“If it’s hard to write, then it’s probably worth writing.” - Neal Allen and Anne Lamott in “Good Writing”
Kara Lawson says, “Handle hard better.” Truth can be hard to tell, to take, or to write.
Winning a Trade.
"Experts" grade deals immediately. Media and fans lose their minds overnight as they think another GM has fleeced theirs. Results often take years to reveal who 'won'. In "Never Split the Difference," Chris Voss wrote, "Negotiation is not an act of battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible."
Maybe trading Jaylen Brown dooms the Celtics to mediocrity. Maybe it will take awhile to know.
“The Know-Nothing Party”
Some feel that Bird, Magic, and Jordan saved the NBA. There is always a crisis to resolve. In the late 1850s, the "Know-Nothing Party" arose as anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. The US slavery crisis overwhelmed the former and the Know-Nothings disappeared. Knowing-Nothing shapes a weak ideology.
“Who Died and Made You King?”
Mom used to say, "Who died and made you king?" In the television hit "Cheers," Cliff Claven was a "know-it-all" postman with thankfully "little known facts." New basketball fans share their imagined wisdom. And one "pundit" described a WNBA star as the "white Steph Curry." Do better.
“Doubting Thomas”
"Seeing is believing." A potent argument for skepticism arises from a lack of skepticism. Sometimes a sun is the center of a planetary system. Sometimes it's complicated. After Indiana was eliminated, some said the WNBA interest was done. What if "disconfirming evidence" appears?
“People only pack arenas in the WNBA because of Caitlin Clark” Atlanta in game 1 of the semifinals. https://t.co/c5qF95H3Ov
— We Here Now 😎 (@AngeShedeway) October 4, 2026
Our experience and knowledge, however great, still result in uncertainty and misjudgments.
Lagniappe. Clear a side and exploit it with the SLOB.
SLOB Blind Pig A special call to look for a sneaky bucket Empty the back side and time up the hard curl to hit it on the fly https://t.co/PcOPQU5Gi8
— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) September 21, 2026
