John Hanley
@johnjhanley.bsky.social
Forever trying to separate my mood from the Chicago #Cubs. Follow progress at CubCavern.substack.com.
Offseason: Colts fan, Iowa Hawkeye alum, Portland Trailblazers.
All seasons: Pearl Jam, grunge, sarcasm.
Offseason: Colts fan, Iowa Hawkeye alum, Portland Trailblazers.
All seasons: Pearl Jam, grunge, sarcasm.
Pinned
John Hanley
@johnjhanley.bsky.social
· Mar 27
Happy Opening Day, #Cubs fans! (Domestic Opening Day?) (Opening Day, the Sequel?)
Happy is an operative term, I know. New this year: I'll go deeper with daily posts and emails, if you're interested: cubcavern.substack.com
Off we go! #LetsGo #FlytheW
Happy is an operative term, I know. New this year: I'll go deeper with daily posts and emails, if you're interested: cubcavern.substack.com
Off we go! #LetsGo #FlytheW
Never a doubt! #hawkeyes
a stuffed animal is holding a football in its mouth .
ALT: a stuffed animal is holding a football in its mouth .
media.tenor.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:05 AM
Never a doubt! #hawkeyes
Congrats to Indiana. What an incredible, unforgettable season.
(Just one missed Iowa kick away from dropping that one in Iowa City.)
(Maybe a sprained ankle too.)
(Just one missed Iowa kick away from dropping that one in Iowa City.)
(Maybe a sprained ankle too.)
January 20, 2026 at 4:19 AM
Congrats to Indiana. What an incredible, unforgettable season.
(Just one missed Iowa kick away from dropping that one in Iowa City.)
(Maybe a sprained ankle too.)
(Just one missed Iowa kick away from dropping that one in Iowa City.)
(Maybe a sprained ankle too.)
Chicago national anthems from Jim Corneliusen and Wayne Messmer have no peer.
January 18, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Chicago national anthems from Jim Corneliusen and Wayne Messmer have no peer.
Just a note that since a monumental December 2021 #Colts win at home against New England, GM Chris Ballard is still tweaking a roster that wasn’t good enough then, NE has torn down twice and is about to play for the Super Bowl.
January 18, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Just a note that since a monumental December 2021 #Colts win at home against New England, GM Chris Ballard is still tweaking a roster that wasn’t good enough then, NE has torn down twice and is about to play for the Super Bowl.
That looked like an incredible catch …. Think it’s gonna get overturned.
January 18, 2026 at 10:42 PM
That looked like an incredible catch …. Think it’s gonna get overturned.
“The start of the Bears vs. Rams game has been delayed for, uh, let’s say two hours while we oversee six more turnovers and five injuries here in Foxborough. Over to you, Joe.”
January 18, 2026 at 10:30 PM
“The start of the Bears vs. Rams game has been delayed for, uh, let’s say two hours while we oversee six more turnovers and five injuries here in Foxborough. Over to you, Joe.”
“Oh, did you forget about us?” - refs ruining the Denver / Buffalo game in last 2 minutes of overtime
January 18, 2026 at 1:11 AM
“Oh, did you forget about us?” - refs ruining the Denver / Buffalo game in last 2 minutes of overtime
Mr. “I go to sleep at 830 and eat only beet root to help the Patriots” hawking pies for Pizza Hut is some form of delicious irony.
January 17, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Mr. “I go to sleep at 830 and eat only beet root to help the Patriots” hawking pies for Pizza Hut is some form of delicious irony.
“If you want a blueprint for the Ben McCollum era, it’s this game.” - Jason Benetti, during #Iowa signature win at Indiana.
Best game the Hawkeyes have played. Lockdown defense, and the interior passing was beautiful - adjusted to high-post offense in second, great games from Stirtz and Banks.
Best game the Hawkeyes have played. Lockdown defense, and the interior passing was beautiful - adjusted to high-post offense in second, great games from Stirtz and Banks.
January 17, 2026 at 9:44 PM
“If you want a blueprint for the Ben McCollum era, it’s this game.” - Jason Benetti, during #Iowa signature win at Indiana.
Best game the Hawkeyes have played. Lockdown defense, and the interior passing was beautiful - adjusted to high-post offense in second, great games from Stirtz and Banks.
Best game the Hawkeyes have played. Lockdown defense, and the interior passing was beautiful - adjusted to high-post offense in second, great games from Stirtz and Banks.
