Year in Review

Also known as `The Year I’m So Glad Is in the Rear-View,' 2025 saw an even wider range of topics covered in the Inside Edge. Plus: Meeting My Free-Throw-Shooting-Godfather, Tom Steury.

It’s the third day of 2026, so we’ll all soon be out of the “Year in Review” woods.

But since it’s the first Saturday of the year—and that’s the day for my column—well, brace yourself for at least one more exercise in rear-view peering.

I should note that there is a cool new Substack-makes-the-world-smaller type of development from this past week that I am sharing, too…so hang in here!

Without any more fanfare, let’s get into the Third Annual Inside Edge Substack Year in Review¹:

A few observations:

• Deepening a trend that’s existed from the get-go, I’ve written across a wide swath of topics, from personal to topical to serious to light-hearted.

• Mid-summer, I struggled to be able to write more than a few paragraphs about any given topic. The result: some of the most stream-of-consciousness missives in my 41-plus years of writing for public consumption.

First came “50 deliberate thoughts”…

…followed by—that’s right—”50 more deliberate thoughts*” (and that asterisk was my escape hatch to keep me from actually going up to 50 again).

…and the next week brought “Chipping away,” a cousin of sorts to the prior two columns:

An excerpt from “Chipping away,” my best explanation for this extreme off-the-beaten-path (even by my wide-ranging standards) foray:

I’ve found it increasingly difficult to take in the troubling news [created by the Trump administration] that is like so much toxic waste. So this week I’ve kept my head down and avoided getting anywhere close to the weeds. It’s good for my mental health, and I’m grateful for those staying engaged and vigilant and actively fighting the good, pro-democracy fight. I just need a break from the madness.

• This past month saw a resurgence in my willingness to dig deeper into topics, including a high school student’s journey (Star-Spangled Spotlight) capped by singing the national anthem before a Chicago Bears game to another Matt Baron’s tortuous trail from cruel and unwarranted public shaming (The (False) Accusation) to redemption.

• Compared with the previous two years, I penned fewer columns about my brother Phil (last week’s “All He Wanted for Christmas…” is the most recent) as he’s navigated through his first full year of sobriety. At the same time, the response to those occasional articles—in readership, public comments and private comments—has been as strong and encouraging as ever…thank you!

  Meeting My Free-Throw-Shooting `Godfather’

As promised at the outset, I’ve got news to report: this past Saturday, I met the person whose remarkable story was a key spark² for me to start the Inside Edge—and about whom I’ve written several times these past three years.

That’s Tom Steury, the inspiring 85-year-young gentleman from Seattle. He visited relatives in the Chicago area for Christmas and before heading back home, kindly took time to swing by my gym to join me in a free-throw session.

For a refresher on Tom—check out this column from over two years ago:

We had about 30 minutes to squeeze in our gym time and it was a blast.

Unlike our usual solo outings 2,000 miles apart, we took turns, shooting 10 free throws at a time, then rebounding for the other. Meanwhile, Tom’s nephew, Chris, chronicled the occasion with photos and video—material for another time, maybe a documentary some day?

In the end, Tom was a little rusty, which means he still bested me by making 89 out of his 100 attempts (including 47 of his final 50), while I made 88 (that darned miss on my 97th shot!).

Tom’s surpassed 1.3 million free throw attempts over the last 20 years and is aiming for 2 million attempts. He’s made a shade over 93% of his right-handed tries; by comparison, I’m at 222,336 attempts in nearly 19 years, and I’ve made 85% (ambidextrously.)

Beyond all the numbers, what I appreciate most is that I’ve made a friend who can not only relate to my stat-madness, but who’s operating on a higher level of stat madness and showing me that it’s possible for me to keep doing it, Lord willing, for another three decades (or more).

The Top Dozen

At this point, you might be fussing: where’s the list of the 10 Most-Read Inside Edge Columns of 2025? Fuss no more…in fact, for being so patient, you’re rewarded with a look back at the top 12.

For each one, you can click on the link to visit (or re-visit) the piece.

#12) Leaning into doubt (June 21)

At my daughter’s college commencement ceremony, Steve Carell brought humor and heart. But the most impactful remarks were delivered by one of her classmates.

#11) One man, he resist (April 4)

57 years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, a humbling personal reminder of the importance of thinking for ourselves.

#10) 50 more deliberate thoughts* (August 16)

Well, 25. But with a 100% tariff imposed on each one--and riffs on Warren Harding, Jeff Bezos, Spinal Tap and more--it’ll surely feel like 50.

#9) Long live the Hoosier Gym (March 1)

In the wake of actor Gene Hackman’s death, reflections on a non-profit group helping to preserve the memory of the movie in which he played one of his best roles.

#8) Breaking the Ice (January 25)

For too long, I let Donald Trump’s false, harsh rhetoric sour my response to immigrants. Finally, on a bone-chilling day, I came face-to-face with a mother, her infant--and my own heartlessness.

#7) What’s Best? (March 29)

How much thought have you given to how you sign off your e-mail messages? If you’re like me, those thoughts include pet peeves and nuanced preferences.

#6) Star-Spangled Banner (December 6)

A behind-the-scenes look at high school senior Anika Sherman’s remarkable journey to sing the national anthem before a recent Chicago Bears game.

#5) Pitching the Penny (May 24)

The one-cent coin’s days are numbered. It’s about time...and money.

#4) Courtside Cameo (March 8)

For four years, I’ve been on a quest to spot my collegiate children on TV as they cheer on their respective men’s basketball teams. Could it happen before the clock winds all the way down?

#3) Musk’s Origin Story (February 15)

In 1999, a Salon magazine feature profiled an emerging entrepreneur hardly anybody had heard of. Reading it today is like looking at Elon Musk’s DOGE playbook.

#2) Phone purge (November 23)

So many names and numbers at my fingertips...but so few I’m actually in touch with. What to do next? Plus: luck’s role in foiling would-be Presidential assassinations and a return to Wrigley Field.

#1) Game over (February 1)

As a basketball referee, my approach is colored by my playing, coaching and rooting histories. Today marked a new, sobering milestone.

1. Special thanks to all my subscribers whose encouragement, kind words, engagement and—in some cases, financial contributions—help keep me going from week to week.

2. What’s the story on Mr. Steury being the spark for the Inside Edge?

In late 2022 or early 2023, I’d gotten a preliminary green light from Seattle magazine to write a feature story about Tom after he’d reached the 1-million mark for free throws attempted. When that green light turned red a few days later, I vowed not to let others squelch stories that I had a real passion to pursue. This experience was pivotal in my decision to start this Substack in March 2023. Fittingly, within the first 24 hours, Tom was the first non-family member to subscribe.