Alex Kirshner
@alexkirshner.com
@SplitZoneDuo.com. Also @slate.com, @theathletic.com, and elsewhere. I like to have a nice time online.
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
Alex is correct: Whittingham would beat ass
December 26, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Alex is correct: Whittingham would beat ass
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
NEW NEWSLETTER, featuring some early thoughts on Kyle Whittingham and Michigan. (More later.)
What's the front office setup?
Will Warde Manuel's name be on the press release? www.splitzoneduo.com/p/cfb-newsle...
What's the front office setup?
Will Warde Manuel's name be on the press release? www.splitzoneduo.com/p/cfb-newsle...
December 26, 2025 at 7:37 PM
NEW NEWSLETTER, featuring some early thoughts on Kyle Whittingham and Michigan. (More later.)
What's the front office setup?
Will Warde Manuel's name be on the press release? www.splitzoneduo.com/p/cfb-newsle...
What's the front office setup?
Will Warde Manuel's name be on the press release? www.splitzoneduo.com/p/cfb-newsle...
I found it very interesting to go down the rabbit hole of ✨ and talk to both an academic and a developer about how the internet got overrun by ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
For a while, I have been wondering why so many people seem so *disappointed* by generative AI.
I do not think it's because Bezos or Zuckerberg or Altman make grandiose promises about the tech.
No, I think it's because of this goddamn icon. And I think it even more now: slate.com/technology/2...
I do not think it's because Bezos or Zuckerberg or Altman make grandiose promises about the tech.
No, I think it's because of this goddamn icon. And I think it even more now: slate.com/technology/2...
Tech Companies Love Using This Tiny Symbol. It’s More Insidious Than You Think.
No, chatbots aren’t magic—but this symbol makes you think they are.
slate.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I found it very interesting to go down the rabbit hole of ✨ and talk to both an academic and a developer about how the internet got overrun by ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
For a while, I have been wondering why so many people seem so *disappointed* by generative AI.
I do not think it's because Bezos or Zuckerberg or Altman make grandiose promises about the tech.
No, I think it's because of this goddamn icon. And I think it even more now: slate.com/technology/2...
I do not think it's because Bezos or Zuckerberg or Altman make grandiose promises about the tech.
No, I think it's because of this goddamn icon. And I think it even more now: slate.com/technology/2...
Tech Companies Love Using This Tiny Symbol. It’s More Insidious Than You Think.
No, chatbots aren’t magic—but this symbol makes you think they are.
slate.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:14 PM
For a while, I have been wondering why so many people seem so *disappointed* by generative AI.
I do not think it's because Bezos or Zuckerberg or Altman make grandiose promises about the tech.
No, I think it's because of this goddamn icon. And I think it even more now: slate.com/technology/2...
I do not think it's because Bezos or Zuckerberg or Altman make grandiose promises about the tech.
No, I think it's because of this goddamn icon. And I think it even more now: slate.com/technology/2...
College sports resolution for 2026, to challenge myself as a writer and podcast host: I promise not to use the word "landscape" (e.g. "rapidly evolving landscape" or "constantly shifting landscape") to describe college sports economics. I welcome ALL PATRIOTS to join me
December 26, 2025 at 6:37 PM
College sports resolution for 2026, to challenge myself as a writer and podcast host: I promise not to use the word "landscape" (e.g. "rapidly evolving landscape" or "constantly shifting landscape") to describe college sports economics. I welcome ALL PATRIOTS to join me
Believe he still has as many drops this season as all of us do, too. Insane player
December 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Believe he still has as many drops this season as all of us do, too. Insane player
The Lions are just sticking up for creatives by trying to lower Netflix's stock price so much that it kills the Warner Bros deal. Some of you "allies" could learn a lot from them 🤔🤔🤔
December 26, 2025 at 12:55 AM
The Lions are just sticking up for creatives by trying to lower Netflix's stock price so much that it kills the Warner Bros deal. Some of you "allies" could learn a lot from them 🤔🤔🤔
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
Getting fans to bowl games is nice, but the real goal is getting an ad on TV for a few hours
December 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Getting fans to bowl games is nice, but the real goal is getting an ad on TV for a few hours
The Hawaii Bowl passes the Alamo Bowl Test and is declared "real ball"
December 25, 2025 at 4:49 AM
The Hawaii Bowl passes the Alamo Bowl Test and is declared "real ball"
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
Thinking about this again, just a weird feeling but also one of the best that it’s just a normal day again
not to make it about us, but a few years ago, i wrote this essay about how ridiculously good it is to be jewish on christmas. nothing like it! www.jta.org/2020/12/21/i...
