Jake Browning Girlfriend Stephanie Niles Shares More Snowsuit Content, Titans Grandpa Fight & Roger Goodell's Playoff Script Is Set
Now, let's figure out which road teams are winning next weekend
Do you trust that Dolphins team on the road in Kansas City where the temperature next Saturday night could be in the single digits? Will Mike McDaniel stick with the jogger pants pulled up to his calves look? Talk about a brutal loss Sunday night.
My confidence level in Miami in this situation is low, especially now that Patrick Mahomes no longer has to worry about his douche brother and his felony charges.
Do you trust Mason Rudolph going into Buffalo?
Do you trust the Eagles going into Tampa Bay, especially after looking at the trends for a team in the Eagles' situation since 1996? Philly looks like it would rather call it a season and head to the tropics without even returning to Pennsylvania to clean out their lockers.
That leaves us with the Packers going into Dallas, the Browns in Houston and Matthew Stafford in Detroit.
Despite what Packers fans would tell you about how hot this team is, they gave up 30 points to the Panthers on Christmas Eve and the Panthers, let's be honest, weren't exactly trying to score in December/January. The last time the Packers went on the road and beat a team with a pulse was Thanksgiving in Detroit against the Lions.
I don't trust Jordan Love just yet.
Give me the Browns in Houston where they're -2.
That leaves me Stafford returning to Detroit. He can't do this to that franchise, right? He already has his Super Bowl ring. Mrs. Stafford has her L.A. lifestyle. It's time for Jared Goff to win for the Motor City, something Stafford never delivered for the city, right?
This feels like a blowout game. The Lions are currently -4.
I know the Lions fans who have heard me say it's time to believe don't want to hear this, but this feels like a Detroit Lions blowout game. 31-17. I'm telling you guys, even without tight end Sam LaPorta, this feels like a game where the beaten down franchise finally rises up with all the emotions, all of the pain, all of the years of loss and the team leaves it all on the field.
I can picture Melissa Stark interviewing Aidan Hutchinson after this game and he's in tears. He's the hometown hero. He's never seen the Lions win a playoff game. He'll be on the field smiling, and crying, as Dan Campbell's team finally crushes the demons -- and Matthew Stafford.
Quick weekend observations:
• Bill Raftery, who is now 80, just keeps humming along with basketball broadcasts. CBS had him on the TCU-Kansas game Saturday afternoon and the guy just keeps producing great broadcasts. It feels like sports fans take the guy for granted. I was sitting in the basement cave Saturday thinking about how Bill never seems like he's past his prime. He gets results time after time. The calls are still great.
• Facebook should limit the number of weather updates the local weather guys are allowed to post in 24 hours. We have a guy here in NW Ohio who has called himself Blizzard Bill for the last 40+years who posted EIGHT TIMES Saturday about the weather and how we were going to get ONE inch of slush Tuesday. These local guys are insane. They'll claim they're not emotionally charging the locals while writing 800-word weather updates. Do your local weather guys go nuts on Facebook or is that exclusive to this region?
• Millennial Chris B. in Bowling Green officially joined Indy Daryl's Ragnar Relay team via email this weekend and then indicated he might be taking up three more spots with Mrs. Millennial, Perfectsburg Millennial Dan & Mrs. Perfectsburg Millennial Dan. I'm intrigued by this development because it adds a level of Amazing Race to the team where you could have two couples arguing over the 200-mile race. That could lead to awesome content.
• My mom was here visiting all weekend and she spent hours on her phone managing the 9-hole course that sits right in the middle of her trailer park in Largo, Florida. My mom managing a golf course is something I didn't have on my life bingo card. There's never any shortage of drama at this golf course. She's rattling off how guys try to get on without paying and how she has to confront them. She has drama over the course being close due to rain and some guys think it's playable. I've learned that the drama teens face during high school actually follows you right into retirement and old age. There's always drama to hear about.
Mike T. & Cindy T. are in Spain and stopped by the Costco in Madrid
• Mike and Cindy T. know the content that gets my attention and Mike T. says he'll do a bigger store report from the Seville Costco in the coming weeks. Mike T. writes:
Hams everywhere in Spain, Corona trying to reinvent itself in Spain !
