11 Things You Missed On The Internet | 1.3.24

What can Michael Penix Jr.'s journey teach us about resilience and success?

Author

Brandon Wenerd
January 03, 2024

Let’s talk about Michael Penix Jr.

What a performance against Texas in the 2024 Sugar Bowl. I mean, come on. Talk about QB skills on full display. Just like most of his time on the field at the University of Washington, it was straight-up inspiring.

This 23-year-old, sixth-year Huskie QB unleashed a clinic in quarterback mastery. Remember that 77-yard whopper on the opening drive? Or the 52-yard rocket? It was a dart-throwing extravaganza. Snubbed for the Heisman, yet he's NFL-bound with bells on.

Penix’s journey is a slap in the face to F. Scott Fitzgerald's idea that there are no second acts in American lives. Turns out, a smart play and hard work can turn the tables. His path wasn't a stroll in the park. From injury-riddled seasons at Indiana - think torn ACLs and joint woes - to a groundbreaking stint with an undefeated Washington team, it's been a rollercoaster.

Four grueling seasons with the Hoosiers, peaking at just six games annually, couldn't douse Penix's fire to play football. Amidst the trials, there were sparks of brilliance, like that controversial 2020 overtime stunner against Penn State, clinched with a heroic dive over the pylons.

Armed with a degree from Bloomington and extra NCAA eligibility - courtesy of injuries and a redshirt freshman year - Penix still hungered for the game. Yet, he knew Indiana wasn't his launchpad to the NFL. Time for a change of scenery.

Enter the University of Washington, a fresh start, and a comeback story for the ages. He’s matured into a leader, through and through.

Penix's saga isn't just about football. It's a blueprint for life: disrupt the status quo, patiently bide your time, and stick to your guns. After six years in college football, his moment of glory arrived. He gets to play on college football’s biggest stage, with of millions of households across America watching.

His tale is a testament to perseverance - most would've hung up their cleats and moved on to the next chapter of their lives.

Whether you're a budding chef, electrician, or driver’s ed teacher, Penix reminds us that mastery is a journey, not a gift. It's about smart work, paying dues, and keeping a level head. Life's path to success? It zigzags. It’s about the games you play and the seasons you weather.

Time is a secret ingredient. Wine, talent, and wisdom mature, as long as you're patient enough.

Let's channel a bit of Penix in our daily grind this year.

Kirk Herbstreit Calls For Permanent National Championship Game Change

After the Sugar Bowl ended the other night, I watched Scott Van Pelt interview Kirk Herbstreit on SportsCenter. SVP called Herbstreit one of the sports’ great ambassadors (true!), which means what he says should carry extra weight in the national conversation.

Well, this is an important one. The analyst says the Rose Bowl should be the permanent venue for all national championships. I don’t disagree - the venue is the Taj Mahal of college football. BUT! I have to be a voice of reason here. Early January in Southern California isn't always the picture-perfect weather often boasted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Rose Bowl Committee. Our rainy season begins in December and goes until late March, so it’s a pretty big roll of the dice. Heck, the National Championship was a rainy mess at SoFi Stadium last year and that stadium (mostly) has a roof over it.

Eagles Locker Room ‘Tearing Apart’ Due To AJ Brown Beefing With HC Nick Sirianni According To Report

Like many NFL fans, I had a sixth sense something was brewing behind the scenes in South Philadelphia. The late season collapse has been too spectacular to not draw speculation about the state of the Birds’ locker room. When there’s smoke, there’s fire, etc. Glad we finally have some insight into the tension that’s unfolding between AJ Brown and Nick Sirianni.

Now get it together, gentlemen.

Tom Brady’s First Major Hire As Birmingham City Owner Has Been Disastrous, Wayne Rooney Fired After 15 Games

Back in August 2023, Tom Brady, NFL legend, dove into the soccer world by snagging a minority stake in Birmingham City via Knighthead Capital. He even hit up a pub before a game to buy fans a round. Fast forward: the club, once flirting with Premier League dreams at 6th place, nosedived to 20th. Just 83 days in, Wayne Rooney, their coach and Manchester United icon, got the boot. So, is Brady fated to 'do a Jordan' in sports ownership? The plot thickens...

