From Long time/First time
Jay, my work buddies and me read the 5-at-10 daily and almost always something you write carries our lunch conversation.
We also wanted to invite you into a little contest we call the Prison Pool. We all put a few bucks into the pot and draft a current or former athlete we think will go to jail - actual prison, not a DUI or busted for having a bag of pot.
When someone does go to prison, we then draft again - and all your readers know how much you like a draft.
So, you want to play and who would be your first pick?
LTFT
Thanks to you and your cohorts for playing along to the silliness. You regulars and even you part-timers - and even you hate-mailers - mean the world to this thing and to me. Thanks. Truly.
Love the Prison Pool, and not sure if you know this, but I love the draft. Email me when your next redraft is and I'll see if I can make it.
OK, without knowing who has whom in your group, I have to believe Conor McGregor is a Trevor Lawrence-kind-of-can't-miss No. 1 pick. The story and video about him randomly punching the dude in the pub - and that dude taking the jab and sitting on his stool and finishing his cocktail - were pretty eye-popping.
With investigations pending, video of the incident and a criminal history, McGregor may pay off before the end of the year.
The rest of my top five would be Tyreek Hill, Zeke Elliott, a random mid-level Patriot and Rueben Foster.
From Michael
You know college football starts this weekend, right?!?!?
No previews. One Fab 4 pick. What in the (bleep) are you doing? I have read your stuff for a long time but come on Jay, this is embarrassing.
We've waited all summer and then we get nothing?
Screw the Braves man, wake up and do your job!!!
Michael
OK. Thanks for reading, but "nothing" is a bit extreme. And dude, maybe mix in some Sanka for that second cup, no?
Still, I see you point, so let's cut this puppy up.
College football preview a go-go. Giddy-up.
Playoff picks: Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma and Georgia, which beats Auburn, a week after Auburn shocked the Tide to save Malzahn's job, in the SEC title game and gets two SEC schools in the title chase. (Think 2017 all over again but with a slight twist)
National champ: Georgia, which beats Oklahoma in a semifinal and Clemson in the title game.
Heisman winner: Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma. Hey, I know it's crazy to think about OU having three transfer QBs win it three straight years. And, yes, for me to be that bullish on the Bulldogs, you'd figure I'd back a guy with a 678 area code invited to NYC. Well, UGA's offensive line is TREEEEEEE-mendous and I think that may be the best part of the Georgia team. (That said, if DeAndre Swift goes for 1,800-plus behind that bunch of beasts, who knows? In fact, a recent set of odds had Swift at plus-4,500 - bet $100, win $4,500 - for the Heisman, and that's pretty attractive. Yes, it's a QB award and there are a slew of DUDE QBs, but if they cancel each other out, I believe Swift is going to be a monster.)
But I think Hurts throwing to those wide-open crossing wideouts in Lincoln Riley's offense and running through scattered-brained Big Ten defenses is going to be a monster with monster numbers.
As for a couple more thoughts, and we'll have more time for more things college footballish next week, here are two interesting trends to keep in mind.
In each year in the last decade, there has been a preseason top-10 that finished unranked. If I had to pick one on this year's top 10, well, if I had to pick out of this year's top 10 that fits that bill best, well, it's the Gators.
If Florida loses to Miami, and with that schedule - Georgia in the cocktail party as well as SEC West dates with LSU and Auburn - a Gators team with natty title hopes could lose four or five games.
In 25 of the last 26 years an unranked team has finished in the top-10. There are several options for that one:
- If, as we mentioned just above, if the Hurricanes can find a way to topple Florida, that's going to be a 10- or 11-win team heading into the ACC title game;
- I think Army is going to be a one-loss team. Now whether that can get a non-Power 5 team into the top 10, well, who knows;
- USC still has USC talent and the Pac-12 is not good.
- Also, do not sleep on Boise State, which will scare the pants off FSU next week and will be an underdog in maybe two games.
Great question.
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This week's Rushmores
Rushmore of Picks: Pick Six; "We're going to run the Pick-et Fence at 'em," Cash singing "I Never Picked Cotton" and of course Our Fab Four Picks (which can include Coach Donnan's Condo Pick, too).
Rushmore of singers as the lead in a movie: This has to have two versions right? First there are the singers playing singers, like Whitney in "The Bodyguard" for example, which is theoretically, the singer playing themselves. So on that one, we'll go Gaga in "Star is Born," Prince in "Purple Rain," Beyonce (and Jennifer Hudson too) in "Dream Girls" and Eminem in "8 Mile." On the other, well, that one is tough, and we're not talking about singers who officially switched careers like J-Lo did or Marky Mark did. Although what to do with someone like Justin Timberlake is curious for sure. We'll take Jerry Reed as Snowman in "Smokey and the Bandit," Dolly in "9-to-5," Dwight Yoakam in "Sling Blade" and Ice Cube in "Boyz in the Hood."
Rushmore of NFL: Rozelle has to be there because he made it what it is; Belichick; Lombardi and Joe Namath because Super Bowl III changed everything.
Rushmore of ESPN sports-specific analyst: Kirk Herbstreit, Jay Bilas, Louis Riddick and Dickie V.
