Have you ever walked into a restaurant and seen a group of dudes sitting around a table watching a football game as they rattle off the most absurd sports takes and most obscure athletes?
Well, if there is one thing that sums up my brain during most waking hours, it’s that table in that restaurant.
As the sports editor, I feel like it’s my obligation to be invested in the world of sports. This is especially true when it’s my favorite teams and my mental health is determined by their wins and losses.
But sports aren’t the only thing that occupy my brain. That being said, let’s address the elephant in the room before we dive into the obscure parts of myself.
Sports: As a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, I have had extra pep in my step after the last few games. With the four-game winning streak after Sunday’s victory against Jacksonville and finally having a competent defense to complement their dynamic offense, there’s good reason for my optimism.
But as always, there has to be something that I am pessimistic about. With Quarterback Jordan Love exiting Sunday’s game with a groin injury and his status for the next game against the division-leading Detroit Lions in question, I feel nervous going up against a team that looks unstoppable right now.
As for my other sports teams, well, safe to say it’s an absolute dumpster fire. It’s a bit too early to judge the Milwaukee Bucks as we’re only three games into the regular season. But when a team loses against the terrible Brooklyn Nets, fans begin to question why the team would even hire Doc Rivers to coach them.
There’s no explanation needed for my favorite hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks, being absolutely terrible. Outside of second-year phenom Conor Bedard, this roster is in a rebuild. I’m honestly just looking forward to the draft lottery and seeing who we’re picking in the draft this year.
While I can’t stop thinking about sports, there’s other stuff that occupies my mind space.
Music: The best way to describe my musical taste is that of a cool uncle who plays music at the family cookout.
As much as your parents want to shelter you from listening to the likes of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Def Leppard and Pantera, your cool uncle lets you listen to his music collection and tells you to ditch the likes of Taylor Swift and other generic music that’s out there.
The four bands I listed previously have been staples of mine ever since I was a kid. I even earned the nickname “Angus” from my uncle because I would constantly imitate the stage moves of AC/DC guitarist Angus Young around the house.
Recently I dove head-first into the world of live albums from some of my favorite bands, and let me tell you how amazing listening to live albums is. If you want a good album to set the gold standard for a live album, listen to the Allman Brothers‘ “Live at the Fillmore East.”
As much as I love live albums ranging from Deep Purple’s “Made In Japan” to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “One More From the Road,” “Live at the Fillmore East” is the most authentic live album. This is due to the spectacular musicianship and improvisation that all six members of the band show.
It’s not just one member hogging the spotlight like most rock bands. Listen to songs like “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” or “Whipping Post” and you’ll see the true beauty of America’s greatest band.
Documentaries: Speaking of movies and documentaries, something that has piqued my interest recently is the new Paramount Plus docuseries. This is based on the 1980s hair metal scene called “Nothin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ‘80s Hair Metal.”
The one episode that I’ve watched so far basically confirms every preconceived notion I had about what it was like during that time.
I enjoyed the on-stage shenanigans of W.A.S.P. lead singer Blackie Lawless chucking raw pieces of meat into the crowd. I also appreciated the off-stage shenanigans of Great White lead singer Jack Russell taking control of the band’s tour bus and almost crashing it because he was enjoying himself a bit too much.
I would’ve enjoyed being a fly on the wall and seeing all the crazy stuff that went on during this time of decadence. Also, don’t go on tour with Motley Crue. You’ll require a lifetime of therapy.
Just read this brief excerpt from an interview Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee gave about a time the band almost got kicked off a tour with Van Halen, and you’ll understand what I’m saying.
While we’re on the topic of debauchery, another documentary that was worth my time was “30 for 30” about the 1986 New York Mets.
The fact that this team won a World Series is nothing short of a miracle. Half the starting lineup was in the dugout, and when they weren’t on the field, they were ingesting every substance known to man.
It wasn’t quite a miracle given the team consisted of baseball legends like Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, Lenny Dykstra and Gary Carter in the starting lineup and on the pitching staff.
If you want to hear a crazy story about this team and what the 1986 New York Mets were all about, watch the story of the team’s plane ride back from Houston after beating the Astros in the 1986 NLCS.
Enough of me indulging you in what occupies my thoughts. Hopefully you enjoyed my ramblings and recommendations of what to do in your free time.
Mikalofsky can be reached at [email protected].
