Issue 100: A Big Ol’ Sappy Thank You

Holy moly, we’ve made it to 100 issues! If you don’t mind, I’d like to get a little nostalgic and do some reminiscing. *cue dramatic piano music*

I started Crisp Bounce Pass last summer in the midst of a global pandemic. The NBA season hadn’t yet resumed, and really, sports of any kind weren’t a thing.

Since I can remember, I’ve loved basketball and all the quirkiness that goes along with it. The endless supply of fascinating pop-culture tidbits that have weaved in and out of the game were a natural complement to my favorite sport.

My thinking was something like this: if I could share something I really enjoyed and bring an enthusiasm to it, perhaps that enthusiasm would come off the page or phone screen and help brighten someone else’s day.

And if I could do that, then that would be a pretty cool way to spend my time.

I’d also never created a newsletter with any kind of consistency. Sure, I had used Mailchimp once or twice (or My-ool Heemp, if you’re a fan of Serial), but that was to periodically send a few people recipes so they’d remember to eat.

(That reminds me, go check out Phat Phoodies if you’d like recipes, restaurant recs, and needlessly complex breakdowns of vintage food commercials.)

But you know what? Sometimes you just gotta take the plunge. And much like a smooth Cam Johnson jumper, I dove through the net with an eagerness and curiosity to learn more, both on the back-end of a email marketing software platform and on the front end with what you see in each issue.

It’s been wonderful teaching you about all the ins and outs, the wackadoos, the personal triumphs and defeats, and the madness (sometimes in March) of basketball, plus all the crossover (eh, like a crossover dribble?) into the wide world of pop culture.

We ain’t done yet, either. These are just the first 100 issues, which is a delightfully round number and should probably be celebrated with a cookie cake of some sort.

There’s lots more to come and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. Go have an awesome weekend and keep making sure your bounce passes are crisp.

In honor of the big 100, here’s a montage from House of Highlights showcasing the best signature celebrations from the NBA’s stars. I imagine they’re all pumped about 100 issues in the book.