Jack Ray

Proud Dad

[Yogi @Houseofyogi]

Chicago lost the Bears this week. A team that's been in the city since 1921.

They didn't lose them to a bigger market or a better deal. The Bears decided they'd rather be a tenant in Indiana than deal with Illinois for one more year.

Think about how badly you have to run a place for that to be the smart move.

They lost them for two reasons.

The people running Illinois would rather villainize a builder than keep one. And they're bad at their jobs.

In 2021 the Bears spent $197M on the old Arlington Park racetrack.

Before they could break ground, Cook County valued the empty lot at $192M (Bears said $60M). They were salivating at the chance to extort a building that didn't even exist yet.

That fight dragged on for years.

The Bears were ready to put $2B into the stadium. All they wanted was a promise the county wouldn't reassess them into oblivion, plus $855M for infrastructure everyone uses. Roads, transit, utilities. A $3B project, two thirds of it private money pouring into Illinois.

Springfield had since 2021 to get this done. They dragged it to the final night of session, passed it through the Senate at 3:39AM, and the House went home without voting.

So now it's all gone.

The funniest part? This started because Cook County tried to grab the tax early. They knew a built stadium would pay $53M a year. Now they get under $4M on a vacant lot. No jobs, no buildout, no new anything.

Congrats on fighting for scraps and losing the whole prize.

Pritzker: they're "an $8.5B valued business" that doesn't need propping up.

But be smart for a second. Almost every NFL city throws in public money for a stadium. Not charity. The return is real. Tourism, hotels, restaurants, jobs, game days, property tax on a huge development. The math works.

Indiana did the math. While Illinois sat on it for years, Indiana passed a bill in months, put up $1B, and took the team.

And the Bears took a worse deal to get there. In Illinois they were going to own their stadium. In Indiana they rent it from the state. A team that wanted to build its own home gave up ownership just to escape Chicago.

Nobody won but Indiana. The Bears lost their stadium. Illinois lost the team, the $2B, and $53M a year in taxes.

Pritzker after they left: "I wasn't willing to give up billions of dollars of taxpayer money to give it to a billionaire-owned family or team."

There it is. "Billionaire-owned."

That's how Democrats talk about any business right before they run it out of town. Call them a billionaire, act like you're saving working families, take a victory lap while the tax base drives across the state line.

Meanwhile they're running the whole state into the ground. And you already know how this ends. You're living in it.

Pensions are $143B in the hole, worst in the country and not close. You pay $6,285 a year in property taxes, double the $2,969 national average, for a city that's $1.15B in the red. The mayor called its finances "the point of no return."

When you run things this badly, you sell what's left.

They leased the parking meters for 75 years to Morgan Stanley and a sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi. Took $1.15B and burned through it in two years. The investors already made it all back, with 58 years left to collect.

Sold the Skyway. Sold the downtown garages. Every asset that made money, gone for one check.

But a fixed property tax rate for a team that's been here 106 years? That's "propping up billionaires."

Companies are leaving. Boeing for Virginia. Caterpillar for Texas. Citadel for Miami. In 2023 alone Illinois lost 56,000 people and $6B in income to other states. The ones who left earned a third more than the ones who moved in.

Indiana didn't outbid anyone. AAA credit, 16 years straight. A $676M surplus. Fourth-lowest debt per person in the country. They just weren't a disaster.

Illinois could have collected $53M a year. It chose zero. Ignore all the bad management but make sure to stick it to those evil, pesky billionaires.

[Jack Ray @jack13ray]

#SEC just hits

[Buffalo Sabres @BuffaloSabres]

Playoff hockey is BACK in downtown Buffalo! ⚔️

#LetsGoBuffalo | @DYouville

[Jack Ray @jack13ray]

@nut_history No sense of urgency or fear of loosing. USA deserves more!!! Dump him & his whole staff!!!

[Lou Holtz @CoachLouHoltz88]

Louis Leo “Lou” Holtz, legendary college football coach, Hall of Famer, bestselling author, and one of America’s most influential motivational voices, has passed away at the age of 89 in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by family. Born January 6, 1937, in Follansbee, West Virginia, Holtz rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected figures in college athletics. Over a remarkable five‑decade career, he led college programs at William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina.  He transformed every team he inherited and captured the 1988 National Championship with the Fighting Irish. Holtz was preceded in death by his beloved wife of more than 50 years, Beth, with whom he shared a life grounded in faith, devotion, and service.

