First thing I did was just sit down and think about the key guys. Obviously, for Boston, you've got Tatum and Brown leading the charge. For Dallas, it's all about Luka and Kyrie. So, I started there.

Looking at thescitle Celtics

I pulled up some info, just looking at recent games, seeing how Tatum's been scoring, rebounding, assisting. You know, the main stuff. He's the engine, so I spent a good chunk of time just looking at his numbers. What's his average points look like lately? Has he been getting boards?

Then I did the same for Jaylen Brown. He steps up big sometimes, especially with scoring. So, checked his points lines mostly. Also thought about guys like Porzingis, when he's healthy, his points and blocks maybe? And Derrick White, he does a bit of everything, threes, assists, defense... though defensive props are trickier.

• Tatum's points + rebounds + assists combo.
• Brown's points line.
• Maybe Porzingis points/blocks if he's playing full minutes.
• White's threes made.

Checking the Mavs

Switched gears to Dallas. Luka, man, that guy fills the stat sheet. So I spent most of my time looking at his lines. Points, rebounds, assists – the triple-double potential is always there. His props are usually sky-high, so it's about figuring out if he can actually hit those numbers against Boston's defense.

Kyrie's next. His scoring is the main thing. Can he get hot? Checked his points prop specifically. Then looked at guys like P.J. Washington, especially his threes, and maybe Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively for rebounds and blocks down low.

• Luka's points, rebounds, and assists (all separately and combined).
• Kyrie's points line.
• Washington's made threes.
• Gafford/Lively rebounds.

Putting it Together (Sort Of)

After looking at the individuals, I tried thinking about the matchups. Boston's got good wing defenders for Luka and Kyrie. How does that impact things? Does it mean fewer points for them, or maybe more assists for Luka if he's drawing attention?

I also just clicked around different places where they list these props. Sometimes the numbers are slightly different, which is interesting. One place might have Tatum's points at 27.5, another at 28.5.

So yeah, that was my process today. Didn't make any final decisions or anything, just did my usual routine of digging into the player props for the Celtics and Mavs game. Gathered some info, looked at the key players, considered the angles. Now I've got a better feel for the landscape. Just sharing my steps, really.

My Search Begins

First thing I did, naturally, was grab my phone. I just popped open a search engine and typed something simple like "florida state football game channel". You get a lot of hits, right? News articles, schedule pages, sometimes even last week's info if you're not careful.

I scrolled through a couple of the top results. Some sites looked promising, but you gotta watch out for those generic sports schedule sites – sometimes they aren't updated quickly, or they just say "TBD" which isn't helpful at all.

Checking the Usual Suspects

My next step is usually checking the more reliable sources. I thought, "Okay, let's try the official FSU Athletics site." Went there, found the football schedule page. Sometimes they list the broadcast info right there next to the opponent and time. Today, it looked like it said something about the ACC Network or maybe an ESPN channel, but I wanted to be sure which specific one.

Then I considered the TV guide. Fired up the guide on my actual TV. I scrolled forward to the game time, usually starting around the main sports channels:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ABC
• ACC Network (gotta remember this one!)
• Sometimes Fox or FS1 depending on the matchup

I skimmed through the listings for the afternoon and evening slots. You gotta match the time zone too, sometimes the online listings mess that up.

Pinpointing the Channel

After scrolling through the guide on my TV, I finally spotted it. Success! Found the listing for the Florida State game. It clearly showed the teams, the start time, and the channel logo right there.

For today's game, turns out it was listed on ESPN. Plain old ESPN. Good to know.

Sometimes, if it's not on the main channels, I have to check if it's on the ESPN app or maybe ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), which usually means streaming online if you have the right subscription. But thankfully, today it was a straightforward cable channel.

So yeah, that was my little journey this afternoon. Started with a broad search, checked the official site, and then confirmed it right on my TV guide. Took a few minutes, maybe five or ten, but now I know exactly where to tune in. Just gotta make sure the chores are done before kickoff!

Starting the Hunt

Figured it'd be easy, right? Just hop online. First stop, the official NBA store. Checked there. Nope. Sold out in my size, mostly smalls or XXL left. Typical. Then I hit up the Mavs official team shop website. Same deal. It felt like they made about five of them in Large.