Lol there is NO WAY these sources are telling the truth.
High AAV is great - but it’s also good for the teams, they can move on or declare sunk cost if it doesn’t work.
High AAV is great - but it’s also good for the teams, they can move on or declare sunk cost if it doesn’t work.
January 16, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Lol there is NO WAY these sources are telling the truth.
High AAV is great - but it’s also good for the teams, they can move on or declare sunk cost if it doesn’t work.
High AAV is great - but it’s also good for the teams, they can move on or declare sunk cost if it doesn’t work.
I know the Dodgers look unbeatable with their new blank sheet of copy paper in RF. But consider:
- By August, we will look at batting order 6-9: “Do these guys ever get a hit?”
- By September, “does this bullpen ever get an out?”
Happens every year. They fought through it in last two.
- By August, we will look at batting order 6-9: “Do these guys ever get a hit?”
- By September, “does this bullpen ever get an out?”
Happens every year. They fought through it in last two.
January 16, 2026 at 5:16 AM
I know the Dodgers look unbeatable with their new blank sheet of copy paper in RF. But consider:
- By August, we will look at batting order 6-9: “Do these guys ever get a hit?”
- By September, “does this bullpen ever get an out?”
Happens every year. They fought through it in last two.
- By August, we will look at batting order 6-9: “Do these guys ever get a hit?”
- By September, “does this bullpen ever get an out?”
Happens every year. They fought through it in last two.
Wrote a piece for the Cub Cavern yesterday checking in on the #Cubs after the Alex Bregman signing. Hats off to the Cubs offseason!
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
Offseason Check-In: “Inspired”
The Cubs add Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera, and suddenly, we’re excited
open.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Wrote a piece for the Cub Cavern yesterday checking in on the #Cubs after the Alex Bregman signing. Hats off to the Cubs offseason!
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
First four games in #NFLPlayoffs were all bangers, an onslaught like listening to first four cuts of #PearlJam Ten:
Once - (Car-Lar) “oh wow we’re doing this”
Even Flow - (GB-Chi) - epic classic
Alive - (Jax-Buf) - titanic punch-counter
Why Go - (Phi-SF) - you thought we couldn’t go harder?
Once - (Car-Lar) “oh wow we’re doing this”
Even Flow - (GB-Chi) - epic classic
Alive - (Jax-Buf) - titanic punch-counter
Why Go - (Phi-SF) - you thought we couldn’t go harder?
January 12, 2026 at 3:22 AM
First four games in #NFLPlayoffs were all bangers, an onslaught like listening to first four cuts of #PearlJam Ten:
Once - (Car-Lar) “oh wow we’re doing this”
Even Flow - (GB-Chi) - epic classic
Alive - (Jax-Buf) - titanic punch-counter
Why Go - (Phi-SF) - you thought we couldn’t go harder?
Once - (Car-Lar) “oh wow we’re doing this”
Even Flow - (GB-Chi) - epic classic
Alive - (Jax-Buf) - titanic punch-counter
Why Go - (Phi-SF) - you thought we couldn’t go harder?
A piece from me at The Cub Cavern with an off-season check-in, including the Cubs recent acquisitions.
Like, subscribe, follow. We’ll be back for 2026!
#Cubs #TheCubCavern #FlytheW
P.S. Is this optimism? What is this feeling?
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
Like, subscribe, follow. We’ll be back for 2026!
#Cubs #TheCubCavern #FlytheW
P.S. Is this optimism? What is this feeling?
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
Offseason Check-In: “Inspired”
The Cubs add Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera, and suddenly, we’re excited
open.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:14 AM
A piece from me at The Cub Cavern with an off-season check-in, including the Cubs recent acquisitions.
Like, subscribe, follow. We’ll be back for 2026!
#Cubs #TheCubCavern #FlytheW
P.S. Is this optimism? What is this feeling?
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
Like, subscribe, follow. We’ll be back for 2026!
#Cubs #TheCubCavern #FlytheW
P.S. Is this optimism? What is this feeling?
open.substack.com/pub/cubcaver...
Bumper music after Philadelphia TD is the magnificent Gypsy Road by Cinderella.
January 11, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Bumper music after Philadelphia TD is the magnificent Gypsy Road by Cinderella.
