Dick Butkus, 1942-2023

The legendary football player and pitchman is gone at 80.

Biden’s Reverse Midas Touch

His message isn’t getting through. Is it the messenger?

“Politicizing” Sports

A reminder that all choices are political to one degree or the other.

Trump, Hamilton, and the Electoral College

Don’t blame the primary author of The Federalist for our current mess.

Education Politics

Inane, effective, and part of a far broader ideological debate.

Tom Brady Retiring Again

The Greatest of All Time is hanging up his cleats a year too late.

The NFL is Taking Over

The biggest entertainment product in America is getting bigger.

Whelan, Griner, and the State of Our Politics

Knowing what FNC is likely saying without watching FNC.

Warnock Wins and Walker Concedes

Democrats increase their Senate margin.

On Spurious Majorities and Other Thoughts on Electoral System Critiques

Because sometimes the comment box is just too small.

Crystal Ball Final 2022 Ratings

Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes.

NFL and College Football Going Head to Head

The most popular television product is running out of room to expand.

Baseball’s New Playoff Structure

One League went according to chalk. The other, very much not.

Streaming Service Consolidation

There are too many products chasing too few consumers.

Trump, Article II, and January 6, 2021

He failed to fulfill his oath.

A Key Role of Parties

Top Four likely makes things worse.

A Recurrent Political Fantasy

Magically mobilizing nonvoters isn’t going to happen (but it sounds nice, I suppose).

John Clayton, 1954-2022

The longtime NFL reporter is gone at 67.

Washington Commanders

DC’s NFL franchise finally has a new name.

Dan Reeves, 1944-2022

The legendary football player and coach is gone at 77.

John Madden, 1936-2021

The Hall of Fame coach and legendary broadcaster is dead at 85.

Bryce Young 1st Alabama Quarterback to Win Heisman Trophy

A historic achievement for the first-year starter.

Alabama Beats Georgia, Back to Playoff

An epic but improbable win.

Three Tom Bradys?

A breakdown of a remarkable career that’s not yet finished.

ESPN, Jock Culture, and Jon Gruden

Is the Worldwide Leader responsible oblivious to bigotry?

Jon Gruden ‘Resigns’ After Racist, Sexist, Homophobic Emails Revealed

A spectacular fall for a man who has been at the center of the football world for three decades.

Thoughts on Partisan Cues and Filters

Thoughts on how we think.

Quick Hits

Misc. stories worth noting, but that I don’t have time to write about.

President Joe Biden, joined by Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky and Merck CEO Ken Frazier, delivers remarks on COVID-19 vaccine production Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden, joined by Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky and Merck CEO Ken Frazier, delivers remarks on COVID-19 vaccine production Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Vaccine Incentivization: Sticks Better Than Carrots

Making it difficult for refuseniks works better than prizes.

Cleveland Indians Now Cleveland Guardians

It goes into effect next season.

Tab Clearing

Some interesting stories or columns that I’ll never get around to writing full posts on.

Supreme Court Ends ‘Amateur’ Collegiate Sports

Most NCAA restrictions violate anti-trust law.

College Football Playoff Expansion

The inevitable is now very much in progress.

The Arizona Audit

The latest front on the war on truth.

‘Justice’ Difficult in Chauvin Trial

A criminal trial is a poor venue for solving society’s problems.

Additional Thoughts on Vaccine Passports

It makes sense for large-scale venues, yes? But making sense is not the issue.

The NFL’s $10 Billion TV Deal

Pandemic-induced recession? What pandemic-induced recession?

Elite Private Schools, Race, and Fear of the Woke

Also some ironic positions on capitalism.

On the Way Out: 143 Pardons

143 at the 11th hour.

Turley on Impeachment, Redux

Outliers are bad places to look for solid support of your argument.

Streaming Wars Taking No Casualties

Thus far, Disney+ and HBO Max are additive rather than cannibalizing competing services.

The Great Unbundling

The days of one-stop media shopping are long gone.

Cleveland Indians Changing Name

The inevitable only took 105 years.

Trump is Who We Thought He Was

That which worked for petty business disputes was never going to work on this big of a stage.

Virus Politics

The virus is real and infections and exposures have consequences.

Alabama Reaches #1 for 13th Year in a Row

A mind-boggling statistic.

Speaking of Poor Public Health Policy

Comparing the White House’s approach to that of sports leagues on testing.

The Weirdest Sports Season Ever?

COVID has given us a surreal calendar.

Is the American Government Legitimate?

A long-winded and esoteric discussion about an elusive idea.

When Equality is Unequal

Black football players at Iowa complain they were treated differently—and also the same.