Yanet Garcia Kicks Off Christmas Week, Fan Fight At SoFi Stadium & A World Cup Nose Picker
Good morning Detroit Lions fans
You probably thought I was going to start this morning by bragging that the Bengals continue to win and they're not only surviving an insane late-season gauntlet of games, but they're now in first place.
No, I want to start this morning by saying how incredible it is for Lions fans to wake up this morning with a 44% probability of making the playoffs and owning a schedule (@Carolina, Bears, @Packers) that lines up nicely to run the table.
And before you start laughing at the thought of the Lions running the table, keep in mind that the offense proved Sunday it could run the ball on the road -- 107 rushing yards -- to take the pressure off Jared Goff. The defense steps up against a fading Jets team and you have a recipe that's going to win road games.
I've very happy for Lions fans. Yes, they might be huge whiners on social media thinking the refs are always out to get them, but now they're winning and the whining has tailed off quite a bit so they're way more tolerable.
Need a sign that there's excitement building around the Lions franchise? The Costco here in Perrysburg, OH is carrying Lions gear. Seriously. Yes, it's in the Detroit TV market, but still, this is a major development.
I'm short on time this morning, but I just want to say how great of a sports weekend we just witnessed. Think about that Vikings comeback. That World Cup. Tiger and Charlie limping their way through a golf tournament. John Daly putting off knee replacement surgery to make a Sunday charge. (BTW, why are TV execs so scared of showing JD and JD Jr. on TV? That needs addressed.)
My Sunday consisted of playing 18 holes of indoor golf (Hazeltine 2016 Ryder Cup setup), then to the bar for a big World Cup party, then NFL games and home to get comfortable for Bengals-Buccaneers.
What a day. It was a blast. And so was the weekend.
I hope all of you were able to get out to see friends and have a great time. It's good for the soul.
How are Patriots fans feeling this morning?
• Louie in Savannah, GA writes:
Congrats on the big comeback win.
Meanwhile, I’m over here feeling this picture in my soul….
I don’t even know.
Memphis: Someone needs to explain what's going on here
• Tim T. writes:
I was driving around yesterday delivering Christmas gifts to clients, then I rode up on this. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for carting around a couple hundred hamburger buns in the back of your truck unpackaged, I just can’t think of it. Would like to see some random odd things from the SCC travels during this holiday season.
Christmas came early for Brandon B. in Birmingham
• Brandon B. writes about his new Dale decoration:
Joe - the screencaps community never disappoints. After chasing down the lead provided by Jess, I found the stand-up of Dale. However, it was ripped and torn and missing the back stand. Then I sent you that follow-up email and you made an introduction to Greg.
Greg came through in a huge way and look at the newest addition next to my beer fridge and Golden Tee machine!! That is a temporary spot until I rearrange some things but imagined how intimidated the fellas will now be trying to knock down 100 ft putts. Thank you Joe! Thank you Greg!!
Kinsey:
Now, I don't want you guys hammering my inbox with Dale cardboard standee requests. Brandon has been an incredible Screencaps supporter. He's had me to his Golden Tee garage. I've hung out with his cool dog that I would smuggle back to Ohio in a heartbeat.
He showed interest in a Dale cardboard cutout and I knew a guy who has a stash that's been in storage, but Greg wants the Dales to go to houses and garages where they're appreciated. Cherished.
It turns out he chose Brandon to be a recipient. That's an incredible gesture by Greg.
Christmas decorations in Wellington, Florida
• Warren M. writes:
We saw the house I shared with you around Halloween with the epic decorations. Well, it’s even better at Christmas! And they even inspired the neighbors to step up. Florida really goes crazy and entire neighborhoods get in on the decorating action.
Inflatables aren’t lazy to me (my wife thinks so), it’s when someone sets up a single light with the red and green Christmas mini lights that display on their garage and house. That’s lazy decorating!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family, and Screencaps and OutKick Nation!
Is this too much?
• Craig in Lubbock, TX writes:
Had to show you this amazing display here in the neighborhood
I loved this guy's Chiefs Super Bowl flags flying all Fall, but this abomination is WAY TOO MUCH!
Attached are the before/after so y'all can see there is a pretty good sized house behind there...
