I. The Task: Why so awkward?
Everyone who writes for The League is ordinary, but some are more ordinary than others. Some of these super-ordinary League elites asked me to provide an introductory post, on pain of not being allowed to post rambling thought pieces anymore. I hear there’s also going to be a small “initiation” ceremony.
I’m kidding, of course. They’re all swell gents, those guys. But they did ask that I give the League‘s readers some background.
A caveat: As a native Midwesterner, I find this sort of exercise tremendously awkward. I’m terrible at most forms of self-involved social media—it’s paralyzing to have such a high degree of control over my self-image. Midwestern earnestness plays much better in the face-to-face world. Put another way: I’m not especially clever or self-aware, so I inevitably misjudge how things look to others on the Internet. I almost always screw up online introductions. I’m very probably doing so right now. #WINNING
II. The Background: Who am I?
With that in mind, it’s probably best to shoot through the bio as quickly as possible. I’m from Kalamazoo, Michigan. I attended Bowdoin College. I joined Teach For America and helped found a charter school in Brooklyn, New York. After two successful years in the classroom, I left to get a PhD in Government from Georgetown University. I won the Washington Post’s “America’s Next Great Pundit Contest” back in 2010. I have a beautiful, intelligent, and patient wife—and a very young and very big son (see above photo). I like old books, distance running, Chicago-style blues, and getting paid to write. Especially that last one.
Phew. I hope that’s helpful. Sorry if it’s painfully awkward. I’m (marginally) better in person.
III. The Reasons: Why blog?
I’m excited to be pecking keyboards for The League. Beats the heck out of my own online pad, especially since someone around here appears to have a knack for making a website look nice.
In addition, I find blogging to be a useful antidote against the Academy’s truly horrifying prose stylings. For example, this is an actual sentence from my (nearly finished) dissertation:
Context brings forth and rules out particular elements in observation, to the degree that the pursuit of knowledge affects the content of what we know.
Ugh. Academic writing is a contagious disease. The blogosphere isn’t usually very patient with this sort of willful obfuscation, and I appreciate the chance to practice other ways of writing.
What’s more, under the right circumstances, the blogosphere can even serve as something like an extended intellectual community. I’m writing a dissertation on the structure of 20th Century political arguments. Blogging makes it possible to argue much more fluidly with many more people than would otherwise be possible.
Finally, I should note that I don’t really spend much time in the comments sections—whether it’s my post or someone else’s. This is mostly for two reasons: 1) I suffer from “Someone is Wrong on the Internet Syndrome.” I have a hard time walking away from online arguments, which leads to all sorts of frustrating physical (mostly lack of sleep) and psychological consequences. Comments section donnybrooks always threaten to cost me short-term sanity. 2) As a result, I rarely have time to indulge.
Still, feel free to zing away down there, since I usually read them and take them entirely too personally. If you’re determined for a response, write something full-length and throw it up in a post—and I’ll do my best.
IV. The Interests: Who cares about John Dewey’s approach to epistemology?
Most of what I write publicly is related to the concerns I laid out in my first League post. I’m a leftist (a “progressive,” to be specific), but I despair at my team’s rhetorical ineptitude. We so rarely make a compelling, coherent case for what we believe—and it need not be this way. Hence John Dewey’s central presence in my dissertation. Hence my other, earlier arguments along the same lines.
If that’s not your cup of tea, I occasionally write mazy, esoteric thought pieces on links between soccer, culture, philosophy, and history (here, here, here, and here).
Well, great. As I look this over, it reads like the work of a frazzled pedant who couldn’t be bothered to come up with a more interesting or stylish way of introducing himself. It’s like a policy brief in support of the “Please Take Me Seriously” position.
Which is, for better or worse, about as honest and accurate an intro post as I can write.
This is all well and good but I’m waiting for the Friday Jukebox before I come to a conclusion.Report
Do we take turns? I’m happy to post some tunes. Right now it’s probably gonna be Chuck Brown.Report
It’s a New Guy thing.Report
Welcome!
Is that John Dewey the same John Dewey who fathered the progressive education movement? If so, I’m a big fan. And had no idea he espoused on broader topics. I’ll have to check them out.Report
Yes. His active publishing career spanned the better part of 6 decades. He wrote about nigh on everything…but not always very beautifully. Robert Westbrook has written the best book covering Dewey’s full corpus.Report
Gracias! If you do nothing else, you’ve done quite a lot for me right here. And I’m sure you’ll do something else!Report
Welcome aboard, Conor. We can work on polishing up the introduction later. In the meantime, do what you do.Report
Welcome!
Also, that might be the cutest baby picture ever.Report
Very happy to have you aboard on a more permanent footing. Your introductory posts have been superb.Report
1) Yay! As one of the ordinary ordinaries, I’m delighted you’re here.
2) Always glad there’s another runner around.
