The Yang Slinger: The End

I have a new calling.

I am using this space to make an announcement: This is the final regular issue of the Pearlman Yang Slinger.

Don’t hate me.

I have loved this experience; loved digging into myriad journalistic issues and seeing what I can come up with. Loved calling out turds like Bobby Burack and Jason Whitlock. When I started several years ago, I figured maybe (maybe) I’d spool out 20. Well, this is the 102nd (or so) edition, which makes me awfully proud and grateful.

However …

Because of the madness of American politics, and the Trump-led attack of democracy, I’ve decided to take the time I put into this Substack and use it to become a voice in local politics. I recently agreed to handle social media for my region’s liberal/Democratic groups—which feels like the calling I have to pursue at this time. There are right-wing crazies everywhere, and they need to be exposed. So, hey. I’ll try and expose them.

I am not deleting this substack, and I suspect every so often I’ll have something to write—and make a return. But if you are a paid subscriber:

A. Thank you so, so, so much.

B. Please cancel payment.

I am insanely appreciative to all the supporters and contributors through the years. I will continue to produce my weekly podcast, Two Writers Slinging Yang, and can be followed on TikTok here and BlueSky here.

I am, truly, terrified for the future of this nation. But I don’t want to simply sit by and watch it decay. So I’m making my best effort to step up.

Thank you for everything.

— Jeff

The Quaz Five with … Casey Pearlman

My daughter Casey is a senior history major at UC San Diego. You can read her history substack here and listen to her two radio shows here (One airs Mondays at 11 am Pacific and the other on Fridays at 2 pm Pacific. She graduates this spring and has made her dad very proud.

1. You're a senior at UC San Diego, set to graduate this spring. Serious Q: is college what you thought it'd be? Have you gotten what you wanted out of it?: I don’t really remember what I expected college to look like. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that there is no singular college experience. Overall, college has allowed me to discover what I’m really interested in and better understand what I want to do after I graduate. There’s some things I wish I could change, but I’m sure I would have gotten to this same point anyway.

2. You post a regular history-themed Substack, "History Class." A recent post involved the film "Argo," which I encouraged you to watch. But you seem to be sort of offended by the movie. Why?: You shouldn’t have gotten me started. First of all, it has a bad portrayal of Iranians as a people. The Hostage Crisis was not representative of the country as a whole, and I think the movie plays a big part in making Americans continue to fear the Middle East. It simplifies all Iranians to religious lunatics when they aren't. Second of all, the last half of the movie is completely inaccurate! Literally none of that stuff happened. Spoiler alert but not really: in real life the diplomats went straight to the airport and onto a plane. There was no suspicion or wild chase or anything. I get why they made it more dramatic, but like it’s so inaccurate. Great movie though, four stars.

3. You host two shows on the campus radio station. You probably average, oh, 20 listeners total per week. Does that matter? Do you care? Why, why not?: I should start off by saying the average show gets maybe five listeners on average so I’m already ahead. It doesn’t usually bother me because I don’t listen to anyone I don’t know’s radio shows, so why should anyone listen to mine. I also don’t think if I was a real adult, like old, I would be listening to college radio. There just isn’t really a market for it like that. Plus, I know that my shows are cool and that’s what matters. If you’re reading this and you want to listen, I have one show on Monday at 11 am and another Friday at 2 pm with my roommate on KSDT.

4. You're working on a detailed thesis project on the history of children's television, with an emphasis on Sesame Street. What do you think is most misunderstood about the show?: People tend to criticize Sesame Street harshly over everything. I’m not saying the show is perfect, I agree with most of the criticism, but I think people forget that it’s impossible for Sesame Street to cover everything. The show won’t stop discrimination from happening, but it might teach kids what to do when it happens or how to be better people. Compare it to other kids’ shows from the 1970s and it’s by far the most inclusive, diverse, and real. For what it is, Sesame Street accomplishes as much as it can. Also the founder and head of the Children’s Television Workshop, now Sesame Workshop, would read critical letters herself and lead changes. She actually cared about what people thought. I think that’s important to remember.

5. One of the episodes that fascinated you (and me) is the one that aired after Mr. Hooper's real-life death. How do you think they handled it? And would it be done the same way in 2025?: I can’t imagine it being handled any better than it was. It’s an amazing episode. I think it probably would have been the same if it aired today because talking about feelings is still important. The message that it’s ok for kids, and adults, to be sad is still relevant. I think replacing Mr. Hooper would have been impossible and honoring his memory was the best option. It’s a good message that when people die, they aren’t replaced and that feeling sad about that is normal and real.

BONUS: Rank in order—favorite to least: The Kiss song, "Shandi," Snuffleupagus, Steve Perry's solo in "We Are the World," Chenle, the UC San Diego dining options, the cowboy hat you inherited from Grandpa, South Florida, misplaced commas, coffee drinks, my brown waffle shirt: The cowboy hat I inherited from Grandpa, Steve Perry’s solo in “We Are the World”, coffee drinks, Chenle, “Shandi”, UCSD dining options, waffle shirt, South Florida, misplaced commas, Snuffleupagus (I hate him)

A random old article worth revisiting …

On Sept 23, 1997, the Associated Press reported that the snake who ate a dog had found a home. Humanity survived.

