u/YourFriendTheFrenzy

The AP Preseason Poll is out and ASU did not receive a single a vote.

And I am HYPED!

Maybe it's a reflection of the broader student culture (party, party, cram on the due date), but ASU always seems to play its best when its back is against the wall. When we're the underdog and have a chip on our shoulder.

If we've got to kick things off by going into a place like Kyle Field, then I'd say our best shot would be to go in as underdogs without a single vote while the Aggies are ranked in the Top 10.

Am I saying we're going to pull off the upset in Week 2?

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.

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Yes, I am.

I'm turning 40 soon and fighting tooth-and-nail to hold my guy friend groups together.

For me, sports have always been a huge source of that social "glue" that holds everyone together with a common interest.

Unfortunately, with all the gambling, unhealthy fantasy obsessions, letting a loss affect their weekend, and everything else, a lot of the guys I know are starting to feel kind of burned out.

So I'm turning to the internet and asking—beyond the parlays and performances that people hyperfocus on—what are the genuinely good stories (players, coaches, underdogs, etc.) that people should be following this season if they want to rekindle their love of the game?

Bought the house last summer and the previous owner had half-heartedly attempted to xeriscape the back yard. When the first rains came, the weeds went crazy and we decided to rip it all out and put in a Bermude lawn. (225sq feet - it's a small backyard)

So I dig down 4-6 inches and hand-sift all the rocks out of the soil. The whole yard is baby soft. Add milorganite and a bit of top soil. Rake in the Bermuda seeds and start watering.

The first section we did germinated in about seven days and came in nice and thick.

I let it grow to about 3 inches to get established and then cut it down to about 2 inches. However, the ground isn't perfectly level and where there were bumps the grass got cut too low and died. That's understandable.

So I come back a week later with a much higher setting and only take the very tops off the blades. Even still, another few patches had started to die by the next morning. Both going through the same phases:

- Within 24 hours the small spot turns dark green and stringy (very thin blades) and falls over.

- 48 hours later the grass turns white and yellow and is flat on the ground in a circular pattern.

- Within 4 days the grass is virtually gone, leaving only dirt.

Long story short, how do y'all handle the first few mowings with new Bermuda that's still getting established?