Kinsey:
I told Mike T. to do a store walkabout and find the interesting items the Spainards are buying that might be an oddity here in the U.S.
Screencaps readers: If you're in a foreign country, visit Costco and show us the lay of the land. This is content your fellow reader appreciates.
Speaking of Costco, this bathroom fart fan comes highly recommended
• Wyn in Colorado, who operates some Screencaps Discord channel that I never visit because I'm too damn busy, writes:
Congrats on the promotion. Longtime reader of your work (12 years) and stoked to see what’s coming in 2024 from you and the Screencaps community. Right into it then…
Speaking of bathroom fans, there’s a guy on YT known as The Deal Guy and once a month he walks through 10 Things You Should Buy at Costco. In the 5 slot is this bathroom fan, maybe give it a whirl. Lifetime return policy.
Congrats to Whytey on winning the official unofficial Screencaps Gauntlet. This was the 2nd year of this group and I appreciate Michael for getting SC Nation involved.
In regard to Drew L. finding a job opportunity through Screencaps, how freaking awesome. Internet strangers looking out for each other and offering guidance out of the kindness of their hearts….find me a better online community, you can’t. That said, if anyone is in the Payments space, ask Joe for my email address, I’d love to help where I can.
Finally, there seems to be a good contingent of readers in Colorado. If you’re reading this, hop on the Screencaps FB Page and let’s coordinate a meetup for beer and wings. First few pitchers on me.
Mike T. and Cindy T. have actually escaped to Evora, Portugal
• While I was busy sending Mike T. messages about Costco in Spain, these two moved their location across the border. Mike T. says this is their new hideout:
Observations from one member of the Screencaps Ragnar Relay team
• Gen X. Warren M. in Florida checks in:
Happy New Year to you and your family! We drove from Southeast Florida to South Carolina to spend Christmas with my family. Yes, we had to drive north to get to the south, since south Florida is basically New York/Northeast USA on the east side, and Midwest on the west side. I attached some photos, including how we were stuck for over an hour due to a truck almost falling off the exit ramp. Plus before and after pics of the Greenville river and falls after some heavy rain, 24 hours.
A couple of thoughts on recent topics:
New Zealand observations
• Clay "cbus" White writes:
I spent 3 weeks ins Australia, New Zealand and Fiji about 7 years ago. New Zealand beats Australia in most ways. Fantastic scenery and much to do. So much water in NZ that half the people own boats. Every risky sport you can imagine like bungee, jet boats etc. Queenstown in the south is fantastic. I could have walked around that area for hours every day. Farther south the fjords, like in Scandinavia.
A few hints. If you plan to travel on your own, not a tour, maybe begin in the south because most everyone flies into Auckland and rents cars so there can be a shortage and high rental rates. Start at the bottom and there is an excess of rentals from all those who left from that end of the country. Super cheap to rent for a week or two. Lots of Airbnb’s available. Nice folks everywhere.
Another hint is Fiji. Like we in the states do for tropical we go to hawaii. The southern hemisphere crowd vacations in Fiji. A great way to break up the long flight back to the states. Take a hop to Fiji.
I swear they are the friendliest people on earth and the weather is perfect too. Spend a few days of beaches, sailing, and visiting local villages and markets. You will leave happy!
Keep up the great Screencaps work and congraTulations on the new title etc. Sorry I caped the T but so sick of hearing the supposedly educated voices on tv say conGradulations. Their holier than thou attitudes are blown up by the inability to speak the language,
Texas travel ball hardos don't make any sense!
Saturday, I wrote: “The travel ball scam had been exposed. There is absolutely ZERO reason for Texas youth baseball teams to be leaving the Republic of Texas.”
• LSU fan Joe M. writes:
Preach. My 11yr old son is about to fly to PALM SPRINGS for a lacrosse tournament, why? (I didn’t have a choice, haters.)
