The Seasoned Perspective
“These are the times that try men’s souls.”
A blog for the thinking man and woman.
EP Review: Izna’s ‘Set the Tempo’
BY JOSIE WHITE Izna is a K-pop girl group formed through a competition show and produced and managed under THEBLACKLABEL and WAKEONE. The members are Mai, Bang Jeemin, Koko, Ryu Sarang, Choi, Jungeun, and Jeong Saebi. After a string of lackluster releases, this recently released EP stands out as a gem in their discography. If…
My take on ESPN’s NFL QB, WR rankings for 2026 preseason
BY JACK WHITE Every year, ESPN surveys coaches, executives, and scouts in the NFL to determine a list of the top ten players at each position. Typically, the lists that receive the most controversy are the quarterback and receiver rankings, and this year was no different. So today, I thought I would rerank the top…
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Additions to NFL teams that could either shine or flop in ’26
BY JACK WHITE NFL free agency is always one of the most exciting periods of the offseason. Every year, dozens of players seek new contracts and opportunities elsewhere, making one fanbase extremely hopeful and another devastated upon their favorite player’s departure. Trades and free agent movement are a key part of what makes the NFL…
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Book recommendations for kids 12 and under
BY JOEY WHITE Don’t worry, folks, I’ll give age recs for these book titles. But first: Choose your genre! MysteryFantasyRealistic FictionHistorical Fiction Mystery🔎 The Inheritance Games: By Jennifer Lynn Barnes I’d say ages 11 and up for more mature themes. Has mystery and suspense, short chapters, fast paced. A five-star read! City Spies: By James…
Keep reading‘No tree left standing’
Southeast North Carolina is clearing land for more ‘plantations.’
BY RANDALL E. WILBERT
MY wife and I had lived in New Hampshire for over forty years. We agreed that it was time to move on. After visiting various locations on the East Coast, we decided North Carolina fit our checklist, and we relocated to Brunswick County that abuts the Atlantic. We decided to build a house in a community approximately 12 miles from the beach and 29 miles north of South Carolina, a great location with warm and energetic residents.
I am not yet comfortable using the correct noun for describing the neighborhood as most of the large communities call themselves a plantation, such as Saint John Plantation or The Mar-a-Largo Plantation. Weird. Most of the folks who migrate to this area hail from the Northeast, who are slightly smacked in the face coming upon a plantation. As was explained to me by a local tobacco grower, “Yankees don’t appreciate the history of our plantations,” which was a bit odd but there it is.
Our plantation is bordered on one side by a tobacco farm and on the other side a rather large cotton field. The other sides of our plantation are composed of large pines, which brings me to my latest peeve. Brunswick County was a center of the pulp and logging business. The pines were plentiful and there were no mountains to traverse. A recent man-made plague is destroying these forested acres.
The county has decided to approve almost every application for constructing housing or strip malls, but the worst aspect of this abomination is the clear cutting of the fields of pine trees. Basically deforestation. The citizens of the county are loud and boisterous in objecting to the clear cutting. By clear cutting, I mean every single tree, no matter the size, is mowed down by a Caterpillar tractor or John Deere tractor or Yanmar. These machines make quick work of destroying acres of woodland.
But the powers that be just trundle on as though the construction people and builders have the inalienable right to rezone and clear the land no matter the opposition of the citizenry. … Fortunately, the plantations enjoy the forests and most homes are shaded by plentiful pines and oaks. But the plague is expanding until every tree in the county is gone. I think the motto of the government and construction enterprises is: “No tree left standing.”
What I find whimsical is the names the developers christened their treeless prairie. One of the first developments around us is probably 6 miles north of us and sports the grand name “The Grande Palms.” The houses are treeless unless you count the several palmetto trees planted at the entrance. As an aside, palm trees belong in Florida, and are not indigenous to North Carolina.
About 18 miles north of us, apartments are being built and some wit named the development “Oak Harbor.” The joke of course is there are no longer any oaks or trees of any kind, plus there is no harbor and never will be, as the Oak Harbor apartments will be about 18 miles from any water, and the nearest water is the Lockwood Folly River.
I could go on forever but I will leave you with another inviting name. Several miles west of us is another development consisting of single family and multifamily homes. Pursuant to accepted practice, these houses, I believe, are following the latest trend of architecture by adopting the Lego school of thought. I almost forgot. The name of this flat treeless plain is Rolling Hills.
Until next time.
10 Boom or Bust Candidates for NFL teams that missed the postseason
BY JACK WHITE
Boom: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys spent the offseason looking to revitalize a defense that ranked almost dead last in pass defense a year ago, with 5 of their 7 draft picks being on the defensive end (the headliner being Caleb Downs). Bringing back Pro Bowler George Pickens coming off of a 1,400-yard season won’t hurt either.
Bust: Cincinnati Bengals
The all-world offensive trio of Burrow, Higgins, and Chase won’t mean much this year as the defense, despite picking up defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the Giants, looks worse than ever after trading Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens.
