Ivanka Trump Kicks Off October With A Cup Of Coffee At The Ocean, Tim Walz Memes & A Pot Roast Stew Boils
Team Screencaps IS READY for the Ragnar Relay across Kentucky & this year the team will run for Hurricane Helene relief funds
This Friday morning, 12 members of the Screencaps community will take part in an event that will challenge them mentally and physically over 200-plus miles as they make their way from Clermont, KY all the way to downtown Lexington by Saturday afternoon.
And, now, due to Hurricane Helene ravaging an area of the country that is incredibly important to this column, the team will run for hurricane relief donations that will go directly to the Red Cross.
Would you like to sponsor a Screencaps runner? Let's make that happen.
- Go to https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/FOXForward-pub.html/
- Follow the directions on the screen.
- Make sure to click on the box "Dedicate this gift to a friend or loved one" and enter the runner's name.
- Send me a screenshot of the donation so we can keep track of how much each runner is raising. Or tell me how much you donated in honor of the team: joekinsey@gmail.com
- Every single penny you send to the Red Cross goes to the Red Cross. I DO NOT TOUCH A SINGLE PENNY OF YOUR DONATION. I DON'T WANT TO TOUCH A SINGLE PENNY OF YOUR DONATION. THIS IS 1000% A FUNDRAISER FOR THE RED CROSS. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RED CROSS, CHOOSE AN ORGANIZATION YOU DO LIKE OR DON'T DONATE. THAT'S YOUR CALL.
Questions?
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
Team Screencaps runners:
- Aly
- Jake
- Greg
- Millennial Chris B. in Bowling Green
- Mrs. Millennial B. in Bowling Green
- Dan
- Sarah
- Ben
- Jym
- OutKick Amber (author of Womansplaining)
- Indy Daryl (Team Captain)
- Kassy
Total Money Raised So Far By Team Screencaps:
$25 (but it's EARLY!)
I threw in $25 on Millennial Chris B. in Bowling Green to test the Red Cross donation system, but I didn't screenshot his MCBiBG's name on the donation. I won't make the same mistake when I donate to Mrs. Millennial B. in Bowling Green.
- Sarah from Team Screencaps writes:
I first want to thank you for sponsoring this team - I'm really excited for the opportunity to run in this event and even more so now that there's potentially a donation element tied to it!
- David P in New Braunfels emails:
Joe, wow I’m pretty impressed by the quality of your Ragnar crew. At lot more serious than I expected from previous posts. Stay healthy team. Years ago that would have enticed me, but I was a 440 and 880 guy and hated cross country.
Kinsey:
This is Screencaps we're talking about, David P.
Indy Daryl was under strict orders to go build a team, and from the look of things, he built a TEAM. Am I worried that a couple of them might get loaded on bourbon and barely finish their legs of the race? Yes. But I will be there to make sure Indy Daryl feels the pressure like Steinbrenner hovering over Billy Martin.
- Tom M. has advice for Indy Daryl:
I've been reading Screencaps for 2 years now. This is my first time emailing.
I have been eagerly following the Screencaps team updates for the Kentucky Bourbon Chase Ragnar Relay. I ran the Bourbon Chase back in 2018 and it was an incredible experience. Some of the most beautiful running scenery I've experienced.
Since then, a core group of our team has done 3 more Ragnar Relay events. We tend to be a more rag-tag group; and this year opted for one of the Trail Relay options (Atlanta), instead of the road relay that the Bourbon Chase is. That way, at 8am on Saturday morning as our people start finishing up, we can be the group drinking beer and heckling each other, to the dismay of many teams still trucking along.
As a former Bourbon Chase runner, I am not an expert at all, but I do have a few last-minute pieces of advice I'd give for the team to take or leave (regardless, I'll be pulling for them to have a strong finish!)
1. Get a cheap hotel for the team for Friday night in Danville, KY. This is right around the halfway point, and the route actually loops around the city. You won't get any sleep, but this is a perfect opportunity for everyone to take a shower, and stretch out a little. The van is gonna get real smelly and claustrophobic. You will not regret this.
2. Get a road atlas for each van and pre-map your routes from checkpoint to checkpoint. This may seem like overkill, but the cell service in backwoods KY gets really hairy. When you have 30-ish minutes to get the van from one drop to the next and it's 3am and you lose service on the GPS, you will be thanking me!
3. Make sure to use a team group text and have someone text the group the departure time of each person from their leg. That way y'all can do the math of how long their leg is and how much time you have to get the next person ready at the next starting line. Because there is nothing sadder than seeing the runner come into the Four Roses Distillery exchange at 4am, freezing and exhausted, and having to stand there for 10 minutes because their next runner is nowhere to be found.
