My dad always used to talk about Muhammad Ali, and the way he was the biggest thing in the world of sports. I have watched most of the fights, and recognize the social impact he had as well and I would just love to see him fight Tyson one time. He also had Jack Nicklaus to enjoy for all of those majors on Sundays and I don’t want to discount him. I just want to take a look at my two, that I’ve been so lucky to have witnessed. I have seen no greater in my existence in sports than Tiger Woods and LeBron James. Nobody has made my sports life better than these two phenoms.

I have been a golf nerd for my entire life, so I was the only grade schooler I knew watching Tiger Woods win amateur title after amateur title whenever it was on television. I knew I would never play like him, but he was mesmerizing to watch from the very beginning. Early on with the Nike sponsorship and campaigns I remember my mom saying that one of her students after significant improvement and killing a test, turned it over and wrote, ‘I am Tiger Woods’ on the back from the ads. There has never been a greater democratization of the game of golf than when Tiger made everyone want to play.

My high school went to state one of the years that LeBron and company were also involved, and I remember watching their game from the hotel in the morning before ours. He has also been there for me throughout my life, and I want to dispel something that has been a lifelong stain on our sports history as a fellow Ohioan. There was a hatred for LeBron among Ohio people that I never felt when he left, and it was totally unjustified. Jesse Owens to Jim Brown to LeBron James we should feel lucky to have had any of these legends in Ohio, and LeBron has never, and will never, owe you anything. Enjoy that title Dan Gilbert, you don’t deserve it, and you can shove that letter you wrote up your ignorant ass.

The 1997 Masters win by Tiger was indescribably inspiring, seeing a black man dominate and infuriate a stuck up white sport was that revolutionary moment that is only possible in sports. This couldn’t be more personified than by the real time reaction by fellow player Fuzzy Zoeller at the event, ‘You know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it.’ Tiger won by 12 strokes that year and that’s the biggest middle finger you could give all the racists, Radio Raheem would be proud.

I was in Paris when I opened my laptop and saw the news of ‘The Decision.’ I couldn’t have been happier for him to go and play with his friend Wade, and ‘go to college’ as he described it. Those four years in Miami were so much fun to watch, and I don’t wanna hear about some Ray Allen bailout 3, LeBron was that team. Erik Spoelstra may have had the greatest juggling act in NBA history dealing with that group, but he deserves credit too, and is very likable. In the end I just wish they would have won all four years, but I don’t fault LeBron for a thing.

The 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines win, for me, is one of the most heroic victories in all of sport. I would put it up there with Jesse Owens sticking it to Hitler at the Olympics, or the, ‘do you believe in miracles? Yes!’ hockey victory over the Soviets. Tiger walking the long south course with a broken leg to win on arguably golf’s toughest test of the year was heroic. He birdied the final hole on Sunday to force a playoff, meaning he would have to walk another 18 holes on the broken leg to win it on Monday. This was simply a testament to his will to do anything to win, and what any athlete should strive for.

Then last night, LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all time scoring leader with a shot that was eerily reminiscent, from the same spot, of Jordan’s game winner against the Jazz in 1998. There is an argument about all time players to be had, it’s LeBron for me, the fact that he now has the most points ever in the game when he spent most of his career not being a points chaser is astonishing. It’s been a joy to watch these two legends, and seeing them beat Steph Curry and Phil Michelson has been an absolute joy.

“Your old road is rapidly agin’, please get out of the new one, if you can’t lend your hand, for the times they are a-changin.’ 1964, before the moon landing, before Vietnam, Bob Dylan was a musical and lyrical genius and I just want to highlight a few lyrics that over the years have meant something to me. ‘Hurricane’ being another Dylan classic I can’t pass by that ends tragically with, ‘Yes, that’s the story of the Hurricane, but it won’t be over ’til they clear his name, and give him back the time he’s done, put in a prison cell, but one time he coulda been, the champion of the world.’

When you hear that acoustic guitar intro come in on, ‘More Than a Feeling’ I don’t know how you don’t turn up the volume involuntarily. Such an amazing rock song with a memorable guitar solo, but for all the happy sounding chords it’s actually sad, ‘When I’m tired and thinking cold, I hide in my music, forget the day, and dream of a girl I used to know, I closed my eyes and she slipped away.’ The one that got away might be a trope, but it’s not untrue. Boston didn’t leave a mis-spent note on this song, and it’s a great one to wake up to.

