Let’s get to business.
› Rushmore of the best current actors who started as singers — Current being a critical word here since we all know the Chairman (Frank Sinatra) is likely far left. So we’ll go Will Smith, Mark Wahlberg, J-Lo and the sentimental pick of Dolly Parton.
› Rushmore of bar games — Visor tip to the suggestion of bowling because other than kids’ trips and youth birthdays, bowling and drinking go hand-in-hand. We’ll go pool and darts as 1 and 1A. Golden Tee and trivia. But we need a visor tip to the place in Buckhead back in the day (East Village Lodge) that had a free throw shooting station with a net around it. Bet a beer on three rounds of 10, and let’s say I seldom paid for a CoCola when I went there.
› Michelle Pfeiffer’s Rushmore — “Scarface,” “Fabulous Baker Boys,” “Married to the Mob” and “Dangerous Liaisons.”
› Rushmore of “Harper” — “Harper Valley PTA” is there. Bryce Harper, Harper Lee and Ron Harper. Former UT star WR Alvin Harper and longtime Braves’ outfielder Terry Harper deserve mentions too.
Softball update. East Hamilton toppled everyone’s favorite middle school softball team Thursday, 3-1. The Lil’ Miss 5-at-10 has made 40 starts this year between school and travel ball and has lost five games. Three of those are to EHMS. LM5-at-10 pitched a complete game, allowed two earned runs on four hits, struck out seven and walked one. Good outing but not good enough against a very good EHMS crew.
To a very strong mailbag — you guys rock — that is long on questions and short on me. Which is a good thing. And we start with three of the boatloads of questions we received on Shedeur Sanders.
From JB
NFL is brilliant in marketing itself all year, isn’t it? Only in America …
Bad news for Shedeur is that he fell to 5th round and woeful CLE. Good news is that he fell to woeful CLE. Deshaun Watson won’t play again for the Browns. Dillon Gabriel is likely a better player than Shedeur, but Joe Flacco is as old as I am. Shedeur may well see the field this year, as you point out. Plus, since he’s so entitled and arrogant, there may be some entertainment value in playing him, especially if the Browns season gets out of control.
From Steeler Fan
I’d pay money to be a fly on the wall in that Browns QB room this summer. Any chance “Hard Knocks” gets in there?
From Tomooltewah
Sorry, for the delayed response. Busy day. No recollection of the Elways. But, would you not agree there are “stage door daddies,” and then the Deion’s of the world? So, are you suggesting Archie is as obnoxious? Really? Never heard that story.
Guys
I’ve written a truckload on Shedeur, and maybe the craziest thing is his draft free fall has turned him into a sentimental favorite and made the Browns intriguing. And downright likable.
Sadly, it is unlikely the Browns will be in “Hard Knocks” with the sliding rules and requirements for teams in the league.
Although if Roger Goodell can make it happen, he should make it happen. And Lord knows he would want to make it happen.
From Patrick
As opposed to the big W, where Smiler Grogan buried his loot at Santa Rosita State Park.
Anyhoo ….
If Shedeur Sanders’ stock can fall so far because of his interviews and other perceptions, what effect can Nico Iamaleava’s NIL foibles have with his potential NFL interviews?
And aren’t you glad you don’t have to spend the next fall worrying about spelling Iamaleava (is that pronounced “I’m a leave ya” if I don’t get more NIL money?) 10 times a week?
Patrick
MocsColts had an interesting quote from an NFL exec that portalling can actually help QBs in the eyes of the NFL because they can learn a multitude of systems.
That said, no future boss wants a future employee with a history of airing out private negotiations in public.
Which leads us to the conversation of “stage door” dads, and to Tom’s question above: I’ve heard nothing but great things about Archie Manning.
And we all know Deion’s Deion. But to be fair, Deion’s predraft ploy of saying Shedeur would not play for certain teams is exactly what the Mannings did with Eli and the Elways did with the Colts way back in 1983.
That’s the only comp I was making early this week, and the Iamaleava’s handling of their NIL and portal posturing certainly has not gone unnoticed by NFL front offices.
From JMac
The picks from the Jay’s Plays have looked good, but baseball can be weird at times — even Paul Skenes wouldn’t have helped yesterday. Gave up 3 homers in a row. Thinking about giving Jobu some Rum and Cigars?
Actually, amazed at how well you have done for this long.
J-Mac
Thanks for playing along. Been a rocky month or so, and we’re below 80 units overall.
We’ve consistently struggled in the times that the seasons change as we try to find our footing, if that makes sense.
From Don
Didja notice LIV played a tournament last weekend?
Apparently, nobody did. Especially judging by their ratings.
Shoot, a replay from last year’s Zurich Classic got 10 times the eyeballs a live LIV tournament from Mexico City got on TV.
It’s time to stop taking LIV seriously. If the Saudis want to make themselves feel better about themselves, there are plenty of soccer clubs and racehorses to plunge millions into.
Still liking Journalism for Saturday? And how big a storyline will be the return of Bob Baffert to Churchill Downs?
Don
I do like Journalism. (Insert joke here considering my day job.)
I will have more on this in Jay’s Plays later this afternoon, but the Baffert conversation intrigues me.
Here’s the story on one of his horses getting scratched from the Derby.
How is that dude not in the pokey?
From Spy
The son of the Falcons DC has to go down as the dumbass of the week, no?
He needs more than just his GameBoy taken away.
Spy
The fines — $250K for the team, $100K for his dad — were bigger than I expected, which is a good thing.
Have a great weekend, friends.