze events of our evening spent with Joe and Paul. Let’s see if any minds are swayed by morphing the action from politics to football.

Paul Ryan on the gridiron. (Photo by Tom Williams, Getty Images.)

Joe Biden is the heart of Obama’s defense, sent in to take down Romney’s quarterback, Paul Ryan. Joe is an NFL veteran; cynical and seeking nothing more than a final win before his career ends. Paul is the young star; talented, clean-cut, still respectful of locker room reporters and hoping to lead his team to victory.  Are you with me so far?

Obama – Biden and the New Orleans Saints Bounty System

The New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl in 2011. They were also highly sanctioned for paying illegal cash bonuses to players who took opposing players out of the game regardless of injury, penalty, sportsmanship or even common decency. It worked. They won the Super Bowl. The win was ugly, tainted, and disgusting – but they’ve got the trophy. Do staunch Saints fans really care how they won?

Joe Biden, senior Obama linebacker, was sent to Kentucky to take Paul Ryan out no matter how he did it. Joe almost succeeded.

Quarterback Ryan didn’t call many strong running plays and most of his passes were short – but they were pinpoint accurate. Just as the undefended Ryan receiver caught the ball in the end zone for a quick 6 points, Joe horse-collared Ryan. An obvious penalty on Biden. Ryan’s next score was marred by a face mask penalty. The next overshadowed by roughing the passer causing a short injury time out.

Paul Ryan Wins the Contest for Character

Ryan got back up, rubbed a little dirt on it, and continued unfazed. Biden encroached on Ryan’s offense on nearly every play. Biden didn’t care. Call a penalty – he continued his attempts to throw off young Ryan’s timing.

Biden was effective in his attempt to answer Ryan gains by resorting to illegal hits and an exhibition of arguably the worst sportsmanship ever seen in an NFL game. Biden was throwing more garbage than the referees were willing to call so he was sent on to play offense as well.

Biden on Offense – Effective or offensive?

Many of us, myself included, were impressed at how well Biden ran big plays, bluffed Ryan’s defense, and managed to get the ball into the end zone or booted over the cross bar to score a field goal – only to have the points taken right back down for false starts, personal fouls, unnecessary roughness, intentional helmet to helmet contact, and a myriad of other illegal maneuvers designed to send the opposition to the hospital.

Some say that all is fair in love, war, and politics. Really?

Suppose a man murdered the rival for his sweetheart’s affection. Are you good with that?

Present rules of engagement for our military stand in stark contrast to the rules of engagement Team Obama uses politically. Soldiers may not defend themselves from attack except within very narrow limits. Don’t make the enemy mad… don’t dis-respect them… lay down and take it like good team players. However, when it comes to his own job, Obama is prepared to ambush, lie, cheat, and pay illegal bounties in order to win. In politics the end justifies the means – just not in war.

Obama: Wimp in War but a Terror on the Gridiron

In war Obama tells the enemy, “Don’t worry, we’re all heading for the showers when we get to the two minute warning. After that it’s all yours!” The Taliban will play ‘spit and pitch’ with us to run down the clock but certainly won’t offer any major offense. Why should they when they know we’ll quit and the win will be theirs. Obama told them so. The fix is in. Obama thinks the poor Taliban play now means he’s got them on the run. Silly man – they’re waiting patiently like a cobra preparing to strike.

President Obama didn’t know that the Libyan Ambassador was murdered in a terrorist attack. Joe told us so. Joe told us the Intelligence community is so bad that it took them two weeks longer than John Q. Public to realize what happened. Yet, Joe would have us believe this same Intelligence will know – unequivocally – when Iran is just about to finish their first deliverable nuke.

Joe said there was no way to recognize the offensive plays coming at them on the field. His spotters upstairs and his defensive coordinator didn’t have a handle on the first quarter offense until the second half. But, mark his words, they’ll know exactly what play Ryan will call, before he calls it, by the fourth quarter.

Joe Biden – guilty of bounty scheme?

In the interim, Biden delivered more head shots, clipping, encroachment, unsportsmanlike conduct, and dirty hits designed to maim.

All to win the trophy. And the Obama-Biden fans cheered. Or did they?

The Future of Players Biden and Ryan

Ryan has a number of years under his belt, designing solid plays and diligently working to deliver a win for the public and fans who love his team and love the game of football. The owner of the Ryan team, Romney, plays well with others, has a solid bottom-line, and a franchise that isn’t flirting with bankruptcy.

Biden had some really good years and some really bad moments. When pressed too far Joe just can’t quite control his reactions. He followed brilliant plays with penalties that removed the scores from the board.  Obama’s team is under investigation for bounty schemes, refuses to play with others at all, and is blindly denying the reality that their team is broke.

 The debate was a draw – what now?

When both Biden and Ryan showered the final score of Game Debate was a tie. The win was denied Ryan because of Biden’s unsportsmanlike conduct. Ugly, but partially effective. Any possibility of a win for Biden was erased by penalty after penalty. If every illegal hit and maneuver had been called on Joe, well, who knows what the score might have been.

So, franchise Obama is running on fiscal empty. No new playbooks,  just replays of past games lamenting how they could have won – if only. And the team is led by those who put the trophy above the game itself.

Franchise Romney operates in the black, is well managed, displays a love for the game, the fans, and the players. Better a game lost than a loss of character. Character continues off the field of play. Character remains after trophies are covered in dust on long forgotten shelves. Don’t believe me? Check out how many Super Bowl rings have been pawned for cash.

Which Team will you support, Obama’s or Romney’s?

Do you support the bounty scheme that helped propel the New Orleans Saints to Super Bowl victory? If so, I guess you just might cheer the Team Obama on to a win in November. You just want to beat the other guy, even if it means that the game of football may be damaged forever.

Team Obama spent far more than the salary cap. They don’t care who has to pick up the tab. They want the trophy. If they have to intentionally send the opposition to rehab, well, they don’t care about that either.

Team Romney loves football. The Team is well financed, supported by fans, and plays by the rules. When the whole NFL is healthy Team Romney knows they will do well, too.

Paul Ryan will play another day. The future of the NFL depends on players like him. Biden is from another era. His time on the field is nearly over. A jersey of desperation and uniform pants of good judgment seldom outfit a single player on any given day.

If the Biden-Ryan debate was an  NFL football game the Commissioner would have the owners flying in for a meeting today. The League can’t afford another performance like this.

So, what’s it gonna be? Whose colors will you wear next Sunday?

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