The Madness of Tyler Kepner’s Grid …

So unless you’ve been living beneath a pebble beneath a rock beneath a big hunk of cheese, you’re aware of Immaculate Grid, the daily game that’s drawn thousands of nerdy sports fans (guilty!) to its ranks. And while the NBA grid, NFL grid, NHL grid and WNBA grid are all fun, this game is at its best when it comes to baseball—where the names are endless and the transactions ceaseless. No one owns the medium like Tyler Kepner, the Athletic’s fantastic baseball writer.

Here’s a breakdown of one of his recent efforts …

• Marvin Freeman came up with the Phillies when I rooted for them in the ‘80s. He was very tall and lean and was known as “Starvin’ Marvin.” He’s a fun presence on social media now, great guy.

• Kurt Abbott was the Mets’ starting shortstop in the final game of the 2000 Subway Series. Also played for the 1997 Marlins’ champs and finished with Atlanta.

• Tony LaRussa ended his playing career by scoring the game-winning run as a Cubs pinch runner.

• Jim Kern was an All-Star closer for Texas known as The Emu. Played briefly at the end for the White Sox.

• Brett De Geus is a current pitcher who is racking up teams quickly.

• Spencer Patton is related to a good friend of mine, so I’ve kept tabs on his career, which took him to the Mexican League last season. He’s hoping to latch on with a Major League team again now.

• Red Faber was a White Sox Hall of Famer who was injured and had to miss the fateful 1919 World Series

• Mike Dunn was a Yankees rookie when I covered the team and later had some good seasons for Miami.

• Dick Ellsworth had one really great season for the Cubs (22-10, 2.11 in 1963).

This week’s college writer you should know about …

Connor Marrott, Notre Dame senior.

Straight out of Cincinnati, Connor writes a brilliant piece headlined, WHERE ARE THE CATHOLICS?

Writes Connor:

Awesome stuff.

Bravo.

My TikTok offering of the week …

So I left Twitter, joined TikTok—and am loving, loving, loving the storytelling modus. It’s fun and light and free of the Twitter hate. You can follow me here, and every week (at least until the medium is banned in America) I’m gonna post one of my videos. Just, because, hey—a guy needs to eat.

@jeffpearlmanauthorRoosevelt Thompson was a Yale football player who would have become president. Then his car was hit by a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. Everything changed. #rooseveltthompson #yale #yalefootball #billclinton

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Journalism musings for the week …

Musing 1: Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post penned a beautiful piece about Chiefs’ backup quarterback Carson Wentz. Headlined, CARSON WENTZ IS BACK IN THE SUPER BOWL, JUST NOT THE WAY HE WANTED, Kilgore does a phenomenal job breaking down what it is to slowly fade away as a veteran athlete. I gobbled every word.

Musing 2: A confession: I don’t understand Elon Musk. I don’t understand how someone with that much money seems that intent on destroying the lives of others. I just … how? And why?

Musing 3: The NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe is just a joyful Instagram presence. I just kinda dig how she takes people behind the scenes in a warm, bouncy manner. Bravo.

Musing 4: Sterling Sharpe was a pain in the ass to his Green Bay Packers teammates; a guy who was very big into the whole diva wide receiver thing. But he was an elite player, and I’m thrilled he finally landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Musing 5: The world is dark right now—no doubt. So read SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENED! THE RESCUE OF REECE THE KELPIE in the Guardian. You’ll feel a bit better.

Musing 6: Peter Cohn for Roll Call on the type of reporting we need—WHITE HOUSE OPENS FUNDING SPIGOT FOR DOGE EXPENSES. Writes Cohn: “The new Department of Government Efficiency leader isn’t getting a paycheck and doesn’t need one — Elon Musk’s $418 billion net worth as of Monday rivaled the entire gross domestic product of Denmark at last count. But what was once thought of as an outside advisory board is now very much inside the federal government and drawing an official salary, so to speak. Nearly $7 million has been ‘apportioned’ over the past week to cover the agency’s expenses, while the administration tries to freeze big chunks of government funding as part of DOGE’s mandate to root out programs deemed wasteful or out of step with the president’s priorities. ‘Despite fabricating the United States DOGE Service out of thin air, President Musk has already grown his unelected bureaucracy to lay claim to nearly $7 million of American taxpayer funding,’ House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said in a statement. She said that amount is ‘nearly twice the annual salaries and expenses budget of the White House.’”

Musing 7: Katherine Long of the Wall Street Journal noted that a young DOGE employee had to resign because of past racist posts. This is profoundly unsurprising, considering the racists Musk surrounds himself with—and embodies.

Musing 8: I’m calling it: Chiefs 24, Eagles 20.

Musing 9: Big congrats to my Mahopac, N.Y. homeboy Ritesh Rajan on his upcoming new film, “You, Me & Her.” Bravo.

Musing 10: The new Two Writers Slinging Yang stars Lindsey Adler, the longtime baseball writer.

Quote of the Week …