5 at 10: Tennessee Vols, Atlanta Braves and Eldrick Woods returns to the tee box

OK, let's get to it. From the "7-Up Stinks Studios," here we go...

photo Staff Photo by Staff Photo by Angela Lewis / Chattanooga Times Free Press - UT quarterback Tyler Bray passes in the game against Ole Miss in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon.

Vols open up

The Tennessee Vols start practice today, and the TFP has plenty to get you ready.

Here's ace columnist Mark Wiedmer's look at quarterback Tyler Bray (click here). Here is our UT ace Patrick Brown's look at UT coach Derek Dooley's opening new conference (click here), the five questions facing UT in the preseason (click here) and some notes heading into practice (click here)

It's impossible to "know" anything this early in preseason practice, but here were three things that were noteworthy to the 5-at-10 about Monday's information on the Vols.

First, Bray's development mentally will mean more to the Vols than any non-injury development that happens between now and the start of the season.

Second, the team appears to be pretty healthy, except for incoming freshman Devrin Young, who broke his collar bone. And to be truthful, Young, a 2-start kid from the Knoxville-area was not going to be the difference between going to the SEC title game or the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Third, and the guys on SportTalk discussed this sometime last month, but can you recall less buzz about a Tennessee football team? Seriously, the East is wide open and the favorites have pinned their quarterback hopes on Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Garcia, and there have been barely whispers about these Vols. Maybe it's the Kiffin Hangover, and the UT fanbase has been bruised by the chest-thumping and scarred by the self-burning ways of the former UT coach. Maybe it's the unknown factor? Maybe it's a heavy, Heavy, HEAVY dependence on so many young players.

Whatever it is, the Vols are flying pretty low right now. And while that's normally a good spot - it seems Auburn enjoyed that role a little bit last fall - it seems pretty strange for UT to be flying this low. And this quietly.

photo Atlanta Braves' Michael Bourn warms up before a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Washington, Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Stupid Nationals

We discussed the headline possibilities with the Atlanta Braves addition for new center fielder Michael Bourn. Let's go with "Rivalry Bourn from Frustration" for how the Braves have fared with the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals, even back to their late days as the Montreal Expos, have rarely been a postseason factor, but they have always been a thorn in the Braves' side.

Last night was no different in the Nationals' 5-3 win. The Braves continue to squander chances - they got 10 hits but scored only on solo homers - and hit into three double plays.

So it goes. To make matters worse, the Phillies recorded one of those "team of destinies" wins and increased their lead to seven games.

Sidenote: Which is more meaningful right now, Jair Jurrjens' struggles (he allowed five runs in five innings and got the loss Monday) or Dan Uggla's torrid 23-game hitting streak? Jurrjens has allowed four or more runs in three of his last four starts and since the All-Star break he has pitched 23 innings and allowed 16 runs, six homers, 25 hits and 10 walks. Uggla homered twice Monday and now has 22 this season. His average is at .212 - the highest it's been this year since May 7. Read that again.

photo South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier looks on as quarterbacks Stephen Garcia calls to others as they organized for a group photo during media day Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

South Carolina QB plan: Practice, keg party, repeat

The Gamecocks open practice this week and head coach Steve Spurrier has reinstated oft-suspended starting quarterback Stephen Garcia and said that quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus will be on the field Wednesday when drills start.

South Carolina has as much talent as any team in the wide-open SEC East, so the big goals and title talk that are always bounced around Columbia actually have some teeth this year. Especially with the hardest partying coach-player duo in the SEC back to work.

Let's recap: Garcia was suspended for the fifth time (which, like Nuke LaLoosh's 18 walks in his minor league debut can only be described as "A new league record") in the spring for getting rowdy and smelling of alcohol at a university function. Last month, Mangus, a hot-shot assistant who was being mentioned as a possible candidate for a couple of head-coaching jobs, police in Greenville picked him up for urinating in the street. Police also said Mangus was unsteady on his feet and slurring his words - which means he was either three sheets in the wind or suffering the mighty aftershocks of a rare attack of the "Gotta-go-now-and-don't-care-what-happens"-itis, which we all know is a affliction that makes everyone have to go to the bathroom right then. (Of course, "Gotta-go-now-and-don't-care-what-happens"-itis almost always affects patients under the age of 3, but we're not a doctor, so we're leaving the door open.)

Anyhoo, imagine what the post-practice celebration for a good day of work for the quarterbacks will be. Do you think there will be a water stand, a Gatorade stand and a Coors Light stand at Gamecocks' practices this year?

photo In this Dec. 12, 2010 file photo, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens (81) looks on from the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh. Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Tuesday, June 28, 2011, that the 37-year-old star receiver tore his anterior cruciate ligament, had surgery in early April and "will be playing at the start of the NFL season." (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)

This and that

- The 5-at-10 is tickled pink that the NFL lockout is done. The 5-at-10 is puzzled that the NBA has little chance to solve its labor issues anytime soon. David Stern said Monday that he did not think the players were negotiating in good faith. Players' rep Derek Fisher said the bottom line was trying to find a bottom a line (seriously), and that the main goal of these meetings were to decide how many meetings they are going to have. Uh-oh.

- Follow-up point: Since it appears more and more likely that we will have to watch foreign league broadcasts if we want to watch Kobe or Dirk play, do you think the Turkish or German professional league broadcasts are in English or have subtitles. Spreken ze "Turrrrible."

- The moves are still happening around the NFL, but the biggest news of Monday was the retirement of Randy Moss. We'll cover this more in the mailbag, but today's let's just say that the 5-at-10 does not believe we've heard the last of Moss the football player. Just a hunch, but we think he'll play somewhere this fall. We'll see.

photo FILE - In this June 1, 1996, file photo, Tiger Woods lines up a putt during the final round of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn. On his web site Friday night, Dec. 11, 2009, Woods announced that he is taking an indefinite break from professional golf. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Today's question

Eldrick Woods - some people call him Tiger, we call him Eldrick - will make his return to the golf course this week at the Bridgestone-WGC. It's an event Eldrick has won seven times, but it's also the same event that he finished 30 shots behind winner Hunter Mahan last year.

What say you, how will Eldrick/Tiger fare this week? He'll meet with the media today and offer his glib and disingenuous answers to a lot of the same questions. If Eldrick/Tiger was a surgeon with a wedge, he also was a politician with his words. So it goes.

Remember, everyone makes the cut at this week's tournament, so where does Tiger finish - position and/or number?

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