Before we start, let's just many thanks to so many of you for being regulars. The numbers for the 5-at-10 have been excellent and that's because of you guys and gals making this a place to convene, agree, disagree but to always be civil. (Well, except for those pesky "Not-so-fan-emails" we added.)
Also, it's hard to remember a time when we got more mailbag entries than we have in the last few weeks. We'll try to get to as many of them as possible. Deal? Deal.
From Mike
Man, do you watch Thursday night football? Why do they even have that? Half the time I forget it's even on.
Is it just for gambling reasons and do you think they should kill Thursday night NFL games?
Mike -
Excellent question. The fundamental answer is Thursday night was another portal for the league to sell a window to its partners and, maybe more importantly, a live game a few times a year on the NFL Network, which provides great value in terms of subscribers and connection to cable companies.
In a word, Thursday night football is about money. But that money is in the short term. The bigger arching question is whether it will cost the league money by damaging the product, oversaturating the audience, and worse yet, continue this onslaught of season-ending injuries to big-name stars. (Yes, Richard Sherman was lost for the year with an Achilles' tear last night. It could have happened at any time, game or practice, but it happened on Thursday night.)
We think when the current CBA expires, TNF will be part of the safety discussions. And in truth, the duplicity of trying to say the league is changing rules and culture for safety reasons and then knowingly having players go out there three days after a Sundaygame is laughable.
I think they should do away with Thursday night, or at the very least figure out a way for the Thursday night game to come after the bye week for each team. Heck, the NFL is an industry with annual revenues in the 11-figure range, they can come up with some sort of schedule matrix to make that work, even if it means extending the regular season an extra week.
(Side note: We do like the experiments with the uniforms, believe it or not. Do they fail at times? Sure. But they occasionally hit home runs too. The Jets a couple of weeks ago were aces. Also of note, read that the next Thursday's broadcast will feature Skycam as the primary camera angle for Steelers-Titans. That camera view is similar to the default angle used on the Madden games, which screams to us they are trying to connect to some of the younger folks who are are connected to the NFL through video games.)
FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2017, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer reacts to play during an NCAA college football game against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. Meyer says he likes the progress of the Buckeyes’ offense in the past month. He says quarterback J.T. Barrett and the passing game is clicking with Penn State and other tougher games looming after the bye week. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) From Ed
Jay, I'm confused by your method of college football picks. For example you show Ohio State minus 17 over Iowa. Does that mean Ohio State is picked by 17 points to win over Iowa and if so why not say it that way? If you don't agree I'd be interested in your reasoning that your way is better.
Ed -
First, yes, minus-17 means that team is favored to win by 17 points. As for my preference to use THE Ohio State minus-17, has always been about ease.
I guess I can see your point in some ways, but it also is pretty universally known - especially with the way the point spreads are put into the newspapers and listed on websites as Ohio State -17 IOWA. (And Iowa being in all caps would signify that the Hawkeyes are the home team, which is a little more obscure, so we do not use that one.)
Thanks for the question and hopefully that makes things more clear for you. (And that the Fab 4 picks continue to roll, and yes we did notice that you picked the example that we missed by 48 points in a 5-1 week last week. Well-played sir. Savage.)
But this does lead us into the NFL picks, which have been as middle of the road as a dotted yellow line. Sweet Ravens safety Ed Reed can we find our stride.
Falcons minus-3 over Dallas. Buy the half and we're back to the point that this pick is more about desperation than information. The Falcons are 4-4 and must right the ship at home. You have to wonder whether Alfred Morris or Darren McFadden will be able to fill the monster void left by Ezekiel Elliott's suspension. And in turn, if Dak Prescott is going to be ready to be a pass-first, pass-next, pass-last type of gunslinger.
New York Jets minus-2.5 at Tampa Bay. No Jameis Winston. No Mike Evans. Raise your hand if you knew that the Jets are No. 3 in the league against the spread at 6-2-1, and that the Bucs are the worst team in the league vs. the number at 1-6-1? Interesting right? Well, interesting if you are gambling. Not if you are looking for a game to watch. (Here's betting, "McCown-Fitzpatrick NFL excitement, next on CBS" was not a finalist for the league's network commercials this week.)
Pittsburgh minus-10 Indianapolis. Wowser, backing a double-digit road favorite in today's NFL? That's simply nuts. Like swimming right after eating or running with scissors. Well, we believe you should know the following: Three of the four Colts starting secondary players have either been released (Vontae Davis), injured for the season (Malik Hooker) or likely to miss this game with an injury (Quincy Wilson), which is hardly how you want to go to work against Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Co. The Colts have allowed the most sacks in the NFL; the Steelers are tied for fourth for the most sacks recorded with 26. Now know the Colts are playing their 10th consecutive week with a bye week looming next week. The Steelers are healthy and coming off their bye. Looking for a 42-17 final here friends.
