Hockey Goalie Mikayla Demaiter Is Back In Black & Heating Up Winter, Eagles Fans Fight, Plus DEI Beers
The Worst Parents In Sports: This is another must-read from Brandon C.
Brandon C. famously wrote the report on the Russian defense contractor convention that is considered a Screencaps masterpiece. He's back and this time we hear about high school hockey parents.
Buckle up.
— Brandon C. in Pinckney, MI pens:
Let me introduce you to the wild world of youth hockey....
Most recent story- my daughter plays for a girls high school hockey team and we had to travel to Traverse City for a pair of league games in early January. We met friends who live there and their daughter plays on a 10u coed house team.
There was a youth tournament (yes a travel tournament for 10u hockey house level teams, don't get me started) that their daughter played on so I went to watch the Fri night game since it was right before my daughters game. They were playing a team from another Michigan town that I won't name, and the game was... Spicy.
Both teams had hosses that were just overpowering their opponents and scoring through brute strength. So each team had players that were taking cheap shots against the hosses, and the big boys were taunting back with more elaborate "cellys" after their goals, playing to the parents sections who were egging them on. One of the parents from the visiting team gets ejected for yelling obscenities at the refs (both of which are probably high school kids). Game ends in a tie.
Next day I get the following texts from my buddy... In the rematch the next day in the elimination round of the tournament, the parents in the stands devolved into all out warfare. Again to emphasize, this is 10u house.
Parents from the other team thrown out. Cops called. Arrests. Knives drawn. Grandparents being tossed down staircases.
This is the most recent, but not the only I've witnessed through my daughter's hockey journey. I've seen some true nutjobs lose their shit versus refs, other parents in the stands, etc. And that's not counting the insane "my kid does 6 hours of off ice training with a former ACHL third liner" parents who are pouring literally 10s of thousands of dollars per year on their kid to make sure they have the latest carbon fiber custom stick to exacting curve and flex standards, or profile their skates after every practice, or spend $8k on summer hockey camps with some Eastern European defector who claims expertise in the Soviet style of hockey. And they spend the same amount (or more) than your average travel baseball / softball family on Hampton Inn stays, Dave and Busters play cards, alcohol for the late night hot tub visits with other parents.
It's probably worse as you get older in hockey than other sports because the inherent violence in the sport with checking and the strategic play to play physical which is legitimate in terms of slowing down more skilled teams. (And just the hockey culture of being tougher than others). Everybody wants their kids to play juniors, there's politics and money in every decision, and the pyramid gets smaller and smaller (and more desperate because there just aren't the volume of scholarships that there are in other sports).
There's a whole lot of problems in youth travel sports (and I've seen or experienced many of these first hand with baseball, softball, soccer, AAU hoops, even volleyball through a coworker), but I think the hockey crowd wins.
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— Sports official Darin in Perryville, MO says basketball parents are the worst:
As an official and umpire of multiple youth sports, I feel I have a good grasp at what is happening in the travel ball and high school sports world. Basketball parents in general are by far the worst to deal with. In southeast Missouri, many fans have an emotional attachment to their high school team. That high school basketball team may be the only thing that town has to cheer for .
There is nothing like an 80-year-old woman yelling at you from the stands.
"Fouls are 9-1!"
Running a close second are travel baseball dads and Stanley baseball moms. There is ZERO accountability for the parents at most of these tournaments. If they get kicked out of a tournament, they go to the parking lot and drink their drink of choice.
Then it’s off to another town and another tournament the next weekend. High school baseball parents and coaches are 100x better because they have people they have to answer too. Athletic directors, principals and school boards have as gone as far as year-long bans for fans from all school activities. I know of one parent who was ejected 2x from a school basketball season, and he was forced to stay home during his daughter's graduation.
One thing that I have noticed in Missouri is, the more rural the area, the more passionate and crazy the fans may be during any sports event. It is very rare for a fan in St. Louis to holler at a basketball official.
On the opposite end of that, it is very rare that at least one fan doesn’t let their voice be heard at a rural high school basketball game. One wild card is soccer. I am not a soccer official, but the games I’ve been, the fans are absolutely crazy. Maybe a soccer official can chime in and explain why soccer parents are so wild.
— Matt in South Florida knows how soccer parents act:
My experience was some time ago so may not be relevant today but I used to run athletics for a small town in south Florida. The two worst offenders were soccer and baseball parents. I often saw baseball parents slugging it out in the stands.
