Recent Comments
I can't claim to be a big Star Wars buff but damn was that fire! Learning about the backstory between Luthen and Kleya in ep. 10 was just masterclass storytelling. More like this!
'Athletes lawyers are insisting that all players that were "offered" roster spots prior to the implementation of roster limits prematurely should be grandfathered in AND guaranteed the opportunity to continue to be on the team"... lololololol. Can't stop laughing at this. zero fucking concept of the real world. And as I have said ANY rule proposed will be challenged in court.
Sounds like the roster limits may end up voiding the settlement. Athletes lawyers are insisting that all players that were "offered" roster spots prior to the implementation of roster limits prematurely should be grandfathered in AND guaranteed the opportunity to continue to be on the team. They also want any athlete that entered the portal to have the option to return as part of the grandfathering. NCAA had proposed that players scholarships be honored but schools not be mandated to keep players on the team. They have been given a couple weeks by the judge to solve it or she will nullify the settlement and send the case to trial.
Here is what McNeese did in basketball- nothing ever... then hired a coach that has cheated everywhere he has been, was investigated by the FBI for paying bribes and running a racket, found to have violated a million rules, was placed on show cause.. then won some games. You are a college graduate. Use that brain.
ATLIEN
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1 year 2 months
# | Phantom Island Podcast: Building an Offensive Line in the Portal/NIL era Did McNeese under Wade do anything that other programs weren't doing? Like, I know that collective money is in fact pay-for-play, and that is frowned upon by the ncaa, but... literally every FBS school is doing it - Bama, VT, Marshal, etc - what did McNeese st do that we didn't?
They significantly cheated more under wade. No coincidence
ATLIEN
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1 year 2 months
# | Phantom Island Podcast: Building an Offensive Line in the Portal/NIL era They might not. Regardless, it seems like Wade left the program in a significantly better place than he found it 🤷♂️
Sounds epic! We saw of lot of those campers driving through NM, AZ and UT earlier this month.
We spent more time in Scottsdale than Phoenix. Nice artsy community.
Our favorite place to eat in Vegas is off the strip - Tapas place named EDO. The Sphere is an amazing venue.
We really enjoyed the Chihuly Glass exhibit in Seattle, under the space needle. Piroshki Piroshki is worth waiting in line for a pastry if at Pike Place Market. We had a great dinner at NOI Thai - they also have a location in Bend. The Salmon ladders at the lock are cool if the salmon are running. The Snoqualmie Falls are nice stop between Seattle and Spokane.
Spent a day in SLC two weeks ago. Much of Morman Square was under construction, and closed. You can watch the Tabernacle Choir practice, but check times well ahead if you want to go - by the time we knew that could have been an option we had missed it. The flower gardens outside the Church offices are spectacular. The Great Salt Lake and the Convention Center were a little disappointing. We may been expecting too much. Did have a great time at White Horse Spirits & Kitchen drinking craft cocktails and trying the small plates. The egg fries were surprisingly good, and they are classified as a bar (no-one under 21) so they can serve over 5% beer.
So poised, their coach left for a mid ACC job the second he could. I bet you a case of beer of your choice that they don't make the NCAAs next year.
No more an outlier than this 2 year McNeese run... did they hire a scum cheating show-cause coach? checks notes.. yep.
TEEMING WITH INTEL
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1 year 2 months
# | Phantom Island Podcast: Building an Offensive Line in the Portal/NIL era This rant is needlessly insulting to the ball boy and I am no less baffled that this is something you are allowing to upset you.
Was there any sort of significant outlier about that Davidson team making an Elite 8 run? A generational basketball player who is still among the best players in the NBA, perhaps?
ATLIEN
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1 year 2 months
# | Phantom Island Podcast: Building an Offensive Line in the Portal/NIL era If you listened to the episode, you'd also see that recruiting has improved - they've landed three four-star players out of the portal - largely in part due to the recruiting infrastructure and fundraising that Wade did while coaching there.
So, the small school with 6.5k enrollment in bumfuck Louisiana that has made the tournament 4 times since 1972 (never higher than a 12 season - which they did twice under Wade) and has only made the second round of the tournament once (last year), might actually be poised to have one of (if not) the best season in school history AFTER their coach was 'poached' by an ACC program BECAUSE of the work he did while he was there.
Davidson... 1900 students, billion dollar NIL war chest. Made it to an elite 8. McNeese is where they are- clinging on to beat Brad Brownell - lol- ONLY because their coach is a cheating scum that should be out of coaching. That is literally (cheating) the only reason you know the schools name. Its actually fitting that their fat ball boy is the face of the program- a nothing, cheating program. Hang a banner for beating Brownell by 2 though.
What's your route for the following sections:
1. Vegas to Modesto
2. Modesto to SF
Depending on your answer, I might have a few things for you to chew on.
Also, are you towing a vehicle? Taking Bikes?
TEEMING WITH INTEL
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1 year 2 months
# | Phantom Island Podcast: Building an Offensive Line in the Portal/NIL era What do you think the ceiling of a small school (~6500 students) in Lake Charles, Louisiana should be?
So its official, the pinnacle for McNeese State basketball is winning an opening round game against a nothing suck ass coach and having their ball boy be more famous than the team. Thats the top of the mountain for McNeese hoops. What a great/better place to be.
