Rachel Stuhlmann Is Back On Pickleball Courts, Micah Parsons Takes Punches From Boxer & Skenes Throws Smoke
I refuse to start the morning talking about loading issues…it's Friday, let's talk kids & MLB
- Reed in Minnesota writes:
You were talking Wagner, Seaver, Glavine in your column and a reader challenged you to see if the kids were aware of these greats. I would challenge if they are aware of any stars from today. And that should be a concern for baseball.
I am Asst Coach on community 8 team here in Minnetonka (MN). We had our first practice Monday. Coach asked the kids to go around and introduce themselves, their parent(s) and name their favorite baseball player. 12 kids. 6 said they don’t have one. 2 named former Twins HOFs (Puckett, soon to be Mauer) and then 4 kids had a combo of Correa, Ohtani and maybe one other.
It was an interesting realization. MLB is a hard watch with the new pitch clock or not and they seem to struggle to market their players. My son wants to play baseball to be with his friends; but has no interest in watching the Twins.
That said, when I was this age, I already had mountains of baseball cards and likely new the entire All-Star line-ups. We also played ball outside all the time with friends. Proverbial times have changed with all the devices which must contribute.
Do your 10/11 year olds identify more closely w/ MLB?
Kinsey:
Can my kids name any MLB players? My 11-year-old should be able to name a couple.
Here's the issue with MLB: It's hard to find the games on TV. Even if MLB was marketing its players to Middle America, you need to have 10 different apps to see the games and then, like in my case, if I were to buy MLB TV or whatever they call it, I can't get Reds games because I live in Ohio.
I'm pretty sure the Reds, Indians and Tigers are all blacked out on MLB TV where I live. If that has changed, MLB sure hasn't marketed the news through social media to get me to buy MLB TV.
Meanwhile, when I buy the Sunday Ticket on YouTubeTV, the entire NFL slate pops up on my browser, I watch four games at once and I'm in heaven.
If I can't find the MLB games, or they're blacked out, my kids aren't watching the games. Does MLB care? It doesn't feel like it.
Then we're left with kids who don't know the players, the history of the game, the records that they should be paying attention to, the ballparks they need to see, etc.
I'll give my 11-year-old credit. Unprovoked, he keeps asking me to watch baseball. Last night, it was college baseball – UNC vs. NC State and Florida-Vandy – because the games are easy to find right there on my app.
Monday, Screencaps the III asked if we could get packs of baseball cards. He had seen the neighborhood kid get packs of cards, so he wanted to see what the buzz was all about. We opened the packs, I did my best to show him which Topps Heritage 2024 cards he should be looking for, and we had some fun.
That's a big moment, but the problem for MLB is that it's quickly forgotten unlike when we were all growing up.
By the way, I can see how some of you get addicted to the trading card game with all the special inserts and color variations.
The future of high school sports: The franchising of athletics
- Kevin R. writes:
Joe, Jeff M chimed in about "professional" high School Football. He referenced, and rightfully so, IMG - There are many others in FL as well. Well, here in the DMV there has been open and active recruiting of the top talent for all sports for awhile. From football programs such as Dematha, Good Counsel, St. John's and Gonzaga (Shout out to St. Francis up in Baltimore too) to the other crown jewel in the DMV, Basketball, the WCAC has been giving away scholarships to these private catholic schools for decades.
They aren't on the level of an IMG but they all travel and host other nationally ranked programs early on in the season. Often televised on various sports networks. They do the same for basketball as well hosting early season tournaments.
Other sports, depending on which school has a history of being exceptional, also recruit with the idea of recognition, private school education, networking. Most schools require the family to pay a portion of the tuition so they have a little bit invested as well. Not the shakedown like some travel sports, or programs but still a racket to a degree.
Boys and girls Soccer, Lacrosse, Track and others like Field Hockey (big here in the Mid Atlantic) and Volleyball. It's an excellent opportunity if you are a talented kid - however, oftentimes the coaching is no better than your average high school. Not to mention the heavy, heavy politics involved in recruiting, game matchups and all star team selections.
Kinsey:
I just sent this to an Ohio high school basketball coach who also coaches on the big-time AAU/travel basketball circuit. If the goal is to get a college scholarship, it feels like the smart move is to build super teams and leagues.
Weeding out the weaker players and make it easier for college coaches to see the kids against top-level talent seems like smart business.
Test No. 2
The results from Screencaps Test No. 1 are in and it seems like it was a success for many of you, but it just didn't have the level of Instagram models on Twitter that you were looking for, so today, I brought in some of the heavy-hitters to bump us back up a little bit.
Yes, I would love for the IGs to be back, too. Efforting.
Trust me, in a perfect world, there would never be technical difficulties with Screencaps. It's like how Miss Universe contestants are asked what matters most to them and they respond with "world peace".