Boom: Atlanta Falcons
I know, I know. There’s a greater likelihood of the Falcons going 7-9 for the 67th straight year being plagued by inconsistent quarterback play. But with one of the top-rated pass defenses, coupled with Bijan Robinson and Drake London on the offensive side, along with two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski manning the helm, maybe things could be different?
Bust: Miami Dolphins
An unproven new quarterback in Malik Willis, an inconsistent defense, and 0 offensive pieces worth mentioning (besides De’von Achane).
Boom: New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough’s outstanding play down the stretch last season went relatively unnoticed. Adding Jordan Tyson to go along with Chris Olave should only make the offense more potent in 2026.
Bust: Minnesota Vikings
I don’t trust either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy to play competent football for 17 weeks, and neither should you. It’s a shame because the WR trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings would be cool as hell to see with a QB the likes of Joe Burrow or Josh Allen.
Boom: Baltimore Ravens
A new defensive-minded head coach in Jesse Minter and finally a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle for Lamar Jackson. When healthy, Jackson’s the best football player in the league, and a strong free agent/draft class will put this team over the edge this season.
Bust: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans and Jamel Dean are gone, along with running back depth in Rachaad White for the oft-injured Bucky Irving. With Baker Mayfield’s turnover-prone tendencies, this offense could not have afforded to lose more than they gained this offseason, which ended up being the case.
Boom: Tennessee Titans
Adding 1,000-yard receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and drafting receiver Carnell Tate sets up QB Cam Ward well for success going into his second year. Adding some help on the D-Line while retaining Jeffrey Simmons was huge in the effort to upgrade the defense from a year ago as well. And it doesn’t hurt to add a defensive-minded head coach in Robert Saleh as well!
Bust: Washington Commanders
Unfortunately for the Commanders, Jayden Daniels only plays one position. While the effort to improve the defense has been nice, K’Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh are the only players I expect to make a positive impact out of the free-agent class. The cornerback depth is disastrous, and newcomer Amik Robertson was a key culprit in a Detroit Lions secondary that was a severe weakness for the team the last few seasons. There’s just not enough improvement on the offense or defense to make me believe Washington is a playoff contender, even if Daniels is healthy for the entire season.
How can you trust him?
Why on earth would NFL teams take a chance on Brendan Sorsby?
BY JOHN WILBERT
Now that I got your attention with an attention-grabbing headline, let’s quickly go over what this site is all about.
First of all, The Seasoned Perspective isn’t about offering outrageous hot takes or generating clicks. Rather, it’s about offering well-thought-out commentary in a fun and familial way. Yes, the authors – as of right now – are all related. But will this blog be simply for family members to contribute their thoughts and ideas? No.
As a matter of fact, we will eventually open up this blog to talented writers who present unique opinions in a respectful manner.
For now, please read and enjoy our blog. It’s free. There are no advertisements. Simply put: It’s for your reading pleasure as we love to write.
Happy Father’s Day 2026. And back to Sorsby below.
Sore on Sorsby
BY JOHN WILBERT
Let’s get back to college football quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was about to play for his third college program before admitting to betting more than $90,000 in a four-year span, including placing bets on his own Indiana University team at least 40 times.
To cut to the chase, instead of battling out his NCAA eligibility in court this summer, Sorsby has declared for July’s NFL’s supplemental draft. This supplemental draft allows for recent college players who didn’t register for the spring NFL draft deadline and who may have recently experienced hardship and a loss of NCAA eligibility a chance at playing professional football in the National Football League.
If I’m an NFL team, there’s no way in hell I’m selecting this kid in the supplemental draft. Fresh off an enrollment in late April in an in-patient gambling addiction rehab program for 35 days, not enough time has passed for this player to warrant any trust from an organization. In a league in which an estimated $30 billion is bet legally on its contests every season, according to the American Gaming Association, how is anyone sure that Sorsby, who is not one of the top 5 college quarterbacks heading into this season, can resist the temptation to bet on his NFL team’s games? Or worse: allow his quality of play and overall performance be compromised so any associates of his – and perhaps even himself – can cash in on a wager? Recently, a few NBA players faced federal charges for doing just that, in addition to providing confidential injury and team information to a network of illegal bettors.
Integrity of play means everything to these hundred-billion-dollar sports leagues – especially the NFL, a more than $250 billion industry. Crossing sports here, a reference that Boston sports radio host Mike Felger has coined, both Major League and Minor League Baseball are adamant that its players, coaches, and front office staff refrain from betting on baseball. But those aren’t the only team employees who are prohibited from wagering on baseball. In fact, the Double-A team I work for as its scoreboard operator made it crystal clear at its March employee orientation that none of its employees – including concession workers, team store associates, ticket sales employees, production staff, grounds crew members, ushers, etc. – can bet on baseball or even compete in fantasy baseball with prizes at stake. It’s clear that these leagues have a mandate to uphold the integrity of play because they know full well that any allegations of fraud can dramatically sink their business.
Therefore, if I am an NFL general manager, I’m staying far, far away from Sorsby.