The Final Four

The Semi-Pro football playoffs begin today with two semi-finals. In light of this article, “The Best Teams That Money Could Buy” here are the matchups.

Game one, 5p EST. Walk of Champions versus Hail Impact.

Game two, 8:45p EST. Texas One Fund versus Montlake Futures.

There’s no clear favorite like in recent years. All I know is, the local team with the best name of the four, Montlake Futures, will be a tough out.

Too Old

Dear Golden State,

Like many of you, I loved me the late 70s and 80s Dodgers. Steve Garvey was a nice first baseman, but political scientists have found no correlation between hitting a curve ball and representing constituents well.

Just say no to nostalgia, because at 75, he’s too old to be your next Senator.*

Don’t fall for this dated picture in Politico’s story on Garvey’s campaign momentum.

Wait a minute, that picture is from 2019?! When Garv was 71? Looks a lot younger. Maybe I’m just jelly of the hair, and of course the forearms, but I digress.

I know you have a soft spot for octogenarian Senators, so I’m probably wasting my time. Hell, you’re probably thinking Garv could serve two terms and still not be in DFeinstein territory.

Garvey is ahead of Porter and he doesn’t even use a whiteboard, so his candidacy is no joke. As a former son of the Golden State, I’ve done what I can to turn the election. My work here is done. Now, to quote today’s youth, whatevs. You’re on your own.

Ron

*Please note Dan Dan The Retired Transpo Man, the nonpartisan ageism.

The Greatest Threat To My Future

The golf ball rollback. Here’s everything you need to know about it. Here’s what the writers at The Athletic did not deem necessary to include in their deep dive.

There was a time when I considered myself fairly long. I was living in the Mile High City and at 30 years-young, I was in my prime physically, and could get it out there. Not by today’s top amateur and professional standards, but for sure by weekend hacker standards.

I didn’t realize how much Denver’s thin air contributed to my distance until moving to North Carolina and playing Bryan Park’s grown ass man courses.

Then, I moved to the Specific Northwest where it’s almost always wet, cool, and well, wet. Nothing like plugging your driver. And then, somewhere along the way, I got old. So the combo of Pacific Northwest conditions coupled with my aging means I’ve gone from medium-long to medium-short. What exactly are we talking? 230 yards if I stripe it.

A year ago on the range, I filmed myself hitting driver with my iPhone. Two take-aways. Swing looked GOOD, silky smooth even, but like my meany college roommate said after I sent it to him, it looked like I filmed it in slow motion. Distance is all about clubhead speed and I’m more turtle than rabbit.

And now, in 2030, the golf suits are going to make it so my ball goes 3-5 yards less. Yes, I have six years to try to hit some bombs, but we also have to factor in the fact that I’ll be in my late 60s in 2030, meaning the swing will likely be even slower.

DO NOT suggest I use the red tees.

Some are most worried about the left taking over higher education. Some, China. Some climate change. Some whether democracy in the (dis)United States will hold. Meanwhile, no one seems to care that I’m staring in the face of 200 yard “bombs”, meaning 425 yard par 4s will require driver, 3-wood, flip wedge.

I’m not sure that’s a world I want to live in.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

After a bit more lively Michigan-Ohio State second half, and a relatively low-scoring Apple Cup, some PressingPausers had the audacity to call my football acumen into question. Dare we ask, maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about?

I’m glad I was wrong about the fate of the hostages. Granted, those released so far are just a fraction of the total, but I was afraid all of them were going to be killed. Dare we ask, are the humble blogger’s geopolitical smarts right up there with his football perspicacity?

Being so young-in-spirit and healthy, I figured why get jabbed this fall. So now that I’m sick, dare we consider the fact that my medical science/public health aptitude leaves a lot to be desired?

‘You Can’t Handle The Truth’

It’s halftime.

Washington’s and Oregon’s offenses are exponentially better than both Michigan’s and Ohio State’s. Two words come to mind to describe the extremely over-hyped Big Teners’ offenses—moribund and flaccid. Take your pick.

Nix and Penix are professional quarterbacks. Harrison aside, Washington’s and Oregon’s skill players are way more skilled.

Whichever of the over-hyped B10 teams make it into the playoffs, Georgia, Oregon, and/or Washington will make quick work of them.

The “big game” is exciting, I suppose, if you like three-yard runs and punting.

Podcasts to Ponder

On my commute this morning I listened to this one, “Can Mike Johnson Survive As House Speaker?” One guest, with no sense of irony said, “Predictions are hard. Especially about the future.”

A week ago, I listened to this podcast, “Morikawa vs. Hovland, Grading LIV’s Season, Predicting the Future“. Love me some Dylan Dethier and Sean Zak, but Zak shanked it bigly when he said, “Furyk wasn’t as good as Tiger.” Bold. Astute.

And during yesterday’s run, I listened to this one, “Brian Koppelman on TV, Movies, and Appreciating Art“. Koppelman is a writer, director, and producer known for his work on films like Rounders and Solitary Man, the hit TV show Billions, and his podcast The Moment, which explores pivotal moments in creative careers. During the interview, he shared his two favorite t.v. shows currently airing. . . The Crown and The Bear. That brought a smile because that is the exact correct answer to the two best shows currently airing. You know what they say about “great minds”.