Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper won an exciting Home Run Derby, which seems a lot like a simple sentence or two in the "This and That" portion of our show.
But there's so much more.
First there is this that the Nationals promised to take $1 off each ticket price for selected second-half games for each dinger Harper delivered. He hit 45 today so if you order today, there are a lot of $1 tickets out there.
There also is the quote-unquote controversy of whether Harper - who was hitting off his dad in the event - broke rules and was seeing pitches before the previous pitch landed, as per the rules. The video is close, but know that Harper hit nine homers in the last 47 seconds to tie it up before extra time.
That type of controversy in today's Home Run Derby is no big deal, right? What happens down the road when half the country is betting on the Home Run Derby, huh? Yep.
Finally, there needs to be a tip of the helmet to the folks who run the Derby.
We have discussed a slew of changes to almost every sport but the Derby has continued to evolve and make small to large changes that truly made the event better.
That's inspired and smart.
Now if they can get all the best sluggers in the event this thing will be even better.
A word of advice: rejection by emoji is not the best of idea.Barf... in a cartoon form
Today is world emoji day. Pardon me for not throwing a party.
What started as character-saving abbreviations that became cute social media snapshots leads me to a point that seems hard for anyone to refute: We are raising dumber kids.
Sure, maybe they are more tech savvy, and that's all well and good.
And in today's world, if you are going to have any type of job - be it tie-wearing or name-tag-wearing - the more technical knowledge the better. When we were at 9-10 state all-stars last week, we stopped at a McDonald's in north Alabama for breakfast and all orders were issued through a touch-screen. The manager said all of the chain's stores were headed that way.
But emojis and misspelled and abbreviated words is not tech savvy. It's short-hand and at times lazy.
So pardon me if I get into an old-guy rant, but emojis? Seriously.
Count me out, and it's right there on the things grown men should not be part of with jerseys not handed to you by someone you call coach and sandals unless you are walking directly to a body of water.
That is all and get off my porch.
Golf because it's golf
We discussed Tony Romo living large as Tony Romo on Monday. It's worth noting that being Tony Romo right now is so sweet you can turn down the $125K check for winning the celebrity Masters at Lake Tahoe to retain your amateur status. It's good to be the Romo.
It's also worth nothing that TFP All-around ace David Paschall was more than Davey on the spot at SEC media days. He also caught up with Luke List, who tied for third at the Scottish Open. Here's the story. List's career year is proof that good things happen to good people.
And of course, we will cover some golf topics because this is the week of the sport's final major. (Please, the PGA is as major as a minor, as major as Frank Burns, as major as my first two college picks at Auburn. Pshaw.)
We think it's important to enjoy the game, and the enjoyment factor of the British Open is off the charts. The courses. The tradition. The voices of the dudes announcing the players to the tee.
Good times, mate.
It's also worth noting that this guy is greatly enjoying golf these days, and his impersonations of some of the best in the game is staggering.
Want more fun? Of course. Well, get in the game my friends.
OK, it's official, we'll have an Open for Business at The Open Championship Contest (Open for everyone). The rules are the same. Pick five golfers, your best four finishers count. If you pick guys who finish 1, T-3, 9 and 11, that's 24 points (add all the places together, you see) and the low score wins. Need entries by close of BID-ness Wednesday night.
We are in with Fleetwood, Koepka, DJ, Rory and Justin Rose.
This and that
- Here's the Team TFP covering of the SEC Media Days event in the ATL. Because of ongoing dealings with my ill Pop, I am driving to Atlanta each morning and back each evening. It's a grind, but I'm sure I'm saving some wear and tear on my liver. (The Co-Colas can flow at that event.) Here's my column on wanting the SEC to lead more with more conference-wide, all-encompassing rules. Here's TFP UT ace David Cobb on Jimbo Fisher swinging by his first SEC media event. And here is TFP SEC ace David Paschall, in his element here friends, with a look at LSU trying to breaking through the Alabama/Auburn blockade in the West.
- This may or may not be interesting to you, but here's a first-person account of why David O'Brien left the AJC to become the Braves beat writer for The Atlantic website, which opened an Atlanta branch. That branch apparently also added Jeff Schultz, the longtime former AJC columnist. Here's O'Brien's view and he makes a lot of hard-to-argue points, especially for those in this business who work for monster chains trying to figure out ways to monetize the web.
- Speaking of monetizing the inter web, how about this stat: Roughly 20 years ago, Blockbuster could have bought Netflix for $50 million. Today Netflix is worth tens, if not hundreds of billions, and there is one Blockbuster store open in America.
- Le'Veon Bell will get a franchise tag. Again. And this almost assuredly be his last season in Pittsburgh. And it's hard to blame either side to be honest. Would you want to pay any running back, $50 or so million guaranteed, especially as that running back is on the back half of his 20s. And if you are a running back as productive as Bell, you would expect to get paid.
Today's question
True or false, it's Tuesday.
True or false, you are in the Open for Business at The Open Championship Contest (Open for everyone).
True or false, the Home Run Derby is more fun than the dunk contest now.
True or false, you use emojis.
David Hasselhoff is 66 today. Luke Bryan has a birthday too, but man he's right there with these new dudes simply killing country music.
Today is the 30th anniversary for Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones. Congrats to each.
Donald Sutherland is 83 today. Would Donald and Kiefer make the Rushmore of father-son movie stars?
Discuss.