Closing Time: Why Manning is the Man and Cam and is Damned

Danville, Kentucky -- Sometimes, a man knows when it's time. Time to wipe the oil and grease off your fingers and use the old union punch clock for the last time. Time to down one last shot of cheap whiskey and pay that tab which was $50 more than you expected. Time to hang up the cleats. Closing time.

Folks, it's looking like the sun is about to set on Peyton Manning's career. The bartender is yelling "last call!" as Peyton prepares to exit the pub of his career and embark upon the cold, empty streets of retirement. It's been quite a journey. When I look into Peyton Manning's soft and vacant eyes, I see a man with a singular determination to secure his legacy with a final Super Bowl ring. Peyton has led an exemplary NFL career. He'll stop at nothing to win; there's no PED or HGH he wouldn't take to give his team a shot. He's an all-time great passer. He knows how to audible. He mastered the hurry-up offense. He's All-American. He's a leader.

Folks had written off Peyton when he came face to face with the Brady & Belichick machine in the AFC finals. I didn't. After defeating Brady and conquering one of the key obstacles to his second Super Bowl win, only one more hurdle stands in his way: Cam Newton.

Cam Newton abandoned the men that brought him. For those unfamiliar with recent history, which given Common Core, should be every student in America, Cam Newton was kicked out of the University of Florida. When the Gators struck against a once proud man, Cam needed a school. Enter Blinn College. In a hardworking part of a hardworking state, Cam won a title and became the man he was supposed to be.Yet, Cam transferred to Auburn and stopped mentioning Blinn. Cam lists his school as Auburn when he talks on NBC. But where were the Tigers when Cam was kicked out of Florida for buying a laptop? I'll tell you where, nowhere. The men of Blinn have not forgotten Cam's decision to forget. I cannot root for a man that abandons those that stand with him when he is down.

Off the field, Cam has made questionable decisions. On the field, Cam is no Manning. Cam flaunts his athleticism too much, running the ball instead of passing out of the pocket. Unlike Manning, he never audibles; he's beholden to the coaches on the sidelines and can't be a general on the field. In addition, Cam can't play with a lead. The Panthers have allowed tons of come-backs this season, as Cam gets complacent after getting a lead.

Experience matters. Peyton has played in three Super Bowls. 2015 is Cam's second winning season in the NFL. The contrast between the veteran wisdom of Peyton and Cam's raw youthful energy and talent is stark. If Peyton is closing his tab at a low-key, run-down pool hall where Hank Williams and Bruce Springsteen play faintly on the jukebox, Cam is dabbing at a club where the paranoid conversations of intoxicated Bernie Sanders supporters are drowned out by the thumping bass of terrible dance beats. Meanwhile, President Trump has endorsed Peyton. Given the weakness of his opposition, this is the year of Peyton. "Omaha" will be yelled. Papa John's will be devoured. Manning will be crowned. This is the end of the line for Mr. Manning; but every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

Ban Rick Snyder

Not even BB8 can save Flint now.

Danville, Kentucky -- Flint, Michigan is an all-American town. A town I've written about before. I told you about Flint's Thanksgiving traditions. Flint's unique fauna. Flint's industrial culture. And most importantly, Flint's love for the game of baseball. A town where working-class folks powered the country, literally and figuratively. A town where hard-working men like my uncle assembled the AC spark plugs that power our cars. A town whose blue-collar work ethic silently underwrote the economic strength of our nation. A town that invented the sit-down strike.

A town that's been failed. Failed by nerds at both the state and federal level.

The state of Michigan has long suffered from a leadership vacuum. The best governor in recent memory was John Engler. Engler was a man of the people. The type of man who'd order the Carolina Chicken Salad at Ruby Tuesday's, but still have the courage to order a chicken tender appetizer afterwards.

Engler, pondering dessert options.

the people's salad.

Michigan has been in sore need of leadership like that. Yet, Engler is an aberration. Instead, the state has been cursed by ineffectual leaders like George Romney, father of the man who couldn't beat Obama. George Romney was the Ted Cruz of his time; a man born under mysterious circumstances in Mexico, with aspirations to govern Americans despite his un-American heritage.