These last two #Iowa games have been carbon copies - brutal starts in the first half pushing margin for error to none.
In each game they fought back, had brutal misses with no foul at the end for a critical swing. This one had three - including two bunnies by Banks and Stirtz down 4 with 0:45.
In each game they fought back, had brutal misses with no foul at the end for a critical swing. This one had three - including two bunnies by Banks and Stirtz down 4 with 0:45.
January 11, 2026 at 7:03 PM
These last two #Iowa games have been carbon copies - brutal starts in the first half pushing margin for error to none.
In each game they fought back, had brutal misses with no foul at the end for a critical swing. This one had three - including two bunnies by Banks and Stirtz down 4 with 0:45.
In each game they fought back, had brutal misses with no foul at the end for a critical swing. This one had three - including two bunnies by Banks and Stirtz down 4 with 0:45.
This is a “Patriots 28-3” and “Colts over New England 2006” type comeback from the Bears. What a win. (Also, we Colts fans really need to find a clever name for that AFC title game. (It was 21-3). )
January 11, 2026 at 4:43 AM
This is a “Patriots 28-3” and “Colts over New England 2006” type comeback from the Bears. What a win. (Also, we Colts fans really need to find a clever name for that AFC title game. (It was 21-3). )
Cubs sign Bregman, Caleb Williams cooking, we gotta get Pearl Jam to announce Wrigley shows for August stat
January 11, 2026 at 4:06 AM
Cubs sign Bregman, Caleb Williams cooking, we gotta get Pearl Jam to announce Wrigley shows for August stat
In the Lions vs. Commanders playoff game last year; a shell-shocked Detroit climbed back into it, but called a brutal halfback pass, which killed momentum, series, and the game.
Anyway, on 4th and an inch inside the Packers 5, the Bears ran a horrid play action, no chance. Careful who we anoint.
Anyway, on 4th and an inch inside the Packers 5, the Bears ran a horrid play action, no chance. Careful who we anoint.
January 11, 2026 at 3:19 AM
In the Lions vs. Commanders playoff game last year; a shell-shocked Detroit climbed back into it, but called a brutal halfback pass, which killed momentum, series, and the game.
Anyway, on 4th and an inch inside the Packers 5, the Bears ran a horrid play action, no chance. Careful who we anoint.
Anyway, on 4th and an inch inside the Packers 5, the Bears ran a horrid play action, no chance. Careful who we anoint.
Let me applaud the #Cubs for acquiring a frontline, RHP starter who may still be on the way up. Welcome Edward Cabrera. Cross the biggest need for the team off its offseason list.
AND the team kept Mo Baller, who I think has a higher ceiling than any recent prospect.
AND the team kept Mo Baller, who I think has a higher ceiling than any recent prospect.
January 7, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Let me applaud the #Cubs for acquiring a frontline, RHP starter who may still be on the way up. Welcome Edward Cabrera. Cross the biggest need for the team off its offseason list.
AND the team kept Mo Baller, who I think has a higher ceiling than any recent prospect.
AND the team kept Mo Baller, who I think has a higher ceiling than any recent prospect.
If last Saturday’s win over UCLA was an #Iowa fever dream, tonight is the resulting nightmare. Everything going wrong in the Barn, I’m clicking off after Minnesota found a back door cutter for the hundredth time.
January 7, 2026 at 2:42 AM
If last Saturday’s win over UCLA was an #Iowa fever dream, tonight is the resulting nightmare. Everything going wrong in the Barn, I’m clicking off after Minnesota found a back door cutter for the hundredth time.
This wild Montana State vs Illinois State FCS Championship is my favorite football game I’ve seen in 2026!
a white cat with a surprised look on its face is sitting on a couch .
Alt: (Srsly it’s good)
media.tenor.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:33 AM
This wild Montana State vs Illinois State FCS Championship is my favorite football game I’ve seen in 2026!
I’m assuming we’ll raise a “first half 8-2” banner alongside those dumb finalist banners.
Purgatory is not better than bottoming out. #Colts
Purgatory is not better than bottoming out. #Colts
Indianapolis Colts BRINGING BACK Chris Ballard, Shane Steichen
January 4, 2026 at 11:46 PM
I’m assuming we’ll raise a “first half 8-2” banner alongside those dumb finalist banners.
Purgatory is not better than bottoming out. #Colts
Purgatory is not better than bottoming out. #Colts