You may have noticed this Substack has a new name and design. How observant of you.
I can’t promise you’ll enjoy the new vibe, but I can promise this is not a Twitter-to-X situation.
In this newsletter:
Explaining the rebrand
Professing my love for best ball
Remembering EJ Tackett’s U.S. Open win
Rebrand
Goodbye, Can’t Lose Hughes Daily-ish.
Hello, The Can’t Lose Letter.
Get it? Lose sounds like news? Clever, huh?
This Substack started in the fall of 2021 as a daily newsletter about all things bowling. Since I started working for the PBA last summer, I have had neither the time, energy, nor motivation to maintain it.
But with the PBA offseason and the NFL/NBA regular season approaching, I have a tad more of those resources and a whole lot more to talk about. My intention is to channel those other passions and interests here.
Key word: intention.
You can read a little more about my reasoning here.
Best Ball Szn
The impetus for even considering this relaunch is thing magical thing called best ball. My family is tired of hearing me talk about it, so I turn to you, feeble subscribers.
For the uncultured swine who have drifted through an utterly meaningless life devoid of best ball, allow me to introduce you into our community. (It’s not, not a cult.)
Best ball is basically commercialized fantasy football. The best part of fantasy football is the draft and best ball takes that philosophy to the extreme.
You don’t have to manage your roster during the season. After each week, the system takes your highest scoring players and automatically places them in your starting lineup. The draft is longer (18-20 rounds) to compensate for bye weeks and injuries.
Which means: no trades, no waivers, no lineups, and best of all, no kickers or defenses. Just draft the fun players and check back in December to collect your winnings.
I’ve been playing best ball for a couple years now, but the layers of nuance and game theory have really pulled me in this year — well, that and if I am as smart as I think I am get really lucky, I might win $3 million.
I play almost exclusively on Underdog. Their UI is second to none and they constantly improve and experiment with new formats.
Underdog offers everything from small-stakes leagues to big-money tournaments, so whether you want something casual or to become a full-fledged degenerate sports gambler, they’ve got you covered. (I think I just wrote their next ad campaign?)
If you’re into fantasy football, I highly recommend best ball and Underdog. Definitely reach out if you want to learn more. (If you do start, here’s my referral code.)
EJ Tackett’s Crowning Moment
Yeah, I know I said there would be little-to-no bowling in this revamped newsletter. I lied.
Today happens to be the six-month anniversary of EJ Tackett’s U.S. Open win. The magnum opus of a first-ballot Hall of Famer is worthy of a few paragraphs.
ICYMI: Back in February, Tackett doubled in the final frame to a) win the U.S. Open, b) complete the Triple Crown, c) avenge his disastrous 2022 title match, d) win a PBA Tour title in his home state of Indiana, and e) fulfill his lifelong dream.
“I tried to play it off, but… this is it, man. This is it,” Tackett said. “To get up and do it, throw a double for the U.S. Open like I’d practiced so many times when I was 12 years old, to finally come through, is just unbelievable.”
EJ Tackett Fulfills Childhood Destiny, Wins PBA’s Triple Crown in Home State
My favorite story I wrote during the entire 2023 PBA Tour is that feature linked above on Tackett’s U.S. Open win.
Tackett went on to win five titles, finish second twice, and earn the No. 1 seed at four of five major championships this season. It’s one of the greatest seasons in the history of the PBA, full stop.
Tackett has talked about how much confidence that moment gave him. From my perspective, it seemed like an enormous weight was lifted off his shoulders, too.
I don’t know how much of Tackett’s 2023 dominance happens without that U.S. Open triumph.
I’ll leave you with this parting thought:
Almost every single night as a child, EJ Tackett would dream about throwing a double to win the U.S. Open.
Six months ago today, not only did he do exactly that, but we had a front row seat.
In movies, dramatic moments like that happen all the time.
In reality, sports are the only venue where we can watch humans, in real time, achieve the very thing they’ve dreamed about their entire lives.
That singular moment exists only in sports.