Welcome to this week’s Six Pack! Each week, I’ll share a mix of thoughts (some sports-related, some not) and I’d love for you to jump in with your reactions, ideas, or recommendations in the comments. Here’s what’s on my mind this week. 

1. Black Friday Then & NoW

I had a wonderful Black Friday, which has always been one of my favorite days of the year. It feels like a bonus day right after Thanksgiving, and I have almost never had to work or go to school on it. It also marks the unofficial start of the Christmas season.

But as I thought about it this year, it hit me how different Black Friday looks compared to fifteen or twenty years ago. I used to grab the giant Thanksgiving Day newspaper, flip through page after page of ads, and map out a full game plan of what stores to hit. Then I would get up around 4 am, and brave the cold and long lines hoping to snag a cheap 55-inch TV or the hottest toy for my kid.

And while I have some fond memories of all that, I have to admit these recent Black Fridays have been just fine. This year I woke up, did a little Sandman work, knocked out some shopping on Amazon, Costco, and a few other sites, and then watched football. It was easy, warm, and relaxing.

I do wonder if “Black Friday shopping” is truly becoming a thing of the past. One mall near us was dead. But another outlet mall had a half mile backup on the highway. So maybe there is still a glimmer of hope for brick and mortar stores.

I am not saying I miss the old days, but things have definitely changed. And I am kinda sad my kid will never have to rifle through a five pound newspaper, schedule his morning stops, and duck a punch from some crazed maniac fighting for the last toy. But who knows. Maybe his generation will someday reminisce about refreshing Amazon lightning deals while half asleep on the couch. I guess every era has its own brand of chaos.

2. Retail RIP Rankings

As I drove by that mall, it got me thinking about some of the stores I used to hit on Black Friday and how many of them are now sadly gone. 

So, in honor of all the great Black Friday stores of years past, here is a list of my Top 5 defunct stores that I kinda miss.

5. Circuit City

Never as good as Best Buy in my book, but they would occasionally have really good deals on stereos or DVDs. I definitely made a few Black Friday trips there over the years.

4. Sharper Image

No trip to the mall, especially on a packed Black Friday, was complete without wandering into Sharper Image and trying out the massage chairs. Half the store felt like stuff you never needed but always wanted to play with (and maybe that was ultimately the problem).

3. Bed Bath and Beyond

I probably went to this store more than any other on this list, even up until a few years ago when they went completely bankrupt in 2023. You felt special if you wrangled that coveted 20 percent off coupon and I bought a ton of kitchen and bedroom stuff there, including the most comfortable pillow I own and still use today.

2. Kmart

Long before Walmart perfected the giant store and cheap price combo, my mom was dragging me to Kmart almost every week growing up. And of course, the highlight was always waiting for that famous Blue Light Special to pop up every few hours like a live, in-store coupon for whoever was lucky enough to be there.

1. Toys R Us

When I became a young dad, it was always so great walking those aisles with my kids, especially around Christmas, watching their eyes get big as they pointed at all the things they hoped Santa would bring. Now I guess most kids just screenshot something and text it to their parents. That makes me sad and I miss you, Geoffrey Giraffe.

Sandman Nation, what did I miss? Any old stores you still wish were still around or have great memories of?

3. A Salute to High School Football

I write a lot here about college and pro football, but I rarely mention the high school game. With so many states closing in on their championships right now, I wanted to give a little love to the Friday Night lights.

My brother was an all state running back in Michigan when I was little, and I remember being dragged to many of his games and totally loving the atmosphere. Then we moved to Texas when I was eleven, and that is when my eyes really opened to what high school football was all about. We lived in Plano, and I went to Plano Senior High, which in the 80s was not just a Texas powerhouse, but was ranked number two in the nation by USA Today after the 1987 season. I wasn’t in high school yet, but my dad and I went to most of the games, including both state championship wins in ‘86 and ‘87. Great times for that community.

Then I moved back up to Ohio, and this state takes its football pretty darn seriously too. Living in Cincinnati, there are plenty of big boys like Moeller, Elder, Princeton, and St. Xavier who have been powerhouses for decades. My best friend went to St. X, so I follow the Bombers and always root for them. They have won four state championships since 2005 and they are back in the finals again this year, taking on Olentangy Orange next week in Canton. Go X!

And speaking of Ohio, I have to tip my cap to smaller school Marion Local, whose impressive 76 game winning streak came to an end last week. St. Henry beat them 24-7 in the region final, which ended a run that started back in October of 2020. 