For five years, we’ve been able to play every tournamentin Houston, DFW, or Austin (max 4.5 hour drive if in Plano), with thousands of kids across all age groups. I’m already getting prepped by the ex wife that my kid “needs” to go to a week long seminar in Maryland or Pennsylvania next summer (he will be 12.)
That, I sort of understand, since New England is the LAX hotbed, but California? He’s played against hundreds of kids a year, and plays on two teams at the same time, but going out of state is somehow magic?
We live in Houston, not Monroe, Louisiana. Texas has transplants from everywhere. If it was a basketball tourney in Kentucky or Indiana, maybe. Wrestling tourney in Iowa, ok. Baseball? Where was Nolan Ryan from again? Maybe everyone should fly their kids to the Dominican Republic, to make sure they get a 1/8th scholarship to the university at Centenary in Shreveport. The Little League World Series is like the SEC championship game, never rotating.
There have been three teams from New England since 1998 in the finals, and *21* teams from Asia since 1998, but somehow Pennsylvania is the expert at worldwide Little League Baseball. Think of the children!
A small shoutout to Riley Gaines & Clay: Texas is where a Dallas select team of 15 year old boys playing soccer can smoke the US Women’s National Team. Florida football doesn’t need to go out of state to find competition. Neither does almost any Texas sport, including baseball.
If I ever run across Chris B, I’ll buy him a beer or five for being honest. No IPAs permitted.
Kinsey:
Joe M. makes a great point: Why aren't suburbanites taking their kids to the Dominican Republic to face real ball players? Or maybe they are? Let me know.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
Fart fans and Gen Z drinking decline
• Jess in Alabama writes:
I tried to find a clip of comedian Deon Cole where he jokes about going to a friend’s house and asking, “Hey, where’s the bathroom no one’s going to be using for the rest of the night?” Haha good luck with the sones. After a decade of teaching middle schoolers, bathroom jokes will probably always make me laugh.
Random, but also, if fewer young adults are drinking, is there data showing an increase in their use of marijuana?
Lastly, congratulations on your big J promotion. I truly think that everyone who embraces the idea that you don’t know everything and want to help others in your field out will go far in your career. That’s my mindset as a teacher because my mentor teacher taught it to me early on. She said something along the lines of “the day I think I have it all figured out is the day I need to retire from teaching.” And the stuff you know you’re good at can always be shared with rookies looking for some help. Love that you’re passing those principles on to younger ones at Outkick.
Happy new year & thanks for all you do!
Kinsey:
Yes, the numbers tell us Gen Z is using more recreational drugs and drinking less beer. That's why we're seeing THC-infused drinks aimed directly at Gen Z.
The beverage makers have been analyzing this trend for a few years now.
Destination weddings and advice on the Golf+ VR stick you might want to buy
• Mark the Dentist writes:
So how about this twist to the destination wedding…..I am in total agreement with everyone who has articulated the many wrongs w the destination wedding. But…..my 30 year old daughter and her fiancé live and work in Texas and have put down roots there.
Family and most friends however still live in the Chicagoland area. They want to have their wedding where they live as they see that as home now. Of course we respect that and have given them our full support. (And of course in keeping w tradition are paying for the wedding!) we have basically told all non family that have been invited that it will not be an issue w any of us if they choose not to attend. I almost went out of my way w a few of my friends to implore them not to attend! Ha. Hopefully we walked the line appropriately between actalually having the hated destination wedding and not making people feel obligated to attend. At least it is domestic.
I’m watching my grown stepsons go broke w all the Cancun and cabo weddings their friends are having. SMH. As a dentist of 35 years is like to apply for the screencaps dental voice if I’m ever needed! And lastly, I just played the back nine at kapalua on Meta golf+ and I will say that without debate the best golf stick available is the DriVr pro3 by dead eye. It’s got the weight on the end and w a little tweaking it will feel like your real clubs. Cheers all!
I never saw this coming...just kidding
Let's go have an incredible week.
Go Washington, go Browns, go Lions.
Bad weather is on the way and I have a bathroom project this week. Let's see how this goes.
Take care.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com