The iconic intro to, ‘Wonderwall’ is unmistakable and catchy and beautiful. Whoever Noel Gallagher was writing this song to must have been the MVP of womanhood. The guitar is amazing, but I challenge anyone in my generation to find more romantic lyrics than, ‘because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me, and after all, you’re my wonderwall.’ I know it’s a cliche, but I never tire of playing this song on guitar. The composition is perfection like the film, ‘Casablanca’ and I will enjoy strumming this one to death until my passing.

That guitar intro to, ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ is just something else. From the first second, you are immersed in one of the greatest rock songs of all time. It’s the passionate, protective lyric that makes the song though (in addition to Slash’s fantastic wah-wah solo) ‘She’s got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain, I’d hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain.’ That first album was fantastic, and I’m not a fan of them, but this song was a masterpiece. I’ll never be able to play like Slash, but I hope I can write something this meaningful someday.

Catchy guitar intros seem to be a theme here, so Incubus’ ‘Drive’ is no surprise. Their first big hit in the late nineties definitely resonated with me, and Brandon Boyd’s voice and lyrics were unforgettable. ‘Whatever tomorrow brings I’ll be there, with open arms and open eyes yeah.’ How can you not love that? Forget Mike Einziger’s warming acoustic guitar, forget the rest of the song, how can you argue with that line?! They might not have topped this track throughout their career, but I’m so glad they made this one when they did, and you should be too.

I could have picked about five for Foo Fighters, but this is the obvious and forever one. ‘Everlong’ is their best song, and best lyric that Dave Grohl has in his deep catalog of classic ones. ‘If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever be this good again, the only thing I’ll ever ask of you, you’ve got to promise not to stop when I say when.’ You know what, I’m going to extend this paragraph because, ‘Times Like These’ deserves the recognition too. ‘It’s times like these you learn to live again, it’s times like these you give and give again, it’s times like these you learn to love again, it’s times like these time and time again.’ I know great musicians will keep giving me lyrics to fawn about, so play on.

‘If music be the food of love, play on.’ That’s the Shakespeare quote I would have used for the original iPod campaign that sold me, and it may have worked on a billboard. They used the iconic song, ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ from the album ‘Get Born’ by the Australian band Jet. I think they made the right choice, because my love of music drove me to spend way too much money on that original iPod generation 3. My thought was, ‘you can put how many songs on there?’ And also, it was the Marilyn Monroe of mp3 players, the clicker wheel, the music game they put on there where you got points based on how quickly you could recognize songs from your library, ‘Some Like it Hot.’

I built PCs with my friends in high school like it was a second job, so any thought of an Apple product back then for any of us was the equivalent of sacrilege. Since we were in Catholic school at the time, that was two counts of sacrilege against me in the same institutional group. When we were all deciding to get our laptops for college, I was incredibly lucky, because Apple had just decided to put Intel processors in their new MacBook. That meant, I could put windows on it too, and hedge my bets. Bet your life I got the most out of that first MacBook and all the creativity possibilities it provided.

After College, after probably some irresponsible ONU student left an iPod Mini at one of the parties, nobody else wanted it so I claimed it. I put a playlist on there from my iTunes and gave it to my young cousin, son of my coolest uncle. Thinking about it now he was so young that when he wrote me a thank you note, it was on three line paper. He said he really liked, ‘More Than a Feeling.’ Recently I found he still has that collection of songs, and without that first inclination to get an iPod, how would that be possible?

There are a lot of conversations about Steve Jobs to be had, I don’t want to get into the weeds about it though, because he was the visionary who made these products happen. Personally, as a nerd, I would give Wozniak far more credit. I say that, like I would give the left tackle credit for making that quarterback’s pass possible. They are in the same band, and The Rolling Stones don’t exist without both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Then came the iPhone, I remember when my cousin had the first one on AT&T because that ancient behemoth somehow secured exclusivity. I got the iPhone 4 as soon as I could when that barbaric arrangement was over. First smartphone, only smartphone. I don’t want to use a marketing slogan because I know the tech, but, ‘It Just Works.’ That’s why I got my parents on the platform, with an iMac almost ten years ago, and the number of tech support calls dropped off considerably.

