Welcome to the offseason.
One benefit of writing here at SB Nation is we get access to two separate media libraries (Getty Images and USA Today) to help illustrate our stories and the home page. These are updated with dozens of photos each night, which means once a week or so a picture comes through that I find amusing, either in composition or context. This year, I had the foresight to save a bunch of them, thinking I’d turn them into a post over the long offseason when “content” is hard to come by.
But commenter BearInTheRiver suggested a photo caption contest instead, and that’s a much better idea because (frankly) it can be serialized to generate clicks and comments on a weekly basis. And so, you know, here we are.
(By the way: The conversation with Bear was inspired by fellow commenter JasonRyan being named a finalist in a recent cartoon caption contest for The New Yorker. This is an all-time cool “fun fact” to have in one’s back pocket. In fact, it’s so cool that I’ve told multiple people about it when describing the community I write for, hoping to leech just a bit of the adulation for myself.)
I’m not sure what format this will ultimately take. Here’s my plan for now:
- I will post a photo each week.
- You will go into the comments and write a funny caption about the photo.
- Actually, it doesn’t have to be funny — it can be poetic or disturbing or whatever the photo inspires in you.
- It also doesn’t have to be a caption. It can be an essay, a drawing, a counter image, or literally anything Coral allows you to post in the comments.
- Unlimited entries, though be considerate.
- NO POLITICS OR RELIGION OR GENERATIVE AI OR ANYTHING THAT VIOLATES OUR COMMUNITY GUIDELINES. NO CLEVER ATTEMPTS TO SNEAK SOMETHING THROUGH. NO “MODS FEEL FREE TO DELETE IF…” — THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE MILDLY FUN ENGAGEMENT BAIT AND I WILL GO BACK TO WRITING ABOUT THE 2026 MARINERS IF WE CANNOT HANDLE THIS.
- You will then read the other comments and “rec” the ones that you like.
- The comment that gets the most recs will be the winner.
- I will also choose a comment or two that speaks to me personally.
- The deadline for commenting and voting will be whenever I get around to doing the post for the week.
- The winners will be displayed in the following week’s post, along with the next photo prompt.
- We will do this until the season starts or interest dies or I simply forget.
Note: If anyone thinks of a good title for this series, I will consider using it. Clever is great, funny is great — you will earn a rec. But it needs to accurately summarize/describe the series.
Last Week’s Winners
This is the place where your username and comment could show up as soon as next Sunday. Think of the recs. Think of the glory. Now, think of a caption.
This Week’s Contest
This photo comes from a rare 2026 Mariners win. Josh Naylor had just homered to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh inning, but his back stiffened while rounding the bases. The photo shows Dan Wilson explaining to a displeased Naylor why he’d been pulled from the game. For some reason, Luis Castillo decided to get a front row seat to this conversation. It was an awkward moment, captured on video, among many scenes from the dugout in 2026.
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