Neda Nišić Is The World's Hottest Mining Engineer,
Who has stories of their beloved Easton Black Magic?
Anthony caught that mention I made in Tuesday Screencaps on the boy who was using a vintage Easton Black Magic bat during Monday's scrimmage for my 12U team.
- Anthony writes:
Spent my college years in the SEC, American Legion baseball all teenage years (this was travel ball before there was travel ball, only exponentially better. I owe my development to those American Legion days/reps/competition - summer only and the folks owed nothing, we raised the funds ourselves, along with the old geezers (whom I loved) at the Legion Post!).
Having said that, the Easton Black Magic bat was the finest bat I ever used, and there isn't a really close second.
I used that bat in the 11-12 year-old division, hit my first home runs with that bat, and never found another version that matched it. Got a FB direct message a few years ago from a buddy that I hadn't see/heard from since those years, and one of the first things he mentioned was that Black Magic bat and we happily reminisced those days.
We were on separate teams in the league, I had the Black Magic, he had whatever the Gold Easton variety was, and I got him. He never let go of it. God I love that bat!
Kinsey:
It's amazing a Little League team needed five team helmets, an Easton Black Magic, a couple of the green Easton Big Barrels in different sizes and a handful of baseballs to survive a season.
The bat bag might even include the very intimidating Worth Tennessee Thumper that was beat to hell and on its last legs.
But those of us who lived it know that the big boys swung that Black Magic and there was literal magic in that barrel.
I have never been a fan of Brunch
Mike T. in Idaho sent me a link this week to the Top 100 brunch spots in the United States, but the link did very little for me. I've never understood brunch. I don't get the timing. I feel like it's a chance for people to act elite for street cred. And where I grew up, there wasn't brunch. You got up early, had breakfast or got up late and ate a hangover burger for lunch.
- Mike from Dayton, OH writes:
Here's how I view the two.
1) Breakfast is served with either Coffee or O.J.
2) Brunch is Breakfast, but served with either a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver.
How's that for a selling point?
Kinsey:
I guess I could be swayed, but I don't find myself craving vodka with my eggs. Maybe I need to condition my brain a little more.
- Another Ohio guy, Dan in Loveland, OH writes:
Simple answer to your dilemma about brunch: If you drink alcohol at brunch, you’re normal but if you drink during breakfast you’re an alcoholic. Thus, brunch was invented as a flimsy premise to keep drinking from the night before.
Kinsey:
Leave it to the guys in SW Ohio to easily define brunch. This definition seems to be right on target and now I'm starting to think brunch fans just want a reason to drink before noon.
I have a hunch that Brunch is huge on the travel ball circuit. Am I wrong?
- Doug in Johnson City, TN writes:
Someone had to say it. Glad you did. Talk about striking a nerve.
Brunch is shorthand for "Small, overpriced portions."
Brunch is shorthand for "I can’t make up my mind." (I want WAFFLING on my plate, not with meal decision making.)
Brunch is shorthand for "I’ve watched RHOC too many times." (Don’t @me for hating on RHOC. The show is fun to watch without imitating them.)
Brunch is shorthand for "I’m too good for scattered, smothered, peppered and capped." (I know. I know. Smothered, covered and capped is "standard")
Brunch is shorthand for "I need an excuse to drink at 9 am on a Sunday morning." (Top tip. You NEVER need an excuse. You are over 21. Act like it.)
There is only ONE exception to when the word Brunch can be used… before the word BUFFET. (Then again, almost ANY word can proceed the word BUFFET. ha ha)
Annnnd don’t get me started on "Breakfast in bed." and "Duck lips on women"…
Now get out there and shout at some clouds!!!
Kinsey:
While we're sorta on the subject, Brunch reminds me of the "bed and breakfast" craze period where all I ever heard was how cool it was to stay at a bed and breakfast by suburbanites BEFORE Airbnb or VRBO.
I've stayed at two or three bed and breakfasts and the beds are always horrible, I don't want to live like it's 1850 and a danish isn't breakfast. I don't drink coffee and the jelly on the danish doesn't do it for me.
How about a three egg, bacon and Texas toast breakfast?
- Jim in San Diego writes:
Some years ago, before I remarried, a friend had my kids stay over as I was going to be out late reviewing a local play for the newspaper. in return, she wanted brunch. So the next Sunday, I take her and our combined broods to Hometown Buffet – her choice.
