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.
- Michigan’s Sign Stealing Saga Is Finally Over
Almost two years after Michigan’s sign stealing saga first came to light during the 2023 national championship season, the NCAA has finally handed down its ruling. The verdict includes heavy financial penalties that could exceed $30 million, four years of probation, recruiting restrictions, and an additional one game suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore on top of the two games the team already self-imposed. Former head coach Jim Harbaugh and staffer Connor Stalions were hit with long show cause penalties, but there is no postseason ban, no vacated wins, and the 2023 national title remains intact.
As a Michigan fan, that last part is what matters most to me. The money hurts and the off-the-field limitations are real, but this program will survive financially and competitively. We have seen other schools such as Ohio State with TattooGate and USC with the Reggie Bush case lose trophies, wins, and legacies. Michigan avoided that fate, and the natty stays put. Whether the sign stealing was as widespread or impactful as some believe is still up for debate, but the NCAA is college football’s courtroom and this is the sentence. Now it is time to serve it, move forward, and keep that magical 2023 season right where it belongs.
- The Never-Ending Battle With Household Chores
I’ve been a homeowner for 25 years now, across three homes, and one inevitable fact never goes away. As great as it is to own your own place, there will always be chores to do. Everyone has their strengths when it comes to these, and everyone has the chores they avoid at all costs. For me, the list is very selective. Some I don’t mind at all, even enjoy on occasion, while others I dread with a passion. For this week’s Six Pack, here are the five that drive me crazy and the few I’m actually OK with.
Five I Can’t Stand:
- Pulling weeds – My mom used to make me do this for hours as a kid and I once fainted from sun poisoning while doing it. Safe to say, it is not my happy place.
- Vacuuming – It is incredibly mundane, I hate the sound, and getting into the nooks and crannies around furniture, under couches, and on stairs is just irritating.
- Painting – I used to not mind it, but in recent years it has climbed up my hate list. It is repetitive, time consuming, and boring. And no, I didn’t miss a spot.
- Moving furniture, especially up and down stairs – We recently had to move a mattress, box spring, a recliner, and two dressers up from our basement for Brady and I was reminded how much I despise it. It is hard, awkward, and I am convinced 90% of the arguments Jamie and I have had in our marriage began while engaging in this activity.
- Making the bed – This one is mostly out of principle. It only takes a minute and isn’t challenging, but if no one else is seeing it, what’s the point?
A Few I Don’t Mind:
- Spring cleaning and reorganizing the garage or basement – one of my favorite bi-annual traditions. It just feels good to purge, clean, reorganize, and leave those areas looking nicer and way easier to find stuff.
- Doing and folding laundry – My first job in high school was working at a retail clothing store so I know how to do the perfect fold with the best of ‘em.
- Washing and putting away dishes – It is mindless, soothing, and oddly satisfying. And it still boggles my mind how many times dishes get put in the wrong place when I’m not the one doing it. So step aside, I’ll gladly take this one.
What about you Sandman Nation? Which chores do you dread and which ones do you not mind?
- Back to School, Front Porches, and Too Many Photos
It is back to school season. Cooper started sixth grade, Brady is entering his junior year at Miami University, and Mackenzie is starting her final year of nursing school and will graduate in May. Exciting times all around and I am proud of all of them.
And if I am being honest, as much as I love summer with family vacations, pool days, and grill-outs, it will be nice to have slightly quieter houses during the workday.
But here is my one small beef with this time of year. Do we really need to take first day of school pictures every single year and then post them for the world?
We do it too, so I am just as guilty. But when did this become an unwritten law of parenting? Yes, of course, take a photo for your own memories. But let’s be honest, these are not exactly once-in-a-lifetime shots. It is a kid standing in front of a door or a wall, maybe holding a backpack or a sign that says “First Day of X Grade.”
It certainly isn’t the biggest annoyance in today’s world, but unless something truly groundbreaking happens on the front porch between second and seventh grade, I think we’ll all survive with fewer photo shoots and fewer obligatory social posts about them.
- There’s Nothing Quite Like Being In A Pennant Race
My podcast cohost and business partner, The Sandman, recently said on the pod that there is not much better than having your baseball team in the playoff hunt all summer. I could not agree more. Bill and his Mariners are having a season for the ages, and it is going to be a blast for that city as October approaches.
