Postseason Predictions (Part Two)

Editor's Note - With this week being the start of MLB's Postseason, #CoachJeff will  focus on postseason baseball in Monday-Thursday editions. Next week, we'll resume our regular format and schedule. 

Yesterday, I gave you my wild card picks. How am I looking after the collection of Game Ones yesterday?

Well, you win some/you lose some. For the record, I was 1-3 yesterday. Yikes. 

I'm not going to change course now, of course. As we used to say on the Choppers "Go Big or Go Home!" (OR alternatively, "Shake, shake, shake it off.").

On to Round Two. Here, then, are my picks for the American League and National League Division Series.

Division Round
American League Division Series
#3 Astros at #2 Guardians

To me, this might be the most evenly matched postseason series. Cleveland manager Steven Vogt has done a masterful job instilling Guard Ball with his club and has led them to three straight division titles. They have some nice young pitching and a lights out closer. 

Still, I can't shake that feeling I mentioned yesterday about the Astros and postseason.

#CoachJeff Says: Astros 3-2

American League Division Series
#5 Red Sox at #1 Rays

For years, the Rays seem to have the Red Sox number. Add to that the way they are playing smart, efficient baseball. Small ball at the plate; solid pitching and defense in the field. It's a winning combination.

Spoiler alert -  To use a March Madness term, I'm leaning toward going "chalk" for my World Series picks.

#CoachJeff Says: Rays 3-1

Division Round
National League Division Series
#6 Phillies at #2 Dodgers

Just like last year, I think this is where the Phillies' run ends and I don't think it will be as close. A well-rested deep Dodgers club spins Philly into postseason like a crisp Koufax curveball.

#CoachJeff Says: Dodgers 3-0

National League Division Series
#5 Padres at #1 Brewers

I think this one goes the distance. I can't shake my thoughts about hot baseball teams catching lightning in a bottle and making an autumn postseason run.   But the Brew Crew's pitching, discipline and smart baseball may be just enough to hold off the Padres. I can see The Miz closing them out with a dominant Game Five performance.

#CoachJeff Says: Brewers 3-2

Should be a fun round of Division Series. Tomorrow, I will close out the week with my picks for the ALCS, NLCS and the World Series. 

Enjoy!

JG

Postseason Predictions (Part One)

Editor's Note - With this being the start of MLB's Postseason, #CoachJeff will be all baseball/all the time for this week's editions. Monday-Thursday devoted to October baseball. Next week, we'll resume our regular format and schedule. 

Everywhere you turn on the sports internet, you can find predictions about the MLB postseason. So, #CoachJeff shrugs and says "Why not me?"

So, without further delay, here are #CoachJeff's playoff picks for MLB's 2206 Wild Card Round.

Wildcard Round
American League
#6 White Sox at #3 Astros

The 2026 White Sox were a fun story. After three straight 100-loss seasons, they broke through in a big way in 2026. They even led the AL Central until the last days of the season.

Then you have the Houston Astros. In the modern era, the Astros always seem to be around in postseason. With all that experience, and home field, it's hard to pick against them.

#CoachJeff Says: Astros 2-0

#5 Red Sox at #4 Yankees

This is a heart vs. head pick (first of two). Two of my worst fan experiences as a Braves fan involved the Yankees as the visiting team. Thus, my friend Dave's quote applies. "My two favorite teams are the Braves and whoever is playing the Yankees." In an equally matched series, that's good enough for me.

#CoachJeff Says: Red Sox 2-1

Wildcard Round
National League
#6 Phillies at #3 Braves

This is heart vs. head pick #2 of 2. As mentioned yesterday, almost no one seems to notice the Braves have made it to the 2026 postseason. Driving around yesterday, I listened to the MLB Channel on Sirius/XM. The commentators were breaking down this series. They went into great detail discussing the Phillies' pitching, line-up, injuries, bullpen, etc. The only mention of the Braves, in passing, was the name of the starting pitcher for Game One and how the Phillies might set their line-up because of it.

The accolades for the Braves starter reminded me of when I saw Chris Sale pitch a gem earlier this season in Boston.

But back to this week, I was really indignant the Braves were not mentioned. Maybe I missed a segment? It just strikes me as the usual dismissal of flyover country. 

When I experience the kind of media bias, it really makes me want to double down and root for my team with all my heart. But then, I recall the disasters of 2022 and 2023 and, reality hits home. This was the wild card match-up no one in Braves Country wanted to see and, yet, here we are. The Braves won the division and the season series. The Phillies slid into the last playoff slot in the last hour of the last day of the season and are, thus, playing "with house money." The Braves know they simply can't lose again. Or can they? All the pressure is with them.

Taking a page from college football lore, I also remember when Florida State defeated Florida to wrap up the 1997 season as the #1 team in the land and their prize for winning that game...was a rematch with UF six weeks later. The rematch did not go well for FSU and I'm afraid it will be the same for another team of tomahawk choppers.

#CoachJeff Says: Phillies 2-1

#5 Cubs at #4 Padres

Something else I mentioned yesterday: Modern postseasons have celebrated the team that ended the regular season on a roll. Think about the Giants title in 2014, the Nationals' run in 2019 or Arizona's climb to the World Series in '22, among others. 

The Padres played out of their minds in September and basically went from being just outside the wildcard picture to standing atop the wild card field. They are hosting the Cubbies. This is the team that endured a nor'easter and then made a side trip to Tampa to end the season before traveling cross-country. Not optimal scheduling. All the odds are stacked in the Friars' favor.

#CoachJeff Says: Padres 2-0

These are short series with lots of drama and action to follow. The fun starts this afternoon at 2:15. Settle in and enjoy the ride.

And come back tomorrow to see my picks for the division round.

JG

Now, the sprint

Editor's Note - With this being the start of MLB's Postseason, #CoachJeff will be all baseball/all the time for this week's editions. Monday-Thursday devoted to baseball. Next week, we'll resume our regular format and schedule. 

First comes the marathon. Now, the sprint.

The Atlanta Braves closed out the 2026 regular season yesterday in South Florida with an uninspiring 5-3 loss to the Marlins. In fact all of the last week after they clinched was mostly uninspiring as they rested players and lined up pitching.