3) Your kid is really cute.Report
And just like that, like the wind, I’m gone. Done breaking my “stay out of the comments section, Lebowski” rule.Report
This is a tremendously good comment section, though anyone who suffers from “Someone is Wrong on the Internet” may still get heart palpitations from time to time. I definitely encourage striking up a combox conversation often. I’ve learned lots here.
Oh, and welcome aboard officially!Report
I used to have the syndrome in a more pronounced state, myself. But Erik’s right about the commenters here being extraordinarily well-informed about a wide variety of issues. I know that anticipating what some of the regulars might say has led to my writing stronger posts.Report
Welcome!
Try not to make the rest of us look too bad.
And, I was bumbling through my bookcase for one of the many unread texts sitting there (an unfortunate (fortunate?) side-effect of “must always buy books” syndrome). I ended up with a brief manifesto of Dewey’s (I think taken from a lecture series perhaps). It’s great. Perfect insight into your posts. And making me excited for your next piece.Report
Welcome, sir! Drinks are on me.Report
Welcome, Conor!Report
The fire of comments-section argument never goes out here. It forever smolders, ready to be rekindled by another Ron Paul or atheism post.Report
Ron Paul? Who’s Ron Paul?Report
He’s an atheist!
Wait… that’s not right…Report
I think you’re asking whether it’s constitutional to perform an abortion with a concealed handgun as part of a same-sex marriage ceremony.Report
Thin crust.Report
Welcome to the League! I agree with Erik on the comments. Often a lot of the real value of the League is to be found down here.Report
Welcome aboard.Report
“Context brings forth and rules out particular elements in observation, to the degree that the pursuit of knowledge affects the content of what we know.”
Meh, I’ve written worse.Report
One of Heidegger’s sentences from Poetry, Language, and Thought is usually translated as,
“Thinging, things are things.”
Top that.
Oh and welcome, Conor.Report
One of Hei.degger’s sentences, from Poetry, Language, Thought is usually translated as:
“Thinging, things are things.”
Top that.
Oh and welcome, Conor.Report
Another Michigander! I don’t know what Erik has done to deserve us, but welcome!Report
The Californians can still take you.Report
Well, I only checked games from this century, but I found that this is true 60% of the time in the regular season and 66.67% of the time in bowl games:
9/24/2011: Michigan beat San Diego State, 28-7
8/30/2008: Michigan State lost to California, 38-31.
1/1/2007: Michigan lost to USC (Rose Bowl), 32-18. Them Wolverines never quite got over the season-spoiling loss to Ohio State, I guess.
9/18/2004: Michigan beat San Diego State, 24-21.
1/1/2004: Michigan lost to USC (Rose Bowl), 28-14. Hey, it’s an honor just to go to the Rose Bowl, right?
9/14/2002: Michigan State lost to California, 22-46.
12/31/2001: Michigan State beat Fresno State (Silicon Valley Football Classic), 44-35.
9/16/2000: Michigan lost to UCLA, 23-20.
So as long as you’re not from San Diego or Fresno, yeah, Californians can take Michiganders.Report
Virtually no one ever beats USC in the Rose Bowl. That’s what happens when you fly across the country to play someone in what amounts to a home game.
How many of the games you’ve listed feature the home team losing? Also, Central, Western, and Eastern have all avoided California teams for an entire century?Report
This century. 2000-2012. You can go back to 1912 and compile the overall record if you wish.
I found no games between either Michigan or Michigan State against California teams from the 2000 season other than as reported.
I did not bother to check the NFL. I mean, I like you guys. I wouldn’t want to have to bring the Detroit Lions into this.Report
Oh God, the Lions. Let us never mention them again. Also, I think most of us should be able to agree that the meeting of minds between a Michigan Man and two different California football entities (the Cardinal and the 49ers) has produced admirable results.
I did the full data call and posted the results down below.Report
Also, where’s Stanford?Report
Here’s a spreadsheet I made: https://ordinary-times.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Michigan-vs.-California-Football.jpg
It’s all games played between Division I-A (FBS) Michigan teams (there are five) and California teams (there are seven) from 1869 – 2011. Read it from left to right (i.e., from the perspective of Michigan teams). Final outcome: Michigan teams are .585 all-time against California teams. The only teams Michigan schools have a net losing record against are Fresno State (weird) and USC (surprising exactly no one).Report
Wow, I thought I was the one indulging in too much time on the blog and not enough time to professional activities. That’s a gorgeous spreadsheet, Ryan.Report
If only I could devise a way to get paid for making attractive and easily-readable spreadsheets and charts about football and baby names.Report
Awesome.
Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely like reading most everyone around here, gent or lady, leftie or rightie, ordinary or otherwise. But I have to admit, I have a soft spot for midwestern progressives. The adorable baby pic doesn’t hurt.Report
Welcome!Report