Hockey Goalie Mikayla Demaiter Hops Into A Sauna In Librarian Glasses, March Madness Blood & New Ramen Cups
Yes, I watched that Delaware game with Screencaps Jr. who is starting to get the March Madness bug
What the hell was that Love guy doing at the end of that game for Delaware? He couldn't make a basket in the lane — he channeled his inner Angel Reese at the worst time — and then had a horrible turnover with like 90 seconds to play.
Tonight, we watch Navy vs. American. It's time to figure out which team loves freedom more.
Navy comes into this one as the underdog. Tip-off is at 7 ET on CBS Sports Network.
— Joey P. writes:
Why do you think basketball uses instant replay to determine fouls? Can you imagine them doing this in football? Games would take 6 hours to complete.
Kinsey:
Because basketball wants to torture us? Aren't they only reviewing to see if it's a flagrant foul?
Speaking of fouls, did you catch this last night on ACC Network? Talk about a hard way to end the season. Swallow the whistle!
How to work with a 9-year-old who is afraid to catch a baseball
Tom E. was looking for advice on what he could do to help his son who is afraid to catch a ball.
— Tim H. writes:
Commish- coached all 3 of my kids Little League/Travel baseball/softball teams- often at the same time for 20 years. Sure do miss it. Start with a tennis ball from 5 feet away with no glove on his catching hand. Then longer toss with tennis ball. Move to the hard ball throwing to his glove side. Confidence will build. Good luck.
— Patrick in Perrysburg shares advice:
You have the right approach with the tennis ball, but I would also add simply start by tossing the ball back & forth at short distances. This can develop the hand, eye coordination needed, but also I would recommend no glove. Get used to catching the ball bare handed will serve the youngster well as he grows into the game.
— Travel Ball Hardo Chris B. in Houston wanted in on this topic:
My advice to Tom in Clarksville is to play catch ALOT. As with most things in baseball, repetitions are key. Have the kid stand facing you (obviously) with his elbow bent 90 degrees and his glove up... and throw right at his glove. That will give him pretty easy catches that are just a foot or so away from his face. If possible do that every day for just 5-10 minutes max. As he starts to gain confidence throw some a little high and/or a little away so he has to stretch or move a little bit. Try one a little extra high every now & then... a short jump for a catch is fun. Mix in some grounders & short fly balls for variety when ready. As he further gains confidence throw more difficult ones away and easy ones towards his chest. If he is super nervous about getting hit, use a tennis ball. ALWAYS stop playing when he has done well, even if that means quitting a little sooner than you would prefer. Stay positive, never get irritated with him. Always make it fun, never frustrating. You always want him to walk away on a positive note. Attention spans are short at ~9 years old, but their memories are not. Make sure he walks away remembering that it was fun.
A bounce back net can be a good tool, but they're only as good as the throw into them. My experience is they can yield more fetch than catch at the beginner level, which can be frustrating.
— Steve B. in Grand Junction wants to help:
I think I've sent this in before but advice for Tom in Clarksville:
My son had the same issue with fear of catching the ball. He finally overcame it when I repeatedly reminded him during catch, that his glove was his "shield." (This was during his Captain America phase).
I gradually got him to believe his leather mitt was a shield of protection. It took several practices, but that's what worked for us. Good luck.
— Tom in Nashville knows this subject:
If we’re talking about younger kids, which I presume we are, one way is to use "paddle catch." It’s those paddles you strap on your glove hand that have Velcro on them, and you use tennis balls or the balls provided with the paddles. It will naturally get the kids hand/glove in the correct positions to catch any type of ball coming at them, i.e. pop ups, across the body, low, etc. You can take your glove hand and act like you have a paddle strapped to it and move your arm like you’re catching a ball to see what I’m talking about. You can probably get ½ dozen of them off Amazon for $25/$30.
For hitting, get a bag of dried beans, kneel about 3 or 4 feet in front of the kid and have them take BP by hitting the beans before hitting actual baseballs. Sounds weird but it works. Another tip for kids and hitting, get a about a 3 x 3 piece of old carpet and hang it up so it’s in their strike zone. Have them hit it. They will be able to hear the difference between a bad swing and a good swing. These were some tips I learned from some old school Buttermaker type little league coaches. They all work pretty well.
— Jim T. in San Diego has been down this road:
I had same situation with youngest when she wanted to join softball but was afraid of catching. Get a bucket of whiffle balls - even lighter than tennis balls. Also a tennis ball bounced off a wall solo since he likes throwing. Start with grounders, too.
Is Mrs. Screencaps going to break us financially if she gets into the world of bonsai?
— Jim in Howell, MI, whose own wife got into bonsai after getting into beekeeping, is back with some good and bad news for me:
Thanks for including me in today's column. I was amused by your last comment regarding how much bonsai-ing might cost you. Let me give you some clues:
Pots -- Bonsai pots are special. They aren't like other flower pots. And in fact, they can get quite expensive. In my shopping forays with my wife, I've seen pots that can cost a couple of hundred dollars. And since your Mrs. Screencaps probably won't stop at one bonsai, get out your calculator.
