Day 808, Quasi-Quarantine: Pack9 Pays The Price For NCAA Pettiness & Ineptitude

The litany of hose jobs suffered by NC State at the hands of the NCAA continued Monday, when the Wolfpack was inexplicably predictably left out of the national baseball tournament.

Cemented in all quarters as a two-seed in the upcoming regionals, the Pack was left out in a development that can only be read as payback for the withering criticism dealt the NCAA from all quarters after last year's circus-like expulsion of the team in the midst of the College World Series.

You might be forgiven if you can no longer keep the slights straight, so last year is when State -- on the verge of a national championship in most eyes -- was removed from the tourney in the middle of the night after a controversial COVID testing scenario.

Lambasted from all sides, the NCAA doubled down on the football side by refusing to deal UCLA a forfeit after the Bruins randomly decided not to play the Wolfpack an hour before the Holiday Bowl. Then tripled down by giving No. 2 seed UConn a home game in its Elite Eight matchup with No. 1 NC State in this year's NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

While it may be argued as to which incident was most egregious against the Pack, the latest event feels the most "personal" based on last year's CWS fiasco. Even prominent national observers are calling attention to the triple standard of treatment toward NC State.

So what can be done? Well, Boo Corrigan is persona non grata among Wolfpack Nation at the minute due to the perception that he is rolling over while the NCAA lands body blow after body blow. However, the only recourse seems to be the imminent dissolution of the NCAA, which will be coming sooner rather than later, combined with a persistent national spotlight on the issue(s).

Of course, that doesn't help the Pack seniors, who likely had a title stolen from them and now have been robbed of a chance to compete for another one. And while State fans have grown accustomed to scenarios like this playing out, this one feels particularly painful, based on a perception that was a conscious decision to punish the Wolfpack for putting the NCAA on blast a season ago. 

Limerick Friday #546: Words Fail, Hypocrisy Prevails -- Day 804

 

Unthinkable pain

Collusion insane

In our darkest hours

Racist cowards

Republicans: our country's stain

Injuries begin to roll

Taking their toll

And after a year in Queens

Lindor still can't hit for beans

Let's hope this Mets team has soul

Rich old crooks

Cooking the books

'Tis primary season

Ignorance beyond reason

Just as corrupt as it looks

A show that grew and grew

Until no one knew what to do

Ruthie redeemed a lot

But "Ozark" sunk under its own plot

With an ending that made me want to boo

Bloodstained mops

Babysat by spineless cops

They hid outside

While kids screamed and cried

The coverup just never stops

Last time ...

Day 803, Quasi-Quarantine: Bidding Farewell To The Nation's Capital

 

On our final day in D.C. (previous experiences go backwards from here), we did a little more exploring en route to our appointment to journey to the top of the Washington Monument.

With mild claustrophobia in check, the views were stellar, and the displays while you waited for a ride back down revealed a lot about the origin story of the monument.

Then we were off, checking out of our hotel, having an awkward exchange with the doorman, heading to the metro, and ending up at the bus station for our return trip.

Maybe the less said about the train ride, the better.

Except for this. This is a one-boy lesson into how to shut everything out and focus on what you love to do.

All in all, a worthy spring break adventure -- and one that was a long time in the making.

Day 802, Quasi-Quarantine: "Fox 8" Offers A Needed Parable For A New Age

This engrossing short story from one of my favorite authors, George Saunders, manages to pack a lot in its 49 pages. The book -- peppered with charming illustrations by Chelsea Cardinal -- shares an out-of-species perspective on human nature, observing the whims, marvels, and wanton cruelty of people.

"Fox 8" is a curious daydreamer who teaches himself English through eavesdropping on bedtime stories, then sets out to use this new skill to save his extended family, which has been imperiled by habitat destruction under the guise of development. 

"Why did the Curator do it so wrong, making the groop with the gratest skils the meenest?"

Fox 8's interactions with humans are fraught with kindness mixed with evil, and after he gets lost and finds a new group, he is forced to recognize that humans jeopardize the future of those he loves and must be considered the enemy.

George Saunders uses a clever and inviting approach to create a modern-day parable, and "Fox 8" offers the balanced and impactful format needed to view the world through a new lens -- whether human or fox.

Day 801, Quasi-Quarantine: Miami Ends The 2022 Draft With A Whimper

Over the years, the draft has been an area of deep pain and frustration for Dolphins fans (as extensively documented here). So -- and stay with me here -- why not just, like, skip the draft by packaging your picks for players who are already proven? That's exactly what Miami finally did this year, following the L.A. Rams model by shipping essentially an entire draft to Kansas City for Tyreek Hill. While that sounded like a stellar idea on the day the trade was announced, reality set in in late April when the 'Fins picked zero players on Day 1 and a single player on Day 2 to prepare for a boon of three picks on the final day of the draft.

