Let’s handle our business.
Rushmore of Elvis songs — “Suspicious Minds,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Love Me Tender.” And that’s leaving off some whoppers, including “In the Ghetto,” which may be a personal favorite Elvis tune.
Rushmore of best TV shows that were based on a movie (another one that is way harder than expected when you factor in any number of MCU and/or Star Wars offerings) — “M*A*S*H,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Andor,” and “The Odd Couple.” But don’t a lot of people think “Happy Days” was based on “American Graffiti” in a lot of ways?
Rushmore of National Parks — Grand Tetons, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the Great Smokey Mountains (and, yeah, location bias mattered there).
Rushmore of Bradley — Gen. Omar Bradley, Bradley Cooper, Bill Bradley and “60 Minutes” veteran Ed Bradley.
Rules, people, even in the mailbag. Here’s Paschall with the latest UT portal machinations.
To the bag.
From a slew of you (combined)
What a great game! Will you now shut up about Lane Kiffin? Reactions from Miami 31, Ole Miss 27.
Gang
First, we’ll never stop talking about Lane.
This was the peak — at least in premise — of the playoff and expansion. What an instant classic from each side, and what a fun game to watch.
The TV numbers will be through the roof, too.
It ends the fairy tail ride for Ole Miss that became even bigger because of the Kiffin chaos. And know this: The race is on for Ole Miss beat writers from Oxford to Gulfport to get the books published on this Rebels roller coaster.
And maybe my biggest takeaway is the reminder of why we love college football so much in the first place. Through all the pearl-clutching and consternation about the changing landscape around the sport, this type of dramatic excellence will always pull us back in, gang.
From Sam
I’m a big fan of Aaron Rodgers when on the field, not so much when he puts on his prima donna hat off of it. He has such a unique delivery with soft passes dropping in impossibly tight spaces. His short passes are sometimes darts that he starts from the earhole of his helmet. I read his career stats today, and you can easily say he’s one of the best ever, but with one Super Bowl victory and playing during the Brady/Manning era, is it fair to say he is somewhat overlooked?
Think of how much greater his numbers would be if Brett Farve hadn’t strung the Packers on for two more years, keeping him on the bench. Thoughts?
Add on — 12 a.m.: Heard a ton of: Does the ACC even deserve a playoff spot this year? As an UNC sufferer and 30-year Miami hater (and driven home every time they show Michael Irvin), I gotta look the other way and think of the windfall revenue coming our way. A-C-C!
Sam
Second part first, the victory laps for all the non-SEC fans are everywhere.
And the SEC will not have a team in the title game for the third consecutive year. So the accusations are fair and, much to the chagrin of Greg Sankey, accurate.
That said, I will never, ever pull for Alabama. I don’t care if the SEC goes three decades without a natty. Ain’t happening.
Yes, Rodgers is overlooked. For a multitude of reasons.
Overlapping the careers of Brady and Manning is one. His numbers are not going to reach Brees and some other inferior QBs in terms of skill sets because of waiting, as you mentioned.
But he has done himself few favors with a lot of the drama, merited or not.
Makes me think back to MJ when asked why he never commented on issues, he famously said, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”
But in terms of the eye test, Rodgers is one the best throwers I’ve ever seen.
I know that’s not the only prism history uses to judge greatness, especially QB1 greatness. Heck, Jeff George was mechanically as good as anyone I have ever seen, so there you go.
But Rodgers is an all-timer. And wanna know something definitely overlooked?
Three of the 14 teams chasing the Lombardi this year have a HC and a QB1 with a Super Bowl ring.
The Rams (McVay and Stafford), the Eagles (Sirianni and Hurts) and the Steelers (Tomlin and Rodgers).
So there’s that.
From J-Mac
NASCAR announced they will disclose Monday what the new playoff format will be. The thing that most wanted removed was the one race for the championship. I hated that. I do like stage racing and a playoff, to an extent. What would be your suggestions to make it more appealing?
I think that it is going to be exciting this year with a few names that hopefully win a lot — Connor Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen, to name a couple.
A bit of info, since 1991 only two names have won the most popular driver award, Earnhardt and Elliott. Makes you think that NASCAR needs someone to help the sport.
J-Mac
I’m open to anything that helps the racing and the entity, but your last point may be the most critical.
No one is camping all weekend in Bristol to tell their kids one day they saw Connor Zilisch, you know.
I would start with the championship being at Daytona. It’s the Rose Bowl of the sport and deserves respect.
The next top priority needs to be simplifying the dang thing, don’t you think?
In some ways, the PGA Tour is facing this exact two-headed issue that can be a killer for leagues, especially those based on individual athletes.
No more Tiger. Phil’s mid-career identity crisis. A playoff that takes Spy’s IQ to follow. And there becomes a vacuum of declining attention.
From Spy
It was cold in Florida last week and so cold that iguanas in trees froze. Then promptly fell out of the trees. So when they get a cold snap in Florida, as rare as it is, the iguanas freeze and fall out of trees.
Also sounds like one of those mixed drinks you’d get at a Wet Willie’s (“Yeah, lemme have two Sex on the Beaches, or Sexes on the Beach, a pinya co-ladda and a couple of them frozen iguanas!”)
Remember when “Wheel of Fortune” contestants had to spend their winnings on the prizes on set? All that furniture and the jewelry from Van Cleef and Arpel’s?
Spy
Great call. Not sure any one show made a better change than the leaders at “Wheel” doing away with the showcase segments.
We wanted more puzzles and more people puzzled by seemingly easy puzzles.
And they gave it to us and made Vanna White an international star.
Have a great weekend, friends.