Gang, excellent week.
Thanks for the support and for reading along.
From the "Talks too much" studios, baby, it's cold out there.
From Big Orange Dave
You and Paschall were talking about the 6th grader on Press Row and you mentioned some of the kid athletes.
But you guys did not finish it, and I thought for sure it was going to be a Rushmore.
So I'll ask you for the mailbag -- Who is on the Rushmore of most famous kid athletes?
Thanks and thanks for Press Row.
Big Orange Dave -
Great question, and you're right, that's something we could have spent a little more time on.
We were talking about 5-foot-2, 105-pound sixth-grade quarterback Daron Bryden, who has his own Rivals.com recruiting page. As a sixth-grader for crying out loud.
As for famous kid athletes, let's set the bar on preteen athletes, since there are more than a few who had big-time success before they could drive. This also eliminates Danny Almonte, the New York Little League pitcher who was actually 14 rather than 12 when he pitched his team to the title in Williamsport.
Tiger Woods misplays a chip to the third green during the pro-am at the Farmer Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) Tiger Woods, who was banging 2-irons at 3 on the Mike Douglas Show, makes it. So does Michelle Wie. We all knew about Damon Bailey before he hit puberty - he was offered by Indiana's Bobby Knight in middle school. Finally we'll go with Martina Hingis over Tracey Austin.
As for the Bryden kid, this screams Todd Marinovich to us.
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From TK022
Jay --
I have heard you like the draft. I can assume then you will be paying attention to the combine this weekend.
Who are the guys that when Monday's 5-at-10 rolls around you are going to be telling us won the weekend in Indy?
Enjoy your writing and the show.
TK -
Great question. Let's assume you're correct, that we'll spend a few of the very cold hours watching the combine. Hey, we love the draft, but you knew this.
Let's pick four guys that have a chance to really shine.
Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates (18) catches the ball for a touchdown against LSU defensive back Rashard Robinson (21) during their game onOct. 4, 2014, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn receiver Sammie Coates is going to test like a stud. Book it.
Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett has a chance to run a sub-4.3 40, and that would be impressive.
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley is going to solidify his spot as the No. 3 QB on the board and could slide in the first-round range.
Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory may be the guy that earns the "freak" tag out of this group.
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From Joe B.
Saturday Night Live's 40th celebration was great. Did you see it?
I was wondering since we are about the same age, what is your Rushmore of SNL characters.
Jimmy Fallon, left, and Justin Timberlake attend the SNL 40th Anniversary Special at Rockefeller Plaza on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Joe B. -
Buckets, that's tough. So tough in fact, we may have to break it into categories and have a playoff to determine we have fair representation. Deal? Deal.
Best characters that became movies: Blue Brothers, Wayne's World, Coneheads, Stuart Smalley
Best original characters: Matt Foley (and his van down by the river), Nick the Lounge Singer, Mr. Robinson's neighborhood, Linda Richman
Best impressions: Dana Carvey as John McLaughlin, Will Ferrell as Harry Caray, Phil Hartman as Sinatra, Darrell Hammond as Sean Conery (and really the entire Celebrity Jeopardy cast)
Best political impressions: Tina Fey's Sarah Palin, Dana Carvey's George HW Bush, Will Ferrell's W, and Carvey as Ross Perot.
Thoughts?
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From Chas
Listening to Press Row yesterday as I drove to K-town for the showdown at the UT corral, I realized Weeds could be in the car next to me. But I didn't see him, nor did I spot him in the rowdy Thompson-Bowling alley.
Still, I agree with Weeds' judgement that this may not be UK's best-ever team. They rarely have five on the floor who play with as much passion as they should. Question for Friday: Should Big Blue Nation worry that their team doesn't get nearly as many rebounds as their size and athleticism would suggest?
Tennessee guard Josh Richardson (1) drives past Tennessee Tech guard Mitchell Hill (12) during their game in Knoxville on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. Another possible mailbag query: Should Richardson be on the postseason all-SEC roster? I thought he was underwhelming last evening. Of course UK's tough defense may be the reason. He's clearly Donnie's star, but would only make my second all-SEC team, at best.
Chas -
We'll start with the second part first.
Richardson's inclusion in the postseason pecking order will be interesting. In fact the entire all-SEC team will be interesting.
For example, LSU big Jordan Mickey is posting legit numbers, ranking in the top five in the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks. He could be a contender for SEC player of the year.
And the question is, would he be more than Kentucky's third or fourth post option?
You could really have your all-SEC team be from UK. That's how talented they are. But postseason accolades are as more about numbers than potential or talent. So it goes.
As for Richardson, he could sneak onto the first team, but we agree with you that second-team would be the best spot for him.
Big Blue Nation needs not worry about the bouts of indifference in our view. The challenges are few and far between and that will not be the case for the three-week marathon/sprint that is the Madness.
In fact, Johnny Wildcats Fans everywhere should be encouraged by the way this bunch handles tight games and meaningful moments with a balance of intensity and calm.
Good times - 40-0 here they come.
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From Jomo
For Mailbag : Why is SEC basketball so boring ? Is because the Coaches , with exception of 2 or 3 are boring ? Is it the lack of success by anyone other than Ky and Florida in March ? Is it because you don't have Jay Bilas or Dickie V. calling any games except KY ? Or is KY's cakewalk making the conference look week and uninteresting ? and how in the world can more that 3 SEC teams deserve making the NCAA ? and please don't answer with "all college basketball is boring" . .it's not, ACC, Big 10, Big12 and many mid-major conference are having great drama and interest. . . or is this one of the unintended consequences of SEC football and the lack of Southern sports writers that care or cover basketball ?
Jomo -
Fair question, and one that was magnified by the joyous event that was Duke-UNC.
SEC hoops' boring meter is off the charts for a few reasons.
First, Kentucky is pound people and that's not fun to watch, and since UK is the face of the league, well it's decidedly one-sided. Plus, for teams to try to beat UK, you're going to have to make the game ugly. That makes the game ugly and UK wins anyway, so there's that.
Second, the league's fan base is indifferent to hoops at most locales and that indifference can translate to the viewer and affect the excitement.
Third, you're point about boring coaches is pretty fair for most of the league.
Fourth, Florida's struggles hurt the league in standing and perception and perception counts in this regard. Same in a lot of ways for Missouri and Vandy, two programs that are normally pretty good and this year stink.
Basketball tileAs for the league and the dance, well, there are not a lot of good at-large options out there, so it would not be a shock if the league got four tournament teams.
But for the most part, we concur that watching the SEC right now is a tough assignment.
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From Drew
I have been reading the 5-at-10 for more than a year now and you said something this week that has had me thinking.
You made reference to the 5-at-10 as the internet "Cheers" so I was wondering who is who?
Thanks for all you do, and I'm super happy you are still doing the online column with your new job.
Drew -
We saved this question for last and we'll update the board with our answer around lunch. We wanted to give some of the regulars their chance to chime in before we posted ours.
That said, excellent question Drew. Well-played indeed.