Dome Pondering

This is easily the most anticipated series (and most expected?) for the New York Yankees. The two best teams during the regular season were expected to clash to determine American League prominence.  And yes, I agree that this upcoming series says a lot about the broken playoff structure in MLB. Allow me to step onto my soapbox for a mere moment... Up we go... I've never been a fan of the expansion to six teams per league. I understand that it keeps more markets in the playoff picture come September, and it is more revenue for all (likely, the biggest reason for the expansion). Still, all it did was create a scenario where division winners were at a disadvantage, and what we're getting here is the two best teams in the league facing off in a five-game series.  Ultimately, the Tampa Bay Rays, the top seed in the American League, are given the second-best record in their first-round, in a best-of-five?  None of this makes sense.  Stepping off now... Nonetheless, fellow...

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. The Cornell 7...and More There is quite a bit to unpack in this entire Cornell 7 ordeal.  The situation stayed on my mind all week, most notably watching and absorbing how many react or express their reactions to the situation. Needless to say, part of that unpacking has been the social reaction, the political interference around it (because, isn't there always?), and overall, how someone like myself who works in higher education and has had my fair share of experiences with students and these kinds of reports is dealing with it.  So yeah, there is lots to unpack.  Ultimately, in reducing it all to succinct thoughts for this Rundown post, it's this: collectively, we're all raising terrible men, and higher education institutions need to be better. And so does society at large. Special...

And we're back with another one of these read-along series. It wasn't too long ago that I found myself writing every other night as my Knicks marched their way to an NBA Championship.  Man, that still feels so good to indulge in.  But here we are on a similar journey for the Yankees.  Call me crazy, but I'm just not buying that the World Series is confirmed for anyone. Baseball has been weird all year, and part of said weirdness has been the parity, or dreadfulness - however you want to look at it - around MLB. In my opinion, the Yankees' pitching depth gives them a legit chance.  And with a lockout looming, 2027 might not present another chance. Why you gotta go there, man? I'm just saying... --- Game 1 Yankees d. Red Sox, 9-0 (Yankees lead Series, 1-0) Cam Schlittler is amazing. I sat on my sofa last year in Game 3 of the Wild Card between these two very rivaled teams and it felt like that dude was the best pitcher in the world. For the moment and game, it just fe...

I sat with this one for the full 7 minutes until the R train arrived. 

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. Verlander's Finale There's something beautiful about baseball retirements. The curtain call, the last game scenario, and even the final walk off the mound. The game is beautiful like that in many ways.  Justin Verlander finally decided to call it a career in 2026. This weekend he made his final start in a Detroit Tigers uniform that defined his career. A sure first-ballot Hall of Famer, Verlander stood atop a mound and broke down into tears as his daughter ran out of the dugout toward her dad with a huge hug.  In that moment, his career, while amazing, felt like the background to this amazing moment, which felt bigger than just a celebration of Justin Verlander, the Hall of Fame pitcher.  In that moment, I think every dad identified not so much with throwing 100mph and having electric st...

Today, September 24, 2026, marks the 15th wedding anniversary for my wife and I. Damn, son! 15 years!  Yeah, 15 years. [enter subtle disbelief reaction] It's actually been 21 years if we're counting the dating years. (Yes, we got married the same day we started dating, all aligned!) On this 15th anniversary - and even more so as I creep along into my 40s - I find myself appreciating the journey of life thus far. More specifically, I'm enthralled with the collection of individual seasons that brought my wife and me to this point - 21 years together.  The overwhelming thought that threads through all of those different seasons for me is that I've been so incredibly lucky and fortunate to have had someone to share this life on earth with. At this stage in life, we've each been together for more than half of our existence which is another odd understanding to come to grips with. Over that time, we've each been different versions of ourselves, and have lived through ...

Who is in your room?

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. Gas Prices Up and Up and Up.  It feels like these prices just continue to make life expensive and worrisome in so many ways. If it's not the price of our usual weekly trip, it's the sky-high cost of diesel that is affecting the cost of goods.  Yeah, I'm complaining. Aren't you as well? White House Press Ban Is it me, or is this as random as it comes from this administration?  Look, there are not a lot of things going well, especially as midterms approach. Maybe you might differ. I really value the insight and opinions of those enjoying the current landscape shaped by our political leaders.  But suddenly banning networks feels not only unconstitutional; it just feels like a misdirection.  Hey, look over here at this...not this, and this, and maybe that!  Also, it feels tiring. ...

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. 25th Anniversary of 9/11 It is sort of hard to imagine that it has been twenty-five years since that awful day. It's been fifteen years since I've shared my experience as a High Schooler in Brooklyn, NY , and everything that came with that day (and the many to follow afterwards).  The world changed, and to this day, it still feels hard to grasp what happened (and what transpired with the health of so many afterwards). The lives lost, and the damage done. My son learned about 9/11, and his questions around it ignite some of that struggle with thought around it.  Daddy, how did they get the planes?  Did the building just, like, fall over?  On this 25th anniversary, it is even more concerning to see how the day is also politicized and sometimes weaponized in culture wars. I remember Americ...

Stay out of other people's cages. 

We try, don't we? 