(ex. runner 6 departed at 5:03pm. Their leg is 6.2 miles. They expect an 8:30 mile pace.) You'd probably want to make sure you are out of the van and at the exchange point at 5:45 to give you a little time buffer to stretch and ensure they didn't overshoot their projected pace.
4. Last, make sure when you aren't running that you're doing everything you can to help the person about to run get prepped, and also get ready for the person coming in from their run. It keeps the team vibes high, which is super key at 7am as the sun is coming up and you're mentally destroyed. You'll be amazed at how many teams are having meltdowns in the parking lot at exchanges. Don't be that team! So get that towel, water, and coffee for the person coming off the road. Let the next runner up have the good seat in the van so they can start stretching and changing clothes. Stay on top of it and be extra selfless. It sounds dumb, but it is very much a team event.
How are our readers in eastern TN, western NC and far western Virginia?
- Screencaps gang leader Galen in Johnson City, TN checks in:
Hey Joe and thanks so much for checking in. Needless to say, this has been an unprecedented time in this beautiful part of the world. The Unicoi County Hospital (roof evacuation) is a 15 minute drive from my house. Luckily, I am in an elevated area and only had to take a chainsaw to one tree to get out of my driveway. Cell service has been interrupted and can be very slow. Haven't talked to any of the JC Gang yet as a lot of our lives have been disrupted. Many school systems have shut down for the week.
The towns of Erwin, TN and Asheville, NC have the largest population that has been affected the most in this region as they are separated only by the Appalachian Mountains between them. The small town of Chimney Rock, NC was completely wiped out...it is no longer there!
Heading to Hilton Head Island, SC Tuesday and going to completely change my route to get there because of the interstate bridges washed out on 26 and 40. God bless those who lost their lives and prayers for the 100 or so still missing. This area has never seen flooding and damage such as this, but we are survivors!
Saturday, September 28, will be a day to remember with Hurricane Helene, a classic college game between Georgia and Bama, and it just happened to be my 67th birthday (not exactly a day to feel like celebrating!).
Again, Joe, thank you so much for checking on us. How many dudes that you have never met will reach out to you just to see if you and your gang are OK? This is what makes the Screencaps community so great!
Taking the pulse of America
- Bo T. has been out on the road:
Joe, glad to see you on THE Detroit Tigers wagon. Got home Friday from a solo 11-state road trip over 11 days. MI to AZ to CO and home. Had some family business to attend to and saw some friends (shot firearms and played golf).
Roughly 60 hours of windshield time, so great opportunity to ponder things great and small. Realized that I miss living out west more than I thought, and validated our plan to move to AZ next year. Endless patio summer is where it’s at.
The ratio of Trump signs/stickers to Harris was at least 50-1. Hopefully an indicator..you commies can KMA. The impact of state gas taxes is pretty clear (looking at you AZ, IL, and CO) and those states could surely do their citizens a favor. Everywhere I went there seems to be a feeling of anticipation/foreboding about November…going to be an inflection point either way.
Was able to check in with friends in western NC this weekend. God bless the folks in that area. Doesn’t seem like the Feds are doing much to help…if a Republican was in the White House the press would be running with pitchforks and lanterns. Get out and vote folks, our nation depends on it. GBA.
Travel Ball Hardo Chris B. knew the Tigers were a tough out coming into Game 1 and then the Stros lost…it's time to close them out!
- Travel Ball Hardo emails with the Astros down 1-0 in a Best of 3:
I don't usually talk much shit about the Astros, but since you're egging me on I'll say that they've damn sure been fun to watch for almost a decade and my kids don't realize how great they've had it.
I dunno much about the Tigers other than they've been red hot for a couple months, and I don't think they have been to the playoffs in a decade so that makes them a sorta Cinderella... and dangerous.
The Stros had a horrible start, so bad that they're having to play in this Wild Card round, but they've been pretty hot too. Like most Houstonians I generally root for AJ Hinch, but not this week! I sure as hell hope Yordan will be in the lineup tomorrow, and be his usual masher self.
And it seems crazy to say, but before we start to wonder about whether he will wear a Tiger hat or Astro hat in Cooperstown we are currently wondering if Verlander will even be on the Stros' playoff roster. He has been amazing for a long time, but this year not so much. Lotsa fun story lines for the post season. LFG Astros!
Your feelings on the ‘Days Sober 0’ jersey
- Dean in Fond du Lac, WI says:
I was in line waiting to go through the security checkpoint this past Sunday to watch the Packers-Vikings game at Lambeau Field. This guy in front of me had this customized Packers’ jersey with the name of "Days Sober" and the uniform # of 0.
