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Have I ever mentioned how great it feels to sit on the basement couch on Friday night and watch sports?
Guys, I tried my best to stay up for the Sox-Stros ALCS Game 1. It was 11 ET in the top of the 7th and I'd already watched a college football game, NHL games, the end of the second round at the Bibigo golf event in Vegas and a bunch of other stuff. Meanwhile, Dusty Baker and Alex Cora were busy pulling pitchers in the 3rd inning.
Didn't I just read a story last week about how baseball is trying to figure out how to make the sport more entertaining and move games along to where THE 7TH INNING ISN'T BEING PLAYED AT 11 ET?
There I am enjoying some beers and pretzels on the couch and I just about choked to death as these managers went out and began pulling pitchers in the 3rd inning. Sox pitcher Chris Sale went 2 2/3 gave up five hits, an earned run, and threw 61 pitches. THE GUY WAS PAID $30 MILLION THIS YEAR!
How in thee world am I supposed to sit here and be a casual fan of this sport when the pitcher give up a run and doesn't make it through the third inning? How am I going to get a Curt Schilling bloody sock moment? How are my kids supposed to get excited over relievers coming in -- the teams combined to used 16 pitchers! -- and then being bombarded with commercials (yes, I technically work for Fox and I enjoy receiving a paycheck) and stay awake?
It's impossible!
I ended up turning off the game at 3-3 and watched the local high school football highlight shows.
Are there any casual baseball fans out there just tuning in for four-hour games between teams you don't care about? I'd love to hear from those type of fans. How do you do it? I'm not talking baseball nerds and analytics dorks calculating numbers on a Friday night. Casual fans...please explain how it's done.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
• By the way, there was a great interview between Joe Buck and Dusty Baker where they're chopping it up as Kike Hernandez hits a 468 (or so) foot home run. Dusty just went along with it and barely flinched. Dusty might've burned through some pitching arms in his day as a manager (RIP to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood's arms), but the guy is good for baseball. Somehow he's able to take locker rooms and turn them into winners. Dusty just has to figure out how to win a World Series.
• Mike T. in Idaho passed by my house this morning on the Ohio Turnpike as his big cross-country trip with Cindy T. rolls along. The lovebirds went and enjoyed Detroit-style pizza Friday night in Ann Arbor.
Took the team's advice, small square, maximum edge, and antipasta. Delicious, I’m a pizza guy, solid 8.2
That’s Spuddy Buddy, Idaho’s potato mascot, we take him with us for photo opportunities
• Guy G. Jr. writes:
Spent last Sunday morning picking pumpkins out. We were able to be on our way at kickoff of the 930 game, and back by halftime to get the grills fired up. Wife was happy, daughter got to run around, and all was well for watching football the rest of the day.
Once you can get the wife to enjoy non football things in football day, the other 14 or so hours work out well. (Bills went super late, to extend the night game)
• Daniel S. checked in Friday morning with this story:
My feedback on your content. Love it. Thanks. I don't know why this idea hit me and why I thought to share it with you. I love sports as a result of my dad. Prior to him passing away....cancer after fighting heart disease for many years. Both of those things suck but he had a GREAT sense of humor.
Before he passed away I had him autograph a baseball. (picture attached). It sits on my bathroom counter and I see it every morning as a reminder to make the most of the day, enjoy whatever sport is happening and laugh. Keep up the good work.
• Daryl K. has a suggestion if you're in Wisconsin this weekend:
In my haste to give you a good food recommendation, I completely missed giving a great lodging/food/bar location: The Birches Resort in Springstead, WI. It is the property next to my in laws’ on Boot Lake and they do things right. I really think you and your family would have a great time here. They have year-round and summer cabins. Their bar area is a wonderful atmosphere and their pizza is delicious.
• Beau in Toledo loves his space stuff and this one definitely wasn't getting past the guy:
lemme guess... the libs will say she was fully vax'd and wearing a mask, which is why she's alive...
A meteorite crashes through a home in Canada, barely missing a woman's head | KWBU
• Noel C. in Arizona finally sent me an email and included a photo from a Costco parking lot. Now THIS is a guy I'd get along with. There's nothing better than emailers who understand the content I'm looking for.
Noel writes:
I feel like we know each other personally from your epic daily Screencaps, kind of a brother from another mother-type deal. I've been meaning to send you an email (I'm not on social media, besides LinkedIn for business purposes) to share my random findings out here in the desert and dial you in for my annual Conrad Classic Golf Tournament in August (more to come on that).
For now, see the attached picture I took in the Costco parking lot the other day...the answer is yes, they actually have an association for horseshoe pitchers. And see below for a classic airport paging for "Brandon." Share with our Screencap brethren.
And with that, it's time to attack the weekend. The sun is out -- after somewhere around an inch and a half of rain -- and the wife is jonesing to do some fall fun stuff. Have a great Saturday. Cook up some amazing food on the Traeger or the Blackstone and hit me up with anything I'd appreciate.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com