Happy Monday, ladies and gents. Let's go unfiltered as the closing bell on the opening round of the week dings.
Sometimes, you just need to let it rip on a few things. Go unfiltered and have some fun with topics that people may be talking about, but not quite getting far enough into. Most of the time, I tackle one thing here in my corner of cyber space, but today, I'll go after a few, or five. Here's what on my mind:
5) I-44 Construction may never end
I'm serious. We could be talking about my kid shaving for the first time, driving a car, or graduating from middle school before road crews drop their last pile of concrete onto the highway formerly known as "the escape plan of St. Louis." This is the highway I use the most in my recreational driving, and also a common path while I Uber. I don't understand what started out in 2016 has repairs turned into a three year odyssey, but here we are.
There's the loop trolley and then there is Highway 44 construction. At this point, tell us Batman got a new cave or something. Tell me there's a bread-slicing bagel convention happening underground. Anything to feed our intrigue. This past weekend, they knocked down a bridge over Watson Road and the I-270 interchange. You know, routine stuff.
4) Sweeping the Cubs is a true delight
Fan, columnist or nearby cynic. It should feel like gravy. Chicago came into town sporting a great record, and left with three straight losses in various fashions. The walk-off hit, six hour loss, and Old Man Waino shutdown. That's like getting punched three different ways.
Best of all, the mischievous Chicago Cubs Twitter account, which threw shade at the local Lou crowd on Friday, had little to say on the way out. What's fun to do in St. Louis, they ask? Listen to good music, drink good beer, eat great BBQ, and check out those 11 flags waving on top of Busch Stadium. All of that.
By the way, Kris Bryant is a lifetime .220 hitter at Busch. So boring.
3) Andy Ruiz Jr. reminds you that boxing is a sweet science, not a bodybuilding contest
He knocked out the undefeated Anthony Joshua on Saturday night, becoming the first Mexican World Heavyweight Champion. Here's a guy who looked like he just polished off two plates of nachos fajitas, washed it down it with a gallon of margaritas, and shined the bumper with a bowl of bean dip. Ruiz Jr. knocked Joshua down four times before the former undefeated champion waved the white flag.
Ladies and gents, there are no rules, and boxing is still a tactician's game. Joshua looks like every guy wants to look, and Ruiz Jr. looks like your plumber. Guess who won? The plumber with atom bombs for hands. It comes down to skill, desire, and resilience. As the great boxing analyst Teddy Atlas said afterwards, one guy wanted it and the other clearly didn't.
2) Female sports journalists deserve your respect
We need more female sportswriters. Last time I checked, the playing field was open and a writer's skill and worth wasn't drawn by their sexual makeup. I can't blink on Twitter each week without seeing a guy coming after a female trying to talk sports, so let me sound the bell one more time, and say the world of sports needs more women covering sports. They are actually smarter than men, as equipped for the task, and are ready. I don't care if you think it's a non-issue. I'll complain about it, and it has NOTHING TO DO with a rally towel.
1) Uber riders need more than a ride
Some people don't just need an Uber driver; they need someone to come use their app on the cell phone and put in their proper pickup and drop-off location. Every weekend, someone puts in a pickup address that just doesn't make sense. Instead of Tin Roof, it's on the entrance ramp of I-40. Instead of The Ritz Carlton Hotel, it's three streets down Hanley Road. It's not hard to type the first two letters of a popular establishment. Or at least I thought it wasn't until I started driving for Uber.
That's all for now. Have a good night.
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