ATLIEN
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1 year 2 months
# | Phantom Island Podcast: Building an Offensive Line in the Portal/NIL era Their most recent episode is also really interesting, but different - They talk about how news broke that McNeese Basketball Coach Will Wade was leaving for NC State broke out right before the tournament, and how it (a) wasn't a distraction for the team, and (b) how Wade, his players, and the McNeese program all wound up in a better spot despite being 'left behind by their coach'.
I would second the Glacier National Park suggestion. One of the most beautiful places in the US. It's a hiker's park with only one main road (Going To The Sun Rd) through it, but worth the drive.
Haven't been to OBX in many many years, so any advice I could give is likely out of date. I do have two good memories that appear to be still available:
If youre headed that way, stop by Weeping Radish restaurant and brewery. Used to be in Manteo, but apparently they moved a bit north to get more land to do farm to table. They're now in Grandy, and I remember the authentic German food being great, and their hefeweizen was one of my favorites.
Kitty Hawk Kites offers introductory hang gliding lessons down the dunes of Jockeys Ridge State Park. You don't have to be some extreme sports adrenaline junky for this, it's pretty tame, never more than maybe 10 feet above the sloping dunes, with a safety rope attached. I had a lot of fun.
We also did some nice kayaking tours down that way, but it's been so long that I don't recall exactly where we went.
It's been 20 years since I've been there, but Missoula is a great city. If you're a history buff, check out Traveler's Rest south of town where Lewis & Clark camped before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains and then again on their way back. Undaunted Courage is a great read to get some background on the significance.
Yellowstone is a bit overwhelming for a day trip/pass through. Absolutely stunning views but just so much to see. If you have time, just east of there is Cody WY, which is a great town. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum is there and is pretty cool. Driving out west is amazing transitioning from mountains to valleys to deserts to prairies. Just surreal country and the people away from the large cities are as down to earth as they come.
It's way north of your planned route, but Glacier in northern Montana is absolutely stunning. Hard to describe without seeing it.
Virginia is my home, but if I were ever going to relocate willingly it would be to Montana or Wyoming.
Had many great times playing in a band at Howards in Okracoke- super cool ferrying over too.
Phoenix- eats- Tacos Chiwas and Pizzaria Bianco... both superb, both tricky to get a table- so be flexible. Durants is a great old school steakhouse vibe if you want that- all 3 won't dissapoint. In terms of PHX activities- If you golf, the density of top courses is the best in the world. Let me know if you want specific recommendations. Otherwise, hiking here is awesome- so many good trails. For anything else entertainment wise- phoenix has everything and is the unofficial sports bar capitol of the world- with much better scenery and weather than fucking buffalo. In terms of Vegas- if you are a cigar guy- check out 8 lounge in Resorts World- top notch. In the past 8 years, several more gordon ramsay concepts have opened there- Hells Kitchen was cool, and you can get a table for lunch.
Hello TKP Family,
Next month my best friend and I are doing a turning 40 road trip for 2 weeks. We're renting an Escape Camper Van in Phoenix and driving to Seattle, then across to Yellowstone and down to Salt Lake City. We've both been to major cities out west but have always flown and never enjoyed the open road out there.
I've got our route planned out with lots of scenic things to see that interest us both. Sports, music, and history are our common interests. And The Simpsons. We speak in Simpsons quotes and references.
We also like to eat. I need food recs and some activity recs in a few places.
Food Recs
Phoenix
Vegas (Haven't been in 8 years, anything new)
Modesto area
SF Bay area
Eugene or Springfield, Oregon
Bend (going for the last Blockbuster)
Portland
Seattle
Spokane
Coeur d'Alene
Missoula
Bozeman
Salt Lake City
Activities/Destinations
Phoenix
Portland
Seattle
Salt Lake City
Any and all recs are appreciated. We love hole in the wall joints but are also willing to pay for something unique and really good tasting. I've already eaten at Giada's in Vegas, but something similar would be awesome. We've both done Vegas extensively, so the only thing we really want to do there besides eat is see a Penn and Teller show.
Thank you!
The supermarket Poke is the way to go...
If you had said farmer's market poke, I would vehemently disagree. Went to the farmer's market in Hilo, bought a bunch of fruit that we had never tried, and got poke (just me, rest of the fam got other lunch), and sat at one of the tables trying all the exotic fruits while eating lunch. That poke was bad; I had it coming out both ends for most of the week. Missed the sunrise Lanikai pillbox hike, as I could only make it up the slope to the first overlook (though I did catch the sun rise over Molokai from there). Never went on the sunset pillbox hike (can't remember which one, stayed home). Stayed home for the Koko Head trail. And struggled on the path up Diamond Head, but I did eventually make it. Feel proud as hell about that one, because I'm not really in shape, but I did it, and I wasn't fully recovered from that bad poke.
Obligatory sunrise over Molokai pic. Unedited or filtered or manipulated, just the raw image. Spectacular sunrise.
Completely agree on this one but hey WaterBoy is part of the team right? Make them earn the scholarship money working for the Grounds Crew or other "Team related requirements"....nothing says the coaches have to put them in uniform.
More chances for Pry to have double numbers if they do. No thanks