Bierman’s Six Pack: Issue #35

Welcome to this week’s Six Pack! Each week, I’ll share a mix of thoughts (some sports-related, some not) and I’d love for you to jump in with your reactions, ideas, or recommendations in the comments. Here’s what’s on my mind this week. 

1. Tailgates, Traditions, and Why The Wave Must Die

If you’ve read this column before, you know my family and I are huge Michigan Wolverines football fans and we go to at least one game together every year. Recently we’ve gone to an away game each of the last three seasons, and we planned to again this year, but the timing didn’t work out. So instead we went to Ann Arbor for a home game against Central Michigan on Saturday. And while the opponent wasn’t the strongest and the outcome was never in doubt, we had a great time. And I have a few observations from that game/experience.

• The game started at noon and we got there around 11:30, so no time for pre-game tailgating. My dad always wanted to leave games at least five minutes early to beat the traffic, and while I still find myself fighting that urge, I’m much better than he was and will rarely leave early now. In fact, I’ve kinda gone in the other direction, where I’d rather just wait it out for 90 minutes or so after the game, relax, and do some post-game tailgating, especially on a beautiful Saturday afternoon like we had. So that’s what we did and it was awesome. The game ended around 3, but we stayed in the parking lot, tailgated, played cornhole, sat around and talked, threw the football, and just hung out as a family while we watched virtually every other car leave the lot. It was a great, relaxing, fun choice and I’m glad we made it.
• The wave has to go away. Please! I’ve mentioned this on our podcast before, but sitting in the stadium and watching this outdated, boring, energy-sucking relic try and get started was infuriating. Its best days were four decades ago and I get no joy from standing on my feet and throwing my arms up every 30 seconds just for the hell of it. Fellow society members of 2025, can we please let the wave die a peaceful death and never speak of it again?
• I’m usually not a big halftime or marching band guy, but for some reason on Saturday I stayed in my seat and watched the whole thing. And the most impressive thing I saw and what my eyes were glued to? The baton twirlers. Holy moley, these people are really good, seriously talented, and entertaining to watch. It’s kind of funny because it is the rare spectacle you watch where your main hope is “Please don’t mess up!” and “Don’t drop it!” I followed one girl in particular who was amazing. She did flips, cartwheels, and tosses that went pretty fricking high, catching them all with ease and never once dropping. All with a smile. That takes hard work, lots of practice, and real skill. My kudos to her and to all the baton twirlers across America who add to the game day experience but often go overlooked. Well done.

2. Finally Walking The Line

I love music and fittingly, I usually love music biopics. I haven’t seen the Bob Dylan one yet, A Complete Unknown, but I’ve heard it was good and it is on my list. I have seen Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocket Man, and Elvis in recent years and I enjoyed all of them to varying degrees (although Tom Hanks’ portrayal of Elvis’ awful manager Colonel Tom Parker was hard to stomach at times), I finally watched a famous one I had never seen before and absolutely loved it. 

Last week, I got the chance to watch Walk The Line with Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. Witherspoon won the Oscar for Best Actress that year and Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor, and it’s obvious why.

Both are phenomenal in their roles and the story itself was much more interesting and captivating than I ever realized. While I like plenty of Johnny Cash songs, and knew some of his story, I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did. And the movie did a great job of bringing all of it to life, including his tortured relationship with his father, his disastrous first marriage, his descent into a very big drug problem, his love story with June that was often messy but also heartwarming, and his empathy for prisoners in our justice system.That part of his legacy lives forever in his iconic 1968 At Folsom Prison album, as well as his hit song “Folsom Prison Blues”, and naturally both are a featured part of the movie. 

It took me almost twenty years to finally see this gem, and I’m glad my wife pushed me to watch it. Better late than never, and I can honestly say it’s one of the most entertaining music biopics out there.

3. Transportation Showdown: Uber vs. Cab

As mentioned last week, Jamie and I were recently in Vegas for a long weekend and had a great time. We hadn’t been there in years and the last time was before we fully lived in the Uber/Lyft world we do now, and back then many more cabs littered the Strip. While they’re not quite as plentiful anymore, they’re still around, especially at the airport and resort hotels.

We usually use Uber or Lyft almost exclusively when we travel, but I’ve often wondered how the cost stacks up against cabs, especially in a place like Vegas. Well, we got our chance to test it. One night we couldn’t figure out the pickup spot for Uber and a cab was right there, so we hopped in for the short ride to our restaurant just under a mile away. But the good thing was I had already pulled up on my app the exact cost of what an Uber and Lyft would both be, so the social experiment could begin. 

I won’t complain that it took us 23 minutes to go .9 miles (ok, maybe I’ll complain a little), but I will complain about the price. Uber would have been $11.95 before tip. The cab ended up being $19 before tip, which means it was almost 60 percent more expensive. Ugh.

And beyond price, the Uber/Lyft experience usually feels a little more modern: cleaner cars, cash-free payment, drivers who rely on ratings, and the simple convenience of booking in the app. The cab wasn’t awful, but it definitely felt like stepping back in a time machine. Add the higher price on top of that and it’s no mystery why most people, including us, immediately think of Uber or Lyft when needing a ride. Which begs the question: Do cabs as we know them even exist in 20 years?

4. Is It Really The Burger King?

On the way home from Ann Arbor on Saturday we were all hungry and wanted something quick. We stopped at an exit that had every fast food restaurant imaginable and so I asked the family what they wanted. McDonalds, Wendy’s, Arby’s, and Chipotle all got votes.

