Dome Pondering

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. Justice for Javits I learned of the murder of this young man from Ghana late this week, and it instantly gripped me. Actually, it broke my heart. As the son of two immigrants, I fully understand the story, and have seen firsthand the bullying that can happen to those trying to assimilate - ironically, as some demand.  As a father, listening to his father speak to the media - bravely, through his emotions - furthered the story for me. What are we doing in our society? How can 15-year-old boys have guns and the hearts to chase another down and murder him?  It is stories like this one where I feel like we've lost our compassion for one another, and we've lost the value of life among mankind.  It won't bring Javits back, but he deserves justice. Expecting Fan Bases The Milwaukee Brewers...

Great Power. Great Responsibility.  Happy Halloween. 

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. DIII Scholarships? Just when you think college sports couldn't get any more well...messed up, we now get this latest development. The NCAA was served with an antitrust suit over its rules of DIII athletics not allowing scholarships.  In a world where this is allowed, we could see so many D3 schools quit athletics altogether. Only a small percentage of DI athletics are profitable. Are we really expecting DIII schools that are just trying to navigate the current higher education climate to now enter the scholarship space for athletics? For DIII, non-revenue-generating athletics? I'm sorry. As a former DIII student-athlete who competed in those DIII spaces, this is absurd.  We have truly lost the plot on sports at so many levels.  Barack is Back The former President is back on the campaign...

Hoops are back, and I have to be honest...I haven't come down from that blue-and-orange cloud that soared to glorious heights on June 13, 2026.  The Knicks are the 2025-2026 NBA Champions! Still sounds amazing. But...apparently we have to turn the page. Whyyyyyyy? I wanna live in the summer of 2026 forever!  It's a new NBA season, and with this Knicks championship, I'll soon discover what life is like on the other side of seeing the Larry O'Brien trophy hoisted by my team, and also, would I care the first time the Knicks drop three in a row? Also, the thought of...ummmm, back-to-back championships?!!! I'm not ready for that. Nope. Not at all. For now, let's get back to some normalcy. The following are my predictions and wild guesses for the 2026-2027 NBA Season.  --- EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF TEAMS 1. Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29) 2. New York Knicks (52-27) 3. Detroit Pistons (50-32) 4. Philadelphia 76ers (48-34) 5. Indiana Pacers (46-36) 6. Toronto Raptors (46-3...

Cheers to lessons learned and the blind spots revealed when you see  an updated reflection of yourself from others.

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. Another School Shooting...This time in Oregon Another elementary school shooting , and it feels like we all are good with just moving on.  Even worse, the shooter is a 16-year-old former student.  What. Are. We. Doing?  Privileged Platforms There is sooooooooo much to unpack from this entire Kelly Clarkson vs. Art of Play, a Brooklyn Art Store from this week. Feel free to catch up on the shenanigans at your own risk.  What is shocking to me is the rapid rate of which followers of a celebrity can attack a business (or others) at the whim of a social media post. And more so, how much of a subtle and simple interaction can change the lives of so many. And that is regardless of whose side you are taking in this mess.  I find myself having empathy for the everyday worker at that store,...

We're a week into the era of Leon Slater as TNA World Champion, and I find myself fixated on it. Leon Slater, and everything he is and represents, is a fascinating situation for TNA, pro wrestling fans, and the professional wrestling industry.  Forget for a moment the day-to-day talk and discussion of booking, wrestler movement, criticism, and who should be doing what and how; Leon Slater is a bundle of so much that is right with the pro wrestling business today. He is truly a mantle for an evolution that is the antithesis of what it has been in the traditional value of talent - being over, being ready, and allowing years of growth.  Let me explain some of these ponderings I'm wrestling with... Slater is Generational Too often, we've thrown the moniker around - generational. We have stamped far too many wrestlers with it, even more so today, liberally and oftentimes, prematurely. Despite the watered-down use, I have yet to see anyone dispute or argue against the idea that S...

Parked greatness. 

It's the biggest TNA show of the year!  Or so they say. I've been fighting that moniker for years (hello: Slammiversary), but you know what, I think we're too far in. They say it's the biggest show, so I guess it must be so, right? That said, if this is the biggest show of the year, like Slammiversary, I definitely didn't "feel" the anticipation or aura around Bound For Glory. So many of the storylines and matches leading into this event felt rushed, or at best, incomplete. It's been a trend all year, honestly. And it's an interesting one considering the deletion (deletionnnnnnn - ahhhh!) of the TNA-plus specials.  We can push aside the Order 4 drama, as that has been the best thing going for TNA all year. That felt like the biggest match going into this event, and rightfully so.  Everything else felt like there just could have been more.  Ah well... Some quick thoughts and ponderings below: Random Tidbits: Okay, okay, okay...I always complain abou...