The pluses: After the scant Day 2 result, Miami had three picks on the final day of the draft. Not ideal -- especially since the strength of this draft was deemed to be in the middle rounds -- but this was the hand the 'Fins dealt themselves. At 6-2, 209 pounds, fourth-rounder Erik Ezukanma of Texas Tech gives the team a potential replacement for DeVante Parker as a physical wideout with size. The seventh-rounders -- edge Cameron Goode of California and quarterback Skylar Thompson of Kansas State -- play high-value positions, making them worthy flyers at the draft's back end. The Dolphins need to keep hammering the pass rush spots, while I've long been a fan of taking a signal-caller every year, especially since it's a position the franchise has paid dearly for ignoring for years at a stretch.

The negatives: Look, there was not a lot of draft ammunition here; we all get that. However, landing a reach wideout when you just mortgaged the draft for a receiver and signed another in free agency feels like a luxury pick. Ezukanma was rated as the No. 171 player in the draft by The Athletic guru Dane Brugler, and Miami picked him at No. 125. Considered a "predictable route runner" with average speed and fourth/fifth receiver development potential, Ezukanma was a questionable direction to go in with needs along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. Continuing the theme, neither Goode (picked at No. 224) nor Thompson (No. 247) was listed among Brugler's top 300 prospects.

The bottom line: The decision to trade for Tyreek Hill came with consequences, and this was part of that fallout. Emerging from an entire draft without a single starter is one way to continue a lengthy streak without a playoff win, and that appears to be the case this year. I don't feel Miami was one player away, but I'm perfectly willing to be wrong. As far as the draft goes, you never want to be completely reactive during the selection process, but that's where the Dolphins put themselves. It's possible Channing Tindall or Ezukanma emerges as a standout for the team, but as things stand now, it was an uneventful and low-impact draft for a franchise that has tied so many (lost) hopes to these days in the past.

Day 800, Quasi-Quarantine: Stupid People Vote Too

"Because my stupid vote counts as much as anybody else. And sometimes, way more, like in my county."

An important PSA to close out another SNL season.

Day 796, Quasi-Quarantine: To The Zoo! (No, Not Congress, The Other One. No, The Other Other One.)

With our trip to the District winding to a close after a host activities on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3, our fourth day featured a more peaceful pace. Braving the Metro and some forbidding weather, we headed out to the Smithsonian's National Zoo.

Amazingly, the zoo is free, and the combination of the early hour and the intermittent rain made it nearly empty. The lack of foot traffic gave us plenty of time to spend with delightful creatures like the Emperor Tamarin.

After seeing the iconic pandas, we encountered a pretty sleepy orangutan.

The Andean bear was also quite a sight as it began to slowly wake and greet the day.

With our travel companions fading quickly (I could have stayed there all day), we headed back to the hotel for some swimming before journeying to Capitol City Brewing Company to end the day with an oat soda.

Up next: an early-morning jaunt, followed by a looming lengthy train ride back to Raleigh.

Day 795, Quasi-Quarantine: Steady Creep Of Fascism Pushes "It Can't Happen Here" From Satire To Contemporary Observation

 

"People will think they're electing him to create more economic security. Then watch the Terror!"

"'Wait till Buzz takes charge of us. A real Fascist dictatorship!'

'Nonsense! Nonsense!' snorted Tasbrough. 'That couldn't happen here in America, not possibly! We're a country of freemen.'"

Serving as a searing social commentary while simultaneously being dense enough to be a slog, "It Can't Happen Here" is a difficult and challenging read that is well worth the effort.

Halfway through, Sinclair Lewis's novel moves from satire to warning when Doremus Jessup's son-in-law is shockingly and swiftly executed. The rise of the Hitler-like Buzz Windrip is largely based on Huey Long, and though the author characterized the story as pure propaganda for American democracy at the time, there are enough parallels to contemporary and current times to be chilling.

"The Senator was vulgar, almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and in his 'ideas' almost idiotic, while his celebrated piety was that of a traveling salesman for church furniture, and his yet more celebrated humor the sly cynicism of a country store."

"To the veteran reporters it was strange to see the titular Secretary of State, theoretically a person of such dignity and consequence that he could deal with the representatives of foreign powers, acting as press-agent and yes-man for even the President."