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. Chandika Shrestha I found so much of this story this week to be fascinating. Chandika Shrestha, a 64-year-old woman, was found alive - ALIVE! - after ten days below a collapsed house among the Nepal flood wreckage. The human spirit element and the sheer will to survive, combined with what can only be divine intervention. So much there to the spirit of life and an unexplainable reasoning.  Western Michigan vs. Michigan Ending Look, I'm as casual as they come when it comes to the college football space, culture, and fandom.  Nonetheless, somehow, I found myself (with my wife - who has about 3,485 things she would rather do before watching football) watching the final five minutes of this game on Saturday night. Little did we realize what we would witness.  I have no dog in the fight. But I fe...

I came across this recent poll , and it triggered a lot. What heightens this so much is the timing of it all, as I prepare to welcome the Class of 2030 (I know...insane, right?) to campus as a student-affairs practitioner. As the days whiz by regarding on-campus move-in day, new student orientation, and so many transitional moments for higher education students, I've also found my inbox at work slowly being taken over by, yes...parents.  Over the past couple of years, I've experienced a steady increase in parental participation in student life. This summer has been particularly significant, with a stark rise in parents asking questions and seeking answers regarding on-campus life - not the incoming students. Most of my emails before classes began have been from parents asking about student expectations.  And yes, part of that is due to the current distrust in the higher education space.  I get that.  Nonetheless, the recent findings from this poll have started to f...

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. Nepal Floods The videos were incredible. It almost seemed too impressive to be real. A.I. maybe?  Nonetheless, everything we saw was legit. And in wrapping my mind around the authenticity of the scenes in those videos of the waves just crashing over towns...my mind knows those people had no shot. And my heart simply breaks for the country and people of Nepal.  I simply cannot fathom the devastation, despair, and emotions for those in Nepal.  Dolly Parton I wouldn't consider myself the biggest Parton fan. I appreciated her music, and my kids are beneficiaries of the amazing program, Imagination Library . However, in all of her tributes and reflections on her life this week, a continued and true selfless theme resonated. Dolly cared, contributed, and served. And it genuinely feels, even in lea...

How much time do you give away, meaninglessly? How much time do you steal, with clarity? 

Lay it on thick. 

Lockdown turned into a really fun show for me. And that always was the case when the event was a normal thing. It's had its historic clunkiness (electric cage match anyone?), but that's pro wrestling, baby! But seriously, Lockdown didn't feel like much until the last few weeks. Maybe it was the creative change, but the show came about with a strong undercard over several weeks carried (in my opinion) by Mustafa Ali vs. Jason Hotch and Cedric Alexander vs. Leon Slater. The main event felt more so on name value than storyline, but that didn't carry too much through the night.  For me, the main event of this was always Mustafa Ali vs. Jason Hotch, and that did not disappoint.   --- Random Tidbits Lots of "cage" talk going into this one, and quite honestly, it was warranted. TNA went years - YEARS! - without a cage match, likely for budgeting and logistical reasons. We saw a really rough-looking cage before TNA gave us an updated version that also served as a nod ...

The Sunday Sundown Rundown (formerly in the format of "3 Up and 3 Down") is where I share thoughts on three topics that piqued my interest, along with my favorite photo from the week. Tariffs, Eh? Look, I'm not an economist. However, from every reliable and credible economist I've sought reactions from, it seems that these tariffs aren't exactly the kind of policy that provides a foundation for a stable economy. Again, that's non-partisan, unbiased stuff.  Now, we're in a trade war with our neighbor, which sounds as ridiculous as it probably is. We once had free trade - FREEEEEEEE! - and here we are, bartering and retaliating with tariff sanctions against Canada. Huh? Someone help me? Seriously. How does this help us?! WNBA Smackdown? I'm a fan of the WNBA. Have been for a long time. I love hoops. However, the recent landscape of the WNBA has gone bonkers. And much of it is the league's responsibility. From the incredibly unprofessional press confe...

Slowing down, to recognize the burden of others not visibly clear.  Take my pace, as peace and hope, for your  win. 

What is it about? The dramatic story of Emmett Till's murder in 1955, more so from the perspective of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Who is in it? Danielle Deadwyler - Mamie Till-Mobley Sean Patrick Thomas - Gene Mobley Favorite Scene: Mamie finally confronts Moses about that fateful night and the choices he had to make.  Favorite Quote: "I know what the verdict is." Review: Till is a remarkable film.  Films like this aren't easy to make, easy to consume, nor easy to provide entertaining and historical insight that we didn't have before. In the case of Till, it nailed all three.  The story of Emmett Till will always be a difficult one for this nation to relive, yet it must be done. What makes this film so incredibly special is that it provided the perspective of Mamie Till-Mobley. As much as you learn about Emmett Till in your High School history class, or research on your own, this perspective was not one that I've ever encountered. I'm so incredibly grat...

Here are a few aesthetic inspos that caught my eye and intrigued me this month.  --- Caitlin 1 Basketball Shoes Caitlin Clark and Nike finally dropped her signature shoe, and it was a great debut. I love the little Cs in the texture of the shoe. The original blue colorway was a great drop, but the "Purple" (creative title, huh?) colorways are awesome. Every great signature shoe line is all about how you follow up the initial version; Caitlin 2s should be interesting.  Philadelphia Phillies Field of Dreams Uniform I've grown fond of the annual game. The uniforms have also become a part of that experience. This year's Phillies threads have to be up there if we're ranking all six teams to have participated. These were dope.  Josh Naylor's Diamond Studded Space Jam Jordan 11s Josh Naylor can annoy a lot of opposing fan bases, but you have to respect the dude's shoe game. These right here? On the baseball field? Fire.  New York Jets White-Helmets The Jets lose ...