Paige Spiranac Dumps Out Her Impressive Golf Handicap, NBA Draft Class Is A Bunch Of Nerds & Meat Fries!
Wednesday was a very dark day in the history of the United States
American parents have never spent more money on travel sports, trainers, coaches, flights to play in some elite showcase and sports psychologists. We've never had more travel basketball teams playing in ELITE tournaments where it costs like $100 for a dad to show up to watch his son play basketball.
We've never spent more time or energy to pump out ELITE football players.
Then Wednesday happened.
But…but…but…Joe…that U20 Team USA football game wasn't something the U.S. cares about.
There was a Notre Dame commit on the team that was destroyed by Japan on Wednesday. Yes, there were a bunch of low-level college commits thrown on roster including like six defensive players from the northeast, including an abnormal number of defensive players from the football hotbed of Massachusetts, but this is still the U.S.A.
Not a single player from the state of Georgia was on the U20 team.
If we just start accepting that losing to Japan in U20 football, we're finished. It's over. The American Dream® is history. This team lost to Japan seven days before Americans will blast off $800 billion in fireworks to celebrate our beautiful independence from the British scumbags. This might be the most insulting sporting result in American history.
Then, the NBA Draft was held. Once again, it was a disaster for American ELITE travel basketball.
Parents should move to France and have their boys play overseas. Four of the first 30 picks came from France. Since Anthony Bennett (Canadian) was selected No. 1 in 2013, there have been seven foreign players selected No. 1 overall; the USA has produced 5.
Don't even get me started on the number of Hooters locations that were closed over the weekend, including the Charlotte location, which I enjoyed a couple of years ago while in town for the first soccer match at Bank of America.
Was it the best Hooters? Not in the least, but it was still a place to get some wings and beers – #notsponsored. It will be remembered. RIP.
It's time for ELITE travel sports parents blowing their paychecks to look in the mirror. It's time for America to hit the reset button. It's time for American sports to stop getting its asses kicked. It's time to support our Hooters Girls (#notsponsored).
Then you have Joey Chestnut converting to vegan hot dogs. This country needs an intervention - BAD.
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What should be on a Screencaps Tour®? ESPN's baseball tour sucks; let's create a real tour
- Dave K. in Edgewood, KY writes:
Would think a southern swing is the way to go.
I’d recommend an Alabama or LSU home game, LSU at night is fantastic.
Saints or Titans game on Sunday.
Duck hunting on the bayou with Will Clark? Yes, please.
ATV in any southern state.
Hit up Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail or any stay and play packages throughout the south.
Hotel is only for sleep. Hampton Inn for the win.
The Best Parking Spot You Ever Had
- Steve B. in Grand Junction, CO, who has written a screenplay for a Hallmark movie, writes:
Last summer we were on a family road trip to Wisconsin. A half-hour before first pitch of Brewers/Cubs, at American Family Field, we remained stopped in an endless line of cars on the road leading to the expensive parking lot.
I fretted: we're going to miss touring the stadium! We're going to miss the first pitch! This line still isn't moving! I felt like Brad Pitt in that scene in World War Z, when he's stuck in traffic, just before the zombies appear, as we sat there helplessly, waiting to pay $40 for parking....when, out of the blue, a genuine miracle.
To my right, I was summoned by a lady in the driver's seat of a parked sedan. I say, "lady," when actually she was an angel of the Lord.
She motioned to me that she was leaving. Cue my turn signal, an overly enthusiastic, "Thank you" wave, and a minute later we were parked in a spot just steps from the entrance. Christian Yelich's spot was probably further away.
Best of all, it was free! That $40 savings went to shoving wonderful creamy Wisconsin custard into our pie holes. (If you're ever at a Brewers game, make sure to get the brats, cheese curds and custard).
This picture really doesn't do it justice, but it's a parking spot so good I had to take a picture of it, (much to my wife's puzzlement.)
It was all part of a great vacation. My son and I played a pick-up game at the Field of Dreams. We toured President Grant's home. We splashed for days at Wisconsin Dells waterparks.
But the highlight was this parking spot.
- Mike from Layton is back with a parking spot story:
Late on answering the question but definitely wanted to chime in on this one. Back in 2019, I was getting ready to propose to my now wife and was trying to coordinate this awesome proposal for her at the beach.
The setup was to drive to La Jolla Beach in San Diego and propose to her as the sun was setting on the dock. I had invited her parents over to meet us at The Marine Room restaurant for a high tide dinner and her brother to take pictures of the proposal.
All of this was dependent on finding good parking at La Jolla, which, of course, is near damn impossible. Yeah, we would've had to walk for a bit, probably had her makeup a bit smoky from the walk, me sweating cause it was summer; would've been messy.
So as my now wife and I were driving, something hit me inside to drive by the dock and just see if there was parking. And just like the Red Sea, a big diesel truck pulled out of the most perfect, up front parking and there was no car around to swoop in and take it. No need for a mile walk, no mess, just absolute perfection.
I immediately parked in that spot with the rest of the proposal going smoothly.
That parking spot will forever be etched in memory cause I have never had that kind of fortune. All I can say was that it was devine intervention helping me out with a solid.
- Ernie S. says:
My stories of parking spots are not the one-time find…it is like I have "the gift".
I go to any Costco, any arena for a show or sporting event, and I am within a rock’s throw to the doors.
It is such a gift that I am okay with giving up healing and miracles to others as long as I can find the perfect parking spot.
Anyone else have "the gift"?
- Michael J. in Chiraq shares:
I don't have a memorable parking spot story. But I do have a parking story. I will never forget taking my dad and uncle to a Cubs game in Wrigleyville. Parking is always tough to find around there.
