Dome Pondering

The NBA alerts on my phone were heavy. Bam Scorhing Hot in 1st Half. Scores 41! Bam Goes for 60!  70 for Adebayo!  83 Points for Bam on Historic Night!  It all felt, well, surreal. My immediate thoughts were, "Who are they playing? The Wizards? The Nets? Ahhh, the Wizards.  But, 83? What?! I didn't see the game. I won't pretend to have. Often lost in sports is the context and overall feel for the night. If  Bam were a Knick, and I was watching, in the building, or following along, I too would want him to go for every bit he could have.  I still remember Melo's 62. Everything about that night, right down to the triggering thought of Ellie Goulding's "Burn" , which was the featured song on Friday Night Knicks. January 24, 2014.  If I even hear that song in the waiting room at the Dentist's office, I'm thinking of Melo's bender for 62.  You're weird, man.  There were others as well - Randle's 57 before he burned out, and Jalen Brunson...

It's so loud within my head with the words I've never said Should have said Would have said It's so silent around me as I resist the many forces I've never met Should have met Will never meet

War The obvious is on my mind because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, unlike last week, my thoughts were less about the idea of the world burning before us as we all fight within it, and more about the real-life consequences of our decisions.  Just this week, we've learned of innocent little girls dying in the attacks. The images of children playing among missiles and other war-torn damage. The many soldiers, including now a few of our own here in America, who served and won't return home. And yet, the threats continue from all sides. I thought about human life a lot this week. I think about how we've become desensitized, so drastically, to the fragility, or even the specialness, that it is.  War! Huuuhh! Yeahh...What is it good for... The Beauty of Baseball The World Baseball Classic started this week, and it continues to be a favorite sporting event of mine. It's so wacky. It's so pure. It captures the beauty of baseball that isn't express...

I don't believe my own hype. But I trust my own worth. 

War It's been a week.  Yet here we are in the middle of a potential war with Iran. This is in addition to the many world conflicts around the globe - The Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gaza Strip, Pakistan v. Afghanistan, Ukraine, and more.  I won't attempt to understand it all the way our society has become known to do through the many voices amplified on social media and news cycles. What I do know is the feeling that this millennial remembers when "War" became active following 9/11. Unrest. Uneasiness. The world right now feels like it's burning. We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Those were the words from President Trump as three United States soldiers died today.  Again, unrest. Uneasiness.  2026 State of the Union Address I didn't have my usual post in review because, well, the SOTU felt little...

Adjust your volume. Is fear   louder in your ear,  than the voice of the spirit ,  in your heart?

Let me just start this post by saying this: I still love watching college basketball. I love hoops in general. It gets me through the winter. However, I'll be telling non-truths if I said I watch it, and most importantly, feel towards it, the way I used to. The product connects and hits in a different way for me because of the lack of essence of what I believe the level should be about.  Again, repeating for the quick, can't wait to troll or react individuals out there - WHAT I BELIEVE the level should be about.  Nonetheless, as we gear up for tournament time, here is the latest Pondering 10 on my takes regarding College Hoops.  --- 10. Gambling and Credibility The basketball tournaments - men and women - are a great concept, and have always been. It makes a ton of money and also helps institution members within the NCAA. However, we've been down the road of shaving scandals in college athletics before. With the landscape about money, more so than ever, it's not easy to...

Olympic Hockey Teams Hockey took the nation by storm this week as both the men's and women's teams brought home gold medals. I echoed last year with the run the United States Men's and Women's basketball teams had, but there really is a unifying front for these teams on the Olympic stage. As divided as we currently are, it's these kinds of moments, these kinds of runs, where we all feel, even for just a few moments, American.  Really cool stuff, and really cool vibes this week.  Congrats to the many other United States athletes who performed on the Winter Games' big stage.  I'm going to miss the odd effects of watching curling... Laila Edwards I know we're supposed to live in this society where we're now suppressing race, or various identities, in how we perceive or recognize people, moments, and history.  Even from that lens, today's non-DEI scope, it was difficult for me not to feel the moment Laila Edwards became the first Black woman to win a...

There can be a lot of pointless discussion in sports today. I find the one spearheaded by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the league's "tanking" issue intriguing.  Every league somewhat deals with "rebuilding" strategies of its teams, often, which can be drastic enough that it is obvious winning isn't a priority within said strategy.  This discussion isn't new.  This problem isn't new.  It certainly has evolved over the years. And in a time where each league and its overall product are competing with other entertainment entities and devices for engagement, in addition to the constant discourse, criticism, and oversight that is social media, sports discussion, and fandom, we've reached this point.  In the old days, it was just sort of an understanding among partners in terms of behavior. I think what we're seeing is modern analytics where it's so clear that the incentives are misaligned. Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than ...

Sunday Sundown Rundown returns! Going forward, I'll be sharing thoughts and ponderings in a format of three simple thoughts, opposed to the former "3 Up, 3 Down" of the past.   Mother of Savannah Guthrie I haven't been closely following the developments. I've checked in here and there, mostly hoping that this horrific story comes to an end. I simply continue to sympathize with concern, as not only are the emotions of having one's mother kidnapped for ransom more than enough to bear, but to have it played out publicly, before the nation, helplessly, is an unfathomable reality to understand. And of course, as all things in this culture, the story has been manipulated, pulled apart, and coerced into political representations that are not true, or at the very worst, worthy of discussion considering that someone's life - a person's mother - is at stake.  Winter Olympics It's not my favorite. Summer Olympics are my jam. Nonetheless, this Winter Olympics...