Jay Willis
@jaywillis.net
I write about courts, democracy, media, and the raccoon family living in a tree behind my house. Bluesky’s ONLY fantasy football guru. EIC @ballsandstrikes.org, more writing at jaywillis.net.
NEWS: I am getting Spurspilled
December 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM
NEWS: I am getting Spurspilled
They’re calling it the smartest, most compelling essay pitch of all time
December 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
They’re calling it the smartest, most compelling essay pitch of all time
Merry California Golden Bears In The Hawaii Bowl to all who celebrate
December 24, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Merry California Golden Bears In The Hawaii Bowl to all who celebrate
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
Took my dog for a hike today
December 24, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Took my dog for a hike today
Reposted by Jay Willis
I know she's just kind of saying whatever, but it's on-brand for Bari Weiss to review a damning story about the US sending people to a concentration camp and respond "we can't air this, have you even asked Tom Homan if he feels bad about any of it yet?" Perfect readout of who she sees, and doesn't.
December 23, 2025 at 2:47 AM
I know she's just kind of saying whatever, but it's on-brand for Bari Weiss to review a damning story about the US sending people to a concentration camp and respond "we can't air this, have you even asked Tom Homan if he feels bad about any of it yet?" Perfect readout of who she sees, and doesn't.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of reading notes from an editor who very obviously has no idea what the fuck they are talking about
The full Weiss memo is dogshit
-who cares if administration figures “regret” sending people to CECOT
-who cares about the criminal histories of the people we sent to CECOT, we sent them to a torture prison
—who cares about the “debate” over the legality of sending people to a torture prison
-who cares if administration figures “regret” sending people to CECOT
-who cares about the criminal histories of the people we sent to CECOT, we sent them to a torture prison
—who cares about the “debate” over the legality of sending people to a torture prison
December 23, 2025 at 5:57 AM
There is nothing quite like the feeling of reading notes from an editor who very obviously has no idea what the fuck they are talking about
Reposted by Jay Willis
The comments on this video on TikTok are so interesting to me because it is a lot of people saying that we can’t do this because what if Republicans try it to or what if Republicans reverse it. “We have to change the court the traditional way.”
did a video a few days ago making the case for supreme court expansion www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjB_...
Why Democrats need to expand the Supreme Court
YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie
www.youtube.com
December 23, 2025 at 4:51 AM
The comments on this video on TikTok are so interesting to me because it is a lot of people saying that we can’t do this because what if Republicans try it to or what if Republicans reverse it. “We have to change the court the traditional way.”
Reposted by Jay Willis
it must have felt so good to be the digital media manager when the word came down to unschedule the piece from the 60 minutes feed but no one said anything about unscheduling it from the international website
December 23, 2025 at 1:30 AM
it must have felt so good to be the digital media manager when the word came down to unschedule the piece from the 60 minutes feed but no one said anything about unscheduling it from the international website
I have been working in media for eight-ish years now, and I don’t think I have the knowledge or experience that are necessary to do a good job running CBS News. The difference between me and Bari Weiss is that I understand that.
December 22, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I have been working in media for eight-ish years now, and I don’t think I have the knowledge or experience that are necessary to do a good job running CBS News. The difference between me and Bari Weiss is that I understand that.
Reposted by Jay Willis
I’m reliably informed that three days before Christmas is the ideal time to post exciting professional news on social media, so:
I’m hosting a podcast! About media! For @columjournreview.bsky.social! It’s gonna be fun; subscribe here: www.cjr.org/the-kicker
I’m hosting a podcast! About media! For @columjournreview.bsky.social! It’s gonna be fun; subscribe here: www.cjr.org/the-kicker
December 22, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I’m reliably informed that three days before Christmas is the ideal time to post exciting professional news on social media, so:
I’m hosting a podcast! About media! For @columjournreview.bsky.social! It’s gonna be fun; subscribe here: www.cjr.org/the-kicker
I’m hosting a podcast! About media! For @columjournreview.bsky.social! It’s gonna be fun; subscribe here: www.cjr.org/the-kicker
Reposted by Jay Willis
Sometimes the no comment is the entire story!
One explanation for Bari killing the story is that she did so as a public act of fealty to the administration. But another is that, as an inexperienced journalist, she doesn’t understand that a refusal to go on the record is a kind of comment in and of itself
December 22, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Sometimes the no comment is the entire story!
