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5 Course meal using only manager discount items

I used Chatgpt to create a meal only using items on the Manager’s discount racks.

🥜 1. Appetizer: Smoky Almond Crunch Bowl

Ingredients: Almonds, pretzels (from Knotz bag), duck sauce
How to make:

Toast the almonds lightly (or pretend to).

Break pretzels into rustic pieces.

Toss almonds + pretzels with a drizzle of duck sauce for a sweet/salty glaze.
Fancy description: “Caramel-kissed roasted almonds with artisan pretzel shards.”

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🥣 2. Soup Course: Beef & Tomato Pantry Bisque

Ingredients: Campbell’s tomato soup, Hunt’s tomato sauce, beef broth, canned dried beef
How to make:

Combine tomato soup + tomato sauce for thickness.

Add a splash of beef broth to deepen flavor.

Finely mince dried beef and stir in for protein.

Warm until smooth.
Optional garnish: Crumble a single Cheez-It on top to look classy.

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🥗 3. Salad Course: Savory Chip “Panzanella”

Ingredients: Lay’s Stax, Pringles, Doritos Minis, granola bar crumbs
How to make:
This is your crunch-forward salad.

Crush assorted chips into medium chunks.

Add a sprinkle of granola bits (texture + sweetness).

Light drizzle of any vinegar-y drink (Fever Tree lemonade or Dirty Martini olive juice) to “dress” it.
Result: Surprisingly good. Shockingly trashy. 100% allowed.

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🍝 4. Main Course: Buffalo Beef Ragù Over Buckwheat

Ingredients: Buckwheat flour, dried beef, buffalo Wilde protein chips, BBQ sauce or relish
How to make:

Mix buckwheat flour with water → form rustic noodles/pancake strips.

Hydrate dried beef slightly with beef broth.

Crush buffalo chips and sauté them in a pan with a spoon of BBQ sauce to create a spicy coating.

Mix beef + spicy chip crumble → your ragù.

Serve over the buckwheat noodles/pancake.
Flavor profile: smoky, spicy, oddly satisfying.

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🍫 5. Dessert: Hershey’s Chocolate Almond Crunch Cups

Ingredients: Hershey’s syrup, almonds, granola bars, Chex mix or Cheerios
How to make:

Melt Hershey’s syrup slightly (microwave etc.).

Crumble granola bar and mix with almonds.

Drizzle chocolate syrup over the mixture in little mounds → refrigerate 10 minutes and it sets like candy clusters.
Optional: Add Cheerios for “gourmet” crunch.

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Bonus Beverage Pairing 🍹

Fever Tree lemonade

Colombian coffee

Or go wild and pair everything with Dirty Martini Olive Juice (not recommended unless you hate yourself)

5 Course meal using only manager discount items

5 Course meal using only manager discount items

Bonds vs Skenes

Alright — let’s picture it with the crowd roaring and a classic broadcaster on the mic.

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️ Play-by-Play Call (Vin Scully–style)

“Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up. Paul Skenes, the young flamethrower, toes the rubber… and waiting for him, perhaps the greatest hitter the game has ever seen — Barry Bonds. You can cut the tension with a knife.

First pitch… fastball! 101 on the black outside — and Bonds doesn’t move an inch. He’s seen a million of those. Ball one.

Second pitch coming… slider down and away… Bonds watches it drift off the plate. Count’s 2 and 0. The kid’s showing him respect already.

Here’s the third pitch… oh my! 102 inside! Bonds jerks his hands in, fouls it off down the third-base line. That one had some zip!

The fans are on their feet, flashbulbs popping. Skenes leans in for the sign… here it comes… changeup at ninety… Bonds isn’t biting. Three balls and a strike, and this place is about to explode.

Skenes winds, delivers… another fastball, center-cut! Bonds swings — and drives it DEEP to right field! Going back, back… off the wall! Bonds cruises into second with a double, and folks, that’s a heavyweight battle if I’ve ever seen one.

Paul Skenes gave him his best fastball… and Barry Bonds still found the barrel. What a clash of eras!”

