Heidi Klum Enjoys The Holidays In The Tropics, Mike McDaniel Trash Talks Dan Marino & The NFL Vs. Bulgaria
Chiefs fan fights back & wants a word with Screencaps management
• Andrew in KC writes:
Some of your positions on the Chiefs are not very different from those that love and support the team. Using a 90/10 split, I would not be wrong if I said:
We don’t care for the antics of Jackson and Brittney…
We are tired of the constant Taylor Swift references and cut shots during games…
And all of the sideline screaming and yelling, chucking of helmets, and pointing fingers at the refs have been worn out…
Furthermore, the arrogance of our front office to think we do not need an upper-tier WR, that the OL sometimes just doesn’t block, and a head coach who wants to still throw the ball all over hell’s half acre despite the OL issue, are all contributing factors leading the vast majority of the educated fans to start looking at the draft, free agents list, and next year.
This shouldn’t not be the total destruction one might hope for, but it could create a need for some new blood in 2024.
With all of that said, KC Divas 3, your Ben-gals 0 in Super Bowl wins.
• Jim B. has some thoughts on the Chiefs:
As a non-Chiefs fan, it's been quite fun watching the implosion.
What I don't understand is that there has been absolutely no commentary about the fact that Eric Bieniemy mattered.
This guy didn't get serious head coaching gigs, because Mahomes was his QB. I'm thinking Mahomes misses him and would love to see a little shout-out from the media for him.
One other note. This MVP for an individual in a team sport is frustrating. Especially in football. Mahomes, who is extremely talented, isn't worth any more than any other QB, without all the other pieces fitting together correctly.
I've been a Dolphins fan since Greise, no MVP's but 2 Super Bowl wins. Dan Marino? 1 MVP, retired with a number of records, 0 Super Bowl wins.
God Bless the ultimate team sport.
Kinsey:
I get the Bieniemy angle, but would he be able to get the Chiefs receivers to run the right routes and catch the ball or is that on the receivers and Mahomes to work through? It's worth a debate.
Now this is a Christmas gift, but it raises a question for Merc Matt who has a very strict $10k car budget that he sticks to
• Mike N. writes in with his Christmas gift and a question for Merc Matt who announced in Tuesday Screencaps that he will drive a Mercedes convertible as long as it doesn't cost him over $10k:
My wife surprised me with this Christmas morning.
She found it on Nextdoor on Dec 22nd not even looking for cars. 1998, 140k miles, $11k. Would Merc Matt walk away for $1k over his limit?
Looks like they just drove it off the lot…
Convertibles are 'an instant way to positively adjust a bad mood or sour attitude'
• Law Enforcement Rob in Little Elm, NTX writes:
When I let go of my last motorcycle when we moved from Seattle to Dallas, I decided that I would love to have a convertible at some point. That time came In 2017 when I bought a Camaro RS 50th Anniversary Edition, drove that almost daily until just recently, trading her in on a 2018 Mustang GT Premium California Special Edition, which I love.
It helps to live in North Texas, of course, but I would agree with Merc Matt....why have a convertible if you're going to run around with the top up? Bottom line, if there's no precipitation, the top is DOWN, the temperature is not particularly material, I put the top down when it's cold, routinely. it reminded me of my years as a Motorcycle Officer, people would ask if we rode in the rain, we'd answer "its Seattle, of course, we ride in the rain, otherwise we might never ride!". One thing I've found that is a must-have on a convertible though, is the behind the seats Wind Deflector...huge difference in the cockpit at highway speeds and above.
I think Dodge totally blew it not making a Challenger Convertible all these years, shame on them! I'd have a Challenger R/T Hemi Convertible in the garage right now if they'd built one between '08 and now....but other than some insanely expensive aftermarket conversions, that beast doesn't exist. However, I've grown to love my 5.0 Coyote engine equipped beauty and every single one of her 435 hp...EVs suck HARD and you will pry my ICE from my cold dead hands. Give me a dual exhaust blasting every single time. And convertibles are an instant way to positively adjust a bad mood or sour attitude.
Kinsey:
Rob's car photos are great and all, but the first thing that caught my eye was that garage fridge that appears to have zero real estate left for stickers.
Rob: What's your most cherished garage fridge sticker?
Vern in Washington IS BACK & you better be paying attention -- cocktail sauce
Vern's smoked salmon advice was much appreciated by Hans in Arizona, so that got Vern thinking.