Why Christmas is the best day to be a Jew - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
To be a Jew on Christmas is to spend an entire day doing either nothing at all or whatever you want.
www.jta.org
December 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Thinking about this again, just a weird feeling but also one of the best that it’s just a normal day again
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
The Smoked Gouda Triscuits Bowl
"All bowl games must be sponsored by things I can purchase at a grocery store" @rodger.bsky.social
December 24, 2025 at 6:18 PM
The Smoked Gouda Triscuits Bowl
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone, but especially the subscribers of Split Zone Duo dot com. We are very grateful for you.
Holiday mega-mailbag is out now for your holiday listening
Holiday mega-mailbag is out now for your holiday listening
December 24, 2025 at 6:05 PM
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone, but especially the subscribers of Split Zone Duo dot com. We are very grateful for you.
Holiday mega-mailbag is out now for your holiday listening
Holiday mega-mailbag is out now for your holiday listening
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
Texted a photo of this burned-out outlet to my electrician and he called me and told me completely deadpan “oh just wipe the black off and it’s fine” and I was like “wait really??” and he started cracking up and was like “no dude sorry, I was kidding, it’s ruined,” and now so is my pride
December 24, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Texted a photo of this burned-out outlet to my electrician and he called me and told me completely deadpan “oh just wipe the black off and it’s fine” and I was like “wait really??” and he started cracking up and was like “no dude sorry, I was kidding, it’s ruined,” and now so is my pride
The NFLPA allowing those voided guarantees as part of the CBA is just insane to me
The two-game suspension for Steelers WR DK Metcalf has been upheld by an appeals officer jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA.
Metcalf is out for the rest of the regular season and sees $45M in future guarantees voided, including $25M that was fully guaranteed for 2026.
Metcalf is out for the rest of the regular season and sees $45M in future guarantees voided, including $25M that was fully guaranteed for 2026.
December 24, 2025 at 1:04 AM
The NFLPA allowing those voided guarantees as part of the CBA is just insane to me
Reposted by Alex Kirshner
NEW EPISODE: @rodger.bsky.social joins Alex to investigate the big questions: Are the non-Playoff bowls screwed? Are we just nostalgic? Can it be both?
In feeds now or: www.splitzoneduo.com/p/are-cfbs-b...
In feeds now or: www.splitzoneduo.com/p/are-cfbs-b...
Are CFB's Bowls Screwed, or Are We Just Old?
Alex and Rodger challenge their own priors about how bowl season lost its luster.
www.splitzoneduo.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
NEW EPISODE: @rodger.bsky.social joins Alex to investigate the big questions: Are the non-Playoff bowls screwed? Are we just nostalgic? Can it be both?
In feeds now or: www.splitzoneduo.com/p/are-cfbs-b...
In feeds now or: www.splitzoneduo.com/p/are-cfbs-b...
New HANG UP AND LISTEN w/ @benlindbergh.bsky.social and @lindsaygibbs.bsky.social. It's the 2025 sports world year in review, with one story for each month that really summed up [gestures at all of this] www.slate.com/hangup
Hang Up and Listen
Conversation and analysis on the week in sports.
www.slate.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
New HANG UP AND LISTEN w/ @benlindbergh.bsky.social and @lindsaygibbs.bsky.social. It's the 2025 sports world year in review, with one story for each month that really summed up [gestures at all of this] www.slate.com/hangup
Two years and $29 million is legitimately a historic deal for us
The Pittsburgh Pirates are signing a free agent to a multi-year contract.
Mine eyes have seen the glory.
Mine eyes have seen the glory.
