DAILY DIRT: There’s a true yearning in my heart — and stomach — for the return of the McDonald’s All-Day Breakfast

My oh my, what I would give to see McDonald’s reintroduce those all-day breakfasts. I’m not sure what I used to enjoy most, the small piece of sausage that was so thin you could almost see through it, or the biscuits I would lather in strawberry jelly … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 418 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Granted, all fast-food eateries discontinue items at one time or another.

It’s all part of the game. But some of those choices hurt more than others. The following selections are at the top of my wish list to reappear:

Gold medal: McDonald’s All-Day Breakfast. Please, please bring back that all-day breakfast option. Now. If the Golden Arches continue to not open their lobbies on any sort of consistent basis, at least give us one of the major items we miss most from the pre-pandemic “good ole days.”

Silver medal: KFC Potato Wedges. Those tasty potato wedges disappeared in late 2021. I like fries as much as the next guy, but those KFC potato wedges were other worldly.

Bronze medal: Burger King (old-school) Chicken Tenders. Those new-age tenders simply aren’t the same. And don’t even start with BK’s “nuggets.” 

2. One of the most overlooked rock groups of the mid-to-late 1960s and early 1970s are the Rascals, who, of course, started out at as the Young Rascals.

Even though the Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, they spent most of their key years in the shadow of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and few other marquee bands of that era.

However, There’s no denying the quality of their music. Here’s my five favorite (Young) Rascals hits:

• 1. “Good Lovin'”: The song that really started it all for these guys.
• 2. “A Girl Like You”: 2 minutes, 47 seconds of pure greatness. I love it when Felix Cavaliere goes, “Girl, girl, girl.”
• 3. “People Got To Be Free”: Even the Rascals took a political stand in the late 1960s.
• 4. “How Can I Be Sure”: The group’s finest effort at a “love song.”
• 5. “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long”: Cavaliere at his heartfelt finest.

3. It’s hard to believe the NBA starts later this month.

This is a great time to be a pro basketball fan. There has been a wave of exciting young talent make its way into the league in recent years. The following are my favorite “young” players, or those 27 and younger. The reason I chose 27 is that’s the age in most sports when players are considered to be at the doorstep of their peak years:

• 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, age 27: Giannis is must-see TV anytime he and the Milwaukee Bucks are featured. The 6-foot-11 Greek/Nigerian with the incredible wingspan will eventually go down NBA history as one of the top-10 all-time greats. 
• 2. Ja Morant, age 23: Talk about end-to-end excitement and you’re talking about this player, the franchise piece for the Memphis Grizzlies. My only concern is he’ll burn himself out at a younger age than most.
• 3. Luka Doncic, age 23: Yeah, the Dallas Mavericks’ superstar is kind of big and cumbersome, but he has an unexpected quickness and his shot selection — and ability to make those shots — knows no limits.
• 4. Jayson Tatum, age 23: Each year the former St. Louis prep phenom seems to reach a new level. He’s kind of a slightly smaller version of Giannis.
• 5. Trae Young, age 23: Some of the long-range shots from the Atlanta Hawks’ standout should count as four-point field goals. And he’s cocky, too. I like that in backcourt players.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — If you were wondering, No. 6 on the aforementioned list would be Donovan Mitchell, age 26. Mitchell was recently traded from Utah to Cleveland and appears ready to officially claim his spot among the NBA elite.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He is excited about the Cavs’ chances this year.