However, the worst single offender was a soccer parent. This was in the mid 1990s when soccer wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today so it took me entirely by surprise. After the completion of a match amongst 5-6 year olds - yes, 5-6 year olds - out of the corner of my eye I saw a father run out of the stands/bleachers and attack the referee.
The referee happened to be a 15-year-old high school kid as the 5-6 year old league was basically an introduction to soccer with no playoffs and no standings kept. The parent attempted to choke the referee, lifting him up by his neck at midfield.
Cops were called (they were nearby) and the parent was banned from the league. Came to find out he was already banned from another town/recreation league near ours.
— Vance in South Bend says basketball is bad:
I believe the worst is basketball. More riots per game than any other sport. Baseball parents can be mouthy but it generally ends there.
Best youth sports parents are at wrestling because there is always a far greater chance of getting killed for bad behavior. Here is a great rule of thumb: the more cauliflower ear among the parents, the less chance of people starting stuff.
Kinsey:
Now that's an interesting observation from Vance that I'd love to explore a little deeper because I have seen videos over the years of parents getting into it at youth wrestling. Over all, would you say wrestling parents are well-behaved? Am I just seeing isolated incidents.
TNML flag question
— Jon D. asks:
Doesn't surprise me that the flag topic lit up the SC folks (including me). Traditions and emblems are our bag.
Which makes me think: How about a TNML flag in the OutKick merch department?
I actually had my own made. Around 24" x 16" for like $20. Fits in the tractor drawbar. I used all-thread, but in mass production perhaps an aluminum rod could be fashioned. Or a magnetic holder for old-school metal hoods. Or a 3x5 to fly under Old Glory in the front yard.
Kinsey:
I'll ask OutKick T-shirt Manager Olivia G. if flags are an option. I thought we discussed flags before and it was determined they're not available from our merchandiser. I'm losing track of the years at this point. It's worth asking again.
That said, I am hoping to have a fun, new polo for the 2025 season. You guys loved the 2024 polo. I think we have a winner for this season. Yes, I also work on fashion behind the scenes. This job is more than just writing blog posts all day.
Screencaps reader resurfaces after a tough end to the football season
— Shawn in Canby, OR would like to say a few words:
Still trying to come out of my funk after the dull thud that my football Fandom turned into.
Ducks - Rosebowl tank
Vikings - end of season collapse (they Darnolded)
Now the Cheesesteaks vs the Fighting Swifties in the Superbowl? Nope I'm out
Bring on the hockey playoffs!
But we have Trump!
Amazing
Watching him bulldoze the commie libtards will make my year.
Libs here are totally freaking out as their fiscal incompetentcy, combined with the end of the federal gravy train, has them pondering death with dignity.
Hopefully this will be my last year as an indentured servant to this state. No more views of Mt. Hood from the courthouse.
Can't wait
And getting a headstart on Christmas 2025, and no disrespect to the Champ Battery Daddy, but we have a new must-have for this year.
From a couple days ago:
The Treefucker 5000!
Man, I need one of those bad. No idea what I'd use it for? Probably everything!
Keep 2025 Caps Great!
Egg prices are about to skyrocket higher
— Keith K. sends this message:
Just an updated response to my previous email about eggs and prices. Living in Pa we get a state farming publication that just wrote a story about another commercial layer farm testing positive for avian flu. 50,000 birds. No clue how many will be put down.
Kinsey:
What breakfast options are you guys looking at when an omelet runs $22.99 to whip up?
Guys, I get that Europe doesn't look like Pennsylvania or some other part of the Rust Belt. It was a joke.
On Wednesday, I mentioned how some stone castle Mike T. sent in from France looked like it was sitting along the Susquehanna River in Wilkes Barre, PA.
— Ripcurl, who now lives in France, writes:
Hope you and the family are great. Keep doing what you do.
Saw the post of the T’s invading Frog Town. The big difference between France in the winter and the Ohio/Pa corridor, is the food. Unlike those areas, the best restaurant in town is not the cafeteria at Walmart. It’s Europe dude. Check out the globe. Winter is gray. But there is still a quote attributed to Churchill in response to a noble woman who thought he was too drunk that I think resembles this argument. "Sir, you are drunk." "And you, Bessie, are ugly. But I shall be sober in the morning, and you will still be ugly."
