I don’t have a lot of rules, but one of them is that any time there’s a global pandemic, a Top 10 is in order.

The Top 10 is brought to you by TJ’S in Portsmouth! My absolute favorite spot in Portsmouth to catch a game. Tell Bethany that McIsaac sent you.

You can support TJ’s by grabbing a gift card to use when they reopen! Click on the link here to help:  Click to support local businesses

10. WELL, THIS REALLY SUCKS EH?

I think we all feel a sense of doom, of depression, of hopelessness, like there’s nothing we can do about the current situation, and that things will never be the same again… of course, I’m speaking about Tom Brady signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Why, is there something else going on?

9. OF COURSE, i'm TALKING ABOUT THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

What’s been canceled? EVERYTHING. Championships, school, your social life (I mean was there much of one to begin with?) – it’s a serious situation, and everyone in NH seems to be doing their part, so let’s try to have a little fun with it in the Top 10 today.

8. ITALIAN MAYORS YELLING AT PEOPLE

You’re supposed to be staying home, and in Italy, where stuff is REALLY bad, you’re REALLY supposed to be staying at home – some folks aren’t heeding this order in Italy, and The Mayors are NOT HERE FOR THE BS:

https://twitter.com/protectheflames/status/1241403715036291072

7. DR. FAUCI

There are only two people I’m listening to in this crisis –Ed Ogeron, and Dr. Fauci. Dr. Fauci would tell me the only way to beat this disease is to film myself saying wearing a Yankee jersey and smashing myself in the face with a ball-peen hammer, I’d be wearing a Jeter jersey and bleeding in 10 minutes. This dude is Superman at this point.

6. SPEAKING OF ED ORGERON

This the greatest PSA in the history of PSA’s : 

https://twitter.com/LouisianaGov/status/1238905211110019073

I'd follow that man into Hell itself. 

5. REMOTE LEARNING

Good news kids! You’re home from school! Bad news – you still have to learn. Remote learning has gone well in Rochester, s/o to the staff and teachers at the Rochester School district. I’m sure it’s not going as great everywhere, but NH has done a good job holding it down.

4. NETFLIX

And Hulu, and Prime Video, and every other damn thing. The weather in NH won’t be good for another 2 months, right around the time, HOPEFULLY, we’re all able to high five each other again (Note: please don’t high five me).

ANYWAY, here’s my top 5 shows you should binge on if you haven’t seen them (or even if you have). In no particular order:

The Sopranos

The Wire

Deadwood

The Shield

Battlestar Galactica (not the 70’s version, the 00’s)

MOST of these are NSFW, but you’re working from home now anyway.

3. I’M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE AT WORK AND IT’S NOT AS GREAT AS YOU THINK

So at my job, I’m considered “essential”, which is just a way of saying I can’t work in my pajamas with one of the aforementioned shows playing in the background. ALSO it means that all your meetings are on Zoom or Teams or some other thing that only 30% of the office can figure out, PLUS there’s nobody to make bad Lunch decisions with, AND you have to actually send memes rather than killing time going down the hall to show it on your phone. It’s not great.

I’ll immediately start complaining about them when they’re all back, just FYI.

2. AS IN TWO CHAMPIONS?

Co-Champions announced today by the NHIAA, which I take a little umbrage within the divisions that had more than 2 teams left. There’s no great solution here, but it seems like naming co-champs in the divisions where only 2 teams remained and declaring No Champion in the division where more than two teams were left might’ve been the way to go, but I’m not going to try and start arguments about it, for once. That all being said, SPAULDING GIRLS ARE DIVISION 2 (CO) CHAMPIONS LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

1. A SOCIETY GROWS GREAT WHEN OLD MEN PLANT TREES WHOSE SHADE THEY KNOW THEY SHALL NEVER SIT IN

Listen, this whole thing sucks right now. You’re all cooped up, can’t hang out with your bros/girls, you can’t go to your favorite restaurant, tournaments canceled, graduations in jeopardy, the whole thing. But it’s a time to remember that this isn’t about you, it’s about someone’s grandma or grandpa, or someone you’ve never met and might never meet. We’re all doing this for each other. Someone is staying the hell indoors for you, and so you can do the same for them.

Also, and let me just shout this from the rooftops: for those of you 42 and under (like me), THIS IS OUR MOMENT!!!! WE’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR STAYING INSIDE AND DOING NOTHING BUT PLAYING VIDEO GAMES OUR WHOLE LIVES! LET’S DO THIS!!!!!!  

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: ESPN now showing old Wrestlemanias, The weird videogame NASCAR thing on FS1 wasn’t bad, we’re still not talking about TB12, NCAA Classics on CBS Sports

Justin McIsaac writes the Top 10 every week (usually). He is the 2018 & 2019 NSMA NH Sportscaster of The Year.  He has 1,000 jobs, including radio color commentary for UNH Football, Producer of "NH Today with Jack Heath", HS play by play for MOSN, The McIsaac On Sports Network, college play by play for Dartmouth, St Anselm’s, UNE, Harvard, and whoever else will cut the check. Follow him on Twitter: @justin_mcisaac