Folks, I was overjoyed for my family members in Flint when the reign of Supreme Leader Granholm met its end in 2011. Yet, Rick Snyder was not the man Flint needed. Rick Snyder, the self-proclaimed "One Tough Nerd," spent too much time with the professors in Ann Arbor and not enough time with the AC spark plug assembly-men in Flint. Rick Snyder made a deal with the devil. He bought into Obama's coercion. In exchange for federal highway funding handouts, he let the tentacles of the Employment Prevention Agency suffocate the good people of Flint.

I blame Rick Snyder for the lead poisoning crisis we see today. But not because he was negligent or corrupt like liberals and Hillary Clinton say. Because he allowed federal overreach on his watch. The federal government has no business interfering in local matters. Environmental problems are best addressed by officials who understand the nuances of the local ecological conditions. Especially when those officials are un-democratically appointed feudal overlords. Mr. Snyder, why appoint an emergency manager when you're going to let Obama and the EPA be the emergency micro-manager anyway?

Something is rotten in the state of Michigan. Maybe it's the lead; maybe it's the outlandishly large unemployment rate. I knew there had to be something in the water when my Uncle Bert and his family became Bernie Sanders supporters in the fall of 2015. I can see why Bernie's crude populism would be appealing to my Uncle Bert on a superficial level. Sanders, like a broken old union punch clock, manages to be right once and a while. Bernie knows the devastation that NAFTA wrought upon the people of Flint. Yet, socialism is not the solution to the crisis in Flint; the EPA's grotesque failure shows that much.

The solution is clear: Ban Rick Snyder. Sign Flint native and communist Michael Moore's petition to have him arrested. Folks, let's save time and just arrest them both. The trials of man are fought everyday throughout this country as good men are given the constitutional right to face a jury of their peers. Rick Snyder's peers are in the process of dying. It's time to kill Snyder's run in the hallowed grounds of Lansing before he starts emailing on the job like Hillary Clinton.

Trump Will Win Iowa

Danville, Kentucky - In 11 days, the first votes will be cast in the last Presidential election of the second decade of the 21st Century. In the blistering cold, men and women across Iowa will gather in front of neighbor, ex-wife, and child to proclaim their vote for President. While others have attempted to predict the race with "polls," "experts," and "establishment media," we're going to actually tell you who wins.

Bush holds up fingers signifying how many candidates were better than him in 1980

Folks, I have predicted every Iowa caucus except 1980, when the voters of Iowa foolishly chose George H.W. Bush over Bob Dole and Ronald Reagan. We all made mistakes in '80. As my divorce still requires, I will not go into details about those mistakes. Instead, I will explain how Iowa will go.

To know Iowa, you have to know it's process. The snobs say Iowa is a backwards people in a backwards place using a backwards election process. I'm not allowed to teach driver's education in Kentucky after burning a car in protest of the 1994 MLB strike, but I believe 3 backwards equals a forwards. And that's what the caucuses are: a forward process to the nomination.

Jeb Bush asking God to strike him from the race

To really know Iowa you need to know it's people. Iowa is a land of hard-won hustlers. The folks in Ames love their Cyclones. To anyone that's attended the Big 12 tournament, the passion, fireball, and lack of respect for officiating, tells you the caucus can get nasty. A winning candidate has to be able to overcome the quick putdown of another candidate in a middle school gym. Mitt Romney couldn't survive those insults in 2012 and the voters of Iowa voted for Rick Santorum. Jeb Bush isn't a man that can survive the taunts of a middle school. He has no chance.

Des Moines wisely didn't waste their budget on art like some cities did 

Then there's Des Moines. A big city with a small town feel. The St. Louis Rams would never move to a place like Des Moines because the Moines requires accountability. Instead, the Rams moved to a state where no one cares about anything except trying to ruin the country like they did by voting against Nixon in 1962. Des Moines didn't vote against accountability or Nixon. The folks in Des Moines will ask Rick Santorum a simple question: why do you deserve a second chance? Santorum couldn't beat Romney. Even Obama beat Romney. See ya later, Santorum.

