From Gary
Hey, sorry if you’ve done this and I missed it, but how about a Rushmore of Heisman winners who made biggest contributions to football over an entire life/career.
Doak Walker Gary –
Great question with a lot of ways to go that is especially pertinent since Steve Spurrier resigned this week.
We’d put Spurrier on there for sure since he’s on the short list of best college coaches ever.
We’d put Roger Staubach on there, followed by Barry Sanders and we’ll go off the board with Doak Walker in the final spot.
As for this week’s Rushmores:
Tuesday’s Rushmore of all-time college football coaches: Rockne, Osborne, Bryant and Saban
Wednesday’s Rushmore of fan bases who deserve a chance to celebrate a title: Cubs, Browns (over the other Cleveland franchises after having their team ripped from them), Eagles and Clippers.
Thursday’s Rushmore of sports moments: (And this may be the most personal Rushmore we do, where everyone’s is different and still correct.) Gibson’s homer, Do you believe in Miracles, the Kick Six and Wes Byrum’s FG to give Auburn the Natty in January 2011.
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From Martin
I listen to Press Row everyday. You guys are great.
I had a question I was wondering if you could discuss and answer in your 5@10.
Do you think Drew Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
Thanks.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Martin –
Yes, Drew Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he certainly looked the part in the Saints’ impressive 31-21 win over the Falcons last night.
Let’s look at a few of the main criteria on our list for a QB to be in the Hall?
Eye-popping stats over a significant stretch. Check. Brees will finish his career in the top five of most of the meaningful categories, including yards and TDs. Yes, he has the benefit of playing in a pass-happy era with a passing-genius coach.
Did he contend for a championship. Check. He led the Saints to a Super Bowl title in 2009.
Was he on the short list of the best of his era. Check.
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From FEChancellor
Question for Mail Bag: If Manning believes he’s no longer top tier will he retire, or will he embrace it as long as Denver has a window to the Super Bowl?
FEC –
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) Great question, and we believe this will be Peyton Manning’s final season.
That said, if he gets to say the AFC title game and loses a heart-breaker, we could see him trying to rally the troops for one final run.
Still, we think this is it, and watching him now compared to even this time a year ago. And to read the ESPN article from a month ago – the one that described the 15-minute scene in which Broncos staff members help him get undressed – was quite telling.
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From Andrew
Did you see the story this week about the Lakers coach talking about a 4-point line?
What do you think about that?
FILE – In this April 9, 2013, file photo, then-Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott watches the Cavaliers’ NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. Scott said this weekend that he has been hired by the Lakers, but the club insisted Sunday, July 27, 2014, that no deal has been reached. Scott, who won three NBA titles as a shooting guard for the Lakers, told KCBS-TV he will take over the club, which hasn’t had a coach since Mike D’Antoni resigned April 30. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy,file) Andrew –
Here’s the story in which Byron Scott talks about the 4-point line.
We hope this is just the silly banter of preseason.
A 4-point line would create more bad shots in a game that is already distracted by too many long-range heaves. Yes, the NBA may have enough guys who could hone a 25-plus-footer.
But a rule change like this would trickle down and further hamper the aesthetics of college and even high school hoops.
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From Chas
In days of old, when knights were bold, and the spread offense hadn’t been invented, society was divided up into clear class layers. Serfs on bottom beneath the knights, beneath the dukes, beneath the king. Looks like the current SEC has reverted to that model.
In the Western Empire, The Plainsmen and The Razorbacks are serfs, The Mississippi schools are knights, and The Aggies and Bayou Bengals are dukes, beneath King Bama.
In the Eastern Empire, The Commodores and Spur-less ‘Cocks are serfs, UK and Mizzou are knights, Gawga and UT are dukes, and King Gator rules supreme.
Question for Friday’s bag: When Westerners travel into the Eastern Empire, will they not compete successfully one level up?
Seems to me that serfs Auburn and Arkansas would beat the good knights in Lexington and Columbia fair. And dukes from the humpback state would win most tilts with The Orange Knight or his dawg Uga. And LSU or A&M would pillage Gainesville.
Some (including pollsters) would argue my order in the Eastern Empire, but I think I have it right. Thursday’s Cats-War Eagles matchup will be another clue.
From the “Talks too much” studio, let’s start picking.
Chas –
I think that’s an accurate assessment and a genuine hierarchy.
The one quibble is that the unknown of the East makes social mobility even more possible.
Take Kentucky, which scared the britches off East King Florida. The Gators’ 14-9 win was not that much different in the end than that of the lowly Tigers, serfs of the West, who won 30-27 Thursday night. (And yes, that sentence had an old-school “Leonard’s Losers” feel to it.)
Plus, remember that the serf-ing Hogs went to Duke of Knoxville and manhandled the Vols in the second half.
It will be interesting to see how the final numbers West vs. East will be this year.
Alabama likely will go 2-0.
Texas A&M likely will go 2-0.
Arkansas likely will go 2-0.
Auburn likely will go 1-1.
Ole Miss went 1-1
Miss. State likely will go 2-0.
LSU is 1-0 and is a 10-point favorite over Florida this weekend. If the Tigers beat the Gators, it’s easy to see the West going 12-2 with the wins being Florida over Ole Miss at home and Georgia at Auburn.
Not sure how it tilted this way, and in the East’s heyday back in the 1990s, it was more top heavy by comparison. Most years the best two and even three teams were from the East but the bottom of the division was was the bottom of the league.
Enjoy the weekend gang.