5-at-10: Big Orange Mess, Derby contest to win stuff, NBA stories (including Chuck), Rushmore of prayer

New University of Tennessee athletic director John Currie and new University of Tennessee Chancellor Beverly Davenport speak on stage during a ceremony introducing Currie in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., Thursday, March 2, 2017. Currie previously worked at Tennessee for about a decade in various capacities before leaving for Kansas State, where he has been athletic director since 2009. (Caitie McMekin/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)  /Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)
New University of Tennessee athletic director John Currie and new University of Tennessee Chancellor Beverly Davenport speak on stage during a ceremony introducing Currie in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., Thursday, March 2, 2017. Currie previously worked at Tennessee for about a decade in various capacities before leaving for Kansas State, where he has been athletic director since 2009. (Caitie McMekin/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP) /Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)

Big Orange mess


For a lot of us who have followed the University for quite a while, does there ever seem to be an extended time of tranquility?

Seriously?

Yes, the calm brought by having Phillip Fulmer return was short-lived as down comes another level of leadership in Knoxville.

Soon-to-be-former Chancellor Beverly Davenport has been ousted. Here's the scathing termination letter from UT President Joe DiPietro. And yes, a lot of DiPietro's complaints are about a lack of communication, and of course, Davenport is being shuffled back to the communication department.

And there could be a slew of things that come out in the aftermath of this decision, but it's impossible not to think that another high-profile domino that comes crashing down is not in large part of what will be known as the worst college coaching search in history.

Davenport hired John Currie, which created some internal waves from the start. Currie agreed to a deal with Greg Schiano. UT fans erupted on social and the fall-out caused Schiano and Currie to agree to walk away (and remember Schiano's lawsuit is still out there there).

From there Currie was cooked. Enter Fulmer, who was pushed to the curb with the OK of some powerful folks a decade ago.

Who knows how Fulmer sweeping in and looking like the hero sat with some of the power players who were part of his downfall 10 years ago.

I do know that folks have told me that the folks atop the UT booster food chain were not best pleased by the machinations of the athletic department in the last eight months.

So DiPietro got a few calls and Davenport got a pink slip..

Maybe this is why they call it Rocky Top.

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Doing the Derby


Is there a more connected single event to an entire sport for the masses than the Kentucky Derby and horse racing?

Maybe the Olympics for a lot of track, swimming or gymnastics events. The Masters potentially.

But for the casual sports fan, how many other horse races even register on the radar.

Which is why we have our Derby contest. The entry process is simple: Either email your picks to jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or submit them in the comments.

Picking the winner is worth 1 point; picking the horse that finishes last is worth 1.1 points. (Note: Horses have to be in the field and run. Scratches are out, and if your horse scratches late, you can resend as long as it is before post time.)

Here are the posts with the odds:

1 Firenze Fire - 50-1

2 Free Drop Billy - 30-1

3 Promises Fulfilled - 30-1

4 Flameaway - 30-1

5 Audible - 8-1

6 Good Magic - 12-1

7 Justify - 3-1

8 Lone Sailor - 50-1

9 Hofburg - 20-1

10 My Boy Jack - 30-1

11 Bolt d'Oro - 8-1

12 Enticed - 30-1

13 Bravazo - 50-1

14 Mendelssohn - 5-1

15 Instilled Regard - 50-1

16 Magnum Moon - 6-1

17 Solomini - 30-1

18 Vino Rosso - 12-1

19 Noble Indy - 30-1

20 Combatant - 50-1

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NBA story lines


Let's explore a couple of on-the-court and an off-the-court NBA issues.

First, Utah is scary right now. Defensively they are legit. Donovan Mitchell is a dude. And they got a slew of role players doing all sorts of things.

Now, are the Jazz better than the Rockets or the Warriors? No. No, they are not.

But the reverse of the Rockets' 3-or-die approach is that if the 3s are not dropping, then the Rockets shall plummet. (And know this Utah-Golden State in the West Finals before a Golden State-vs.-anyone from the East Finals seems like a pretty easy stroll, no?)