The caucus is a voting process. To vote in a caucus requires someone actually casts a vote. Marco Rubio doesn't actually cast votes in the Senate. He's too busy not voting. When the voters at the caucus think about how they are voting, they'll remember Marco doesn't vote. He has no chance.

Marco Rubio pictured in his natural habitat: not voting

Ted Cruz is a Canadian. No non-American has ever finished in the top 5 of the caucuses. I don't see the voters of a state like Iowa ignoring this. We've been all over Ted Cruz being a Canadian before others. Luckily, Iowa will realize before it's too late they need to vote for an American.

Ted Cruz views on America

John Kasich voted for NAFTA. Those five words will drown him in Iowa. Kasich's a sly one though. His hand motions may just let him swim in New Hampshire if the voters aren't careful.

Ben Carson is a great man. I just can't vote see the voters of Iowa supporting someone that taught at John's Hopkins. For those not familiar- the non-Iowan's of the world- John's Hopkins is a school where the liberal eggheads develop their foreign policy. Dr. Carson never criticized the foreign policy of his own school. Iowa demands a President that criticizes those in the wrong. Carson stood silent. Enough voters will stand silent for him on February 1st.


Carly Fiorina foolishly rooted for Iowa in the Rose Bowl. The problem with that was not the pandering pundits decried. Everyone loves someone willing to sell out everything they believe in for the hope of winning a handful of votes in a state with less than 1/50th of the delegates needed to be the nominee. The problem was that Carly's tweet reminded everyone she went to Stanford. Iowans don't leave and go to Coastal schools. They stay home and go to an Iowa school. See ya later, Fiorina.

This organization has too many letters for an acronym

The people of Iowa love the Constitution. They demand the right to shout offensive things at Hawkeye basketball games, and they love the freedom to be free from having to house troops protected by the 3rd Amendment. It's too bad Chris Christie doesn't believe in the Constitution. His support for Sonya Sotomayor has trampled the Constitution. Christie will get trampled on caucus night.

Rand Paul, nope.

The once and future Presidents shaking hands

Then, there's the winner. Donald. Trump. The process of elimination says no one else can win. And that's the problem. Iowa has not won in a longtime. America has not won since the 2012 Olympics. The country, and more importantly, the people of Dubuque, Iowa need a win. Trump has everything Iowa voters want. They want a candidate that will tell them the truth, Trump tells them the truth when he says Mexico will pay for a giant wall that only benefits America. They care about family values and want a candidate that loves their spouse. Trump loves traditional marriage so much he's done it three times. They also want a candidate that can win. The polls show Trump gets destroyed by Clinton and Sanders. Those same polls once said Trump would lose to Jeb Bush.

Nate Silver has said for most of the last 13 months that Donald Trump could never be the nominee. Now he wonders why the party failed to try and stop the man. The party did not want to stop the man, Nate. The party wanted to be led by the man, and the party wants to vote for the man. Nate Silver and the folks at ESPN that want me to pay extra to see American Athletic Conference games on ESPN News still think Trump will lose Iowa. The only thing statistically significant in Silver's life is how wrong he is again. He'll fire back that he called all 50 states in 2012. Even a random number generator is right sometimes, old foe. This time listen to the people, you can hear them sing the song of angry men: Trump for President.

In Memoriam of a West Virginian Pizza Hut

Danville, Kentucky -- Folks, it pains me to say that a place near and dear to my heart -- a Pizza Hut near my Aunt Jodie-May's cabin in Marmet, West Virginia -- has gone the way of the Southern Democrat, or Ben Carson's scholarship to West Point. While that legendary pizzeria's ovens may never heat cheesy-bread again, an eternal flame of love for this fine establishment -- hotter than any WingStreet product -- burns in my heart like a buffalo-sauce induced ulcer. As I rolled into Marmet eager for some fresh pizza pie, I spent the better part of an afternoon crying in the parking lot when I discovered this wonderful restaurant had closed; the once proud exterior now shuttered and abandoned.

