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.
- Congrats Rutgers…I Guess?
I’ve always enjoyed watching professional sports drafts. The NFL Draft is the best and there were years where I watched hours of coverage. And while I have never been into the NBA Draft at the same level, I still pay attention to it. And something jumped out at me from this year’s edition: Two Rutgers players, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, were taken in the Top 5. From Rutgers!?! That sent me down a rabbit hole.
I started digging into how many times two players from the same school have been drafted in the Top 5, and it turns out it’s happened more than I expected. Since 1980, there have been 13 other instances.
But here’s where some differences start to emerge. First, let’s look at the other schools on that list: North Carolina (4 times), Duke (2), Kentucky (2), Indiana, Kansas, UConn, Ohio State, and UCLA. Almost all can be considered bluebloods. And all have won at least one college basketball national championship.
I found this even more interesting, though not surprising. Every one of those teams made the NCAA Tournament the year they had their Top 5 pair. Three won the national championship, and four others reached the Final Four. Only one was knocked out before reaching the Sweet 16. These teams had elite NBA talent and they capitalized on it.
Rutgers, by comparison, is not a bluebood. They have made the NCAA tournament a grand total of eight times in its entire history. And yet here they were this past season with two of the best players in the country. So how did they capitalize on that advantage? They finished 15-17 and didn’t even sniff the postseason.
How does that happen? Is the rest of the roster just that bad? Or is Head Coach Steve Pikiell completely in over his head? I get it, we’re talking about Rutgers and nobody’s expecting a Final Four run. But with two future Top 5 picks on the floor, is it too much to ask for a winning record and a trip to the tournament?
Congrats to the Scarlet Knights for joining the history books on draft night. Only at Rutgers can you pull off something like this and still miss March.
- I Forgot How Good This Movie Is
My oldest son Brady is in college, has a summer job, and lives at his mom’s most of the time. But we’re still close, and this summer we came up with a new tradition. Every Thursday night, he comes over, we have dinner, hang out, and usually we watch a movie.
A couple of weeks ago, we watched Good Will Hunting. I hadn’t seen it in decades, and Brady had never seen it, but he actually recommended it. I forgot how good that movie is. Definitely a drama with little action, but the storytelling and acting are just so good. It hit me emotionally way more than I was expecting.
This was the film that launched Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s careers. They co-wrote the screenplay (winning an Oscar for it) and both delivered strong performances. But the biggest takeaway for me was just how brilliant Robin Williams was.
One of the funniest stand-up comics of all time somehow managed to completely steal the movie in a quiet, poignant role as a compassionate but tough therapist trying to help Damon’s character navigate his trauma. The scenes between them are powerful, and their final embrace literally gave me goosebumps.
Well done, Good Will Hunting. And wow, watching Robin Williams in that role really stuck with me. What a one-of-a-kind talent we lost way too soon.
- Beyond Pom-Poms and High Kicks
The Dallas Cowboys finally did something they should have done a long time ago. They gave their cheerleaders a serious raise. A 400% raise, to be exact. These are the most famous cheerleaders in the world, and until now, they were getting paid like part-time temps. Some were making just fifteen dollars an hour for practice and a few hundred bucks per appearance. That is absurd.
My son Brady is a cheerleader at Miami University, and I have seen firsthand how much time and energy goes into the role. It is a full-time commitment in every way except pay. These athletes are in the gym, in the film room, in practice all week, only to perform on the sidelines once a week. It is an intense, disciplined craft.
While I get that people do not buy game tickets just to see the cheerleaders, if a professional team has them, they have them for a reason and they should be compensated fairly. I believe that for all professional cheerleading squads, but especially for this one.
The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are not just any cheer squad. They are the cheerleaders. The gold standard. The brand. The majority of people in this country know who they are, even if they do not follow football. There are shows, documentaries, movies, and countless articles about them. They have been part of pop culture for decades and have brought enormous exposure to the Cowboys franchise over the years.
And yet, despite all that, most of these women still have full-time jobs or careers outside of cheerleading. They do this on the side, out of passion and pride. Which makes it even sadder that it took this long for a team worth over ten billion dollars to finally pay them properly.
This is great news for the cheerleaders, and long overdue. They’re iconic. They’re world famous. And now, finally, they are paid like it.
- But Do You Wear Them At Night?
I wrestled for years with the age-old question, should I go cheap on sunglasses or spend the money on nicer ones? When I was younger and broke, it wasn’t much of a debate. I went cheap because I didn’t really have a choice. But those sunglasses broke constantly, disappeared on trips, got left behind in carts, and rarely lasted for the long haul.