The 162 MLB season is a grind and, let's be honest, none of the pre-season pundits gave the Braves much of a chance to beat either the Phillies or the Mets to win the National League Eastern Division title. 

But they did just that.

Along the way, they faced many obstacles, injuries, slumps, etc. But under the steady hand of manager Walt Weiss, the Braves took the division lead early in April and never relinquished it. 

Tomorrow, postseason begins. You trade that 162 game grind for a frenetic finish. The MLB Playoffs, in recent years, have become a showcase for the hottest team rather than the best team. The Braves' September was neither hot nor best. I'd say "steady" as a fitting description save for the four of seven games they beat Philly.

So, can they hold off the likes of the Padres (hot) or Dodgers/Brewers (best) to make it to the World Series?

They'll take the first step tomorrow when they welcome their division rivals to Truist Park for the NL Wild Card Series.

That's right. After basically leading the division wire to wire, winning the N.L. East by six games and taking the season series from Philadelphia 9 games to 4, the Braves' grand reward is...drumroll...a best two out of three series against the selfsame Phillies. 

Gee, thanks. And what's more, as has become customary during this recent run, the Braves get stuck wtih the dreaded 2 p.m. start time (at least for Games One-Two). Networks love that flyover country!

Ahem.

If the MLB regular season tests your depth and grit, the postseason is often a coin flip that can turn on a botched base running play (1991), a hanging slider (1996), a bad umpire call (2012) or a first inning starting pitcher implosion (2019). I know cuz I was there.

But for the yin there can also be the yang. Braves Country celebrated mightily in 1995 and 2021. And so, here we are again on the precipice of another postseason. Will it be a prolonged run or a quick conclusion?

Of the four possible first round match-ups that materialized down the homestretch, this is the one Braves Country dreaded the most and hoped wouldn't happen. And yet, here we are. So, like the childhood nursery rhyme goes - can't go over it, can't go under it, gotta go through it.

Despite the Phillies' September slide, many prognosticators are not bullish on the Braves. Some, if not most, are picking Philly again. Just like during the pre-season.

I hope the Braves media relations staff is compiling those clips and that the Division Champs are reading the bulletin board material.

JG

Second August

I'm sure that soothing sound I heard during my walk yesterday morning was a collective "ahhhh" from the citizens of East Tennessee. Just a couple days after the calendar told us it was officially the first day of fall, the feels in the air started to match.

Oh, we're not quite there yet. But after all the rain this week, there are signs everywhere 

• Later sunrises
• A bit of color on the edges of the leaves
• Spectacular sunsets
  

  
  

Indeed, it is now officially fall in East Tennessee and with high temperatures in the 70s, we can actually start to believe it.

Years ago, September was September. Officially the kickoff of Meteorological Fall, it felt like it.

I remember one year, some buddies and I made a late trip to the beach over Labor Day Weekend. At the beach, it was still summer. But after driving through the night and making it safely back home, I woke up the next morning and it was autumn.

Likewise, covering high school football games as a young journalist, you could definitely feel a nip in the air late in the game or, especially after the game, waiting around for a quick interview with the coach.

But somewhere along the way, in East Tennessee, our traditional Septembers went away. They were replaced by this odd season I refer to as Second August. 

Kids are back in school. Days are shorter. Air is still as humid. No chill in the air. 

After surviving the true dog days of summer, we are treated to an encore performance. Thing is...August earns its stripes. You know what you're getting and you get what you expect. Sometimes it is actually better than expected; other times worse.

But with Second August, there is no payoff. It's just unexpectedly hot. 

And all those pumpkin spice lovers hold their lattes waiting for the temps to break. Sweater weather deferred.

Alas, it seems like the moment is finally here. After some rainy days in East Tennessee, it's almost like the precip washed away the last vestiges of the summer season. This morning, when I opened the front door, I was greeted by the chill in the air we've all been anticipating. To be sure, there will be warm days ahead but the change of seasons is officially underway.

So, go ahead. Pull out the box of sweaters. Order a double latte with extra pumpkin, the season has finally arrived in East Tennessee.

And all God's children said...amen.

JG

Run for the Gum

When you're coaching a youth baseball team, one of your jobs is that of "chief cheerleader."

Any baseball season can be a bit of a grind. So, in terms of motivating the players, sometimes you have to be inventive. Other times you try to keep things light. 

You always want to keep things moving; keep it interesting. Or all of the above.

One of the fun activities we did on the Choppers to end each practice on a high note was "the run for the gum"

Baseball players love gum. And they love competing. And if there is a game within the game, so much the better.

The rules of the race were simple. We divided up the team 50/50 (a red team and a blue team, if you will). One team started at second base; the other at home plate. And, from there, it was, essentially, a relay race. The "baton" was a baseball.

The goal was to get your runners all the way around the bases before the other team did.  So, think of a relay race you'd see on a track and, then, relocate it to the base paths. 

In the red team/blue team scenario, imagine the red team starts at second base and the blue team at home plate. Red team has players 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Blue team has players A, B, C, D and E. Red team player 1 lines up with Blue team player A and, on the count of three, they begin their circuit around the bases. 

And so on.

Once they get back to their original base, they hand off the baseball to the next member of their team. A few times, a botched handoff cost the team the race.

You've never seen a bunch of baseball boys cheer harder those last few seconds when the final two runners were coming down the home stretch.

The beauty of it all is the "prize" was getting to have first choice at the pieces of bubble gum. We usually had one of those big tubs comprised of apple, grape and bubble gum flavored pieces. Getting to CHOOSE the flavor was a big deal. 

Of course, there were no real losers. I'm sure plenty of Choppers enjoyed whatever the second or third place flavor was. Honestly, I never got a read on which was preferred. Might have depended on the day.

What I loved about the run for the gum--and many of our other motivational efforts--was how it built teamwork and camaraderie. Little Johnny might be teamed up with Little Jimmy this time but next week, they may be on opposing gum teams. Meanwhile, Little Joey, who was having a hard time hitting, won the race with his final kick and he got his moment to shine.

Like I said earlier. Keep things light. Keep things moving. 

When the Braves enjoyed walk-off wins this season, the hero got to don the bubble gum bucket as a "crown." That scene often reminded me of the run for the gum.

