The Couch Slouch
Hey Mike Gundy: You're a man. You can find something else to do
Apr 13, 2020, 6:55 am
The Couch Slouch
Nobody wants a pandemic, certainly not one that kills hundreds of thousands and delays the college football season.
That was certainly the mindset last week of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, who indicated that May 1 would be a good time to get back to football and who wants his players on campus even if it's deserted because "continuing the economy in this state" requires his team playing games.
"We've got to have a plan," Gundy said, "…so let's just stay on schedule."
Uh, let's update the scoreboard here:
Covid-19, OSU 0.
Go Cowboys!!!
Coach, I understand that we must get back to the business of living. But – follow me on this – we can't do that if we are all dead. So we must stay at home – pause life to preserve life – until the experts say otherwise in regard to this once-in-a-century sacrifice that we hopefully will never see the likes of again.
It stinks this way, it sure does.
Suddenly, we know why our dogs want to take so many walks.
So, yes, we need sports again. But we also need almost every other taken-for-granted detail of our routine, from schools to restaurants to shopping to libraries to concerts to Costco grand openings.
And, frankly, we need back things that have been missing most or all of our lives: compassion, decency, humanity, sense of community.
But we can start by accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative at home. We can start by appreciating what's around us and by revisiting the simple delights that surround us.
Play Rack-O with your kids.
Watch any season of "The Larry Sanders Show" on HBO on Demand.
Talk to long-distance friends. In the old days, these were known as "phone calls."
Send your aunt or uncle a long note. In the old days, this was known as "writing a letter."
Make your own pizza, and when that fails, order one for delivery.
Dig out your old baseball card box, and if you can't find a Nolan Ryan rookie card, give all of them to the 10-year-old next door.
Tell your spouse, "We've got to talk," to let 'em know what it feels like to be on the other end of that baby.
Sing the theme song from "Gilligan's Island" three times nightly.
Board-game doubleheader: Monopoly and Candy Land!
Try to write the Great American Novel, or, at a minimum, at least a limerick.
"Casablanca" and "The Princess Bride," back-to-back, to experience full black-and-white and Technicolor joy.
"His Girl Friday" and "Broadcast News," back-to-back, in black-and-white and Technicolor, to experience full print and electronic joy.
S'mores!
Re-enact scenes from the Old Testament; I adore Leviticus Chapter 19, Verse 33.
A foosball table ($104.99-ish) or air hockey (also $104.99-ish) is the best quarantined C-note investment in the land.
Good betting game: Sit on your front porch with a family member and wager on which direction – left or right – 10 people will walk by your house first.*
(* If you don't have a front porch, just look out the damn window.)
Remind your teenagers about safe sex, in case they ever have sex.
When's the last time you played Charades?
For 16 and under: Hit your brother for no reason. When he hits you back, roll onto the living-room carpet in full brawling mode.
For 75 and over: Hit your brother for no reason. If he falls to the ground in agony, call 911.
Wii bowling!!!
Tell everybody in your home how much you love 'em, twice. Do it now.
Q. I assume you have the entire "Dogs Playing Poker" collection of paintings. And aren't dogs the best? (Eddie Vidmar; Cleveland)
A. Yes, I have the entire collection and, yes, dogs are the best. We just lost our beloved poker-playing pit mix: R.I.P. Daisy.
Q. Is it true that the first recorded reference of the six feet "social distancing" term was in a NCAA basketball referees manual on what constituted a foul when a Duke player drives to the basket? (Stewart Verdery; Washington, D.C.)
A. Boy, I miss rooting against Duke.
Q. Distraught over the pandemic, IOC and NCAA officials walk into a bar and order a bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet 1992. How much should the athletes tip the server? (Bobby Weaver; Smyrna, Ga.)
A. You have an uncanny grasp of global sporting economics.
Q.Since you have been "working" from home for years, does it bother you that your employer deemed you non-essential well before the coronavirus showed up? (Dan Cantwell; Albany, N.Y.)
A. Listen, pal, my family also has deemed me non-essential and questions why I even need to be home.
Q.Since the NFL draft will not have a live audience, should a booing track be added every time Roger Goodell steps up to the microphone? (Arthur Polton; Fairfax, Va.)
A. Pay the man, Shirley.
To enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway, just email asktheslouch@aol.com. The Couch Slouch podcast is available on your favorite podcasting app.
The Astros have officially entered a new era, but it’s hard to spin Alex Bregman’s exit as anything but a gut punch. Bregman, a cornerstone of Houston’s championship core, is gone — and the Astros' strategy (or lack thereof) is front and center. The questions are mounting fast, and the answers don’t inspire confidence.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t about refusing to pay players. It’s about how the Astros are willing to pay them. Jim Crane’s approach has become increasingly rigid — no deals with high annual values and opt-outs, but also no long-term contracts for $160+ million. Essentially, Crane is looking for a Goldilocks zone in modern baseball that no longer exists. Good luck winning another World Series with that strategy and a depleted farm system.
If Crane’s blueprint is to focus on cheap positions (first base, closer) or short-term deals with aging veterans past their prime, this team could be in serious trouble. We’ve seen it before with Correa. He could’ve been retained on a shorter-term contract (3-years, $105 million), but Crane’s pride — and his refusal to engage with Scott Boras on deals that include opt-outs — kept the Astros out of the conversation.
Dana Brown publicly called Bregman a top priority. Clearly, that wasn’t true for Crane. Brown’s reaction to the Bregman news felt more like a man at a funeral than an optimistic GM on the opening day of spring training for pitchers and catchers. He wouldn’t even comment on the deal.
Crane’s strategy already backfiring
The Astros locked up Rafael Montero and José Abreu to questionable contracts that now feel like self-inflicted wounds. Would Crane have let Bregman walk if not for those deals? If that’s the case, Houston just sacrificed its long-term core for short-term bets that didn't pay off.
And get ready — Framber Valdez is probably next. When his contract comes up, don’t expect him to stick around.
Leadership void
Losing Bregman isn’t just about stats. It’s about leadership, swagger, and presence. Players like Jeremy Peña, Chas McCormick, and Isaac Paredes aren’t exactly striking fear into opponents. Correa, Bregman, and Kyle Tucker? Entirely different story.
A missed opportunity
Imagine choosing between Josh Hader’s deal (5-years, $95 million) or what Bregman just signed for (3-years, $120 million). I would take Bregman all day. When Hader signed last season, we were fine with it as long as it didn't preclude the club from trying to extend Bregman and/or Tucker.
But here we are one year later with Tucker, Bregman, and Ryan Pressly playing for new teams. And Pressly was better than Hader in 2024 despite dealing with a role change.
For now, the most exciting things about the 2025 Astros are the short porch in left field — which might make Paredes look good again — and the weak AL West.
So, get your season tickets now!
This is one video you don't want to miss as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros examines all the ramifications from Alex Bregman's Astros departure, and much more!
Spring training is up and running. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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