Jason Kirk's Blog, page 5

Watch Grid: A time to keep and a time to throw away

Sup. Since I’ve been sharing the College Football Watch Grid for free each week over the last few years, some people have kindly asked how they can tip. Here’s the answer:

My debut novel is on its way, with orders hopefully available during football season. I’ll share much more ASAP, but for now, that math is: I send you 15+ weekend guides, and you order a ~$15 book that’d be worth it even if I hadn’t. (Those of you pledging money to this Substack: That’s a lovely gesture, but I won’t touch that ...

Watch Grid: The end has always been nigh

Since 2016, I’ve put together this weekly CFB schedule guide called the Watch Grid, the most popular sports thing I write. Since I’m sharing it for free, some people have kindly asked how they can tip. Here’s the answer:

My debut novel approaches, with orders hopefully available during football season. I’ll share much more information later, but for now, that math is: I send you 15+ weekend guides, and you order a ~$15 book that’d be worth your while even if I hadn’t. (Those of you pledging money...

Watch Grid: We are so sick

Hello, here’s a college football post. If you’re subscribed to this newsletter for non-sports reasons: (1.) thank you and (2.) please stick around despite sports stuff in your inbox for the next few months.

Since 2016, I’ve put together a weekly CFB schedule guide called the Watch Grid, the most popular sports thing I write. Going forward, it will arrive every Thursday (or Friday) of CFB season via this very Substack. FWD this email to a friend who might be interested.

I’m doing this for free beca...

You break it, you buy it

Hello, here’s a post about college sports. This newsletter isn’t always about sports. If you’re not into sports, thank you for staying tuned regardless.

While you’re here, please subscribe to the following:

The Pulse, an all-sports newsletter I edit each morning, free at The Athletic

The Shutdown Fullcast, a bizarre “college football” podcast, thriving despite itself

Vacation Bible School, an extremely non-proselytizing show about all the Bible things we were mis-taught as church kids

Channel Six, a...

Rub some church on it

Some intro business: Subscribe to the Vacation Bible School Podcast. We’ve recently done a couple episodes on the Book of Samuel, the best (non-Genesis) book so far, and we’ll hopefully hit “David and Goliath/White Christian Nationalism” within a few weeks. On our Patreon, we’re doing monthly episodes on topics ranging from Christian music we still like to the Did You Grow Up In A Cult? test.

And since this is a sports post, also subscribe to the Shutdown Fullcast, which is often about college fo...

Shame

“After a thoughtful, thorough, and well-vetted search,” Auburn University athletic director John Cohen said in a statement introducing his newly hired head football coach, “we ended where we started, with Hugh Freeze.”

The only truthful words in that sentence are the ones about the result being exactly what Auburn wanted all along. The first part is bullshit.

Chelsea Andrews @chelsandrewsYes, I heard about the football placement with Auburn.No, Auburn never contacted me in their vetting process....

The Bible clearly says men shouldn't be allowed to vote

An election has happened. Some things didn’t go my way, which means I could encourage my side to recruit a broader range of voters. Nah, I’m instead gonna try to restrict the voting rights of people who disagree with me. Fortunately, I can weaponize religion against them.

Martyr me if you like, and cancel me if you must, but I stand alone on the Word of God when I say this: Men should not be allowed to vote.

Subscribe now

First of all, the Bible never permits men to vote.

Unlike the squeaky soyboys ...

Everything the Bible *actually* says about abortion

People change. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes slowly. But people change. Want evidence?

I grew up deep within Evangelical indoctrination. Around age six, I chanted in “pro-life” marches. Many inherited beliefs fell away with relative ease, but even after leaving the church at 19, abortion propaganda remained lodged in my brain. By 24, I was a “pro-life” agnostic, still straining to comprehend how eliminating a pre-baby could be ok.

Now I support anyone’s right to an abortion, period. I wrote this beca...

Everything "the Bible says" about abortion, in actual context

People change. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes slowly. But people change. Want evidence?

I grew up deep within Evangelical indoctrination. Around age six, I chanted in “pro-life” marches. Many inherited beliefs fell away with relative ease, but even after leaving the church at 19, abortion propaganda remained lodged in my brain. By 24, I was a “pro-life” agnostic, still straining to comprehend how eliminating a pre-baby could be ok.

Now I support anyone’s right to an abortion, period. I wrote this beca...

They pulled guns on us at kid church

Wednesday night youth group. Suburban Southern Baptist megachurch. Middle school, maybe eighth grade. Late-’90s, pre-Columbine. Summer-ish (I think, but don’t quote me on that part).

I was sitting among the back row’s folding chairs, all the way to the left side of the big auditorium. Right here1:

Outta nowhere, we heard loud banging and shouting from the hallway doors behind us. A number of adult males entered the room with hostile force. I usually recall it being either three, four, or five men,...