DAILY DIRT: The weekend is almost here. Make the most of it.

If you take nothing else from today’s post, remember this: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. Then give up. There’s no use being a damn fool about it.” … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 944 of The Daily Dirt.

1. It’s Friday. It’s basically batting practice for the weekend.

With that in mind, I’m providing three schools of thought for today, Saturday and Sunday, each for a specific reason:

Friday

Some general thoughts to get your mind in the right place for what lies ahead:

“I feel sorry for short people. When it rains, they’re the last to know.” — Rodney Dangerfield. (Be kind to everyone, even the vertically challenged. Friends of all sorts nice to have the weekend experience.)

“Doing nothing is very hard to do. You never know when you’re finished.” — Leslie Nielsen. (You always need to know how to relax with the weekend right around the corner. Friday often serves as a practice day for what’s on the horizon.)

“When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear.” — Mark Twain. (If something happens to throw a curve to your plans for the weekend, don’t panic. It will all work out. Somehow.)

Saturday

Take a deep breath. The weekend has officially arrived.

“You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.” — Bob Hope. (Remember your age. Don’t try and tackle too much, especially on the first official day of the weekend.)

“I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter. Each time I enter a room and wonder what I’m here after.” — Tim Conway. (If your plans go awry, it’s not the end of the world. Make due with what life throws at you.) 

“Nice to be here … at my age, it’s nice to be anywhere.” — George Burns. (Above all else, just be grateful you have another weekend to enjoy.)

Sunday

Will the weekend end with an exclamation point, or a sigh? Either way, make the most of it.

“When you see the writing on the wall … you know you’re in the toilet.” — Redd Foxx. (If your plans fall apart, accept the fate. move on. You still have half the weekend remaining.)

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. Then give up. There’s no use being a damn fool about it.” — W.C. Fields. (Don’t be afraid to alter your plans. Sometimes you need to order a Mountain Dew instead of that Classic Coke.)

“Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shows. After that, who cares? He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes.” — Billy Connolly. (Whether the weekend was good or bad, you survived it. Start the countdown until the next weekend.)

2. Did you know (Part 11) …

• That one of James (Tony Soprano of “The Sopranos”) Gandelfini’s childhood friends was John Travolta.
• That one of the ushers at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral was Samuel L. Jackson.
• That Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr., once babysat a young John Lithgow.
• That Arthur Fletcher, the father of Affirmative Action, once had Ted Bundy as a driver and bodyguard.
• That Noel Redding, bass player for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, was once roommates with Lemme of Motorhead.

The above information was supplied by Cody Taylor.

3. Whoaaaa!!

Did you see the reports late this week about NBC trying to snatch the NBA rights from TNT?

NBC is reportedly offering $2.58 billion a year for the NBA, double what TNT is currently paying through the 2024-25 season. TNT has aired the NBA since 1989.

Much of the conversation in multiple media reports surrounds the “Inside the NBA” show and whether or not it would be part of such a deal. The highly popular in-studio halftime and postgame programming with Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley is a ratings success and huge fan favorite (myself included). Those four may be the best comedy team since the early days of “Saturday Night Live”.

NBC is reportedly eyeing a “Basketball Night in America” type of telecast. Sports Business Journal reports NBC will likely not up its bid, but that Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TNT, may be inclined to go as high as 2.88 billion per year to keep the NBA.

Stay tuned.

Steve’s Thought O’ The Day — David Beckham pays $6,000 for each of his haircuts. I pay $10.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He is still overpaying for his haircuts.