I found a spot with only a few inches of wiggle room. Parallel parked with just one back up into the spot. I don't think my dad has ever been prouder of me. 20 years later we still talk about it.
- Paul B. in Florida writes:
Parking in SW FLA is a science, especially during the summer. You don't want to park to far away in case you get a torrential downpour.
You don't want to park to close because every clown on earth wants to wait for a parking spot, or they aren't sure how to back out of a spot etc. so you want to try to keep some distance from the noobs. Shade is essential!
Park further away if you have to just to get the shade because the walk is worth the 20 degree difference. Always try to park next to a cart corral if you are at some kind of grocery store. At least park close to one. If I can think of any other parking rules to go by I'll let you know.
Show off your meat!
- Brad S. shows off:
On the Masterbuilt 800 Gravity grill & smoker:
Chuck Steak, shrimp skewers, beef back ribs.
(When I fire it up, I make a few meals!)
The state of youth pitching: Am I crazy thinking pitchers are trying to throw as hard as possible until they tire out two innings into a game?
- Brandon C., who famously told us the story of attending a Russian Defense Contractor show, writes:
No you're not seeing things. Welcome to a world where "coaches" who watch YouTube videos on pitching mechanics and analytics are emphasizing velocity over everything else. Seeing it in youth softball too. Doesn't matter if you can actually throw strikes for more than one inning, its how much speed and are you getting the right "flick" for fast pitch. And yes, injury concerns aren't a problem anymore because everybody has health insurance and what's a tommy John surgery to worry about nowadays at 14 or 15... You'll have a half year to rehab and get back on the travel circuit for your 16 and 17 year.
How does that trickle down to actual games? More walks, less hitting (especially by your lower 1/3 players on the roster, which means they get discouraged and quit at 12, and then parents are complaining why Johnny fastball doesn't have good enough competition in their house league because they only have 1.5 teams in their city league at age 13), generally a less fun activity. About the only good thing is that you're not seeing as many arm stressing breaking breaking balls early as most coaches are teaching a change up first, but once you get to 14+, travel hardos are insistant on teaching "high spin rate" sliders which you guessed it, are also putting kids on the road to arm damage by 16.
Brandon C. then shared this incredible youth baseball story that is worth your time – stop scrolling
- Brandon C. continues:
From my league, my son's 11u team went from a stacked roster last year with 4-6 kids that could throw an inning to a team this year that we have 1 that can. We've cobbled together a roster that by the end of the season we're at least playing competitive games against the best teams in the house league, but we still haven't won a game yet. But last night was one of those instances that makes me come back for more. Kid comes up who's the best friend of my son, literally can't lift his left arm because of a birth defect, but he's been playing baseball with us on my son's sales job all season.
He's swung the bag at maybe 5 pitches all season and not come close to hitting it. (As a side note, he has a magical .700 obs because for whatever reason he draws walks). So last night, playoff game, top of 5th we're down 6 runs and in trouble. I tell him to just go up there for his last at bat of the season and whatever happens swing the bat. He's passive on pitches 1-5, but manges to work a full count and then by the Grace of God, he hits the next pitch.
A legitimate hard hit ball to the ss. Now he's surprised he hit the ball, his mom is yelling at him to run to first, he starts running (he's a big boy, so he aint blazing a trail) and carrying his bat, he drops it about 1/3 of the way up the baseline. I'm coaching third and the chariot of fire music is going off in my head. SS moves to field the ball, doesn't get it quite cleanly, and makes a throw to first.
Hitter is chugging down the line like Jake Taylor trying to beat a bunt out. Throw is slightly off line, pulling the first baseman off his mark, batter hits the base about a step in front of the 1b reaching back and he's safe. Team goes nuts. Mom is crying. Dad is getting some dust out of his eye. Opposing pitcher who knows the batter from school looks over and tips his cap. We still lose in the next inning as the other team gets a 10 run lead in the bottom of the 5th for a mercy rule, but don't care.
Team is now fired up for the third place game on Thursday. My boy (team catcher) is rallying the boys on the outfield grass like Rube Baker spouting nonsense about trains coming and Dairy Queen if we win. We'll still probably lose, but I'll be damned if they're not giving up.
And my son, not the family athlete, has now told me he wants to play at least one more year and try for the middle school team as a sixth grader next season. (It's no cut, so he'll make it, yay small town school, but still). So yeah, mission accomplished as they say.
Filed under: Yes, you're getting old
Feels like yesterday I was asking for that Griffey card at Christmas. Now it's in some box I haven't opened in a decade. Time is flying.
The Johnson City, TN Boyz group just keeps getting bigger by the week
- Tim A. writes:
I have been an avid reader of Screencaps for 2-3 years now and have seen the numerous posts from Tri-Cities (Johnson City) readers recently. My wife and I moved to Bristol about 6 months ago and I would definitely be interested in connecting with the local guys.
Kinsey:
It's starting to feel like the Tri-Cities is the place to live these days. Everyone is happy. The emails are always full of adventure. Screw moving to Nashville. It feels like this is where you should be looking to relocate.
Changing those mower blades
- Homebrew Bill in Nebraska writes:
A friend of mine just had to change blades on his brush cutter mower. Paying $450 for 6 blades sure beats $15K for this mower new. My wife has notified me of a couple yards in our neighborhood to recruit for TNML I'll hopefully talk to them tomorrow.
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That's it for this final Thursday as many of us are deep into our summer vacations, our summer patio seasons and making final preparations for next Thursday. By the way, pray for the companies that plan on workers coming in on Friday. Word on the street is that OutKick will be rather dark next week as people recharge the batteries.
That means we have to finish the week strong. Let's get after it and then enjoy summer.
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