Why is this beloved institution of Marmet going out of business? West Virginia is where Obama's War on Coal and Obama's War on Fair Trade intersect. Some would say this Pizza Hut was getting gouged by the recent emergence of competitors like Little Caesars and CiCi's. But I place the blame squarely on Washington's shoulders. With Obama's TPP set to kick-in in the coming months, resulting in the dumping of cheap products from backwater communist hell-holes like Vietnam and Japan, investment capital is flying out of Marmet faster than frat-boys are running out of Chipotle restaurants across our great nation.

Located in rural Appalachia, in the shadows of great imposing mountains which will soon be stripped via mountaintop removal coal mining, lay one of the finest pizza joints I will ever know. Every day for 40 years, my Uncle Cletus descended into the pitch black depths of the West Virginia coal mines. He took nothing down there with him but a flashlight, a pick-axe, and a burning desire to emerge to the surface once more so that he could head to that Pizza Hut and order a P'Zone®.

All Hail the P'Zone®

While Uncle Cletus toiled away in the mines, my Aunt Jodie-May would nervously wait for him, loyally sitting in her favorite rocking chair. As she sat on her front porch, biting her nails and inhaling NO2 gas which would waft down from the mountains in dirty orange plumes, the promise of breadsticks and the salad bar gave her the strength to persevere through the day.

Some of my sweetest memories happened at this Pizza Hut. My Aunt and Uncle's 15th anniversary dinner in '93. In 1995, I met my future third wife while in line for the lunch buffet. Folks, this was a great 'Za Hut. Their kind employees were willing to turn a blind eye when I brought flasks full of Jameson into their fine establishment, to help wash down the thousands of calories of cheesy-bread I would eat in the span of about 10 minutes.

A typical trip to the Pizza Hut buffet.

The dessert pizza remains an unparalleled triumph of culinary excellence.

Pizza Hut taught my family about the value of hard work. The BOOK IT! program gives bright young American kids everywhere free 'za in exchange for these children meeting a monthly reading goal. It was a win-win: I got to introduce my children to Rand's Atlas Shrugged and The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater, and my kids got to introduce themselves to the fantastic Tuscani Creamy Chicken Alfredo in massive heaping quantities. 

Marmet's Pizza Hut, and the blue-collar family values it represents, are yet another casualty of self-destructive free trade policies. America has not yet learned the lessons of NAFTA, SKFTA, CFTA, and PFTA. For the sake of my Aunt Jodie May and the good people of coal country, we need to.

The True Meaning of Christmas: 2015 In Review

The True Heroes of 2015

Danville, Kentucky -- Christmas is a time of giving, cheer, love, and warmth. But it's also a time where a young boy learns a lesson that'll stay with him throughout his entire life. Christmas teaches children the value of settling, of lowering their expectations, of living in a world of shattered dreams and broken promises. It's a lesson I've learned over and over again.

It was winter of '69. I had one, and only one, item on my list for Santa. An autographed '69 Topps Woody Woodward card.

Woody Woodward embodied the spirit of the '60s Reds, in the formative years before the Big Red Machine. A utility infielder, Woody played multiple positions with a quiet stateliness. He was my hero.

Yet, sometimes your heroes fail you. Woody ultimately went to a place where baseball should have never gone: the dreary, grungy, over-caffeinated hell-hole Seattle. Young Will Hart didn't know what I know now; that Woody would betray everything the '69 Reds stood for and become general manager of the Seattle Mariners many years later. But at the time, Young Will Hart was hurt when his parents failed to deliver on his lone Christmas request. 

I ran down the stairs that fateful Christmas morning, carefully surveying the presents under the blue-spruce pine tree that my father and I cut down ourselves. I giddily waited for my dad to give the all clear, allowing me to open my gifts. I wept when a Woody Woodward card was nowhere to be found. I learned what heartbreak was that day. I learned what heartbreak was again in '87 after a heated Christmas Day argument with my wife at a Chinese restaurant in Branson, Missouri. My ex-wife took the last crab rangoon that day. But more importantly, she took my pride.

