Gang, we are headed full speed toward the weekend. Dig it.
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From the "Talks too much" studios, it's time to make the doughnuts.
UK handles its BID-ness
Tennessee's Josh Richardson grabs the arm of Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns (12) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, in Knoxville.Great tandem coverage on top-ranked Kentucky's 66-48, pulling away victory over UT from TFP aces Downtown Patrick Brown and Mark Wiedmer.
Here's Weeds' tribute to UK fighting through another opponent's "beer muscles."
Here's Downtown's report on the Vols inability to overcome the massive talent gap.
Here's what we know after another impressive showing from the Wildcats:
* We have been on board of UK's 40-0 since late November, and we there's no reason to give up that ship now'
* We think Weeds really touched on something in his column in that, while the Wildcats are insanely talented, this team's collective will and cohesion may be equally as important.
* We believe the fact that the Vols were down just four with nine minutes to play despite finishing 2-of-17 from 3 is yet grand testament to how hard this bunch plays for Donnie Knoxville.
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A-Rod apologizes again
OK, like the rest of you we are exhausted with the entire steroids saga.
It's important, we get it. It's wrong, we get that too. But it's also so tired it feels like we are spinning our performance-enhanced wheels over and over again.
FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2013, file photo, New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez watches his grand slam home run during the seventh inning of an interleague baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says Rodriguez's days as an everyday fielder are over and he hopes A-Rod will be New York's fulltime designated hitter. Cashman said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, that "I can't expect Alex to be anything."(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File) With that, there were three different angles to the PED controversies this week. Follow along.
Lance Armstrong was sued and owes $10 million for lying and fraud after his PED admission in his Tour de France dominance. This begs the question if any of the baseball players could be sued for fraud down the road.
Speaking of frauds, Alex Rodriguez has apologized to everything with ears including three Iowa cornfields as he gets ready for spring training. That said, the Yankees are staring at owing A-Rod roughly $40 million for the next two years. The club is looking to fight paying him an assortment of performance clauses for various home-run marks that are on the horizon. With the Armstrong ruling, it seems the Yankees may have a case in that regard.
That said, it must be noted that while the Yankees understandably up in arms about A-Rod, that does not explain the hypocrisy of the club announcing it will retire Andy Pettitte's number 46 this summer.
Pettitte, you remember, was in the Mitchell Report for using PEDs with Roger Clemens but apologized quickly and directly after the news was announced. This begs two more questions:
First, how much does likability play into this? Think how much heat the faces of the steroid era have received. Guys like Bonds and Clemens and Canseco and A-Rod and even Lance Armstrong. By all accounts those guys are as likable as insurance seminars and root canals.
Then guys like Pettitte and Mark McGwire have been exiled and then welcomed back into the game after some heartfelt apologies. Is it really that simple or does the aura of being a general jack wagon carry significant weight for those other guys? It will be interesting to see how A-Rod's received after his many rounds of mea culpas.
Secondly, Pettitte will be an interesting test case in a few years when he appears on the Hall of Fame ballot. After being welcomed back into the game by baseball's most recognizable brand, how will the voters treat the left-hander?
We'll see.
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More Ball-Gate
Man, those Patriots have more ball issues than a cup-less catcher.
Official game balls for NFL football's Super Bowl XLIX wait to be laced at the Wilson Sporting Goods Co. in Ada, Ohio, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. The New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks for the NFL championship on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski) Just as we were getting past DeflateGate comes K-BallGate or whatever -Gate this next football controversy will be tagged.
Here's an ESPN story that tells us the officials locker room attendant is some 48-year-old guy names Jim McNally who was foiled by one of the officials for trying to get an unapproved football in the game for the Patriots special teams.
There are special footballs - known as K-balls - used by kickers, and like the defelated balls, they are approved by the head referee before the game.
So here we go again, quoting Whitesnake, with more questions than Macauley Caulkin in "Uncle Buck."
For example, is this a big deal? (We can see arguments on each side.)
Is this a rogue part-time guy trying to help the Pats or part of a giant Ball conspiracy? (And yes, the potential jokes from "giant Ball conspiracy" are numerous.)
Is this the end of this or is there so much tomfoolery going on in the Pats pregame periphery that we can't handle the truth? (And we're pretty sure we want 48-year-old Jim McNally on that wall; we need 48-year-old Jim McNally on that wall.)
Are we going to hear the blanket rationalization of "Everyone does it" after this one, too? We'll see.
And sadly, we feel downright Phil Connors-esque from "Groundhog Day" since we now have two of the five items in the 5-at-10 are on the Patriots cheating and PEDs.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James returns to the bench after committing a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, in Chicago. The Bulls won 113-98. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Man we're a college football scandal from hitting the trifecta, and a LeBron lovefest from the superfecta.
(Rest easy, we have a Peyton Manning question below. Yep, Groundhog Day. "OK, campers, rise and shine and don't forget your booties 'cause it's coooold out there today."
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This and that
- OK, this needs very few words. Yes, that's a pregnant Kentucky basketball fan with her belly painted like a basketball as the Wildcats get ready for March Madness. Enjoy.
- Did you see the Minnesota center who went 39-29 in an upset win over Iowa on Tuesday? Amanda Zahui B. posted a new career high with the 39 points and the 29 rebounds were a Big Ten record. Imagine if B. had brought her A. game - those numbers were heavy.
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston throws the ball to warm up during an NCAA college football practice in Carson, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Florida State is scheduled to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal on New Year's Day. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo) - Speaking of fat numbers, on Tuesday - Fat Tuesday mind you - former UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen, forever remembered as the Hefty Lefty, hit social media with comparisons between his physique and that of Jameis Winston's. Yes Jared, some of the photos of Jameis are less than flattering, but let's tap the brakes a little. And remember, he's not heavy, he's our brother.
- Speaking of Jameis, there are reports that he will throw this weekend at the Combine, as will Marcus Mariota. Well, that good. We suppose.
- Speaking of former Heisman quarterbacks with unknown NFL futures, did you see where some fan paid more than $1,500 for a worn cast from RGIII? C'mon man, we can think of like a billion better ways to spend $1,500 than that.
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Today's question
Speaking of money, let's go a different direction this morning.
FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2014, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady warms up before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Foxborough, Mass. No Tom Brady-Peyton Manning rematch this time. Instead, it will be Brady and Andrew Luck meeting again in a matchup of star quarterbacks when the New England Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game Sunday.(AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) On the front of the CBSSports.com website, the question was clear and deserved discussion: "Should Peyton Manning take a pay cut?"
Thoughts?
On this side: Dude is financial set and will retired with more coin than his grandkids will ever be able to spend. Plus, in a salary-cap world, Manning taking less means better players around him, ergo better chance at one final run at the Super Bowl.
On the other side: Dude deserves max money - even with his horrible end to 2014, he's one of the top four QBs on the planet. Plus, are the Broncos ownership and executives willing to take less money to aid the pursuit of a Super Bowl? We doubt it.
Discuss, and remember the mailbag.