After voters choose "security" over freedom, Windrip's ascendant organization seizes the press and academia, silences opponents, burns books, and builds concentration camps. Before the populace fully realizes it, the government -- enforced by the Stasi-like Minute Men -- has a chokehold on the country, finally leading to the creation of the New Underground as a resistance.

"If I ever hear that 'can't make an omelet' phrase again, I'll start doing a little murder myself! It's used to justify every atrocity under every despotism, Fascist or Nazi or Communist or American despotism, Fascist or Nazi or Communist or American labor war. Omelet! Eggs! By God, sir, men's souls and blood are not eggshells for tyrants to break!"

As the stepbrother of "The Plot Against America," "The Man in the High Castle," and even "The Handmaid's Tale," "It Can't Happen Here" feels like an essential read. Lewis's approach is clever and prescient, brilliant and brutal, allowing him to offer political commentary in the context of conflicted character.

"Cure the evils of Democracy by the evils of Fascism! Funny therapeutics. I've heard of their curing syphilis by giving the patient malaria, but I've never heard of their curing malaria by giving the patient syphilis!"

As a social satirist, Lewis offers no solutions or clear ending, and the brutal depiction of the oppressive regime within America challenges the reader's dedication. Yet nearly 90 years later, "It Can't Happen Here" remains a compelling and important book, lending important context to the current global political landscape.

"'More and more, as I think about history,' he pondered, 'I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever. But the men of ritual and the men of barbarism are capable of shutting up the men of science and of silencing them forever.'"

Day 794, Quasi-Quarantine: After Sitting Out Day 1 Of The Draft, Miami Makes Limited Entrance On Day 2

Following its seismic trade for Kansas City wideout Tyreek Hill -- in which Miami sent essentially its draft to the Chiefs -- the Dolphins were casual observers on the 2022 selection show's first day. While I both understood and would not have made that deal (more on that on another day), the fallout is that the 'Fins were relegated to trying to make the most of its first pick of the draft: 102 choices in.

The pluses: Miami used that third-rounder (as announced by franchise legend Larry Csonka) on Georgia's Channing Tindall, a highly athletic 6-2, 230-pound linebacker. In a season that saw the Bulldogs win the national title, he recorded 67 tackles, including 7.5 stops for losses and 5.5 sacks. Powered by a 42-inch vertical and a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, Tindall rose up the rankings as the draft neared, with Dane Brugler, draft guru for The Athletic, slotting him as the No. 74 player in the draft. Scouts cited his acceleration, burst, aggressive runs fits, striking ability, and sideline-to-sideline style of play.

The negatives: Overshadowed by more prominent Georgia linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, Tindall was seen as something as a slow developer after tallying just 41 tackles in his first three seasons in Athens. Without a pass breakup in his entire career, he's seen as a liability in coverage, exhibiting poor pass breakups and anticipation. As a result, Tindall was primarily considered a rotational linebacker whose speed and hitting ability could help him eventually evolve into a starter.

The bottom line: Linebacker is a position where Miami has mostly been trying to just get by with patchwork additions in recent years, so investing in the unit was long overdue. Tindall would appear to be a good scheme fit for an aggressive, attacking defense, with high potential as a blitzer and quarterback spy. If he can give Jerome Baker some help with pressure from the linebacker corps and earn situational reps, Tindall will justify being the Dolphins' first choice in an anomaly of an NFL Draft for Miami.

Day 793, Quasi-Quarantine: Discovering New Scott Hutchison Gems 4 Years After His Passing

I can't speak to why this song didn't make the cut for the self-titled Owl John album that was released in 2014. What I can say is that this is one of the most gut-wrenching songs and painful lyrics I've heard by Scott Hutchison, lead singer and guitarist of Frightened Rabbit and the solo act behind Owl John.

And yet ... and yet. It's irresistible in the haunting.

Limerick Friday #545: Batuu Redeems The Sunshine State -- Day 790

 

Ventured into Disney

And the unmasked humidity

Plans carefully made

Turned to survival and shade

But enough magic moments to offset stupidity

It was an NBA era sublime

That HBO tried to pantomime

With characters of cardboard

And moments of "Oh, lord"

This is the roller-coaster of "Winning Time"

Morale did plummet

As quality morphed into "slum it"

But against all odds

And prayers to the marketing gods

Everything kinda worked at Summit

We made the most

Of Black Spire Outpost

A memorable May the Fourth

Despite crowds, it was worth

A T-16 Skyhopper toast

The bane of every tool

And mid-life crisis fool

Guts blindingly white

With cans of Miller Lite

Welcome back your neighborhood pool

Last time ...