I achieved what Steve Jobs was dreaming about though, my 110 GB music library in my pocket on my iPhone. Playing guitar into my Mac Mini and recording songs into the abyss. Listening to music based on the shape of my ear with my AirPods Pro like I’ve never heard it before. Typing this sentence on my latest MacBook, something I couldn’t live without since 2006. So when you say Apple is too expensive, or inferior, I don’t need a Jet song to tell you, ‘Think Different.’

‘They haven’t made anything good since Dookie.’ If I had a dime for every time I heard this ignorant trope of the musically stunted I would buy even more Manchester United attire. Not only is this statement untrue, it is laughable in its simplistic absurdity. The Dookie album was no doubt one of the highlights of the 90s with unforgettable classics like, ‘Basket Case’ ‘When I Come Around’ and ‘Welcome to Paradise’ among others. However, one album does not a great band make.

If you need any further testament to the fact that Green Day is in fact a great band, please allow me to evangelize. In 2004, mathematically ten years after Dookie and disproving idiotic claims, ‘American Idiot’ was released to be one of the first seminal albums to Millennials. I was in high school at the time, and this thing was everywhere, uniting all manner of youth across clique lines and something that was palpable socially in a way that only music can be.

For context, it was released in September leading up to the 2004 Bush/Kerry election, and in addition to being a generation defining album it was also one of our first protest statements. The title track screams: ‘Don’t wanna be an American idiot, don’t want a nation under the new media!’ This couldn’t have been more pertinent at the time when Fox News was exploding with Bill O’Riley leading the nauseating march to bring America back to the 1950s Levittown he grew up in. Ah, Levittown, a Long Island residential community with a clause allowing occupancy only to members of the caucasian race.

The title track was amazing, but where this album got its teeth was when ‘Holiday’ became our generation’s ‘Fortunate Son.’ ‘Oh I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies, this is the dawning of the rest of our lives, on holiday!’ With Iraq and Afghanistan flooding every television moment this song spoke to the collective rage against Bush’s flag waving, stay the course, post 9/11 hysteria. I hope George can live with himself, it’s nice that he’s painting now, just like Hitler did.

‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ was another classic that didn’t seem to get old despite radio overplay. I attribute its success to the fact that it is the same chord progression as Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall.’ This was something that Noel Gallagher pointed out jokingly in an interview at the time, but was spot on. The next time you hear someone disparage Green Day for whatever reason, please make a point to tell them ‘Good Riddance.’

I’m not just saying this because I’m dating someone in Chicago, I’m not just saying this because it’s a mind numbingly visual famine of a drive: Indiana sucks. It is as if all intellectual progress stops at the border and doesn’t continue until you pass into one of the bordering states, and keep in mind, one of those is fucking Kentucky.

My route is what I would refer to as connecting the ear-rings of the Midwest, Columbus to Chicago. On the way I was reminded very boldly on a large sign in a farm field that, ‘Jesus is Real.’ Another billboard had a big crossed out circle over the traditional image of the evolutionary progression of species. When I say there were five more evangelical atrocities on my interstate journey, they didn’t get smarter than those.

Let me bite my tongue for a moment, because I have passed by the Purdue University exit 4 times now and stopped once. I have a lot of respect for this institution as I do for Indiana University, but this was my stop: The Wendy’s freestyle machine that has worked everywhere else I’ve ever been, was almost nonfunctional, and the employees said that it was because of the internet speed, in 2022.

When you enter the state you are greeted with: Indiana, ‘The Crossroads of America.’ Except this isn’t the crossroads where you sell your soul to the devil for amazing guitar skills, it’s the crossroads where you get bombarded with bigotry end to end. As soon as you cross the border it is evident that the roads are paved with some sort of inferior asphalt that makes the road noise unbearable. Crank the volume for those Indiana boys on them shitty Indiana nights.

What more can I expect from the state that gave us Mike Pence? What more can I expect from a state where at one point 30% of the male population were members of the Ku Klux Klan? I’m half surprised I didn’t have to present my birth certificate and bible at the border, but I digress. Though I drive through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no hoosier, for you are with me; thy Diet Coke and thy Apple Music comfort me. -Psalm 23:4

As a two time Obama voter and graduate of the Great Recession, I want to give a little perspective on the dream and the reality. America needs a change we can believe in, again. I am grateful for the political band-aid that Joe Biden has put on a fascist-insurrectionist wound, but we need to move toward a more perfect union together.

