Weekend Flakes: Healthy Tension, Announcer Rankings and Panama.

What’s this? A Saturday Flakes? I’m guessing you were expecting a Friday Flakes. Thanks for the love. Reminds me of the time where I got the Slack-Bot to auto-reply every mention of Star Wars with a Spaceballs GIF.

I was up in the air most of the day while all of the chaos and insurrection were unfolding Wednesday in DC. I guess I picked a good time to leave the country. I’m still pretty shocked that Trump hasn’t been removed yet. Now I’m embracing the heat, humidity and lockdown measures in Panana. I know I didn’t pick a good time to come to Panama but I didn’t want to mess around with changing flights. I paid $50 for a coronavirus test upon arrival at Panama City’s airport. The waiting time only was 30 minutes. Thursday morning was spent looking at apartments and I left sometime between 3:30-5:30 because that was my time slot to do a grocery run (based on the last digit of my passport).

The main reason I’m here is to finalize details on a Panama hiking tour for next year. I’m working with local Panamanian guides to help me put the finishing touches on an awesome itinerary filled with plenty of fun activities and adventures in Panama. I currently staying in a nearly empty hostel until I can find an apartment to move into next week.

I will share more interesting information about Panama next time. Let’s hear your NFL Playoff Picks in the comments. Mine are Bills, Seahawks, Bucs, Titans, Saints and Steelers. Anyways onto Flakes…

Nebraska Recruiting: Should There Be Concern Over Slow 2022 Start | Football | Hail Varsity

There is a looming question. When will recruits and parents will be able to visit college campuses again? The current dead period goes into April. There is a strong chance that Nebraska will go through spring practice and the spring game without getting 2022 recruits on campus. The Huskers use those spring practices in a big way. It helps sell to recruits on the program. Inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud explained this last spring.

Sipple: In Former Husker Jake Peetz, LSU Gets Expert On Bama, Among Other Traits | Sports | Lincoln Journal Star

A Nebraska long-snapper and defensive back in the early 2000s, Peetz’s relatively quiet rise in the profession has been heading toward something big, but probably only a few Husker fans were keenly aware of it.

After Challenging Offseason. Veteran Husker Wrestlers Look to Flex Their Muscles in the Big Ten | Wrestling | Lincoln Journal Star

Manning couldn’t work with his team until Aug. 24, when UNL started the fall semester. Even then, practices had to be divided into multiple sessions to accommodate every wrestler due to COVID regulations regarding group gatherings. That routine continued throughout the fall but not without its challenges. In November, the team finally had to deal with the virus when an outbreak occurred, stopping practices for a couple of weeks.

Husker’s Ranked #4 in Men’s Gymnastics Poll | Gymnastics | Lincoln Journal Star

Stanford, which received 12 of 15 first-place votes, sits atop the poll. Oklahoma is No. 2 and Michigan, NU’s season-opening foe, is #3. The Big Ten occupies #3-8 with Illinois, Penn State, Ohio State and Minnesota follow the Huskers in the poll. Nebraska finished the shortened 2020 season at 7-2, and was fourth in the final CGA poll.

Top-Rated Canadian Prospect Caleb Clark Commits to Nebraska | Baseball | Omaha World Herald

The Orillia, Ontario, product becomes NU’s top-rated recruit in its 2022 group, with Perfect Game ranking him No. 299 overall and No. 1 in Canada. He’s a strikeout pitcher on the mound, throwing a fastball that touches 90 mph along with a change-up and a slider.

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren Appreciates Huskers Passion and ‘Healthy Tension’ That Creates | Sports | Omaha World Herald

“My feelings about Nebraska football have always been strong, have always been positive, and they’ll remain strong and positive,” Warren said. “Nebraska’s an incredibly valued member of the Big Ten.”

Mo Farah: Keep Kids Active Is More Important Than Elite Sport | Sports | USA Today

“It is obvious the impact that sport has had on my life and the many opportunities that it has given me,” he said. “However, the importance of what we are pushing for here is much bigger than elite sport. We are talking about ingraining life skills for children so they can ­implement the fundamentals of an active lifestyle and teach them both the physical and mental benefits of exercise.

Joe Buck Tops 2021 USA Today Sports Announcer Rankings | Sports | USA Today

Welcome to USA TODAY’s first-ever, non-regular and mostly subjective Sports Announcer Power Rankings. While we’ll strive to provide many interesting nuggets of information, the idea of objectively comparing broadcasters in different sports and different media is a fool’s errand. Let’s get right to it.

Fleeing Lockdown, Americans Are Flocking to Mexico City | Travel | New York Times

Mexico City is hardly the only Mexican destination seeing a surge of foreign visitors, particularly Americans, who — with the pandemic raging in the United States — are barred from traveling to many countries. While some Latin American nations have at times shut their borders completely, Mexico has imposed few restrictions: Mexico was the third most visited country in 2020, up from seventh last year, according to the Mexican government,

Every State’s Top Travel Destination For 2021 | Travel | Travel Pulse

Nebraska: Omaha. After being delayed by the events of 2020, American swimming fans will finally get to watch their heroes take to the pool at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June. After being canceled last year, 2021 will also see the return of the NCAA College World Series and will no doubt also see the continued rise of the city’s eclectic neighborhoods and hip eateries.

The 20 Safest Airlines In the World | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

For those looking to book on airlines with a track record of well-maintained aircraft and trustworthy crew in 2021, aviation safety site AirlineRatings.com has released its annual list of the top 20 safest airlines in the world. The site’s staff monitors serious safety incidents on 385 airlines to determine which carriers are among the 20 safest.

How to Opt-Out of Facial Recognition Technology | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

All airlines and government agencies say that participation in facial recognition scans at domestic airports is optional for U.S. citizens. Visiting foreign nationals, on the other hand, are compelled to participate on both arrival and departure as part of Customs and Border Protection’s entry-exit program in place at 27 U.S. airports and counting.

Canada Will Now Require Negative Coronavirus Tests From Air Travelers Favorite Travel Stories From Travelers in 2020 | Travel | Lonely Planet

From 7 January, all air passengers will be required to test negative for COVID-19 before traveling from another country to Canada. They must present proof of a negative PCR test result to the airline prior to boarding the flight, and the test must be taken during the 72 hours prior to departure. Those who receive a negative test result will be authorized to enter the country, but they must still complete the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

The Chef Preserving Canada’s Indigenous Identity | Travel | BBC

In recent years, First Nation chefs like Marie-Cecile Nottaway have been reclaiming their families’ generations-old recipes to feed new audiences.

England’s Sleepy Scientology Town | Travel | BBC

The sleepy Sussex market town of East Grinstead has gained a reputation in recent decades as a hotbed for offbeat religious activity.

Why Wales Is Known As the ‘Land of Song’ | Travel | BBC

You see, Welsh people are known to have two great passions – rugby and singing – and when they congregate for a rugby match, you won’t be able to stop them breaking into song. If anything, it’s encouraged, helped by the fact that a choir will be on the pitch pre-match, at half-time and post-match to guide the crowd through the customary Welsh rugby repertoire.

How a Deadly Prison Island Became a Natural Paradise | Travel | National Geographic

Established in 1919, the island was punishment for Panama’s most dangerous criminals—or for those who angered the wrong people. Unlike a penitentiary in which criminals are housed within fortress-like walls, on the island of Coíba, most prisoners were scattered throughout the island in 30 makeshift camps, creating shelters from natural surroundings.