NEW SHIRT! Do we want Ben Simmons back?
The Opening Tip
Hello & Happy Almost Weekend - It's the Corner Three!
Oh Yeah, The Sixers
WELP.... I knew he'd have some shit up his sleeves but omg, wtf. If you think about it though, it makes so much sense for us to start all over again with 25 next to 21.
Do I want/would I take Ben Simmons back on this team?
2018/19 multiple time All-Star, All-Defensive team Ben, yes. However! It's 2023, he hasn't played meaningful basketball in ages it seems to be honest and just like in a break-up, you can't re-create the past, it's best for all parties to move forward, and honestly, I'm not quite sure what if anything Ben has learned or IF HE EVEN IS INTERESTED IN SHOOTING A FUCKING BASKETBALL AT ALL.
Lastly, he's a serial gaslighter who I don't want any where near BBall Paul or Mad Max.
This Week's Top 10! (Former Sixers I'd Welcome Back)
10. Mike Scott
09. Tony Bradley
08. Robert Covington
07. Ish Smith
06. Jeremy Grant
05. Mike Muscala
04. Danny Green
03. Hollis Thompson
02. Tony Wroten
01. Jimmy Butler
Spike's Corner... I Love My Dog
Every week Spike or Mike will give you something that's on their mind. It's Spike's week, and he's talking about saving some dogs.
Rebel changed my life.
If you’re not aware, or new, Rebel is my 9 year-old Aruban rescue dog, who barks occasionally in the background during the pod. He is the first dog I’ve ever had, and to be honest, I didn’t want any part of adopting one. It was important to my wife Valerie, so we did it. Within about three hours of picking him up at the Newark airport (he flew with a volunteer from Aruba), I could not imagine life without him. "You didn't even like dogs, now you're Mr Dog," Val says to me regularly.
Rebel is a jerk, to be clear. Barks out the window any time anyone walks by our house (we live in a quiet neighborhood, these are the same people he sees every day). He refuses to go anywhere near a stranger unless they commit to letting him bark relentless at them for the first several weeks of their visits. He decides to go out to pee at night exactly five minutes after we’ve decided to sit down and watch a movie.
But the unconditional love of a pet is no joke. He’s relentlessly excited every time I come home from work. Seems to know exactly when I need him to sit next to me and let me know he’s there. Is a true partner for a walk any time I want one (unless it’s raining), and is obsessed with routine in a way that I thought I was the only one capable of. Rebel is tattooed on my body in three different places (as is my rescue cat Alabama who passed in 2021. Miss you!). One day, several years back, I returned from a walk with Rebel and psychotically mentioned to my wife Valerie, “I decided on the walk I’ll take a bullet for Rebel if I need to,” as if I’m at war.
One of the ways that Rebel has changed my life is that he has made me advocate for animal shelters, the people who work there, and their impossible mission of finding a home for every dog, cat (sometimes goat) at their facilities. It is an emotionally draining job, with unspeakable lows and heartwarming highs (full transparency, my wife has worked at a shelter for about three years now).
This is where Bark In The Park and Providence Animal Center come in. Providence Animal Center is a wonderful animal shelter in Media, PA. They do their job knowing that every time an animal goes to a forever home, there is another one waiting to come in. The job is never done.
Bark In The Park is PAC’s annual 5K, and the Ricky has a team (join here) every single year. This year, it’s October 21st at Rose Tree Park. It’s always an awesome time.
You do not have to run, you can walk. You don’t even have to walk, you can just show up at the event, pick up your t-shirt, walk around for a bit, take a couple of selfies and go home. What I would love for you to do, is join the team, and commit to raising at least $50, and getting us to our goal of $15,000. If you raise the $50, you’ll get whatever PAC gives you, but also get the Tribe Called Quest themed Ricky shirt (as you see above)*.
This has been a very difficult year for PAC and basically every animal shelter in the United States. All of the stories you saw during the pandemic about record rates of adoptions and clear shelters has reversed. Animals are not only being adopted at a slower rate, there are far more animals being abandoned, surrendered, and worse. Even at a no-kill shelter, if the shelter doesn’t have room, it doesn’t have room. Any support we can give them is incredibly helpful.
I know you probably wanted my writing this week to be about Ben Simmons. I owe you one. We gotta save the animals first. See you at Rose Tree Park.
Love,
Spike
* shirts will only be for pickup, not mailed. Unless you raise $1000, then I’ll mail it to you.
** a shout out to Justina Calgiano Meyer, who was our long time advocate at PAC and is no longer there. We love Justina dearly, and will miss her at this year’s run. The animals however, still need us.
Peace, Love and Process Grab a stateside and some wings - College Football is Back
-Zo