Sunday, September 05, 2021

Lord Football and the Brotherhood of Griffins

Today is the last Sunday without NFL football until some time in February. Y'all know that my affinity for Big Football has waned substantially over the past decade, but the league's status in the cultural firmament seems all the more solid. And even as I won't watch many games this year, it's impossible to ignore the NFL. 

Case in point, William & Mary graduates Mike Tomlin and Sean McDermott face off next week in the
early window as the Steelers travel to Buffalo. We're certain to see quirky features about how a small school off the beaten football path produced two NFL head men. Cradle of coaches, and all that, and have you heard the one where Lou Holtz said "too many Marys and not enough Williams"? A hoot, that Lou.

But our assignments editor in Norfolk forwarded me a column from The Buffalo News that takes a very different angle on the coaching clash. Seems that there are two colleges in America that boast that most noble of mascots, the griffin. The other one is Canisius, right there in Buffalo, and the Golden Griffin took time out of its busy schedule to thank W&M for giving Sean McDermott to the town.

I do appreciate Griff's shoutout, and can only hope that Canisius has a statue remotely as anatomically correct as the one that graces W&M's campus.



24 comments:

  1. Me, too! It’s gorgeous out today.

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  2. Sitting in Arthur Ashe stadium with the family. Roof is closed but some good tennis happening. There may or may not have been a squeaky sighting in the jumbo tron.

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  3. I am sunburnt and have chapped lips, but the fam is all in good spirits after a day at the Breck adventure park. Nothing like a nearly vomit-inducing roller coaster to get the kids fired up.

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  4. Cantlay's 17th hole bogey was a white knuckler. Rahm has to find some magic.

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  5. my daughter has a bunch of friends over this evening. i can hear them whooping it up in the basement. one out of every four or five words out of my sweet little girl's mouth is some derivation of 'fuck'. i feel like i've been an impactful parent.

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  6. Walked 18 holes a bit hungover and in oppressive heat. Had the old man sweat patch full frontal on the shorts. It's a good look. Replenished with margaritas on the beach...didn't take many. Beach life is good life.
    Heading up NY way tomorrow....will be in the city Tue night. Meeting up with WM alum Mr. Stauby for din din.

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  7. In Orlando with the in laws for a couple days at a nice hotel/resort. FaceTimed with the rest of my family as they tailgate in Tallahassee. Our eldest is here with her boyfriend. He’s a cool and respectful kid. My youngest is at that sweet spot where she still adores me but likes the back and forth of us fucking with each other. Trying my best to soak it all up.

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  8. Am I the only one who can’t stand Joe Tessitore? ND-FSU is full of great plays and drama, and he can’t stop the maudlin dialogue about Milton. He’s ruining this game.

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  9. I just went on Twitter and everybody seems to share my view on him. Damn, he was terrible tonight.

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  10. early-morning amble with the dog on a little bit of the appalachian trail followed by beers for breakfast at a brewery with killer views of loudoun valley and beyond. my labors haven't been so bad thus far today.

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  11. Did you take the pup on the roller coaster?

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  12. my shoulder is fucked up and my legs are sore and I'm still a bit slick from the vaseline . . . all good things-- the greased-watermelon-rugby match happened once again at our pool-- after a covid hiatus last year-- and I was just outside spraying some kind of poison to combat the lantern fly infestation. do you have those things in Virginia?

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  13. death came at the king. damn, michael k williams is dead.

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  14. If you see lantern flies you should kill them, take a photo, and report it to the NJ Department of Agriculture:

    https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/#reporting-tool

    zson killed one today, it was trying to poach his prized tomatoes.

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  15. My wife alerted me to Michael K’s demise. Thought he’d vanquished those demons. Stunning and sad.

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  16. On one hand, he played the same character over and over (Omar Little, Chalky White, Freddy Knight, Montrose Freeman), but on the other hand, who else could play that character (the sometimes gay badass gangster philosopher)?

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  17. Red is not my favorite color at all but I dig these Louisville unis.

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  18. i think they’re awful. the ole miss digs, though - those are sweet.

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  19. Oddly, I watched Motherless Brooklyn yesterday during travels to NY....Michael K has a small role but memorable. Very good movie if you haven't seen it.

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