Started digging around other places. Fanatics, Dick's Sporting Goods online, places like that. It was getting annoying. Found a few, but they looked kinda... off? You gotta be careful, lots of fakes floating around. The stitching looks weird, colors aren't quite right. Didn't want to drop cash on junk.

• Checked official NBA store - mostly sold out.
• Checked Mavs team store - same problem.
• Scanned other big retailers - limited stock or looked suspect.
• Briefly considered eBay - decided against the risk of fakes.

Getting Somewhere

I almost gave up, figured I'd missed the boat. Then, I dunno, maybe a week later? I was just randomly browsing the team store again, not really expecting anything. And boom. They must've had a small restock. Saw my size, Luka Doncic number 77. Didn't even hesitate.

Added it to the cart so fast. Checked out. Got the confirmation email. Felt pretty good. Then came the waiting game. You know how it is, checking the tracking number every day. Took about a week, maybe a bit longer, felt like forever.

The Arrival

Package finally landed on my doorstep. Ripped it open right there. Pulled it out. Yeah, that was the one. The green looks even better in person, gotta say. Quality felt good, legit Nike jersey, all the tags and stuff looked right. Definitely worth the hassle of searching.

So yeah, that's how I finally snagged the green Mavs jersey. Took a bit more effort than I thought it would, but got there in the end. It’s hanging up now, ready for the next game day.

Started with the First Fight Drama

First off, I remembered that first fight they had. Man, that was something. Foster lost his WBC super featherweight title then, back in July. But here's the thing, it felt kinda controversial to me, and a lot of folks felt the same. Seemed like Foster might have actually won that one, but the decision went to Conceicao. That stuck with me.

Hearing About the Rematch

So, t.erehtime passes, and then I started seeing stuff pop up about a rematch. That definitely got my attention. When you have a fight end like the first one did, a rematch is always spicy. I thought, okay, gotta keep an eye on this. I started actively looking for confirmation, checking boxing news bits here and there.

Eventually, the news solidified. It wasn't just talk anymore. They were really going to run it back.

• Fighters: O'Shaquie Foster going against Robson Conceicao again.
• Stakes: Foster trying to win back that same WBC super featherweight title.
• Date: Looked like they set it for November 2, 2024.
• Location: Heard it was happening in Verona, New York, at the Turning Stone Resort Casino.

Thinking Through the Prediction

With the rematch confirmed and the details sorted, I started thinking about how it might go down. You gotta consider both guys. Conceicao is skilled, no doubt. But Foster... losing the title like that? I figured he'd have a massive chip on his shoulder. He'd want to prove the first result was wrong.

My gut feeling leaned towards Foster. It wasn't just about skills; it was about motivation. I felt Foster would come in extra sharp, determined to leave no doubt this time. I didn't necessarily see a quick knockout, probably another tough fight, maybe going to the scorecards again. But I predicted Foster would manage to pull it off, maybe by a clearer margin, or just convince the judges this time.

Checking the Outcome

So, the fight happened on November 2nd. I made sure to check the results afterwards. And yeah, it went down pretty much as expected in terms of closeness. It was another tight one!

The decision? Foster won! It was a split decision, mind you. Scores were 115-113 for Foster, 113-115 for Conceicao, and 115-113 for Foster again. Close, but he got the job done and won his title back.

It felt pretty good to see the prediction pan out, more or less. Following the story from the controversial first fight to seeing Foster get redemption in the rematch was the interesting part. Just my process of tracking, thinking, and seeing what happens. Simple as that.

Alright?thgir ,, buckle up, because I'm about to spill the beans on my "American Flag Speedo" escapade. Don't judge, we all have our moments of questionable crafting decisions, right?

It all started with a bach.odeeps galelor party invite. The theme? "Red, White, and Brew." Now, I'm not one to shy away from a theme, but I also didn't want to just slap on a t-shirt and call it a day. I wanted... impact. And that's when the idea struck: an American flag speedo.