ME A MONTH AGO, SAVVY AND WISE: I can’t believe I pulled off this trade of Ashton Jeanty for TreVeyon Henderson. Jeanty has that Week 16 game on the road against Houston, a playoffs disaster. Won’t happen to me!
ME TODAY: I know nothing. No one knows anything actually. Life is meaningless and empty
ME TODAY: I know nothing. No one knows anything actually. Life is meaningless and empty
December 22, 2025 at 1:06 AM
ME A MONTH AGO, SAVVY AND WISE: I can’t believe I pulled off this trade of Ashton Jeanty for TreVeyon Henderson. Jeanty has that Week 16 game on the road against Houston, a playoffs disaster. Won’t happen to me!
ME TODAY: I know nothing. No one knows anything actually. Life is meaningless and empty
ME TODAY: I know nothing. No one knows anything actually. Life is meaningless and empty
Okay folks, it is FANTASY PLAYOFFS TIME, give me your hardest start-sit decisions and I will answer them correctly and in the style of Gus Johnson calling a successful conversion on 3rd and 4 in Week 6
December 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Okay folks, it is FANTASY PLAYOFFS TIME, give me your hardest start-sit decisions and I will answer them correctly and in the style of Gus Johnson calling a successful conversion on 3rd and 4 in Week 6
Reposted by Jay Willis
I wrote about the conservative quest to restore the "true" Constitution, the Antebellum Constitution, shorn of the egalitarian nonsense in the Reconstruction Amendments, a document that replaces equality with a society of dominators and the dominated. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
December 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I wrote about the conservative quest to restore the "true" Constitution, the Antebellum Constitution, shorn of the egalitarian nonsense in the Reconstruction Amendments, a document that replaces equality with a society of dominators and the dominated. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
“The Supreme Court decided not to have a Christmas party for 12 straight years because the justices couldn’t agree on whether to invite the Court’s Black employees” is about as tidy an encapsulation of the Supreme Court’s whole deal as I can think of
The Alarmingly Racist History of the Supreme Court’s Canceled 1947 Christmas Party
The Court held its first-ever office Christmas party in 1946. The following year, the clerks suggested inviting Black employees. It did not go over well.
ballsandstrikes.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 9:06 PM
“The Supreme Court decided not to have a Christmas party for 12 straight years because the justices couldn’t agree on whether to invite the Court’s Black employees” is about as tidy an encapsulation of the Supreme Court’s whole deal as I can think of
Relistening to this and it's somehow way, way worse than I remember
December 19, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Relistening to this and it's somehow way, way worse than I remember
In 1946, for the first time, the Supreme Court held an office Christmas party. The following year, the clerks suggested inviting the Court's Black employees to the party, too. I will give you one guess how that went.
The Alarmingly Racist History of the Supreme Court’s Canceled 1947 Christmas Party
The Court held its first-ever office Christmas party in 1946. The following year, the clerks suggested inviting Black employees. It did not go over well.
ballsandstrikes.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:11 PM
In 1946, for the first time, the Supreme Court held an office Christmas party. The following year, the clerks suggested inviting the Court's Black employees to the party, too. I will give you one guess how that went.
The TLDR on Trump's first year of second-term federal judicial nominees: Could have been worse, still quite bad ballsandstrikes.org/nominations/...
December 19, 2025 at 8:13 PM
The TLDR on Trump's first year of second-term federal judicial nominees: Could have been worse, still quite bad ballsandstrikes.org/nominations/...
Reposted by Jay Willis
Terrifying headline if you don’t realize they are sports teams.
December 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Terrifying headline if you don’t realize they are sports teams.
Will someone who loves and cares about Puka Nacua simply take his phone away
Puka Nacua, moments after the Rams' OT loss to the Seahawks:
December 19, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Will someone who loves and cares about Puka Nacua simply take his phone away
[catches up on DVR after we put the kids to bed] never in doubt, Sam Darnold baby
December 19, 2025 at 5:11 AM
[catches up on DVR after we put the kids to bed] never in doubt, Sam Darnold baby
That’s how we drew it up
December 19, 2025 at 4:01 AM
That’s how we drew it up
I realize Trump's "Patriot Games" pitting high schoolers from each state against pairs from every other state in a multi-day athletic pageant is gross and dystopian, and also, 17-year-old me would have started training the MOMENT I heard about it
December 18, 2025 at 10:36 PM
I realize Trump's "Patriot Games" pitting high schoolers from each state against pairs from every other state in a multi-day athletic pageant is gross and dystopian, and also, 17-year-old me would have started training the MOMENT I heard about it