Thursday Night Mowing League 2024: Week 17 -- The End Of The Regular Season

PLAYOFFS! 

Remember, this is like high school basketball tournaments and the NBA. Everyone with a pulse is in. Anyone can win. Anyone can go on a run. 

One man, or woman, will be left standing on Oct. 3 as the national champion TNML Mower of the Year. 

• Standings WILL NOT be released on a weekly basis during the playoffs. This will be secretive. 
• You'll have to figure out if you've laid the stripes of your life. You'll have to figure out if you gave 110%. 
• Yes, it's been a long grind. Yes, you've given blood, sweat and tears to make neighbors stop and take notice of your property. 
• Yes, this is a huge honor and emotions will likely boil over and there will be cheating allegations. Who will overcome the allegations? Who will strap on his (or hers) mowing cleats and put in the work to earn the honor of a lifetime. 

It's time to look in the mirror this holiday weekend and figure out what you have left in the tank. It's time to mow like a champion. 

The playoffs start September 5. 

The drought is getting worse! 

In the 14 years I've lived in this house, I've never been through a situation like this where I don't hear mowers on a Thursday night. It's eerily quiet around these parts right now as we're stuck in one of the driest periods I can remember. 

Last week, on the national drought monitor, we were in the yellow. Now we're brown. With less than a ¼ inch of rain possible tonight and no rain on the 10-day forecast, it's entirely possible NW Ohioans will enter the first week of the 2024 TNML Playoffs on the sidelines with no grass to mow. 

We could be looking at a ‘Severe Drought’ by this time next week. 

Right now, down in Athens County, OH where Ohio University is located, they're experiencing an ‘Exceptional Drought’ while much of SE Ohio has now entered ‘Extreme Drought’. 

Based on the national map, we're quickly approaching the territory that's typical of west Texas and SE New Mexico. 

So, add it all up and that's why I haven't provided an update from my end. There's nothing to report. Unless something changes fast, it's possible that my 2024 playoffs could be over before they even start. 

This must be what it feels like to be a coach who loses his starting quarterback in week one of the NFL season. 

Speaking of Texas, I was so happy to see this from Coach Kuhn's high school

Fingers crossed the players will run through those doors before their football game later tonight. Talk about a major push out of Coach Kuhn for Mower of the Year. This sort of content has been known to take pretenders to contenders and Coach Kuhn was already a contender, so you do the math here. 

BUY! BUY! BUY! 

Buy this look that Benny in Yukon, Oklahoma is wearing.

BUY THE 2024 TNML POLO OF THE SUMMER. 

Mowing Reports From Around The United States and Beyond! 

- Benny in Yukon, OK reports: 

Good evening!  Another league night in the books! Not much growth this past week as it's been dry. Potential rain this weekend, so hopefully the grass gets a good drink. The lawn barely got a trim this week, so not many stripes showing. But all things considered, another successful league night for the #31 Leinenkugel Ego mower. Followed by some cold beer, food trucks, and live music in town for Rock the Route. Since it is League night, I properly represented TNML on Route 66.

RECAP:

94 degrees, sunny, south winds

Primary jersey worn (the OG)

Mower stayed at deck level 6 this week 

Sirius XM Prime Country provided the music

Hopefully everyone got their league night cuts in tonight. Now we can enjoy Saturday watching college football on the patio!

GO BLUE!!!

- Sean C. in Granger, IN reports: 

My schedule has been a DISASTER in August, mostly of my own doing. Concerts, ball games, golf trips, etc. Throw in some hot and dry spells, and my Thursday mowing schedule has been erratic at best. 

But yesterday I got back on track. Unfortunately, September brings more issues with trade shows (though Lake Tahoe and Vegas aren’t bad places to have those shows). So I’m limping to the finish line here. 

Also, has anyone had issues with this nutsedge this year?  It’s this neon green grass that grows much higher and faster than the regular grass. It’s very sporadic, but it seems to spread quickly. This is the first year I’ve seen it.