5-at-10: Best of Preps, Game 6, late-night Braves and Tiger and Phil's place

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

We're going to go fast today - to paraphrase our man Eazy E, let's go all quick, our style as a juvenile, ran with a gang, slang in the meanwhile.

As always, from the "Talks too much" studios, went to the park to get the scoop, knuckleheads out there cold shooting some hoop.

Ella Winters with the Institute of Jugglology explains the simple and correct steps to learn how to juggle objects.

Learn to Juggle

Video available Watch Video

Best of Preps

Last night's Best of Preps banquet went famously with a new record crowd. It may have been the best one yet, and that's saying something considering a lot of folks around the country are trying to duplicate our success with that event. Yay TFP.

Congrats to all the award winners and thanks to everyone who helped make it such a good gig. Chipper Jones was very engaging, and went above and beyond his end of the deal. Thanks to Chipper for that.

The on-stage highlight beyond celebrating the excellence and achievements of the best of Best of Preps in our area was when we asked Chipper about how hard it is to watch baseball as a fan. He said he finds himself yelling at the TV, trying to tell his former teammates what's coming or what to look for, and then the wise-cracking sports editor added, "tell Dan Uggla here comes a curveball, and do not to swing at it."

Ah, Struggla - he even found a way to swing and miss at Best of Preps. Good times.

----

Game 6

We do not have the time to check the stats, but we feel pretty certain that teams down 3-2 in a seven-game series that lose Game 6 end up losing the series. Yep, we feel pretty sure about that one.

So, as Tim McCarver and Joe Morgan would have said, "This is a pretty big game for Miami, Joe."

photo LeBron James

"You bet Tim. It really feels like a must-win situation."

We see LeBron playing well. We see the Heat playing well. We see Game 7 on our horizon.

We also know this - when either team brings their A game, they are a load to handle. We have not seen matching A games in any one game this series, although Game 1 was close. We think if both bring their A game, the Heat will win, and it will be a magical and memorable Game 6.

It has been a back-and-forth series, that Spy called less than compelling on the floor other than Game 1. We agree with that assessment to a point. The fourth quarters have been fairly one-sided, but the action leading up to the final quarter has been close and competitive.

That hopefully changes tonight. We are expecting something special. And how LeBron handles this moment - because let's face it, there is championship pressure on all the bigwigs in this series, but there is intergalactic championship pressure on James, who has reached the place where winning is as much about relief as it is enjoyment - will leave an indelible mark on his image.

----

Braves late world

If you made it through the Braves' 2-1 win over the Mets last night/this morning, well good for you. And hey, since you likely slept in, why are you so late to the 5-at-10?

After a rain delay that lasted almost four hours, the Braves waited until the bottom of the ninth to score when Freddie Freeman's two-run walk-off dinger carried into the night. (Side note: We need to improve the vernacular of that description. Walk-off is describing the losing team, so why has it caught on? The players on the winning team are running on to field and jumping around and waiting to throw stuff at each other. The losers are walking off, and losers don't get to write history. A game-winning, game-ending homer could certainly be a trot-off home run. As for the rest, well got any suggestions?)

photo Atlanta Braves' Freddie Freeman connects on a winning two run homer against the New York Mets during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, June 17, 2013, in Atlanta.

Freeman launched Dillion Gee's only mistake into the seats for the game-winner.

It was a microcosm win for the Braves, who managed but five hits (.166 last night as a team) but delivered and scored just enough.

It also precedes today's day-night doubleheader, which is part of a five-game series against the Mets. First, there are going to be some tired eyes and legs for today's 1 p.m. start after last night's game ended after 1 a.m. Second, the day-night doubleheader is a hose job. (Side note: Strange Brew is an underrated feature film. Side note II: How did the traditional doubleheader go the way of VHS and the dodo bird? In the age of travel ball and tournaments every weekend, we have 12-year-olds playing 10 doubleheaders per month, but the big leaguers can't? Phooey. And get off our lawn and turn down that rock music.)

----

This and that

- Tip of the helmet to Spy's Boston Bruins, who are half way to the Stanley Cup. Side question: Are they trying to get an NHL game on July 4 so it will feel more like America's game?

- So the NFL has Pacman Jones talking to rookies about smart decisions, huh? Is this not unlike Pamela Anderson talking to the freshmen girls at sorority rush about wise social choices? What was Ochocinco in jail? (Actually, yes he was detained until recently.) Who came up with this idea, Nevin Shapiro?

- And after more than one subtle hint from a certain regular whose handle sounds a lot like Taz(fine), let's offer a bit of praise to UK's football recruiting class. Yay, UK's football recruiting class. That said, and on a little more of a serious note, are we ready for an SEC in which Kentucky and Vandy are legit? Think of it this way, if all eight of your conference games are dog fights (well, unless you are Alabama, then you're the big dog in the altercation), the best league in college football will be even better. And tougher. And downright scary.

- We're in a busy spot in our day-to-day lives right now - the Mrs. 5-at-10 is out of town - and we're looking for any Rushmore or Top 5 requests this week as we shorten the 5-at-10 for the next week or so. Discuss.

----

Today's question

We were pushed for time yesterday, so we were unable to fully breakdown the US Open, which offered a fun Sunday background amid the Father's Day activities.

The golf was less than great, but the USGA had a lot to do with that. Merion, the shortish old course that had everyone worried about a birdie-fest, held her ground, and the tangled rough had a lot to do with that.

To paraphrase Mike Tyson's famous line, Tiger Woods faded into Bolivia on the weekend, and the conditions had a lot to do with that. And story line sweetheart Phil Mickelson came in second for a US Open-record sixth time, and Phil Mickelson had a lot to do with that.

So here's our question(s):

One, will Tiger ever win another major? Two, will Phil? Three, how will these guys be remembered if neither hoists the heavyweight hardware again?

Discuss.