Sports Blog: 10/06/21

There is nothing like postseason baseball in St. Louis. Nothing. It’s sweet, a word I use about once every 20 years, on average.

This town loves its Redbirds. My wife, BB, and I are in St. Loo for a couple of days before moving on to Chicago for some family fun.

I lived and worked in St. Louis for seven years in the 80s, an experience for which I am forever grateful. It’s a wonderful sports town, and yes, despite the departure of two NFL teams, loves its football.

But this place is all about baseball. Cards and Dodgers in that one-game wildcard playoff thing tonight.

So we’re at least gonna get some on us.

One and done? “Won” would be the Red Sox. “Done” would be the Yankees.

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that the Cowboys are going to release LB Jaylon Smith. He has not started a game this year. He makes a base salary of $7.2 mill. Dallas is still on the hook for that. But the Cowboys are freed up from his $9.2 million 2022 price tag. I’m a little saddened by this, because Smith is an engaging guy and remains an inspiring story coming off that horrific knee injury he suffered at Notre Dame. But this is the NFL. And the beat goes on.

“Aww, come on, Baby. Cut me some slack. She hit my hand with her ass. What the hell was I supposed to do? I’m on to Tennessee. I said…I’m on to Tennessee.”

Watch Yo Ass Wednesday!

It’s Watch Yo Ass Wednesday! The following favored college football teams are officially on Coach’s Upset Alert heading into the weekend. (Potential Tormentor in parenthesis.)

Cincinnati (Temple) I’m at least semi-serious.

Arizona State (Stanford)

Michigan State (Rutgers)

Arkansas (Ole Miss)

Wake Forest (Syracuse)

SMU (Navy) Awkward matchup.

UTSA (Western Kentucky)

Michigan (Nebraska)

Kentucky (LSU) Eddie O may be fighting for his job.

Notre Dame (Virginia Tech)

Y’ALL ALL BETTAH WATCH YO ASS!!

One Response

Ben says:

October 7, 2021 at 12:31 pm

Had to double check ya there, but you had it right…. LSU over Kentucky would be an upset (checks calendar to make sure it’s not March)

Reply

Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.