Shaq Used To Bet Thousands Of Dollars On The Result Of Paternity Tests On ‘Maury’

Nothing but respect this level of degeneracy.

Huckberry Has The Workout And Fitness Gear To Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions (sponsored)

I’ve said this a lot lately, but Happy New Year, everybody! Hope your time off over the holidays was good and you’re not dreading being back at work. It doesn’t have to be bad! If you’re like me, you look forward to getting back into the swing of things, particularly when it comes to dieting and exercise. I’ve had enough cookies and beer. If you want to get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions, do it right with this workout and fitness gear now available at Huckberry.

Misc food for thought from Edward Abbey:

“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”

The Mystery Of A Time Traveler From The Year 1958 Has Never Been Fully Solved

On April 23, 2006, a man named Sergei Ponomarenko gained the attention of authorities in Kyiv, Ukraine. The reason for this is because Ponomarenko claimed to have used time travel to appear there straight from the year 1958. Ponomarekno, in his mid 20s, was spotted in Kiev acting suspiciously confused and dressed in an outfit from the 1950s, carrying an old-fashioned camera. When he asked two police officers for directions to a place that no longer existed and was detained. At the time of his detainment, Sergei Ponomarenko claimed to not know what year it was. When asked to present identification, he produced a Soviet national ID card from the 1950s with his photo on it. It also claimed he was 25-years-old and born in the year 1932.

The story gets way weirder from here…

Reggie Bush Talks About Snoop Dogg Running Routes At USC Practices

Every generation has their favorite era of college football. I grew up hearing about how great the 1980s CFB era was: Brian Bosworth, Dieon Sanders, Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, Vinny Testaverde, Joe Montana, John Elway etc.

There was just something special about those USC teams in the mid-aughts. The program was electric, like 1000 watt bulb, thanks in part to being staned so hard by Snoop Dogg and Will Ferrell in their prime.

New Loch Ness Monster Video Shows 10-Foot-Long Wake On The Water’s Surface

I'm a born skeptic, yet the Loch Ness Monster seems more believable than other cryptids. Nessie's aquatic home in Scotland is easier to search than the elusive forests of Bigfoot or the remote Himalayas of the Yeti. While creatures like the Chupacabra, Mothman, and Jersey Devil are shrouded in myth, Nessie stands out with a stronger blend of history and evidence. It’s confined to a big (albeit, very deep) lake.

One thing that baffles me though: How many generations of the Lock Ness monster do you think there are at this point? Scores and scores. Seems like all that cryptozoological inbreeding would result in some gnarly behaviorial changes over time. What do you think?

Jason Whitlock Rehashes Katie Nolan Feud After Accidentally Outing His Online Search History

Fun BroBible fact: Katie Nolan is a former collegue of mine. Before she got started in TV with Fox Sports, she worked for the company that used to own BroBible. We all went into the same office in Soho back in the day. I haven’t talked to her since her going away party in 2013 (which involved a Jameson shot or three), but I’m glad to see she’s standing her ground against Jason Whitlock on this one.

Johnny Cash’s To Do List Is The Best List of New Year’s Resolutions

10/10, no notes. If you can’t see the tweet, embedded below, click here to view it on Twitter.

Nick Saban Watched Frustrating Movie With His Wife Instead Of Sugar Bowl After Loss To Michigan

It was a Turkish movie on Netflix, but I have a very dark mental image of Nick Saban watching SALTBURN after a dramatic loss in the Rose Bowl.

Jim Harbaugh’s Superstitious Parents Take Credit For Michigan’s Win In Animated Postgame Interview

What an amazing mom and dad moment. You never really think about the coaches’ parents like you do the players’ parents in college football, but this one is special. Pretty cool that they were able to be there for such a big career milestone in their son’s life.

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