Mike Butler

During a 2023 NFL Wild Card playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, on the sidelines of Buffalo's Highmark Stadium in the frigid cold, a puff of vapor slipped into view. Barely a wisp - gone in a second. But it was enough. The cameras caught it. Twitter lit up. A head coach. Vaping. Mid-game. Of course he was. If there was ever a coach in the NFL who might manage stress with a vape pen instead of a headset headbutt, it's Miami's Mike McDaniel. Football fans who don't get it?

I had a similar facial expression when I found out I picked all 16 NFL games correcttl (Photo by author). The "things to do" list continued to grow as my prep period finally arrived - the last period of the day. There was the gymnasium that had to be transformed from a disgusting, student-stained PE pig sty to a dazzling volleyball venue. The volleyball lineup needed to be arranged, parent emails to answer, planning, grading, and all sorts of other teacher stuff. But it could all wait.

MEDIUM DAY 2025 | SEPTEMBER 19 It's with great exhilaration that I am sharing the news with the Beyond the Scoreboard crowd that I have been chosen to speak at Medium Day 2025 on September 19 by the Medium Day staff. My topic will be "Writing Sports Memoirs That Are Home Runs." The time of my presentation will be at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST).