5-at-10: Friday mailbag on Josh Dobbs and the Browns draft, Masters talk, the NCAA’s transgender policy, Trump as a point guard draft analysis and Rushmore updates

From Charles A. –

Just a heads up…I have it on good authority that Hue Jackson and the Browns have Joshua Dobbs on their radar. The word is, Cleveland selects Dobbs in the 5th round and then trades their 2nd round pick in 2018 for the rights to Jimmy Garoppolo’s eyebrow’s. Pretty shrewd. Your thoughts?

On the PGA tour, keep your eye on this Dustin Johnson kid. I see a young Morris Hatalsky there, but please don’t print that. I would hate to see that much pressure being put on him to live up to those expectations. With a few charisma lessons, DJ could be the next Mac O’Grady.

Finally, I feel compelled to ask: when you have a Rushmore of NBA greats, why do you continually neglect Paul Mokesky, Jeff Ruland, Tom McMillen, and John Crotty? Unfathomable! You may be one of these “I grew up in the 90’s” people that thinks the basketball world revolves around Will Perdue and Shawn Bradley. You kids today…

Take care.

P.S. I didn’t order the “Code Red” but I do have knowledge of the personal packing habits of a certain William Santiago, PFC, USMC. But, that’s classified. Just so you know.

Mr. A –

Thanks so much for the letter, and your tongue-in-check style fits perfectly into the shenanigans around these parts.

We’ll start from the bottom up.

Any reference to “A Few Good Men” is always welcome here, and on Press Row. That’s in our go-zone, even if we eat breakfast 300 yards away from 4,000 Cubans trained to kill us. (We’re pretty sure there are not that many Cubans in our neighborhood on Signal, but you get the idea.)

You are so right about our short-sighted-ness of the greatness and role of the white journeyman basketball player in the evolution of the NBA. Without those guys – and we followed former Hawks eighth-man Tom McMillan, who was lanky and flawed and wore every pad on every joint to the point that it would not have surprised me if he emerged with a bike helmet after halftime – think of what the game would have missed.

There’d be no turnover and go. Back when posters were a huge part of the NBA, think how many photo-op dunks would not have happened without some of those great posterized victims. (Side note, because this is occasionally a sports show, too: If we pushed our chips in with an all-white NBA Rushmore, who you got that tops Jerry West, Larry Bird, Dirk Nowitzki and John Stockton, with all apologies to several Celtics who finished fifth through 31st?)

DJ is legit, and right now he’s buckling golf courses because he’s hitting 6-irons into par-5s and wedges into 480-yard par-4s. As for your comparisons, we’ll keep it on the down low. No sense in distracting Johnson with the thoughts of “What could be” right? After all, who can forget that magical Greater Milwaukee Open playoff in ’83 when Hatalsky edged George Cadle in a playoff?

As for the first part, well, that’s an interesting theory, especially if the Browns can get Jimmy G’s ‘brows for anything lower than a fifth-rounder.

On a serious discussion point, and with the combine (aka The Underwear Olympics) starting next week, there are two interesting talking points in your question. First, what should the Browns do, and second, where will Josh Dobbs land?

On point one, if the Browns really wanted to build rather than gamble, we spend picks 1 and 12 in round one on anything other than a quarterback. Yes, we believe Deshaun Watson is the best QB in this class – and we believe that it’s not that close – but we also believe he still comes with a lot of questions about system and style. And the style of Hue Jackson (who was great in “Wolverine” by the way) is not the spread system that maximizes Mr. Watson’s talents.

If we were the Browns, we take Jonathan Allen one, if we can’t find a trading partner to add more value picks. (The next best player on the board in our view is Jamal Adams. Needless to say we are not super impressed with Myles Garrett, and believe there will be pass rushers with less measurable but that can produce similar production there at the top of round 2.) With the 12 pick, if Dalvin Cook is on the board we grab him. That’s an exciting, offensive-minded pick that can energize the organization.

As for the future at quarterback, if we are the Browns, we do not move the bounty that Garoppolo will demand. That’s for suckers, and/or folks who believe they are ready to win sooner rather than later. And with that, if we are the Browns, we tell Jackson (who was great in “Swordfish”) to lose every game. It won’t count against him, because the Browns need players this year and the top overall pick next year to land USC QB Sam Darnold.

As for Dobbs, as Paschall rightly put it on Thursday’s Press Row (listen weekdays from 3-6 on ESPN 105.1 the Zone and right here at timesfreepress.com), Dobbs is going to slay the Gruden Draft Camp interviews.

