For those of you who are regulars to these parts, you know that the 5-at-10 never stops Mondays-through-Friday.
We've done them from Montana and the panhandle. We've done them covered in snow with kids begging to get outside. We've done them with fevers approaching 103 - for us and family members - and with trash cans next to the keyboard.
Since late October, 2010, every day since, we have submitted and the talented TFP web team has posted some version of this silliness.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are not excused, although we normally cut back into smaller scale versions on holidays and during family vacations. This is 1,849 in a row, and the following is as big as its ever been.
For that - and for all you regular and occasional commentators - please know that I am truly thankful.
Hey, it's Thanksgiving. That means turkey time and family and tradition and football and more.
With that, we'll offer a reduced themed 5-at-10 - or at least try - with some top 5s, a Thanksgiving true or false and a holiday Rushmore. Deal? Deal.
Thankful list (for real, and thanks to those who played along in today's Thanksgiving A2 column)
1. Faith. I'm not a perfect Christian by any stretch, but that just makes me like every other Christian. At least that's what I know to be true and trust my Lord and Savior to know to be true as well. May God bless all of you on this holiday.
2. Family. We lose and gain members from time to time, but we need to maximize the time we have with those with whom we share blood and ties. If you got a family feud going, survey says, be the bigger person and make it stop. At least for today. (Richard Dawson would kiss you for it if he could.)
3. Freedom. We have kicked around a bunch of topics and views around the protests during the anthem this fall, and hopefully in some ways that discussion has made our tributes and honoring of those in uniform who protect us a little more real. Know this: The 5-at-10 clan now stands for every anthem played, whether we are watching on TV or at the game or some points in between. We owe them that at the very least.
4. Blessings. Know this: Unless your last name is Gates, someone is going to have more this or a better that. I know I can do a better job of enjoying what I have rather than longing for what I don't. May this be the start of a true year of Thanksgiving in that regard.
5. Fun. Between writing a ton - we do this five days a week and the A2 stuff - and the radio, there's a lot going on. You guys and gals that play along - as well as the talented and impressive efforts from Wells and Paschall - make this possible by making it a blast. And it also makes the down moments - be them on the back deck with the Mrs. 5-at-10 and a ice-cold Co-Cola or at a ballpark somewhere pitching to 7-year-olds - more important.
Thank you, one and all.
Thankful list sports version
1. Watching high school players run onto the field on Friday nights. There's no score, there's no stress, there's no uncertainty. There's only the electric look in the eyes of a group of teenagers who believe they are ready and know they have worked to represent themselves, their families, their school, each other and their community. It's as true a human vision - and the connection between teammates - as I know of in this life.
2. The sports feeling of hitting a golf ball or a baseball or turning loose a basketball or whatever your sport maybe, and knowing it's perfect. We'll never know the level of consistent excellence and routinely perfect that the all-timers do, and that's OK. But that one golf swing, or that one perfect release, or that baseball swing that leaves you barely knowing if you made contact but completely knowing that you crushed it, is enough to keep us all coming back.
3. Fans. Hey, people can laugh all they want at Johnny Vols Fans, and that's OK, but what goes around comes around. But that passion, regardless of the zip code or the shirt color, makes sports as special as they are to so many of us. And know this Johnny Vols Fans, better days are ahead. They have to be. UT is too good to not come back.
4. Hope. This is the hidden under current that is the difference between good coaches and out-of-work coaches. Hope. Can your coach deliver the hope that your team can compete and contend and even win on a regular basis. That hope can not be hype and it can not be hollow. That hope has to be organic and continual, not man made and occasional. Yes, it can morph into the expectation of success which can rarely become the eternally impressive Saban or Spurrier level of expectation of dominance. And while every fan would love to experience that for even a moment - and friends that's why every AU fan loves Cam, because gave Johnny Tigers Fan, for one glorious October, November and postseason, an expectation of domination on a Saban-esque level - the baseline starts with hope. And ask yourself this: Was Butch kept or praised for his team's work in the community, the improved academics or the top-10-level recruiting? Nope. Was Butch fired for the Title IX stuff, his crap-tastic interviews, or even the trickling stories of his lack of people skills within the program? Nope. He was kept and extended because he appeared to give UT fans a hope for grand Saturdays. He was fired when that hope was gone. And in truth it's just that simple.
