Jay GreesonFrom a slew of you
What was your Egg Bowl reaction?
Gang -
First, it was CHA-Ching. Ole Miss plus the points was a winner, and as Brent Musberger tells us on the commercials that start, "Let's get the latest from my guys in the desert," it really is all about cashing tickets.
(For the rest of my weekend picks, which went a very entertaining 3-0 Thursday - Bears minus-3, Saints minus-7 and Ole Miss plus-2.5 - you can go here. And yes, there were several close calls throughout the day.) https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/columns/story/2019/nov/27/5--10-fab-4-picks-early-nfl-picks-earlier-committee/509275/
We were watching in real time, and it was filled with several questions. (For those unaware, Ole Miss scores in the final seconds to make the game 21-20 and the kid who scored crawls to the back of the end zone, raises a leg and acts like he's a dog urinating. Unsportsmanlike conduct, 15 yards and the penalty yards contribute to the missed PAT. Final score 21-20. Ouch-standing.)
"Did that just happen?"
"Did that just happen to someone not named Auburn?"
"Holy COW that did happen and he missed the kick."
And finally, wow, is that going to cost him his job?
Which is fair and we'll cover some more of that in a moment.
That said, the interweb was on fire with Egg Bowl comedy. Potty Toddy. Ole Piss. Well, you get the idea.
I truly felt bad for the kid, and we all know he shouldn't have done it. I truly felt bad for the kicker, and was reminded that there is no lonelier position in all of sports than kicker. But the weight of a poor public choice like that or the miscue of missing wide right and the ripples are hard to fathom in my mind.
Truly.
From JTC
Jay, give me your top 5 movies to watch this weekend. To get us in the Christmas spirit. You know, when football isn't on the TV.
JTC
We have some Christmas-movie-linked traditions in our family.
We will watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" this weekend at some point to start off the post-Turkey Day Christmas season. So that's one.
We always watch "Love Actually" when we are wrapping presents. That would also be on the list.
We always watch "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve, and Harry Bailey's life tale - even over Cousin Eddie's "That's what you call a recreational vehicle, Clark" - is the best Christmas movie ever, and the fight is for second. On this hill we will not budge, and we are happy to fight to the death.
We always have one TV with "A Christmas Story" on during the Christmas Day festivities. That's four, and those are our must-sees.
The fifth one, well, the kids get this choice and the last few years it's been "Home Alone," and yes, that movie is way better than most of remember. (But you certainly can't go wrong with "Elf," either. And "Scrooged" with Bill Murray is wickedly underrated.)
From Pete C.
I started reading the 5@10 after listening to you and David on the radio. I was going to call in but the week got away. Which coach needs a rivalry-week win the most?
Thanks and love what you guys are doing.
Pete C.
If we were going to create a list with the far-end of true "need" being win or get your things and come to the AD's office Sunday morning, well, I'm not sure any of the big rivalries have a win-or-pack-your-bags cloud over the field since Derek Mason, Will Muschamp and a slew of the other really hot-seated coaches are going to be back next year.
(Side note: It's not really a rivalry but if Michigan State loses to a terrible Rutgers team, Mark Dantonio could be forced to clear his staff, and if that happens, who knows? Along those lines, if Barry Odom loses to a terrible Arkansas team today, well, that may be the straw that breaks the deal.)
As for the big ones, we'll start here:
Kevin Sumlin and Arizona vs. Arizona State. Sumlin will be a top-three hot seat guy next year. Dude has underwhelmed (while Arizona State coach Herm Edwards has soared) but a bad loss to the Devils could put Sumlin's career in Hades.
The need is clear for Gus Malzahn and Jim Harbaugh because of the stakes, but I truly do not believe that either is coaching for his job this weekend. (That said, an ugly loss for Malzahn - at home - might cause the big-money folks to float the coin to buy out Malzahn or even force Malzahn to pick up and go to Arkansas. If THE Ohio State steamrolls Harbaugh and the Wolverines, I could see him kicking the tires on an NFL opening, too.)
A sneaky one may be Tom Herman, considering the Horns are a double-digit favorite over a rebuilding Texas Tech team.
I think Thursday's awful loss was a terrible look for Ole Miss coach Matt Luke, too. Especially since the kid who lifted his leg and got the crucial penalty was on the field for the onside kick.
This could be a huge chance to bake some sweet cookies for a guy like Geoff Collins at Georgia Tech, too. Of course he's not on the hot seat - it's year one in a complicated rebuild/overhaul - but a season-spoiling setback to Georgia would be mighty sweet for the Techsters.
From Lenny
Do you have a Rushmore of holiday traditions? Thanks and love the 5@10.
Lenny
Great question. For us personally, well, we have a few.
Memorial Day at the Lake. (We try to do July 4, too, but schedules do not always overlap.)
Christmas Eve church and small family gathering.
Wednesday night of Thanksgiving we have neighbors, family and friends over for chili dogs, a fire pit and some "Co-Colas" as we share the things we're thankful for.
Finally, on New Year's Eve, we write the things down that we're happy happened in the previous year and things that we hope to change in the coming year, read them by the fire pit and then throw them in.
That's just kind of us, and hope each of you have things you look forward to around any and all the holidays as much as we are blessed to have.
Which brings us to this week's Rushmores.
Rushmore of Ed Harris movies: "The Rock," "Apollo 13," "The Right Stuff," "Glengarry Glen Ross."
Rushmore of "Thankful" speeches: Sally Field's "You really like me," JFK's inauguration speech (that has to count as a "Thanks," right? Kinda?), Tom Hanks' Oscars speech, Jimmy V's all-timer at the ESPYs.
Rushmore of Thanksgiving sides: Dressing is 1 and should be used far more often than just late November, Mashed potatoes (we do something called potato puff and I make it with some cream cheese and sour cream DEEEEEEE-licious), warm, buttered yeast roll, and for us, it used to be mom's broccoli casserole but now it's Aunt Nancy's strawberry Jell-O salad. Trust me.
Rushmore of former coaches-turned-broadcasters: Madden is the standard, and Dick Vitale may be the most famous and single sport connected. (In truth, I'm not sure there has been a better sports-broadcaster relationship in terms of being mutually beneficial than Dickie V and college hoops.) Next there's Jeff Van Gundy and likely Jon Gruden.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends.