Friday Faves 8/14: Last Chance U, Rolling Stone, Cancel Culture, Cookies, and Daily Serving

There’s a new feeling that sweeps through my body once or twice a day. It’s the feeling that in three, four, five, even six months, we will be having the same conversations about the coronavirus in this country. Maybe it’s the wave of issues that schools are having right now as some schools reopen and then deal with a spike in cases (remember when “spike” was a word that provoked images of football and Gronk… those were the days…).

A friend of mine who is also a teacher would often lament on the “want vs need” of middle school students. It was exhausting trying to coach kids to see what they need versus what they want. Over the last 5 months in this country, we have suddenly seen that this isn’t an adolescent issue, it’s an American issue.

People “needed” summer and they “needed” bars to open and they “needed” to hop on a cheap flight and they “needed” to bitch about wearing a mask and staying in their home. All of this need has now left us, in August, seeing numbers in our country going up and debates about the safety of our schools. Suddenly, we need our kids to go back to school, but too many people put their wants in front of the needs of millions of kids and teachers. Now we’re paying the piper, again.

The fact that we are having a harried discussion now about the reopening of schools means it simply wasn’t a priority when schools closed in earnest in March. This is insanity especially when we consider the wealth of services that schools provide to so many kids, particularly the high-risk students who need food, counseling, and educational support. The messaging in March and April should have been based on August’s return to school. Instead, we focused on the return of sport and when we can go on vacation and sit at a bar again.

With all of this going on, in the face of an upcoming election, it just feels nearly impossible right now to picture a time in the near, or far, future where Tiff and I can go to the movies, attend a concert, or cheer for the Celtics in person. Those are the big things that I don’t “need”; I “want” them.

Marty Walsh announced the close of Boston Schools on Friday, March 13 (let the superstition wash over you….). Five months have passed and it’s now August 14. Five months from now is January 14; an election (and hopefully the results…), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day are all closer than they appear. And it makes me sad to think about families all over this country managing a pandemic during the holidays, especially if we’re looking at other countries that might be able to celebrate in “normal” ways.

Best Watch

Last Chance U - The junior college docuseries about football has been back for a couple weeks now and it’s exceptional, again. We have left Independence Community College and coach Brown and are now embedded at Laney Community College in Oakland, CA. Coach Beam is a hard ass too, but it’s different. The entire vibe is different, in the California Community College system, students are given no housing, so the players are driving hours a day to get to and from Laney. Some sleep in their cars and have jobs just to make ends meet. Being in a big(ish) city also means no insane locals who live and die with the Laney Eagles (they have the A’s, Giants, Warriors, and 49ers do worry about).

There was always a discomfort watching Last Chance U because of the gaping educational gap the show exposes. It’s even more clear now in light of the racial unrest this summer. So many of the athletes are young black men who are just barely holding on and if they lose football, they will lose so much of their identity. Dior is my all-time favorite character, just an outstanding, hardworking kid that any coach would love.

Best Read

“The Unraveling of America” - I’ll just leave you with this paragraph in hope you click and read the rest…. “For the first time, the international community felt compelled to send disaster relief to Washington. For more than two centuries, reported the Irish Times, ‘the United States has stirred a very wide range of feelings in the rest of the world: love and hatred, fear and hope, envy and contempt, awe and anger. But there is one emotion that has never been directed towards the U.S. until now: pity.’ As American doctors and nurses eagerly awaited emergency airlifts of basic supplies from China, the hinge of history opened to the Asian century.” - Rolling Stone

Brooks Koepka Interview - Eamon Lynch managed to get pro golfer and, in some minds, resident jerk, Brooks Koepka on the phone following his Sunday meltdown at the PGA Championship and his shit-stirring and trash talking behind the mic on Saturday night. Golf.com

Best Listen

The Daily - This NYTimes pod is a solid listen. I generally pick and choose the ones I listen to, but really enjoyed the 2-part series they did on Cancel Culture.

Best Eat

Tate’s Butter Crunch cookies - Tate’s makes some very good cookies, I’ve always been a butter crunch/toffee fan and their version of this cookie is delightful. They’re small and crunchy, which isn’t always my favorite, but these ones win out. They’re in most grocery stores, check them out!

Best Drink

Trillium’s Daily Serving - Gotta be honest, not sure if this is one I’ve put here before, but it’s a delicious beer smoothie. The low alcohol and juicy flavors are all delicious. Our friends picked up the cherry, boysenberry, and mango flavors for us this weekend. They really do just taste like juice. A great sharable drink, 8oz a piece and you’re sure to refreshed.

Civil Society Brewing’s FRESH - I am enjoying the “order alcohol with your takeout order” thing that’s going on. The prices are cheaper than paying at the bar, and our favorite local spot has some off the radar beers every day. Civil Society is from Jupiter, FL and I really liked FRESH. It’s an IPA with some fruity flavor and it’s very drinkable. Summery more than hoppy, and it pairs well with a grill on a summer night.

Best Plug

Playing Every Course in Massachusetts - I played Concord Country Club last Friday and Saturday. I wrote about my 24 years of playing at CCC, read it here.

I also ventured up to Saugus to play a rinky-dink 9-holer called Cedar Glen on Thursday for my 13th round. You can visit “Golf in Mass” to read about my experience playing each course. I’ll also be posting pictures on instagram and Twitter, too.

There are many ways to get from the first hole to the eighteenth hole, I rank my favorite ways to enjoy a golf course.

The Imperfect Game - The Imperfect Game - Fulham F.C. earned promotion back into the Premier League last week. Naturally, Both and I thought we should celebrate by digging into the history of the club. Special guest Brice joined us this week. He’s a Fulham fan and played for me back in my coaching days. Spotify.