Beware the Ides of March.
My parents would have been married 56 years today if they were alive. Thanks for everything, Bobo and Pop.
Let's handle our business, and thanks gang for playing along while the 5-at-10 clan was seven hours south.
Rushmore of movie pies — "American Pie" of course, the terrible awful (and well-deserved) done to Miss Hilly in "The Help" (War Eagle, Octavia Spencer), the pie eating contest where Lard (Bleep) Logan unseated Bill Travers in "Stand By Me," and "Revenge of the Nerds" (wait that's my pi).
Rushmore of best athletic careers after coming back from retirement — Brady, Jordan, Michael Phelps and George Foreman, who became heavyweight champ at 45.
Rushmore of military nicknames in sports — The Gen. Robert Neyland (Bob Knight is an overrated bully), The Capt. Derek Jeter, The Adm. David Robinson, Sgt. Slaughter. (Yes, we went military rank here rather than guns or tanks or rockets, etc.)
Robert Downey Jr. Rushmore of non-MCU movies — "Tropic Thunder," "Chaplain," "Less Than Zero" and "Oppenheimer."
To the bag.
From Chas
Hey, Jay
Who you gonna take in a 3-point shooting contest — Knecht or Sheppard? Who ranks ahead of Jeff and Stacey's kid from distance — Curry? Delk? Lofton? Houston? Thurman? Bradley?
And please explain these odds — or tell me how you'd bet.
FanDuel has UT +1000 to win the natty and UK at +2300. How can Barnes' boys be 2.3 times more likely than Cal's cagers to cut down the final nets?
And DraftKings odds on the SEC tourney are Vols +130, Auburn +260, Cats +400. How can Bruce's boys (same bracket as Barnes' boys) have a better chance than the Bluegrass boys, who only have to beat the Bammer bums to get to Sunday?
Thanks.
Chas,
Disclaimer, Chas sent this email Sunday after UK's dazzling showing in Knoxville led by Reed Sheppard's 27 that pushed the Cats by the Vols who got 40 from Dalton Knecht.
In of your question of 3-point acumen, I assume you are talking college accomplishments. In that case the choice is easy.
Caitlin Clark. If she got to use her ball, I'd list her as an even money favorite against the above field.
You list Curry, who made himself a much better shooter as a professional, if we're being honest.
A contest and a game threat are different, and to be fair to Knecht, while Sheppard was mind-blowingly efficient in Knoxville — he went 7-of-10 from deep and scored those 27 on 14 shots from the field and two made free-throw attempts — the Vols star was creating most of his own offense or running of several screens and scoring bucket after bucket against waves of Wildcats defenders.
Sheppard had several ball reversal, feet-set 3s. He made almost all of them and he can truly shoot it, but they both are going to be lottery picks if I had to guess.
(Side note: If I am Reed Sheppard and we're not hurting for money, I return to Lexington because the NIL cash off of your UK jersey sales alone will be well into six figures. You will rule the school like Danny and the Pink Ladies. And you will be viewed among the Big Blue beloved. But that's me.)
As for the odds, I was equally dismayed at the longer odds on UK. In fact, I got a taste at plus-400 and advised others to do so in Jay's Plays on Monday. The number had dropped in most places to closer to plus-300 by Thursday, though.
As for the natty, that may be my least favorite prop bet out there because there are so many cosmic tumblers that have to click, but UK at plus-2300 certainly looks like value to me.
As I said in my "Bets and Ballgames" podcast with Brian Edwards, this feels like a different UK crew and mainly because it feels like John Calipari is a) having fun because he likes this bunch and b) motivated by several blah-tastic March conclusions over the last several years.
From Mark
Jay, love your writing man. Why aren't your columns in the paper more?
My bigger question is this: Who wins a fight between Rory and Jordan Spieth?
Thanks and hope you enjoyed Amelia Island. We love it there.
Mark,
Thanks for reading and for the kind words. We had a great time at Amelia Island, and we love it there as well. The Mrs. 5-at-10 has family there, and it's always great to see them. Side note: Sneaky underrated eateries down there. If you are headed that way, may I suggest The Patio or the Caribou Cafe.
In truth, my irregular appearances in the TFP fishwrapper is mostly my fault. Sports Editor Stephen Hargis has been very welcoming whenever I want to either double dip something from the 5-at-10 — and I should have sent the Nick Saban hypocrisy rant this week — or write something different.
