And just like that, I’m now working at about 80% health after a rough few days battling the crud. I’d like to thank our kids for getting me sick before the actual start of the football season. If I was going to be out of it, thank god it happened when San Jose State invaded USC.
What’s on my mind this morning? I’ve been thinking about the crossroads of life where there’s a clear, positive pivot in your life. I’m wondering what that pivot was and how it affected your life. I’ve shared my story of taking $10 and buying a URL and changing my life on here multiple times.
That URL turned into a profitable company that I sold to a New York investor who then employed me for several years before Clay Travis came calling and hired me to work on this OutKick project. That $10 URL changed my life. It propelled me out of the dead-end newspaper industry and into this world where I created a job that pays me to write this column on a daily basis and work out of my house.
I literally created a dream job from a $10 investment. Yes, there were plenty of sacrifices along the way, but that single pivot will define my life.
Inc.com estimates there are 10 major defining moments in a typical lifespan with five to seven of those being career-specific pivots.
I want to hear about the positive pivots in your own lives. Did you zig when others zagged? I want to hear about those moments that you’ll never forget. Tell us about your emotions in that moment when you took a chance that paid off.
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This will be year two of the ‘Boys cheerleaders making a reported 400% increase in salary compared to a previous salary scale. The new scale is said to pay $75/hr compared to $15/hour in previous years. While exact numbers aren’t public record, based on what cheerleaders have revealed via Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts” series, experts believe the veteran cheerleaders can make $50k to $75k per season, including a rate of $2,500 per game based on the $75/hr. figure.
For context, rookie MLB umpires make about $150,000 a year. Rookie NFL refs are estimated to make between $150k-$200k.
Add in what they can make via TikTok sponsorships and it’s not a bad time to be a Cowboys cheerleader, minus the lack of playoff runs.
Quickly, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s still a shock. If Hooters Panama City can’t make it in this world, we’re talking about a cooked brand. This Hooters had been here more than 30 years.
Meanwhile, here in Toledo, our Hooters closed this week. Scrappers were immediately sent in to rip out the TVs.
– Robert R. chimed in: Frank Gifford, Dandy Don Meredith, and Howard Cosell. The greatest combination in the history of Monday Night Football!!
Kinsey: I wasn’t alive yet.
Robert replied: You weren’t alive for Jesus, George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln, but you know about them!
– Will in Mississippi says: I know that I’m older than you but I can think of a couple of 3 man booths that have worked. First off is the OG Monday Night Football Booth: Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Dandy Don Meredith. They were so good together, not just for calling the games but for the interaction with each other. 2 extremely large personalities and FRank trying to call a game and reign in the chaos.
Another one that worked well was the original Fox NASCAR booth. Mike Joy, Darryl Waltrip and Larry McReynolds. They were baptized in fire as a team. The first race that they called was the 2001 Daytona 500 where we lost Dale Sr. Mike Joy is still calling races for Fox and doing a great job.
I think that the 3 man booths that currently call the NASCAR races for Fox, Amazon, TNT and USA Sports all do a really good job.
Kinsey: I’ll give you that Joy, DW and Larry Mac were really good. I loved that era of NASCAR on Fox.
– Gen X Honda Scott in WV emails: What about Cosell, Gifford and Merideth? They were a fixture of my youth watching MNF on ABC, where my dad would constantly scream at Cosell for his annoying (but often accurate) commentary. While Gifford was wooden, Merideth was pure gold. Especially when he sang “turn out the lights, the party’s over” off key (and often drunk) when the outcome was clear. I wonder if their success was the pattern that subsequent networks have tried to emulate?
– Anonymous writes: The classic MNF lineup of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith was often better than the game.On the other hand, Keith Jackson never needed so much as a second voice when he was calling a game. Pure poetry. Best ever, hands down.
– Mike N. checks in: My favorite 3-man booth was MNF Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell from the late 70’s to early 80’s. In the 70’s I was only allowed to watch if my homework was done and could only see the 1st half because of my bedtime. Never missed a MNF game.
My favorite 2-man was Jon Gruden and anyone else. I know his over enthusiasm can be a turn off for people, but his knowledge is Payton Manning-like. Also like the Manning Cast (with the right guests – Marshawn, Tom Brady, etc).
My favorite 3-man radio was Wayne Larrivee, Dick Butkus, and Hub Arkush from mid 80’s to early 90’s. This was sitting in the car on the way home from middle school travel football games in the Chicagoland area. The Pop Warner league was less than $50/ season (had to buy your own helmet) and all the games were less than 1 hour away.
Here’s to the Greatest Column in the Land!
I’m not a gear head. You guys tell me if this is impressive. Canoe Kirk swears it is, but I want you guys to be the final word.
https://youtube.com/shorts/_WJJPFxztyQ?si=Bm7plNEYJw1GpZoy
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And that is it this morning. I’m getting back into the swing of things as we head towards the holiday weekend. Does it even feel like it’s a holiday weekend? It’s Wednesday and I don’t even have a tee time scheduled. That has to change.
In the meantime, let’s get after it. Go have a great day.