Not a good day to be a USC fan or to be Lenny Dykstra. Let's get to it.
From the 7-Up Stinks Studios, here we go...
Southern Cal head coach Pete Carroll, second from right, celebrates a touchdown by USC tailback LenDale White (21, at left) along with USC wide reciver Dwanyne Jarrett (8) and quarterback Matt Leinart (11) in the second quarter against Washington State Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)There's officially no 2004 BCS champ
Well, let's put USC vacating the 2004 BCS title in the files of, "Duh, what else is going on, Sherlock?"
This is no real shock.
Here are two things that has the 5-at-10 interested:
- One, if the BCS tried to reclaim the eight-figure paycheck USC received for each BCS trip, then the college administrators would be really focused on making sure the programs are on the level. Imagine the hand-wringing that would be going on if USC had to give back $20 million.
- Two, the BCS has decided to leave the 2004 championship vacant. The 5-at-10 is undecided on this. Does Auburn, which finished unbeaten, deserve the title? Does Oklahoma, which was ranked No. 2 going into the BCS game, deserve the title since the Sooners' lone loss was to the tarnished Trojans? Hard to say, and each side has an argument.
One final thing, the lawsuit filed by Todd McNair against the NCAA could be a game-changer. Here's my column on it in today's TFP.
Miami Heat's LeBron James celebrates after scoring against the Boston Celtics during the second half of Game 2 of a second-round NBA playoff basketball series, Tuesday, May 3, 2011 in Miami. The Heat won 102-91. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)Game 4 tonight - "Rise of the Machine"
All of the LeBron-bashing has become tired. Dude is getting hammered across the sports scene, and for what, missing a couple of fourth-quarter shots? For making the proper pass and for playing lock-down D? Puh-lease.
Much too often fans -and media yahoos like the 5-at-10 - complain about players treating their game like a business. "They're in it for the money." "They don't care if they win or lose." "Blah, blah, blah."
Well, LeBron said point blank, he wants to win it all. He took less money to go to Miami. Sure, "The Decision" will go down with Shelley Long leaving "Cheers" as bad career moves, but when's enough enough?
Consider the 5-at-10 now pro-LeBron, if for no other reason than the anti-LeBron bandwagon is overflowing right now.
As for tonight, let's just say, we'd be surprised if LeBron was not in full-blown "Terminator" mode. And not that crudy "Terminator III" nonsense. No, this will be a full-blown "I'll be back," and "I'll take the plasma rifle with the 40-watt range," Terminator-mode.
And it still may not be enough, because the NBA is the NBA, and we all know that the series will get back to Miami for a Game 6 on Sunday night. Let's drag this out, fellows, because who knows when the next NBA Finals will be.
In this Jan. 4, 2008 file photo, former Major League Baseball player Lenny Dykstra poses for a portrait in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)Hey, there's a draft going on
The 5-at-10 loves the draft. You know this.
The MLB draft is still a draft, even if we don't know the names that are being called. Here's our theory: draft college hitters and high school pitchers. There, now you our theory on the baseball draft.
That said, did you see in other baseball news that Lenny Dykstra was jailed Monday on charges of grand theft auto and drug possession after using false info to lease a car.
Dykstra was charged with 25 felony and misdemeanor counts of GTA and other assorted crimes. He faces up to 12 years in the joint if convicted.
You know, EC was right, you can't trust players who played for the Mets and the Phillies - AKA the New Delphia Millies. So it goes.
University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer. File photo.Slow southern night
Wow, no NBA game Monday. The Braves were off. The poker tournament replays (yes, they always suck us in, much to the chagrin of the Mrs. 5-at-10) and we all know most of you spent entirely too long watching college softball last night. It's OK, really.
Two things that are going to carry us through the next six weeks: First, the 5-at-10 is committed to bringing out the best in summer sports; second, it's not going to be long before Fox Sports South and the rest of the fringe sports networks start replaying classic SEC football games. Good times, gang, good times.
Those mid-2000s Auburn-LSU grudge matches were awesome. The mid-1990s Florida teams and the early-1990s Bama teams. Georgia in a river of nail-biters, and Tennessee and Peyton in those all-white uniforms with the obscenely big numbers.
Hey, P-Davi, how many days until the start of college football.
Former New York Giants star Plaxico Burress speaks to reporters after being released from the Oneida County Correction Facility in Rome, N.Y., Monday, June 6, 2011. Burress was released from prison after spending nearly two years behind bars on a gun charge. (AP Photo/Heather Ainsworth)This and that
- Welcome back, Plaxico. Welcome back Tiki Barber. Heck, at this rate Lawrence Taylor may be calling his agent in the next week to 10 days.
- Cliff Lee was dealing for the Phillies in a 3-1 win over the Dodgers on Monday. Dude threw 17 consecutive strikes at one point. The 5-at-10 might have a hard time throwing consecutive anythings. As much as we hate to admit it, the Phillies are going to be tough to catch (especially if Dan Uggla continues to swing like a rusty gate).
- As for Monday's suggestion about Dan Uggla jokes, we're in. Here, we'll start.
"A priest, a rabbi and Dan Uggla walk into a bar - wait that can't happen, if Dan Uggla walked, he'd get on base, and that just doesn't happen. Oh, well."