Todd Brommelkamp / 1600 ESPN
When I was in high school, I had a teacher who gave us two options when it came to essays on his tests. We could use either the “deer slug” or the “scatter gun” approach. The first meant focusing on one topic and writing as much about it as possible. The latter was just the opposite; broad mentions of multiple topics didn’t show mastery of a subject, but it proved you paid enough attention to know a little bit about a lot of the stuff that was covered.
Lists are lazy but, like dandelions, both are abundant this time of year. You can’t go to ESPN or CBS Sports or any other site without seeing at least one list.
Today, I’m channeling my inner Mr. Cederoth. There’s a lot going on in the sports world and I’ve got some thoughts. Let’s get to them in no particular order:
- The WNBA has an officiating problem. That’s been clear for years, but with more eyeballs than ever on the product thanks in large part to the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, it’s a glaring issue the league will need to deal with sooner rather than later. The officiating in Tuesday night’s Indiana vs. Connecticut game was so comical, the broadcast crew couldn’t help but go off on the refs. I’m not the only one who feels this way.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong is really good at baseball. I think he’s answered the question about whether or not he can hit; now the question becomes whether the Chicago Cubs outfielder can sustain his success at the plate over the rest of the season and future campaigns. Not a bad return for a few months of Javy Baez, I’d say.
- The Iowa Heartlanders’ hiring of Chuck Weber to be the team’s new head coach looks like a winner. Weber won two Kelly Cups in Cincinnati and has a track record of building attendance by getting his teams more involved in the community. The Heartlanders need to continue to grow their fan base if there’s hope of a long-term future for the franchise in Eastern Iowa.
- Iowa is making several men’s basketball players and new coach Ben McCollum available to the media over the next few weeks. I’ll probably make my way to Iowa City for at least one session, if only because I need to put faces with names. The roster has completely turned over from last year, with the exception of Cooper Koch.
- The NBA Draft is next week. There’s not much buzz around here for it this year, but there’s a chance we may be talking a lot about Bennett Stirtz and the draft this time next year.
- The Kernels are having an outstanding season. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Twins’ affiliate in Cedar Rapids yet, you should do so soon. There’s likely to be some roster turnover in the second half once the MLB Draft occurs.
- The Flying Weenie is for sale. If I had the money, I’d buy the business, sell the land and pivot toward a food truck. The Chicago-style dog is a delicacy, one that’s too hard to find decent versions of in Eastern Iowa. The secret is the sport peppers.
- With temperatures set to rise in the coming weeks, make sure your AC unit is ready for another hot and humid summer. Trust me, you don’t want it going out on you when it’s 90 degrees out. I grew up without central air, so you’d think not having it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Last week was one of the longest of my life. What can I say, I’m weak.
- I watched a trailer for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic this morning. Jeremy Allen White stars as The Boss. Is there anything Jeremy Allen White isn’t in these days?
- Mr. Cederoth was always adamant if you were to throw a football game, the center was the one position to target. Other than the quarterback, they’re the only player to touch the ball on every play. Why was a high school history teacher lecturing about the intricacies of fixing sporting events? You had to be there.
Todd Brommelkamp is the host of “The Todd Brommelkamp Show” and can be heard weekdays on 1600ESPN from 6:30 to 9 a.m.
