From JTC
Jay, we need you or your super talented wife to share a picture of your current hair status. I understand how long, bushy, and hot it must be. My wife gave me the second cut I’ve had in the past five months. With that said, in the past five months what’s the one thing you miss the most? How about one thing sports related, one thing personal, and one thing at work?
JTC –
Excellent question.
First, as for the hair, well, I got a cut from the Mrs. 5-at-10’s stylist Thursday before Press Row. It’s still way longer than I normally wear it, but that’s because the previous style was very clipper-heavy. Hey go with the strengths of those around you, and the strengths at Great Clips are clippers, cheap and quick.
But the former ‘do was closer to a ‘fro and it was unruly for sure.
As for the meat of your question… Side tangent: I’ll ask it again, how in the world are these the two choices for the most important office in the country. And their sidekicks are not much better. Example No. 2,305, Mike Pence likely is the most likable and decent person on either presidential ticket, and even he has the crazy. Thursday, Pence’s points included that Kamala Harris was going to restrict the dietary choices of Americans and limit the amount of beef we can consume. His rallying point included the words “Well, I got some red meat for you. We ARE NOT going to let Joe Biden and Kamala Harris cut America’s meat.” Goodness. Cue the middle school boys giggling. Side question about the side tangent: “Mr. VP, asking for Wisconsin dairy farmers, are we going to let Joe and Kamala cut the cheese?” Sorry. Again, cue the middle school giggles.
Where were we… Oh yeah, JTC’s excellent questions about what I’ve missed the most. (And gang, feel free to play along from home.)
Sports-related: Augusta. I’d put March Madness second, but it’s not that close. I know football is teetering, but it’s not missable at this point. And again, I know they are having the Masters in November, but the Masters without the patrons and the roars and scenery and everything that makes it way more than a golf tournament is simply not the Masters. Yes, the Masters folks said those with 2020 badges will get 2021 badges, but imagine how many people bought badges from secondary or even third- or fourth-handed ticket markets? Augusta will give those books to regular patrons, who may sell them to Ticketmaster or whomever, and how are those people going to make sure the people who bought badges from Ticketmaster get them again. Alas.
Personal: The ease of social interaction that all of us took for granted. Whether it was having people to the house for some charred animal flesh or grabbing a CoCola with someone after the radio show or just about anything else, the social in ‘social distancing’ is a misnomer, because it’s way more about the distancing than the socializing.
At work: This is a sneaky great part of the question, and while I’m still going to the radio show for three hours a day, five days a week, and in truth, I likely spend as much real-time talking to Paschall and Wells as I do anyone not named my wife. My newspaper desk has become the island in my kitchen and likely will be for quite a while. Again, the casual and easy interaction of people who have always been a part of your work family. I liked Mark Kennedy’s excellent column earlier this week on the WWII vet who died earlier this week. It’s here. I would see people like Mark or Dave Flessner or Alison Gerber or Chris Vass and so many others every day, and have seen and worked with those people everyday for close to two decades at the TFP. And then, like that, it’s emails and texts and that’s it. Mark’s oldest son graduated in the spring, and was off to college. I remember when he was playing all-stars as an 8-year-old.
Thoughts?
From Ken
Jay, I don’t live in Chattanooga so I have no dog in the hunt. I respect your opinion but respectfully disagree. I lost a grandson at 4 years old. It is a pain that never leaves. I don’t want anyone else to suffer in this way when it is not necessary. It is a pain that can’t be understood until you go through it, God forbid. My daughter is a teacher and I have a granddaughter who is high risk. I don’t think postponing school before even trying is not about willing to be second-guessed. I think it is trying to prevent families from never ending pain.
Ken –
Thanks for the email and I am truly sorry for your loss. And of course those at any age that are at an elevated risk should proceed with extreme caution.
I appreciate you reading and being willing to share your views, whether you agree with me or disagree with me. Seeing more sides and opinions than just my own are beneficial for everyone, especially someone like me.
But awful things happened to innocent people before the Corona, and sadly, they will happen after the corona. My son is about to be 13. I’m already scared to death about him getting behind the wheel of a car and all the dangers that come with that.