Teammates cheering for each other and celebrating a great outcome with bubble gum as the focus.  Makes me smile just to think about it.

JG

Route 66 (On the Air)

Lisa and I started the year with a January trip to the Southwest. Throughout our travels, we spent a good deal of time on the venerable Route 66.

Dare I say: We got our kicks. Ahem,

Along the way, we discovered that 2026 is being celebrated as the 100th Anniversary of the renowned road. So, even more fun than we planned.

Fast forward to last week. The ham radio world also marked the festive occasion with the annual Route 66 On the Air special event. 

"Route 66 On the Air" is set up like many of the other ham radio special events I have told you about previously. It's a hunt and gather exercise.

I can think of other types of similar pursuits from earlier days.

• The NFL Helmets Gatorade Caps
• The Plastic NFL Helmets collection (with goalposts)
• 50 State Quarters (coins)
• Postage Stamps from all over the world

In this case, the enterprise is an on-air scavenger hunt.

So, what you are really collecting, in this instance. is a set of contacts with the various cities depicted in the song I referenced earlier. Each city is represented by a local ham radio club. Club members staff the event using special call signs assigned to the club for that specific city. Like the song and the route, the contest spans 2,000 miles from Chicago to L.A. (Joplin, Missouri; Oklahoma City...and many in between).

If fortunate or diligent (or both), an operator would be able to log a clean sweep. It's not easy to do and I don't remember finishing one the last few years. But, fortunately I did, indeed, complete a successful contact with each of the 22 stations this time.

On Sunday, I mailed off my log sheet requesting a 100th Anniversary Route 66 On the Air certificate for the ham shack. An operator can also request commemorative QSL cards for each contact made. 

As mentioned before, I don't recall us having a lot of these sorts of events from my earlier time on the air. Coming back, and discovering fun events like this one, was a real treat. Clearly, there were some great ideas during that 30 year period.

There are so many of the special events, really, it would be impossible to list them all. I did a round-up of some for the September edition of The Rag Chew - the SKCC newsletter. 

The annual calendar is dotted with many of them. And like the various cities along Route 66, you can wind your way from special event to special event throughout the year. Really, it's a lot of fun.

JG

Signs of Progress

I don't have many opportunities to go to the University of Tennessee campus these days. But, if "change is the one constant" in the world, then, I'd say things at my alma mater are very constant. 

Not that you'd expect things to be just like you left them when you tossed your cap into the sky at commencement. Or even as, in my case, when I returned a decade later to pursue my Master's degree. 

Time marches on.

And with that march, when you drive around the campus–if you can successfully navigate the work trucks and delivery vehicles–you'd see myriad major construction projects around the place. Indeed, there are signs of progress everywhere on campus. 

Suffice to say, I'd tell my adult children: things have definitely changed. It is not your mother's (or your dad's) old school any more.

Gone: My college apartment

Gone: The fields where my grad school softball team, the Phuds, won multiple titles in the 1990s

Gone: The building where I did my grad school assistantship. 

Going going gone!

You definitely get the feeling this is a place on the move (upward) with lots of fuel for the engine of progress. Wrecking ball here. New building there. 

And on the quad where Lisa and I spent many bucolic autumn days relaxing or studying, I saw a sea of tailgating tents being installed; ready to greet visitors for Saturday's big game. We didn't have those back in the 80s.

And as it turns out, it wasn't really a big game, as the Vols beat Kennesaw State by the score of 42-9. But alumni, donors and friends had fun just the same.

And I'm sure as they passed through campus, they got a glimpse at the university's advancement. And how couldn't you be impressed. 

Impressive growth, yes. But on some level, I miss the old school, too. But sometimes you can't have both.

You can't progress if you pine for the past. That big orange bus already left the station.

JG

'Round the Corner

Some years ago, I subscribed to one of those online neighborhood services. I forget the name - Down the Block, 'Round the Corner or something like that.

My goal was to get vendor recommendations from fellow citizens in the community. You know the drill - Who knows a good electrician? Who's your go-to for lawn care? 

I seem to get lots of emails from the service and, even though there may be some vendor recommendations in the bundle, I also see other types of messages. 

Maybe it's the times we live in but there is a lot of snark that comes in my email feed. Here's are some types of posts I might see.

I would never go to (insert name of business) again. Their prices are outrageous and the staff is rude. 

                                                                     OR 

You couldn't pay me to vote for (insert name of candidate). He's a low-down pesky buzzard!

                                                              OR (my personal favorite)

To the person driving the (insert name, make, model and color of) vehicle. You're a horrible driver. I hope the emergency that caused you to cut me off and nearly cause an accident was worth it! 

Whenever I see one of those latter posts I chuckle. Above all else, what are the odds the driver of (insert name, make, model and color of) is even reading along? Or did the other driver just need to vent a little in safe space?

The local newspaper's reader hotline is another source of this sort of safe space venting. Folks are encouraged to keep messages upbeat but, occasionally, one of the other kind slips through.

And don't even get me started about sports message boards. My friend Ed and I were talking about the back and forth leading up to the big high school football game recently. Lots of vitriol and let's leave it at that. But, aren't they just high school kids?

The ability to post an anonymous message emboldens folks to ratchet the rhetoric. 

If I happened to attend said big game and encountered a fan from the other side, no doubt, our exchange would be cordial. But fans can take to the message board and call ME a low-down pesky buzzard just because I root for the other team.

Maybe it is my advanced years, this negativity seems uncouth. And really not necessary. At the end of the day, aren't we all really on the same page? Mostly.

My wife and I came of age at a time when manners, etiquette and civility were all encouraged if not downright enforced.

We walked single-file in the school hallways and if someone deviated from the line, they were called out.  And in gym class, we were expected to be dressed out and lined up by a specific time or suffer the consequences. Heck, I even got scolded, once, for my inability to color within the lines. 

Creativity might come in the form of the words I write but I have no artistic talent whatsoever! Hard as I try, I still can't do it. 

Anyway, today's post pulls together lots of thoughts I've been thinking recently. 

What is the #CoachJeff Call to Action? You know you don't get out of today's blog post without one. 

