Back on Top

Two great soccer games this week, both away games, for Balboa's team and both wins by the identical score of 3-1. Aidan had an assist in the second game and turned in one of his best performances ever.

Now it's virtually certain his team will make the playoffs for the third time in his four years of high school -- something that has not happened at this particular high school for a long, long time -- apparently decades.

They've won twice as many games as they've lost over those four years, a great record.

This year has been the most improbable of all. After losing their first three games, plus their head coach, who suddenly resigned, left the school, and never even said goodbye to his players, the team regrouped and won six, tied another and lost just one more of the next eight games.

Now they are down to the final regular season game next Tuesday, against a weak team. Win that and they will finish 7-4-1.

The co-captains, four seniors, including Aidan, deserve a lot of credit. As is the case with high school sports, they are expected to be leaders. they speak in meetings, huddles, at halftimes, before and after games.

On the field they direct play, helping position the younger players and back them up when they make mistakes.

The playoff slots go to the top six teams this year. Balboa looks to have a lock on fourth, fifth or sixth place, depending how the final round of contests turn out.

Then, they will have to win three more games to win the city championship.

Driving back from yesterday's game, my son and his best friend and co-captain laughed and celebrated the win and fantasized on just how cool it would be if they win the championship their senior year.

That's something Balboa has not accomplished in many decades.

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Second Debate

Well, Obama won this one. After looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but at a debate the first time around, this time Obama showed up and actually debated Romney.

In the process, at several key moments, he prevailed in ways that will no doubt start showing up in the polls over the next few days.

I'd expect Obama to open up a 3-4 point lead in the popular vote poll by a week from today (before tonight they were essentially tied).

Still, these debates are not necessarily pivotal events. Many other factors play into how a Presidential race turns out. To me, the most important number is from the swing state of Ohio, where even before tonight's debate, Obama held a ten point lead.

Romney, like any Republican, is not going to win the election without Ohio. If my assessment proves correct, he will be around 13-14 points down there a week from now.

He has one last chance in the third and final debate, which occurs in another swing state, Florida. I'd say it makes sense to stay tuned, pay attention and see how the campaigns adjust as Obama pulls back out into the lead, and the stakes for that debate grow higher.

If I were an adviser to either candidate, I'd suggest using that debate to talk about some concrete pans and policy initiatives, since they've both been maddeningly vague to date.

I'd say the guy with more specifics will convert more "undecideds" that night. Whether it changes the outcome is itself debatable. After all, it is still the President's to lose and his electoral advantage (forget the popular vote) remains substantial.

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