Bears minus-4 over Green Bay. The Packers are struggling without Aaron Rodgers, which makes sense. Everyone would struggle without a player as great as Aaron Rodgers.
Now, add to the fact Bears had a bye last week, they are at home and the battered Packers - who also cut starting tight end Martellus Bennett this week - are coming off a short week with Monday's loss to Detroit.
Last week 2-2 against the spread (50 percent)
This season: 15-14-1 against the spread
From Joey
Jay, been reading the 5@10 since you guys started doing Press Row and I enjoy your work. I wanted to thank you for getting me turned on to the LeBatard Show on ESPN radio.
It's awesome.
They were talking about something this week that I would love to hear your opinion on. They were trying to come up with a universal supreme sports court for all the U.S. sports. What do you think and who are some of the first names you'd nominate? Thanks again for all your stuff.
Joey -
I did not hear that, but that's an excellent idea. And yes, the LeBatard Show and their entire crew are doing stuff no one has ever done before. (Maybe that's not your cup of tea, and that's fine. For me, it's hilarity.)
As for the Sports Supreme Court, man, we think that really should be something for all of college sports. A governing body committed to governing rather than just cashing checks and catering to the big boys. (And we got crunched on time, so we only put five that came to our head quickly. Who else do you guys think deserve consideration.)
The first nominees for the college court would be Jay Bilas, Tom Osborne, Tim Tebow, Mike Slive and Kara Lawson for starters. As for the professional sports Supreme Court, we'll go Condoleezza Rice, Steve Largent, Jack Nicklaus, David Stern, Jordan (if he would sell his stake in the Charlotte franchise) and if not Jordan, Chuck Barkley to begin with.
This week's Rushmores:
Rushmores of Lou (could go Lew but not Louie or Louis or Lewis): Lew Alcindor, Lou Gehrig, Skip to My Lou, and Lou "The Toe" Groza (with all apologies to Lou Holtz ((aka Granny Clampett)), Lou Costello and Capt. Lou Albano and Lou Reed and of course luaus everywhere)
Rushmores of TV cooks and chefs: Mel from Mel's Diner, Soup Nazi, Swedish Chef from the Muppets and Spongebob Square Pants, edging a list too diverse to name that includes Chef from South Park, Monica from Friends, Jack Tripper and Hop Sing)
Rushmore of 'lucky': Lucky Day from Three Amigos, Lucky Luciano, Lucky Charms, Charles "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh
Rushmore of Sally Field movies: Smokey and the Bandit, Forrest Gump, Norma Rae and Places in the Heart over Mrs. Doubfire and Steel Magnolias.
On Nov. 10 in 1969, National Educational Television (the forerunner to PBS) debuts a little show called Sesame Street. Who knows, maybe it will stick around. Today in 1989, Germany starts to take down the Berlin Wall.
Norman Mailer died on this day 10 years ago. Chuck Connors - TV's original Rifleman - died on this day in 1992.
Hey, Sinbad is 61 today. Respect. Warren G is 47 (and yes we though he was older than that too.)
Miranda Lamber is 34 and Ellen Pompeo (the lead character on Grey's Anatomy) on 48. Russell Johnson, aka The Professor on Gilligan's Island, would have been 93 today. Roy Scheider, Brody from Jaws, would have been 85 today.
Couple of noteworthy college football tidbits on this day: First, in 1945, No. 1 Army beat No. 2 Notre Dame 48-0. On this day in 1984, Miami blew a 31-0 third-quarter lead in a 42-40 loss to Maryland.
Home Alone premiered today in 1990.
From Big Shot Robert
I heard you and David talking about the ESPN layoffs coming after Thanksgiving. (Happy holidays right?)
Who do you think should be gone? Thanks for all you guys do.
Big Shot Robert -
In a million years, I'm not going to speculate who 'should' be gone. Sadly in today's media business layoffs are a life-changing nightmare that comes calling to almost every company, regardless of platform.
Even ESPN, the mothership of sports. And for all the talk of the "liberal leanings" and the "stick to sports" talking points the simple economic truth of the matter is ESPN overpaid for live coverage of Monday Night Football and the NBA package at a time when cord-cutting (way more so than people canceling just ESPN, which is almost impossible to do unless you go to the very basic of basic cable packages) is gashing their nine-figure take on customers.
While I do not think discussing the who 'should' there have already been some some clues as to where the cuts will come.
First, unlike the round in May which focused on on-air talent primarily, the reports on the cuts later this month deal with both on-air people and those behind the scenes.
It also has been reported that the SpoersCenter franchise will take a pretty large hit, and that very well could start with the SC6 that included Jemelle Hill and Michael Smith. The ratings have not been what ESPN had hoped.