Does Dobbs have limitations? Yep. Every QB in this class does. But he also has higher upside than a lot of the names in this group and offers a versatility that truly would help. We fully expect him to get drafted, most likely by a team like Tennessee or Carolina or even Seattle who already have a running quarterback, so if an injury happens the system does not have to be overhauled.

Of course the Patriots could draft him too for a couple of reasons. First, he could turn two good games with the best organization in football into being swapped for a Cleveland first-rounder in 2020.

Also, with his background, Belichick could put Dobbs in the lab and prove once and for all that Brady* and the defelated balls were all a bad science experience gone awry.

From Todd C. –

Hi Jay, is it too soon for golf talk? You know I’m talking about The Masters. Who are the favorites besides Dustin Johnson? Who can add another Masters to their resume’ this year? Who is your dark horse? And will you be having a pick-em contest?

Todd C. –

Worthy Mailbag question, and no, it’s never too early for Masters talk. And absolutely. The Masterfully Mastering the Masters Masterpiece contest is right there with the bowl contest as the standards by which the 5-at-10 requires.

They will have to pry the Masters contest from our cold dead fingers, sir.

As for the details, well, Johnson is the clear favorite. He’s length right now changes the perception of everything, especially when he’s driving it this accurately. Plus, at Augusta, where even if you go a little askew with direction of tee shots, the distance can bail you out, it’s a doubly big advantage. (And if it is wet that week in Augusta, when it’s all about carry, Johnson’s length is triple-folded.)

Here’s the next tier of favorites according to the betting outlets: Jordan Spieth: 13-2; Dustin Johnson: 8-1; Rory McIlroy: 12-1; Jason Day: 12-1; Hideki Matsuyama: 12-1; Justin Rose: 15-1.

Of that group, we’d list Johnson, Rory and Day as our top three favorites. Some of the longer shots but still notable names we like are Adam Scott and Bubba, each of whom are 25-to-1, and each of whom consistently have a lot of success at Augusta National.

As boring as it sounds, we do think this is DJ’s tournament to lose as long as he stays healthy between now and then. As for darkhorses, we think Sergio Garcia is playing as well as anyone right now, and seeing him in the final group or three in Sunday would be excellent theater because it would only end one of two ways: Either he breaks through for a memorable first major or he collapses again.

Ah, the tradition unlike any other. Which also ranks as arguably the greatest sports description ever. (We have it on good authority that CBS picked “A tradition unlike any other” in a narrow vote over “The Masters: The sporting event so perfect that it even makes the insufferable Jim Nantz likable.” It was close, but they made the right call, even if we see the merits of each.)

From MocTastic

JG, for the MAILBAG. What would be the situation if a male at UTC wanted to play volleyball? I am of the understanding that if a female wanted to play football they would be required to let her try out. Does Title IX work both ways? Will be interesting if y’all can contact the UTC NCAA compliance officer and get the call on this.

MT –

Yes, it is our understanding that if a female wanted to try out for the football team, she would have to be given a similar shot as any other student in the try-out process. That may be one reason why the try-out process often is very selective and quiet.

As for your question about the reverse in connection to a potential trans-gender situation, we emailed UTC all-around ace and superstar Laura Herron for some extra insight. She forwarded along the NCAA policies and said that UTC uses the same guidelines.

Here is the passage of the rules as they apply to transgender athletes: Specifically. The NCAA Policy is.

NCAA policies on participation of transgender student-athletes undergoing hormonal treatment for gender transition:

1. A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who has received a medical exception for treatment with testosterone for diagnosed Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria and/or Transsexualism, for purposes of NCAA competition may compete on a men’s team, but is no longer eligible to compete on a women’s team without changing that team status to a mixed team.

2. A trans female (MTF) student-athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria and/or Transsexualism, for the purposes of NCAA competition may continue to compete on a men’s team but may not compete on a women’s team without
changing it to a mixed team status until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment

Any transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in sex-separated sports activities in accordance with his or her assigned birth gender.

A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may participate on a men’s or women’s team.

A trans female (MTF) transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition may not compete on a women’s team.

NCAA Bylaws related to hormonal treatment and mixed teams.

Two areas of NCAA regulations can be impacted by transgender student-athlete participation: use of banned substances and mixed team status.
A mixed team is a varsity intercollegiate sports team on which at least one individual of each gender competes. (Revised: 5/8/06). NCAA Bylaw 18.02.2 for purposes of meeting the required minimums set forth in Bylaws 18.2.3 and 18.2.4, a mixed team shall be counted as one team. A mixed team shall count toward the minimum sponsorship percentage for men’s championships.