But I can’t prevent it by cancelling his chance to drive. That comparison may not be completely apples to apples, but I believe you know what I’m saying.
Again, I will pray for your granddaughter and I am grateful for your feedback.
And it’s forever true that there are no correct answers in this pandemic, just the best bad answer.
From TH
Jay,
What are your thoughts on TSSAA having a football season? Is it dependent on kids going into school for classes? How would it look if a kid takes virtual classes, then shows up for practice every day at the school?
Long time reader of the 5-at-10 and listener of Press Row…
TH –
Thanks for playing along with the silliness – here and on the air waves.
In some ways, high school football – not unlike SoCon and other non-TV-revenue-generated college football leagues – canceling will be about the money lost as much as the risks.
And again, I’m not sure the folks saying moving football to the spring out of health concern of the players are factoring in what 20-25 games in eight months will do on the bodies of high school and college players. I know Mark Wharton, the UTC AD who pulled up a chair on Press Row on Thursday – listen to the podcast here – did not have an answer to that one. (Side note: Monster tip of the visor to Wharton, who handled a whole heap of hard questions in a hard time with as much honesty and grace as he could. Again, there are no good answers in this mess. Only best bad answers.)
Most high school athletic programs can’t afford to have a season with no fans. Think of the costs and the expenses. Same with SoCon and others, especially when the Power 5 went mostly conference-only slates.
In truth, I think the SoCon and the rest of the FCS should look at this change – going to spring – as a possible long-term solution. Wharton was not onboard with that at all, and I understand that view. But as the landscape of college sports is about to change from almost every vantage point – if that Congressional measure we discussed Thursday did not scare the Be-Wickedness out of you, well, not sure what to tell you – teams and leagues and sports are going to be forced to find ways to generate more revenue or ask themselves whether they can participate. If the FCS moves to a mid-February to late-April model, there would have to be more TV interest, right?
As for TH’s questions, the link between going to school and playing football on the high school level are more linked than on the college level. I can make the argument that colleges going to school and congregating on campus is way more risky in COVID-19 terms than playing football.
For the high school kids, if they shut down school, it’s hard to see how they can have any extracurricular activities. The optics of having virtual school and actual practice and games seems like a huge stretch whether it’s at Red Bank, Signal, Lookout or Whitwell.
One of the reasons the high school thread is more perilous and going to be more difficult to pull off – and again, I truly want these kids to have the chance to make the lifetime memories that any senior season can craft – because other than Baylor and McCallie and a few other programs that generate significant revenue, who has the funds to test as frequently as needed.
If I had to rank the football chances of the leagues and levels, I’d likely go like this, and I want them all to explore every avenue possible to try to play:
> NFL – 99 percent to get started, 75 percent to crown a champ;
> SEC/ACC/Big 12 – 50 percent to get started, 25 percent to finish;
> TSSAA – 33 percent to get started, 1 percent to finish.
From Mary B
You admonish the Big Ten and the Pac-12 on their decision not to play football this season. Since you’re speculating about the other conferences, let’s speculate about the SEC. Could the SEC NOT be cancelling the season to protect their endowments? The SEC coaches protect their reputations by going forward because it makes them look tough and independent. The college presidents protect their reps because, after all, this is the south and football is (almost) everything. Could the SEC be worried about litigation if it cancels the season because of all the contracts it has signed with sponsors? And to say that injuries will increase in the spring with the Big Ten is, to use your word, poppycock. The SECs decision is not about winning, fighting the fear of Covid 19, letting the players play or any other description you want to hang on the SEC. The SECs decision to play is all about the money. Period.
I love football, too.
Mary B –
Thanks for the feedback and for reading. I think almost every college sports decision is about money and it has been for quite a while.
But I completely disagree. If they play in the spring and then turn around and play next fall, the Big Ten absolutely will have way, Way, WAY more injuries. Not giving the players time to recoup and prepare would absolutely lead to more injuries.
Again, I’m not holding my breath on the SEC getting through the season, but I do stand by Saban’s assessment that college players are more likely to catch Corona on campus than they are playing football.