I don’t agree with all of Bernie Sanders’ ideals, but the only way we can move forward toward a better, more equitable society, is to support more collectivist policies for all Americans. This is coming naturally from more workers trying to unionize, which they absolutely should, but also needs to come from the rest of us millennials who are finally starting to vote.

I think in this new era, we need to demand at minimum a public option on health care, and a system of federally funded community colleges and trade schools for any who wish to attend. No more lip service to the people who scratch and claw for economic security.

It might also be a good idea to turn the green new deal dream into an economical housing new deal. Something for red and blue states and to end homelessness, and promote home ownership. I don’t need to tell you this is unrealistic, it is. Although, when you consider the absurdities of the right and what has happened with the supreme court, let me be clear…it’s up to us.

It’s my favorite Jimmy Eat World song and the year we are now embarking on as a species, and we have a lot on our plate. There is a line in the song that brings me back to my secular-humanist core, “I won’t always love what I’ll never have,
I won’t always live in my regrets.” I’ll never accumulate massive wealth with what I do, and I believe the lottery is something of a minor crime put upon the desperate. So for the first part, I’ll never love the money I’ll never have, only appreciate the wonderful things that I do without dwelling on regrets.

I don’t make resolutions, because I think it is disengenuous to pick a day of the year to do so, and not try to improve oneself on a daily basis. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I won’t attribute it to anyone because it appears to be disputed, but what a beautiful sentiment. 2023 has a chance to be the best year of mine in a long time, despite the Buckeyes losing in heartbreaking fashion last night, I met my best friend’s new girlfriend and we had a great time. I have a good feeling about it, and I have recently started a relationship myself, so I have hope.

23 is going to see the Republicans taking over the house and Marjorie Taylor Greene getting a lot more publicity for most likely investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop to no avail. There is progress to be made still, and I will hold back my vitriol for a post that isn’t on the first of the year. That ‘best friend’s new girlfriend’ is a liberal, so this is going to get interesting, and I can’t wait for it. The thought of owning the right wing isn’t an ideal I live for, but it will be great to have another voice of reason in his life.

Manchester United may have new ownership, the best news for the club since Marcus Rashford emerged as their number 10. The Cleveland Browns won’t make the playoffs this year, but there is reason to believe that success is possible next season beyond the normal irrational, ‘Super Bowl Year X’ hysteria normally found within the fanbase in the offseason. The Columbus Crew have a new coach and a great roster to send FC Cincinnati back to Appalachian hell in style this year and as ever, glory to Columbus!

I have always found this to be the most contradictory lyric in Jimmy Eat World’s catalog: “It’s just not me to wear it on my sleeve, count on that for sure.” Lead singer Jim Adkins wears every emotion on his sleeve, and with every one of the nearing double digit live shows I’ve attended, that is the way to be. I am going to wear 2023 on my sleeve, and make the absolute most of it, down to the marrow. One of the more prompting lyrics of the song is what I will leave you with, “You’ll sit alone forever
If you wait for the right time.” The right time is now.

I have always been on the Ronaldo side of the, ‘Messi vs. Ronaldo’ debate, but after this World Cup my mind has reluctantly changed. Lionel Messi’s stratospheric performance in this World Cup has changed my mind, and has also provided for some of the best entertainment of the year. The United States played well, and we have a great young team poised to compete at home in the next World Cup, but this wasn’t about them.

I want to start at the beginning, with how none of this should have ever happened. Qatar should have never hosted this tournament, FIFA is the second most corrupt organization behind the American Republican Party, and despite that soccer prevailed. Qatar paid off three members of FIFA a million dollars each to get the World Cup, and even in their proposal deceived the organization with fraudulent cooling technology proposals and slave labor to build the stadiums. But enough about Qatar, this is the World Cup.

The highlight game before the final was Argentina vs Netherlands in the quarter-finals. It was a war. Fourteen yellow cards and a relentless comeback by the Dutch, excellent tactical changes by the manager Van Gaal to put them into position to push wave after wave of attacks to their towering striker subs that culminated in a goal to even the score in the eleventh minute of stoppage time. I was rooting for the Netherlands, and though they lost on penalties, I would have been satisfied with this World Cup after this match.

Back to Qatar, despite making a deal with FIFA and sponsors to serve alcohol, they went back on the deal at the last minute. Then, the reports started coming out about the dress codes for the stadiums, with many being stopped by security for their clothing choice. Dear Qatar, you welcomed the world to your country, you didn’t have to show us that you still are an archaic society that openly oppresses women and LGBTQ individuals. However, since you did, I hope your sandcastle falls into the ocean.

