Wow, loads to get to on a Friday that’s 10 days from Christmas.
Let’s handle our business.
Rushmore of Taylor — Lawrence, Elizabeth, Swift and while this maybe controversial, I’ll go Taylor Kitsch, who played the 42-year-old, fifth-year senior fullback Tim Riggins in “Friday Night Lights” on NBC. Texas forever.
Rushmore of 12 — TB12, 12 days of Christmas (does anyone you know really know all the words to that song?), 12-step program (God bless those folks, and here’s a fun holiday tune from Walker Hayes “Trying to stay out of AA.”) and 12 apostles of course. Merry Christmas. If we did athletes only who wore 12, I would go Brady, Stockton, Aaron Rodgers and Alomar. If Terry Bradshaw had played in Baltimore, he’d have been forgotten long ago. No QB1 ever had a better cast than Bradshaw, and that’s an argument I am happy to have with anyone. If Ken Anderson had been in Pittsburgh and Bradshaw in Cincinnati, Anderson may have had six Super Bowl rings.
Rushmore of great shows that became trash with one character leaving — “All in the Family” when Edith left; “Happy Days” when Richie left; “The Andy Griffith Show” when Barney left; “The Office” when Michael Scott left.
Rushmore of Rice: Jerry, Jim, Condoleezza and Glen, who put on a show in the 1989 NCAA tourney. Foods — Fried, red beans and …, rice pudding (not a fan, but many are — side question: Rice pudding, friend or foe? Discuss), Rice-a-roni. Gang, it’s the San Francisco treat, which should make everyone happy.
You know the rules. Here’s Paschall with some UT football knowledge.
Finally, here’s the last chance to see the games in our Bowling for Bowls of Bowl Game Success (Bowler Optional) contest.
No purchase necessary. Your friends, family and anyone foolish enough not to be a regular is also welcome to play. These listed spreads are final. Yes, half of Georgia’s team may opt out, but the line listed below is what we are dealing with for these happenings.
Also, don’t highlight your picks. It makes it more difficult in the tabulating process. Some of you are spread-sheeters. And that’s fine. If you want to circle your picks, fine. If you want to cut and paste the entire list below, then leave your pick so the entire column would look like this.
Rose Bowl — Alabama
Sugar Bowl — Texas (-3.5)
Cool?
Fire away. Need these before kickoff tomorrow. Deal? Deal.
1-point games
Myrtle Beach Bowl — Georgia Southern vs. Ohio (-2.5)
New Orleans Bowl — Louisiana vs. Jacksonville State (-2.5)
Cure Bowl — Miami (Ohio) vs. App State (-3.5)
New Mexico Bowl — Fresno State vs. New Mexico State (-2.5)
Arizona Bowl — Wyoming vs Toledo (-1.5)
Toastery Bowl — Old Dominion vs. Western Kentucky (pick ’em)
68 Ventures Bowl — Eastern Michigan vs. South Alabama (-16.5)
2-point games
Independence Bowl — Cal vs. Texas Tech (-3.5)
Frisco Bowl — Marshall vs. UTSA (-8.5)
Boca Raton Bowl — South Florida vs. Syracuse (-5.5)
Birmingham Bowl — Duke vs. Troy (-5.5)
Camellia Bowl — Northern Illinois vs Arkansas State (-1.5)
Armed Forces Bowl — Air Force vs. James Madison (-4.5)
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl — Utah State vs. Georgia State (-3.5)
3-point games
L.A. Bowl — Boise State vs. UCLA (-2.5)
Las Vegas Bowl — Northwestern vs. Utah (-7.5)
Hawai’i Bowl — Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State (-7.5)
Quick Lane Bowl — Bowling Green vs. Minnesota (-5.5)
First Responder Bowl — Rice vs. Texas State (-6.5)
Guaranteed Rate Bowl — UNLV vs. Kansas (-11.5)
Military Bowl — Tulane vs. Virginia Tech (-5.5)
Liberty Bowl — Memphis vs. Iowa State (-6.5)
4-point games
Gasparilla Bowl — Georgia Tech vs. UCF (-6.5)
Duke’s Mayo Bowl — UNC vs. West Virginia (-3.5)
Holiday Bowl — USC vs. Louisville (-6.5)
Fenway Bowl — Boston College vs. SMU (-10.5)
Pinstripe Bowl — Rutgers vs. Miami (-4.5)
Pop-Tarts Bowl — NC State vs. Kansas State (-4.5)
Alamo Bowl — Oklahoma vs. Arizona (-3)
Sun Bowl — Oregon State vs. Notre Dame (-10.5)
5-point games
Texas Bowl — Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M (-4.5)
Gator Bowl — Kentucky vs. Clemson (-6.5)
Cotton Bowl — Missouri vs. THE Ohio State (-3.5)
Peach Bowl — Ole Miss vs. Penn State (-4.5)
Music City Bowl — Maryland vs. Auburn (-2.5)
Orange Bowl — FSU vs. Georgia (-13.5)
ReliaQuest Bowl — Wisconsin vs. LSU (-10.5)
Citrus Bowl — Iowa vs. Tennessee (-7.5)
Fiesta Bowl — Liberty vs. Oregon (-3.5)
7-point game
Rose Bowl — Alabama vs. Michigan (-1.5)
Sugar Bowl — Washington vs. Texas (-3.5)
10-point bonus
National champion (just the winner, no spread)
To the bag.
