5-at-10: UK passes test, NFL playoffs, Braves legacy, Rushmores with Screech and Bronko Nagurski


              Kentucky's Dakari Johnson (44) reaches for a rebound next to Mississippi's LaDarius White during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
Kentucky's Dakari Johnson (44) reaches for a rebound next to Mississippi's LaDarius White during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Gang, the comments are better. Wade in and give it a swing.

From the "Talks too much" studios, have you sent in a mailbag question this year?

Kentucky survives

photo Kentucky's Dakari Johnson (44) reaches for a rebound next to Mississippi's LaDarius White during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky stayed unbeaten by the slimmest of margins with an 89-86 overtime win over visiting Mississippi that was forever in doubt.

Ole Miss even had the ball in the final seconds of regulation and a good look at a potential game-winning 3 that bounced off the back of the rim.

To this, we echo John Calipari's postgame comments: Kentucky needs games like this. They should be high-fiving this win - yes over an inferior foe at home when they allowed almost double their average number of points - as much as any this side of the Louisville victory.

Why? Because with all the talent and all the glow and all the shine, this win showed guts and toughness. This win showed mettle and a matter-of-factness that will be needed again and again.

We are on board with the 40-0 bandwagon for UK, and we are excited to follow that run. At least 32 and maybe as many as 35 of those potential wins will range from supremely easy to relatively easy. (Side question: If a super easy win of say 20-or-more points is a cakewalk, is a fairly easy win of 12-or-more points a cupcake walk? Discuss.)

Where were we? Oh yes, UK.

Well, take away the runaways and Kentucky has to know it can pass tight tests when the opponent is playing so far above their heads their noses bleed for two days.

UK has passed the road-rivalry-emotional test with beating Louisville. They now have passed the upset-minded, overachieving-in-the-moment conference foe.

The next two - and they could come at any time - are when you struggle on the road in a hostile conference environment and a road test against a a better than expected (and highly motivated) foe.

Here's hoping the UK players continue to embrace the drive for perfection.

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NFL primer part I

We are going to look at this round of the NFL playoff games each of the next three days.

The matchups are certainly intriguing. Baltimore-New England, Indy-Denver, Dallas-Green Bay, Carolina-Seattle.

But can we find a common theme among these teams? Of course we can, and it's one that is a familiar topic around these parts.

Of the eight starting quarterbacks still alive in the playoffs, six of those guys finished in the top 10 of the traditional NFL passer ratings this season and seven of them finished in the top 12 of the total quarterback rating.

photo Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton passes against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of an NFL football game against the , Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

The lone outlier to fail to make either list was Cam Newton, who a) was injured for chunks of the season; and b) is versatile beyond passing metrics.

Sometimes it's just that simple.

With the final eight approaching, let's take a QB trust survey among these eight teams and see if that spells the same outcome as the final results.

You trust Brady over Flacco. That one's easy.

Who do you trust more right now, Manning or Luck, considering the temperatures and circumstances? We'll trust Manning more, but it's closer than we thought.

Same can be said for Rodgers over Romo, but it's closer now than we would have believed two months ago.

Finally, do you trust Russell Wilson or Cam Newton more? We'll lean toward Wilson on playoff experience - winning a Super Bowl has to count for something beyond the ring - but Newton's diverse skills and big-play ceiling present potential trouble for a defense that dominates traditional opponents.

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photo This Sept. 7, 2007 file photo shows Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz throwing against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game at Turner Field in Atlanta. (Associated Press)

Hall of Fame follow

Many congrats to John Smoltz and Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and Craig Biggio for getting their tickets punched to Cooperstown.

We believe Piazza, Bonds and Clemens should have been welcomed in too (and maybe Tim Raines), but you know that already.

Here's TFP ace columnist Mark Wiedmer's view on Smoltz' next step and Smoltz' quote about the "Braves way" was interesting near the end.

That said, we think it's a fair point to ask about the Braves way compared to its legacy.

Three Hall of Fame starting pitchers and a Hall of Fame position player when Chipper gets elected in 2017 (as well as the manager) equalled one World Series title.

One.

Sure the annual postseason trips were swell, but three Hall of Fame starting pitchers? There are 74 pitchers in the Hall in the history of the game and the Braves trotted out three of them once a week for the better part of a decade and got one title.

Man, that's kind of hard to fathom in the grand scheme of things.

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This and that

photo Former Baylor and UGA golfer Keith Mitchell practices at The Honors Course on August 7, 2014.

- Congrats to The Honors Course, which was recognized as the 31st best track in the country by Golf Digest on Tuesday afternoon. And yes, Augusta National was No. 1. Played 'em both. "He's on his final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2 iron I think.... Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac... It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!"

- Interesting game for the Tennessee Tin Dolls tonight at Mississippi State. Let's see how this bunch - and their coach Donnie Tyndall- react to the SEC opener on the road.

- Oregon center Hroniss Grasu told USA Today that FSU's players quit during the semifinal. Ouch. Here's saying THE Ohio State won't quit. Match-up breakdown on Thursday. Deal? Deal.

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Today's question

OK, we're here. We're back. The comments are easier to navigate so fire away - you may have to create a new account but you can use a screen name and you just have to have a valid email account.

So, today is Screech's 38th birthday and the 25th anniversary of Bronko Narguski's death. Somehow, those two likely did not have much in common but we'll Rushmore each.

For Nagurski, what's the Rushmore of best all-time football players names?

And yep, ol' Dustin Diamond, even with his recent run-in with the law in Wisconsin, is 38 today.

He, of course, will forever be remembered as part of the cast of "Saved by the Bell" the "Gilligan's Island" of our generation.

What's the Rushmore of the worst TV shows that became popular?

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