About ten years ago, I decided to splurge on a nice pair, some Oakleys for around $150. I loved them and wore them for years. Then one Bengals playoff game got a little too rowdy and the Oakleys didn’t survive the celebration. Still, I felt like I got my money’s worth.
After that, I bought two pairs of Ray-Bans. One pair is aviators, and the other is a more casual style I use mostly for driving. Both were around $250, and I’ve had them for three or four years now. I like them, I wear them, and I haven’t lost or broken either one.
My wife is the exact opposite. She’s never paid more than $25 for a pair, always looks great, and never complains. And when she does lose a pair, her argument is simply “they were $25”.
So maybe the moral is: to each their own? For me, I’ve found that when I invest a little more, I value the product more and take better care of it. But I’m still not sure what the better move is.
What about you, Sandman Nation? Do you lean more toward cheap sunglasses, or are you all about the upgrade?
- Countdown to Camp
Football is by far my favorite sport, and I definitely feel a void in my sports life once the Super Bowl ends. That’s one reason I love the NFL Draft so much as it fills that gap and keeps the football juices flowing. Another key milestone comes in early to mid-June when the preseason college football magazines hit the shelves. I usually buy at least three or four and tear through them all quickly. Yes, I still buy the hard copies.
Now that we’re almost to July, I can practically taste the astroturf. We’re less than two months away from the start of college football, and NFL training camps kick off in just a few weeks. That’s when I know I’ll be okay. Real football is almost here.
My dad took me to a training camp when I was a kid, and I thought it was so cool. I’ve tried to keep that tradition going with my own children. We don’t go every single year, but we don’t miss many.
The Bengals really do a great job, as I’m sure other teams do too. I liked the old setup when they held camp in a small college town like Georgetown, Kentucky. There was just something quaint and charming about that.
But I’ll admit, having it downtown now is super convenient. You can get right up close to the field, hear the coaches, and see how the players interact. The team usually offers autographs after practice, and the players are friendly and gracious with the kids.
The only downside? Not a lot of shade. These practices are in late July and August, and it gets hot. Of course, they sell water and other refreshments, but it wouldn’t hurt to throw up a few tents or more misting stations. That’s my only complaint.
The Bengals open camp on July 23rd, and we’ll definitely be there this year. Cooper, my 11-year-old, can’t wait. He’ll make some memories, and I’ll have that feeling again. The feeling that football is back. And all will be right in the world.
- Amusement Park Power Rankings
I’ve always liked amusement parks. My bravery with roller coasters has ebbed and flowed over the years, but just being in the park brings me happiness. The rides, the sounds, the smells, the families, the smiles. I love all of it.
We’ve had Kings Island passes in the past for the whole family, but this summer we just got one for Cooper. Jamie and I didn’t get them, but he goes often with his friends and he’s having a blast.
That got me thinking about my favorite amusement parks over the years. A few caveats with this list:
- I’m not including Kings Island as I’m way too biased
- I’m not including Disney World, because I simply can’t stand it (and that probably deserves its own Six Pack column someday)
- I’m not including waterparks, although there are many great ones I’ve enjoyed
This is strictly about the traditional amusement park experience, including the rides, food, and atmosphere.
So here are my top five amusement parks I’ve actually been to:
5) Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington, TX)
I lived near there as a teenager and loved it. The Demon Drop was my favorite ride back then. Always scared the hell out of me, but it felt like a rite of passage.
4) Busch Gardens (Tampa Bay, FL)
It’s been a long time, but I remember it being a great mix of rides and not nearly as expensive or chaotic as some of the bigger parks. The lines weren’t bad either, which always helps.
3) Universal Studios Hollywood (Burbank, CA)
I’ve never been to the Florida version, but I’ve been to this one a few times. The rides are fun, but the real appeal for me was the movie geek stuff. Seeing the Psycho house, Back to the Future town square, and even Jaws was all pretty cool.
2) Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, TN)
I’ve always liked the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area, and Dollywood really surprised me. Good rides, good shows, and of course, plenty of country music. Just a fun, family-friendly vibe.
1) Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
This was the first amusement park I ever went to when I was three or four, and I’ve been back many times since. As much as I love Kings Island, Cedar Point is probably the better park. The setting on Lake Erie is cool, and they just keep cranking out new coasters every year. The lines can be brutal, but it always feels like a mini-vacation.
What about you, Sandman Nation? What are your favorite amusement parks? Got any hidden gems I should check out?
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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