Lou Gehrig Red 15u vs East Coast Pipeline 16u Ruggiero 6/8/25

By GameChanger

Lou Gehrig Red 15U defeated East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero 11-1 on Sunday thanks in part to seven runs in the first inning. Christian Arzola doubled, scoring two runs, Riley O’Brien doubled, scoring one run, an error scored two runs, and an error scored two runs.

A single by Andrew Aquino extended the Lou Gehrig Red 15U lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the second inning.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U added to their early lead in the bottom of the third inning after Joel walked, and Lou Gehrig Red 15U scored on a wild pitch, each scoring one run.

Caleb Lorefiece (Rapp) opened the game for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. The starter surrendered three hits and one run (zero earned) over six innings, striking out six and walking none. Connor Blest began the game for East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero. The starting pitcher allowed four hits and seven runs (three earned) over two-thirds of an inning, striking out two and walking three.

Riley O’Brien and Andrew Aquino each collected two hits for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. Christian Arzola, Jacob Bencic, Riley O’Brien, Andrew Aquino, and Joel each drove in one run for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. Lou Gehrig Red 15U had patience at the plate, collecting 10 walks for the game. Alex Abreu and Joel led the team with two walks each. Alex Abreu stole two bases.

Matthew Urbino led East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero with one run batted in. Cam Carroll, Alex DeLuca, and Connor Blest each collected one hit for East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero.

Copyright © 2025 GameChanger, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution and is subject to the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. Terms of Use, License Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Lou Gehrig 15u vs Nickel City Elite 16u 6/7/25

Lou Gehrig Red 15U Breeze Past Nickel City Elite 16U

By GameChanger

Lou Gehrig Red 15U won big over Nickel City Elite 16U 14-7 on Saturday.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after Andrew Aquino singled, scoring one run, Christian Arzola drew a walk, scoring one run, and an error scored two runs.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U scored six runs on five hits in the bottom of the second inning. Joel homered to center field, scoring two runs, Riley O’Brien doubled, scoring two runs, and Jonny Beck singled, scoring two runs.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U added to their early lead in the bottom of the third inning after Alex Abreu grounded out, and Jacob Bencic hit a sacrifice fly, each scoring one run.

Landon Ostrowski pitched three innings in relief for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. The pitcher surrendered four hits and four runs while, striking out three and walking four. Joel led things off on the mound for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. The hurler gave up zero hits and zero runs over one inning, striking out none and walking none. Jeremias Torres stepped on the bump first for Nickel City Elite 16U. The starter surrendered two hits and four runs (one earned) over one-third of an inning, striking out one and walking two.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U amassed 11 hits in the game. Jacob Bencic, Landon Rustowicz, and Joel each collected two hits for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. Santino Favorite, Jacob Bencic, Jonny Beck, and Riley O’Brien each drove in two runs for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. Lou Gehrig Red 15U turned one double play in the game.

Drew Fletch and Josh Balcom each collected two hits for Nickel City Elite 16U. Alex Prescott, Josh Balcom, and Tanner Lund each drove in two runs for Nickel City Elite 16U. Nickel City Elite 16U turned one double play in the game.

Copyright © 2025 GameChanger, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution and is subject to the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. Terms of Use, License Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Lou Gehrig Red 15u vs MMB Halas 16u 6/6/25

Lou Gehrig Red 15U Trounce MMB Halas 16U

By GameChanger

Lou Gehrig Red 15U won big over MMB Halas 16U 7-0 on Friday.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U got on the board in the top of the second inning after Chase Bartholomew singled to center field, Jonny Beck grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Alex Abreu walked, each scoring one run.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U scored one run in the top of the fifth on a solo home run to center field by Joel.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U scored two runs in the top of the seventh on a home run to center field by Christian Arzola.

Evan Morphy started on the hill for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. The right-handed pitcher gave up three hits and zero runs over six and two-thirds innings, striking out six and walking none. Kaden Palmer led things off on the mound for MMB Halas 16U. The righty allowed three hits and three runs over three innings, striking out three and walking two.

Christian Arzola drove the middle of the lineup, leading Lou Gehrig Red 15U with two runs batted in. The right-handed hitter went 1-for-3 on the day. Matt Crossetta, Lou Gehrig Red 15U’s number eight hitter, led the team with two hits in four at-bats.