The World Cup final was one of the best matches I have seen in my lifetime. It’s up there with the Liverpool comeback against Milan in the Champions League final in 2005. It’s up there with watching the Netherlands in the final against Spain in 2010, which I watched on a beach in the Netherlands. This was everything that a fan of the sport could hope for, and for evangelists of the game, this is one to point to for non-believers.

Everyone got to see Messi put the final feather in his godlike cap, and the future of the game Mbappe score a hat trick. This final started out looking like a rout by Argentina, but as if to show how exciting this game can be, two quick French goals in the second half extended it. After trading goals in extra time and Argentina prevailing on penalties this was a thriller. Catch your breath world, the United States Women’s National Team will see you in seven months.

Since I’m now an elder statesman at thirty-five years of age I wanted to make a public service announcement to anyone who may be voting for the first time, or anyone who might be thinking about sitting this one out. Democratic representation started with the ancient Greeks and is the foundation of this country that should never be underestimated in terms of its importance to our society. This is something that I never thought would be a point of contention, regardless of how extreme the Republicans get.

People all around the world celebrate our elections as a high standard to strive toward in their own counties and if you neglect to participate in that process, you are passively slapping them in the face, as well as living irresponsibly. The reason that I say this now is because the very Democratic process that has given us hundreds of years of prosperity is now under siege. It may have started with voter ID, and getting minorities kicked off the voter rolls, but now the Republicans have decided to not recognize a legal voting process unless they win.

Here in Ohio we have a chance to elect Tim Ryan to the senate, a centrist who as a candidate is nothing to get excited about. What makes this election important is that Ohio, now considered a safe red state, has a contested election for senate that is within the margin of error because of Trump supported candidate JD Vance. In their assumption that any right wing candidate will do in Ohio, they selected a man who suggested people stay in violent marriages and will not support abortion with any exceptions.

These two points are so out of the mainstream opinion, even in Ohio, that a Democratic candidate actually has a chance. I would encourage you to vote for Tim Ryan on Election Day, especially if you are a woman, but also if you are an aware human being. JD Vance called Trump, ‘America’s Hitler’ and is now accepting his endorsement and money. This country may not get to vote within a decade if we elect people like him.

I have always welcomed the argument with fellow Americans who I disagree with, because that discourse is important. I have frequently listened to media outlets that do not represent my beliefs to get a perspective, and to reaffirm my stance. Like the tea party in 2010, there are a vocally ignorant, completely unqualified swath of candidates who reject the 2020 election result running for office. I strongly believe that Republicans should be able to vote for their candidates like I vote for mine, but that isn’t what they are talking about.

This election is about putting people in charge who believe in the voting process, not an unhinged pack of cultists of Donald Trump. I sincerely hope that you feel the same way about Democracy that I do, and have the courage to vote for candidates based in reality this Election Day. No matter how much money the super PACs put in, there is nothing currently that can equal one person, one vote. Make your voice heard while you still can.

I wanted to let this ferment a little bit before I weighed in on it, but I can’t wait any longer. LIV golf is an abomination. I haven’t watched a single frame of the actual golf, but I have paid attention as a story, and it’s a horrible one.

I never thought there would be a group of professional athletes that would give investment bankers a run for their money in the category of moral bankruptcy, but here I am surprised. When we used to see pay-for-play scandals with college athletes in the pre-NIL world, one always wanted to the side with the kid, ‘getting the bag’ this is the exact opposite.

This was an occurrence of already wealthy people shamelessly taking massive amounts of money from a country that murdered a journalist and funded and carried out the attack on 9/11. If we as a country were not so dependent on them for oil, they would be speaking English by now, and their women would have rights.

One other person I don’t want to let off the hook here is John Daly, I have always been a fan. That is, until he went on Piers Morgan and explained that he begged Greg Norman to let him join the LIV tour, and said of the crown prince, ‘The Prince of Saudi Arabia is a great guy and he’s given so much money to golfers that deserve it.’

No John, he’s not a great guy, you know who is though? Tiger. Fucking. Woods. He reportedly turned down close to eight-hundred-million dollars to join the retirement from relevance tour. Hopefully he will get a lucrative new endorsement with Suave, because he doesn’t need to participate in sports-washing, he just uses soap like the rest of us.