From JJ
Jay, you are so right about how Al Michaels got pushed out. Sucks.
To use your idea, does Al make the Rushmore of sports announcers?
JJ,
One, the “Rushmore” is far from my idea. Not sure who came up with it originally, and not sure how we have crafted 13-plus years of Rushmores around these parts, but so it goes.
Great question, and one that demands layers.
Because if we are talking play-by-play guys, yes Michaels makes it with Vin Scully, Dick Enberg and Keith Jackson.
If we are talking about analysts, then it starts with Madden, and goes to Howard Cosell, Dickie V (yeah, I am not a fan, but dude is an all-timer and did more for his sport as an analyst than anyone) and Charles Barkley.
And if we are talking about college favorites, I think we may have discussed this recently, but my mind is mush these days. I would go Munson, Cawood Ledford, John Ward and Al Ciraldo. But that is subjective of course.
From Cody
Jay, we read your morning column every day here at (workplace) and then we talk about it at lunch. You are a great way to fill the morning, dude.
So (Wednesday) the comments went to Dan Akroyd’s Rushmore and we could not settle on what would be on it.
Did you decide?
It also lead us to wondering who started as a comic and became the most serious respected actor.
Jay, help us.
Cody,
For me, Dan Akroyd is an amazing talent and perpetually underrated. His comedy Rushmore of “Ghostbusters,” “Trading Places,” “Blues Brothers” and “Spies Like Us” does not have to apologize to many.
He also has more than a few stinkers like whatever the “Blues Brothers 2000” was, never mind “Caddyshack 2” and “Nothing But Trouble.”
Still his turn in serious movies like “Driving Miss Daisy” and “My Girl” drives this discussion into a different direction.
I think Tom Hanks is the GOAT of this discussion, because if you had told me that the leading man dressed in drag in “Bosom Buddies” was going to win multiple Oscars and be arguably the best actor of my generation, well, I would have had a hard time accepting that.
I think the conversation should also include some names like Robin Williams (going from Mork to the mentor in “Good Will Hunting” is a great effort), Bill Murray (going from Carl Spackler to anything close to a serious role deserves mention), and maybe even Adam Sandler, who has a slew of roles in each genre.
From a slew of you (added together and condensed)
So what do you think of the court decision to allow college athletes to transfer multiple times?
Gang,
This question has dominated my thoughts for most of the last few days.
It stinks. But it makes legal sense. And it makes sense to the most adamant hater of the NIL and transfer portal among us who claim it kills the essence of “student-athlete.”
Because in truth, those of us who still want to believe in the “student” part of student-athlete, should we not allow the athletes the same liberties the rest of the students have and transfer wherever and whenever they choose?
That’s especially true considering that most athletic scholarships are still a year-to-year proposition. Read that again.
But the Carson Beck reports of demanding $4 million in NIL or he’ll transfer or leave for the draft make the unlimited portal even more frightening.
And maybe there are true legal hurdles to clear, but if the NCAA had been in front of these issues a decade-plus ago, we’d all be in better shape. In truth, there’s a fair argument to be made that Mark Emmert is the worst sports executive to ever draw breath.
Some thoughts, and I am not legally trained, so if these are untenable, please advise:
— Every athlete in any sport gets a free pass to go anywhere at any point.
— Any athlete on any team that has a head coach fired or who leaves for another job gets another pass into the portal. This makes a ton of sense, and the folks who say “decide on the school not the coach” are cracked, especially at the power levels.
— We have to get beyond the sixth- and seventh-year COVID-related careers. Yes, it was an unprecedented time, but buckets, if he had decided to return, Bo Nix could be the all-time leading NCAA passer. Yes, Bo has played and started 60 college football games. And is still eligible if he wanted to come back.
Thoughts?
From Micky
What was your best Christmas present?
Micky,
I love this question.
It was a MLB-style Dodgers starter jacket when I was 12. Love that gift so much.
^We’ll talk some Christmas presents next week, deal? Deal.
From David
You suck at picking games mother (bleeper)!
David,
Thanks for reading.
Have a great weekend, friends.