• Vern writes:
Appreciate Hans' comments and willingness to try smoked salmon recipe. With the New Year coming up, I thought this recipe for cocktail sauce might be useful.
Bucket list trip of a lifetime and keeping in touch with high school friends
• Owen B. writes in:
Hope you had a Merry Christmas with Mrs. Screencaps and the kids. Our family of 5 is on a bucket list trip to New Zealand over the holidays and it’s not disappointing. Today was an epic day - a foggy, solo sunrise at Tasman Glacier (#1), a helicopter ride in the Mt Cook mountain range (#2), and a sunset in Queenstown (#3 - aka the adventure capital of the world). The wood stacking game is solid here. Will send some more pics over the next few days.
And I’m a little late to the game on the question about keeping in touch with high school friends. A group of 9 of us get together every year in the fall to watch football, eat grilled meat, drink beer and reminisce. Great group of guys that have been buddies since early 90s and enjoy getting old together.
We’re trying to step up to two weekends a year starting in 2024 if we can get the hall passes. Pic below from 5+ years ago.
Salt Lake City mountains for the holidays and the Eastern Michigan player sucker-punching the South Alabama player
• Michael D. writes:
Joe, thanks for all that you do, especially during the holidays. Lots of people in the SC going out of the country but we visited SLC for the holidays and had a great time. The people were very friendly and views were awesome. Why leave the good Ole USA when we have this to see? Took a hike up into the mountains for this picture and it is just as beautiful as anywhere else in the world
On a side note, we returned to Alabama and saw the incident at the bowl game in Mobile where the Eastern Michigan player attacked the South Alabama player 5 minutes after the game and then the ensuing brawl. With the NIL silliness of buying players, transfer portaling as many times as these kids want, and now savagely attacking each other I'm ready to boycott semi-pro college football.
Just had enough of this stupidity and if I'm watching it on TV then I'm endorsing that type of activity.
Count me out going forward.
Kinsey:
Wait until you see how many players aren't playing in the Georgia-FSU Orange Bowl. The 12-team playoff can't get here fast enough.
Are you afraid of your sweeper?
I learned a new word this morning: Zuigerphobia.
Zuigerphobia is the "extreme and overwhelming fear of vacuum cleaners and the action of hoovering," according to Google's latest algorithm update.
And I think Louie in Savannah might suffer from this phobia based on his latest message showing off his new iRobot.
I'm not a big conspiracy guy.
Are there concerns iRobots are mapping houses for the Feds in case they need to make entry over something you posted on social media?
As for the downloading of apps and creating a password for everything, there has to be a word for that phobia. I suffer from that phobia. I'm burnt out. No more apps. No more passcodes. Just leave me alone, technology!
Screencaps readers have their own helmet stories
• Jaime Z. writes:
Joe, I know you hate the Browns but being born in Cleveland and growing up in the city itself I just had to. The provenance is that I worked at Bucci’s restaurant my senior year in high school scrubbing pizza pans and became friends with the family and their son Joseph Bucci who came out to live with me in Vegas in 1978 and graduated from UNLV with culinary degree.
He moves to Cleveland and takes over the family restaurant and becomes the caterer for the Cleveland Browns and was able to get me the helmet. This was when Bill Belichick was coach and there are some great stories there, one of which was when he walked in the cafeteria at training camp people started sweating like they were about to be guillotined as he would mf everything the moment he walked in , like if the salt and pepper shakers weren’t lined up properly.
He made Ralphies father in Christmas story battling the furnace sound like an amateur. Love the helmet story. Have a great day
Kinsey:
If you can't read that, it's Lou "The Toe" Groza's autograph.
Stop and think about this life resume:
• Learned to kick footballs by kicking them over telephone wires in the streets of Martins Ferry, OH
• Dropped out of Ohio State while on scholarship to enlist in the Army
• Becomes a surgical technician in the Pacific Theater; saw a soldier shot in the face on his first day in the Phillippines
• Returns in 1946, become an offensive tackle and kicker for the Browns
• Plays 21 seasons
• Sporting News named him the NFL's MVP in 1954
• 9x Pro Bowler
• 4x NFL champion
• Ran a successful insurance company
Speaking of Jaime Z. -- 'My first car, June 1976'
• Jaime Z. also wrote in on Merc Matt's declaration that he'd never spend over $10k on a Merc:
Hey Joe , reading Screencaps this morning and was thinking about this the other day when I saw the guy who never spends more than $10k on a car. I kinda chuckled at that as this is my first car, 1970 Ford LTD Brougham which I bought right after graduation for $700.
