Morning. Hope you slept well and ate a good breakfast.
From the "Talks too much" studios,
Super Bowl media day
Where to start on the Super Bowl?
New England Patriots fans cheer before the start of an NFL football send-off rally at City Hall in Boston Monday, Jan. 26, 2015. The Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Well, let's go with what we know.
We know that today's media day and there will be no shortage of dumb questions, marriage proposals and countless interpretative dances around the deflated balls story line. (Side note: We are going to pledge not to use (scandal)-Gate any more. It's tired. In fact we are facing a serious issue about a lack of creativity in slogans and nomenclature about scandals. This issue could be called Scape-Gate. Well, crud, that pledge didn't last long.)
We know that Patriots owner Robert Kraft has now said that the organization wants an apology if nothing serious is discovered, and considering it is in the best interest of the NFL for nothing to be found, well, that's a bold and calculated pre-strike volley that is part hedged bet, part PR spin. That said, Mr. Kraft, if you are going to call for a planned apology, then we must ask what is your planned reaction when/if there is culpability found beyond the fall guy that is this mysterious locker room attendant. (Side note: We had some fun on Press Row on Monday in determining that the unnamed locker room attendant is a 23-year-old, heavyset fellow named Chet with a myriad of problems.)
We know that Marshawn Lynch will be a story today. This is non-negotiable. Thanks for asking.
We also know that the Madden 15 simulations have the Patriots edging the Seahawks 28-24. And yes, that may seem like computer gobbledygook to you, but the Madden simulation is 8-3 picking the winner.
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Signing Day
We are speeding toward national signing day.
Miami Dolphins running back Damien Williams (34) is chased by Buffalo Bills strong safety Da'Norris Searcy (25) and inside linebacker Preston Brown (52) during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) There are still some circling shorelines, including Preston Williams, the four-star UT receiver commit who was sent home from a visit to Auburn because he was trying to convince other AU visitors to join Williams in Knoxville. VFL indeed.
And while there are a ton of themes and intrigue on the horizon, meet our new favorite recruit.
His name is Soso Jamabo, and not only does he have a boss name for a four-star running back, he has a sense of humor. Jamabo announced on social media that his leaders are the University of Phoenix and ITT Tech.
Somewhere the recruiting coordinators at DeVry and the Atlanta Bartending College have some 'splainin' to do.
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Mr. Reliable
Lance Armstrong gave an interview Monday to BBC.
FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2011 file photo, Lance Armstrong pauses during an interview in Austin, Texas. Two of Lance Armstrong's longtime business partners have agreed to pay the federal government $500,000 to settle a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former teammate, Floyd Landis, Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Thao Nguyen, File) Other than the self-excusing and self-loving Mr. Stretch (the Truth) Armstrong indulges in, he offers up this gem when asked if he would use PEDs again if he had it all to do over again.
Armstrong answered he most likely would, which documents the first time he actually did tell some form of the truth.
Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.
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This and that
In this Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015, photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant uses his left hand as he makes a shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans. Bryant tore his right rotator cuff in the Lakers' latest defeat, the club announced Thursday. Bryant injured his right shoulder in the second half Wednesday night when he drove the baseline for a two-handed dunk. Bryant returned briefly to the game after the injury, and made this jumper. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman) - Here's hoping Kobe Bryant, who will miss the rest of this season because of shoulder surgery, recovers fully and has one more walk in the sun on his way out of the game. Like Kobe or loathe him, great ones deserve that exit, and no matter your view on the dude, there's no debating Kobe is one of the all-time greats.
- Bill Price resigned as head coach at Signal Mountain. There were few coaches that were as polarizing, and few that had that much success rebuilding programs. No matter how you viewed Price, we can all agree that the area high school football scene will be less fun without him.
- The UTC women's basketball team is ranked for the first time since 1984. Congrats, and they are built to have some NCAA tournament success. They play great defense and deliberate offense, a combination that will allow them frustrate opponents with equal talent and compete with opponents with greater talent. Hey, if this Jim Foster guy keeps it up he may get the hang of this coaching thing, you know?
- ESPN national college basketball writer Jeff Goodman released his list of men's coaches on the hottest seats. No. 1 with a bullet was UT"s Donnie Knoxville.
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Wolfgang Amadeus MozartToday's question
Happy birthday Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He would have been 209 today - that'd be a lot of candles - and dude was an unquestioned musical savant. Like Rainman with toothpicks and David Paschall with SEC football. "Thirteen minutes to Wapner." "Thirteen interceptions for Scott Woerner."
So quickly, considering our man Wolfgang is one of the old-school savants, let's offer up a Rushmore of Wolf.
Whatcha got?