Sadly, being a Reds fan, we do not get too many of those summers. But even though we are double digits out of first place in the NL Central, we are only a game out of the Wild Card. So you are saying there is a chance. That makes going to games and cheering for the team even more fun.
My family loves going to Reds games, especially when they are playing well. We went last week against the NL East leading Phillies. The Reds were underdogs but ended up winning 8–0, capped by a grand slam. There is nothing like being in the stands for a grand slam, with high fives flying everywhere, strangers hugging, and more than one beer getting spilled.
And then on Sunday, we were at a restaurant in Oxford after moving Brady back in, watching the Reds trail 2–1 in the bottom of the ninth. They tied it up and won it in the 10th. If they were 20 games out, I probably wouldn’t have cared, but right now it made getting the W that much more fun to watch.
There are still almost 40 games left, which means plenty of time for the Reds to blow it. But for now, we’re almost to September, they have a fighting chance, and my eyes are glued to those standings every day. And as a baseball fan in a small market town, you can’t really ask for much more. Let’s go Redlegs!
- The Browns With The Big Goose Egg
Football season is almost here, which means at Sandman Sports it is about to be wall to wall predictions, previews, and picks for both the year ahead and every single week once the season starts. We have a full slate of dedicated articles and video series planned, and I am fired up to jump in with some preseason predictions, best bets, and my brand new segment Monday Morning I Want My Quarter Back, which I cannot wait to launch in a few weeks.
All of this takes a lot of time and research, and while digging into the AFC North recently, I stumbled on a stat that absolutely blew my mind.
The Cleveland Browns came back into the NFL in 1999 after owner Art Modell moved the original team to Baltimore to become the Ravens. Since that return, the Browns have won exactly zero division titles. In that same time, the Steelers have won 9, the Ravens 8, and the Bengals 6. In fact, it has been 35 years since Cleveland has won any division, with the last one coming in 1989 when they were still part of the AFC Central.
Living in Cincinnati, I know there is not much love lost between our cities, but honestly, this makes me a little sad. Cleveland has one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases in sports, yet they have been through decades of heartbreak. Yes, the Cavaliers finally gave them a title in 2016 when they beat the Warriors. But the Indians, now Guardians, have not won a World Series since 1948, and the Browns have never even been to a Super Bowl.
Forget the Super Bowl for a moment. Please just win a division. Sadly, this does not look like the year that streak gets broken. Their over-under win total is just 4.5, and many experts think they could finish with the worst record in the league. Bernie Kosar and Clay Matthews, wherever you are, the Dawg Pound needs you.
- Seven Shows, Ten Days, One Tired Dude
The great Bierman Summer of 2025 concert tour rolls on. Last week I wrote about the four-day VOA Country Music Fest in our backyard. This week we added three more shows to the list.
On Tuesday, Brady’s favorite band, The Red Clay Strays, was playing in Columbus and he asked if I would go with him. I am never going to turn down a special night like that, even if I had never heard of the band and was a little skeptical. But holy moley, they were fantastic.
Their sound is hard to describe, a little country, a little alt rock, and even some Christian thrown in. Strange mix, I know, but it worked. The show was completely sold out, people were shoulder to shoulder on the lawn, and they put on an incredible performance. The lead singer wore a sports jacket the entire time, which I actually thought was pretty fricking cool. Their best song is one called “Wondering Why” and it is worth checking out. I told Brady I will absolutely go see this band again.
The very next day we headed to the Reds game, and after the final pitch, Train took the stage. We have seen them before as a family and they never disappoint. For an after-game concert, they really brought it, playing a full set of hits along with some fun, unexpected covers.
Finally, on Saturday night, Jamie and I made a weekend trip to Michigan to see one of our favorite bands, the Goo Goo Dolls. We’ve seen them many times over the years, but since they weren’t coming to Cincinnati this year, a road trip beckoned. They always put on a great show, but this one was unusual as they finished with no encore. They played most of their hits, but there were still a couple left on the table, and then it just ended rather abruptly as the lights came on. Everyone was a little confused, then quickly started to shuffle out. Still a great time, just a strange and unexpected ending.
As a family, we love music and we love concerts, and this past week was an absolute blast. But seven shows in ten days is a lot. My ears and liver could use a break, so hand me the popcorn and a cozy blanket as this week might see a lot of couch and movie time.
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.