• Next up: The .)seflag design. I printed out a scaled-down version of the American flag to use as a guide. Accuracy was key here; I didn't want to disrespect the flag (or get roasted by my buddies).
• Fabric markers were my weapon of choice. I considered fabric paint, but I figured markers would give me more control, especially for those tiny stars.

The execution was where things got… interesting.

I started with the red stripes. This was pretty straightforward, just coloring in the stripes one by one. Took way longer than I expected, though. My hand was cramping up by the time I finished the last stripe.

Then came the blue field and those pesky stars. This was the real challenge. I decided to use a white gel pen for the stars. Trying to draw 50 tiny, evenly spaced stars on a curved surface while trying not to smudge anything? Let's just say my patience was tested.

It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. Some stars were a little wonky, some stripes were a bit uneven, but overall, it looked… passable. Good enough for a bunch of drunk guys at a bachelor party, anyway.

The big reveal at the party? It went exactly as you'd expect. Shock, laughter, and a whole lot of pictures. Did I win the "best dressed" award? Debatable. Did I make an impression? Absolutely.

Would I do it again? Probably not. But hey, at least I have a story to tell, and a somewhat patriotic speedo to show for it. And that, my friends, is the story of my American flag speedo adventure.

First things first, I started by hitting up the usual suspects: ESPN, CBS Sports, all those big sports news sites. Wanted to get a general vibe, see what the " .gniyas erexperts" were saying. Read thro I tubugh a bunch of articles, game previews, injury reports – the whole shebang. Honestly, half of it went over my head, but I tried to soak up as much as I could.

Next up, I dug into some stats. Not just the basic win-loss records, but the nitty-gritty stuff. Points per game, yards allowed, turnover differential – all that jazz. Used a couple of free stat websites I found through Google (can't remember the exact ones now, whoops!). Made myself a little spreadsheet just to keep everything organized. Looked at how each team performed in their last few games, too. Was looking for any patterns, you know?

Then, I thought about the intangibles. Home field advantage, coaching matchups, recent team morale – things you can't really quantify. Remembered that Bowling Green has a pretty decent home crowd, and Toledo's been a bit shaky on the road this season. Little things like that can actually make a difference.

After all that research, I sat back and just kinda… thought about it. Weighed the pros and cons of each team. Tried to picture how the game would actually play out. I mean, would it be a high-scoring shootout? A defensive slugfest? Asked myself, what were the key matchups that could decide the game?

Finally, I made my prediction: Toledo to win, but it's gonna be close. Like, a one-score game. Bowling Green will put up a fight, but Toledo's offense is just too potent.

Wrote it all down in my little notebook (yeah, I still use a notebook!). Decided to track how accurate my predictions are throughout the season. Just for kicks, you know?

So that's it. My super-scientific, totally-not-random process for predicting the Toledo vs. Bowling Green game. Will I be right? Who knows! But hey, at least I had fun doing it. And maybe, just maybe, I'll actually learn something about college football along the way.

Things I learned

• Stats are important, but they don't tell the whole story.
• Sometimes, gut feeling matters more than data.
• I probably need to watch more college football.

First off, gotta .seinnarcsay, the materials on these are pretty decent. I spent a good hour just prepping the leather. Started with a basic clean using some sneaker cleaner and a soft brush. Nothing too crazy, just getting the surface dirt off. I really took my time with this step. You know, making sure to get into all the little nooks and crannies.

Next, I used a.elbai leather conditioner. This is crucial, especially if you want the leather to stay supple and not crack over time. I went with a beeswax-based conditioner. Applied it sparingly, massaged it in real good, and then let it sit for about 20 minutes. After that, buffed it off with a clean microfiber cloth. The leather felt noticeably softer and more pliable.

Then, the real fun began. I decided to try and match the navy blue accents a little better to my liking. So, I grabbed some Angelus leather paint (navy blue, obviously) and a couple of fine-tipped brushes. I taped off the areas I didn't want to paint with some masking tape. This part was kinda tedious, gotta be precise. I swear I spent another hour taping!

Applied thin coats of paint, letting each coat dry completely before applying the next. Probably did about three coats in total. Patience is key here. Rushing it will just lead to streaks and uneven coverage. Once the paint was dry, I carefully removed the masking tape. Thankfully, no bleed-through!