The SEC school’s endowments would be in greater danger to class-action lawsuits than to cancelled contracts. I believe almost all of the coaches – SEC to SoCon and even guys like Harbaugh and Franklin and in the Big Ten that have spoken out – are trying to find ways to and even rationalizations of why they should play because they love their players.
I don’t think Kirby Smart or Saban or Coach O gives two rips whether you or I think they are ‘tough’ these days.
I think the college presidents trying to find a way are courageous, and in some ways are offering a Hail Mary, but you’re right that, especially in the South, the college presidents are in some ways at the beck and call of the big-money boosters, who surely want football.
And in terms of it being all about the money, well, the SEC has a huge TV deal, but without fans, the profit margin is nowhere close to the extremes of previous years and some schools that spend a lot of money could be starting at little more than breaking even without crowds and the gut-punch of donations.
But rest assured, money has to be a decision, because if the SEC can’t cash the full TV check it uses as the anchor for its annual budgets, it will be felt across every part of the university – sports and non-sports.
Again, thanks for the email, and I love football too. But my views are not about football, it’s about trying to give these young men every chance to fulfill their dreams.
High school and college included. And if it doesn’t work, well, I won’t be surprised, I’ll just be thankful for the leagues and administrators, coaches and teachers, who gave it every honest effort and explored every possible avenue to make it happen.
From Spy
Jesus would have to be a kicker in football. Then every time he got on the field, the PA would play “Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life.”
True, we need a Cheers reboot. But who would you cast?
Spy –
Excellent question, and glad you asked because we needed some levity today.I’m for it, and I’m more open to reboots or redos than some of the others around here.
Granted you can’t reboot something like M*A*S*H because of the length and settings.
But Roseanne’s reboot was pretty excellent until she decided to be the female Trump on Twitter.
And some shows that have a next-stage-of-life aspect for characters you truly care about, I think could be crafted thoughtfully with some caveats.
Some of the original cast would be needed. Some of the original writing staff would be too.
Like, I would give a Family Ties reboot with Alex P. Keaton’s as the patriarch o a family of five with a couple of hippie kids and a really nerdy son who has a 4.0 GPA and carries a briefcase to kindergarten.
And here’s a story about Steve Carell recreating a Cheers reboot with his castmates from The Office. (See there, The Office was a reboot, and it was excellent.)
So if we were going to remake Cheers, I think it’s a complete no-go without Norm (George Wendt). That’s a must-have.
Give me Jason Sudeikis or even Jason Bateman as the guy who buys the bar from Sam’s estate and reopens it after years of being close because of tax concerns.
There could be any number of side characters – Matt LeBlanc as a Woody-like goofball could work – that could be gleaned from a lot of spots.
Several of Carell’s crew from The Office could make excellent additions.
Kate McKinnon could be the female antagonist. The regulars could be unknowns because think of the career launchings that being a Cheers regular was for a lot of the folks like Frazier, Norm and Cliff.
Good times, because after their runs at Cheers, everyone really does know their names.
This week’s Rushmores:
Rushmores of left-handed pitchers: Koufax, Carlton, Johnson, Spahn.Rushmore of greatest left-handed athletes: Gretzky, Ruth, Russell, Lionel Messi. (And what about this realization… LeBron James is left-handed. Seriously. Not unike how Phil Mickelson is right-handed in everything but his golf swing. So there’s that. Still hard to include James on the best Left-handers of all-time since he plays right-handed, no?)
Rushmore of ‘school’: School of Hard Knocks, Old School, Be True to Your School and Back to School. (And those movies are phrases that carry a lot of weight too. Being old school and back to school sales and whatnot.)
Rushmore of sand: Sand castles, sandwich (especially the day-after-Thanksgiving turkey and mayo with a bunch of pepper on white bread, as ‘Dro noted this week), “Sandlot” and Sands of time (cue the Days of Our Lives intro… True or false on a Friday, you watched Days of Our Lives at some point. I believe almost all of us had a daytime soap opera phase at some point, and Days was mine during college.)
Rushmore of classic horrors movies Exorcist, Shining, Get Out, Frankenstein.
Have a great weekend friends and be safe.
Jay Greeson