My final thoughts:

• Take a pause before you hit the send button (and mebbe re-read the text before you send)
• As much as there is a human being on the sending end, remember there is also one on the receiving end as well.
• And, even though #CoachJeff coached a bunch of games and spends a lot of time reading, writing and thinking about sports, after all, it IS just a game. 
• And fantasy football, if you play it, is just a game about a game.

JG

Red C

Watching on tv as the Braves played the Cubs last night, Lisa reminded me of a funny story from my childhood. I guess I had told it a few times. 

Indirectly, it involves the Chicago Cubs. 

Full disclosure: I've never been a Cubs' fan. In fact, I've had a complicated relationship with them. When I discovered baseball as a kid growing up in West TN, everyone on the block was a Cardinals fan.  Everywhere I went, I was surrounded by Cardinals fans. 

One of my uncles was such a huge Cardinals fan, one of his prized possessions was a letter from the play by play announcer for St. Louis.

In other words, NO Cubs fans around. 

Fast forward to these days, I have rooted for Braves fan for a long time now. We live in Braves Country, after all. The story of my break-up with the Redbirds would be a topic for another post another time.  But watching the Braves and Cubs face off last night, I noted it is at least conceivable they could play each other again in postseason in just a few weeks.

As I considered that possibility, my mind drifted back to the Cubs. 

For as long as I can remember, they have had the same classic uniform - the royal blue, the pinstripes, the circular logo on the jersey, the patch on the sleeve and, the cap with the Red C.

Red C - underline that part. We'll get back to that.

Somewhere along the way, all the Memphis neighborhood kids found a back yard big enough for some sandlot baseball games and I joined the fun. Every boy, it seemed, had a ball, a bat, a mitt and their St. Louis Cardinals cap. I had all the above but I didn't have that last item.

So, one night at dinner, I spoke up and asked my folks if I could get a Cardinals cap. They agreed. Request granted. 

A few days later, my dad came home from work and proudly handed me a baseball cap. It was a royal blue cap with a Red C. 

I looked at him and in essence, called B.S. "That's not a Cardinals cap," six year old future #CoachJeff said. 

Red-faced, he immediately burst out with that sort of nervous laugh I saw him do hundreds of times in successive years - the nervous laugh that basically admitted he'd been busted on some issue. Holly knew exactly the laugh I referenced. Clearly, he was trying to pull a fast one and, as he'd often say, it went over like a lead balloon.

I miss the laugh.

Anyway, back to the lid, I think I explained, even with first grader logic, that a little guy can get roughed up--or at least mercilessly teased--by showing up wearing the wrong cap, jersey, etc. to the sandlot. 

I am not sure what happened to that Cubs' chapeau. And, in that sequence, I didn't wind up with a Cardinals' hat, either. Maybe it was that Nick looked at a couple stores and they were sold out. Maybe he forgot.

It would take many years before I wound up with the trademark STL. Later, I tossed it aside. Now, my caps are For the A.

Heading into this postseason, it's a good place to be.

JG

Paper Logs

As you know, I write about ham radio topics on Tuesdays. I've told you a little about how I got my start and some of the things I did on the air as a teen (and pre-teen). 

From day one, I have always kept paper logs of my ham radio contacts. My dad did that and I picked up the practice from him. In the modern era, with all the electronic logging methods, I still keep my paper logs for redundancy.  Call me "old school" in that way.

Lisa usually keeps a nice supply going for me. They show up as add-ons to birthday gifts, Father's Day and so forth.

In the log, an operator documents each contact she/he makes. The home operator writes down the other station's call sign, the other operator's name and location, the date and time of the contact, the frequency where the contact took place and the signal report for both stations. I've always enjoyed this discipline. 

I'm sure I shared some of these exciting details, in the early days, when I was telling my friend, Ed, about the hobby. 

Soon, when he learned about my exploits, he was hooked. It wasn't long before he studied, passed his exams and received his license and joined me in the pursuit.

We were both in the old novice class–why it didn't occur to either of us to move up in those days is somewhat baffling as much as we were into hamming–and, as such, your frequency privileges were limited. 

The antenna that we used when I got on the air provided me access to the 40 meter band. On 40 meters, I could talk to pretty much any place in North America. In fact, if you signed on just after dinner time and stayed on the air all evening, you could feel the time zones pass from the Eastern early in the evening, to the Central mid-evening and to the Mountain and Pacific times late night. 

It was like taking an on-air tour from coast to coast.

And occasionally, you'd get the random Caribbean Island or other foreign station, which was great fun for a young fired up fellah.

I'm not sure what Ed's set-up was but early on, he teamed his eyes on faraway lands. Or, in ham radio lingo - DX (meaning distance). One day, he chatted me up and reminded me that we had some frequency privileges on 15 meters with our novice tickets and, if we operated there, we could hunt all the DX we would like to log. 

I asked my dad about our other antenna, we set it up so I could seamlessly switch back and forth, and soon, I, too was on a DX Hunt. 

Fast forward to the present day, if you will. In my ham shack, I have boxes of artifacts from my early ham radio days including those old log books I mentioned earlier. So, recently, when I started thinking of the idea for today's blog, I found the books that tracked my 1970s (and early 80s) DXing. To be accurate, the period of time was from 1977-81. 

It was fun for me to discover that, in those days, my handwriting was different. Somewhere along the line, I adopted an all-caps print. But in 1977, I was still doing upper case/lower case. I've done the all caps method so long that it feels awkward to switch back to the old style (I can do it but I don't love it). 

Anyway, here's a snippet of one of those vintage log book pages.

Like yesterday's topic: a unique form of time travel.

I went through all the log books from that era and enjoyed reliving some of the contacts. One thing that jumped off the page was the different country names from Cold War Era Europe. Yugoslavia. Czechoslovakia. West Germany. Talk about time travel.

In another box in the shack, I have a few QSL cards from that era. Specifically, I remember one from England and one from West Germany among others. I enjoyed going through that box, too.

The next thing I did for today's post, as I do now at the end of each year, was to chart the QSOs (contacts) and total them up to see which countries I worked most often. In my WA4ZJW DX Days, here is my Top 10 list: 1. West Germany; 2. France; 3. England; 4. Italy; 5. Czechoslovakia; 6. Belgium; 7. Sweden; 8. Mexico; 9. Venezuela; 10. (tie) Hungary; Poland. 