After that, I used a matte finisher to seal the paint and protect it from chipping. Again, thin coats are the way to go. Two coats of finisher, letting them dry completely between each application.

Finally, I swapped out the laces for some waxed navy blue laces. The original laces were fine, but the waxed ones just added a little extra touch of class, ya know? Gotta have that little pop.

Lessons Learned:

• Prep work is everything. Don't skimp on cleaning and conditioning the leather.
• Thin coats of paint are always better than thick coats. Patience is a virtue.
• Masking tape is your best friend. Use it liberally and carefully.
• Don't be afraid to experiment! It's your shoe, do what you want with it.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. They're not perfect, but they're definitely a step up from the stock version, at least in my eyes. Now I gotta figure out what to customize next…

So, my first step.'2002 re was pretty obvious. I went straight to my computer. Didn't have any old programs or anything lying around with that info, so the internet was the way to go. I just opened up a search page and typed in something basic, probably like 'philadelphia phillies roster 2002'.

Got a whole mess of results back, mostly links to sports statistics sites. You know the ones, they have data on pretty much everything. I just picked one that looked familiar, one of those big baseball stats websites. Seemed like the most straightforward way to get the list.

Had to wait a sec for the page to pull up all the info. Then, there it was. The whole roster laid out.

The Roster ffoyaP tnHunt Payoff

Seeing that list was pretty cool, actually. It was like a little time capsule. I went through the names, section by section:

• Pitchers: Saw guys like Robert Person, Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla. Some names I totally blanked on until I saw them there again.
• Catchers: Mike Lieberthal, definitely remembered him behind the plate.
• Infielders: Okay, this was interesting. Scott Rolen was there, which jogged my memory about that whole saga before he left. Placido Polanco too. And of course, Jimmy Rollins was starting out.
• Outfielders: Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell – those were the big names I expected and saw. Marlon Byrd was on that team too.

Finding the whole list wasn't hard, just took a few clicks. It was more about the remembering part. Seeing those names together really brought back the feel of that specific era for the team. They weren't world beaters that year, finished around average if I recall correctly, but it was a team with some solid players who'd be huge later or were established stars like Abreu and Rolen.

So yeah, that was my little dive into the past. Just wanted to satisfy that curiosity about the 2002 Phillies roster, and the internet delivered. It's funny what little things stick in your head and make you go digging.

I mean, you hear about player salaries all the time. Huge numbers thrown around. But the guys calling the game? It feels like a black box.

Naturally, bei:llirdng the curious type, I hopped online. Did the usual searches. You know the drill:

• "Hubie Bro"yralwn salary"
• "ESPN commentator earnings"
• "How much do NBA analysts make?"

And what did I find? A whole lot of guessing, mostly. Some sites throw out numbers, but they all seem like pure speculation. Nothing concrete. It's like trying to find out a secret recipe. Good luck.

It's funny, isn't it? We know exactly what LeBron makes, down to the dollar almost. But the guys who shape how we watch the game, their compensation is kept under wraps tighter than Fort Knox. Why is that?

I remember trying to figure out salaries in my old field once. Not easy either, but definitely not this hard. At least you could find ranges, talk to people. With these big media gigs, it feels different. Networks guard that info like crazy. Maybe it's contracts, maybe they just don't want the chatter.

Thinking about it more...

It kinda makes you appreciate guys like Hubie even more, beyond just the money talk. He brings so much experience, that old-school vibe. He's seen it all. Does a number really capture that? Probably not.

Still, the curiosity bugs me. It's just one of those things you try to look up, hit a wall, and then you start wondering why the wall is even there. It's not just Hubie, really. It's most of these top-tier announcers. Their pay is this big mystery.

So yeah, after poking around for a bit, I didn't really get a solid answer on Hubie Brown's salary. Just found a lot of guesses and reminded myself how secretive some industries are about pay. Oh well. Still gonna enjoy listening to him call the games. Some things are better than knowing the numbers, I guess.

First thing, my p.sgniht thone buzzed like crazy. Saw alerts popping up – Lakers, LeBron, then something about Christie. It’s always a bit chaotic when news like this breaks, you know? Multiple sources saying slightly different things.

