ORLANDO - Excellent Monday around these parts. Three things that standout - our Disney Rushmore of villains was almost identical to Stewwie's and JMC's; Chas the Animal Kingdom is on the agenda for today; OG's point was exceedingly well taken about Draper, who was actually the No. 3 seed in Yahoo's TV characters Madness bracket in the villains category behind Walter White and Tony Soprano (not to mention an awfully underrated Omar Little from "The Wire" was a 13 seed in that bracket).
From the satellite offices on the Disney compound of the "Talks too much" studios, what are the odds we got our face painted Sunday?
Disney
OK, we have to admit it: The Walt Disney Company may be the smartest and smoothest operation going. Nothing is left to chance and everything is thought out.
And everything is crafted for kids, characters and coin. Trust us.
The model is simple, and even beyond the connection of kid and Mouse or kid and Simba or kid and fill in the Disney character X.
After developing the Mouse and the brand, Walt Disney recognized from the very beginning that parents (and grandparents) would pay almost anything from the genuine smiles and lifelong memories this place elicits.
It's like what Terence Mann tells Ray Kinsella in "Field Dreams" about the diamond in the corn field: "They'll pass over the money without thinking about it; for it is money they have and peace they lack."
And for those of you thinking about that whole quote, here's the YouTube clip.
---
Serious discussion
We are headed to a serious place about the debate of violence - on and off the field, court, diamond, etc. - in sports.
Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) pushes against Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 1, 2015, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-103 in overtime. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) Look around: There are multitudes of off-the-field charges and allegations and we look at them with the hand-wringing consternation of a forlorn parent. But then we giggle when James Harden kicks LeBron in the crotch or watch the YouTube when seven players get tossed from a college basketball game.
These incidents are not separate, at least not in culture or environment, when it comes to the expectations and aggression in a lot of ways. Sure we all have different personas from our professional and personal lives, but the intersection and overlap are common scenarios, whether we want them to be or not.
And in these incidents, those overlaps get our scorn off the court but our indifference on it.
---
Davis Tull
Wow. Dude just won the Combine.
UTC defensive lineman Davis Tull works out as NFL scouts watch during UTC's Pro Day. Scouts from 23 NFL teams were on hand to watch UTC senior football players who are now draft eligible.Here's TFP all-around ace Stephen Hargis' report on Tull's dizzying 4.57 40 time.
And the "Ohhhs" and "Ahhhs" from the NFL scouts in the mean coin for Tull.
His measurables could very well move him into Day Two consideration - that means second or third round - and some serious coin.
(And it's not like they are going to put the tape in and see just a workout warrior who never made plays on Saturdays.)
Dear Goodness, Davis Tull just secured himself a top spot on the all-time UTC football Rushmore. Who else is there?
---
This and that
- Michael Jordan is a billionaire in the eyes of Forbes. His biggest benefactor in the last year was not Nike - which paid him almost $100 million last year - as much as it was Steve Ballmer. Ballmer, the former Microsoft exec who paid $2 billion for the L.A. Clippers, almost doubled the value of every NBA franchise, including the Charlotte Bobcats, of which Jordan owns almost 90 percent. Good times.
Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan watches an NBA basketball game in this April 16, 2014, file photo.- TFP UT ace Downtown Patrick Brown has a nice story on the slide of Donnie Knoxville's razor-thin collection of Vols.
- TFP SEC ace David Paschall has a solid look at Georgia getting a final crack at unbeaten Kentucky here.
- Here's hoping Dan Olsen enjoys his 15 minutes of fame. Olsen said last week Tiger Woods had been suspended for a month for PED use. Monday, every meaningful name associated with Tiger - his people, his agent, the PGA Tour and Nike - said "Hogwash" and then some.
- Busy day in the NFL franchise tag department. Big names that got tagged (a designation that will pay them the average of the top-five salaries at their positions in a one-year, guaranteed deal) include Dez Bryant, Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul. For some reason the Patriots put their franchise tag on their kicker, so there's that. Big names that did not get tagged and will hit the open market include DeMarco Murray, Ndamukong Suh, Julius Thomas and Randall Cobb. Here's a good list.
- Spring gaining games start this week, and in his final tune-up against a pitching machine, Yankees pariah Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-2. Hey at least he didn't roll an ankle, right?
---
This image released by Disney shows Elsa the Snow Queen, voiced by Idina Menzel, in a scene from the animated feature "Frozen." Disney Theatrical Productions said Friday that the husband-and-wife team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez will be working on the stage version of "Frozen" and Jennifer Lee, co-director and screenwriter of the film, is writing the book. (AP Photo/Disney, File) Today's question
Rushmore of Disney animated movies. Go.
Until tomorrow.