December 23, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Two years and $29 million is legitimately a historic deal for us
Before you listen to today's @splitzoneduo.com, you have to submit a guess of exactly how much a single can of Bush's Beans retails for right now
December 23, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Before you listen to today's @splitzoneduo.com, you have to submit a guess of exactly how much a single can of Bush's Beans retails for right now
Giving up on having a take about the USC/Notre Dame thing while the question seems to come down to whether USC knew something it should've known or missed it out of someone's incompetence. Ultimate determinant of USC's seriousness is if they reengage with pep in their step after the Playoff expands
December 23, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Giving up on having a take about the USC/Notre Dame thing while the question seems to come down to whether USC knew something it should've known or missed it out of someone's incompetence. Ultimate determinant of USC's seriousness is if they reengage with pep in their step after the Playoff expands
The DC public golf courses are what golf *should* be in America and *is* in Scotland, Ireland, and England. They are communal treasures and the opposite of the kind of golf elitism that makes most of Bluesky hate golf. You do not want these courses to get ransacked unless you're just performing
very specific to DC complaint here but when trump is threatening to take over the city's historically significant public golf courses so he can privatize them and make them another getaway for the 1% i don't think going "well maybe they shouldnt be golf courses to begin with" is helpful or realistic
December 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
The DC public golf courses are what golf *should* be in America and *is* in Scotland, Ireland, and England. They are communal treasures and the opposite of the kind of golf elitism that makes most of Bluesky hate golf. You do not want these courses to get ransacked unless you're just performing
In full seriousness, this loss should put him over the edge into the Hall of Fame if he wasn't already
Despite the loss, Philip Rivers turned back the clock for the Colts in primetime 🔥
◽️ 23/35 comp/att
◽️ 277 pass yards
◽️ 2 pass TD
◽️ 1 INT
◽️ 23/35 comp/att
◽️ 277 pass yards
◽️ 2 pass TD
◽️ 1 INT
December 23, 2025 at 6:04 AM
In full seriousness, this loss should put him over the edge into the Hall of Fame if he wasn't already
There's something funky going on here because 1) reps from each conference had to know about it because they comprise CFP management but 2) it's clearly not the case that the whole world of college athletic admins knew about it. I can't explain that discrepancy though
Well Alex that would maybe matter if the “side deal” hadn’t been public knowledge for over a year at this point LMFAO
Notre Dame and USC breaking up sucks. I think the Notre Dame side deal with the Playoff had an effect here based on @danwolken.bsky.social's convincing reporting. I would now tip this to "mostly ND's fault" after the faultmeter was pointing directly at Lincoln Riley a few months ago
December 23, 2025 at 3:34 AM
There's something funky going on here because 1) reps from each conference had to know about it because they comprise CFP management but 2) it's clearly not the case that the whole world of college athletic admins knew about it. I can't explain that discrepancy though
Notre Dame fans have reached the zone Michigan fans reached in 2023 where so many of you reply to even mild critiques with such speed and forcefulness that you make me doubt even myself after pointing out something that seems plainly obvious. Well done; you're playing at a high level
Respectfully man what are you even saying
December 23, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Notre Dame fans have reached the zone Michigan fans reached in 2023 where so many of you reply to even mild critiques with such speed and forcefulness that you make me doubt even myself after pointing out something that seems plainly obvious. Well done; you're playing at a high level
Notre Dame and USC breaking up sucks. I think the Notre Dame side deal with the Playoff had an effect here based on @danwolken.bsky.social's convincing reporting. I would now tip this to "mostly ND's fault" after the faultmeter was pointing directly at Lincoln Riley a few months ago
December 23, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Notre Dame and USC breaking up sucks. I think the Notre Dame side deal with the Playoff had an effect here based on @danwolken.bsky.social's convincing reporting. I would now tip this to "mostly ND's fault" after the faultmeter was pointing directly at Lincoln Riley a few months ago
The Chiefs moving to Kansas is such a rotten little move. Worthy of shame and nothing else. But I congratulate the Missouri taxpayers who don't really have to go that much farther for games *and* don't have to subsidize Clark Hunt's lifestyle
December 22, 2025 at 9:23 PM
The Chiefs moving to Kansas is such a rotten little move. Worthy of shame and nothing else. But I congratulate the Missouri taxpayers who don't really have to go that much farther for games *and* don't have to subsidize Clark Hunt's lifestyle