5-at-10: Finley's big moment, Eli's big demands, Berman's big decision

The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team practices at Finley Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team plays Costa Rica on Wednesday at Finley Stadium.
The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team practices at Finley Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team plays Costa Rica on Wednesday at Finley Stadium.

From the "Talks too much" studios, xxxxx.

Rock stars arrive

As TFP ace columnist Mark Wiedmer does so well, here's his view on the U.S. women's soccer team coming to town.

Here's a list of things to know from the TFP.

We know this: This is cool and big-time and here's hoping the weather stays clean.

photo U.S. Women's National Soccer Team goalkeeper Hope Solo, left, watches as teammate Abby Wambach tries to bicycle kick the ball into the goal during practice at Finley Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The team plays Costa Rica on Wednesday at Finley Stadium.

In fact, we hope this is the first grand slam for Paul Smith and Finley on a bigger than local scale.

If this goes well tonight logistically, the sky's the limit for what could be available there, from other exhibition type sports - think potentially an NFL practice or possibly even a preseason game between the Titans and Falcons - to a much grander scale of musical events.

Plus, and this is not to compare this crowd to anything UTC should bring in the fall, but as Finley becomes synonymous with big crowds and big fun, that will only help the perception of going to Mocs games.

Big night for a lot of folks around the Scenic City tonight. A big night with potential big gains on the horizon.

War Finley. War Chattanoga. Heck, War Soccer (at least for tonight anyway).

---

Deflated settlement talks

OK, let's stop the pretending. It's time for you Judge Berman to put on your Big Boy robe and make a decision.

Berman had asked each side to give it an earnest effort to reach a settlement.

Tuesday afternoon as everyone realized there was less-than-zero progress in the negotiations, Berman let Tom Brady go back to practice.

photo New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passes during an NFL football training camp in Foxborough, Mass., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Here's more on the update.

OK, unless you live under a rock quarry, we all know about the entire DeflateGate saga.

We know the league is digging in its $500 loafers and Brady and the NFLPA are digging in their $300 cleats.

We know that neither side is budging and that's well within their prerogatives.

We know that now that the games are on the horizon, we are more tired of this than ever.

We also know that in some ways the lasting legacies of Roger Goodell or Tom Brady will be negatively impacted by this ruling. If Berman clears Brady, Goodell could will be in hot water and certainly will be viewed as one of the worst commissioners in sports history when it comes to discipline. If Berman sides with Goodell, there's no way this is not part of Brady's career obit, maybe even the second sentence behind his four (or possibly more) Super Bowl rings.

Ball is in your court, Berman. Literally and figuratively.

---

Next monster deal

Eli Manning wants to be the highest paid NFL player in the league.

Who can blame him? We all want more money, right?

Does he deserve it? No, but in a league where quarterbacks with far less on their resumes have signed record-setting deals, why not.

photo Eli Manning

And this is a moot point since Andrew Luck is about to resign for a record-setting deal and Aaron Rodgers will rework his deal within the next year or so.

So Manning wants to more than the four-year, $65 million guaranteed that Philip Rivers got this week. It likely has a lot to do with the fact that Manning and Rivers were the key parts of a draft day trade between the Giants and Chargers.

Each has delivered on lofty draft status, and in fact, the 2004 draft was pretty excellent.

Let's redraft it (team - player they picked - who they should have picked:

1. New York Giants (from San Diego) - Eli Manning - Ben Roethlisberger, who went 11th to Pittsburgh

2. Oakland - Robert Gallery (tackle from Iowa) - Eli Manning (and how much does the Raiders' history change with this pick?)

3. Arizona - Larry Fitzgerald - Fitzgerald

4. San Diego - Philip Rivers - Rivers

5. Washington - Sean Taylor - Taylor (yes, he was tragically murder and you can't predict that, but dude was a stud)

6. Cleveland - Kellen Winslow - DE Jared Allen (who went 126 overall - late in round 4 - to the Kansas City Chiefs)

7. Detroit - Roy Williams (Texas WR) - Vince Wilfork

8. Atlanta - DeAngelo Hall - Steven Jackson (who went 24 overall to St. Louis)

9. Jacksonville - Reggie Wiliams (Washington WR) - Jonathan Vilma (Miami linebacker who went 12th to New York Jets)

10. Houston - Dunta Robinson (South Carolina CB) - Shawn Andrews (Arkansas tackle who went to Philadelphia at No. 16)

That was a good draft - for most.

---

photo FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2014 file photo, Leah Still waves during a ceremony in the first half of an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns in Cincinnati. Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still is asking for prayers for his daughter, Leah, who's had a setback in her fight against cancer. The 5-year-old girl went into a hospital on May 5, 2015 to start the process of getting a stem cell transplant. The 4-to-6-week process involves high doses of chemotherapy at the outset. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

This and that

- Major tip of the visor to the Wheaties folks. Leah Still, the cancer-fighting little girl of NFL defensive tackle Devon Still, got her own Wheaties box. Well-played indeed.

- Boston hired former Detroit bigwig Dave Dombrowski. This will signify a major change it direction for the Red Sox, who have struggled mightily recently.

- How bad has it become for the Braves? Stinky Upton homered twice as the Padres clubbed Atlanta 9-0 on Tuesday.

---

Today's question

OK, we got the UTC women's basketball schedule announcement yesterday.

Great slate, and coach Jim Foster is aces.

We announced earlier when the UConn juggernaut was coming to town, and it's official it's Nov. 30, the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Over/under 10,000 for that game? Whatcha got?

(Remember the mailbag.)

Upcoming Events