OK, the NBA powers that be say Kevin Love should have gotten a Flagrant I for his swinging elbows during the Cavs' Game 1 win at Toronto. It would have given the Raptors two free throws and the ball late in regulation of a game they lost in overtime.

Yes, the review is an accounting detail because if you get a certain number of flagrant fouls you have to sit, but let's just be quiet about how that was the difference in the game.

Reviewing calls in the morning light of 20/20 hindsight, you could just as easily say that Love should have been called for a walk before the elbows or notice the three times Love was fouled before the elbow connected.

Finally, off-the-floor, Chuck Barkley apologized (kind of) for saying he wanted to punch Draymond Green in the face.

The kind of tag on the apology is because, well, here's Chuck's apology, and decide if it's a full-blown mea culpa:

"I meant what I said, but I would never punch an NBA player," Barkley said on TNT on Wednesday night. "Draymond Green is a good player. I think he's a nice kid. I wish him nothing but the best, but what I said was inappropriate My personal opinion should never come across in a comment I make about a team or a player. It did last night. Draymond is a hell of a player, he's an irritant, but he's a hell of a player. What I said was wrong, and I apologize."

Of course right after that, Kenny Smith heckled Barkley and Barkley called him an idiot and said he was going to punch him in the face.

Whatever happens, here's hoping that it does not change Chuck.

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This and that


- We shared David Paschall's story of Trenton Thompson being the top-ranked high school player in the country going undrafted. Here's a list of where all the five-stars landed after the most recent NFL Draft. I love the draft. You know this.

- Interesting story here on Nigel Hayes saying Wisconsin almost pulled a sit-in and did not play against Syracuse in 2016. Gang, it's hard to believe the question on a team sitting out a game is a matter of when and no longer if.

- Tiger Woods and a lot of golf's bigwigs are back in action in Charlotte this weekend. Here's a video of Tiger Woods making a lifetime memory for one golf fan. Cool stuff Edlrick.

- This also was cool. Waffle House hero James Shaw Jr was win the Ellen Show and got to met his favorite player Dwyane Wade, who gave him $20 grand for his foundation.

- Jason Witten is retiring from the NFL and will join ESPN and become the lead commentator on Monday Night Football. Friends, at $4 million or so, that is good work if you can get it.

- Everything old is new again apparently. And we'll offer this: The new Karate Kid TV series with Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence (as played by Ralph Macchio and Bill Zbaka. Who knows, may it's good, right? But this quote from Macchio seems disconnected on its face. "It's kind of a nice, smart way in," Macchio explained. "These creators wrote Hot Tub Time Machine and the Harold and Kumar franchise." Hmmmm, Hot Tub Time Machine and Harold and Kumar are not exactly Citizen Kane or Good Will Hunting, huh?

- End of the era friends. The most drastic version of "super hot females dig rock stars" has come to an end. After 28 years, Cars frontman Ric Ocasek and former SI Swimsuit cover girl Paulina Porizkova are splitting up.

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Today's questions


Speaking of Witten and Barkley, how many sports TV personalities out there do you truly tune in to hear their opinion on a specific subject.

We think Chuck is atop that list, and it's the reason the TNT halftime show is the best thing in its genre across all sports.

We are a fan of the LeBatard Show and make a real effort to listen to it, but that's radio. Beyond Chuck, is there a TV sports person out there that has the gravitas to draw viewers just because of their presence in the broadcast, be it live or studio analysis?

On this day, May 3, let's see what we got.

James Brown and Bing Crosby were born on this day. So was Frankie Valli. And Sugar Ray Robinson.

Tyrone Lue and Eric Church also are celebrating birthdays too.

As a side note, legend has it the first spam email was sent on this day 40 years ago. So there's that.

In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer for "Gone With the Wind."

Today also is the national day of prayer. Rushmore of Prayer, and be creative.

Go and remember the mailbag.

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