Dirt: No, not all dirt is the same. There is such a thing as bonsai soil. It even has little pebbles in it. I'm completely unaware of its mystical properties, but if you think you can just get some dirt from the backyard and call it good, you're mistaken. Sadly.
Tools -- Bonsais have to be pruned. Lest you think you can take some shears or scissors and just trim the things, think again. These things are on a par with surgical tools. Perhaps not as expensive but about as delicate. And they don't come cheap, even on Amazon.
Toys -- I'm not sure exactly what to call them, but if you've ever seen a bonsai there are usually little statues of men or pagodas lying in the dirt beneath the bonsai. These aren't expensive, but if you have multiple trees, you'll have multiple toys.
Wire -- If Mrs. Screencaps wants her trees to bend in particular ways, she'll need to use wire to make the branches go the way she wants them to go. Don't think you can get this wire at Lowes or Home Depot. O' no. Just like the dirt, there's special wire for this too.
Bonsais -- This is where the rubber really meets the road. On one trip down to Kentucky we stopped in your neck of the woods -- Maumee -- and wandered a backyard that had around a hundred bonsais for sale. The most expensive of which was $900. This thing may have been a foot and a half to two feet tall. Depending on how old they are, these trees can run in the thousands of dollars. Fortunately, my wife bought one that only cost $300.
Classes -- Of course, there's an almost mystical approach to doing this, so masters have to be consulted.
Stands -- If Mrs. Screencaps catches bonsai fever, at some point you'll be putting up stands outside. Cinder blocks and planks will do the trick unless she wants something more elaborate. Heaven forfend she wants a greenhouse. The cinder blocks and planks aren't expensive, but when you add all this up, it can get costly.
Although there may be no bees involved in this, should Mrs. Screencaps catch bonsai fever, you'll probably feel a sting in your wallet.
Did Vanna White get a tattoo for attention?
Here's the post I wrote on Vanna's new tattoo.
— Michael in Texas writes:
My grandfather joined the US Army Air Force, and later retired from US Air Force as a Master Sargent gave me some advice prior to my Vietnam tour of duty. He pulled up his left sleeve and showed me a tattoo of a dagger on the inside of his forearm, and he made the statement that is was like looking at a funny paper day after day.
It just wasn’t funny anymore.
My advice to my son, who does not have a tattoo, was the cliché that it would be a permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.
A book that I have read has a prohibition of tattoos, it is in the Book of Leviticus 19:28.
Vanna White has to do a crazy stunt like getting a tattoo to get attention. She is Vanna White, and sure does not need to do anything like getting a tattoo to get my attention.
Kinsey:
I don't know if I'd say Vanna got a tattoo to get attention. This feels like a connection to her daughter who chose to go into the tattoo artist field. Yes, Vanna did release a video and that does generate attention.
To me, it felt like something to show her daughter how proud she is of her. I don't know anything about Vanna's family dynamic. It's just the vibe I got.
Things you see at a Friday Night Fish Fry this time of year
— Mike in Naperville, IL writes:
Went as guests to a Fright Night Fish Fry at the Naperville VFW.
They just remodeled their bathrooms…
God Bless the USA!
Define Americana
— Charles T. is on the move:
Is this Americana or what? Old town Scottsdale.
A Screencaps reader's daughter shows us around Barcelona
— John W. tells me:
Daughter out and about doing the work required to support the best column in America
Food markets abound
A callback to Philly Flower Show vibe last year
Not sure I’ld be able to sleep across the street from these balconies.
Piercings
— Daren writes:
Y'all must be! behind the times up there. Piercings are bad enough but facial tats (usually small, not Tysonesque) are getting quite popular. Know they always were in the Latino culture but boy has that spread. Don't like but can sorta accept the former-not really. But as you mature out of it, holes will heal. Tats are forever. Uggh.
Kinsey:
Behind the times up where?
Ohio?
A state that includes Dayton, Toledo, Sandusky, Ironton, Preble County, Steubenville & many more areas?
Not sure I'd say the pierced people in these places were behind the times. They were doing meth and getting pierced up pretty early in the trend.
— Jeff B. in Colorado tells me:
I'm with you on the piercings trend. Every time I see someone with a lip piercing, I can't help but think they look like a Rainbow trout that bit on a Wooly Bugger fly and then the line snapped...
— Matthew F. agrees:
1000% agree on face piercings. Is there anything worse than seeing an attractive girl with a ring through the middle of her nose like a bull? I was once talking with a girl who got the back of her neck pierced. The back of her neck! Like why? I broke it off after that.
Guys on Golf Courses
— Jason W. checks in:
I’ve played a few places in Mexico, nice ones in California, FL etc - this was my favorite course for views and because I played it with my sons
Port Royal Bermuda
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That is it this random Wednesday morning in March. Let's keep getting dialed in on March Madness and finding storylines to follow the next three weeks.
Now go dominate a sales meeting. Don't bother looking at your 401k. You'll be fine.
Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com or use my Gmail account