Week 14: The Postseason…
Well, here we are, boys. The calendar has flipped to December, the stakes have risen, and the playoff lights have flickered on for the 14th annual JNIC Fantasy Football League postseason. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, where legends are made, rivalries are reignited, and some poor soul gets saddled with the shame of carrying the Booty Bowl trophy into the offseason. We’re officially at the intersection of glory and disaster. Buckle up.
First, let’s talk about the journey to get here. It was a great season for most—a constant battle for a few—and, let’s face it, a raging dumpster fire for one or two guys who probably stopped checking their lineups weeks ago. You know who you are. But here’s the reality: we’re all here, playing for something. For some of you, it’s eternal glory. For others, it’s simply avoiding the immortal shame of the Booty Bowl. No matter your objective, I implore you—nay, I demand of you—to keep fighting. The next three weeks will separate the legends from the footnotes, the heroes from the zeroes, the top-tier pyramid dwellers from the base-level tourists.
Which brings me to the pyramid. You all know how this works. At the top, we’ve got the 2-chip legends: CJ, Tone, and yours truly. That’s the Mount Rushmore of JNIC. Below us? The 1-chip crowd. They’re the guys you respect but don’t fear—the Scotty Pippens of the league. Right now, Will, Mel, Steve, and Dre are looking up, desperate to make that leap into the pantheon. Another championship puts them in rarefied air, joining the greats in the upper echelon of JNIC lore. For Tone and me, the stakes are even higher. We’re staring down history. One of us has the chance to become the guy with three titles. The undisputed GOAT. The MJ of JNIC. The nobility would be euphoric; the trash talk, incessant. Let’s be honest—I pray it’s me. But more than that, I pray it’s not Tone. God help us if he gets the three-peat. Nobody’s ego is built to withstand that.
But let’s take a step back for a moment. While we’re all obsessing over who’s going to hoist the trophy or dodge the Booty Bowl, I’ve got news for you, fellas: we’re also in another postseason. The postseason of life. That’s right. The metaphor is obvious. Whatever analogy you want to use—postseason, 3rd quarter, 2nd half, back nine, 5th set—we’re there. The clock is ticking, the game is tightening, and the margin for error is shrinking. We’re not 21-year-olds drafting fantasy teams in dorm rooms anymore. Life is a high-stakes league now, and just like fantasy, it rewards those who stay disciplined, keep grinding, stay patient, and make smart, strategic moves when necessary.
Think about it: the playoffs in fantasy mirror the playoffs in life. The tools it takes to win in our league—dedication, strategy, a little luck—are the same tools it takes to succeed out there in the real world. Unlike fantasy, though, we’re not competing against each other. In real life, we’re all playing on the same team. A 12-man NBA roster. We’ve got our captains, our veteran leaders who step up when we need them most, and our glue guys who keep the team loose with their banter, no matter how tough the game gets. This team of ours, JNIC, is the sum of all its parts. It doesn’t function without each individual thriving at his best.
Why, you might ask, am I writing a review about this? Well, I’m sure you’ve all seen what happened with me over the weekend. Tone, Mel, Dev, Rod, and Chris Page surprised me with an afternoon out, here in Atlanta, to celebrate my entry into fatherhood. Honestly, I never saw it coming. I was utterly floored. And as you’ve probably seen from the videos posted by Rod and Charis, I couldn’t stop smiling; ear-to-ear, absolutely giddy to be surrounded by my brothers at a moment when I needed it most. If you haven’t seen the videos, check them out here:
Pretty dope, right? Now, I want to be clear: I’m not writing this post to highlight anything about ME. But do me a favor and go back to both posts and read through the comments. You’ll notice a main theme: “wow, that is amazing to see black men normalizing their interactions with each other in such a beautiful and emotionally healthy way.” … “We need more of this" … “I’m in tears seeing how these black brothers showed up for their friend like this” … and so much more. It was evident as I read through over 4,500 comments between the three posts that people are not used to seeing black men interact like this daily. That’s when it hit me … our friendship amongst the sum of all of us is something very unique and very special. We all have now been friends collectively for 20+ years. Some of you have known each other since childhood. And we still have a tight bond. It’s amazing brethren … and I applaud each of us for maintaining our friendships through so many milestones: weddings, baby showers, careers, fatherhood; and through so many obstacles: arguments, cross-country moves, growing families, and much more. That’s not normal, gents. In fact, it’s pretty evident by those comments that it’s actually pretty rare. And yes, it’s worth celebrating. But more than that, it’s worth protecting and nurturing.
So I’m writing this today to congratulate each of us for building these amazing friendships. But I’m also writing this to charge each of us with a renewed focus on leaning in even the more into our relationships. I would love to see us celebrate each other more. More than just a text, how can we take our guys out to dinner or even a baseball game, just to let them know we acknowledge how their moving in life. How can we get more poker nights amongst the few of us that are in physical proximity to each other to gather together to have a few drinks and just converse about life? How can we collectively give more than a ‘Happy Birthday’ text when we’re hitting this new plateau of reaching 40 years? I would like each of us to look inward and think about how we can be better friends to each other in 2025. We’re doing great already! And how dope is it to think — there’s still opportunities to develop even deeper connections with the goal of uplifting and supporting each other. We all have different strengths. Some of us are amazing cooks. Some of us are fitness junkies. Others have sound financial literacy or deep spiritual and emotional intelligence. Let’s lean into that. Let’s share what we’re good at. Let’s help each other grow, not just in our strengths but in the areas where we’re struggling. Because at the end of the day, I want all of us to thrive. I want all of us to hit 80 years old. I want to be there for your kids’ graduations, their weddings. I want us to still be doing this—fantasy football, group texts, random hangouts—decades from now. Because as much as we love our significant others, there is a different type of love among the brothers. Not better, not worse … just different. And as black men navigating this world, that black brotherly love is equally as crucial as the supportive love we receive from our families.
So please take this in. Let’s talk about it. And let’s get to it! I love each one of you guys and am proud to call you friends. Let’s win this “postseason” of our lives together!
