"I'm getting a stiff neck watching my competition going up and down in the polls," said Mr. Huntsman, who has not had an up moment of his own.
But, as with any big event in the calendar, craning your neck watching sometimes brilliant, often quite average explosions in the sky is made much more fun with a banging soundtrack to really set things off in style.
"I got a crick in my neck watching our line.
He said he remembered feeling Prof. Snape breathing down his neck, watching him draw, and he was "absolutely terrified".
Now imagine there's a creepy Gollum looking over your shoulder, breathing down your neck, watching your every move, feigning friendliness.
Nearly 1,000 people, with flowers in their hair and pendants dangling from their necks, watched Mr. Dao and 12 dancers perform a pensive, hourlong piece called "Universal Harmony".
"You might be wondering if this is the moment where we're at," Ms. McIntosh, a tall figure in a slim navy dress, said with a smile, as dozens of students with plastic name tags hanging around their necks watched raptly.
A spotlight illuminates Yang behind the scrim, walking in place and craning his neck to watch the fish.
Craning his neck to watch it go was Stuart Broad, who has endured such a torrid time with the ball.
Red Sox right fielder Trot Nixon craned his neck to watch the ball disappear into the third deck, and the fans gave their second curtain call in three batters.
