He told football fans that he'd try to stop gambling on football games?

What an idiot.

It was, in all likelihood, the largest audiences for the candidates since the major party conventions a couple of months ago.

Not really. A couple years ago the NFL switched from Monday night being broadcast and Sunday night cable to vice versa. Now MNF gets good cable ratings while SNF (or "Football Night in America") gets the big ratings.

It was, in all likelihood, the largest audiences for the candidates since the major party conventions a couple of months ago.

Not really. A couple years ago the NFL switched from Monday night being broadcast and Sunday night cable to vice versa. Now MNF gets good cable ratings while SNF (or "Football Night in America") gets the big ratings.

Typical McCain. Deregulate the economy and health care system, but sports - that's the line where government has to take control.

Once again, McCain names a problem, uses fear language ["somewhere in a lab, terrorists are creating steroids to rob you of your precious freedoms"] and suggests someone ought to do something.

Obama names a problem and offers a viable solution.

Obama probably earned some points with college football fans, but as president, how could he go about doing this? Withhold federal funding to all public colleges that are members of the BCS until a playoff plan is adopted?

Vincent: how could he go about doing this?

Easy. Preemptive strike using our air forces to shock and awe the NCAA while cutting their basic infrastructure. Then a mechanized push of ground troops into each stadium, where we'll be greeted as liberators waving spirit towels.

The only danger is if the computers that pick the current lineups go "insurgent" and start a human versus robot war. That would be decidedly bad.

Obama probably earned some points with college football fans, but as president, how could he go about doing this?

He was talking as a fan, not making a campaign promise.

He was talking as a fan, not making a campaign promise.

Precisely. Every sports fan hates the BCS, and making a swipe at it -- and clearly, knowing what he was talking out -- shows he's a regular guy and not the elitist caricature the Republicans made him out to be.

Also, when McCain spoke, he had 30 people behind him, who looked like they were in a coma.

For the superstitious out there - and you know who you are - the final Redskins home game before a presidential election has accurately predicted the President since 1936. When they win, the incumbent party keeps the WH. When they lose, the challenging party wins. So thanks to my Pittsburgh Steelers for doing their part!

Sports meets politics? Funny that on many sports blogs at various newspapers, if anyone mentions anything political, the poster is roundly blasted.

Jason Whitlock, the African-American sports writer for the KC Star, even gets hate posting, when he uses any analogy involving Palin or Senator Obama, of whom he supports.

But, glad to see Greg Oden and so many fellow Portland Tral Blazers supporting our next President, Senator Obama. However, typical for Mike Ditka, who once clotheslined a streaker during a timeout at the Colisseum, to have gone on the stump trail for Double Talk. Perhaps he just liked the way DT uses his short arms, so often to form a "Bear" hug with his thumbs up. Isn't John worn out from all that flexing?

How wrong can you be. I'm an avid Obama supporter and voted for him this morning. BUT...McCain struck exactly the right note last night. I noticed it immediately as did, I'm certain, others. McCain took the question seriously and answered it in kind. Obama shrugged it off. Big mistake. - Ted

Now, if this had been '96 with Dole speaking out against performance-enhancement drugs.........

"McCain took the question seriously and answered it in kind. Obama shrugged it off."

It was a question from Chris Berman, for chrissakes. The man is best known for giving athletes stupid pun nicknames. The other questions were Barbara Walters softballs like "what have you learned about yourself on this campaign?" and "what bit of advice have you taken from the world of sports?"

Obama treated it with the seriousness he deserved. The football blog Kissing Suzy Kolber had a live blog going last night, and when Obama dissed the BCS it was a universal chorus of "amens," and even a few self-identified Republicans saying they'd now have to vote for him. McCain's performance was universally panned.

I'm with President Obama: professional sports suck. Hook 'em!

The BCS is an economic cartel that ensures that the rich get richer. In every other college sport, AND every other level of college football, the NCAA championship shares profits & costs in a far more egaltarian manner.

(And he just locked up Penn State, er, Pennsylvania.)

People, people! Obama was just being smart. Who are the #3 and #5 teams in college football, and would absolutely welcome a playoff system? Penn State and Florida. He was obviously speaking to people in those swing states, and to great effect, I would imagine.

Only McFuckWit could be so brazen as to run an ad during a sporting event that plays the scary-thing scenario of "some guy is in a lab right now...."

I hope the American People, in their righteous wrath, hand the decrepit old fool his head today, bashed in like a vandalized Jack-O-Lantern on Halloween---and then tell the rest of the Bushylvanian scum: You're next....

Wow, I must have been watching in an alternate cable universe.

What struck me was Obama's answer to the question about some advice you got in sports at any level that always stuck with you. Obama talked about the basketball coach who told him that "it's not about you, it's about the team." He then said his whole campaign was about America, not about him.

McCain talked about a coach who advised him to always do the honorable thing. Really. I laughed so hard I missed the rest.

"What I mean by that is there is somebody in a laboratory right now trying to develop some type of substance that can't be detected and we've got to stay ahead of it. It's not good for the athletes. It's not good for the sports."

I think our reaction to performance enhancing substances is a bit mindless, reminiscent of what happens when someone shouts "Socialism!"

Is there anything inherently wrong with a performance enhancer? One which, say, produces no noxious side effects, which increases performance and physical health in general, which enables us to live longer, better lives? For creaky old seniors like myself, who nevertheless try to stay active, what a great improvement to our lives such an elixir would bring!

McCain's response isn't thoughtful, nuanced. It's right wing, knee jerk thinking, which we've had enough of, I'd say. Maybe we should encourage that guy in the lab, not run him down and throw him in some gulag.

Must chime in as a sports fan.

First off, great answer Barack! The only sport I have absolutely no interest in is college football, because a real champion is not decided at the end of the year and it really is left up to computers. I mean 2-loss LSU in the Championship Game last year? Feh.

Further, its an easy solution- make the BCS games #1-#4 and #2-#3 and add one game where the winners play for the national championship. That's all it would really take, not a March Madness-style extravaganza. Do it!

On steroids, I'm not sure how other fans feel, but I have never really cared all that much. First off, EVERYONE knew baseball was juiced the last decade. And attendance rose and rose. The only people who seem to crusade against steroids are sportswriters and George Bush and John McCain.

And that's the other thing- really smart move to tie yourself ONE MORE TIME to a distinctly George W Bush policy! Brilliant. Now clearly steroids are dangerous, but the average fan appears to prefer bigger, faster and stronger and is willing to overlook the "how" of how these super-athletes got that way.

My two cents.

Unless Diebold is at its most diabolical, I fully expect to see President Obama in a Nationals jacket next April, throwing out the first ball at Washington's home opener.

For any who say sports and politics should not mix - Monday Night Football begins with "Are you ready for some football?" sung by the same fellow, who has been present at many a Double Talk and Palin rally. He does crowd warmups.