Thursday night’s 10-candidate Republican mega-debate will be held at Quicken Loans Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And given the unique venue, the network hosting the debate of presidential hopefuls — FOX News — might be adding in a new wrinkle.
From The New York Times:
To keep the debate on schedule, the Fox team was also discussing a possible alternative to the usual gentle ding sound that signals that a candidate’s time has expired: the actual shot-clock buzzer used during Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games, which are played at the same arena.
“You could make it about synergy in that arena: Use the very same buzzer that LeBron James hears on the court when the shot clock runs out,” said (debate co-moderator Bret) Baier, who had come up with the idea over dinner Tuesday night at a local bistro. (“I was inspired,” he said with a smile, “by a beer.”)
A passage later in the Times article seemed to imply that the buzzer will, in fact, be utilized:
In addition to the buzzer, the network will have a staff member in the control room with a stopwatch, timing the candidates and making sure that everyone is receiving roughly equal broadcast time.
On what already is expected to be a loud and lively evening in Cleveland, a little extra volume couldn’t hurt.
Thumbnail photo via Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports Images
