My lazy-but-I-mean-it Super Bowl takes: - so many dumb boring AI commercials - a beautifully creative halftime show that stood in contrast to bullet point #1 (and also to everything that has caused me to want to climb under a mountain and die lately) - happy for Seattle - cool that #9 did good

Whomever chose Bad Bunny for the halftime show deserves a raise or a statue. This is so outside the box of anything that has ever happened before. Prince is still my number one but this is a whole different thing.

RICKY MARTIN IS HERE?!?!

$2 on Venmo to the first person who can tell me the significance of Bad Bunny wearing #64

Levi’s: “have we considered…. Butts??”

“Avoids politics” [plays American Idiot] No yeah totally

A running back (jersey number: 9) was just run out bounds by a defensive back (jersey number: 0) and I am reminded just how long it has been since I paid close attention to the NFL. First quarterback to wear 99 has my eternal respect.

I don’t think the NFL is scripted but I *do* think it’s gonna be super weird when there’s under a minute left in the game and the Seahawks are down by four and on the one yard line and OH WHATS HAPPENING THATS MARSHAWN LYNCH’S MUSIC

I’m back on that Windup life. Thanks to @keithlaw.bsky.social for filling in for me the last few editions while I was out with (literally) a broken neck. (Details in thread) www.nytimes.com/athletic/701...

Man, the Mariners stopped missing the playoffs in devastating fashion, only to lose Dave Sims and Rick Rizzs in short order. The monkey’s paw remains undefeated www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

I made a mistake in today’s Windup!! Was talking about recent contracts for players from Japan and went on BRef to see if I had forgotten any, and saw a name I didn’t expect: Jung Hoo Lee? That’s a Korean name. But it was right there…

The White Sox. Huh. Alright, well that’s fun

I will read the post, but before I do I’m going to take a stab at predicting the answer: sign or trade for one (1) Victor Wembanyama to play for your team.

🎙️ Rates & Barrels ⚾ @enosarris.bsky.social and I were joined by @brittghiroli.bsky.social, @threetwoeephus.bsky.social & @nickwan.bsky.social on a more eventful Day 2 at the Winter Meetings. Díaz, Schwarber, and paths into baseball.... YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RatesBarrels Audio: pod.fo/e/36316e

You’ve heard of Elf on the Shelf, now get ready for my flight to Orlando was rerouted through Jacksonville, and now I’m in Jacksonville. [stares into the camera] [blinks twice]

Every few years, as is my custom, I come to a Mavericks game and choose a new favorite player, as the previous one has been traded of left via free agency. The decision is usually based on a cool name or number or some other non-basketball factor This season’s new favorite: No. 9 Ryan Nembhard

Like, we knew it was gonna be bad, but that doesn’t make the allegations any less shocking. www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Every sport needs an experimental avant-garde performance art project. It appears the Rockies and Angels are locked in an intense head-to-head battle to claim that title. Loser has to sign a successful free agent (like the normies do).

Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...

If you're still up, and want to read about the game, here's a piece I wrote about the game (free to read with basic sub)

What. A. World. Series.

A Blue Jays season-ending walk-off was there for the taking. Instead, Glasgow gets three outs on three pitches. Game 7 tomorrow Holy moly

I sure am glad I didn't do one of those stupid "I'm so sure the Dodgers will win that if they don't, I'll eat 100 jalapeños or some other self-imposed horrible dare" stunts. I mean, I *was* that sure. But I'm really glad I didn't do that.

Before Trey Yesavage tonight, there were only 11 times that a pitcher struck out 12 or more hitters in a World Series game. The last one to do it: Orlando "El Duque" Hernández in 2000. (The record is Bob Gibson — 17 in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series)

New desire just unlocked: I desperately want to see a manager get ejected in the middle of an in-game interview

"Tie goes to the runner," John Smoltz says, while Daulton Varsho's foot is on the bag very extremely clearly before the ball hits Freddie Freeman's glove. Clearly beating the throw also goes to the runner, it turns out!

That was the first time in World Series history that two players have hit back-to-back home runs to start a game.

Well, he’s not nibbling, but he might start soon after that.

Should be wearing a Greinke jersey as a show of solidarity between guys who got a 9-figure deal in LA after abandoning the Royals

Maintaining my position that if baseball cannot determine a champion before Oct. 31, the players should have to wear costumes for any Halloween games. I wanna see a walk-off by someone dressed as Pikachu while Ricky Bobby walks off the mound dejectedly.

There will be baseball on Halloween

Shohei having to intentionally walk Vlad would be very funny

Shohei Ohtani has walked in 6 consecutive PA, the longest streak in World Series history Only other streak of 6 at any point in a single postseason: 2023 Corey Seager, 6 h/t @EliasSports

My graphic design isn’t good but it’s at least as good as John Tumpane’s strike zone was in that plate appearance

I know he's been in the big leagues since 2018, but once in awhile, I'll be watching Shohei Ohtani pitch and it hits me anew: "This is the same guy who is *also* the best hitter on the planet." Pretty wild when something can still feel just utterly unbelievable all these years later.

You ever go out with a friend and you agree to get back at a reasonable hour but then they have SEVERAL drinks too many and keep you out til the bars close and then an afterparty at a friend’s house and the next day you’re like “dude I hate you so much… yes I’ll hang out with you again tonight”?

they should play a couple more innings just for fun

Lol at the organist playing the neverending story theme

As each viewer's will to live drains, this game absorbs it, becoming stronger and more un-killable.

this game can now legally smoke cigarettes (you are all allowed to have one too)

Ohtani has now tied the all-time record for any game, post- or regular season. Nine times on base.

I know you never walk the winning run into scoring position, but I'm not so sure this isn't the exception to that rule.

Ken Jennings: “it’s what John Smoltz did in the 34th inning of Game 3 of the 2025 World Series” Me: [smashes buzzer with my whole body weight]

you can't spell KINER-FALEFA without KLEIN this is where we're at, folks.

we're going to get the CBA lockout before we get a final score

“And the umpire — that’s what we called them back then — waited too long to make the strike call on a high pitch, and some player I don’t remember got thrown out at first base”

oh my god, The Tweet is exactly ten years old tonight

One problem I can see is that they're going to have to send the starters to Anaheim so they can begin Game 4 on time while these unlucky souls wrap this one up.

Ohtani is the first player to reach base 7 times in a postseason game. The regular-season record, if you're wondering, is 9x. It's been done 3 times, most recently by Stan Hack of the Cubs in 1942. Four players have done it 8x, most recently: Melky Cabrera with the Blue Jays in 2014.

Once in a while, a game captures the imagination of an entire country (but all anyone can imagine is “what if watching TV was a life-and-death endeavor?”)