The morning SportsCenters likely will be overhauled and streamlined too, and look for more multi-purpose programs - like the radio shows that fill a spot on ESPN radio and a simulcast on a network. Heck, it wouldn't shock us if they either looked at sunsetting one of the networks or turning ESPNews into ESPN Docs and reran all the 30-for-30s already in the can.
From Jomo
JG - with Donald Trump going to China, can we please, please, please have a Joint press conference with LaVar Ball and Trump ! Would be incredible. Who do you think would dominate that presser?
Jomo -
No. No we can't.
And where we're sitting right now, we've kind of had all the talk we can handle from both those cats for a while.
As for dominating the presser, while we're pretty sure that both those cats think they are undefeated - Neva Loss - we see Ball's volume winning in the end. But the post-presser Twitter barrage would be epic.
From Andrew
Lets say Georgia and Bama meet undefeated in the SEC Championship. And UGA loses a heartbreaker like 2012. Does UGA still rank ahead of Notre Dame?
Also if you need some mailbag material, What CFP matchups do you want to see at this point? UGA/Notre Dame rematch? Baker Mayfield against the Bama defense? Auburn runs the table and gets another shot at Clemson?
Also regardless of the result this weekend, I still have a claim on one of those Thanksgiving t-shirts right?
Andrew -
It's hard to see a scenario that a one-loss Georgia behind a one loss Notre Dame simply because the head-to-head has to matter. And if that does not matter, then why schedule those power-match-ups in the first place.
Now style points will matter in a scenario like that. If Alabama drops a 31-13 on Georgia in Atlanta, then it's anyone's guess. But head to head has to matter. Has to.
Love the Bama-Baker thought, and man that's just the type of Manziel type of dude that has puzzled Bama in the past. (And we'd prefer to see that in the title game, because unless it's Cam Newton himself circa 2010, if Nick Saban has all of December to prepare, that's going to be a tall order.)
We'd love to see Georgia-Miami more than Georgia-ND rematch and get all the Richt storylines. That would be cool. Plus the turnover chain and the Dogs shoulder pads are both pretty cool props for what they are - way better than they turnover trash can.
Finally, there's a ton of other match-ups out there that could be excellent, as long as none of them include Wisconsin. And one that would be special and especially selfish is, Auburn wins out with a Kick-Six type of win over Alabama later this month. AU goes to the SEC title game and wins, and amid all the chaos everywhere else, a one-loss Alabama team is still in the mix too. Third-seeded AU beats Clemson in one semifinal; Fourth-seeded Alabama beats top-seeded Notre Dame in the other.
Iron Bowl part two for all the marbles in Atlanta. The state of Alabama would melt.
From Billy in Brainerd
Jay-G [or is it J-Gee]: I agree with you on all points about Mike + Mike. At age 59, I do not remember Martin + Lewis as a duo; but I think most would say Dean had a better career than Jerry after they split. I think Greenie wanted a change, but it may turn out better for Golic. I just wish the network had paired Big Mike with a talent better than Wingo.
For the mailbag: how about sharing what it is like around the 5-at-10 household the week uga travels to the Plains. Are you + the Mrs. making the trip Saturday?
BiB -
It's actually way more clam that you'd expect. Early on, it was crazy and the Mrs. and I went to the 2002, 2003 and 2004 AU-Georgia games that included a Georgia last second TD (Stupid Michael Johnson in 02, a Georgia butt-kicking in 03 and that great AU team in 04.)
We made an agreement early on: I agreed to more than one little 5-at-10 as long as we'd be an Auburn house. It's one of those deals that we each feel like we won.
Yes, we cheer more for Georgia in non-Auburn weeks than we ever have since the days of Herschel as a tip of the visor to the Mrs. But this weekend, it's all AU at the 5-at-10 compound.
Now the tension early on was tight.
In fact, we can remember riding back from Athens stewing about the 2003 loss. Her mom (a Georgia grad) and her step dad (an Auburn grad) were in the car with us, and let's just say those with the XX chromosomes were quite giddy.
Well, the tension was broken when her phone rang, and I won a 1930 Model A Ford in a drawing from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. So there's that. (And stupid Michael Johnson.)
This week's fan mail - kind of
We'll start here: Jay, please get off your simple minded idea of gun control. Many of us own guns and 99.9% of us aren't running around shooting people. Let's focus on the media and Hollywood, but of course that's a waste of your precious time.
And of course (The first graph was done in the traditional blue sarcasm font)
Us white folks just want our black football players to play and win for us and keep quiet. Once they quit football we could care less what happens to them. Yessir Boss man, yessir.
I am a proud Veteran and I'm (bleeping) kneeling if I want to. Screw you conservative hypocrites.
And finally, and oldie but a goodie
God, your writing sucks.
Good talk friends.