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Each submission made is 1 point, every submission accepted is 3. A winner and a corresponding prize will be announced at the end of each month 🏆

Best Week:

The Baltimore Orioles

Nobody is flying higher right now than the baby birds of Baltimore. Here’s why:

1. With a just 10% chance of even just making the playoffs this year, they have successfully clinched what is arguably the hardest division in all of sports.

2. They have become the 1st team in MLB history to go from a 110+ loss season to a 100+ win season, in just a 3-season span (they were 52-110 in 2021. They currently sit at 100 wins, with a few games to go).

3. They renewed their lease at the historic and culture-packed Camden Yards for another 30 years

4. And they did all of this with the lowest payroll in the division.

   

   Somewhere out there, Billy Bean is smiling…

All of this was enough to bring skipper Brandon Hyde to tears, as well as the fans that have sat through the arduous years of a painful and seemingly never-ending rebuild. Well one things for sure: it is finally over.

Worst Week:

The City of New York

1. The Yankees are statistically eliminated from the playoffs, their first miss in 7 years

2. The Jets and Giants both lose, making them a combined 2-4

3. The immigration crisis appears to be coming to a head 

4. The streets have been flooded to biblical proportions

5. A seal broke loose from its enclosure in the Central Park Zoo

   

   I never knew I’d miss a hand so much!

Thank God Zach Wilson [allegedly] bought his team ice cream though…

Matrix L of the Week:

Native American group sues the Washington Commanders over the Redskins name change

Backed by over 150,000 signatures, Native American organization, NAGA (Native American Guardian Association) had submitted a request to the Washington Commanders to change their name back to the Redskins.

They claimed that the name change contributes to the eradication of Native American history in modern American culture and that the name and logo were intended to honor that history, stating:

“The logo on the Redskin’s helmet is an actual person, it’s Chief White Calf. Every time they go out on that field, they were honoring Chief White Calf and they were battling on the football field with the same honor and integrity and courage. They should continue to honor that.”

A representative for the Commanders attempted to slander NAGA, prompting a full blown law suit. The Commanders have since back-tracked these comments, but the suit is already in motion.

It’s almost as if over-educated / over-privileged white people with too much time on their hands (yes I understand the irony there) shouldn’t speak for marginalized groups and actually listen to their opinions 🤯 (see Latinx)

Man of the Week:

John Urschel

While studying at Penn State and playing football, Offensive Lineman John Urschel messed around and got both his bachelors and his master’s degree, before being drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round.

The Ravens were aware that he continued his studies while playing for the team, as Urschel would go on to public six academic papers in the midst of his 40-game tenure. What they didn’t know, however, was that he was simultaneously working towards getting his PHD at MIT. The hard work finally paid off as he was just hired by his alma mater as a professor of mathematics.

In a league where guys careers seem to be getting shorter and shorter, Urschel put in the work to make sure he was A-okay after his playing days were over. Urschel is a grade-A hustler, role model, and hoss.

Clown of the Week:

Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuña made history on Wednesday after becoming the first to steal 70 bases during a 40 home run season. That is a Hell of an accomplishment, so why is this man a clown, you might ask? 2 reasons:

1. He achieved this feat during the first season where pitchers are limited in their pickoff attempts to first (only two). This allows runners way more leeway while taking their leads / when getting their jump. But that alone does not make him a clown - he’s playing under the same rules as everyone else. It’s that:

2. He STOPPED THE GAME to have second base removed for his own personal trophy case.

Are you kidding me?????? What in the LeBron-era does he think he’s doing?? The best types of players are the guys that shrug off personal accolades in favor of their team’s success. I’m not even holding him to that standard. Pop champagne in the dugout, go off king. Or at the very least wait until after the game to collect the base, it’s not going anywhere. But to stop what is a very important game for the Cubs just to gloat is a tacky #clown move.

Date Spot of the Week:

Bathtub Gin (Chelsea)

Cuisine: Small Plates / Cocktails

Pro’s:
-Killer menu / great quality
-Not too loud
-Live entertainment (I was fortunate to catch a burlesque show after a wholesome bowling date)
-Great staff who kept my table even after showing up an hour late

Con’s: Can’t think of any 🤷🏻

Secret Sauce: The Royale with Cheese / S’Mores 1-2 punch is out of this world.

Random Athlete Generator:

Hollis Thompson, SG, Philadephia 76ers

Jersey of the Week:

Bengals White Bengal

Steeze of the Week:

Colorado School of Mines Football

Which Colorado School of Mines character are you?

Did You Know?:

Dusty Baker has traveled ~1.8 million miles for baseball, making him one of the most-traveled non-pilots on Earth

Movie of the Week:

Stand By Me (1986)

You wanna see a dead body?

Based on the Stephen King’s novella, “The Body” , this weeks film film plays as a sort of coming of age movie for adults; picture a Sandlot type vibe with some profanity, violence, and darker themes. Named after the beautiful Ben E King 1961 song, Stand By Me brought Stephen King king to tears, as he called it the closest thing he’s seen to his autobiography and only successful adaptation of his work (at the time of its release). All in all, the film is as heart-warming as it is heart-breaking, nostalgic, and full of the feels.

Song of the Week:

Dirty Work by Steely Dan 1972

Hoss or Toss:

Rick & Morty’s new mystery voice actor

Justin Roiland, the iconic voice of both Rick and Morty, was fired from his own show amidst domestic violence charges this past January. Many speculated that that was the end of the show, however, Adult Swim has recast the role to a voice-actor who will remain nameless until the season 7 premiere (probably a good to protect the actor from the keyboard warriors on Twitter).

Even though the voice of the new actor is virtually indistinguishable from Roiland, something is a bit uncanny about it to me. Kind of like an AI generated human face: it’s so close to being real, but it’s just not. Maybe that’s just the knowledge of it not being Roiland creeping into my subconscious. Part of me wishes they fired Roiland and brought in Rustin Joiland (below) to keep the integrity of the character.

What do you think about the new voice?

Meme of the Week:

Wellness Tip of the Week:

Shift the mind via the body

Wisdom of the Week:

Sunday Motivation:

Do the easy thing, have a hard life

Do the hard thing, have an easy life

Hoss of the Week:

Jack Hobbie

Q: What is one habit you’ve incorporated that has made your life better?

Hobbie: Waking up and writing down my schedule for the day/what I want to accomplish. You don’t always hit them all but it’s definitely a great way to keep focused and not procrastinate.

The Mav Cam:

This Month’s Winner:

Ravens12

Thank you Ravens12, everyone else who submitted, and those who read silently. This has been a ton of fun and would not be possible without your support and participation. We’re just getting started.

A new prize will be announced soon, as well as the annual grand prize. Stay tuned…