eOpicle

There are certain announcements that make you stop what you're doing. A new hospital? That's important. A major employer bringing hundreds of jobs? Worth paying attention to. An asteroid heading toward Earth? Probably worth clearing your afternoon. Then there are announcements like Academy Sports + Outdoors opening a new location in Siloam Springs. And somehow, everyone reacts as if civilization itself has just leveled up. Don't get me wrong. I get it. I enjoy wandering through sporting goods stores as much as the next person who has absolutely no intention of climbing a mountain. These places have mastered a fascinating business model. They don't just sell equipment. They sell alternate versions of yourself. You don't walk in looking for socks. You walk out convinced that maybe this is finally the year you'll become the kind of person who wakes up before sunrise to fish. You won't. But for thirty glorious minutes, standing next to the wall of premium...