Running off at the typewriter. …
In sports, we love the upset.
We love the underdog who walks into somebody else’s stadium, ignores the point spread, tunes out the noise and somehow shocks everybody.
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Well, an old sports guy I’ve known for years just pulled off one hell of an upset.
Ryan Elijah — former Jacksonville sportscaster, former Jaguars sideline reporter and former Fox 35 morning news anchor — knocked off scandal-plagued, Trump-endorsed incumbent Congressman Cory Mills Tuesday night in the Republican primary for Florida’s 7th Congressional District.
And I have to admit: This one made me smile.
I’ve known Ryan since his sports days in Jacksonville, when he was a TV sports director and worked the sidelines for the Jaguars Radio Network. Years later, when he came to Fox 35 in Orlando, I used to join him regularly to talk sports on Good Day Orlando.
And here’s my synopsis of Ryan:
He’s just an all-around good guy.
That sounds almost ridiculously simplistic in the cynical world we inhabit today. But maybe it shouldn’t.
Ryan Elijah, former TV anchor, defeats embattled Congressman Cory Mills
Ryan isn’t the loudest guy in the room, but he’s the nicest guy in the room. He’s charismatic, he’s telegenic, he’s a family man, a consummate professional and one of those people who could talk to the star quarterback, the cameraman or the guy sweeping the floor and treat all three with the same respect.
Which, come to think of it, might not be a bad prerequisite for Congress.
Politics today too often feels like the worst sports-talk show you’ve ever heard — everybody screaming, nobody listening and every disagreement treated like mortal combat. Ryan never struck me as that guy.
Maybe sports helped teach him something politics desperately needs: You compete hard, you keep score, but when it’s over, you shake hands.
There’s actually some precedent for sports broadcasters leaving the press box for bigger arenas.
Ronald Reagan started as a radio sportscaster in Iowa, calling football and recreating Chicago Cubs games from wire reports before eventually becoming governor of California and president of the United States.
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There’s something about sports media that prepares you for the unexpected. You learn to think on your feet. You learn that the microphone is live. You learn to ask questions, listen to answers, deal with egos and perform under pressure.
Most importantly, you learn that credibility takes years to build and about 30 seconds to destroy.
Maybe that’s why seeing Ryan win makes those of us in this crazy fraternity of sports writers and broadcasters feel a little proud.
One of our guys made it.
Not by becoming louder or meaner or more outrageous.
He did by remaining Ryan Elijah.
Now comes the general election, and Ryan knows better than anybody that one victory doesn’t make a season.
But that’s tomorrow.
Today, those of us who knew him when he was carrying a microphone on an NFL sideline are allowed to smile because one of our guys stepped off the sideline, got into the game and pulled off the biggest upset of his life.
There’s supposed to be no cheering in the press box.
For Ryan Elijah, I’ll make an exception. …
SHORT STUFF: Did you see where new Oklahoma State football coach Eric Morris said he recently shot and killed an armadillo that was digging up and damaging his yard? I guess you could say the Cowboys are already 1-0 against teams with a strong ground game! … A moment of silence, please. Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, has gone to That Big SportsCenter in the Sky. … The Heisman Trophy will add fan voting to its selection process in 2026. What a great idea! After all, everybody knows that college football fans are famously calm, objective people. … Can you believe the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Seattle Mariners 22-0 the other night? That’s the worst thing that’s happened to Seattle since Starbucks looked at a small coffee and said, “Let’s call it tall.” … Five of the six Buss siblings have voted to sell the family’s remaining share of the Lakers, but Jeanie has abstained. Apparently she feels that being “Queen of the Lakers” is the closest thing America has to a hereditary monarchy. …
LIV Golf has canceled its last tournament of the season, where its championship was supposed to be determined. The good news is, their fans took it well. Both of them. … Hallelujah, Vita Vea’s contract dispute with the Tampa Bay Bucs is finally over! At 6-foot-4, 350 pounds, the Bucs finally realized it was easier to pay him than move him. … NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says it is inevitable that the league will eventually have a team permanently based outside the United States. In related news, the Cleveland Browns have applied for political asylum. … Did you see where Florida State golfer Jack Whaley won the U.S. Amateur? The ACC congratulated him and immediately asked for half the trophy. … The NBA says there’s no proof Clippers owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap by funneling money to Kawhi Leonard through a team sponsor. Then again, maybe in Kawhi’s case, even illicit payments are load-managed.
LAST WORD: A Louisiana judge has ruled that former collegians who have signed with NFL teams are now eligible to go back and play college football. At this point, college football’s eligibility rule essentially consists of two words: “Sure, whatever.”
Email me at [email protected]. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen.
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