Folks, the waning days of 2015 are upon us. Like most of my Christmas memories, 2015 was a mixed bag. It was the best of times, and the worst of times. My hometown Reds floundered upon the shoals of mediocrity; yet, the Royals showed that friendship, grit, and old-fashioned small-ball really can triumph in an era of escalating payrolls. Chipotle deceived and betrayed us all; yet, Jim Harbaugh restored dignity and honor to a failing football program with class and poise. It was a great year, folks, and 2016 might be even better if America believes in making itself great again. Here's a post compiling links to my prolific writings from this past year. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

* = Will's Choice article. An article chosen for excellence in encapsulating the spirit of TWTW.

NCAA Basketball
Senior Night Sensations *

Major League Baseball -- General
TWTW's 2015 AL Central Preview [correctly predicted Royals playoff berth]
Royals - Tigers Series Preview - April 30th -- May 3rd

TWTW's 5-5 Royals @ Indians Preview [correctly predicted outcome]

TWTW's Tigers @ White Sox Preview - 5-7-15

TWTW's 5-20 Reds @ Royals Preview

My First Kauffman Trip in 30 Years

Profiles in Yardage: TWTW's Preview of Tigers @ Athletics on Memorial Day

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 1st Place Minnesota Twins

TWTW's 2015 MLB All Star Game Ballot

TWTW's Reds - Tigers Preview - 6/15 - 6/18

Ban the St. Louis Cardinals *

Leaving Hosmer Hanging Chad?

Divorce Joey Votto: Why the 2015 Reds Can Be Fixed

TWTW's Second-Half AL East Predictions [correctly predicted Blue Jays 1st place finish]

Pre-Deadline Date With Destiny: TWTW's Tigers @ Red Sox Preview -- 7-24-15

Midsummer Meanderings - TWTW's Review of the 2015 MLB Season thus far

TWTW's Royals @ Tigers Series Preview - 8/4 -- 8/6

Pitchers from the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Squirrel

TWTW's Royals @ Reds Preview - 8/18-8/19 *

Hungry Like the Wolf: TWTW's 9/2 Tigers @ Royals Preview, or, Why Some Men Refuse to Quit

TWTW's 2015 MLB MVP Ballot

TWTW's 2015 ALCS Preview [correctly predicted Royals win in 6 games]

Kansas City Special: TWTW's 2015 World Series Preview [correctly predicted Royals win in 5 games]

Breaking Cleveland: How to Make the 2016 Indians Contenders

Worst to First: How to Make the 2016 Tigers Winners

Major League Baseball -- Player Profiles
In Defense of Omar Infante
Jurassic Verlander: The Lost Ace
FORG1V3 & Never Forget - the A-Rod & Scherzer Story
Boston Massacre: What's Wrong With Rick Porcello?

Free Pete Rose

Everyday Andrew: Why Romine is the Key to the Tigers in 2015
Justin Verlander: the Once and Future Ace *
Johnny Be Good: Why Cueto Can Be Fixed and Nirvana is a Bad Band

Major League Baseball -- Writings on Sabermetrics

The Case Against BABIP

Why A Pitcher's W/L Record Matters

Shift the Shift to the Ban Category
Save the Save
In Defense of RBIs

National Football League

Ban Brady

Change the Name: Redskins should trade name with Seahawks

Manning Madness

Ban London: TWTW's Lions @ Chiefs Preview

Thanksgiving with the Harts: TWTW's Eagles @ Lions Preview

NCAA Football

Big 12 Football Preview

Nebraska and Texas, What's your Option? Return to the Option

Alabama is #1

TWTW's 2015 Ohio State (8) @ Michigan (12) Preview

TWTW's 2015 Kansas State @ Kansas Football Preview

National Basketball Association

Russell is the Greatest of All-Time, PER is garbage

2015 NBA Finals Preview

Michael Jordan is the Best at not being the Best

Not my Business: NBA Free Agency

Ban the 76ers and Free Pete Rose

Politics, Misc.

Ban Skip Bayless

Trump for President: Trump Trumps the Chumps

Legalize Banning Colorado Marijuana Rockies

Hillary Clinton Has to Go... to Jail

She Destroyed two Nerd Companies: Carly Fiorina for President

Food Criticism

Bring Back the Volcano Taco

Chipotle: Genetically Modify its Death *

Ban McDonald's: All Day Breakfast Lie

and who could forget my podcast debut?

