Jesus Evelyn Christ, is it really September? As Mike Lafontaine would say: “Eh, wha’ happened?” Personally, I say good riddance to the summer. Autumn is the new summer, and not just because of climate change. The NFL season began last night, the race for the baseball postseason is at full tilt, and hockey players and owners are trying their best to completely alienate what fanbase they have left. Seriously, how does Gary Bettman have a job while the Barnstormer staff still has to pull three shifts a week at the Flying J in Belleville, Illinois?

But enough of our issues, it’s time to look back at what we were reading this week, so that you can read it too.

• Play of the Week

• PSA of the Week

Brilliant video by Finnish freelancer and hockey lover, Janne Makkonen, calling for no NHL lockout.

• Ron MacLean Says Stuff

Has there ever even been a Ron MacLean spotting outside of the NHL calendar, with the exception of Olympic duties? I thought they stuffed him and Grapes into some kind of CBC preservation module, which put them in suspended animation until camps were underway. Anyhew, MacLean talks lockout. [CBC]

• Papa, Papa?

My favourite Trivial Pursuit question of all time is “Does Jake Barnes have testicles?” Hemingway was a writer among writers, who loved sport and loved the written word in a time when both had more virtue and creative integrity. Here’s a snapshot of part of a letter he wrote his father about his writing. [Letters of Note’s Twitter Feed]

• Brothers for Life

Greg Halman was an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners in 2010 and 2011. During the 2011 off-season he was murdered by his brother, who was subsequently convicted of manslaughter and will spend the rest of his life in a Dutch mental health facility. Wright Thompson traces the brothers’ lives in a compelling and heartbreaking piece. [ESPN via Longform]

• A Culture of Sexual Entitlement

Hockey is, perhaps, the most deeply flawed of the four major sports. From David Frost to Graham James to the encouraged violence and acceptance of xenophobia (I’m looking at you, Grapes), hockey is in desperate need of a change in its culture. But don’t take our word for it. A Boston University task force finds hockey has a “culture of sexual entitlement exists among some players, and that this, combined with the absence of sexual assault prevention training and education, led to risky behaviors.” [BU Today]

• The MLB Postseason Must-Read

Last season saw the greatest last day of the baseball season ever, and with the additional wild card draw in this year’s playoff format, September is going to be a run to remember. We find the best day-to-day read on MLB is Jayson Stark, whose affection for the sport and its history is second to none. [ESPN]

• Great on Really Great on Truly Bad

The Joe Paterno story seemingly has no end, and with Joe Posnanski’s books on Joe Pa being rushed to print, the narrative of tragedy continues. Here’s David Roth writing about Joe Posnanski writing about Joe Paterno. [The Classical]

• Twittererer Tweet of the Week

https://twitter.com/seangentille/status/243041179447480320

• Song of the Week

Some of the Barnstormer staff really dig sad cowboy songs, so this week we feature “One in the Chamber” by Corb Lund. Lund and company will be at the Ottawa Folk Festival this weekend, as will the Barnstormer’s Mike Spry, who has generously volunteered to give up his weekend to drink beer in the sun and listen to great music while trying to find a sports angle in order to justify maxing out the Barn’s credit cards.

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