Bierman’s Six Pack: Issue #6
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. 𝐂𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐢 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐬
As a kid growing up in the ‘80s, The Karate Kid was one of my all-time favorite flicks, and it’s one I’ve watched more than most other movies. So when YouTube Red introduced the Cobra Kai TV series back in 2018, I was all in. And while I’d say the first two seasons were a little uneven and not my favorite, Netflix took it over in Season 3 and it got much better. The show just concluded after six seasons and 65 episodes, and I absolutely loved it.
Cobra Kai served as a redemption story for Johnny Lawrence, and while the show did a great job of bringing in both new and familiar faces from the Karate Kid universe, it never strayed from Johnny being the main character – trying to become a better person. Watching him and Daniel LaRusso go from enemies to frenemies to close friends with a mutual respect for one another was both cool and rewarding.
The writers did an incredible job of wrapping up the series with no loose ends, giving nearly every main character you were rooting for a satisfying conclusion. One of my favorite moments of the entire series was the touching reconciliation between long-time villain John Kreese and his former protégé Johnny, who had always looked up to Kreese as a father figure. William Zabka, who portrays Johnny, honestly deserves Emmy consideration for that scene alone – it was that powerful.
While I’ll miss the series, I’m glad they ended it in a satisfying way. And I might even start rewatching it from the beginning. Because let’s face it – Cobra Kai Never Dies.
𝟐. 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥’𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝
March Madness is almost here, and I can’t wait! It’s one of my favorite times of the sports year, though I’ll admit I don’t start paying too much attention to college basketball until after the Super Bowl. So, it’s been great to get back into it over the past couple of weeks, and one of the best stories of the season so far is unfolding in Columbia, Missouri.
Missouri head coach Dennis Gates took over the program three years ago, and last season was one of the worst in Tigers history. They went winless in the SEC (0-18) and finished the year at 8-24. That’s what makes this year’s turnaround so incredible – and so rewarding to watch if you are a Tiger fan. Missouri is currently 20-7 overall and 9-5 in the SEC, tying them for 4th place in what has easily been the toughest basketball conference in the country this season.
This team has stacked up some huge wins, including victories over top-5 teams Florida and Alabama. They’ve also been incredibly competitive all season, with only one loss by more than 8 points – and that was against #1 Auburn on the road.
Missouri isn’t going to win the National Championship, but given how battle-tested they are in the SEC and their ability to show resilience with their bounce back from last year’s disaster, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them make an Elite Eight-type run.
No matter what happens in March, congratulations to Coach Gates for sticking with it and delivering one of the best turnaround seasons in recent memory.
𝟑. 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐔𝐩 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫
We moved to our current house almost six years ago, and while our previous home was nice, it had no outdoor living space whatsoever. So when we moved in here with a nice patio, I immediately made some improvements. I built a big firepit, purchased Adirondack chairs, put up an outdoor TV, and bought some comfy couches for the space. And then of course I had to cap it off with a Traeger, which might be the best decision of all.
Now, in the spring, summer, and fall, we spend a lot of time out there and love every minute of it. Having a fire crackling in the firepit, drinking some beers, watching a game, listening to music, and having friends over – pretty much the perfect night in my book.
Please, nice weather, get here fast – I need it!
𝟒. 𝐈 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬
The New York Yankees recently announced they were relaxing their infamous “no facial hair” policy. Instituted in the 1970s when George Steinbrenner purchased the club, the Yankees were the only team in MLB with such a rule. It was strict – hair couldn’t touch a player’s collar, and the only facial hair allowed was a mustache. While the long hair/collar-touching rule remains, players can now have “well-groomed beards.”
I have to admit, I’m shocked this policy lasted almost 50 years. While it likely didn’t impact many player decisions, GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that several free agents seriously considered the policy when deciding whether to sign with the Yankees. In today’s game, where player preferences and personal branding matter more than ever, I have to imagine that was a factor in finally making the change.