Test No. 2
- Under 30 embeds
- 7 video embeds
- More IG models on Twitter
- Introduction of Tiktok embeds
Let's see how it goes.
- Coach Mayo writes:
Thursday’s new and improved CAPS was flawless. Minus the fact there had to be less content.
I love your work so much I have never complained, but silently suffered through 3-5 page reloads every day.
Yesterday was the first time I read your work like it was intended. Like the Pappy Diesel poured after TNML, smooth perfection.
Suggestion: We already have Nightcaps.
What if you break your usual CAPS content into two. (Not trying to create more work.) Just do what you usually did, but to keep iPhone users happy, it’s now distributed as ScreenCaps and Mid-dayCaps. Call it "Lunch Break"
Appreciate you Joe! So happy you got to go to The Masters! And can’t wait to hear more about the adventures of Coach Kinsey! Sounds like you have a squad.
- Mark writes:
I use an IPAD PRO 3rd generation IPADOSVERSION 17.4.1 (latest edition). I’ve had no problems getting to your site after getting this brand new IPAD last year. Previously, it was a nightmare. For the first time, today, the website was all messed up again. All I got was a content (sports, betting, culture, etc.) when I opened the website. I had to go find Screencaps.
Kinsey:
LOLOLOLOL. So you went from perfect to huge issues? All I did was REDUCE the embeds. No idea why you had issues.
- Derek writes:
Thanks for all that you do!
Everything has been loading well for me. No issues at all over the past week.
Using an android Google phone.
- Doug in Florida writes:
If I get to SC by going to outkick.com, it contains all of the X content but getting there thru the email from Outkick, it has no X content.
Kinsey:
I'll be curious to hear if there are issues now that I've cranked up the number of embeds in Test No. 2.
- Rob in NJ writes:
As a Screencaps reader and iPhone user, I had also experienced loading issues and the dreaded refresh over the past few months.
One thing I did was switched to using Safari to read Screencaps, and continually clear out/refresh the browser cache. I also have the Google Chrome app, but found Safari with a continually-cleared cache to work out so much better.
FWIW I also notice my phone battery dropping significantly while reading, but I think that’s more of an issue with my phone. Bought this thing while Carson Wentz was still the Eagles quarterback. But yeah, clearing the cache has helped me significantly.
OK, I'll bite
This is subject to change.
Then we get guys like Wills with a ridiculous question like what he's presented here.
Yes, people from Zone 5 are going to vacation in Zone 4. Our ancestors used I-75 like Native Americans used trade routes up and down the Mississippi River. Zone 4 is a change of scenery and it's easy to get to.
At this point in life, with little kids who get to live near most of their grandparents, Zone 5 is the best zone to live in. Simple answer.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
RIP Dickey Betts
- Dan K. writes:
RIP to a true American legend, one of the best to ever do it, Dickey Betts. Please allow this millennial who appreciates real music to share the greatest song of all time for everyone’s enjoyment on this somber day.
The use of ‘illegal alien’ in modern times vs. 1983
- Tom L. writes:
Just saw the article on the NC student suspended for asking about aliens. Made me think of the 1983 Genesis song "Illegal Alien" and how much that song, and especially the video, would trigger people today. I'm going to play it on my local jukebox to show support for that kid.
Bob's beaver problem
- Kevin in Toboso, OH says:
Bob R. from TN.
The best and most fun way to rid yourself of beaver dams is to get rid of the beavers and their dams. Plenty of tannerite, a high powered rifle, a safe distance and blow it up. Then post yourself near where the damn was and shoot them ALL as they return to rebuild. Also suggest removing their den in above redneck manner.
OR the less redneck/ less fun way would be hiring a varmint control specialist to trap them out. All of them! Tear out the dam or new ones will come back. Might ask around for a local trapper too (especially once the fur bearing season opens on them) but don't go telling anyone or some moron, leftist, tree-hugging, PETA nutjob will not like it.
If you have other humans living in close proximity probably should go with option 2 but it is way less fun. With the right kind of neighbors it might make a fun weekend.
- Hunter suggests:
The best (and IMO only) way to get rid of them is to trap them. They are likely coming onto his property at the same spot so a trap there(YouTube has a wealth of knowledge and how to’s on drowning sets, body hold traps, etc.) would likely be just the ticket. Anything else might work short term but won’t permanently eliminate the issue.
- Kevin in Lacey, WA writes:
As a proud alum of Oregon State University and it's three time national championship baseball team, tell Bob in Tennessee to just sit back and watch those magnificent beavers do their work!
Parachuting beavers into the forest
Speaking of beavers, Mike T. in Idaho sent me this video back in March. It seems appropriate this week.
###############
That's all for this cloudy, dreary morning. I'm told we got rocked pretty good last night with an overnight storm. I had no idea. After Opening Night of the TNML season, I slept like a rock.
Go have an incredible Friday. Enjoy those lunch beers and the half-day. You've earned it.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com