Grace Charis Clearly Wants Paige Spiranac's Crown, Michael Jordan Partying & Sammy Sosa Stops By
The annual washing of the 2-club balls!
Last night, I went out and bought what I believe will be the final golf ball purchase for Saturday's 6th annual 2-Club Invitational that some of you are attending. While your normal golf outing charges $125 for a hot dog at the turn and a cheap can of beer, our outing costs whatever the course charges for 9-holes on a Saturday AND I bring the balls.
Now, they're not the best balls. That's the beauty of this golf outing. You get what you get. You might be hitting a dirty, nasty Slazenger one minute. The next minute you might be hitting a scuffed up ProV1.
That's why we call this one of the greatest tests a golfer will ever take. The other key to this tournament is that participants aren't allowed to bring their own clubs. In fact, you'll be asked to leave if you don't want to play by our rules, which include each two-man team using a vintage wood and one iron.
Two clubs per two-man team.
And a putter provided by the course (that's a rules change I implemented this year because the greens are too nice at this course to use the 3/5 woods).
It'll be great to meet some of you for the first time and to see others who show up each summer to take the test and hang with a great group of people who are just trying to get through life in the the funnest (yes, it's in the dictionary) way possible.
I know Mig won't be there for the first time in a few years. He'll be missed.
But, I've heard from many others who I'll meet for the first time. Charles K. is flying in Friday for the event. I know there are multiple teams driving in from Dayton that I've never met. I've heard from random emailers who say they're in.
Remember to pack your patience and a lawn chair, if possible. Those of us who don't make it into the first flight can sit under the trees on No. 9 and talk Screencaps.
Don't golf? Show up and hang. You'll meet some of the characters I've written about over the years.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
Closest to the pin pot in 2021. New Jersey took it home two years in a row. $5 a shot. The pot gets healthy rather fast.
NBC Olympics coverage: Have you enjoyed it?
There's little doubt that NBC executives called in Millennials to its board meetings and asked how to make the Olympics more attractive to a younger audience. Anyone tired of Snoop yet? Remember: He's going to be a judge on The Voice, hence why NBC is shoving Snoop down your throat.
There's also some sort of influencer, celebrity, a Kelce, Manning, etc. mentioned every five minutes by Mike Tirico, who I assume will fly off to an exotic island after this to recharge his batteries for the NFL season. He deserves it after how many times he has to mention a celebrity popping up at an event.
OMG, how did Jason Kelce get field hockey tickets!?!
My biggest compliment to NBC is that I can see a ton of different sports via YouTubeTV and not just the tape-delayed USA events. And I can watch the sports in a quad-box.
That means I've watched more of the Olympics than at any other point in my life.
- John in SD writes:
Still not impressed with NBCs coverage of the Olympics. Late night coverage implied they were going to cover surfing out in Tahaiti. The only coverage they showed was their reporter having drinks on the island with one surf highlight.
- Kevin in Toboso says:
Ok putting the horrible opening ceremony aside, (the french are loser's in everything anyways.) Why must primetime coverage be gymnastics full tilt? It is not a sport, it is a show. Not saying they aren't athletic or great athletes, it just is not a competition.
Please can we show some table tennis, wrestling, lawn harts (that should be a sport with a beer per turn chugged), javelin etc just for some variety? It is just like ice skating. Crying girls and men in tight pants is not something I really want to see. And the commentators... don't get me started.
If no one wins based on their effort to finish first, score the most baskets or hurl a giant ball of steel the furthest, it isn't a sport. It's a Broadway show. Maybe they should just start performing Broadway shows? You already have the commentators ready to breathlessly talk about how brave and amazing they are. Spare me the "they work hard" etc bs. If some Russian/Chinese, commie, ex. sports doper is judging for a win, it isn't a sport. Show me real competition! Please!
Go USA and enough with the Mulvaney sports Broadway shows.
Kinsey:
I suggest YouTubeTV of the Peacock app. You'll see all the weird sports and you won't have to deal with Tirico hand-cranking every celebrity in Paris. BTW, Tirico is a good guy. Screencaps is pro-Tirico.
Buc-ee's & In-n-Out overrated?
- Lee D. in Tampa writes:
See both sides of Buc-ee's.
Positive
Cheapish gas
Get a chance to take a break and stretch legs in the middle of a long road trip (did just that in South Carolina last year while driving to Virginia)
Decent fast food. Buc-ee's brisket sandwich > McDonalds/Wendy's any day. No, it's not Hutchins or Jack Stack and don't expect it to be. Only mom-and-pop shops in the rural south have gas stations with superior barbeque.
Kinda cool to experience the Costco of gas stations (why are Walmarts always dingy-looking and drab?).
Negative
Crowds. Insane. You can barely walk in the place. Just to get a soda and a sandwich takes like 20 minutes to check out.
Long waits. No, if you want to just piss, fill up and hit the road, this ain't your place. Keep driving.