My New Year's resolutions:

• Continue to not write about the NHL, Soccer, or other un-American sports.
• Re-enter the Danville Applebee's
• Get out of my comfort zone by trying the mango margarita at Chili's instead of lime margarita

Folks, these aren't just blog posts, they're educational materials. Losing an argument with your nerd son-in-law during Christmas dinner? Consult The Case Against BABIP. Looking to pass on knowledge about the 2015 World Champion Royals to your young nephew? Put him on your knee and show him my voluminous writings on that excellent team, documenting their rise to glory. Is your wife a Cardinals fan? Divorce her, then spam her email with Ban the St. Louis Cardinals. Whatever you do - pour yourself a drink, and have a happy New Year.

Will Hart

Worst to First: How to Make the 2016 Tigers Winners

Danville, Kentucky -- Folks, the MLB offseason is now fully underway with the Detroit Tigers having signed ex-Washington National Jordan Zimmerman to a 5 year deal. I'm not usually a big fan of the strategy of trying to "buy a team" as Mike Ilitch and company have done in the past. Championship teams aren't bought; they are made. The bonds of camaraderie necessary to take a team to the promised land must be forged by blood, sweat, and tears. It's a process that takes years. The 2015 Royals have rendered an approach based on acquiring expensive high profile talent obsolete. The Tigers would be better served by emulating the Dayton Moore approach. Let players grow together on the farm system, à la Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, then plug roster holes with gritty veterans like Omar Infante, Alex Rios, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ryan Madson. Buying talent didn't work for the Nationals, and it didn't work for the Dodgers. There's no short-cuts to Autumnal glory. Saavy GMs must address the chemistry factor.

On the surface, signing Zimmerman is just another win-now, big-bucks move. However, there's a lot to like about the Zimmerman deal. Zimmerman is a Midwest man, born and raised across Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. Folks, there's no better way to motivate an athlete to succeed than coming home. Much work remains to be done if the Tigers wish to go from the AL Central's worst in 2015 to first in 2016. If new GM Al Avila wants his team to contend, he needs to double down on the strategy of coming home. Here's the players he should target and the moves he should make.

Sign Doug Fister

Folks, when I heard that Avila inked Zimmerman -- a 19-game winner in 2013 -- to a 5-year deal, the first thing I thought about wasn't his 3.5 projected WAR in 2016 or his 3.57 career xFIP. I immediately thought this was a great move for the Tigers if it increases the likelihood of a reunion of ex-Tiger and ex-National Doug Fister. Doug Fister was one of the crown jewels of the Dombrowski-era, a prime example of Dombrowski's ability to turn spare parts into winning pieces. As the team's 4th starter in 2013, Fister won 14 games. His arrival in 2011 helped turn the tide of the season. He could similarly turn the tide of 2016.

Folks, things can't always go back to the way they were. I learned this all too well at a recent high school reunion. There are some wounds even time can't heal. But the stars are aligning for Doug Fister to return to Detroit. The Tigers need a reliable innings-eater while the young arms of the future like Kyle Lobstein get primed for the big show. Doug Fister needs to rebuild his value after a surprising injury-riddled off year in 2015. Doug Fister and the Tigers need each other. Now, they just need to believe in one another. Fister was always a blue-collar hurler who pitched to contact instead of trying to strike everybody out like losers such as Corey Kluber. It didn't make sense for him to play under the spotlight of our nation's capitol in Washington, D.C. Dougie's democratic style of pitching is a much better fit for the rust-belt town of Detroit, where men unionize and support each other like brothers. The prospect of reuniting with his former teammates should make any offer very enticing to Mr. Fister. Bring him home, Avila.