5. Sappy sports stories. Gang, we're not an overly sentimental guy. That likely does not surprise a lot of you who know us. But the sappy sports stuff - when Chitwood makes it and Shooter starts jumping up and down, well, it gets dusty no matter where we are and no matter how many times we've seen it - is glorious. Thank you Tom Renaldi, you close-talking soft-speaking hug machine. (And while we are here, now that Iowa waves to the sick kids in the new hospital next to Kinnick Stadium, that has left "Play Like a Champion" and Howard's Rock and the eagle flying into Jordan-Hare and every other college football tradition fighting for second place.)
Sports turkeys
(Yes we could go O.J. and Aaron Hernandez, but those are world-class sports jerks and heels, not the run of the mill turkey of the folks who are around us in a regular way and make our sports less fun.)
1. Debbie or Danny Downer fan of your team. No win is good enough. Every loss needs to cost someone a job. Dude, chill.
2. In-stadium cussing guy. C'mon man, be better than that. (Side note: Only in-stadium fight we've ever been in was at an Auburn game with an Auburn fan who would not stop dropping cuss bombs and inappropriate insults. And sir, if you are reading, we hope you recovered from that day but we're not that sorry.)
3. Your Team Got Lucky opposing fan. Dude, everyone loses at least occasionally. Even Saban. And those losses should make the wins that much more enjoyable. (Side note: Every Georgia fan we know has been very gracious and direct after the AU win. "You guys dominated" and "Auburn played great" have been the main lines we've heard.) But just because your team lost does not mean the refs were paid or the Gods were against you. (Side note, part II: If your team loses, and your response is, "Well, they got lucky we turned it over" well who do you think forced those turnovers? That's just part of it.)
4. Stadium offensive coordinator. Man, cheer and be invested, but the "C'mon Coach, RUN THE BALL" guy because a pass got picked is silly and turkeyish. And he'll also be the "C'mon Coach, PASS THE BALL" guy after three straight runs net 2 yards.
5. Get In THE HOLE golf fan. Dude, you know it's a par-5 and the flag is 585 yards right? Who do you think that guy is, Carl Spackler, former greenskeeper about to become Masters champion? (It's in the hole.)
Sports this and that
- Hope you enjoyed our Thanksgiving spin around. Feel free to offer your views in any of the above categories. Also, remember the mailbag.
- Jauan Jennings was dismissed from the Tennessee football team. Man, there better be more to this story than just the frustrated social media post of a frustrated 20-year-old. If not, it's not a good look for UT leadership. Here are some details, and yes, his rant was cuss-filled, but there has to be more right?
- As for a good look for UT leadership, Rick Barnes is a dude and UT hoops is in good hands. And for those of you looking back on how we were less-than-thrilled with the hiring of Barnes, stop now. We admit it. The 5-at-10 was 100 percent wrong about Barnes. Dude is not a retread. Dude is a dude and better days are ahead from a team that consistently plays hard and always seems to play hard and smart.
- Rockets reserve Luc Mbah a Moute's plus-57 in 26 minutes last night was the highest on record in NBA history according to ESPN stats and information. That's nuts.
- Here are some interesting details from Mike Golic on the Mike & Mike split.
- If you are looking for our regular Thursday college football picks, we published them on Wednesday this week. Click here.
Today's questions
True or false, you call it dressing rather than stuffing.
True or false, you will put cranberry sauce on your plate today.
True or false, Chip Kelly will be the Florida head coach before Monday.
Feel free to leave a True or False, as well.
Miley Cyrus is 24 today. Billy the Kid would have been 158 today.
As for a Rushmore, let's do a Rushmore of Thanksgiving food. Think of it this way: You plate only holds four items, and the menu is limitless. What four items are you putting on your plate?
Go, and remember the mailbag.