Lines at the pump. This adds to the waits.
Did I mention crowds?
Speaking of overrated: In-N-Out Burger. It's just OK. The weird way of ordering is a major negative. (Same as Starbucks and its burnt coffee. This is America, not Italy! Have no clue what the hell a "venti" is. KISS: Small, medium, large, extra-large. It's not cute. It's not quaint. It's effing annoying!) These In-N-Out Burgers remind me of an old burger joint in Breese, Ill. called "Wally's" that's been around for like 60 years. In-N-Out Burgers are OK. Nothing more. No better than Five Guys. Culver's beats In-N-Out Burger.
- Ridge Runner writes:
In-N-Out IS overrated. Average burger at best. I wouldn't ever go to a California person for a burger opinion.
Buc-ees is fine, been to about seven or eight of 'em, never seen a dirty restroom in one. Ever. Probably says more about Kentucky than anything else.
I like 'em to break up a trip. Grab a burrito, Red Bull, out the door.
Mrs. RidgeRunner likes it, so I chill while she does her thing. Usually traveling with a dog or two, there's a good place for them to do their thing.
30 minutes, keep rolling.
Fast food prices, I have one word: Biden.
Spent $70 at a Chic-Fil-A the other day, just me and Mrs. RidgeRunner.
Kinsey:
Hold up, you can't tell me you spent $70 at Fil A between two adults and not give me the order that you consumed. That is a big bill for two. That feels like a meal, salad and milkshake for both of you to add up to $70, especially when there's no tip on the bill.
Now I'm intrigued.
- Adam D. in Kansas wants in:
Appreciate your honesty about the family experience of Buc-ees. My take is similar to In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out is not overrated when eaten in California, but have one in Texas and it's not great. Same with Buc-ees outside of Texas, it is overrated, but in Texas it is an entirely different experience.
I prefer a QT over anywhere else for gas, food and restrooms on the road! I will die on that hill and sunset photos.
If you park at a gas pump & then go shopping at Buc-ee's you should be thrown in prison
- Johnny R. gets it off his chest:
I’m going to agree with most of the other ‘cappers who chimed in…I’ve never been in a Bucees bathroom that wasn’t clean. I’m going to take this discussion in a different direction here and make the claim that there is a greater societal issue that is particularly magnified at every Bucees.
GAS PUMPS ARE NOT F’ING PARKING SPOTS.
Yes…There are 72 pumps at Bucees, but most are occupied by vehicles owned by nimrods who are inside taking their sweet time buying beaver nuggets. The last time I was at a Bucees, as I circled trying to find an empty pump, I counted 48 cars that were not actively fueling…48 DAMN CARS!!
Who is raising these sociopaths who feel like they own the damn concrete in front of the pump!! This issue is not isolated to Bucees. I see it on a frequent basis at convenience stores all over the country. My daughter started driving a year ago and gas pump etiquette was one of the first topics we covered.
Also, and I’m a little more understanding on this because most are just ignorant to the fact, but everyone should pay attention and not fill up at the only diesel pump if there are other options available. You know who mostly uses the diesel pumps? People who are busting their ass trying to get s**t done!
Let these hardworking individuals fill up and get back to work! And…those who PARK in front of the only diesel pump should have their driving privileges revoked and their fingernails and toenails removed!! Rant complete…
Let's go to Pine Island, Florida
My mom tells me that up in Largo, it has rained a ton in July. I don't have the exact stats in front of me, but she swears it's been way wetter than when I took the family down there last summer and never saw a drop of rain. Last year, we were there when it was 115 with the humidity every day.
From the sound of things, it's 99 with the humidity this summer. Sounds refreshing.
Grill reports
- Indy Daryl reports:
Sometimes it’s a combination of just getting food on the plate (pre-cooked TJs spicy chicken sausages) and a little something extra (wings!!). Both tasted excellent and I must say I did the wings just right. Hope you both had a great Tuesday evening!!
Dead ends vs. No Outlet
- Greg E. helps out on this one:
I'm not positive on this, but I think the difference between a "dead end" street and a "no outlet" situation is that a dead end has no other options. You turn, you see the "dead end" sign, you know you're pulling a k-turn.
With a "no outlet" sign you're going to see some side streets but there's no way to get to another major road. Eventually you're going to end up back at that intersection.
- Dorky Lawyer writes:
I enjoy your emailer’s take on wussification. However, I think there is, or at least originally was, a slightly more nuanced explanation. I’ve always understood "Dead End" to mean "this street ends, there is no other" while "No Outlet" means "this street connects to one or more other street, but none of those streets connect back to the traffic grid".
- And how about a joke from Philly Ray in MN:
A realtor once told me the difference between a dead-end and a cul-de-sac (no outlet) is about $75,000.
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And that's it for this final day of July. This is a good time to remind you that we get NFL action tomorrow night from Canton, OH. Stop and think about that for a minute.
Now go have a productive day. Be an asset.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com