Funny thing: if you were to look at my current Top 10 and last year's (and the year before), it wouldn't look a lot different (other than the name changes) from this list. But in a way, those early contacts felt a bit more precious because it was all new to me. 

Not to say that I take the whole thing lightly now. I definitely do not. I still get a thrill out of the notion that a signal I send with my low power and modest station can make it to other parts of the world. That is no small feat.

Just last weekend, during SKCC's Weekend Sprintathon (WES), I made contacts with stations in Germany, France, Belgium, Puerto Rico and Mexico as well as four Canadian provinces. That was cool. And you know what? I added them to my paper logs, too. 

In a way, the late 70's DX hunt was Ed's gift back to me after my gift of helping him get started in the hobby. One good turn deserves another.

JG

Holy Blog Post

As we enter the last week of the summer of '26, I can tell you a little bit about something I've been doing to pay homage to the summers of yesteryear.

It's been a busy few months, for sure. And I've been busier, really, than I thought I might be some seven months into retirement.   

Still, there have been a few moments for some downtime; for a bit of a guilty pleasure. 

TV comfort food.

As a kid, I spent many an afternoon during summer break watching reruns of the vintage 1960s Batman television series. Campy, yes. Colorful, for sure. 

In family lore, I've been told our family went to my uncle's house to catch the first run of the series, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, in living color each week in the mid 60s. I don't remember that. 

But I do recall the lazy, hazy crazy days of summer in the 1970s. With a cup of Kool Aid in hand, I'd make sure to find a comfy seat just in time to watch Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson sprint over to the batpoles. And then, a series of 1960s stars made appearances as villains to take on the caped crusaders. 

This summer, I've been counting down my Top 10 favorite episodes. Joker, Penguin, Riddler and, of course, my sister's favorite, Catwoman. And many more. How could it get better than that?

Smart vocabulary. Tilted camera angles for effect. The telltale opening theme song. Robin's "Holy this" and "Holy that."

Holy Blog Post!

And, of course, there was plenty of Zam! Pow! Biff! And Boff! to punctuate each bat fight. My friends and I were so inspired by the show during our middle school years, we produced a simulated Batman radio program for our classmates and our teachers cheered the effort. 

Maybe it was a needed distraction late in the school calendar.

Some years later, someone gifted me the book, The Official Batman Batbook by Joel Eisner. From time to time, I enjoy pulling it off the shelf and thumbing thru the pages. Among other treasures, it features a synopsis of each of the episodes from the show's three-year run.

Watching many of those episodes this summer has provided a case of virtual time travel. As the familiar scenes roll, it's hard not to close my eyes and remember those simpler times. Playing with pals outside in the summer heat and then racing inside just in time to cool off and see the masked manhunters in action.

Reliving those summers, this summer, has been a lot of fun.

JG

In a Coffee Shop in Knoxville, Tennessee

When Lisa and I visited New York City in 2023, we built in time to spend at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. We felt it was right and appropriate to pay our respects.

The museum is in Lower Manhattan in the area referred to as Ground Zero in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks 25 years ago. When you enter the museum, one of the first displays you see is a large graphic that recounts the times and locations of the four crashes of the highjacked airliners that formed the terror attacks.

It is a stark reminder of what we encountered that day and a prelude to what museum-goers will experience during their visit. 

Not far away is another display. It features a video display of quotes from various Americans telling where they were and how they first heard about the 9/11 attacks. As Lisa and I watched the screen, one flashed by quickly. We didn't quite believe what we had seen, so we waited for the messages to cycle back around so we could see it again for confirmation.

Indeed, it read "I was in a coffee shop in Knoxville, Tennessee." Seeing our town featured in the exhibit was a jolt. But it also brought home the fact that terror was felt in the heartland even if not so accutely as in the Tri-State Area, the Nation's Capitol and a field in rural Western Pennsylvania.

As the sites of the attacks, themselves, of course, those areas bore a much heavier brunt. But at a coffee shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, the news also hit hard. 

I was at my office, near Knoxville, Tennessee. Lisa was at our home. We still remember the sights and sounds of the day vividly. In a previous iteration of the blog, I wrote about 9/11 multiple times. You can find links to those pieces at the bottom of this post.

It hardly seems possible that 25 years have passed since 9/11/01 and, yet, here we are.  Many Americans–more than 100 million people says the New York Times–were born after 9/11.

A CBS News Poll says Americans generally feel the country is safer after the War on Terror (60 percent to 40 percent) although 47 percent still feel some degree of uneasiness. A majority of Americans (74 per cent) said it is very important to remember 9/11.  That number goes up (or down) by age.

Nearly a quarter (Lisa and I included) have visited a monument or memorial according to the poll. In addition to our visit to Ground Zero, we also visited the Flight 93 Memorial when we were in Western PA this time a year ago.

There are more interesting nuggets if you choose to peruse the article about the CBS poll.

Across America and around the world, ceremonies will mark the 25th including many here in East Tennessee. 

Outside the museum in Manhattan, a water feature includes the names of those killed on 9/11/2001 and in a previous terrorist attack in 1993. As I recall, this is where the annual New York tribute will take place. Others will surely happen at the Pentagon, in Shanksville, PA, and at many other sites around the country. 

As for me, as I do each year, I will take time to reflect and pray - prayers for the victims and those who mourn; prayers for those who still suffer physically and emotionally all these years later and prayers for our future safety. And for peace.

Likely, I won't be at a coffee shop but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that others were.

JG

In the previous iteration of #CoachJeff's Blog, I posted thoughts about 9/11. Here are links to those posts:

2012 Day Before

2012 Retrospective

2013 Retrospective

2014 Retrospective

Works Like a Top

Throughout my PR career, I have been in contact with a number of hard-working vendors. Generally, they provide support services and, sometimes, staff augmentation.

Early in my career,  a very chipper chap provided those services and more for our department.

When things went well, he'd grin and say "Works like a top."

I think the phrase he MEANT to say was "Runs like a top." But, nonetheless, works like a top, it was in our regular interactions. 