Evan Smith, MMB Halas 16U’s number seven hitter, led the team with two hits in two at-bats. MMB Halas 16U didn’t commit a single error in the field. Parker Waite had the most chances in the field with seven.

Copyright © 2025 GameChanger, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution and is subject to the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. Terms of Use, License Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U And East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero – 6/5/25

Close Game Between Lou Gehrig Red 15U And East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero Ends In Tie

By GameChanger

Lou Gehrig Red 15U and East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero tied 4-4 on Thursday.

A single by Alex Abreu on an 0-2 count put Lou Gehrig Red 15U on the board in the top of the first.

East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero jumped back into the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after Evan Alessi singled to center field, and Adam Jaworski hit a sacrifice fly, each scoring one run.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U captured the lead, 4-3, in the top of the sixth after Chase Bartholomew singled down the right field line, Jonny Beck singled to center field, and Manny walked, each scoring one run.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U committed an error, which helped East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero tie the game at four in the bottom of the seventh.

Manny stepped on the mound first for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. The hurler surrendered seven hits and three runs over five innings, striking out six and walking none.

Chase Bartholomew, Santino Favorite, Matt Crossetta, Christian Arzola, Jacob Bencic, Jonny Beck, Alex Abreu, Riley O’Brien, and Andrew Aquino each collected one hit for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. Chase Bartholomew, Jonny Beck, Alex Abreu, and Manny each drove in one run for Lou Gehrig Red 15U. Manny led Lou Gehrig Red 15U with two walks. Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, tallying eight walks for the game.

Connor Blest led East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero with two runs batted in from the number nine spot in the lineup. The pitcher went 1-for-3 on the day. Troy Werner, East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero’s number eight hitter, led the team with two hits in three at-bats. East Coast Pipeline 16U – Ruggiero turned one double play in the game.

Lou Gehrig Red 15U will travel to MMB Halas 16U for their next game on Friday.

Copyright © 2025 GameChanger, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution and is subject to the Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. Terms of Use, License Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Unexpected Moments in High School Baseball Championship

Yesterday, my son’s high school baseball team had a game last night. It was game 1 of a best of 3 series. The winner of the series wins the Section XI championship and moves on to the regionals. A few unlucky and unusual plays happened during the game. These are just my observations from many yards away. I did not discuss the plays with the coaches after the game.

First play of the game, the leadoff batter hit a ball to the second baseman. The second baseman bobbled the ball and the batter reached first base safely. The batter apparently tripped, either over the base or his feet. He fell and severely injured his knee. I was told it was very severe. That was the first play of the game.

In the bottom of the first inning. We had a batter swing and miss and the ball hit him. He tried to check his swing, (it was not a full swing) but the umpire felt it was enough for it to be a swing and miss. So, even though the ball hit him, it didn’t matter because he swung, making it strike three. After some confusion, and the batter finally realized it was a strike out, he ran to first base hoping to advance on a dropped third strike. However, I think that it’s a dead ball since it hit him (even though he swung), therefore he could not advance on a dropped third strike.

The next odd or unlucky thing that happened was the hidden ball trick. A batter hit a ball to right field for a single. He stopped at first base and the ball was thrown into the infield. The batter began taking off his batting gloves and any shin or elbow guards he had. (I don’t remember). Well, before anyone knew what was going on, the first baseman had the ball and he tagged the batter out. The batter was standing a foot off the base while taking off his batting equipment. I am not sure if the second baseman threw the ball to the first baseman or if the ball went from the second baseman to the pitcher and then to the first baseman. There was confusion on what exactly happened. However, it was obvious that the batter was off the base and was tagged. Apparently, the umpire did not call time out. There were lots of yelling from the crowd and the team. The crowd felt that they couldn’t do that because the pitcher was on the mound. However, the pitcher was not on the rubber, he was just standing on the mound. He was just standing there and wasn’t preparing to pitch. So, I believe the call was correct. I have not consulted the rule book for confirmation.