From Spy
5, what do you make of the line between Ga Tech and Clemson? It's somewhere between 33.5 and 35. Do you think Brent Venables sleeps a lot better this week knowing he'll be facing an offense he'll see 14 other times this season instead of the option?
Spy
If you were able to get Clemson minus-35, well, congrats. That number is at 36.5 as of this morning.
This line - and trying to peg what happens here - is quite puzzling.
If the overhaul offensively and within the staff had not happened at The Flats, here's betting Venables and Clemson's D would cherish the chance to play Paul Johnson's option in Week 1. That gives a team more than a week to prepare for the challenge.
That said, now Clemson really has no idea what Tech may try, will want to try or can even consider trying. Edge Tech. Yes, Tech trying to put option pegs in round holes could lead to some serious pains this fall.
But the unknown probably scares Venables more than Johnson's option, to be honest. (Or TBH, as the kids say.)
Yes, Clemson has a HOOOOOOGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEE talent edge here so a win is foregone, but here's an added wrinkle on a spread that big.
This will be the first broadcast on the ACC Network next work, and fighting against the Clemson and then 13 dwarves in a league that has only two teams ranked could be blanketed across the entire landscape with a 58-3 win next Thursday.
Interesting game on several fronts, outside who will win it.
From Leonard
Can you answer something for me? What in the world is happening in the NFL? All this drama and sideline (bleep) is ridiculous. Somewhere Butkus and Earl Campbell are shaking their heads, you know?
Thanks and love Press Row.
Leonard
Fair question, and one that has multiple answers.
There is so much (bleep) drama around NFL teams these days for so many reasons:
A) We are starved for the games to actually start, and we are looking for anything to discuss without anything to discuss, so we agonize over what the Dolphins coach chose for the playlist before practice and how that was a dis on a veteran wideout;
B) Players have way more platforms and avenues to connect with fans and the public, which means the connection with the media is somewhat strained and lost and ever-changing;
C) Players have forever been coddled - from middle school on up when you can score TDs and sack QBs - and have an expectation of everything working out for them regardless;
D) The change in culture of the game - less hitting, the reaches of the millennial generation and the impact of social awareness - is leaving ripples that have never been experienced, and those ripples have reached across the NFL more than any other sport.
At least that's how I see it, and I do not doubt that Butkus is watching "Hard Knocks" and blurting out offensive words of various body parts, almost like a person with a cussing Tourette's suffer obsessed with anatomy.
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From Mitch
If you were an NFL coach would you play your stars in the preseason? I can see both sides of it TBH.
Thanks, and keep up the great work on the radio.
Mitch
To be honest, I had to ask some younger, hipper folks what the TBH meant (which means to be honest, apparently). So there's that.
Side note: My abbreviation game is not strong when it comes to texting shorthand. TBH. SMH. Not a lot of them make sense to me.
And do not even get me started about grown men using emojis. Don't. Just don't. Ever.
Considering the craziness that has been, in a time when the only consistency is inconsistency, if I was in my second year (or more) with a team and had a quarterback who was in at least Year 2 in my system, then no, I would not play even of my meaningful starters.
The exception there would be if I was in Year 1 with a team or had a first-time starting QB - rookie of new acquisition - I would want to get those guys some live-action reps of how our game plans and calls and details would work.
Beyond that - especially when they are playing games on 80-yard fields in Canada because of conditions and holes in the end zone - uh, no.
Ask Carolina how important those five reps were as the Panthers make plans not knowing if Cam Newton's ankle sprain is serious or slight.
Which leads us to our NFL preseason picks and a true testament of how unbelievably hot we have been. Last night we went 3-1, which is highly entertaining.
But 3-1 in this stretch drops our percentage, because hitting 75 percent against the number is not as good as the 83.3 percent (10 of 12) that we had done previously.
And to make matters more hot, last night's loss - we had Oakland minus-2.5 over Green Bay in the game in which the field was shortened and had more people sitting than a college campus rally in 1968 - was not really a loss.
We misread the line on a site that was not VegasInsider.com, which had the game as a pick 'em at kick, which would have turned Oakland's 22-21 win into a win for picks. But, because line movement, or even line misreadings happen, in both directions, we will take the 'L' on that one.
As for the weekend, well, a player on a streak has to respect the streak, right? Right.
Cleveland minus-2.5 over Tampa Bay. I like the vibe from these Browns and I believe Freddie Kitchens sees value in adding swagger with any and all W.
Minnesota minus-6 over Arizona. Cardinals stink. Repeat, Cardinals stink.
Houston pick 'em over Dallas. Cowboys do not care about preseason results. Seriously.
Denver-L.A. Rams under 38.5. Not only does L.A. care less about the preseason than any team anywhere - including the Cowboys - the Broncos have the worst offensive line in the league. Translation: Final score, 14-9.
Last night: 3-1 against the spread (75 percent)
This preseason: 13-3 against the spread (81.3 percent)
All-time preseason: 13-3 against the spread (81.3 percent)
So there's that.
Have a great weekend, friends, and sorry for not doing my job well enough/poorly enough to generate substantive hate mail this week.