Sometimes, I'd stop and break that down. What did it really mean? A top spins, right?  Does it 'work?' Dunno.

I don't think any of us were truly spinning. Likewise, none of our projects spun. It can be said, a busy person might have "lots of plates spinning" but that's a different metaphor all together. 

Works like a top doesn't really work like a catchphrase. But, his heart was surely in the right place. So, let's go with it.

Recaling that fellow's catchphrase started me thinking of others I have encountered throughout the years. I started brainstorming, as I often do, and came up with the following list:

Now, we're cooking with gas - 
What does that tell me? At various places I've lived, I've occasionally had a gas stove. We use gas anytime we grilled. Have done so for 40 years. Not sure it conveys "groundbreaking."

Fly By Night -
When folks use this, it suggests something of poor quality. But, jetliners fly every night. If you were to check Flightaware, you'd see thousands on your screen this evening.

Rub Some Dirt on it - 
This phrase came up over and over during my youth baseball coaching years. It was supposed to reduce someone's pain and suffering. I'm not sure it would.  Some magical mineral in the mud?

Give me your John Hancock -
Another guy we worked with would always say, "I just need you to give me your John Hancock." OK, I get that. Big signature and all. But then once, he misspoke and said "Give me your John Henry."  I'm not sue you could cash that anywhere. Wasn't he an American folk hero, anyway? 

Just Desserts -
If someone get's their "just desserts," one is hoping the other person will suffer consequences for their poor actions. But, myself, I've always enjoyed dessert. I can't imagine it being a bad thing. Maybe a pie in the face?

Some others that made my short list

• By a Whisker
• Tugging at your Heart Strings
• Blow it off
• Working up a lather
• Sweating Bullets

My guy might've been sweating bullets if a project didn't work like a top. He never blew it off. Sometimes, he delivered but just by a whisker. 

JG

Editor's Note - Tomorrow, I will post a special Friday edition of #CoachJeff to mark 25 years since 9/11. Be sure to check it out.

Kickoff 2026

No sports league does a better job at creating excitement for itself than does the NFL.

Name another organization, for instance, that hypes the release of its own schedule. And has us all on the edge of our seats waiting for it.

Back in May, the matchups and dates were released and the league lined up a rematch of Super Bowl LX for its Kickoff 2026. The Patriots and Seahawks get the action underway tonight in the first game of the new season. And the league follows up with a bonus kickoff game tomorrow night with "Aussie Bowl" - 49ers at Rams. Then, a full slate of games follow on Sunday and Monday.

Talk about a kickoff!

Here in the Volunteer State, the Tennessee Titans will play host to the New York Jets in their season opener. If the construction schedules continues apace, this will be the Titans' final season in their original Nashville venue. The new stadium is scheduled to open next fall. 

As you know, I spent quite a bit of time in Music City in the 2000s and early part of the 2010s. I attended a number at Adelphia Coliseum/The Coliseum/LP Field/Nissan Stadium when the kids were young and still at home. 

Full disclosure: I haven't followed football as closely for, say, the last decade or so. Thus, my last game in person at the Titans' home, was 10 years ago. The Titans took on the Vikings, that day, which was September 11, 2016.

Life got busy and I've just not been back to Nissan, but, I still consider myself a fan of the Titans.

I told Lisa, recently, that I'll probably need to go to the new stadium, at least once, after it opens. And maybe I need to get a new t-shirt with the updated color scheme. 

Over the course of the next few months, there will be other big NFL games. Thanksgiving Day is always a highlight. Also, the league has done a great job filling the airwaves around Christmas with big games. It used to be that Christmas was NBA turf. Not so now. There's enough airtime for the two giants to share.

I'm not plugged in enough to offer any sort of educated predictions about football. Will there be a back to back? Hard to say. Before the Chiefs did it by winning Super Bowls LVII and LVIII, there hadn't been a repeat champ since the early 2000s, so the odds certainly aren't in favor of it. 

The odds are in favor of this, however: Lots of scoring. Tons of excitement. Weekends filled with fantastic finishes.

And it all starts tonight.

JG

TQP '26 (5th Anniversary Part 2)

Editor's Note - Five years ago, I returned to the ham radio airwaves after a lengthy hiatus.  The date was September 5, 2021. In this week's edition, I will recap my participation in the 2026 Tennessee QSO Party, which fell on the date of the K4KYN re-boot and just one day past the fifth anniversary of my return to the airwaves.

So, here's the thing about plans. Sometimes, you develop them, write them and then tear them up. So was the case for K4KYN and the 2026 Tennessee QSO Party.

My original outline:

• Start on the 20 meter band (good for medium and long range distances)
• Move to the 15 meter band (to catch any long distance QSOs)
• Come back to 20 meters as the afternoon wound down
• Switch to 40 meters for close-in contacts in the evening

Know what the bands said about that plan? "Pfffft!"

Propagation giveth and taketh away. With my plans shredded, I just decided to settle into the K4KYN ham shack and see where the day would take me. 

I've often said that radio propagation is both a mystery and, at times, wonderful. Yesterday, it was not wonderful. For whatever reason, the 15 meter band was essentially dead. I made a few west coast contacts using the band, but not much. In a like manner, 20 meters wasn't great, either. I did use it with some limited effectiveness part of the time for contacts in the midwest.

On the other hand, for the most part, the 40 meter band is not available to me most days during the summer. From about 10 a.m. 'til late afternoon, I usually hear a long and persistent static. Think of it  sounding like a high piercing "Nnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh!"

Yesterday, that wasn't present at all. 

So, the bulk of my 225 contacts during the 2026 Tennessee QSO Party were made on the 40 meter band. How about 160 of 225?  I would have never believed that going in. 

Stats like those are why I am not a betting man.

Overall, my goal was to beat K4KYN's last year total of 223 contacts. My stretch goal was to hit 250. But when the first of two late afternoon thunderstorms rolled in, and I had to disconnect the rig and power down, I knew that was likely out of reach. Later, I decided to take a short dinner break and that sealed the deal.

Still, I was determined to grind out enough contacts to beat last year's total. Just before 10 pm, I made it to the finish line with 225.  Two-fifty will have to wait for next year.