While funny at first glance, it also be a sad commentary on alcohol abuse. Wisconsin has issues with alcohol abuse in its population, especially when it comes to drunk driving. I have seen arrest reports in the news where a drunk driver was arrested for the tenth time and already had upcoming court dates for several of those previous arrests.
And unfortunately, this is more common than it should be. Don’t get me wrong – I am not a prude about drinking. I enjoy beer and wine. I also know when to cut myself off if I am driving or I have my wife drive if I know that I shouldn’t be behind the wheel.
On the passing of Pete Rose
- Mike C. wanted to make a point:
Loved the columns this morning. All Pete. I was 7/8 when the Reds won the back-to-back World Series when my Dad introduced me to baseball. The Reds are my favorite team of any sport. When playing wiffle ball, I was the Reds. I batted like everyone on the tea,. Crouched like Rose, chicken wing like Morgan. Loved every single player from those years.
Had to reply to Chris C since so many people have the incorrect understanding of why Pete isn't in the HOF. He mentioned the "band of sports writers flex their HOF muscles in denying Pete". The writers cannot vote for or against Pete. The HOF does not allow him on the ballot. MLB isn't keeping him off the ballot. MLB has forbidden him to have a job of any kind in baseball, which they should, for life. The HOF has excluded him from the ballot. The writers may be keeping Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, etc but they have nothing to do with keeping Rose out.
- Brad in NC has some thoughts:
Like you I was saddened to hear the news of Rose’s death. I was always firmly in Johnny Bench’s corner but recently I felt compelled to consume a great deal of Pete Rose history – the ‘Charlie Hustle’ bio and the latest/last documentary.
Pete Rose was always regarded by the dominant coastal media as a redneck. A rube from flyover country. A dropout with fractured grammar and a penchant for loud suits and gaudy vehicles.
With this in mind I offer a slightly different theory on his exclusion from the Hall of Fame: had Rose played in New York, Boston, LA or even Chicago (his Philadelphia stint notwithstanding) the media would have been hard at work rehabbing his image and even pushing for his election to Cooperstown.
One example: like Rose, Mickey Mantle was from the heartland and didn’t attend college. Mantle was an alcoholic which, unlike Rose, almost certainly affected his on-field performance despite his otherwise stellar career. But he played for the Yankees and media dutifully gilded the lily while keeping the many embarrassing and even dangerous incidents quiet. Even in retirement the media went to bat for him (pun intended) when he and Willie Mays were disciplined for being casino greeters. Associations with gambling were all right for some, apparently.
Rose was unlucky to have Yalie Bart Giamatti as commissioner. Giamatti shared the coastal academics’ disdain for Rose (and the Reds, Ohio etc). Some even blamed Rose for causing Giamatti’s early death due to stress when it was Giamatti’s morbid obesity and 100 cigarettes per day (!?) that killed him.
We can debate whether Rose’s punishment fit the crime but we can also agree that he never received any benefit of the doubt from the same people who looked the other way regarding David Ortiz, for example, or portrayed the dysfunctional Billy Martin Yankees as the cuddly Bronx Zoo.
Sad and ironic that Rose’s death will overcome any remaining objections to his enshrinement.
- Patrick C. in Perrysburg writes:
Every kid who grew up playing baseball had their favorite player. Reading your comments about Pete Rose was no different than guys from my generation loving Al Kaline in Detroit. When our heroes pass away, they take with them a part of our childhood. Regardless of what you thought of Pete Rose, you couldn’t help but respect the way he played the game of baseball. I hope baseball can now forgive him of the wrongs he committed and finally give him his deserved spot in Cooperstown.
Saw this at Costco
- John from SD knows what gets my attention:
Saw this at Costco last weekend. I probably spent this amount of money, if not more, playing GT in the late 90s/early 2000s during liquid lunches and after work hour happy hours.
Kinsey:
I was at Costco last night and tested out the newest Golden Tee vintage edition arcade system.
- The height of the unit is much better and you don't have to buy a riser. This version just feels stronger, better built, not cheap like the previous units Costco has offered.
- The price point is ridiculous; $399 is the sweetspot.
- I still say this would get used 5-10 times and then it would collect dust. Give me the VR headset and golf on some of the world's best courses where I have to swing a half-club to hit the ball.
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That's it. Now we roll. The Ragnar poster is done. Now I just need to get down to Louisville for the Thursday night team meeting and drinks.
Let's go have a strong day and get ready for a huge end of the week for this column.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com