5 at 10: College hoops, NFL troubles and no sex please, we're Cougars

Remember that tomorrow is Friday. And when the 5-at-10 hears "Friday," here's what we think of (in order): One, TGI Friday's (The 5-at-10 has a habitual problem saying no to fern bars); Two, our family's dog growing up was named Friday - huge St. Bernard that would shed like a $12 mink coat; Three, "Friday Night Lights," one of the best sports books ever and arguably the best non-cable TV show out there right now; and Four, Friday's mailbag, which has surged up the chart, narrowly edging Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in the comedy "Friday" and zooming by Joe Friday from "Dragnet." Remember to get your e-mails in so you can be part of the Friday mailbag fun.

Here we go...

Commitment can be tough

photo FILE - in this Jan. 5, 2011, file photo, BYU's Brandon Davies shoots over UNLV's Brice Massamba during an NCAA college basketball game in Las Vegas. BYU has suspended Davies for the rest of the season for violating the school's honor code. The university announced the move Tuesday, March 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Wednesday that Brandon Davies, a 6-foot-9 sophomore post player, was dismissed from BYU's basketball team after he admitted to having sexual relations with his girlfriend.

Premarital sex is one of the items listed as a no-no on the school's honor code, which also requires among other things for students to be honest; abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse; and attend church regularly.

Without Davies, who was the Cougars' leading rebounder, No. 3-ranked BYU was manhandled by New Mexico 82-64 Wednesday night.

We bemoan the status of college sports. We rubber neck at this rumor about that school paying those players. We talk about cover-ups for star players to protect teams. We take caustic views about university announcements, doubting them on their face and looking at them as spin control.

Well, by definition, we have to tip our hat to BYU today, right? A school that is in the running for a No. 1 seed in the tournament, that's ranked in the top five in the country and that has the nation's frontrunner for player of the year, dismisses their top inside presence and for all intent and purposes dismisses their chances at winning the NCAA tournament. All for what, two young kids fooling around?

Well, yeah. That's exactly what this is and it deserves respect not retorts, a one-hand high five rather than one-liners. Well done BYU.

Please don't take this as sanctimonious - there's no way the college version of the 5-at-10 could have fulfilled that honor code. But then again, the college version of the 5-at-10 did not apply and/or enroll at BYU.

"Everybody who comes to BYU, every student if they're an athlete or not an athlete, they make a commitment when they come," BYU coach Dave Rose said of Wednesday's loss. "A lot of people try to judge if this is right or wrong, but it's a commitment they make. It's not about right or wrong. It's about commitment."

College hoops update, Volume 6, Chapter 4

photo North Carolina's Harrison Barnes (40) struggles for a rebound with Maryland's James Padgett, left, and Cliff Tucker (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. North Carolina won 87-76. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

- Welcome back, North Carolina, you were missed. The Tar Heels have a stud - freshman Harrison Barnes is among the nation's top players - and they are poised to make a strong return to the NCAA tournament. Whether you think UNC is the standard or the devil of college hoops, you have to admit, the tournament is better with the Tar Heels in it.

- The 5-at-10 doesn't think it's possible to overstate the UT Vols' game at South Carolina tonight. After last weekend's one-point heartbreaker against Mississippi State in the "No Leadership" game, the Vols' margin for error is miniscule. And they will have to do it without Brian Williams, which our UT ace Patrick Brown tells us about here.

- Georgia recorded its 20th win of the season, and an NCAA tournament invite looks likely, especially after Alabama was pounded by Florida earlier this week. We'll discuss bubble teams at length in Friday's mailbag.

- The Big East is simply nasty. That's all for now, but the 5-at-10 felt the need to get that off our chest.

- The Southern Conference tournament starts today with three women's games at McKenzie Arena. If you're interested in tickets, you can contact the Roundhouse at 423-266-6627, something tells us there are still PLENTY of good seats available.

NFL hits 2:00 warning

photo New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, center talks with an unidentified man, left, as Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, right, looks on after a meeting with NFL owners at a hotel in Chantilly, Va., Wednesday, March 2, 2011. NFL owners ended their special labor meeting without taking any action, just 30 hours before the collective bargaining agreement with the football players expires. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

The deadline for the NFL's current labor expires at 11:59 tonight.

The sides were going to meet again this morning, but it seems unlikely that a deal will be done today - at last count the differences were in the billions after all.

The union could decertify, the deadline could be extended or the owners could decide to lock out the players. The union has expected a lockout all along.

The older the 5-at-10 gets - to steal Mike Gundy's great rant, "I'm a man, I'm 40" - it's stunning how often real life resembles nursery rhymes and kids' stories.

Time for a multiple choice. Is the bickering between NFL owners and players (read billionaires vs. millionaires) that is putting the nation's most popular in jeopardy more like:

a) Jack in the Beanstalk

b) Hickory, dickory dock

c) Killing the goose that laid the golden egg

Crazy times in NL Central

photo St. Louis Cardinals' Allen Craig rounds third and heads in to score on a double by teammate Matt Carpenter during the sixth inning of a spring training baseball game against the New York Mets Wednesday, March 2, 2011, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

The St. Louis Cardinals have been the poster-program for the news of the strange and unfortunate this spring training.

It started with Albert Pujols and the contract tango that will last through this season and beyond.

Then ace pitcher Adam Wainwright suffers a serious, season-ending arm injury.

Then No. 2 ace Chris Carpenter injures a hamstring.

Not exactly the best start, huh?

Well, not to be outdone, the Chicago Cubs, one of the Cards' biggest rivals, are trying to move into the spring-training soap opera wars.

The Cubs have made more errors this spring than anyone this side of Charlie Sheen, including nine in a three-game stretch. Then Wednesday, pitcher Carlos Silva and third baseman Aramis Ramirez get into a scuffle in the dugout.

Guys, it's Day 4 of spring training.

"We need to have a conversation [today]," Cubs manager Mike Quade told the AP. "Not just about [the fight and the errors] but just getting ourselves back to playing baseball.

"I mean it's Day 4 of spring training. I got no business getting all fired up on four days of work. But it's getting to the point where that was really tough to watch."

If the Cubs need a "Come to Jesus" meeting on Day 4 of spring training, this could be the longest year in baseball history for Cubs fans. And that's saying something.

This and That

- Speaking of major league baseball, the Atlanta Braves have started quickly in their spring training games. Here's a question for the readers: Which player is the biggest key for this year's Braves team? Let us know, and maybe we'll start some sort of daily Braves' watch. Think about it.

- Did you notice the flurry of NFL moves as the clock winds down? Here are the two biggies: The Packers cut linebacker A.J. Hawk and the Eagles signed quarterback Mike Vick to a franchise tender, meaning the former Falcon and felon will make $20 million next season. Read that again.

- Hey, Mark Emmert, nice job ringing up some style points. Emmert, the NCAA president was quoted yesterday saying "If the leadership of those universities ... want to move in that direction, then the NCAA knows how to run championships and we'd be happy to help." So Emmert is saying that if the school presidents want a playoff the NCAA will run it. Umm, OK. The 5-at-10 would like to take this opportunity to say that we'd be glad to cover a college football playoff if the powers that be decide to have one. Now, we're all one big happy family, and like the folks at the Ace Hardware, we're "happy to help."

Until tomorrow, when the mailbag makes its return.

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