If you are interested in stats (and as a former youth baseball coach, you know I am), I made contact with 34 of the 50 states. I also logged QSOs with five Canadian provinces–AB, NB, NL, ON and QC–and completed QSOs with operators from Germany, France and the Slovak Republic. Fun stuff.

The wonky band conditions were reflected in my top ten states. Most were in the east or middle of the country and many were near-by.  

Here are the K4KYN Top 10 states (with totals) for the 2026 TQP (not including Tennessee, of course):

MN 15

TX 11

OH 10

NY 9

SC 9

FL 8

MA 8

VA 8

IL 7

PA 7

For the record, I made contact with 32 of Tennessee's 95 counties for a total of 47 QSOs within the Volunteer State.

I finished my logging, uploaded the contacts, submitted my score and results and shut down my equipment. Then, I headed upstairs to wind down after a fun but taxing day.  

And I'm already excited about taking part in the 2027 TQP!

JG

9 to 5

Over the course of the last two weeks, much has been written about beloved East Tennessean Dolly Parton. 

In the wake of her passing, at the age of 80 from a brief battle with cancer on August 25, it seems everyone I know has taken to social media to pay tribute. I didn't really want to simply a "and me" post, so I've been considering what I should write. 

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of country music and, thus, I didn't really spend much time exploring her music over the years. I know all the basic facts. 

I thought it was pretty cool the UT Vols used My Tennessee Mountain Home for its new fourth quarter song, for instance. That seems very appropriate. 

If the plan moves forward to rebrand Nashville's International Airport (BNA), what a great tribute. If New Orleans can name its airport for Louis Armstrong, why not Tennessee's flagship facility for its native son (daughter). 

Another of her famous songs, of course, is (about working) "9 to 5." She starred in the movie of the same name. So, on this Labor Day, as we celebrate work and pay tribute to those who engage in it each day,  I will use this space in the blog to express some thoughts about a person who is almost universally revered in our neighborhood, in our nation and around the world. 

For me, two quick personal touch points:

Dolly Parton Children's Hospital - My first job in public relations was working (9 to 5)  at the former East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Last spring, Dolly and the regional facility teamed up for this rebrand. Truly, throughout her life, Dolly made many commitments to help improve the lives of children. The renaming honors the legendary singer's lifelong philanthropic commitment to children and families in her home region of East Tennessee

Dollywood - I don't know of many people who live in this area who haven't been to Dollywood. I won't say that I've been to the theme park many times. But, in 2018, Lisa and I were attracted by a series of shows featuring venerable artists from our high school years. At Dollywood that day, we saw shows featuring Orleans and Al Stewart on a brisk, early spring afternoon. And during the remainder of the time we were at the park, we braved the elements to ride a few rides and sample a few treats. 

I'm sure I've been to the venue a few other times, but this most recent encounter is the one that comes to mind.

Other, more sobering thoughts, also merit mentioning.

In the aftermath of the awful wildfires of 2016 that affected her native Sevier County. Dolly committed funds for wildlife relief. I was at a Tennessee Titans game later that fall when the Titans honored Dolly for her generosity. 

It wasn't a one-off sort of gesture, however. Again, during the wake of Hurricane Helene just two years ago, she stepped up, once more, to help the citizens of East Tennessee.

After a while, a blog post with a good subject tends to write itself. So it is today. The theme I keep coming back to is how this wonderful woman used her wealth and fame for the greater good. So it was with Dolly.

Last year, during the holiday season, our family was downtown soaking up the festive vibe. I don't know why I felt compelled to snap this photo of the Dolly mural in Strong Alley. Now, it becomes more clear.

I needed an appropriate image to illustrate a blog I would write nine months later. Feels like the right way to pay tribute. 

Over and over again, she did nice things to help the people in this region. We all felt it. I think that is why so many people have grieved over her loss. You don't get a Dolly—or someone of her impact—just every day.

So, rest in peace, friend. You've done good work, here. 

JG

The Chipper

How much wood would a woodchipper chip if a woodchipper could chip wood?

A great question for a mid-week walk in the park.

You just never know what you might see when you go to the park to walk around my favorite lakeside track. Earlier in the summer, I told you about:

• Dodger Blue - The forlorn L.A. cap someone left on the bench
• Bird Life - Cardinals, Mockers, Geese and more on a Thursday in the Park

Naturally, I exited my Jeep expecting a regular romp around the route but, instead, heard a loud mechanical sound that suggested progress over promenade.

Indeed, a work crew was out doing some clean-up. Thus: The tongue-twister I posed to kick off today's piece.

The crew seemed to have two tasks at hand. First, they were feeding some brush into the chipper. It seems like some large branches and downed limbs as a result of last week's storms. Later, I saw them disengaging some large vines in the trees around the track. No doubt, they were trying to improve the quality of life in the woods.

It wasn't my quiet, bucolic morning stroll. But I didn't mind. 

Speaking of mind, my thoughts drifted as I walked. I remembered our own version of a chipper. My dad and I used to run it in the fall. It worked like a mower but sucked up leaves and would grind them into fine, powdery mulch. The only catch was you had to beat the rain. Wet leaves would gum up the contraption.

Then, I was thinking of a more recent happening in the neighborhood - a similar scene with downed limbs and a work crew. We have lots of work crews in my neighborhood. Not sure what it means. But, it is something I've noticed frequently - tree trimmers, landscapers, lawn treatments, mowing crews. You name it.

Then, my thoughts returned to the park.

The guys worked apace and with purpose. And, by the time I completed two revolutions, one of the work trucks was preparing to drive away. Meanwhile, some of the crew continued on. Another truck approached the entrance of the track as I was preparing to exit one lap later.

Also approaching was a group that seemed to be a mom, a grandma and a little boy in a stroller. I can only imagine what sort of excitement a work crew might bring to the fella.

Got in my mile on a day before the humidity of the day was too oppressive. Late summer will soon give way to something a bit nicer. Dare I say: A breath of fresh air?

And on a mid-day on the infield inside the track at a park by the lake, signs of collaboration. clean-up, and curiosity. By the chipper.

Like I said before above--and on two previous occasions--you just never know what you might see on a walk in the park.