That said, as you know, this column is not short. It should be shorter, probably. (Whoever is editing this right now before it appears online is nodding their head vigorously.) And we write another gambling column five days a week in the afternoon.
Ten columns a week is a fair load.
As for your bigger question, I would go Rory because of the fitness and strength edge, but let's be real here, it's not like there are a whole lot of rough and tumble street brawlers bouncing around the PGA Tour.
This question is doubly meaningful this morning since Rory and Jordan are feuding. It started with a policy board dut-up within the last year and it escalated big time Thursday when Jordan and Viktor Hovland had questions about multiple — and favorable — drops Rory took after hitting tee shots into the water Thursday at the Players.
Ohhhhhhh — Catfight. And yes, those two cats play together again today. Drama.
But let's offer this big picture query:
If the PGA Tour went battle royale, who are you backing? Thoughts?
Let me buy him a pint, and I'll take Shane Lowry head-to-head against almost anyone with their name on their bag, however...
Since a battle royale requires being in better-than-decent shape, I might pick Tony Finau.
Thoughts?
From JB
Jay, Ted Cruz is hardly a likable guy, but he's not wrong to suggest Congress getting involved to preside over college football's cash lunge and goofball conference realignments. It's exactly why the government should get involved when parties can't be controlled and others are steamrolled. Regulatory agencies to protect the public and consumers are part of American landscape. Nobody likes it but it's all gotten out of control...
NIL money should be paid out like profit sharing funds are paid out in the real world. Players should be paid a monthly stipend and receive their bonuses in February. The players want their cash? They want to be respected?
This is how it works in the real world. You may as well learn it now because if/when you make it to the NFL, you're nothing but a walking hamburger...
JB,
I disagree. Not about Ted Cruz. He is hardly likable, unless you are the cabana crew at his tropical destinations during times of hardship for his constituents.
And I can see the need for the federal government to look into NIL because, while your point has merit, moreover, this issue crosses so many state lines and so few state legislatures want to put limits or restrictions on State U. that could cost them votes and reelection.
To that point, you think an Alabama state representative would get reelected if he voted to limit what the Tide or the Tigers could offer in NIL compared to Georgia or Florida? Good luck with that.
That said, I also agree with what Bearddawg posted earlier this week on this topic, and it's going to be a really bad look for a bunch of 60-plus-year-old white people in D.C. to start implementing rules on how much 18-to-22-year-old Black students can earn sacrificing their bodies so we can enjoy the pageantry of our Saturdays and feel the nostalgia of Keith Jackson while we kick back CoColas and dark liquor drinks.
And the main thing I disagree with is where in the real world is people's primary compensation based in profit sharing?
Heck, the most emphatic and applicable real-world lesson in the current NIL process is the very thing Saban was lamenting the most.
Saban says all the players' talk now is about money. Well, I learned long ago that your biggest raise in salary comes when you're negotiating your first deal. You want a business lesson, college football players, learn and remember this:
You are never in a position of more power than during the initial contract talks.
Now if Congress wants to get in there and set some guidelines about NIL deals are prorated over the duration of three-year college stays, then fine. But that also will cause the coaches to clinch their sphincters because it will mean college scholarships just became four-year guarantees.
Thanks for reading and for the email.
From PM
You sounded great on the radio, Jay — like always. You could hear it in your voice how much fun you were having. I am going to miss Press Row. Any chance you and David and Wells could do it on another station now that all of you are done with ESPN?
Thanks.
PM,
Thanks for the kind words, and it was great to sit with the band one final time.
And like you I will miss Press Row, too. I listened when I could.
(Side note: This is another reminder how amazing Quake's run at SportTalk has been, now that it has lasted more than a quarter century and is still plowing along.)
In their final segment Wednesday, Wells mentioned that he is headed to the real world and close to locking up a deal in the finance world.
I have not spoken to Paschall about the future, and you are correct, I did have a lot of fun with those guys a couple of days ago.
I am not sure how many platforms — other than SportTalk — are available locally, but Paschall's a radio pro now, so who knows if/when he may make another run.
As for me, I'd never say never, and I got pretty decent at radio I suppose, but I know this: I am having so much fun coaching several middle school sports up here on the hill that it would be a hot minute before I would even think about a return to radio.
But then again, who knows, right?
Thanks again gang for playing along with the silliness here.
Have a great weekend and wear green to church on Sunday.