From Stewwie
For the bag: Before Brady's suspension, the O/U on Pats' wins was 10.5. After the 4-game suspension, the number was lowered to only 10. Are you surprised the line didn't drop more? What does this tell us...does Vegas think that Brady is overrated?
In this Jan. 31, 2015, file photo, New England Patriots Tom Brady (12) throws during the NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game against the Seattle Seahawks Glendale, Ariz. The New England Patriots will host the Pittsburgh Steelers to open the NFL season on Sept. 10. The game will match quarterbacks with six Super Bowl rings and nine Super Bowl appearances: Tom Brady vs. Ben Roethlisberger.(AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)Stewwie -
Completely fair question.
In some ways we are a little bit surprised, but here are a few logical explanations.
First, of the first four games, the Patriots likely will be an underdog in just one of them.
They start vs. Pittsburgh (without Le'veon Bell), at Buffalo, vs. Jacksonville and at Dallas, and that last one will be the only game the Pats are not favored. (Without Brady the Steelers line went from Pats minus-7 to Pats minus-2.)
Secondly, as someone mentioned, maybe Vegas feels a reduction in the suspension is likely or even possible and they are staying safely in between.
Third, there is reason to believe that Bill Belichick will use this as utmost motivation - actually giving the world champs a true and believable "Us-against-the-world" rallying cry - that could benefit the Patriots over the long term.
Plus, knowing from the beginning that you are going with Jimmy Garoppolo allows you ample time to get him ready.
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From several of you on Twiiter
What's your answer to (Thursday's) Rushmore?
Rushmore of Mr. - If memory serves this may have been one on Press Row a few months back. We went with Mr. T, Mr. October, Mr. Ed and Mr. Coffee. Some of the better nominations you guys sent it were Mr. Potato Head, Mr. Clean, "You don't have to call me Mister, Mr." from David Allen Coe's "The Ride," Mr. Mister, Mr. Pibb, and of course Mr. Rogers. Some one also threw out there Mr. Jennings, the former ETSU star who tormented UTC back in the day.
As for the Rushmore of Bobby, we'll go Bobby Cox, "Me and Bobbie McGee" Bobby Jones and Bobby Orr. Good sports name that one.
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From Big Blue
I started reading your blog after listening to Press Row.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari answers a question during a news conference for the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Thursday, April 2, 2015, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) I wanted to know what you thought about the story about Coach Cal saying his goal last year was to get players drafted more than winning it all.
Could that story be true?
Thanks and keep up the great work in columns and your radio.
BB -
We saw this story Thursday afternoon and was stunned by it.
We understand why Coach Cal would want to say that - it sounds great for the five-star recruits that consider Kentucky each year. It also tries to salvage a little spin on a disappointing end to the season.
Still, it's a hard pill to swallow for a UK fan base for the leader of Big Blue nation saying he cares more about developing players than winning games and titles.
The logic at its core is circular. You can make your players better to make the team better just like you can make your team better and in turn make them better players.
But the message certainly gets lost - or at least watered down - in translation.
We bellyache about the ones-and-dones because it has completely destroyed the level of play in the game.
Well, now we know at least one coach - and one of the highest paid and most successful - does not care about winning and losing as much as getting his players ready for the NBA.
If that's the case, then UK should make some of the teams in the league pony up some his big-dollar deal.
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Former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner arrives at the Annual Charity Day hosted by Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners, in New York in this 2013 file photo.From Spy
5, who to you is the most transformative tv star of our lifetime, and I don't mean Bruce Jenner. Different kind of transformation there.
And how about Seinfeld's reaction to Julia Louis-Dreyfus' top 10?
Spy -
Love this question on a lot of fronts.
And there are several different possible answers.
As for the second part of that question, it may have been the highlight of the show to tell you the truth. And we're to a point, considering all that she has accomplished - SNL, Seinfeld, Young Adventures of Old Christine to Veep - that JLD is the most accomplished female comedian in TV history. Sorry Lucy and Carol Burnett, but wow, that resume is overpowering.
As far as transformative TV stars, that's tough.
Rushmore of transformative TV personas (this takes into account variety of range too): Larry Hagman (I Dream of Jeannie to Dallas); Neil Patrick Harris (from Doogie Howser to HIMYM); William Shatner (From Kirk to TJ Hooker to Priceline dude, well you know); Bill Cosby
FILE - In this April 15, 2015 file photo, producer Lorne Michaels attends the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival opening night premiere of "Live From New York!" at The Beacon Theatre in New York. A graphic on NBC’s “Today” show on Wednesday misidentified “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels as “Lauren.” The flub by a graphics person, made on the East Coast feed of the morning show, was corrected for broadcasts in other time zones and online, the network said. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File) Rushmore of transformative TV people: Lorne Michaels for starting SNL of course and crafting one of the great talent garages of all-time, but dude in some ways showed that music could play on TV and years later MTV owes him a tip of the cap too; Carson for showing us that you could be you and be a TV star (think of the classic TV shows that allowed comedians to be themselves - from Cosby to Seinfeld and all points in between); Dude that created Survivor since that is forerunner of reality TV; Roone Arlege for creating Monday Night Football and all that spawned.
Rushmore of transformative TV shows: House of Cards because it's the first big-time online only series and that's where the future could take us; SNL for the reasons mentioned above; Monday Night Football, because who would have thought the NFL would be this huge and who knows how much MNF helped that; and probably American Idol for the explosion of the popularity of reality TV and the huge money on product endorsement opportunities.
UTC women's head basketball coach Jim Foster shouts from the sidelines in the 2nd half of the Mocs' NCAA tournament basketball game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.---
From Billy-in-Brainerd
Jay-G...for the mailbag...?
XX Mocs Jasmine Joyner and Keiana Gilbert accepted invitations to tryout for the 2015 USA Basketball teams. The tryouts were May 14-17. Can you give us an update, or is it too early to know anything? Thanks.
BiB -
You bet.
Neither made the team she was trying out for, but that's OK.
The big step for Jim Foster and his program is having players being included in something like that.
So in turn when making pitches to future recruits, that conversation comes up.
Potentially that narrative turns from having kids try out to having kids on the team and that's when the profile - and the talent level of the prospective recruit - jump even higher.
Now if Foster comes out and says his No. 1 goal is to get his players ready for the WNBA draft, well, never mind.