We went with McDonald’s, primarily because it was the closest off the exit and there were few cars in the drive through.

But you know one place that wasn’t mentioned, and honestly never is in our family? Burger King. Despite being the 7th largest fast food chain in the country with almost $11 billion in annual sales, that place never crosses my mind. I am not exaggerating when I say I haven’t eaten there in at least 25 years. I don’t remember ever hating it necessarily, but I also don’t remember ever loving it either. It just feels like the chain that somehow always exists without ever being anyone’s first choice.

So that got me thinking about other popular fast food spots that I basically ignore. And a few stood out:

Popeyes. Over 20,000 locations and $5 billion in sales, and I have never once eaten there. I like KFC and I’ve heard plenty of great things about this place, and we even have one two miles from our house, but I’ve just never been compelled to stop by. To be fair, I probably need to give it a chance just to see what all the buzz is about.

Sonic. The 14th largest chain, $5.5 billion in sales, more than 3,500 locations. I’ve been there maybe three or four times in my life, mostly on vacation in Nags Head when the kids were little because there is one near where we stay. It has a fun, novel idea with the whole 50’s carhop vibe, but I’ve never really been wowed by the food and it is never an option that would pop in my head.

Raising Cane’s. This one feels like it has exploded in popularity lately with $3.7 billion in sales, even though there are only 727 locations. My daughter raves about it, and I’ve tried it. The chicken tenders are good, but I don’t really get why so many people seem to love it so much. Maybe I need to give it another try?

And finally, one of my personal favorites that nobody ever seems to talk about: Rally’s. They only have 810 locations and do about $1.4 billion in sales, but I love their burgers, and especially their fries. We have a couple in our city but none within 20 minutes of me so I visit it rarely which is a shame.

So yeah, I’m not a huge fast food guy but when I do go give me Rally’s over Burger King any day of the week.

5. A Few Takeaways From Saturday’s College Football Slate

While we were at the Michigan game in the early window Saturday, the blowout gave me a chance to sneak a peek onto my phone and watch some of the other games. The first thing that jumped out at me was that Clemson could be in real trouble. 

This was my preseason pick to win the ACC and I thought Cade Klubnik was a lock for a Heisman invite, but none of that looks realistic now. The Tigers are 1-2 with their only win coming in uninspired fashion last week against Troy. I definitely have to give credit to Georgia Tech and I love what their coach Brent Pry is building in Atlanta. Their QB Haynes King is special and they have to now be considered a favorite to make the ACC Championship game, along with Miami. 

Dabo isn’t on the hot seat yet, but the noise about him refusing to fully adapt to the transfer portal era is only going to get louder.

On the way home I listened to most of Tennessee vs. Georgia and I found myself rooting hard for Rocky Top. At one point they led by 14, but Kirby Smart has built this decade’s Alabama and the Dawgs never seem to go away quietly. Gunnar Stockton was gritty and kept clawing them back. Tennessee had a chance to win it in regulation, but a missed 43-yarder crushed the upset bid and the Bulldogs won it in overtime. Georgia has now beaten Tennessee nine straight times. The Vols still look like a playoff contender, but letting that one slip away at home has to sting.

And then there was the nightcap, which was another instant classic and I was home by this time to fully enjoy it all. Texas A&M went into South Bend and stunned Notre Dame 41-40. Marcel Reed was electric and has now played himself into the Heisman conversation. His game-winning touchdown pass came on fourth and goal from the 11 with 13 seconds left. And it went to tight end Nate Boerkircher, who hadn’t caught a ball all night until that moment. 

Just a brutal ending for the Irish, who are now 0-2 after playing in last year’s national championship. For the Aggies, it was their first road win over a ranked opponent since 2014, snapping a 13-game skid. I love Mike Elko and what he’s building after making a mark at Duke, and now he has A&M sitting at 3-0, looking dangerous, and a must-watch in the SEC.

6. Giving Some Props To The Walker Cup

Most sports fans know the Ryder Cup is right around the corner, but golf has another international showdown that many casual fans have never heard of and it deserves some love. The Walker Cup, first contested in 1922 and named for George Herbert Walker (grandfather of President George H.W. Bush), pits the best American male amateurs against Great Britain and Ireland every two years. It doesn’t have the glitz, spotlight, or name recognition of the Ryder Cup,, but within golf it is one of the most prestigious stages an amateur can play on. Many golfing greats, including Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Colin Montgomerie, and Jordan Spieth, are alumni of this event, and the Walker Cup is a huge honor for any up and coming golfer hoping to go pro some day.

The 50th edition wrapped up this past weekend at the iconic Cypress Point in California, and the U.S. delivered a statement. After trailing at the half, the Americans stormed through singles play for a decisive 17–9 victory, their fifth straight Walker Cup (and they lead overall 40-9-1). Auburn’s Jackson Koivun lived up to his world No. 1 amateur ranking, Mason Howell delivered big time with a 2-0-1 mark, and veteran Stewart Hagestad secured the clinching point in his fifth appearance.

The fog may have rolled in on Sunday, but there was nothing cloudy about the outcome. Once again, the Cup stayed in American hands, and the Walker Cup reminded us why it deserves more publicity and belongs right alongside golf’s most storied competitions. Kudos gentlemen and way to represent your country!

Thanks for checking out this week’s Six Pack, Sandman Nation! I’d love to hear your thoughts: what resonated with you, what you disagree with, or your own takes on these topics. Drop your comments and let’s keep the conversation going.

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