Loads of business today.
› The professional sports stars Rushmore from each city (with no more than two per sport) — Boston (Bird, Brady, Teddy Ballgame and Bobby Orr), L.A. (Kareem, Koufax, Deacon Jones, Gretzky), Pittsburgh (Clemente, Lemieux, pick any two all-time Steelers like Mean Joe and Terry Bradshaw), Chicago (MJ, Sweetness, Bobby Hull and Ernie Banks). And yes, that NYC was forced out was shocking. (Although, it’s quite telling on the Knicks, and maybe the LT-two Yankees greats and any of the multitude of hockey stars could push Pittsburgh aside, I guess.)
› Rushmore of Arnold (and since we have done this one before, we will do TV Arnolds) — Arnold’s from “Happy Days,” Arnold Jackson from “Diff’rent Strokes,” Arnold the pig from “Green Acres” and Arnold Horshack.
› Rushmore of “vans”– Van Halen, Dick Van Dyke, Vans (the shoe and clothing line made eternally famous by Jeff Spicoli) and “live in a van down by the river.”
› Marlon Brando’s Rushmore — “Godfather,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Last Tango in Paris,” and “On the Waterfront.” (Side note: While a lot of the old movie classics that folks like Spy praise and guilt us into watching are meh for the most part, “Waterfront” and “Casablanca” are all-the-way home runs.)
Thoughts?
As for the rules, well, how does a kicker land in the top 10 of the most talent-laden TFP Dynamite Dozen ever? Committing to Texas qualifies, right? That’s where Heritage kicker Jake Collett is headed.
More rules — Busy day for Paschall, who has the skinny on a promising UT freshman, the star-studded addition to UT’s 2026 recruiting class, and a look at Coach Kirby Smart, who enters year 10 as the best coach in college football.
To the bag.
From Wesley
Jay, I love the column. Please tell me you saw the letter to the editor in the KNS about the UT basketball fan who has been priced out of season tickets?
What an amazing statement on the state of college sports!
Wesley
Thanks for the kind words. I saw this and if I had not got your email I would have linked it above.
Here’s the link on Twitter. Here’s a bit:
“I am 88 years old. I have been a Tennessee basketball season ticket holder since 1967. Have probably been to at least 85% of games. Have been to lots of SEC tournaments.
“In 1982, I donated to the Thompson-Boling Arena Building Fund. With this donation, I was assured the same seats for me and my spouse for our lifetime. I have been seated in Section 120 Row 18 Seats 9 and 10 since the arena opened.
“I called April 7, 2025, to renew my tickets for the coming season. I was told my cost would be $4,488 for two tickets. Last season, I paid $1,480 for both tickets. That’s an increase of about 300%.”
There’s more, but wow.
Couple of thoughts: Look for UT to fix this, even if Rick Barnes comps the tickets.
Also, reports of a 10-20% increase (with the NIL share/”talent fee”) were clearly greatly underestimated.
And this — while maybe not at that extreme of course — will be the norm, not the outlier.
Question for the group: If you are an SEC football season-ticket holder, what’s the total cost, including donations, to get on the list?
From MJ
I enjoyed the question from the weekend about the “local” contributions from the top of their respective sports. Outside native daughter gold medalist Olivia Reeves, who do you consider most local among Harris English, SGA or Nick Kurtz?
MJ
Fair question, and for knowledge, Harris English went to Baylor after growing up in South Georgia, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came to Hamilton Heights from Canada and Nick Kurtz prepped at Baylor School after growing up in Pennsylvania.
Considering that Harris spent his entire high school career in the 423 — Kurtz went to that school next to the river after his freshman year in Pa.; SGA went to Hamilton Heights for two years if memory serves — I’ll speak English.
From JTC
So Ronald Acuña Jr doing Ronnie things — hurt his Achilles scoring from first base a few nights ago. Comes up gimpy in last night’s game, and they pull him for “further evaluation”? How much $$ has RAJ cost himself in his upcoming contract negotiations? Who on the Braves staff, besides the head trainer, should be fired? Is poor training the cause of ALL our starting pitcher woes? Love the column.
JTC
Someone — read Dodgers or Yankees or Mets — will still give Acuña his bag after his current contract runs out in 2028.
Even at 30.
Heck, Mike Trout has made more than $300 million in his injury-riddled career, and he never even hit the open market, all things considered.
The injury-bug for RAJ is a concern because he’s such a physical freak and goes 100% all the time. Those are part of the strengths of his game but could work to his earning detriment, for sure.
As for Braves firings, well, is d) all of the above (i.e., everyone) an acceptable answer?
And the sitting still at the deadline really makes me question if AA was/is good or lucky?
From SteelerFan
Just saw an online story titled: “Joe Milton III throws shade on old team.” One of the comments below the story was priceless: “If Joe threw shade, you can bet he overthrew it 10 yards!”
SF
This made me laugh, and it’s a parting shot, part I.
From Spy
You haven’t broached the big question this week when it comes to movies. And it ain’t “Happy Gilmore” getting a mulligan and re-teeing it up.
It’s the new ‘The Naked Gun.”
With Pamela Anderson? I thought we saw that one. With Tommy Lee.
Oh … that was …. Ok. I see now.
Spy
Have a great weekend, friends.