4 Hard Downs: Lawsuit City, Meck Mile, Suckin' On A Dog Plus Doing Work
Got some dates booked, I am slow and NCAA cannot win (and shouldn't)
I finished the Meck Mile. I did not do well, but I did finish. I lost to a 60 year old lady by like 2 minutes, didn’t crack 10 and also further destroyed my phone coming out of the starting gate.
But it was a great time. Great to see Miller Yoho and his wife, who he loves dearly. Great to hang out with Stephen Hartzell.
Great to be in on the ground floor of what is going to continue to grow as a Charlotte tradition.
Hell, it was great, no matter how hot it was on that turf, to be back on the field in Memorial Stadium a place I played a lot of football. The last game of my junior year was on that field, back when it was grass.
The next day, I got up and had to go to the pool, which I do hate, and I ran a faster mile by 2 minutes on my escape home.
It is Memorial Day coming off a run at American Legion Memorial Stadium so let’s go ahead and SPOT THE BALL!!!
1st Down: One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other
Last hit on the race, which again, I did not do well. I was looking around and realized my body looked a lot more like the security guards than the other runners. The only other runners there who were 215 were like 6’6” haha.
Easily the biggest guy in my heat. Easily one of the biggest people there who was running. I also will probably approach it different next year. I loaded this year and ate way more than normal thinking I needed energy. I’ve already dropped from 217 to 210 in the two days post race. Probably won’t do that again.
That’s a wrap, I’ll be back next year and I’m ready spaghetti.
2nd Down: Chili Glizzy Suckin’
No Tastee Freez restaurants were harmed in this, but it does give me a reason to post my favorite video:
Went to the pool, as previously stated, threw my kid 10 times. Threw her friend 5 times. 15 throws of two kindergarten kids, 4 beers and 2 adult swim periods and your boy is out. My wife stays for 5 hours, I’ve got 90 minutes in me. Run home the 3 miles and then I went to work.
Homemade hot dog buns.
Homemade chili with my own roasted tomatoes instead of paste or canned chili. Fresh ground meat in that chili and here we go:
I go hot sauce and onions, my wife likes the mustard on it:
Here’s the kicker, with the homemade, New England style bun, the bottom is flat so it sits up straight and I scoop out the middle, which I save for croutons. Throw in some baked beans with country ham and a little of that fresh ground beef and a potato salad and you got a damn meal.
3rd Down: Way To Go Young Blood, Gettin’ Paid
The NCAA, again, loses in court. This time to the very direct idea that schools can pay their “student-athletes.” I’m not a lawyer, but from reading some of the industry folks, including friends, this is going to create both issues and opportunity. As internet friend Morgan Moriaty points out here
Tons of positives like multi-year deals with actual contracts, more actual scholarship funding for sports that have a super low cap and I also will say navigating Title IX is a positive because you can put more into women’s sports. If you say having to be Title IX compliant is a negative, fuck you.
I started in this industry in 2008. I got my first real job, not freelance, in 2012. Through that time there was so much discussion of leveling the playing field. About 4 years after I was born the first football scholarship limits hit. Then after that more limits and after that, down to 85. Unlimited, 105, 95, 85 (current).
I only use football because that’s what I know the best.
In those days, schools were not taking in the same money from TV and branding like now and so they put limits to even the playing field and also be Title IX compliant (Basically people were signing every single player they could to stop their rival from getting them). Well, guess what, now they can be Title IX complaint, which helps women’s sports, and stretch out the run way by boosting scholarships in men’s sports as well.
If you’re not a school with deep pockets. If you’re not a school with a deeply established history and alumni base. If you’re not a school that can fire a coach on a whim and just pay the buy out.
Playing field isn’t leveling out, shit just got harder. Portal or not. Playing time or not. It is going to be real in the field for y’all.
4th Down: Upcoming Shows For Your Calendar
I just got my assignments for June and on the 13th at 5pm I will get to talk ACC Champ Predictions and on the 21st at 1pm I will talk winners and losers of the portal. I am also going to be doing a few shows of my own through the B/R App and will definitely drop some Substack notes and post those to social because I think there are some interesting things worth discussing beyond just NIL and pay for play.
Like football stuff.
New QB situations. New coordinators and how they impact the existing roster. Portal I will save for B/R but if you’ve got a portal question hit me up. Hell, if you have any question hit me up. I’m excited to be almost done with the school year for my kid so I can not have that parent fog we all have every morning and just be ready to attack the day.
Media Days are on the horizon, I’ll be at the ACC ones. We have a live show for HITD in a few months that we’re working on, including merch both online and in-person. What a time to be alive.
Oh, and Hartzell and I got spotted by a listener at the Meck Mile. Plus someone from my pool saw me on TV hit when he was in Milwaukee.
Cheers!!!