Christmas PJs
• Rod in Freeport writes:
I had to reach out after reading Joe D. and wondering if he should have wore the PJs for the Polar Express. ABSOLUTELY! My mom took all of the grandkids and families when they were younger a couple of years in a row. Not only did they get into the experience more, especially the older kids, but cast members also appreciate it. My wife is a Christmas nut, so we always went overboard, but the "Hobo" and I had our pictures every year. 8 years later, we still laugh about it, but it also helped my kids realize it was ok to let loose and have some fun at any experience. Included the pic to emphasize the ridiculousness of it all. Still was a lot of fun.
How to leave a little something this week for the delivery drivers
• Tony in Galena, OH writes:
Love what you're doing with the Caps community and it's a daily must read. Sean Jo on the Sunday edition is a great call and coming in to it's own.
On the great air fryer debate of 2022, steaks are a hard pass unless you're lacking either/or an outdoor space for grilling or a gas stove top for cast iron cooking.
I think the delivery driver tipping is a must-have debate of our time. There's a zero percent chance I'm tipping the counter person for handing over my order but drivers do a hard job at a demanding time of the year. My go to is Starbucks gift cards with a little stick-on ribbon that I put on the front porch table when I'm expecting a delivery (local Kroger stores here sell multi-packs in either $5 or $10 denomination that make it easier.)
Never one to quote NPR, I had read about the "Thank my Driver" Amazon promotion earlier this month but now it just all looks like a giant fraud (who coulda guessed???
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/14/1142270603/amazon-alexa-thank-my-driver-tipping-promotion-lawsuit)
I'll end on that. Very Merry Christmas to you, your family, and the whole Caps community!!
• Brian McC. from Fayetteville, AR writes:
Congrats to your Bengals. In regards to delivery drivers this time of year, my wife out this tall basket out every day for anyone delivering packages. It has bottled water and snacks. We live in a neighborhood that has multiple drivers so this was the best solution. I hope you are well.
Christmas week for the food service industry and solar energy
• JT writes:
Hi Joe and all the wonderful red-blooded Americans of Screencaps Nation. After reading Friday's post about relaxing into the New Year I thought I'd give a view from the ass busting underbelly of America's holiday economy, the food service. Exhaustion comes creeping in during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, workers and kids get the flu, wives need shopping money, and even reclusive Midwestern workaholics have a social calendar (hey it might only be 2 events but that's as many as in the previous 11 months!).
Now it's Christmas week and it's time for the bakers, the caterers, and the booze vendors to bust their asses trying to bring in enough cash during the glut of consumption to survive the coming 6 weeks of diets, new years resolutions and bad weather that dry up our economy. Here's looking forward to my last run of double shifts until Easter!
On another note, my home solar system is up and running just in time for the darkest days of the year. Still, I'm pretty proud of it and I'm super glad I got 3 times more solar panel than my local installer quoted me. I ended up buying the panels from Texas and the batteries from South Carolina and doing the install myself. Still working the kinks out with the settings of my off grid inverter but I'm cautiously optimistic because even on days with complete cloud cover I'm getting enough power to run some essential circuits.
Merry Christmas to all, and I'm taking a week off once it's done!
Worst people in the world
• John G. writes:
Even worse than the people who "get in line" two miles and 20 minutes early are the "sheriffs" who are going to enforce the line and move halfway into the empty lane when they see you coming up. Sometimes I will try and go around them on the shoulder if there is room, but I have to be picky because down here in Houston you never know who's going to just start shooting at you on the road when they get mad.
If everyone would just use the whole road up until the end, it would still be "fair" and we'd all get there sooner.
I used to be a sheriff. I understand the urge. Then I read this book and it changed my life:
Highly recommended.
Saturday market in France
• Mike T. writes:
Bros selling sausages on the corner, working it hard. They asked me where I’m from I said USA! They started yelling USA
http://traftonseuropeanadventure202223.code.blog/2022/12/17/12-18-22-uzes-saturday-market/
Charcuterie season
• Mark W. in Tennessee writes:
Got this gem from a friend as a Christmas gift. Certainly fits my style.
And that should do it this morning. What a loaded Monday. Keep the emails coming this week. Let's finish the year strong and go into 2023 ready to make it the best year yet.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com