Day 789, Quasi-Quarantine: "Raising Worry-Free Girls" A Straightforward Look At Anxiety That Spans Age -- And Gender

"Girls today have greater expectations but less hope than children in generations past."

In "Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World," Sissy Goff has created a worthy conversation starter for parents and children. Though focused on girls and daughters, the book is applicable to all genders and ages.

"If we solve our kids' problems for them, they don't develop the ability to problem-solve, which I believe is one of the primary deterrents of anxiety."

From square breathing to mind platters to gratitude jars, Goff shares a number of exercises and tools that are helpful to kids -- and adults -- of all ages. The author also touches on the benefits of exposure therapy and includes a useful list of anxiety types.

This book pulls from a number of resources to back up the activities, and some statistics are jarring -- for instance, the revelation that, over the last 30 years, we've shortened the childhood of girls by a year and a half.

"Research shows that one of the biggest predictors of anxiety in kids is anxiety in parents.

"It perpetuates for several reasons, one of which is that our fear sometimes gets in the way of them doing what they need to do to work through their fear.

"Our goal is for the child you love to know that she is smart, capable, brave, strong, and resilient. We want her to grow in her grit."

Especially near the end of the book, there is a deep religious bent that may be off-putting to some readers. However, the message and its importance are universal, making "Raising Worry-Free Girls" a good resource for parents and their children.

"The kids we love are getting the message that the unspeakable happens, but we're not preparing them for the daily troubles that make up life."

Day 788, Quasi-Quarantine: Busing Our Way Through History In D.C.

After a whirlwind Day 1 and some memorable second-day activities, our third day in the District gave us an opportunity to take a hop-on, hop-off tour.

Despite some miscommunication and initial stress in actually securing a bus, we did a drive-by of the Washington Monument before moving on to the Jefferson Memorial.

We executed the "hop off" portion of the festivities at our next stop, giving us a chance to see the Lincoln Memorial and read the Gettysburg Address.

The powerful Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial was up next, and we felt grateful to experience this part of the park that overlooks the Potomac.

As the morning cold slowly dissipated and the sun came out in full force, we proceeded through the Chinatown area of the city.

After winding our way through a number of notable parts of D.C., we slid by the Capitol Building, offering a sobering reminder of one of our nation's darkest days and the overriding fragility of our government.

This method of experiencing Washington, D.C., gave us snapshots of history with the ability to dig deeper as we liked. Whether through intention, osmosis, or immersion, we all learned something and had plenty of moments for reflection.

Day 787, Quasi-Quarantine: Terron Armstead Emerges As Centerpiece Of Miami's Free Agency 2022

 

Despite some anxious moments as part of the waiting game of free agency, Miami eventually landed its top target in former New Orleans left tackle Terron Armstead. The former third-rounder out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff earned a five-year, $87.5 million contract -- including $43.37 million guaranteed -- to help fix the 'Fins offensive front.

The pluses: There are a number of reasons why Armstead was considered free agency's top offensive tackle and tabbed as the No. 79 player in the league in the NFL's annual list of top 100 players. According to Pro Football Focus, he's received a top-10 pass-blocking grade in each of the past seven seasons, allowing pressures on only 3.7% of his pass-blocking reps, tied for best in the league in that span. Demonstrating his versatility, PFF has also graded him at 95% in blocking for man-to-man running assignments and 88% on zone runs since 2015. That should be music to the ears of new offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who will be reunited with Armstead after Smith served as an assistant with the Saints.

The negatives: The lone issue here -- and it's a significant one -- is availability. While he's known for playing through pain, the 6-5, 304-pound Armstead has only played more than 13 games four times in nine NFL seasons, appearing in 97 games for the Saints over that timeframe. He missed half of last season, and the sole reason why he lingered in free agency after the initial wave of high-profile signings was injury concerns. For a soon-to-be 31-year-old playing a cornerstone position, this is a situation to monitor and account for.

The bottom line: Look, let's not overthink this: The Dolphins added a three-time Pro Bowler to a unit that featured the worst-graded tackles in the league (50.8 by PFF) last year. Armstead brings a reputation as a locker room leader and tone-setter from a culture standpoint, and when he's right, he's a borderline dominant left tackle. Miami did its due diligence and will need to have a backup plan in place, but this is a home run move by a franchise that needs more of them. On top of all else, Armstead showed up to his introductory press conference wearing a Dan Marino throwback jersey, immediately cementing his status as a fan favorite.

Day 786, Quasi-Quarantine: Finding All The Magic Moments

 

Recovering, but remembering.