September 09, 2024
Josh Morgan/USA TODAY NETWORK
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will debate tonight at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Fantasy games aren't just reserved for sports fanatics. There have been contests created to predict deaths on "Game of Thrones" and who gets a rose on "The Bachelor." So why not make a virtual game dedicated to tonight's presidential debate?
And since the National Constitution Center will be hosting the event (9 p.m .), let's make this fantasy game Philly themed. Here's how it works:
First, find a group of up to five people to join the fun. Then, decide the draft order using an online randomizer — or pick names out of a hat if you'd like to revolt against technology and waste some trees.
This will be a snake draft, meaning the order reverses each round. So for five people, if you have the No. 1 pick for the first round, then you'll have the fifth pick for Round 2 — and so on. The draft will be four rounds, one for each category. Everyone must select from that round's category before moving on to the next.
Each category has a list of words or phrases with point values that are awarded each time they're said during the broadcast by Kamala Harris, Donald Trump or the moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News. Points are awarded for all iterations of the word (fight, fights, fighting, etc.). Here are the categories:
1. Grit(ty): Every politician loves to describe their courage and resolve. A million bonus points awarded if Harris or Trump enter or exit the stage doing the Griddy.
2. Special: While this word should only be reserved to describe trick plays in the Super Bowl, one of the candidates could certainly misuse it tonight.
3. Fighting: While "Phils" will unlikely follow this word, the candidate will surely state what they're fighting for (democracy, freedom, your right to party, etc.)
4. Day Care: Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Brandon Marsh probably won't be mentioned by name, but "The Daycare" almost certainly will.
5. Union: The current state of the Union: 11th place in the Eastern Conference
1. Water: If Trump or Harris has "wooder" written on his or her bottle, à la Bryce Harper during the Home Run Derby this year, game over.
2. Birds: Sadly, I can't imagine either candidate capping an answer with "Go Birds," but we'll accept any kind of bird references here, with a 5-point bonus if the word "eagle" is uttered.
3. Food: This is a package deal that includes pretzels, hoagies and, of course, cheesesteaks — the Philly Happy Meal.
4. Liberty: The debate will be right down the street from the city's most iconic landmark (the Liberty Bell, not the Rocky steps.)
5. Jawn: The ultimate pandering move.
1. Jill Biden: President Joe Biden is an Eagles fan, but only because he said he would "be sleeping alone” if he didn't follow the first lady's "obnoxious" fandom.
2. Gov. Josh Shapiro: The likelihood of Pennsylvania's governor being mentioned onstage took a hit when he was passed over to be Harris' running mate, but maybe someone will bring that up.
3. Ben Franklin: While neither candidate knew him personally, they can sure gain some bonus points with Philly-area voters by referencing the Founding Father whose face is plastered all over the city.
4. Rocky: Is it possible for an outsider to step in Philly and not make some reference to the decades-old movie franchise? I guess we'll find out.
5. Taylor Swift: The Montgomery County native's endorsement could sway the election more than anything said tonight. (I wish that was sarcasm.)
A quote that is credited to the following (meaning these people/things aren't just mentioned like the name dropping category above):
1. The Constitution: Often referenced, rarely quoted correctly. For this game, the attempt is all that matters.
2. Founding Fathers: The points come down to the speaker's attribution. Was it from the Constitution or our Founding Fathers? If they say "our Founding Fathers said in the Constitution," both are awarded points. If a Founding Father is singled out, points are awarded, as well.
3. A Pa.-born president: Most likely this covers a Joe Biden quote, but if someone hops in the way-back machine and pulls something compelling that James Buchanan said over 200 years ago, double the points.
4. A Philly entertainer: Hey, they keep popping up on "Abbott Elementary" so maybe one of the candidates will use this as an opportunity to quote Bradley Cooper, Kevin Hart or Questlove. If there's a "Rocky" quote, that counts, too.
5. Philly folks: Politicians will often reference something they heard from everyday citizens as an attempt to connect with the common voter, so points are awarded if either says the talked to anyone from the Philly region.
Each time a word or phrase is said, those designated points are awarded to the player who drafted it. If the word "fight" is said three times, that equates to three points since quasi-sports terms are each worth one point. At the end of the debate, add up all the points and the winner is the person who has the highest total.
Round 1: Player 1 picks "Fighting," Player 2 "Day care," Player 3 "Special," Player 4 "Union," Player 5 "Grit(ty)"
Round 2: Player 5 picks "Food," Player 4 "Water," Player 3 "Birds," Player 2 "Liberty," Player 1 "Jawn"
Round 3: Player 1 picks "Rocky," Player 2 "Jill Biden," Player 3 "Ben Franklin," Player 4 "Gov. Josh Shapiro," Player 5 "Taylor Swift"
Round 4: Player 5 picks "Founding Fathers," Player 4 "Pa.-born presidents," Player 3 "Philly entertainer," Player 2 "Philly folks," Player 1 "The Constitution"
Player 1: Fighting, Jawn, Rocky, The Constitution
Player 2: Day care, Liberty, Jill Biden, Philly folks
Player 3: Special, Birds, Ben Franklin, Philly entertainers
Player 4: Union, Water, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pa.-born presidents
Player 5: Grit(ty), Food, Taylor Swift, Founding Fathers
If the following were referenced: Fighting (3x, 3 points), Day care (3x, 3 points), Union (2x, 2 points), Water (2 points), Liberty (2 points), cheesesteaks (2 points), Jill Biden (3 points) and the Constitution was quoted (4 points) the winner would be ...
Player 2: 8 points
Player 1: 7 points
Player 4: 4 points
Player 5: 2 points
Player 3: 0 points
