Sure, sure I say it all the time: Get ready for a massive week of KMARK. I’m relaxed, in my lane, with all three major sports functioning at the same time. Welcome to my Olympics. But I miss golf 🙃

Anyone going to work tomorrow? Good! Find a new employee in the lunch room and pepper them with these three questions:

- Who’s winning the Heisman and why is college football lacking significant star power? Seriously, where are the Big Men on Campus? We don’t even have an Ashton Jeanty this year. This shouldn’t be a transfer portal issue, but college is desperately lacking identifiable talent right now. The sports long benefited from the NFL’s mandate that players need to stay in school for three years. That helps recognize players year over year. But we have no Tebow, no Reggie Bush, no Caleb Williams.

- Do you enjoy two Monday Night Football games? I do. But if the ESPN-NFL merger goes through, we’ll lose Monday doubleheaders. The Merger guarantees ESPN a package of games, but including weeks 1-17, they won’t have enough to double up on any one week. MNF was bleeding before Joe Buck and Troy Aikman rescued it, and one game is traditional, important, and draws investment. But I was just gettin hip to the double dip.

- If you have to watch one game from NBA opening week, which will it be? I expect the effort from our well-compensated Stars to be absolutely abysmal, but the games officially count starting Tuesday. Remember, particularly in the West, I GUARANTEE the difference between the play-in, or the difference between the 3 seed and 6th will come down to one or two games. Lose one you should win this week and you’ll be begging for back come April.

I never wanted to write this piece. And to be honest, the Dodgers are still very much alive. But, being the Empath I am, this one’s for Seattle.

What’s it mean to lose? It’s forfeiting the opportunity to spend more time with the ones you love watching the team you love. What’s it mean to lose? It’s the distinct unpredictability if this playoff run will ever be repeated (or if your team will sink back to being obsolete). What’s it mean to lose? It’s an ending, out of your control, with no recourse. What’s it mean to lose? It’s watching another city celebrate your dream. Losing is darkness and it’s unavoidable. Coaches will tell you: play this game long enough and you’ll suffer your share of setbacks. But what if you’ve never won the Big One.

Is there Light? Not right now. Not for Mariner fans (or Brewer fans but they knew their season was over days ago). There’s room for light, but this darkness should be studied. The Mariners (particularly manager Dan Wilson) showed a whiff of inexperience in Game 7. Chasing pitches to finish the game with three straight strikeouts. Pitching to George Springer with a base open. Pulling pitchers early. It’s all there. All the hallmarks of an inability to slow the pulse in the biggest moments. The Light is remembering the experience. Not using it for fuel, but holding it in the brain for the next ninth inning when you need a big hit. The Light is stepping to the plate having been there before, slowing your breath and relaxing the tension in your face. The Light is getting back to October. Getting another crack. How can fans find the Light if we don’t get to hold the bat? I find the Light remembering the playoff wins. Those happened. They were real. Those awesome nights were a privilege not enjoyed by other Loser teams. I find the Light knowing that Losing is an opportunity to get better. How can I show up to gameday a better fan? Can I be more present? Can I make better appetizers? Can I find a way to watch more games with friends and family? That shit matters.

I have no doubt Seattle will be back. Houston isn’t what they once were. The Angels are pathetic. The Rangers scream mediocre. Perhaps they’ll bull rush their way back to a dance with Toronto. As we all know, the only way out of the Dark is through.