4 Hard Downs: Birthday Recap, QB Rankings, How I Talk About Sports & Connections
Met some friends kids, did a Bounce House, Realized I am weird when it comes to sports and am going to talk QBs today
The birthday party was a success!
I got to see so many friends from high school, UNC and even former Stadium co-workers. I spent a lot of time agonizing pre-party over how I could weave thru-lines but we got there. There was a person I’ve know since I was 8, who played on my brother’s coach-pitch team, to a few people I played high school football, to college football teammates.
And then I met the parents of my kid’s school and guess what, seem pretty chill. A few of them took me up on the offered mimosa.
Plus a friend who is Charlotte royalty and has been on HITD.
Oh and the neighborhood folks.
So a lot was going on.
But the bounce house was solid.
Pizza was a winner.
We did it.
Now we can breathe, so SPOT THE BALL!!
1st Down: Birthday Parties Are Exhausting
This weekend we celebrated our “Dive Into Five” Birthday!
Going backward to go forward; kids birthday parties are exhausting and they create chaos in everyone’s life. I come from a world of TV/video/production and “get people paid and fed” is my go to. That is different from my wife who comes from a teacher background where they truly don’t care if you get fed as long as your classroom looks good and you seem to be busy.
*and that isn’t a knock on teachers, it is more just realizing that production doesn’t care as much about process, just feed you so whatever process you use, the job gets done well. Like, if you have a super great camera person who gets very turned up, no one cares as long as you feed him or get him the gatorade he needs and he gets good shots that. Versus if you have a good teacher but they show up in gym shorts, the issue isn’t their teaching it is “well yes, good at job but dress better, even though you’re doing the job.”
So back to the point, I was hyper focused on the production of the birthday party. Flow of people. Identifying bathrooms. Getting the pizza. Getting the cupcakes. Getting my kid, who is apparently a 30 year old woman, her small carrot cake.
This is a perfect, task oriented situation for me. I can get the job done. Check my boxes.
Which is a different space than my wife who wants to make sure things look good.
In reality, it is a great yin and yang. I focus on production tasks. She focuses on aesthetics tasks.
That’s teamwork and it makes the dream work. It also keeps us out of each other’s way. This division of labor, whether it is putting on a party or moving keeps you off each others’ toes.
Divide and Conquer.
But it still leaves you exhausted. Especially interfacing with the new parents that we never met from our kid’s school. Your boy can work a room, but it comes at a cost that will be paid on Tuesday after the Monday Bleacher Report show.
So we are ready for a chill weekend.
2nd Down: I Am A Weirdo Sports Talker
I got to talk to the husband of one of my besties from college. He’s a big Eagles fan. In fact, he and my dad talked Eagles and Steelers for awhile because they’re both sports radio and big team fans.
The point of this is when he asked me about talking about sports, I told him that I change my “mock draft” or “team fit” most weeks because it is boring spending months on end saying the same thing.
It isn’t fun.
He responded with how he’s been listening to radio from Philly and one guy did 3 spots on back-to-back-to-back radio shows and says the same thing in every spot. I had to ask, “do you think that’s fun for him or the listener?”
And it was Wee-Bey moment.
I bet, for the guy, who I won’t “name drop” it is easier. But easy isn’t what I am going for. I go for what makes me not hate doing this stuff. Talked to a friend with the Panthers and they are so over talking QBs and still have a month to go.
None of us are ever going to be perfectly right in terms of draft predictions, so, week-to-week, why not talk about different possibilities and then arrive at what we like, don’t like, could happen and then, as we get close to the finish line…should happen.
It makes me keep pouring through free agency and re-watching players for team/scheme fits. So you can move things around and that’s what helps get me out of bed in the morning, discovering new wrinkles to this event.
3rd Down: QB Rankings For Draft A Month Out
Related to 2nd Down here we go:
-Bryce Young
-CJ Stroud
That is your one and two. Then:
-Anthony Richardson (if you’re looking for a possible monster)
-Will Levis (if you have a big “Live. Laugh. Love.” fanbase pick instead of Richardson)
-Tanner McKee (if he goes to the right spot, he could be remarkable)
-Hendon Hooker coming off of injury
-Dorian Thompson-Robinson the guy who has showed the ability to grow with good coaching and will get better in the NFL
Then we get to Stetson Bennett and Tyson Bagent and do you want super productive on a lower level or the guy surrounded by all the talent in the world and grew into an alpha dog surrounded by future NFL guys?
4th Down: My Kid Wants Cornbread
My daughter, on the day of her birthday party, said, “I want cornbread tomorrow.”
Where did this come from?
I have no clue.
But I was proud because she’s slowly getting into her southerner life. She is having a Sunday supper of cornbread, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with fried chicken. Sure, I’d go greens over green beans and rice over potatoes but baby steps folks.
Here’s the recipe:
2 tsp butter
1 egg
2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
2 cups Corn Meal (I like House Autry or Martha White when I can’t get the local milled farmer’s market stuff)
1 tbs baking powder
1 tps salt
I start it with the butter in a cast iron skillet while the oven heats to 450, melts the butter, and I mix everything else up in the stand mixer. Take the pan out before the butter smokes, 10 minutes into the pre-heat if you start from a cold oven. 5-6 minutes if you’ve already got the oven hot.
Combine all the ingredients and then pour that batter into that hot pan and then back into the pre-heated oven. Rotate it at 7 minutes and then 10-12 more minutes you’ll get some solid results.
Use a toothpick or skewer to make sure it pulls clean and is a nice golden brown.
When I re-heat it, I go honey butter and wrapped in foil so we are good to go.
I forgot to take pictures because this was the day after the party and I was, as previously mentioned, exhausted.
Let’s charge into the week like we own it. You’ve got a preview of my QB rankings and I’m going to try to stick to that haha.
Cheers!!
Love the cornbread recipe.
You're not hating on teachers at all. In fact, I think it could be more granular as elementary vs. secondary teachers. As a former high school teacher, I was not about cute decor or whatever. There were a few posters around my wall and that was about it. Show is at the front of the room y'all.
Also I think as teaching has changed due to pandemic, lack of financial respect, etc. more teachers are dressing down and just doing the job in shorts. It is what it is. Not my favorite as an advocate for public education, but I get where they are coming from.
We are getting to postpone our own 7 year old twins' parties until our kitchen reno is done. So...a slight reprieve.
Thanks as always for the content.