Third odd thing that happened involved a pop up in the infield. A batter hit a pop up in the infield. He immediately ran as fast as he could to first base. He ran straight down the line. The pitcher and first baseman converged to try and catch the ball. The first baseman ran into the batter on the way to get the ball. The ball dropped to the ground. The umpire called interference on the batter. Many people believe that the batter has a right to the baseline and will be called out of the baseline if he moves out of the baseline. He has a right to the baseline. However, the fielder has a right to catch the ball. The baserunner should try to avoid contact with the fielder, when he can. He isn’t avoiding a tag, which is different. It definitely was the batter’s fault. It is a tough rule because all the batter was doing was running as fast as he could to first base. You see this happen occasionally, sometimes it happens when a base runner runs into a fielder that is trying to field a ground ball. The base runner needs to try and avoid interfering with the fielder trying to field the ball.

I was many yards away from all of these things and I didn’t discuss them with people that were much closer. I don’t know what was said by the umpires, players, or coaches. These are just my observations what I think happened. Game two is tomorrow. We will see what happens…

Brawl between NFL Mascots

An all-out, no-holds-barred battle between every NFL mascot? Now that’s a fight worth watching. Let’s break it down by power levels, size, and sheer chaos potential.

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Tier 1: The Heavyweights (Top Contenders)

1. T.D. (Miami Dolphins) – He’s a literal dolphin. While he might not be the biggest, he’s the only one who lives in the ocean and could drag opponents into the depths. If the fight goes near water, it’s over.

2. Toro (Houston Texans) – A massive, muscle-bound bull. Pure strength and durability, and he’s probably mad about something.

3. Swoop (Philadelphia Eagles) – A bald eagle. If this turns aerial, it’s his fight to lose. Talons and dive-bombing attacks make him deadly.

4. Blitz (Seattle Seahawks) – Another bird, but built like a tank. If Swoop can’t win the sky battle, Blitz is next in line.

5. Blue (Indianapolis Colts) – A wild horse. Kicking power alone makes him a serious contender. Nobody wants to get hit by hooves.

6. Steely McBeam (Pittsburgh Steelers) – He’s literally a construction worker with a steel beam. He might not be fast, but he’s bringing a weapon.

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Tier 2: The Unpredictable Wild Cards

1. Viktor (Minnesota Vikings) – He’s a Viking. Vikings were warriors. Unless someone shows up with a longboat, he’s taking heads.

2. Sir Purr (Carolina Panthers) – A panther with claws and speed. Sneaky, fast, and dangerous in close combat.

3. Jaxson de Ville (Jacksonville Jaguars) – The absolute madman of the group. He bungee jumps into stadiums for fun. Zero fear. Maximum chaos energy.

4. Poe (Baltimore Ravens) – Not only is he a raven, but he’s got Edgar Allan Poe’s dark energy behind him. Might win just by haunting his opponents.

5. Who Dey (Cincinnati Bengals) – A tiger. Enough said.

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Tier 3: The Joke Characters (First Ones Out)

1. Brownie the Elf (Cleveland Browns) – He’s an elf. Unless he’s got some Lord of the Rings magic, he’s toast.

2. Pat Patriot (New England Patriots) – A colonial dude in a hat. Unless muskets are involved, he’s not making it far.

3. Rowdy (Dallas Cowboys) – Just a cowboy. No horse, no guns. Just vibes.

4. Big Red (Arizona Cardinals) – It’s a chubby red bird that doesn’t even fly. This is a massacre waiting to happen.

5. Gumbo & Sir Saint (New Orleans Saints) – One’s a dog, one’s a dude with a weird chin. Neither are built for this.

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Final Battle: The Last Three Standing

The fight eventually comes down to:
✅ Swoop (Eagle – aerial advantage)
✅ Who Dey (Bengal Tiger – raw power and speed)
✅ Jaxson de Ville (Chaotic wildcard energy)

Swoop tries to dive-bomb Who Dey but gets caught midair by a jumping Jaxson de Ville, who suplexes him into the ground. With Swoop down, it’s Jaxson vs. Who Dey in the ultimate feline showdown.

Jaxson, powered by Florida Man energy, somehow dodges the tiger’s claws and puts Who Dey in a sleeper hold. The ref (probably a terrified referee from an actual NFL game) calls it.

🏆 WINNER: Jaxson de Ville!
The wildest, most reckless mascot in the league somehow takes out a tiger and an eagle to win the battle royale.

And then he celebrates by jumping off the stadium roof. Because, of course, he does.