Happy Memorial Day friends. For those that served, many thanks. For those that had family serve, also many thanks.
We have done this morning conversation every workday since late October 2010, so it’s not like we’re going to stop now. Far too many folks gave far too much for the greatness of the First Amendment (and the rest of the band of merry amendments too) to not exercise it.
#Merica.
But on holidays, we normally try to move in, move out as quickly as possible. Deal? Deal.
From the sun-splashed satellite office off the glorious banks of Lake Martin, Alabama, let’s do this.
Weekend winners
NASCAR. We all knew the issues and struggles NASCAR faced before the shutdown. And with less money to spend – for fans and sponsors – those issues are not going anywhere in the big picture. But, NASCAR continues to make the most of its return in this all-sucking sports vacuum. Sunday night’s race at Charlotte featured a slew of crazy, fan-friendly turns, and I’m sure the ratings will reflect that. Brad Keselowski took home the checkered in a wild and fun Coca-Cola 600. (Rest easy Spy, that’s the name of the race, not my goal for Memorial Day weekend.)
Speaking of racing, Kyle Larson got a win Saturday night in the World of Outlas race in Missouri. Larson is the former NASCAR driver who was fired for saying the N-bomb during a NASCAR iRace earlier this spring. The religious way to wash away human sins is to be dipped in the water and ask forgiveness. The sports way to wash away human sins is to be dipped in the champagne of victory lane (again and again).
Eli Manning joining Twitter makes us all winners. From his zingers to Tom Brady to his Caddyshack quotes during The Match, Eli on Twitter is a top-five new happening in these Corona-domianted times.
The Kansas Chiefs. If the proposed new rule change of fourth-and-15 instead of an onside kick takes place, it means two things: Sooner rather than later, the kickoff will be killed; secondly, the Kansas City Chiefs should go for it every time as long as Patrick Mahomes is healthy and on the field.
Weekend losers
Lance Armstrong is a lying jack wagon. who looks to have the personal redeemable qualities of an STD. Yes, I know his Live Strong Foundation raised hundreds of millions in its fight for cancer, and that may alter the opinion of folks who want to have their opinions altered about the greatest American cyclist ever. And that’s fine. But watching the first two hours of the Lance 30-for-30, and I feel pretty certain Lance raised that money for the betterment of Lance. Period. Want an example? One of his more interesting quotes was about when he was at the heights of his fame, he was on the level of a LeBron or Michael Phelps and he said “and I don’t miss it.” Uh, if you were not coveting that level of celebrity then why did you lie through your teeth about cheating for years to protect that status?
Ryan Leaf. Hey, innocent until proven guilty of course, but after being arrested on domestic battery charges, this likely is the end of the public road for Leaf. Yes, the charges are misdemeanors, but for a guy like Leaf, whose background is more checkered than both end zones in Neyland, it’s likely a career ender. What’s the saying, 12 strikes and you’re out?
Leaders of the NBA and the MLB – owners and players. Sometimes, the simplest play is the smartest play. Heck, a lot of times the obvious choice is the perfect choice. Consider what was at stake for the players and the owners over the last 10 days: Any form of return – with or without fans – would have been EEEE-normous. Just look at what NASCAR and The Match will do this weekend. But those sports are going to be pushed back into late July because of labor issues and negotiations. And both sides deserve equal amounts of criticism, considering even with my Auburn education, I believe the smart play for anyone on either side would be to raise his or her hand, clear his or her throat and offer, “Uh gang, let’s agree that this is a historic, unprecedented time, and that any solution we come up with for this year is linear 2020 plan and non-binding moving forward. We owe to the fans and the country and our business partners to try to figure this out as quickly and safely as possible. If we are perceived as preventing the return of sports because of labor time and prorated salaries and bargaining power, then we will lose twice and some fans may never come back. Think about this people: There will be Little League baseball played before MLB friends. Yeah, that’s no es bueno.”
The Match – The perfection
This side of the Masters and that early-morning British Open dual between Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson a few years ago, I watched more of The Match on Sunday than any other single-golf telecast in my life.