iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Not that we really ever have a slow time @freep.com, but after putting together a couple Justin Verlander tribute pages, I feel like I’m the one retiring, not him. His first start in Detroit was about a month after my first visit for a conference, and I was full-time by his first Opening Day.

Justin Verlander hugs his daughter after his final pitch for the Tigers.

14 pages from the Detroit Free Press prominently featuring Justin Verlander.

010

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I think we’ve found the Pac-12’s next expansion candidate.

120

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Did Mark Walter sell the Walter Cup

418025

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Chris Person @papapishu.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Sorry chatbot lovers but the waning of Boolean operators in most search functions on websites has made my life actively worse. You can't find anything, you can only have things suggested to you.

10464151088

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Window into the mocking with which foreign media is treating the situation. The latest on the live of Le Monde, France’s paper of record: “We’re being told Trump wants to file an appeal with Infantino alleging that the Belgian team played soccer.”

“On nous dit dans l’oreillette que Donald Trump souhaite lancer un recours auprès de Gianni Infantino en accusant la sélection belge d’avoir joué au football ce mardi.”

272090447

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Stunned that “Jared,” “Campbell” and “Amon-Ra” didn’t make the top 15.

020

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Eric Ravenscraft @lordravenscraft.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

still not quite over the fact that i watched 15 year olds get sued for millions of dollars for downloading twelve songs and now we all have to accept AI slop because every tech company in the known universe decided that IP laws don't exist now that they're inconvenient for them

87175196744

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Bruce Arthur @brucearthur.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Canada was supposed to get crushed, but the program’s DNA kept this a rivalry for one more night, at least. And nobody embodies that DNA like Marie-Philip Poulin, playing hurt, in what might have been final Olympic game. United States 2, Canada 1. www.thestar.com/sports/olymp...

thestar.com

Bruce Arthur: Marie-Philip Poulin and the Canadians approach the end of a hockey era at the Olympics — and keep a rivalry alive

The Milan Cortina hockey final might have been the last stand for a generation of Canadian women who have made the country proud.

29210

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

To be fair, rules 2 and 3 are probably just good for all non-cat-related activities, too.

010

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

I, for one, am just happy the Losgeeles Dodgers are finally getting their due.

010

Reposted by Ryan Ford

ArtButMakeItSports @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Red and Blue Composition, by Ad Reinhardt, 1941 (flipped), 📸 by Andrew Mordzynski

142876525

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Amazon Music going from Wazzu’s fight song, post-win, to “Boomer Sooner” is a vibe. Heisman for all!

000

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

After EIGHT years, we finally have a functional sidewalk open to the public, across the street in my neighborhood.

East side of Woodward Ave in front of Hudson’s building in Detroit.

030

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

A good day for books! Shipped this 208-page bad boy on the Tigers from @freep.com off to the publisher today, right on time, which means it’s time to dig into the latest from @sheaserrano.bsky.social !

Cover of book “Roar of 125,” featuring Kirk Gibson

Cover of Shea Serrano’s “Expensive Basketball” book

050

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Kieron Gillen @kierongillen.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

This went live last night - a big PDF bundle of the books I've written at Image. Includes The Wicked + the Divine, DIE, Phonogram, Ludocrats, the first Power Fantasy, We called them giants, etc. Basically, this is the stuff I got into comics to do, and a great chance to grab it.

humblebundle.com

Humble Comic Bundle: Roll for Initiative with Kieron Gillen by Image Comics

Dive into one of comics’ most creative minds with our Kieron Gillen bundle, featuring The Wicked + The Divine, and more! Pay what you want and support BINC!

4216110

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

My apologies to @megaholt.medsky.social , as my mini-Mariners fandom crash — I called losing all 3 ALCS home games and I am not dealing well with being 2/3 right now— led to a regression into my English lit major … all of which seem to apply to the M’s:

100

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Megaholt 𓅃 @megaholt.medsky.social · 15/10/2025

This! If I hadn’t gone for a basic ass physical in 2023, I wouldn’t have found out that my heart was failing. If @theford.bsky.social wasn’t married to me, he would be dead from either sepsis, diabetes, a stroke, or cancer—all before 45 years old.

3174

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Convinced this rain is the Baseball Gods’ last-ditch effort to stop me from ever seeing a Mariners playoff game in person.

110

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Today in jerseys spotted at Mariners/Tigers Game 3: Cal Raleigh, Ichiro and … Jesse Winker?

Baseball fans wearing Raleigh, Ichiro and Jesse Winker jerseys at Comerica Park.

250

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Casey Ayers @casey.app · 07/10/2025

I can’t believe I got it. #Jaguars

1529347

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Well, that was a heckuva wild-card series in Cleveland. Excited to get a game or two in Detroit in the ALDS for the whole @freep.com crew to cover.

Oct.1 sports page showing Jose Ramirez tagged out.

Cleveland second baseman Brayan Rocchio rounds the bases after homing off the Tigers on Oct. 1.

Dillon Dingler celebrates his home run against Cleveland on Oct. 2

050

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Evan Sutton @evansutton.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Lol Tesla's fake robotaxi is asking riders to tip. Comical shit. sfstandard.com/2025/09/15/t...