 

Sign Brayan Pena

Alex Avila, because of what can only be attributed to massive daddy problems with the new GM, is now a Chicago White Sock. Alex Avila is frequently undervalued by nerds who decry his high strikeout rate, lackluster wRC+ and unexciting DRS. Folks, the nerds couldn't be more off-base. Alex brought a lot of things to the table that don't show up in a spreadsheet. He handled the ace-studded pitching staffs of 2011-2015 with poise and class. Building that kind of familiarity and rapport with the young James McCann won't happen overnight. On top of that, McCann struggles against right-handed pitching. There's no clear internal option for replacing Avila either -- Bryan Holaday generates all the enthusiasm of three-day-old Little Caesar's pizza that you drunkenly ordered and have been forced to eat by a nagging spouse.

To ease the transition to the McCann regime, Al Avila should bring the effervescent Brayan Pena back to the Motor City. After spending 2013 in Detroit, Brayan would be able to easily sync-up with his former teammates Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez (along with Doug Fister for that matter). There's no better player to mentor young James than Brayan, the nicest guy in the league.

As a Reds fan, losing Brayan would break my heart. But there's no smarter move if you're Al Avila. Sign Brayan Pena to a 2-year deal.

Unfortunately, it might already be too late. After noticing that Brayan followed the St. Louis Cardinals twitter account and consulting with my old bookie from Branson, Missouri, I became the first to break the news that Brayan had signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Pena's agent has yet to confirm.

BREAKING: Veteran catcher Brayan Pena signs with St. Louis #Cardinals.

— The Will To Win (@TWTWsports) November 27, 2015

God forbid that the nicest man in baseball sign with the worst franchise in baseball.


Sign Austin Jackson

The Tigers need another outfielder to platoon with Anthony Gose, who hits left-handed pitching as effectively as I salvage marriages. Austin should be on the radar of multiple teams. I've already said that Cleveland should be in on him. The Tigers might need him even more, and their need goes beyond requiring somebody to hit lefties. The Tigers suffered in 2014 in no small part because of Torii Hunter's absence. The organization has all but admitted this:

"Torii was my biggest asset in the clubhouse last season," Ausmus said. "That presence was missed in 2015."

If the Tigers are serious about contending, they need to fill that vacuum. Austin is the man to do that. Austin has no doubt gained a lot of perspective playing in Seattle and North Chicago this past season. He studied under Torii from 2013-2014. He's not the young rookie we met back in 2010; he's come into his own as a veteran and a leader. He ready. Make it happen, Al Avila.

Fernando Rodney

The Tiger's need bullpen help; that's no secret. Trading for proven closer Francisco Rodriguez was a big step in the right direction. But the Tigers relief corps is still light on proven arms, especially with the departure of proven closer Joe Nathan and proven closer Joakim Soria. Fernando could help here. He is a proven closer. His veteran presence of mind is being severely undervalued on the open market, as the sabermetric craze has caused GMs to value FIP more than on-the-job experience. Rodney is #6 on the active saves leaders list. A reunion with Rodney is a no-brainer, Al.

Fire Ausmus

The Tiger's manager situation is where truly bold leadership is required. The Brad Ausmus regime has been a failure. Young players brawl under his leadership. Players phone it in and don't give 100% on his watch. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011 because of him. Folks, they don't teach you how to lead at Dartmouth. Ausmus lost the clubhouse; it's time to promote Omar Vizquel or experiment with Victor Martinez as player-manager. Go big, Mr. Avila, and whatever you do, don't hire another ivy-league nerd.

Conclusion

The Tigers can still contend in 2016, but it will require a change in approach. Throwing money at the problem won't do anything. A culture of friendship and belonging has to be created. By bringing in former Tigers and clubhouse leaders like Fister, Pena, Jackson and Rodney, Al Avila can help the Tigers franchise adapt to the reality of post-2015 Royals baseball. Give me a team full of friends over a team full of well-paid strangers any day.

TWTW's 2015 Kansas State @ Kansas Football Preview

Danville, Kentucky - Not all college football rivalries can be as glamorous as Auburn v. Alabama or Ohio State v. Michigan. Not every senior gets a storybook, fairy tale ending to their football career. I certainly didn't.

