Happy Friday everyone, and please have a great and safe New Year's Eve.
We only had a couple of questions this week, but that's OK. We, like the Bandit and Snowman, have a long way to go and a short time to get there this morning.
(Side note: "Smokey and the Bandit" is an all-timer in my book. All-time great buddy movie — "hold on to your (butt) Fred" — with a great cop-outlaw dynamic, too. It's funnier than you remember too, and it was Sally Fields at the height of her powers. I also believe this: If Burt Reynolds had managed his career just a touch differently — he turned down Nicholson's Oscar-winning role in "Terms of Endearment" to make "Stroker Ace" with his buddies — he would have been one of the all-timers. Thoughts?)
Let's handle our business.
First, to the Rushmores.
Rushmore of Denzel Washington movies — speaking of an all-timer, this catalog is stout. "Glory" is a no-doubter, and maybe the single strongest crying scene from a guy in movie history. "Training Day," a personal pick of "American Gangster" and of course his brilliant turn as the title character in "Malcolm X."
Rushmore of TV puppets — Kermit is the MJ of this category, no? The character we all know as Baby Yoda from "The Mandalorian," Howdy Doody and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Rushmore of Oz/Ozzie/et al — Ozzie Smith, Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Newsome and Ozzie Nelson.
Rushmore of best lead-off hitters — Rickey Henderson is far left. Lou Brock, Ichiro, and Tim Raines, but Lou better watch his back because Ronald Acuña is coming, and coming quickly. All apologies to Pete Rose, who I am sure some of you folks would have bet on making this Rushmore. See what I did there?
Let's cover some rules.
Here's the Southeastern14 podcast I do with Brian Edwards called Bets and Ballgames. Enjoy, and we cover a slew of SEC bowl dates in that one.
Here's Hargis with a Best of Preps tournament update. Great event.
Here's Paschall with the Vols focusing on who is available for this weekend's bowl game rather than who is not.
To the bag.
From Mark
Jay, please tell me you are going to have a weekend set of picks? You have been saving me, Jay!
Mark,
Thursday was less than great, but it has been a pretty good run.
I had some family things this morning, and I will post some weekend Fab 4 picks in the comments around lunch.
And of course there is the Jay's Plays email newsletter that has been better than I could have expected.
Seriously, a full year in — and remember we started in October 2022, but those first couple of months were back-and-forth — and we are close to plus-100 units in 2023 alone.
For those unaware, that would be like handing your bankroll to a stock broker and he/she turns $10,000 into $110,000 in a year.
So there's that.
Stay tuned, more to come, including some SEC basketball podcasts and more on the horizon.
From Jay
Jay, not sure anyone is going to ask your expert opinion on this, but since you are so wise, and so kind, and so smart, and so, well you get the idea.
Is there a better story in sports than Joe Flacco right now?
Jay,
You truly are a blessed asset to our 5-at-10 community. And you are quite dashing, I must say.
Joe Flacco should be the NFL comeback player of the year.
Joe Flacco has played five games and has as many 300-yard passing games as Josh Allen (4).
Joe Flacco has five starts — four wins, mind you — for a Browns team that has now clinched a playoff spot.
Joe Flacco has more than 1,600 passing yards and 13 TDs in those five starts.
These Cleveland Browns have a path to being the AFC 1 seed.
With Joe "I'm gonna be 39 next month and I was 3-14 as a QB1 since the start of the 2019 season" Flacco as the dude.
Man, Shane Falco would not be a better story than this, people.
In fact, I saw this from the Flacco performance last night when someone was banging a trash can and Al Michaels said, "The Astros must be in town" (classic line, Al) but this great bowling clip is exactly who Joe Flacco has to be feeling like these days.
From Vinny
Regardless, if you feel that person has lowered the bar, why not push for those who you feel are more deserving?
Vinny,
First, thanks for the question. Second, some background. Vinny and I were bouncing MLB Hall of Fame discussion around.
The regulars among these parts are likely sick of me complaining about the ever-dipping level of Hall of Very Good.
But my contention has always been — before Harold Baines (who likely did not own a glove for multiple seasons) or Ted Simmons were given the LaRussa pass into Cooperstown — was that Andruw Jones had a Hall of Fame resume.
And it's not about those comps as much as it is about this one, which also was a guy who played for LaRussa but also a guy most people believe should be in the Hall.
Andruw Jones was every bit as good (if not better) defensively at a position of equal value and way, way, WAY better offensively than Ozzie Smith.
Discuss that.
This also leads us to the conversations of the ballots starting to leak, and how some folks are not voting for Adrian Beltre.
WHAT?
C'mon people.
Here's the thing. I think Andruw Jones is a Hall of Famer. But I would rather err on the side of keeping fringe Hall of Famers out and maintaining the Cooperstown mystique.
Look at the names below and, Vinny in terms of comp, where are we:
— Dale Murphy > Ted Simmons and Harold Baines.
— Don Mattingly > Ted Simmons and Harold Baines.
— Andruw Jones > Ted Simmons and Harold Baines.
— Todd Helton > Ted Simmons and Harold Baines (side note: Why do we bag on hitters in Colorado but not pitchers in clearly pitching parks like Dodgers Stadium).
— Carlos Delgado > Ted Simmons and Harold Baines.
I could go on, and my stance is clear. I would rather none of those dudes get in than fight the what aboutisms that overly important and self-appointed dbag Tony LaRussa has now started.
From DougDyer
(With tongue firmly planted in cheek), here was a great comment this week from regular Doug, a renowned hater of all things orange and the bevy of college bowl offerings:
Watching a football bowl game in a baseball stadium (Fenway Park) with the game named for a Japanese horseradish (wasabi) starting at 11 a.m. really seems like traditional college football.
DD,
All we need is Keith Jackson calling these games.
"Whoa Nelly! That spicy kick of a 48-yard field goal is like the spicy kick from your favorite wasabi."
Have a great weekend, friends, and a safe New Year's Eve.
Be back around lunch with our picks and more.