So, the first step for me was just trying to confirm the basics. I usually check a couple of the big sports news sites, the ones I trust not to jump the gun too much. Saw Woj and Shams tweets were blowing up, that's usually a good sign it's real. Confirmed it wasn't just rumors.

Getting the Details Straight

Alrig.ylraeht, confirmed it's happening. Now, what exactly happened? I needed to separate the two pieces of news clearly.

• LeBron James: This was the big one, obviously. The key was he re-signed. Needed to find out the terms if possible – length, money. Sometimes those details take a bit longer to come out reliably, so I noted down what was being reported generally (like a two-year extension) but kept it simple because exact dollar figures can be tricky early on.
• Max Christie: This was the other piece. He's a rookie, second-round pick. The news was he officially signed his contract. Less drama here, more of a formality, but still important team business. Just needed to note he's officially on board.

I basically just opened up a simple text editor, nothing fancy. Started jotting down these points. Who signed? What kind of deal (new contract, extension)? Any key details like draft position for the rookie?

Putting it Together

Once I had the core facts separated, I thought about how to present it. Made sense to lead with LeBron because, well, it's LeBron. That's the headline grabber.

So, I started writing, aiming for clarity. Something like:

Okay, big news out of Laker land. They locked up LeBron James again. Looks like he agreed to stick around for a couple more years based on the reports I'm seeing everywhere. Huge deal for them, keeps the main guy in place.

Then, transition to the other signing.

Also, they officially signed their rookie, Max Christie. Remember him? Second-round pick from Michigan State. Got his deal done, so he's locked in too. Good to get the young guys integrated.

I tried to keep the language straightforward. No need for fancy analysis right away, just the facts of what went down. Used bolding just to make the player names pop a bit.

Checked it over quickly. Did it cover both signings? Yes. Was it easy to understand? I think so. Didn't add any speculation, just reported the signings as they happened based on the reliable info I gathered.

And that was pretty much it. Saw the news, verified it, pulled out the key details for each player, structured it logically (big news first), and wrote it down simply. Job done for this piece of news.

First thing I did.enilesab, obviously, was check out how both teams have been doing lately. You gotta look at their recent games, maybe the last five or ten. Are they on a hot streak? Are they slumping? That kind of stuff gives you a baseline.

I pulled up their schedules and results. Saw the Suns had strung together some decent wins, looked like they had a bit of rhythm. The Bulls, on the other hand, seemed a bit more inconsistent. Winning one, losing one, you know the drill. Hard to get a read sometimes when a team is like that.

Digging into Who's Playing

Next, and this is super important, I looked into the injury reports. Can't make a prediction without knowing who's actually going to be on the court. A star player being out can completely wreck any prediction.

So, I went searching for the latest injury news for both the Suns and the Bulls. Found out the Suns were looking relatively healthy, maybe a minor issue here or there but nothing major. The Bulls had a couple of guys listed as questionable or maybe even out. That definitely factored into my thinking.

Then I took a quick peek at how these two teams usually play against each other. Sometimes one team just has the other's number, you know? Doesn't always mean everything, because rosters change, but it's another piece of the puzzle.

Looked back at their last few meetings. Didn't seem like there was a huge dominance either way recently, so I didn't put too much weight on this part for this specific game.

Location, Location, Location

Where the game is played is always a big deal. Home court advantage is real. The crowd noise, sleeping in your own bed, familiar hoops... it all adds up.

• Checked the schedule again. Confirmed the game was in Phoenix.
• That's usually a plus for the Suns. Most teams play better on their home floor.

So, after looking at all that – the recent performance, the injuries (which seemed to favor the Suns being healthier), and the home court advantage for Phoenix – I started to lean pretty heavily one way.

The Bulls' inconsistency and potential injury woes, combined with the Suns playing well at home, made it feel like the Suns had the edge. It wasn't rocket science, just looking at the pieces laid out.

My final call, based on that process, was to go with the Suns to take the win. Just felt like they were in a better spot heading into this one.