Holtz is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of others. His influence extended far beyond the football field through the Holtz Charitable Foundation and the many players, colleagues, and communities shaped by his leadership. He is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren, and two great‑grandchildren. Funeral arrangements, including a Mass of Christian Burial at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, will be announced as details are finalized.

The Holtz Family

[Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman]

HOLY CRAP! As Illinois is expected to have a $3 BILLION deficit by 2027 and Pritzker just made it worse by promising BILLIONS more in taxpayer funds for ILLEGALS!

Reporter: "The law went into effect in January-supposedly going to allocate about $2.5 billion to illegals to go to college on financial aid. Illinois is, by 2027, supposed to have a $3B deficit."

DEMOCRATS DO NOT CARE ABOUT AMERICANS.

[Jack Ray @jack13ray]

@brettboettcher1 I’ve been doing 12% incline, 30-60 min, @ 3.5 pace.
Great substitute when I need a low impact substitute on run days.

[The Driven Man @Thedrivenman]

You will lose respect if you don't confront people.

[🇺🇸 B 🇺🇸 @bekahj]

I’m worn out hearing people moan, “Our grandparents could buy a house on one paycheck, but now we can’t even afford rent on two!”

Yeah, maybe because Grandma wasn’t dropping half her income on $14 iced lattes and avocado toast shaped like art projects. Back then, if they wanted coffee, they boiled it at home in a dented pot. It tasted like burnt rubber and regret — but it woke you up and cleaned your pipes.

And Grandma wasn’t “out to brunch.” You think she had time for mimosas and hashtags? She was making something called whatever’s left in the fridge and feeding six people with it.

Don’t even start with Uber Eats. You think Grandpa was out here paying $38 to have a burger delivered three blocks away? Please. He grilled mystery meat on a rusted barbecue, and everyone called it dinner.

Now people cry about being broke while sitting in a house full of gadgets. Two SUVs in the driveway, six streaming services, three air fryers, and matching tattoos that cost more than their light bill. You think Grandpa had a tattoo? He did. It said “Korea, 1951,” and it came with trauma, not Instagram likes.

And the kids—Lord help us. “We can’t make ends meet, but Brayden needs the new iPhone!” No, he doesn’t. You’re handing an $1100 device to a child who still eats crayons and forgets to flush.

When we were kids, there was one phone. It hung on the wall like a family relic. The cord stretched just far enough for you to whisper secrets before someone yelled, “Get off, I need to make a call!” And guess what? We lived.

The TV? One. In the living room. With three channels and a dial that clicked like a safe. And if Dad wanted to watch bowling, you were a fan of bowling, end of story.

Now there’s a flat screen in every room, the baby’s got an iPad, the dog’s got a camera, and everyone’s wondering why they can’t afford rent.
Because you’re living like rock stars on retail salaries, that’s why.

Grandpa wasn’t leasing Teslas or buying $12 smoothies called “Green Zen Awakening.” He drove a truck that coughed smoke, rattled like a storm, and smelled like oil and hard work.

They lived within their means. Whatever Grandpa brought home on Friday — that’s what they had. They weren’t keeping up with the Joneses; they were keeping the lights on.

So yeah, Grandpa bought a house on one salary. But he also didn’t have a gym membership, three delivery apps, and emotional support crystals on his nightstand. His only support system was Grandma, who told him to quit whining and mow the yard.

Nowadays, everyone’s broke, anxious, and “manifesting abundance” while ordering tacos on DoorDash for the fourth time this week.

It’s not the economy — it’s the lifestyle.

Wake up, turn off your subscriptions, make your own coffee, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll smell the truth.

Credit to original author, unknown

[NRM84 @Mappy6984]

Facts 💯💯💯

[Jack Ray @jack13ray]

FINALLY a President with a set of 🍒’s who truly puts 🇺🇸AMERICA 1st🇺🇸 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum!

[Mr PitBull Stories @MrPitbull07]

“My name's Morris. I'm 73. I collect shopping carts in the Walmart parking lot. Worst job in the store. Heat, rain, snow, doesn't matter. I'm out there pushing carts uphill all day while my back screams.

Thirty years I gave to this company. Manager once. Then they "restructured." Now I push carts with the teenagers who don't show up half the time.

Bitter? Yeah, I'm bitter.

But about six months ago, something stupid happened. I was bringing in carts, and this old man was struggling to get one from the corral. Shaky hands, oxygen tank. He couldn't pull the carts apart.

