Let’s handle some business.
› Rushmore of NFL RBs — Sanders, Payton and Brown are dunks for me. And even if you view him as a compiler who spent his prime on an all-star team, Emmett Smith gets the final spot.
› Rushmore of Morgan — Morgan Freeman, Joe Morgan, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Wallen, who drops his next album today.
› Rushmore of TV cartoon character catchphrases? Bugs Bunny’s “What’s up, Doc?” and Fred Flintstone’s “Yabba Dabba Doo!” are there for sure. Homer’s “D’oh!” is there, and we’ll go with “That’s all, folks” from Porky Pig.
› Rushmore of Mickey — Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mantle, Mickey Goldmill (Rocky’s trainer) and Mickey Rourke, which leads to the mailbag with …
From Beardawg
We should do (Mickey Rourke’s) Rushmore because it is surprisingly good.
BD
Lots to get to today, so quickly, “The Wrestler” is far left.
He was a great villain in “Iron Man 2.” “Angel Heart” is there for me. And I’ll go “Diner” over a slew of other great options like “The Pope of Greenwich Village” and “Rumble Fish.”
Thoughts BD, since you are clearly a bigger fan and Rourke aficionado than me?
From Bicycle Bob
Regarding the $2.8B NCAA settlement, as I understand it, the money is to compensate those college athletes who came before the NIL era and consequently were not able to profit from their work. Fair enough, but where do you draw the line? Are MLB players pre-Curt Flood going to get a settlement? What about those in the Negro Leagues who probably worked for even less? What about Olympic athletes in the “amateurism”‘ era that couldn’t earn a cent without forfeiting their status and right to complete for a medal? At some point, do we have to accept the fact that times change, and if you came along beforehand, your world (both sporting and non-sporting) might have played out differently than for those who came along after a big change?
BB
All great questions.
This is why finding legally viable solutions to move forward is paramount for NCAA President Charlie Baker and the rest of the leaders across college sports.
The Olympics comp since that model has completely changed from being amateur to being professional may be the most direct comparison, since Curt Flood and previous athletes were getting paid, albeit infinitesimal compared to today’s salaries.
But for the college future — and this is the reason the NCAA and the schools want the $2.8 billion settlement to go through — they have to draw a line to where they can move forward and address the issues with current athletes.
Whatever backdoor avenues in terms of revenue sharing and unofficial salary caps for current and future student-athletes are ripe for legal action since none of those athletes have had a seat at the bargaining table.
And among the couple of emails and questions I received on the decision to reinstate deceased people on the MLB permanently ineligible list:
From DPageJr.
Manfred just removed all ineligible deceased players on the banned list in MLB. Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson are eligible for the HOF Committee to vote them in. Do they get in?
DP
I think the best think in Rose’s favor when his name gets on the ballot come 2027 and also that Jackson will be there too.
I think they both will get in because it will be decided by the Eras Committee.
If it were put before the writers, I think they would both fall short of 75%.
From Patrick
I’m beating the dead horse to death like it’s Medicaid — Pete Rose didn’t make a “mistake.”
Doing it once? Yeah, maybe.
Repeatedly? Over years? That’s a conscious decision.
Remember too — he said he was sorry it happened. Hell, he was sorry he got caught. And he lied to the commissioner about it.
There aren’t rules about being a human POS — hello, Ty Cobb and yes, you too, Ray Lewis — where’s that white suit again? And by further accounts, the Hit King could be a turd off the field, too.
Being a jack– shouldn’t keep you out of the Hall. Being a lying jack– who trampled over the rules? Well, that’s a horse of a different color.
And will that be standard by which we judge the steroid boys in years to come? Do mea culpas give them extra grace?
The new pope should weigh in on this.
Patrick
All fair points.
I’d love for Pope Leo XIV to offer a parting shot at a news conference with his take on Pete.
Or his bobblehead likeness.
Have a great weekend, friends.