Welcome to this weekโs Six Pack! Each week, I share a mix of thoughts – some sports-related, some not – and Iโd love for you to jump in with your reactions, ideas, or recommendations in the comments. Hereโs whatโs on my mind this week:
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๐. ๐๐ ๐
๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฌ
My 23 year-old daughter and I love watching television series together, especially shorter ones – just a few seasons at most – and often ones that fly under the radar. We gravitate toward action, suspense, and espionage thrillers, and many of them recently have tended to be British. Some of our favorites from the past year include The Night Manager, Bodyguard, Special Ops: Lioness, The Night Agent, Condor, The Day of the Jackal, and Hijack.
Right now, weโre wrapping up Rabbit Hole, but honestly, we donโt love it, and weโre gearing up to start the second season of The Night Agent soon. Do you have any recommendations in this realm? Weโre always looking for our next binge-worthy show!
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๐. ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐
๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐?
Iโm not a conspiracy theorist by any means, and it annoys me when people suggest the NFL manipulates games for teams like the Chiefs. That said, the league didnโt do itself any favors during Sundayโs AFC Championship game between the Bills and the Chiefs.
Forget that the Bills had 6 penalties for 48 yards compared to the Chiefs’ 5 for 21 yards – thatโs close enough and not unusual. But the Chiefsโ critical 4th down stop in the fourth quarter left me scratching my head. One line judge clearly thought Allen got the first down, comfortably, but the other judge (coming from the Chiefsโ sideline, no less) marked it short. Then, without even discussing it, the first line judge crept his spot backward. What?!
To me, the replay clearly showed the ball hit the line to gain, and the Bills should have been awarded the first down. It just feels like the Chiefs always get the breaks, and Iโll admit, itโs starting to feel a bit tiresome. While this yearโs Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Eagles should be a close one, with the Chiefs as slight favorites at -2, I was really looking forward to a Bills vs. Eagles matchup. Maybe itโs just Chiefs fatigue, but Iโm ready for some new blood.
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๐. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
I was born in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit and home to Ford Motor Company. Across both sides of my family, I have 22 cousins (plus three siblings). Iโm the youngest by a fairly significant margin, and while I love catching up with my cousins at family events, I sometimes feel a little jealous of my siblings, who grew up playing with them and built such tight bonds.
Thereโs something special about those connections between cousins, and Iโm grateful my family has them. Still, I canโt help but wish I had been able to experience that closeness growing up. So many great stories and memories that I just wasnโt around for.
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๐. ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐จโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐?
With football season winding down, Iโm starting to pay more attention to college basketball. I was surprised to see Michigan State at 17-2 and ranked in the top 10. As a Michigan fan, Iโm not usually rooting for the Spartans, but I wanted to give Tom Izzo some love.
Sure, heโs only won one national championship (back in 2000), but his resume is undeniably impressive. Eight Final Four appearances. Ten Big Ten regular-season titles. Six Big Ten tournament titles. Twenty-six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances – the longest streak in menโs college basketball history. And heโs never had a losing season in 30 years as head coach.
While maize and blue run through my veins, thereโs a part of me that would like to see Izzo take his Spartans to one more championship before he retires. Heโs always been a class act and has won the right way. In this wide-open year, could the Spartans do it? Why not? Work your March Magic, Coach, and bring it home!
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๐. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐โ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ (๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ)
Iโve traveled to 49 of the 50 states (Iโll see you someday, Rhode Island) and most major U.S. cities. A friend recently asked me what the largest city I havenโt been to is, and after some research, I realized itโs El Paso, Texas. While Iโm sure itโs a lovely city, Iโm not in a rush to get there.
It got me thinking about cities Iโve been to but would love to revisit. Boston is high on the list as Iโve only been there a couple of times for work, but itโs been 25 years, and Iโd love to visit Fenway Park. New Orleans is another. I know it has its challenges, but I loved the vibe of Bourbon Street, the Cajun cooking, the music, and the culture.
San Antonio is also on my radar. I havenโt been there in 30 years, but Iโve heard great things. Iโd love to revisit the Alamo (even if itโs โoverratedโ) and check out the RiverWalk. Finally, while it isnโt probably considered a โbig cityโ, Iโve never been to Asheville, North Carolina and have heard great things about it. I only live a few hours from it so hopefully can try to get down there for a long weekend some time soon. Outside of New York, Chicago, and LA, any other โbigโ cities you would recommend for a weekend getaway?
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๐. ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
On last weekโs podcast, we talked about iconic sports moments for our favorite teams. For Michigan football, my #1 is Desmond Howardโs Heisman pose after his punt return touchdown against Ohio State in 1991.
For my Bengals, itโs tougher. There have been great moments, but trying to pin down one or two as โmost iconicโ is difficult. Was it the Fumble in the Jungle a couple of years ago? McPhersonโs overtime kick against the Chiefs in 2022 to send them to the Super Bowl? Something else?
Bengals fans, chime in and let me know what you think. And if youโre not a Bengals fan, whatโs your teamโs most iconic sports moment? There are so many great ones out there and Iโd love to hear about the sports moments you love and could watch over and over. Hit me up with your favorites!
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Thanks for checking out this weekโs Six Pack, Sandman Nation! Iโd love to hear your thoughts: what resonated with you, what you disagree with, or your own takes on these topics. Drop your comments below and letโs keep the conversation going. Have a fantastic week!
