From Matt
Heard you guys talking about the Derby and Mint Juleps this week.
If you had to do a Rushmore of sporting events and beverages, what would make it.
Thanks and I love the 5-at-10 and listen to you guys everyday.
Matt –
Thanks, and thanks to all the folks who signed up for the Derby contest. Should be fun.
Hmmm, Rushmore of sports events and beverages. And since beer is like a white golf shirt – it goes with everything – let’s be a little more creative.
We concur. The Derby-and-Mint Juleps tandem has to be there.
We’ll add the Indy 500 and Milk. College football and Jack and Coke (or whatever you choose to mix it with – heck, we call it a Gameday at the 5-at-10 Compound). We’ll complete it with sidelines and Gatorade showers, although the champagne and the locker room celebration deserves consideration too.
Great question.
While we are here, let’s review this week’s Rushmores
Rushmore of prayer: Lord’s Prayer, Prayer in Jordan-Hare, Hail Mary, Serenity Prayer
Rushmore of sports movie upsets: Hickory over South Bend Central, Daniel LaRusso over Johnny Lawrence,
Rushmore of May: May the Force be with you, Sam May-Day Malone, Willie Mays, Mother May I
Rushmore of changes brought by the internet: Amazon, email, the availability of information (and images) good and bad, the 5-at-10.
Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier (12) celebrates his three-point shot against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Monday, April 30, 2018, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)From Russ
I am watching more NBA these days. Is that strange.
What are the biggest takeaways of the first month of the playoffs?
Russ –
We have enjoyed the NBA more and more over recent years.
The games are fun. The action is entertaining, and well, we’re a LeBron James fan.
As for these playoffs, we have a few thoughts.
> If LeBron James is hitting that fadeaway like he did in Game 2 in Toronto (he went 43-8-14 and assisted or scored 77 of the Cavs’ points) he is completely unguardable. Period.
> Not really sure the Rockets are going to give the Warriors as much of a test as many of us expect. Not sure anyone can.
> The 76ers’ trajectory is high, but until he develops something from the perimeter, Ben Simmons will be a flawed player in the postseason.
> Man, has anyone made the most of their postseason chance than Terry Rozier, the Boston guard filling in for Kyrie Irving? You could make an argument for Donovan Mitchell maybe, but Rozier has been amazing.
> Does anyone think it’s going to be anything other than Warriors-Cavs? Me neither.
Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols watches his three-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) From Jim
Do you think Albert Pujols is the best first baseman ever?
Jim –
Interesting question.
Pujols has three MVPs. He is a two-time World Series champ.
His next base hit will make him the 32nd player with 3,000 career hits.
Looking at the numbers, well, he can make a case.
Lou Gehrig may edge Pujols by the slightest of margins.
Here are the comparisons:
Pujols: 620 homers, 1,935 RBIs, 2,999 career hits, .304 average, .385 OBP, .560 slugging
Gehrig: 493 homers, 1,995 RBIs, 2,721 hits, .340 average, .447 OBP, .632 slugging.
We’d give a slight edge to the Iron Horse, but as Albert approaches an all-time milestone, his greatest must be acknowledged.
He has faded since taking the big contract and heading to the Angels, but his numbers and accomplishments are truly all-timers.
In this Feb. 5, 2017, file photo, Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan celebrates after a touchdown during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 51 football game against the New England Patriots in Houston. Ryan has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Falcons, the team announced Thursday, May 3, 2018, without revealing terms. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)From Mark
Ice-Ice Baby!
Big Falcons fan, and I love your writing and Press Row.
What do you think of Matty Ice’s new deal and is he a top-five quarterback in the NFL?
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Mark –
Let’s look at the second question first. We can universally say that Aaron Rodgers is atop any list with any metric.
The rest is a little more difficult. Is Ryan better than Brady or Brees? No. But you would rather have five years of Ryan than two of Brady or Brees, right?
So it’s pretty clear the Falcons would not trade Ryan for either of those future Hall of Famers.
On the other end of that spectrum, would the Seahawks trade 29-year-old Russell Wilson for 32-year-old Ryan?
There was a time not that long ago that we would have argued that the Colts would not have traded Andrew Luck for any quarterback in the league, maybe even Rodgers. With Luck’s injury-riddled past and the unknown about his shoulder, that certainly is not the case.
Which brings us back to Matt Ryan. If he’s not top-five, he’s close. He has an MVP and a Super Bowl trip.
As for the contract, well, it’s pretty steep, considering it averages $30 million over five years and means Ryan now accounts for more than 16 percent of the $178 million salary cap.
And that’s the rub right? Yes, it’s understandable that the Falcons want to keep Ryan. He is 95-63 as a starter friends for a franchise that not that long ago had never made back-to-back playoff appearances.
It also is worth noting that players (and coaches, for that matter – hi Kirby) get what the market offers. Is Matt Ryan more valuable to the Falcons than Jimmy G to the 49ers or Kirk Cousins to the Vikings? He should be.
(And the league needs to figure a way to exempt some of the cap hit to for teams resigning one player per cycle.)
On the other side, it is worth noting too, that no team has won the Super Bowl in the last 15 years paying their quarterback 15 percent of their salary cap space.
The Falcons secured being competitive for the foreseeable future, but it has to be realized that the Falcons window is now if they are going to win a Super Bowl.