So too for the areas in the Rust Belt. No way will they be as nice as those areas that the T’s are visiting now. Come better weather, it is not debatable.
Take it easy man. Stay awesome. Still no sticker pour moi. Need to show up the neighbors come mowing season.
Speaking of Europe, the Ts are out and about trying all sorts of foods
— Mike T. says:
The regional specialty of Toulouse is Cassoulet! Cassoulet is a hearty bean and garlic based stew that can have many different meats cooked in it.
We love the Toulouse version that features rendered Duck and Toulouse sausages, with delicious French bread, spectacular!
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Kinsey:
I'd eat it.
Can you get a beer with this meal? This looks like a meal that goes well with a 22 ounce glass of beer and a couch.
Oh boy, and then the Ts take us to a pastry and sandwich shop to finish off the night. How aren't the French 500 pounds? Is it really the lack of seed oils and processed ingredients?
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The Ohio flag discussion rolls on
— Rob M. shares:
A quick take on the Flag controversy.
Ohio- personally, I think it’s kind of cool and original.
Florida- I have a hat that has the Flag of Florida on it. The first time my Mom saw it she got mad because she thought I was wearing a confederate flag hat. The flag has a big red X through it, at first glance it looks like the Confederate battle flag.
The ugliest flag? Maryland, period. Have you seen that thing? What the hell is that? It looks like someone threw up on canvas. Don’t get me started about Maryland Terps and the crab, who the hell runs that state?
Super Bowl- I’ll watch, no rooting interest whatsoever. As far as I’m concerned that game is like rooting for which STD you want, the drip or the burn…..
— Jim in San Diego, who grew up in Kettering, OH, chimes in:
As far as Brendan G's dis of our Ohio state flag, I'm not really interested in what someone from Texas thinks of our flag. I can imagine why he dislikes it - probably for the same reason folks in Tennessee and Oregon dislike it. As for his reference to "other states" changing their flags, it's because those states are aiming for woke sensitivity. Georgia and Mississippi are trying to get the rest of us to forget they were in the Confederacy, while Utah's new flag looks like the corporate symbol for Honey-Baked Hams, not a state. Only Nevada's new flag is an improvement, but their previous flag was a mess. I lack the vocabulary to adequately describe the 3 finalist designs for Minnesota's proposed new flag. One of them looks like a visual representation of Yoko Ono's singing. Seriously. A photo of Tim Walz would be more appealing. (Your readers can view the changing flags at this web site - State Flag Designs That Have Changed - Custom Flag Company.)
Ohioans have neither shameful past nor overriding sense of wokeness. We like our flag as-is. It's as unique as the state that's given you more presidents than any other (a total we hope to add to in four years' time!), as well as your aviation and space industries (Wright Brothers, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong) and the greatest dance band of all time, the Ohio Players.
I would like an apology from the NBA fanboys who told me I was making up narratives 10 years ago when I said the only good time to start watching the NBA was in mid-May
Now the commissioner says he's going to shorten the game to make it better. Do you think fans will pay less to attend games? Spoiler: They won't. In fact, the teams will figure out a way to raise the prices.
Less work.
The games still won't matter and dumb fans will get fleeced more than they're getting fleeced now.
This is what happens when you allow the league stars to tell you how things are going to run. They're going to give half-ass effort until the playoffs. It's not hard to understand why the Association is at this point in its existence.
The woke NBA front office decided they would keep the peace with the stars so they wouldn't be called racist and now here we are.
Millennials: What have you purchased that you can't afford to 'fit in' among your peers?
Trucks?
Has to be a truck or an SUV. I'm thinking you got into one of those $1,100 truck payments and now you're sweating bullets. I've watched enough Caleb Hammer episodes on YouTube to see what's going on out there.
Houses are definitely being purchased at insane prices to fit in.
Do we have anyone who is willing to admit they made an incredibly dumb purchase to fit in? I'll keep you anonymous.
Relax, share a story and help Gen Zs who are starting to read this column to figure out what not to do with their money.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
The Power of Screencaps
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That's it this morning. We're pretty loaded with content that should get you fired up to send a message. I'm hoping to hear from the Millennials on their dumb purchases.
It's Thursday. It might hit 50 and it's still January. Let's get after it.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com