Disney plus
Game-changing moment this morning at the 5-at-10 compound:
Our oldest - the Lil' 5-at-10 - is 12 and digs him some technology.
He has been amped for the release of Disney+ on this day for quite a while. (And yes, he's already watched the first episode of the Star Wars miniseries "Mandalorian." He gave it two thumbs north and even said, "I can't wait for the next one.")
That Disney+ was released on the one-year anniversary of Stan Lee's death is more than ironic considering that Lee's Marvel creations have completely redirected the current and the future of Disney enterprises.
In the big picture, this could be a watershed moment.
Yes, there have been a slew of other cord-cutting options out there for a while. And while they have made dents in the cable subscriptions, Disney+ is different.
Disney+ is a viewing portal as well as a content generator that can offer Hulu and ESPN+ in a premium package as well. Consider this collection under the Disney umbrella: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic as well as ESPN and Hulu.
That scenario also would allow the cord-cutters access to live sports, which is one of the last and most valuable options for portals and providers alike.
NFL power poll
The NFL may be the only actual entity with the content to have a Disney+ like portal.
That would not generate the billions in TV money, but you can expect that a lot of monster entertainment conglomerates are watching the fortunes of Disney+ with keen interest. Side note: That "keen" is a fine word.
In case you're wondering, the power poll noticed the Vegas odds for winning the Super Bowl, and they are very similar.
1. New England (5-to-2, according to VegasInsider.com). The Patriots are "The Lion King" of the Disney catalog. Simply the best, and they both hold up through generations and are great in every phase - offense, defense and special teams - for the Pats; stage, animated and live action for "The Lion King."
2. San Francisco (9-to-2). Yes, the 49ers moved up with a loss, but that loss was to a bonafide contender without two key offensive contributors, especially George Kittle. The 49ers are "Monsters Inc." They are built on scary size up front, but the more you watch, the more you realize there is a completeness to the entire deal.
3. New Orleans (6-to-1). On first glance, there's a lot of "The Little Mermaid" here - a complete cast that checks a lot of boxes. But if Sunday's inexplicable loss was more about a blueprint, well, the Saints could up being the sequel to "The Little Mermaid," which was not good.
4. Baltimore (6-to-1). This is "Aladdin," right? And Lamar Jackson is stealing the show across the league as the Ravens offensive coaches have released his genie skills from the bottle. (Side note: Ranking the genies, I'd go Robin Williams, the dude-playing genie on Broadway and then Will Smith. And it's closer between 1-2 than 2-3.)
5. Green Bay (10-to-1). Another well-crafted collection, and considering how much I love watching their quarterback play, here's hoping that this is the "Toy Story" of the bunch in that every coming chapter is, while maybe not as good as the first, still enjoyable. And when the finale comes for Aaron Rodgers, there certainly will be tears shed like "Toy Story" 4. Shut up, I'm not crying, you're crying.
Powerless
28. Atlanta. Our "Frozen." You hear good things. You expect good things. Then after the first or second viewing, it gets worse and worse every single time. Anyone else want to punch Olaf in the carrot?
29. Miami. Let's go with "Sky High;" a cast trying hard, but doomed to fail over the long haul.
30. New York Giants. "Dumbo." The entire thing makes fans cry and hey, keep defending that Daniel Jones pick. They're going to waste - and shorten - Saquon Barkley's prime Sign.
31. Washington. Here's the Disney irony. This one is the disaster with The Rock known as "The Game Plan," which is crazy because the one thing the Redskins have lacked for years is a game plan.
32. Cincinnati. The "Cadet Kelly" of Disney films. The one that makes you wonder why. Just why would we watch this?
Playoff projections
Well, this could be very interesting. Round 2 of the college football playoff rankings will be released tonight.
There will be significant movement from the significant happenings of last Saturday. Interesting, right?
Of course. And also meaningless in the big picture.
Here's our best guess of what the committee will do:
1. LSU
2. THE Ohio State
3. Clemson
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Minnesota
8. Baylor
And with the exception of Utah and maybe Oklahoma, those are the teams who have more than a Powerball grand prize chance as making the playoffs.
But let's look at what it means in theory, in the now and for the future.
In theory, the above list is convenient logic to keep Alabama in the top four. Now, I believe that Alabama would be near the bottom of the 10 teams still with a shot at the playoff if you took the names off the résumé. There's virtually no chance - LSU would have to lose to Arkansas, friends - the Tide will have a conference championship, something that all the rest still have hope for.