Had the 351 Windsor motor and the leaners, for those that remember that in the front and back seat.
Big time back then for a Cleveland boy as many family, friends and neighbors worked at the Ford plants around the Cleveland area at that time.
Kinsey:
From the look of things, Jaime Z. was cranking AC/DC, Boston, Kansas and definitely Led Zepplin's 1976 Presence album in that ride. And let's not forget that Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak album was released that same year.
'I met a woman at my Disneyland job who was going into an interview, I gave her a hug & she ended up marrying me'
• Voiceover Mike in California writes:
Merry Christmas Joe, and hopes for a great New Year.
On the movie list, I'd have to add "My Fellow Americans" and "Grumpy Old Men". I doubt they'll ever get pulled, but you just never know.
Meeting my wife didn't involve a bar, but also not your typical meeting place.
Years ago, I worked at Disneyland, in Guest Relations. One day I was working in City Hall and this girl came in for an interview to join the department. Not wanting to be rude, or pass up a chance to talk to a very pretty girl, I made small talk until my Manager was ready for the interview.
As she was going back to the office for the interview, I offered her a hug for good luck (yeah, what was I thinking?) and she said sure. She ended up getting hired and long story short, we'll be celebrating 32 years together in May.
Looking forward to a great 2024 with Screencaps.
Kinsey:
Great story.
Couldn't get away with that behavior these days, Mike. Count your blessings.
Celeb and/or athletes sightings in the wild where they're acting like us normals
• Jeff in VA writes:
Happy New Year! One of the celebrity sightings I've had in my life occurred in New Orleans about 15 years ago. My wife and I were in line at Cafe Dumonde to get beignets and coffee for us and my brother in law. The line was long and I kept staring at the beautiful blond mullet sported by the man in front of me. Eventually, the man and woman in front of us received their order and their driver came and helped them carry it off. I told my wife. " That man had one of the best mullets I have ever seen." She told me "Did you see the size of the diamond on that lady's finger, it was gorgeous."
We get our order and meet my brother-in-law at the entrance. That's when he tells us, "Did you know you were standing behind Jeff Foxworthy the whole time?" So we stood behind Jeff Foxworthy and his wife for about 15 minutes. The beignets and coffee were delicious.
• First-time emailer Acid writes:
I was waiting in the gate area for a flight from Toronto to Philly and saw several geezers surrounded by a bevy of smoking hot 20- and 30-somethings. Figured they must be a rock band with those women hanging around them but I had no idea who they were.
Got on my plane and the guy sitting next to me said "OMG! OMG! Did you see them??? That was Deep Purple!!!". Apparently, they were flying commercial from a gig in Toronto to a gig in Philly the next day.
Brentwood, TN Screencaps Appreciation Society
• Jeff M. writes:
Great job pumping out the content over the long Christmas weekend! I enjoyed reading and noticed several e-mails from my hometown of Brentwood, TN (and several more from areas close-ish by).
I wanted to see if there was a way to facilitate a meet up of Screencaps fans in TN?
I'd love to connect with them!
jeffmaaske@gmail.com
Kinsey:
You guys are more than welcome to connect with Jeff, who has been emailing for what feels like at least 2 or 2 1/2 years. He's one of the originals. Now, I can't say whether Jeff is a serial killer or now -- I don't know the guy -- but he sure seems like one of the good guys around here.
Classic Pizza Huts
Here's a great list if you'd like to feel the original Pizza Hut experience. It looks like the nearest OG Pizza Hut is about an hour from my house. This sounds like a challenge. Stay tuned.
What a morning.
Here I was concerned there wouldn't be much content as the readers hunker down after the holidays. Nonsense. You guys continue to zig and zag your way through the topics and the column continues to evolve. I'm impressed by how far the audience is currently spread out around the world. Owen B. is in New Zealand. Clay is in Australia. We have the Millennial Bs in SE France (I might've said SW France the other day, I apologize) and readers in Paris.
Get your dispatches in. Tell me about the tropics where you're holed up. Share the exotic locales where you're walking the beaches. Brag a little bit. This is a safe space. You've earned that vacation. Tell others why they need to experience where you're holed up.
Now go have a great day. I have blogging to do and photos of the Dale Earnhardt jacket to take
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com