Screenshot reading

Upon exiting, she was asked to rate her ride out of five lightning bolts, and the app suggested she leave a tip: $1, $2, or other.

Five lightning bolts, Zara selected. Was the tip for the robot or the safety driver?

As robots don’t need money, and the driver is a Tesla engineer likely making somewhere between $200,000 and $315,000 per year, she skipped the tip.

717639

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

And there it is, with the official Apple signage. Now all my neighborhood needs is for the Tecovas shop to open.

Front door of Detroit Apple Store, staying a Sept. 19 opening date.

020

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Timothy Burke @bubbaprog.xyz · 15/09/2025

interesting if very specific statistic

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
20-4 IN SUNDAY 1PM ET ROAD GAMES SINCE 2018
BEST RECORD IN NFL

2249127

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

With how many late afternoon/night games the Lions are playing this year, having a 1 p.m. start against the Bears felt almost like a 9 a.m. game for the Monday edition of @freep.com, with great coverage from @davebirkett.bsky.social and so many others.

Detroit Free Press front showing a catch by Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Detroit Free Press front showing celebration from Jameson Williams and the Detroit Lions.

1176

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Judged solely on vibes, this TD should either count double, or count for zero points, and I’m really not sure which.

010

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

As a Coug of a certain age, I thought I had a cap on the wellspring of my hatred for the Los Angeles schools. UCLA is bringing me joy I didn’t know existed. Explaining to my MSU-alum wife @megaholt.medsky.social — Coug-splaining?— the saga of how UCLA got here … with a full Big Ten sked ahead …

media.tenor.com

a cartoon chef is cooking in a kitchen with a frying pan and a spoon .

ALT: a cartoon chef is cooking in a kitchen with a frying pan and a spoon .

030

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

The PAC-12 tried to keep this contained in a nice 1130 pm start in Pullman, but, noooo, the Big Ten decided to spread UCLA-25 all over the damn country.

011

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Jeff Nusser @nusscoug.podcastvseveryone.com · 12/09/2025

You hate to see it

2194

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Well, my downtown Detroit neighborhood finally has Apple Store signage, if not an open store yet. The gentrification rolls on. At least it’s somewhere I’m likely to go to (unlike the Chick-fil-A in development hell for the past year or so).

020

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

This sentence is basically one Steilacoom away from a Washington State citizenship exam.

210

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Lions (fans) catching strays, but none of this is wrong.

010

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Ella Brockway @ellabrockway.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

"Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher Scores Last-Minute Equalizer for First-Ever NWSL Goal" has to be the most NWSL After Dark sentence in the history of human existence

315631

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

it's very true that Nazis can be welcoming and accommodating TO INFLUENCERS who they want to help them spread their message. if Nazis are being nice to you it isn't a sign they are more "welcoming". it's a sign they find you useful.

833893737

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

It’s tough for @megaholt.medsky.social and I to get to Eastern Market most of the time, so when Eastern Market veggies come to us at the Y downtown, we have to go. And hang out with the squirrel passing on gifted cherries in favor of burlap bags.

A black squirrel chewing on a burlap bag at the downtown Detroit YMCA.

140

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Casey S. Pumpkins 🎃 @caseyexplosion.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

One of the things we should probably acknowledge about Harry Potter is that as an IP it was hard carried by some incredibly talented people, Alfonso Cuaron directed the 3rd entry between Y tu mamá también and Children of Men, it was kinda lightning in a bottle that they're not gonna recapture.

551058170

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

I have some mean kitty-wand skills.

020

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Megaholt 𓅃 @megaholt.medsky.social · 11/08/2025

Y’know, I bet if @theford.bsky.social and I found a place and picked a weekend or something-like, a Caturday-to set up a Kitty Olympics, people would totally bring their cats and participate. It would be amazing.

051

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

I’m not saying Texas State is or isn’t a proper Pac-12 school, but getting this ish done on June 30 when the deadline for 2026 is (likely) July 1 is a helluva “filing 25-page reports at 11:59 p.m.” vibe from my days at Wazzu. #GoCougs

181

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

So when do they fire the mana … oh, wait.

110

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Thrilled to see Murray State represent here.

010

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

For years, I joked that Spokane (where I was born, and about an hour north of my alma mater) made its way into the 1960s and decided to never leave. So … I guess 1970 finally hit?

010

Reposted by Ryan Ford

A Jean Stevenson @amandajean.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

My five year old got gassed at a soccer game tonight.

491871684

Reposted by Ryan Ford

@geoffoneil @geoffoneil.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Spokane is a real football city

072

Ryan Ford @theford.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

I grew up on The Beach Boys, handed down from my Boomer dad in the days when they were making guest spots on Full House. He never played Pet Sounds once for me; he stuck to the stuff from 65 and earlier.

150

Reposted by Ryan Ford

Megaholt 𓅃 @megaholt.medsky.social · 10/06/2025

Success! Got it all put back, got changed into real clothes, and made it to the bank literally just in time (aka: one minute before close 😬) to get a new debit card! Went on a walk with @theford.bsky.social, pet Lasagna the cat (someone in Detroit adopt her please!), and got food for the boys!

Lasagna the cat, a 3 year old black and white cat with yellow eyes and white whiskers, with a white triangle on her chin/neck and white socks on her back paws!

001