I walked over. "Let me get that for you, sir."

He looked at me, really looked. "You're too old to be doing this work."

Hit me wrong. "Yeah, well, life don't care about fair."

But I got him a cart. Walked it to his car. He thanked me three times.

Next week, same old man, same struggle. I got him a cart again. Week after that, same thing. Started just watching for him. Thursday afternoons. Blue Buick. I'd have a cart waiting by his car before he even parked.

One Thursday, his daughter was with him. She stopped me. "You've been helping my dad."

"Just doing my job, ma'am."

"No," she said. "Your job is carts. Not kindness. Dad has Parkinson's. Shopping is his only outing. He talks about you all week. Says you make him feel like he still matters."

Something broke in me. "He does matter."

She handed me a card. "Thank you for seeing him."

After they left, I sat in my truck and cried. First time in years.

Started noticing others. Woman with a toddler and infant, struggling with cart and kids. Started helping her to her car, watching the kids while she loaded groceries. Veteran with one arm, couldn't manage cart and bags. Started being there.

Teenagers at work noticed. "Morris, you're doing too much."

"I'm doing what's right."

Manager called me in last month. Thought I was finally done.

"Morris, customer satisfaction surveys mention you by name. Seventeen times this quarter. Corporate's asking questions."

I shrugged. "I just help people."

He pushed a paper across the desk. "They're creating a new position. 'Customer Assistance Associate.' Mostly helping elderly and disabled customers. Inside work. Air conditioning. Same pay. They want you."

I stared at him. "Why?"

"Because you already do it. Might as well make it official."

I took the job. Now I'm inside, helping people who need it. But here's what gets me, that old man with Parkinson's, his name is Robert. He died two months ago. His daughter came to tell me.

"Dad's last words were about you," she said, crying. "He said, 'Tell Morris he gave me my dignity back. Tell him old men matter because of him.'"

I couldn't speak.

She handed me something. An envelope. Inside, a letter Robert wrote,

"Dear Morris, I see you. You're angry about where life left you. I was too. But you chose kindness anyway. That's not weakness. That's strength. You matter more than you know. Thank you for mattering to me. -Robert"

I'm 73. I spent thirty years climbing, then watched it all collapse. Spent the last year pushing carts in parking lots feeling worthless.

But I learned something, your circumstances don't define your impact. I had no power, no title, no respect. But I had hands that still worked. And a choice.

So wherever you are, whatever knocked you down, whatever bitterness you're carrying, hear this: you can still matter. Right now. Right where you are.

Help someone to their car. Hold a door. See the person everyone else ignores.

Because the world doesn't need your former glory. It needs your present kindness.

That's enough. That's everything.”
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AI image is for demonstration purpose only.
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Credit: Juliana Hauck

[Nick Sortor @nicksortor]

🚨 WOW! The National Athem before the Army-Navy game, with President Trump on the field, might just be the BEST rendition I’ve ever heard

How can anyone listen to this and NOT feel patriotic?! 🇺🇸🦅

[Buffalo Bills @BuffaloBills]

“Let’s go win!” - @realmikehoecht 🫶

[Buffalo Sabres @BuffaloSabres]

Two games against the Leafs this weekend has us watching these on repeat. 🎥

Be there tonight → https://t.co/bNBE9Z7O1K

[Damon Imani @damonimani]

My response to The View hosts on Charlie Kirk’s assassination

[Chris 𝕏 @cwchris_]

This clip is what changed my mind and made me realize everyone on the left was wrong about Charlie Kirk. May he rest in peace. 💔

[The Vigilant Fox 🦊 @VigilantFox]

.@ClayTravis has a blunt response to Barack Obama’s claim that he “doesn’t know” what motivated Charlie Kirk’s murder.

In just two minutes, Travis summed up what every angry American is feeling right now.

“YOU CAUSED THIS!”

“You can’t call the president of the United States Adolf Hitler for 10 years… you cannot say that anyone who voted for Trump or advocated for him like you, me, Riley, and Charlie Kirk are Nazis, and then when someone tries to kill us, suddenly say, ‘We condemn this violence.’ You caused it!”

“Look at me right now! You caused this! When you tell people that someone is Hitler, you are telling crazy people: go kill them. And I’m sick of pretending that is anything other than what they are doing. … Charlie Kirk bore the brunt of that left-wing violence.”