NCAA rules state that a male participating in competition on a female team makes the team a “mixed team.” The mixed team can be used for sports sponsorship numbers (provided other conditions, such as being an acceptable NCAA sport, outlined in Bylaw 20.9 (Division I), 20.10 (Division II) and 20.11 (Division III) are met) and counts toward the mixed/men’s team minimums within the membership sports-sponsorship requirements. Such a team is ineligible for a women’s NCAA championship but is eligible for a men’s NCAA championship.

A female on a men’s team does not impact sports sponsorship in the application of the rule the team still counts toward the mixed/men’s numbers. Such a team is eligible for a men’s NCAA championship.

Once a team is classified as a mixed team, it retains that status through the remainder of the academic year without exception.

NCAA Bylaw 31.2.3 identifies testosterone as a banned substance, and provides for a medical exception review for demonstrated need for use of a banned medication. It is the responsibility of the NCAA institution to submit the request for a medical exception (see www.ncaa.org/drugtesting) for testosterone treatment prior to the student-athlete competing while undergoing treatment. In the case of testosterone suppression, the institution must submit written documentation to the NCAA of the year of treatment and ongoing monitoring of testosterone suppression.

OK, this is back to us. This is interesting stuff, right? It also is quite interesting how the NCAA is going to have a whole lot of restrictions – understandably – on transgender competition and wants to keep the right to do so.

But the NCAA is aggressively looking to impose its view – if not its practices – on states at the point of a financial bayonet.

Great question, and many thanks to Laura Herron for helping out.

From Chas

Question for Friday: With his YUGE hands, how good a point guard would our President be?

Chas –

OK, let’s debate this, draft-evaluation style.

Let’s create some pros…

• Has a legit plus-plus crossover, because no matter what your beefs with the POTUS may be – and a lot of them have merit – he appears to be willing to cross the aisle on governmental issues more than any president in more than a generation.
• Has a plus-plus quick release. Let’s face it, not since Chris Jackson/Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has a point guard had this quick a trigger and be able to get a shot off routinely this fast. Sometimes that quick release seems so quick that it feels like he may be doing it instinctively, without even thinking.
• Plus leadership skills and the ability to create environments that thrive.

And for the cons

• Terrible shot selection. Be it the handicapped or a needless shot from half-court against a late-night TV show from the highest perch on the planet, shot discipline is a serious concern.
• Questionable (athletic) ability and experience. He has lots of positives, but from hand size to comfort in the moment, difficult to know what to expect in different situations. Also of note: That lack of experience some times is a benefit in terms of lack of fear or political uselessness.
• Free-lancer. He does not fit into any one system. As POTUS, that can help, and as a point guard it can too, with the occasional monster play or big win. But it’s unorthodox and does not fit every program.

Amazingly, it’s easier to project where Trump would fit as a point guard – somewhere between terrible and worse than that – than it is as president.

Because let’s face it, no one knows how this will play out.

From Pete

Did you update the Rushmores? Man, would please try to remember to do this.

Pete –

Monday – Rushmore of SEC players by their NBA careers: Barkley, Shaq, Dominique and Bernard King.

Tuesday – Rushmore of best acting job playing famous people: Jamie Fox in “Ray” George C. Scott in “Patton” Daniel Day Lewis “My Left Foot” and Liam Neeson in “Schindler’s List”

Wednesday – Rushmore of Mountains: Everestt, Rushmore, Stone Mountain and The Mountain from “Game of Thrones” with all apologies to Mountain Dew, Mount Cody and a few others. In last, “Brokeback Mountain.” And, Rushmore of underrated superstars in sports: Jimmie Johnson, Kawhi Leonard, Isaiah Thomas, Aaron Donald.

Thursday – Rushmore of photographs: The sailor kiss after WWII; the protestor in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square; Ali standing over Liston, Firefighters on 9/11.

Finally, we are getting such good feedback from sharing some of the good and bad emails from the A2 realm, here are a few from last Saturday’s column about the Hispanic students’ protest:

From R

We have a psychopath as President. He is persuing those children’s relatives. This is one of the few protests they have! You have used your column to attack them instead of the psychopath that is our president.We are about to become a Russian colony but you use your column as an attack on children. Pathetic!.

From C

Today’s column ————- REFRESHING !! ————– many folks forget that there are often consequences to choices/decisions. Thanks for pointing out that while an unexcused absence(in this case in support of “A Day Without Immigrants” can be the basis of a learning lesson it can also be a loss of learning opportunity to fellow classmates and America.

Thank you and God Bless America !!

Yep, these are our fans and our foes.

Enjoy the weekend.