I'm the type of man who will brag constantly about my no-hitter, and rightfully so. But there's one episode of my high school sports career I'm not as proud of. It was November of '71, with my Danville High Admirals vying for a shot at immortality in the finals of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Football Championship tournament. My admirals were down 7 and had the ball in the enemy's red-zone with seconds left to play, desperately seeking to force overtime. Both teams were assembled at the line of scrimmage for what I knew could be the last play of my illustrious career as a Fullback.

It was at that moment that I looked into the stands and saw the woman who would become Mrs. Will Hart #1. Distracted by her beauty, I missed a block, and our halfback was tackled for a loss. Our rivals from Boyle County began to celebrate and tear down the goal-posts. My high school football career was a failure, unconsummated by a championship. I've never forgiven myself. It's a dark moment of my life that I often replay in my head as I stare at the bottom of an empty Chili's margarita.

The seasons of the University of Kansas and Kansas State University are similarly about to end in failure. This game won't feature larger-than-life personalities like Jim Harbaugh or Urban Meyer, but will instead be played by good boys who will become good men, good fathers, good members of their communities, and good teammates at your weekly bar trivia night. Yet, the gridiron battles of these unsung heroes are also momentous in their own way. These type of showdowns don't attract attention from the national media or ESPN. Rivalries like this simmer faintly, like embers from a forgotten cigarette butt, tossed into an empty city street on a cold night in November as Autumn wanes and Winter waxes. Yet, sometimes even a stray spark can start a conflagration. The Midwestern campus towns of Lawrence and Manhattan are like a tinderbox of football fandom potential. But the fire won't start itself. The fans of these teams wait with bated breath for signs of the return of gridiron glory to their schools. On any given Saturday afternoon, you'll see these faithful fans of Jayhawk football stream into a nearly empty Memorial Stadium, looking for signs of life. Looking for a reason to believe.

Folks, unless you're already among the faithful, there's not much reason to believe in either Kansas State (4-6) or the University of Kansas (0-11) football teams, the bottom-feeders of the Big 12. It's been a season full of disappointment for both. But there's a unique poignancy to the utter failure of Kansas football this season: a school only a few years removed from a triumphant Orange Bowl victory is now on the cusp of a Detroit Lions-esque winless season, for the 1st time in Big 12 history; a school where the basketball team is expected to compete for championships whereas the football team competes just to be paid attention to by a student body that doesn't love or care for it anymore. In Lawrence, doubters are greeted with the endless refrain of "Trust the Process," a sickly echo of Sam Hinkie and the also winless Philadelphia 76ers. Folks, this town doesn't want process. These folks remember the glory days of Todd Reesing and Aqib Talib. They want wins. The University of Kansas chose not to win by bringing on David Beaty, snubbing Lawrence native and hometown hero Clint Bowen. The people deserve better.

Football isn't for everyone. It's not for the type of folks (graduate students, namely) that buy $20 Kansas basketball jerseys at Target so they can fit-in at inter-departmental social events. Football is not a sport played for the droves of people who can only appreciate a team when times are good. Football is a sport played for the season ticket holders who loyally attend every game of a double-digit loss season. It's played for the folks who scrounge together 50 bucks doing things they aren't proud of, just for a shot to see their favorite team pull off an upset win. It's played for the hard-working friends who numb the pain of each successive loss with the bitter medicine of Svedka; the type of fans who stand by their team in the bad times, because the joy of victory is that much sweeter when you have known the bitter pain of defeat.

So if you're the type of fan who wants to brown-nose with the townies and chat about whatever the big SEC game of the weekend is, Kansas State v. Kansas isn't for you. It's for folks like me, who wake up on gameday and sneak Jim Beam Fire into Denny's, so we can wash our All-Star Slam® (pictured below) down with something to take the edge off. The type of men who chug mini-Fireballs in the parking lot before going into a game that's nearly certain to result in a blowout loss. For the droves of uneducated fair-weather fans trying to tweet about the trending game of the moment, there's a host of other games to distract yourself with.

The Breakfast of Champions

Today is not for those who change the channel or leave the stadium early during a blowout loss; it's for the folks who wouldn't even think of leaving before the final whistle blows. For those of us who still believe, today is our day.