Morning folks.
From the "Talks too much" studios, remember the mailbag.
Good-bye Daily Show
We never got into Jon Stewart's Daily Show on a regular basis.
We respect his talent and know his work was at times excellent.
He ends his 16-year run tomorrow night, and here's a look at some of the best moments on the show.
That said, his rise and the spin-centric approach to TV news in a lot of ways makes us sad.
FILE - This Nov. 30, 2011 file photo shows television host Jon Stewart during a taping of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" in New York. Stewart will sign off for good on Aug. 6. (AP Photo/Brad Barket, File) There was a big part of the younger generation that viewed Stewart's program as their main source of news. Yes, the nightly show on Comedy Central was viewed as a news program rather than the hysterical social commentary that it was by far too many.
So it goes. Heck, we read something recently that called Stewart the "Walter Cronkite of the social media age" and that comparison is more accurate than many would like to admit.
Reportedly, President Obama frequently called on Stewart for image consultations. It was a stark and direct display that the messenger was more important than the message.
So it goes, we guess.
That said, here's another collection of clips that made us - and Stewart - laugh out loud. We enjoyed this look at the five times correspondents made Jon Stewart crack up. Enjoy.
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Most valuable college football players
Grantland.com went national and ranked its 10 most indispensable college football players. That list is here, and former Brentwood Academy and current FSU star Jalen Ramsey is on the list.
(Side note: How good would the UT secondary look if it had landed Ramsey and Ridgeland's Vonn Bell. Wowser.)
OK, we can see some of the names - and Myles Garrett from Texas A&M is an inspired choice.
But who are the most valuable players around the SEC?
First, a disclaimer. There will be no quarterbacks on this list. That's too easy. Teams that are fortunate enough to have a returning starter behind center know how valuable that commodity is. Heck, there's an argument that UT's Josh Dobbs is the most valuable player to his team of any ranked team in the nation. And we believe that Jacob Huesman is probably the most critical player to his team in the FCS, as well.
Cam Robinson plays offensive line for the University of AlabamaWith that caveat, let's offer a view at the most valuable non-quarterbacks across the SEC:
Alabama tackle Cam Robinson. A bona fide, top-five pick when he enters the draft, dude is a monster.
Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson. Yes, Will Muschamp is the highest paid defensive coordinator since the Barzini family hired Virgil Sollozo. Still, without Lawson last year, Auburn's pass rush was nonexistent. With him, Muschamp and Co. have much loftier expectations.
Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. Any time you can trot out an elite, shutdown corner, well, advantage you. That's what V-3 is. And then some.
Georgia running back Nick Chubb. This is one of the rare occasions when the non-quarterback is more valuable than the quarterback.
Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett. The youth movement in Knoxville last year was impressive, and often Barnett was some what overlooked. The main reason was his play was so effective and impressive, that it was easy to forget the pocket-collapsing defensive end was a freshman last fall.
Other nominees?
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Titans time
Here's another glowing report on Tennessee rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota.
We kind of agree with Tennessean ace columnist David Climer, who offers the view of pumping the brakes on the runaway bandwagon of the SS Mariota.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota passes during NFL football training camp Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Yes, the dude looks sharp in drills, and that's awesome for a franchise that has waded through a quarterback quagmire that makes the late 1980s Falcons go, "Wow those guys stink."
Dude is a 21-year-old trying to feel out the pace. He has passed every test so far, and that's cool.
But let's dial back the Mariota for MVP bumper stickers, OK?
He looks the part, but the part right now is incomplete and fractional.
Let's just smile and think that maybe, for the first time since we thought Vince Young was dependable, the Titans have an answer behind center.
That should be enough for right now.
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This and that
- Auburn tweaked its uniforms. That said, those are some swag-tastic shoes.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015, in Philadelphia.- Braves stink. That is all.
- On the other side of the coin, how about those Mets? Winners of six straight and the NL East leaders by two games. Somewhere Wally Backman smiles. And then he spits tobacco juice and says a cuss word. Hey, that's Backman for you.
- Percy Harvin said he had to walk on egg shells in Seattle. Hmmmm, we're pretty sure the dysfunction there was a two-way street Percy. And goodness forbid people mind what they say in the workplace.
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Today's question
OK, first, remember the mailbag. All college football questions welcomed.
Secondly, Lucille Ball would have been 104 today.
Rushmore of all-time female comediennes. Go.