Dadvice Weekly #13 / The Morning-After Sports Hack
Dadvice Weekly - #13
Backyard Baseball Mobile App
Remember being 8 years old, sitting at your family computer hitting dingers with Pablo Sanchez? Well Backyard Baseball ‘97 got remastered for your phone, and it’s exactly like you remember. Using a touchscreen instead of a mouse takes a game or two to get used to (your finger isn’t as precise as the mouse), but once you’ve got it down, it’s perfect. Best part? It’s completely offline, so you can play on flights or anywhere without service. -KC
Get it for iPhone here, or for Android here.
Practice Making a Turkey Now
If you’ve volunteered or been voluntold that you’re the turkey guy for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving, now’s the time to lock in your recipe. The turkey guy has no middle ground. You’re either the guy who made an awesome turkey, or the guy who delivered disappointment.
I’ve made 3 turkeys using this video. I can say its awesome, it makes great turkey, and gives you some good talking points that makes you sound like a knowledgeable turkey guy. You will have used a wet brine, then performed the spatchcock method with a bourbon drizzle. People love hearing that.
Do a practice turkey now using this method. When its time to deliver you’ll be smoking turkey with confidence. -SW
Sichuan Chili Oil Recipe
The condiment you never knew you needed! After living in Asia, this is the most authentic chili oil recipe I’ve found. It tastes exactly like what you’d get in Chinese noodle shops. Heat neutral oil with whole spices (star anise, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, cardamom), pour it over chili powder and salt. Takes maybe 30 minutes, costs about five bucks. I make it once or twice a year and it keeps in an airtight container. The recipe says up to a year, but ours is always long gone before then. I drizzle it on eggs, stir it into noodles, use it on rice. Don’t skip the whole spices—they’re what makes it taste complex instead of just hot. -KC
Just for Dad: The Morning-After Sports Hack
I was chatting with a Dadvice subscriber recently about how he has capacity to keep up with sports especially the ones that run late into the night. I asked him: Do you stay up and power through? Do you just read the recap in the morning? What he shared with me was so smart, I had to pass it along to the Dadvice community.
Here’s the idea:
He’s got NBA League Pass, which gives him access to every NBA game. This method also works great with MLB TV and I assume NHL Center Ice or similar packages. The key is this:
He starts watching the game at night.
If he gets tired or needs to tap out, he just goes to bed.
In the morning, while getting ready for the day (IE - making coffee, feeding the baby, logging into work) he pulls out his iPad and watches the fourth quarter.
If it’s a blowout? He stops and checks the final score.
If it’s close? It becomes a background companion to his morning routine.
It’s brilliant. You still get the drama, the journey, the vibe of the season. And for sports with long regular seasons like the NBA, NHL, and MLB, this is a great way to follow the team than just reading a box score in the morning.
I feel like there are 2 caveats to mention:
He keeps ESPN notifications turned off for final scores to avoid spoilers.
It’s probably best for sports where the regular season is a marathon, not a sprint.
I told him this is the best sports watching tactic I’ve ever heard. It’s reasonable, optimized, sleep-friendly, and still lets you stay connected to the teams and stories you love. -SW
Dadvice Weekly is Kyle and Skyler—two friends in their thirties, living in Colorado, settling into fatherhood and trying to stay sane. Every Tuesday we share what’s working in our homes: gear we use, routines we’ve tested, ideas we’re trying. It could be a recipe, a product that solved a problem, or just what we’re thinking about as dads.
If you have a tip, tried something we mentioned, or just want to say hi, reply to this email or message us on Substack. We read everything, and we’re always looking for what works. Glad you’re here.