JG

Fall Ball

With the calendar's turn to September. #CoachJeff's nostalgic mind turned to the days when our boys played fall ball.

In many ways, the truncated fall youth baseball season was a favorite of mine. The air was crisp, the sky was blue, the trees were full of autumn hues. And the pace of our coaching and playing was dialed down.

As designed, the fall baseball season was instructional in nature. And some of our regular players were off enjoying other sports. So, we got to temporarily add some new kids to our team for fall.

Occasionally, some of those players continued on with us to the next spring season. But in either case, it was a fun mix.

Clad in unique fall ball unies, the players seemed to enjoy the novelty of our second season.

The fall league also gave our club a chance to work on some specific plays and shift players to different positions for fun and additional experience. It also gave our pitchers a chance to work on their grips, add some new pitches and get a few more reps.

Of course, the players did compete. These weren't exhibition games, per se, and could be intense at times.

I remember the last game of one fall season. We were playing one of our rival teams. We had the bases loaded and our batter took a called third strike to end the game--and the season--amidst the dark late autumn eve.

On another occasion, playing a different rival, one of their former players from the spring season was the hero. He had joined our ballclub for that fall season after leaving their roster. In one of his finest moments--both games against his former team--he absolutely lit them up at the plate. 

The rival coach should his head in disbelief. The irony!

During one fall season, I remember my son tomahawking a high and inside pitch over the right field fence. He probably still has the ball in his trophy case.

The fall season was an interesting one, weather-wise, too. It started in late August with late summer heat such as we have been experiencing recently. It ended with late October chill. I remember on one such occasion, a parent made an emergency run for hot chocolate. It was a more desired dugout beverage that night than the traditional sport drink. 

It's hard to imagine, as we reach the end of the dog days, cocoa being such a treat but it was on that night. By late October, if you played the late night game, the temps could get quite brisk.

At that point, the season was about to wrap-up. Coaches and league officials would gather in early November for a work day to button up the park for the year. Then, it was time to wait for spring while you experience the chill rains the late MLB Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti wrote about all those years ago.

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. 

JG

5th Anniversary (Part 1 of 2)

Editor's Note - Five years ago, I returned to the ham radio airwaves after a lengthy hiatus.  The date was September 5, 2021. In this week's edition, I will talk a bit about the process of getting back on the air. And in next week's edition, I'll summarize my participation in the annual Tennessee QSO Party, which fell on the date of the K4KYN re-boot.

Five years ago, I flipped the switch to bring the K4KYN ham shack to life. 

My first two contacts after I went live were stations in Spain and Slovenia. Later that night. I contacted numerous TN stations. I had no idea the Tennessee QSO Party was on-going (or really, at that point, what a QSO party was).

For years, my friend Ed (who I mentioned in last Tuesday's edition) had been trying to encourage me to get back into ham radio but, for whatever reason, the right moment never seemed to present itself. Then, the COVID pandemic came and, well, all of a sudden, we all had plenty of time on our hands.

I used that time to learn about all the facets of ham radio that had changed since I signed off for the last time in the early 1990s (really, it was the late 80s save a few random QSOs here and there).

My story is like that of many hams. Life got busy. I had been a very early adopter, going on the air in 1975 at age 12. I pounded my straight key like a boss for years into my early teens and, as I got older, less and less. First high school, then friends, and girls, part-time jobs, college, full-time jobs, career, marriage, family and...

Well, you get the idea.

I always thought fondly of our hobby - even while I was away. Sometimes, when I was occupying my mind, I'd have pretend morse code conversations with pretend stations. Maybe that is one reason why I never lost my memory of dits and dahs. 

But when I dove back into radio in 2020, it was clear I had quite a bit of ground to make up. I used the Rip Van Winkle analogy. I went to sleep with tubed radios and woke up to computer-driven rigs. I listened to foreign broadcasts in the middle of our bands in the 1970s. I came back to digital signals from foreign stations on all our bands in the 2020s.

I don't like to do things halfway. So, of course, if I were going to get back into the hobby, I committed to getting a good station on the air. Ed advised me and I made equipment purchases accordingly. 

When I faded out from radio, I had never upgraded from my entry level "novice" ticket. So, I decided to work hard and upgrade my ticket. Had to. So, I studied and, over the course of three months, I passed exams at the three levels - Technician, General and Amateur Extra. 

When I passed the third exam, I texted Ed: "Extra, extra, read all about it!"

Also, the last time I operated in the 90s, I had the very long callsign of WA4ZJW. Talk about a mouthful. By my count, it contains a combination of 21 dits and dahs. So, I knew I wanted something tidier. And it just so happened that my father had let his license expire and his callsign, K4KYN  was about to be up for grabs. I applied to the FCC and was granted a "vanity license" (meaning they gave me my dad's old callsign).

My ham radio friend Kirby used to refer to my dad as "the K4." Now, I WAS the "K4." 

And by the way K4KYN = 17 dits and dahs... that lucky number 17 again.

After passing my exams and purchasing my equipment, I got everything set up. My ham shack is far from perfect. Many hams have carefully curated rooms that are just perfect for operation.

Mine is, essentially, part of a bonus room. Once upon a time, it hosted my kids' sleepovers with friends. There was a pool table, an air hockey table and a futon. Also, there was floor space for sleeping bags.

Now, there is shelving in on corner of the room to house all the "stuff" kids pick up in college but have no place to store outside of college. In another corner is all our luggage and on the far side of the room, a series of bookcases with photo albums and sports memorabilia.,

But on a wall in-between, in the middle of the bonus room, is the K4KYN ham shack. 

I love it and it suits me and my needs perfectly. And from that spot, over the last five years, I have made more than 20,000 contacts. 

Among the 20K are contacts with more than 200 different countries and all 50 states several times over. Just this past weekend, I participated in the Kansas QSO Party as a tune-up for next weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, the Tennessee QSO Party will kick off. And, for the fifth time, I will operate in this special event as a way to commemorate my on-air anniversary. I hope I will run into many of my ham radio friends and familiar stations as I participate. 

I am happy to have re-discovered this great hobby, blessed to have such a nice station and pleased to have met so many nice people along the way. On Sunday, I hope to mark the milestone with a record number of contacts and a great day on the air and in the shack.

JG