We’re taking turns walking the kids through the lines to get their plates loaded, and when it’s my turn I’m just stunned at how much food was laid out in the various warming pans. I hadn’t seen that much food since the media tent at the old Andy Williams Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines.
Then out of the corner of my eye, I see two Very Large Men in some kind of squabble. Being a newspaper reporter, I can’t resist a good tussle, so I wander over to see what’s going on. They’re both standing in front of the eggs benedict – one of the VLM has the last eggs benedict on a spatula, but VLM #2 has grabbed ANOTHER spatula, and has iced that eggs benedict. Neither will budge.
Both keep moving their feet and throwing their hips around trying to box the other guy out to get the last eggs benedict. It was like a mashup of sumu wrestling and box lacrosse.
After a full minutes of this nonsense, I turn to the young lady in the Hometown Buffet uniform standing next to me holding a fresh tray of eggs benedict and asks if this happens a lot. She just sighed and said, "They’re both regulars."
Scheels Sporting Goods
- Mike T. in Idaho writes:
We just had a grand opening of Idaho’s first Scheels sporting goods store, it fantastic!
The store is huge 240,000 sq ft. Farris Wheel , salt water aquarium, Cafe , candy shop and 85 store within a store departments, in short anything and everything for the sporting world! Even a free bowling alley!
Kinsey:
Never heard of the place, but it looks fun. Best I can do is Dick's Sporting Goods and Amazon.
Photo of the Year? Beat this one
Gerard in Illinois knew he had Screencaps material last night when this double rainbow popped up.
This has to be the leader in the clubhouse for 2024. Someone beat it.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
TNML hats!
OutKick T-shirt manager Olivia G. got back to me on Tuesday with news that MORE HATS are being ordered. I know Reid in Illinois (I messed up and said Minnesota; we definitely have a Reid in Minnesota) wants a hat. I'm sure there are others.
Hang tight. Updates to come on hats.
THE UFL is gaining fans
- John in Milford, MI is one of those fans:
I’ve watched at least parts of a few Michigan Panthers UFL games this year. Last night I watched a replay of Sunday’s game against the Arlington Renegades. Who knew Arlington was big enough to land a pro franchise?
The entire game replay lasted an hour, which they accomplished by eliminating the coverage between plays, changes of possession, etc. I don’t think I would like that format for the NFL because I know the players and want to see everything and hear the full commentary, but it turns out to be a fun way to watch the UFL. Non-stop football without breaks between plays comes at you fast.
My other takeaway is that the Lions need to poach the Panthers kicker Jake Bates (the Cowboys snagged Brandon Aubrey from the UFL last year and he ended up an All-Pro). Bates has drilled multiple 60+ yard field goals this year. Watched him nail a 55-yarder right down the middle that cleared the bar by at least 15 feet, then go on to hit the game winner against Arlington. He makes it look easy.
It’s not that I don’t like Dan Campbell going for it on 4th down (because I do), but it would be nice if we didn’t feel like going for it on 4th and 6 was a better option than attempting a 45-yarder (sorry Mike Badgley).
Kinsey:
It was raining here one of the last two weekends and I caught a few plays of Birmingham at Memphis and I had to turn it off when the poor Memphis QB was being destroyed and couldn't process when it was time to throw the ball away. I felt bad for the guy.
I'm not ruling out throwing on the UFL on the patio this summer for some background action, but it will be on mute. The only sounds I like to hear during the summer are Yacht Rock, the birds chirping and the kids splashing around.
After spending eight months straight on Zoom calls and phone calls, I like what I like.
I dare one of you to buy this beast for your patio this summer
I don't even know if this speaker/sub combo is the best on the outdoor speaker market, but it looks cool. Just looking at the speaker tower, I'm led to believe there are flames that shoot out after the sun goes down.
Let's check in with Bud Light
Are you guys back to offering Bud Light at your parties or is it still taboo to have in the cooler?
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
#########################
That's it for this beautiful Wednesday in early May. The tornadoes went south and north of us last night, so it's a nice quiet morning here with the sun shining, the resident cardinals going nuts and no wind.
Full disclosure: I have to mow tonight. The grass is 5 inches high, possibly six in spots. We're going to get blasted with rain again tomorrow. I have to do what I have to do.
Go have a great day.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com