Alabama needs a slew of help, and has the chance to get it. Here's what Bama needs:
Win out of course, and hammer Auburn at Auburn; the three unbeatens in front of Bama need to roll, which would handle Minnesota and deny Georgia a conference title; the Big 12 to be the Big 12 and have Baylor stumble and maybe even Oklahoma, because while Vegas would have Alabama a sizable favorite over both those teams - and likely a double-digit pick over Baylor - either of them with only one loss and a conference title will make this very interesting.
Simply put, Bama needs help. Lots of it, and the one thing we can say is the November college football world is defined more by the unexpected than the probable.
As for theory, well, this is interesting. What matters most? Eye test and perception of power or accomplishments on the field, because those conversations are going to be real and likely to be used at the committee's leisure depending on the team, which does not exactly seem fair. But again, this is college sports, so fair is rarely the goal or the accurate description of process.
Which leads us to the future. OK, we know the Group of 5 is desperate to get in front of the fire hydrant of cash that is the College Football Playoff. And while we all like to giggle at those pesky ACC teams not named Clemson that are soooooooo cute when they try to block and tackle, we need to send a collection fruit basket or a jelly of the month club membership to Pitt and Pat Narduzzi.
How monster of a headache would this be if UCF was neck deep in this puppy? (And yes, UCF has now lost three times, including once to Cincy, which was the highest-ranked Group of 5 team last week. Side note: Did you know that Cincinnati's strength of schedule is seven spots higher than Clemson's? Chew on that, Dabo.)
But the committee could have shuffled out a noisy Group of 5 with "quality win" or "schedule strength" or any of the quality buzzwords.
But what happens when an Alabama team that most of us - including Vegas - would admit that Bama is one of the four best teams in the country, but if it is picked over Power 5 conference champs (especially unbeaten conference champs without the pizzazz like a Baylor or a Minnesota) the expansion will be here much, Much, MUCH quicker.
Interesting for sure.
Eventually.
This and that
- Way to go, Kelly Jolly. Wow, how's this for a staggering stat for no-worse-than-the-second-best all-time program in women's basketball history? Last night's 74-63 at No. 15 is the UT Lady Vols' first road win over a ranked foe since 2011.
- Let's send up a prayer for former President Jimmy Carter, who is scheduled to have a procedure today to relieve pressure on his brain from bleeding from his recent falls. Forget politics here, people, Jimmy Carter has been a true blessing in this life.
- Interesting update from my buddy Daniel Wallach, the foremost legal sports betting expert in the country. Here are the states (just the states, mind you) that benefited the most from Mattress Mack's betting sprees on the Astros to win the Series: "Almost $1.5m in state taxes (total), including: MS: $696,000 NJ: $641,220 NV: $112,117." Wow. That's one dude with deeeeeeep pockets.
- Charles Rogers is dead at 38. The former No. 2 overall pick has lived a hard life since being released by the Lions.
Today's questions
Lots of true or false to get to today. That's true.
True or false, "Pirates of the Caribbean" is the best non-animated Disney movie of all time.
True or false, the year 2019 of our Lord is the best year in the history of the Mouse. (Yes, the Disney+ is huge, but they have already had three $1 billion movies and that's with "The Last Skywalker" on the horizon around Christmas.)
True or false, Alabama will be in the top four tonight.
True or false, Alabama will be in the top four at the end of the regular season.
True or false, Lamar Jackson will get to a Super Bowl before Patrick Mahomes.
Wow, and we still have more. You know the drill. Answer some T or F, leave some T or F.
As for today, well, lots of fun names celebrating a birthday.
Neil Young is 74, and we all know that a Southern man don't need him around anyhow.
Anne Hathaway is 37. She's classically beautiful. Ryan Gosling is 39. He, too, is classically beautiful. What? Deny either of those.
Opposite ends of the female Olympic darling scale celebrate B-Days today. Nadia Comaneci is 58. Tonya Harding is 49.
Russell Westbrook is 31 and Sammy Sosa is 51 today.
Wallace Shawn is 76 today and before you ask who, he's a familiar voice in Disney movies - he was Rex in the "Toy Story" series - and was Vizzini in "The Princess Bride." "I switched glasses when your back was turned. Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'never get involved in a land war in Asia,' but only slightly less well-known is this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.' Ha ha ha!"
Good times.
It's also National French Dip Day, and friends, there are few sandwiches as reliable as the French Dip. I am willing to die on that hill, gang.
National Pizza with the works except anchovies Day.
As for a Rushmore, we feel obligated to go Disney here, right?
OK, let's start with "Pirates of the Caribbean," a movie that ages exceedingly well (although the sequels are dreck) and do a Disney Rushmore of non-kids-based original movies. (That eliminates the Marvel catalog or the Star Wars collection.)
Whatcha got?