Thoughts for the Day, March 23, 2026: A great weekend for college basketball in Michigan
Have ever been glad someone died?
NCAA basketball tournaments
It was a great showing this weekend for MSU and U of M basketball teams. The men’s and women’s basketball teams at both universities won their first-round tournament games. Both Wolverine teams and MSU’s men’s team won their second-round games to advance to the Sweet-Sixteen. The three teams advancing can win it all, if things fall in place.
The B!G men’s teams had a stellar weekend as six of the nine teams advanced to the sweet-sixteen. The most exciting game was number nine-seed Iowa knocking off number one seed and defending champion Florida on a three pointer with four seconds left.
One of my favorite moments of the tournament occurred following MSU’s men’s win on Saturday Here is how Yahoo Sports described it.
For Tom Izzo, his tactics were never rooted in comfort and mediocrity but were fueled by aggression. He’s often portrayed as a coach who would do anything to turn the X’s into W’s, even if it means crossing that line with his players. These methods have come under intense scrutiny during his tenure, but NBA legend Charles Barkley has seen something more in them than just aggression.
The moment unfolded following Michigan State’s win over Louisville in the second round of March Madness. Barkley went straight to the point, stating that Izzo’s aggressive style is fundamental to his method, while showering praise on the Michigan State coach.
“They play a certain way, and you have to play his way. He’s one of the few coaches who can still yell at his players. Because it’s an emotional game, Barkley said. “The media, who don’t know anything about sports, say, ‘Why is he yelling at his players?’ That’s called coaching. If you don’t want to be coached, you probably shouldn’t go to Michigan State. If parents & friends get mad because you’re getting yelled at, get better parents & better friends.” This is my Quote of the Day and Video of the Day.
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War is ugly. War is deadly. War is death and destruction for both sides. War is hell on families.
There is nothing noble or brave about turning the dead into propaganda. There is nothing patriotic about making grief do the work of persuasion. And there is certainly nothing honorable about implying that the only way to respect those already lost is to make sure more American families suffer exactly as they did.
The truth is that war does not stay on the battlefield. It lives in mothers’ bodies. It lives in every panicked breath, every half-second of dread when the phone rings, every frantic search for a name, every prayer uttered through nausea, every terrible moment of relief that means someone else’s child is dead. It lives in the homes of the people who wait and fear and grieve, while men at podiums congratulate themselves for their resolve.
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Lyrics of the Day
Come, you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
While the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While the young peoples’ blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
You’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatenin’ my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veins
How much do I know
To talk out of turn?
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned
But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness?
Do you think that it could?
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I’ll follow your casket
On a pale afternoon
I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand over your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead
Despicable
“Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!” President Trump.
In looking back on my life, I don’t ever recall thinking I am glad someone is dead. I didn’t do it when the two men who murdered Leah’s mother died in prison years after her murder. I cannot imagine thinking that way anytime in the future.
Robert Mueller served this country with honor both as a marine, an FBI Director, and high-level positions in the Department of Justice, including Assistant Attorney General. Mueller served as the Director of the FBI. He was the only FBI director permitted by Congress to serve more than the statutory 10‑year term limit since the death of J. Edgar Hoover in 1972. He received a special two‑year extension by Congress. He was a registered Republican who was appointed and confirmed for positions by four presidents, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
Yet, all President Trump had to say about him is, “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
President Trump gets my Onion of the Day.
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MLB is implementing the ABS system starting this week.
The ABS (Automated Ball/Strike) is a computerized/camera system whose technology is used extensively in tennis and has eliminated the line judges.
Under the new MLB rules, pitchers, catchers and batters, get to challenge ball/strike calls by the umpire by tapping the top of their head immediately after the pitch. Each team starts the game with two challenges. Once a team has two unsuccessful challenges, they lose their challenges for the remainder of the game.
The good news about this technology is that the response to the challenge happens within seconds. The results are flashed on the electronic scoreboard for all to see. There is very little delay.
Like anything new, it is going to take teams time to figure out the optimum way to use the system. From my experience, catchers are the best at knowing a strike from a ball, with batters and pitchers a distant second. I expect some managers are going to forego challenging strikes called against the batter, unless it is late in the game and it is at a critical time of the game. I will place bets some managers will forbid their pitchers from making any challenges to umpire calls.
I am all in favor of this new rule. It is going to show that MLB umpires are good at calling balls and strikes.
Not everyone agrees with the new rule. Here is what former Tiger pitcher, current Blue Jay’s pitcher, and future Hall of Famer, Mad Max Scherzer had to say about bringing technology into the making of calls.
“Can we just play baseball?” “We’re humans. Can we just be judged by humans?”
Let the season begin.
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Contact your Congressperson
Contact your congressman by following these easy stepsThis can be done in a few easy steps.
Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov
Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.
Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””
Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.
Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.
Step 6: Fill out the information as required.
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Quote of the Day: “They play a certain way, and you have to play his way. He’s one of the few coaches who can still yell at his players. Because it’s an emotional game. The media, who don’t know anything about sports, say, ‘Why is he yelling at his players?’ That’s called coaching. If you don’t want to be coached, you probably shouldn’t go to Michigan State. If parents & friends get mad because you’re getting yelled at, get better parents & better friends.” Charles Barkley telling it like only Charles can say it.
Orchid of the Day: The men and women basketball teams of MSU and U of M. It has been one heck of a season by all four teams.
Onion of the Day: President Trump for his total lack of respect for Robert Mueller
Question of the Day: Have you ever been glad someone was dead?
Lyrics of the Day: See above.
Lyrics of the Day for March 15, 2026. Think by Aretha Franklin and Ted White
Video of the Day: Charles Barkley on Tom Izzo.
I write reflective, opinionated essays on leadership, politics, sports, and life—grounded in experience rather than ideology. If this perspective resonates with you, you can subscribe here for free.