Not to go all Patrick Bateman on you, but quarantine is making all of us feel a just a little bit psycho these days.

Along with most of you, I am really missing live sports and getting increasingly excited by the discussions that are happening at the local, national and international level to get restarted.

Fingers crossed and "let's play two!"

Did You Catch That Shirt?

Watching episode 4 of The Last Dance on Sunday, I was bumped by the sight of MJ in a "3-Peat" shirt on the team bus after the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals decimation of those dirty, no-good, Pistons.

I remembered the Bulls being the first to use that term, and that Pat Riley made money when they used it because he owned the trademark after filing it back in 1988 in the hopes that the Lakers would win three in a row (spoiler alert: they didn't.)

I even remember squeezing into Grant Park for the 1993 Championship rally with hundreds of thousands of fellow fans (wasn't life grand before social distancing!?!) and seeing the Bears Superfans on the stage telling Riley not to count his money too fast because we were headed for a four-peat.

So what was Jordan doing wearing a 3-Peat shirt in footage that was supposed to be from 1991, and before the Bulls had even won their first Championship?

Well, Detroit had won back-to-back Championships in '89 and '90, and were looking for number three. The 3-Peat term was being used in the media and the fan shirts were popping up around Detroit.

So it turns out that MJ was throwing a little shade the Pistons way.

That's a question mark after the 3-Peat.

The NFL Draft Through the Years

Last week's NFL Draft was a bit different than planned.

Rather than transporting newly-drafted players across Bellagio's faux-Lake Como to a stage built over the famous fountains, we were treated to webcam shots of coaches' and player's home offices and time-delayed reaction shots.

Not exactly the same...

But the NFL has evolved in the past to changing landscapes.

The Draft is essentially a corporate meeting for the teams, and the early iterations of the Draft reflected that.

In the 2000s, the Draft shifted to a more theatrical setting with analysts and players gaining a larger focus.

But the most dramatic shift occurred in 2015, when the NFL expanded the Draft to a full-fledged fan festival after Radio City Music Hall double-booked the traditional venue for the event (doh!) and opened up the opportunity for other cities to host.

The Chicago Sports Commission deserves credit for opening the eyes of NFL officials to the opportunities for expansion and assuring them that people would show up in droves to experience the Draft live in a city that loves its outdoor festivals.

And show up they did...with crowds totaling 4x the targeted attendance goals.

So, despite the downgrade that this year's Draft experienced, you can be sure that the NFL is looking at ways to innovate and evolve the event in the years ahead to be bigger and better than ever.

If You Play It, Will They Come?

Despite the hunger for sports content, there is some disappointing data on how quickly the public will be comfortable returning to stadiums.

This Seton Hall survey found that only 1/4 of respondents would feel safe attending a game before a vaccine is available.

Rain Suits for Responders

Did you know that golf rain suits could be used as PPE in healthcare settings?

Neither did I. But the good folks at Kemper Sports, Illinois PGA and FootJoy have teamed up to provide PPE for AMITA healthcare workers. Learn more below...

Where Can I Play Golf?

As more states lift restrictions on golf, course are reopening across the U.S.

Golf Advisor has a nifty resource page that includes regularly updated snapshots of the state of play (click on the photo for link.)

When is My Sport Coming Back?

This site provides the current status of sports around the world; with coverage of leagues and individual events and details on cancellations and postponements.

This concept is my way of sharing information and staying connected with my personal and professional network in these crazy times. Content is chosen based on what I think is interesting, entertaining and relevant, and there is no commercial aspect to any of it.

The last thing I want is to be an annoyance...so please click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email if you don't want to receive any more of these messages.

If you'd like to access past dispatches, they are archived HERE , along with a link to subscribe if you didn't receive this directly.

Have a great day!

John