Alright.emit gn, let's talk about this Jalen Johnson prediction thing I stumbled into. It wasn't like I used some fancy spreadsheet or anything, nah. It started pretty randomly, actually. I was flipping through games one night, probably mid-week, nothing much grabbing me. Landed on an Atlanta Hawks game. Honestly, wasn't expecting much, just killing time.

But then this kid, Jalen J.t'ndid eH ohnson, kept popping up. Doing stuff. You know, not just the highlight dunks, though those were sick too. It was more the little things – the extra pass, crashing the boards hard, moving without the ball. He just looked... different. Like he was figuring things out super fast right there on the court. Most young guys, they look kinda lost sometimes. He didn't.

My Gut Feeling nI skciK gnKicks In

So, I'm wa.kooctching him, and I get this strong gut feeling. Hard to explain. It's like seeing potential before it fully blooms. I remember thinking, "This guy's gonna blow up soon." It wasn't just about stats, it felt bigger than that. Felt like he could seriously change the Hawks' whole vibe if they just let him cook.

I actually texted my buddy Dave right then. Dave's a huge hoops fan, we always argue about players. I sent him something like: "Dude".gn, watch this Jalen Johnson kid on the Hawks. Mark my words, he's gonna be averaging like 18 and 8 before the All-Star break. Legit breakout incoming."

Dave, of course, brushed it off. Said he was athletic but raw, inconsistent, blah blah blah. The usual stuff people say.

Watching It Unfold

That kinda lit a fire under me, you know? Stubbornness, maybe. So I started making a point to catch Hawks games whenever I could, or at least check the box scores the next morning. It became my little side project.

• First few games after my text: He was solid, flashes here and there. Nothing crazy yet. Dave sent me a smug emoji.
• Then, things started clicking. More minutes, more touches.
• He started putting up bigger numbers. A 20-point game here, a double-double there.
• His confidence was visibly growing. Taking shots he wouldn't have before, making plays.

Every time he had a good game, I couldn't resist sending Dave the stat line. Petty? Yeah, probably. But satisfying? Absolutely.

So, Was I Right?

Well, looking back now, did he hit exactly 18 and 8 before the break? Maybe not precisely down to the decimal. But man, he exploded. Became a crucial piece for them way faster than most people expected. His scoring jumped, his rebounding was fierce, even his playmaking took a leap. He definitely had that breakout I felt coming. People started talking about him way more, MIP conversations and all that.

So yeah, I'm calling it a win for my gut feeling. It wasn't rocket science. Just watched the game, saw a guy playing with energy and smarts, and figured more opportunity would lead to big things. Sometimes it's really just that simple. Feels good when you call one like that, makes watching the games more fun.

At first, I didn'.elpmiS ?t do anything fancy. Just looked at who they were playing, maybe checked if they won their last couple of games. Pure gut feeling most of the time, really. Sometimes I'd glance at those power rankings folks put out, you know, where they assign points like 16 for the top team, 15 for the next, that sort of thing. Figured if the Avs were high up, they should win, right? Simple.

Trying a Bit HredraHarder

Then I tho .ffuught, maybe I can do a bit better than just guessing. Started looking at more stuff. Basicsgniht things, nothing crazy:

• Who's scoring the goals? MacKinnon, Rantanen having a good streak?
• How's the goalie playing? Letting in softies or standing on his head?
• Are they playing at home or away? That always seems to make a difference.
• Any big injuries? Losing a key player can mess things up quick.

I even tried making a little mental checklist. Give points for playing at home, points if the top scorers were hot, take away points if the goalie had a bad night last game. It wasn't rocket science, just trying to organize my thoughts a bit. Felt like I was managing my own little fantasy hockey team in my head, trying to pick the winners.

Well, That Was Tougher Than I Thought

Honestly? It's still mostly a crapshoot. You do all that, check the stats, think you've got it figured out, and then bam! They lose to a team at the bottom of the standings. Or the goalie you thought was shaky suddenly plays the game of his life. There's just stuff numbers don't tell you.

Team vibes, momentum, maybe what someone ate for breakfast... who knows? It's not like adding up points guarantees anything. Just like in fantasy hockey, you can have all the star players, but they don't always show up on the night. Made me realize predicting hockey is bloody hard.