Personally, I have mixed feelings. The traditionalist in me liked the clean-cut look – there was something unique about the Yankees’ old-school professionalism. But at the same time, does having a beard or long hair really say anything about someone’s professionalism anymore? With tattoos, piercings, and every imaginable hairstyle now commonplace, this just feels like an outdated restriction that had run its course.
At the end of the day, it’s a small change, but it does mark the end of an era. And hey, if I can ever learn to hit a slider or throw a 95 mph fastball, maybe the Yanks will consider signing me – well-groomed beard and all.
𝟓. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
I recently came across an article about the Big Ten’s decision to schedule at least one football game on a Friday night every week of the 2025 season, starting August 29 and running through Black Friday. While Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Iowa have exemptions from hosting Friday home games – and Michigan outright refuses to play on Fridays, even on the road – there are still plenty of other schools filling these slots. And I absolutely hate it.
Look, I understand why the MAC and other smaller conferences schedule games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays – they need the exposure and that gimmick has worked wonders for those schools. But the Big Ten? They don’t need more visibility. Between Thursdays and Saturdays, there are already ample opportunities to showcase college football.
Friday nights have always been sacred ground for high school football (Friday Night Lights, anyone?), and this growing trend of big-time college games infringing on that tradition is nothing more than a blatant money grab. It’s a slap in the face to high school programs, the communities that rally around them, and, frankly, to the sport itself. High school football is the lifeblood of college football – it’s where these same powerhouse programs find their future stars. The least they could do is respect that tradition instead of encroaching on it for TV revenue.
So, Big Ten, get off Friday nights and leave them to the high school game, where they rightfully belong.
𝟔. 𝐘𝐚𝐝𝐚, 𝐘𝐚𝐝𝐚, 𝐘𝐚𝐝𝐚
Seinfeld is one of my all-time favorite sitcoms. Most episodes are laugh-out-loud funny, the writing and characters are top-notch, and it’s endlessly quotable. So, I’ll wrap up this week’s Six-Pack by paying homage to one of the greatest shows ever to hit the airwaves with a Top 5 list of my favorite episodes, starting with some honorable mentions:
𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: The Chinese Restaurant, The Outing, The Implant, The Junior Mint, The Hamptons.
#𝟓. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐦
Kramer helps restore an old historic theater, Lloyd Braun tries to recover from a nervous breakdown, Jerry gets guilted into buying an absurd amount of gum, and George teeters on the edge of his own mental collapse.
𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞: “Lloyd Braun can do anything he sets his mind to.”
#𝟒. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭
Elaine gets a fancy new electronic organizer (could that be more 90s?), which she promptly loses when a famous Russian writer throws it out of a car window, injuring a woman and causing chaos. Meanwhile, George gets caught in a lie and has to pretend to be a marine biologist to impress an old crush – leading to one of the most legendary monologues in sitcom history.
𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞: “The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.”
#𝟑. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭
Widely considered one of the greatest sitcom episodes ever, this is the one that cemented Seinfeld as must-watch, edgy television. George gets “caught” by his mother, and the gang places a bet to see who can remain “master of their domain” the longest. Hilarious, brilliantly written, and iconic.
𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞: “You? You’ll be out before we get the check.”
#𝟐. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲
This one doesn’t make a lot of Seinfeld fans’ Top 5 lists, but I absolutely love it. It definitely wouldn’t get made today (not exactly “P.C.”), but when Mel Tormé and his crew mistakenly believe Kramer is mentally challenged, the sight gags and Michael Richards’ performance make me snort laugh every time. And let’s not forget Jimmy – one of the most annoying yet funniest one-episode characters in the series.
𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞: “Jimmy might have a compound fracture. Jimmy’s going into shock!”
#𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞
When George realizes that every decision he makes is wrong, he decides to do the opposite – and suddenly, his life takes a dramatic turn for the better, landing him his dream job with the New York Yankees. Meanwhile, Elaine’s fortunes spiral downward, thanks in part to some poorly timed Jujyfruits, and Kramer finally publishes his coffee table book about coffee tables. It’s classic, nonsensical Seinfeld at its best.
𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞: “Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle… Costanza?”
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. And don’t forget to check out our full website at www.entersandmansports.com. Have a great week and take care!