For perspective though, Marion wasn’t even close to the all-time national record. The longest high school football winning streak ever still belongs to De La Salle out in California, who won 151 straight from 1992 to 2004. I’m not sure that one will ever be touched.

So while the pro and college games get most of the attention, high school football has its own rivalries, pageantry, traditions, pride, history, and unbelievable streaks. Kudos to every high school player and program out there. And if your team is still alive in the playoff hunt, congrats and good luck the rest of the way.

4. Rivalry Weekend Reflections

Here are a few quick observations I had from watching games during Rivalry Weekend.

• Michigan’s four game win streak against Ohio State is over, and the better team won. The Buckeyes are probably the best team in the nation for the second straight year and deserved the win. And I have to give Ryan Day props for telling his kids to not plant their flag at midfield like Michigan did last year. Classy move by the Bucks.
• Alabama barely beat a bad Auburn team and needed a few breaks late to survive. They did win though and now head to Atlanta to face Georgia in the SEC title game, and they will be in the CFP. I still do not know how good this team truly is, but they finally got the run game going against a really good defense and that matters. It was the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare so I would not overreact to the close call. This team is legit, Ty Simpson continues to impress, and they won’t be an easy out in the playoffs.
• I saw someone write “Can Texas A&M ever have nice things?” and I laughed, because it really does feel true sometimes. Despite having one of the best seasons in school history, the Aggies stubbed their toe against dreaded rival Texas. The Longhorns still are not making the CFP, but the win gave Arch and Sark a nice jolt of positive energy heading into bowl season. And even though I’m sure Aggies fans are upset, it didn’t change much. They are a lock for the CFP and are still a real threat to win it all.  
• I was completely wrong about Vanderbilt losing to Tennessee. They grabbed one of the biggest wins in school history and now look poised for a potential CFP berth. The Commodores also  just signed HC Clark Lea to a six year extension and backed up the truck for him, so things are looking up for football fans in Nashville. Well, mostly. You do still have the Titans.

5. Gang Green Grounded

I was watching the Jets on Sunday, which I fully admit is probably a silent call for help, but there were fantasy players involved, so I endured. During the game, a stat popped up that caught my eye. Prior to Sunday, the Jets had lost ten straight games in which they scored first. Ten. They finally won and avoided tying the all time record, which belongs to the 2015–2018 Cleveland Browns. And that got me thinking. Over the past fifteen years, which franchise has actually been worse? The Jets or the Browns?

If we are being fair, the Browns had the lower low. The winless season in 2017. The 1-15 year before that. But they also made the playoffs in 2020, won a playoff game, and had a brief stretch where they were respectable.

The Jets have had nothing close to that. Since 2010, they haven’t even made the playoffs. Fifteen straight seasons on the outside looking in. Their win percentage since 2010 is under 38 percent, and they just locked in their tenth straight losing season.

The Browns have had some rough chapters in the last fifteen years. But even they have not matched the level of dysfunction coming out of the Green and White. And with Woody Johnson still the owner and little promise of change ahead, I have no idea how Jets fans keep the faith.

6. Two Funerals & A Wedding

I have had the unfortunate occasion of attending two funerals over the past couple of weeks, both for people I admired greatly. Both passed away unexpectedly and far too young. Those moments always hit hard, and going to a funeral, especially around the holidays, is never something any of us want to do.

But as I sat there at each service, something really struck me. Both churches were absolutely packed. Wall to wall people, and it reminded me just how special and loved these two were and how many lives they touched. As I reflected afterward, two things kept coming back to me.

First, I hope they knew the impact they had on so many. I think most of us go through life never fully realizing how deeply we influence others, even in the small moments. Second, it made me hope that I am making that kind of impact too in my daily routine. It was a gentle reminder that little moments truly do matter and it is the kindnesses that people always remember.

After that stretch of sadness, it was nice to have something happy on the calendar. My niece got married over the weekend in Cleveland, and it was exactly what our family needed. I have said it before, but I truly enjoy weddings. There is just something about the joy and love in the room that fills me up. After a couple tough weeks of mourning and heavy emotions, it felt really good to smile, laugh, dance, and be surrounded by so many people we love.

So congratulations to Mary and Daniel, and may your life together be long, happy, and full of great experiences. And to the families who lost loved ones these past couple of weeks, please know that Stacey and Brian made a profound impact on me. I will miss them dearly, and I hope the love surrounding you brings at least a little comfort in the weeks ahead.

Thanks for checking out this week’s Six Pack, Sandman Nation! I’d love to hear your thoughts: what resonated with you, what you disagree with, or your own takes on these topics. Drop your comments and let’s keep the conversation going.

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