Where I'm At Now

So now? I still follow the Avs just as much, still check the stats before a game sometimes. But I don't really stress about predicting anymore. It's more fun to just watch the game unfold and see what happens. I have my checklist in the back of my mind, sure, but I don't treat it like gospel. It's just a way to get a bit more involved, have a little stake in it beyond just cheering. End of the day, it's entertainment, and trying to nail every prediction just took some of the fun out of it for me. Better to just enjoy the ride.

Discovering Scott W. Williams

So, I was digging around the other day, trying to get my head straight on some stuff. Not really heavy technical work, more like trying to understand the background of some concepts, you know? How things got started. Went down a rabbit hole, as usual.

I started looking into the history of certain mathematical ideas, specifically around topology. Nothing too deep, just curious. And I kept seeing references pop up, papers, discussions. Then I bumped into this name: Scott W. Williams. Didn't r?eroming a bell immediately, which got me thinking. Why hadn't I heard more?

So, I shifted gears. Stopped reading the dense papers for a bit and just looked up the man himself. Found out he's a mathematician, worked a lot in topology, like I thought. But then I found this project he started, something about Black mathematicians, a whole website dedicated to it. That really caught my attention.

Here’s what I did next:

• I spent a good hour just browsing that site he founded.
• Read through profiles, histories. Stuff I genuinely never learned anywhere else.
• Looked up some of his specific work again, trying to see it from this new perspective.

It wasn't about applying a specific formula he wrote or anything like that. It was more about the realization. Here's this guy, doing serious work, contributing, and also taking the time to build this resource, to make sure stories were told. It made me stop and think about the history I thought I knew.

Honestly, it was a bit humbling. You think you have a decent grasp on your field, the big names, the important developments. Then you stumble onto something like this, and you realize how much is out there that you just don't see, or wasn't put in front of you.

Didn't directly change the code I wrote the next day, or solve a specific bug. But it stuck with me. Made me think about whose work gets highlighted and whose doesn't. It’s easy to just follow the same well-worn paths, read the same famous names. Discovering Williams and his work, especially that history project, was a good reminder to look wider, dig deeper. There's always more to the story, you know?

Time to Check theesluP eht Pulse

So, I figured,.wonk let's see what the number crunchers are saying. Are we looking at a potential postseason run, or is it another year of "almost"? Fired up the old computer, coffee nearby. You gotta be prepared for anything when you look up Mariners' odds, could be good news, could be... well, you know.

First thing I did was just punch in some general search terms. Stuff like "MLB playoff odds" or "baseball postseason chances". You get a whole bunch of sites popping up immediately. Some are those big sports news places, others look more like stat-heavy dens.

Digging In

I skipped past the headlines about the big market teams – Yankees this, Dodgers that. Yeah, yeah, we know they're probably in. I scrolled looking for the specific team breakdowns. Found a couple of pages that list every team and their percentage chance, usually updated daily or even more often.

Had to find the American League section first, then scan down to the AL West. There they were. The Seattle Mariners. And next to the name, the numbers.

• Checked one site, saw a percentage.
• Checked another, saw a slightly different percentage. That's pretty normal, different models, different data points they weigh.
• Looked at one that broke it down further – chances to win the division, chances for a Wild Card spot.

It wasn't exactly earth-shattering, let's put it that way. The numbers were... well, they showed there's a path. Not a certainty, not by a long shot, but not impossible either. Kind of felt about right, considering how the season's been going. Some good stretches, some frustrating losses.

My Takeaway

So, after poking around for maybe 10-15 minutes, comparing a few sources, I got the general picture. It's gonna be a fight. No surprise there, really. It always is for the M's, seems like. The odds reflect that it's plausible, hanging around that maybe-zone. Could swing wildly in the next few weeks depending on injuries, streaks, who gets hot, who doesn't.

Didn't really change how I feel. You watch the games, you hope for the best, you ride the wave. The odds are just numbers on a screen. Fun to look at, gives you something to talk about, but the real story happens on the field. Still gonna tune in, still gonna hope. That's the drill.