The previous edition of The Thoughts received a lot of negative feedback, particularly for my summer drink of choice. While hosting a pre-wedding soirée this past Saturday, I had the aforementioned concoction for the first time since publishing the article. It was still fantastic. I will continue to drink it because it is good, and now I have additional motivation of spite. Spite makes everything taste better.

On to this week’s edition.

1. I’m Pumped As Hell For Ed Morrow

There’s not much else to this. I haven’t seen him play in a game; just highlights and KenPom/T-Rank numbers. We haven’t really seen a really gritty player on this team since Davante Gardner, and Morrow seems like the guy who can play that role for Marquette. Wojo’s teams have sneakily been really bad at grabbing rebounds, so having a guy at the power forward spot rebounding like his life depends on it can really add something to the team. I have a soft spot for undersized guys who can get boards efficiently. You need to be working your ass off and also be smart about where to be when the shot goes up. I’m really excited to see that in action next year.

2. I Really Want A Brewers-Cubs Playoff Series

In my opinion the best thing in sports behind the first weekend of March Madness and maybe the Summer Olympics is an intense baseball playoff series. Every single Cubs-Brewers game feels like the players preparing to meet in October and the fans are wanting to meet each other in a back alley to catch some hands. Give me a full week of that with everything on the line.

I really never did get the big fuss about non-Cubs fans complaining about Cubs fans until the Brewers would get like a single ounce of attention and Tom from Glenville would completely lose his mind. Even Badger fans don’t just pop up in our replies when Marquette wins a non-Badger game, for the most part. Let Milwaukee thrive.

I’ll bring this back around to me being a Royals fan for the 879th time, but every time the St. Louis Cardinals come into town an incomprehensible amount of rage fills the seats in Kauffman. The stadium ends up being half Cardinals fans because they decide to infiltrate a road stadium even though they can’t even sell out their own home games during a playoff chase and then treat Yadier Molina as if he’s the One Ring and not a catcher with a lower career fWAR than Sherm Lollar. It’s unbearable, but it makes the game itself so much more intense.

And that only happens 3 times a year with the cities 4 hours apart. The Cubs are at Miller Park 10 times this year and you can basically ride your bike there from Wrigley, if not from the north suburbs. If they meet during the playoffs with the type of games that have already been played this year I would heavily suggest the Brewers invest in riot gear for when Josh Hader strikes out 13 straight batters or something.

One more thing, Brewers fans. Enjoy every second of Lorenzo Cain. He’s probably one of the most lovable players in the league now, in addition to being a Really Good player. Just wait till he shines in October.

3. Why Does Milwaukee Not Have A Hockey Team?

That’s an actual question. Hockey has grown on me recently and I feel like Milwaukee should have an actual team. Get the Admirals out of here.

My only reasoning for it making sense is that Milwaukee is a city north of the Mason-Dixon Line and nothing else. I’m not aware of the economic situation surrounding this decision, but if they can handle a baseball and basketball team with competition 90 minutes south, I’m sure a hockey team could be feasible. Plus there are some big name companies in the area that I’m sure has a billionaire or two that could invest. Looking at you, Menard’s.

4. Remember The Titans Is The Best Sports Movie

Don’t ever start a marathon drinking day with 2 O-Giis. The one upside of having to down 5 gallons of water a minute to prevent your head from exploding is festering on your couch watching movies you know every single line of. Remember The Titans was in that lineup on Sunday and I am confidently moving it up from Top 3 Sports Movie to Best Sports Movie.

Denzel Washington is the greatest tough-but-inspirational character. No coach in sports movie history has achieved that balance to the perfection that he did. And tell me you don’t reach down to the depths of your soul to belt out Ain’t No Mountain High Enough at the end credits. Plus, look at this absolute unit. That’s a guy I want, nay, NEED on my team. Total stud.

The movie it took over, by the way, is Field of Dreams. You can spare me your “It’s too corny” takes, as if Bull Durham was any more believable by including a character whose sole purpose is to sleep with minor league baseball players. Any movie that can make Ray Liotta look like anything other than a total creep deserves every award possible.

5. I Am Here For This Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga Movie

It’s called A Star Is Born. Here’s the trailer. Even as a Bradley Cooper fan, I was very skeptical of him singing. I figured it would go down more like Russell Crowe in Les Miserables and less like Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables. Then Gaga kicked down the door and now I’m all in.

Can we talk about the transformation that woman has made? No one expected her to be taken seriously 10 years after Just Dance. Basically the way you pictured 2018 Gaga in 2008 is exactly what Katy Perry is now. I wasn’t a huge fan of Joanne, but she’s setting herself up to be a pop staple for years to come. I have no doubts that she’ll kill it in this role, but I’m definitely deleting this column if she flops and I’ll claim she’s never been truly relevant since her Grammy performance with Elton John.