Interesting sports on TV
Wait, don't say anything. There's actually something in the sports world that I will give some TV attention to tonight.
I know - crazy, right?
In what would normally be the glowing aftermath of another glorious weekend in Augusta as we speed toward the college and pro football bliss that is the NFL Draft with the NBA playoffs swirling and the nightly backdrop of Braves baseball echoing the sounds of spring as we sprint to ballparks for baseball practices and softball games, sports appetite has been instantly starved by The Corona.
If the aches of missing March Madness and the Masters, we no longer are the amputee who tries to scratch an itching and absent arm.
The reality has set in. We're wondering if H-O-R-S-E is worth our time. Replayed games from a time when Aaron Rodgers was non-mustachioed and had some serious skates. A racial slurring video gamer race has become the story of the last two days.
(Side note: While we're here, Kyle Larson, bye. Your apology felt genuine, but as you said, there's no longer a place for that word in society today. Hey, there are a lot of social justice warriors out there and we frequently bemoan the social media morality mob that often oversteps into matters from everything between pronoun and pro sports. But there simply is no place for the N-word, and everyone knows that. This is not about "being caught on a mic" or "making a mistake" because if you are comfortable using that word at all, that's a you problem Kyle. Yes, no one wants to be judged by their worst moments, but there are job-specific sins that while are certainly not crimes, they are career killers. For guys like me who put fingers to keys for a check every two weeks, if you plagiarize or make up stuff, you're cooked. If you are a public figure who relies on sponsorship dollars, you drop the N-word or make a Hitler reference, and well, bye. Larson has already lost his three biggest sponsors, been suspended by NASCAR's iRacing series and had his contract with Chevrolet suspended, too.)
Anyhoo, as for the sports dial and attracting my attention, the MLB has done it.
Today, celebrating Greg Maddux's 54th birthday, the MLB Network is having a Mad Dog marathon. Four of his best games - and when Maddux was at his best, those games were in and out in 1:54 or so - today.
Here's the schedule:
10 a.m. - Maddux gets his 300th win of his career;
12:30 p.m. - Maddux starts Game 1 of the 1995 World Series with a two-hitter on 95 pitches;
3 p.m. - Maddux in Game 2 of the 1996 World Series (and sorry fellow Braves followers, because this stat is going to hurt - the Braves have not won a World Series game since that Maddux start... ouch-standing);
5 p.m. - MLB documentary "Atlanta Rules: The Story ofd the 90s Braves" will re-air;
6 p.m. - Maddux sets a career high in Ks against the Brewers in 2001.
And to make that even more fun, Maddux said on Twitter (@gregmaddux) that he will be watching and Tweeting during the marathon.
I have said this before, having started in sports writing in the lat 1990s, I have seen a lot of sports up close and personal. There's a shortlist of things in sports that I would pay to watch.
Ken Griffey Jr. taking BP. Tiger in his prime on the back nine of a major. Larry Bird shoot. Dan Marino throw. Nick Saban recruit. There are more.
And I certainly was glad to pay to watch Maddux pitch.
Happy birthday, Mad Dog.
Draft dealings
We're less than 10 days from the NFL draft. I love the draft. You know this.
And the river of mock drafts continues to swell like the waters under the Market Street Bridge. We hold our mock thoughts until Thursday.
Mel Kiper Jr., one of the sports world's first niche experts, dropped another version of his mock draft.
Some interesting tidbits:
> Yes, Joe Burrow is still viewed as a slam dunk No. 1, and he hopped more spots before his final year in college than anyone since Cam Newton.
> Kiper now has Oregon QB Justin Herbert going ahead of Tua. Herbert going 5 to Miami and Tua going a pick later to San Diego.
> Of the first 17 picks on Kiper's mock 4.0, 10 are from the SEC and seven are former LSU or Alabama players. Chew on that. All told there are 15 SEC players in Kiper's first round, including D'Andre Swift going 32nd to the Chiefs. (Buckets, if that is the case, I will be drafting Swift high in fantasy football.)
> Jalen Hurts is one of six QBs taken in the first two rounds, according to Kiper. Hurts' value is skyrocketing right now and Kiper has Hurts at 49 to Pittsburgh.
So there's that.
Tuesday in the kitchen
Before we get to a couple of the things we made over the weekend, we have to pause for a moment and say, "Holy Bleep, Better Call Saul is the best show on TV right now, and it's not close. I can make a hard argument that it becomes the frontrunner in five Emmys categories for Monday's episode alone - writing, drama series, lead male actor, lead female actor and supporting male actor.
"Seriously it was amazing, gripping TV and completely redirected the present and the future storyline of Kim Wexler. And Mike? That dude has passed Steve Buscemi as the best acting ugly dude working today. Again. Holy Bleep."
OK, our Easter lunch was the traditional ham, broccoli casserole, deviled eggs, and the Mrs. 5-at-10's Nanny's potato salad.
Here's some of the tips and side notes that proved very beneficial in the meal:
Everyone has a go-to broccoli casserole recipe. I'm not here to change that. I am here to make sure you know that cheddar cheese is naturally white and dyed orange. White cheddar cheese has a cleaner casserole taste in my opinion.
As for the ham, because of social distancing and a late trip to Food City, we were left with a very pedestrian precooked hame steak. It was fine and we were grateful for it. So, in the reheating process, I made a glaze of melted butter and brown sugar (2-to-1 tablespoon ration for those two) and a smidge of mustard. It was downright delicious.
The Mrs. 5-at-10 made the deviled eggs. Got to admit, while they are a traditional Easter go-to, I've never been a big deviled egg fan.
As for the potato salad, it's certainly different. Five pounds of Yukon gold potatoes cut into about 1 inch cubes. Boil until soft - pierce with a fork, soft, not mushy - and coat with mayo (use Duke's; this is non-negotiable) and 1 tablespoon of garlic salt. After a good stirring, add another tablespoon of garlic salt and stir again. Refrigerate overnight. Soak two finely chopped cucumbers in vinegar for several hours (overnight preparation works best) and drain. Drain the cucumbers and add to the potatoes. Add a cup of sour cream.
Viola.
This and that
- Here's today's A2 column on how 2020 can go ahead and kick rocks.
- Meet the safest man in the world in terms of The Corona. Bert terHart, a Canadian trying to become the first North American to circumnavigate the globe solo on a sailboat, has not had contact with anyone since October. Thank goodness his name is not Noah, right?
- According to this story, Phil Mickelson scribbled a congrats note on a napkin after he won the 2019 Masters. I also enjoyed the look inside the super small Champions Locker Room at Augusta National. Side note: The second time I played Augusta National, they let us use the Champions Locker Room, and I put my stuff in the locker shared by Art Wall (1959 winner) and Angel Cabrera (2009 winner). Made a birdie on 7 later that morning, in case you were wondering.
- The state of Florida has declared that crowd-less WWE matches are essential BID-nesses. So, churches - on Easter - are not allowed to allow drive-in services where members sit in their cars in parking lots in a lot of the country but Charlotte Flair's antics are deemed essential? Hmmmmmmmmmm.
- Fabien Lovett, the former defensive lineman who took issue with Mike Leach's since-deleted tweet of "Gertrude knits her husband a scarf" and it was a picture of an old woman knitting a noose, has transferred to FSU. The Seminoles have added a slew of transfers during this offseason. So there's that.
- You know the rules. TFP college football guru David Paschall writes about college football, we read and link Paschall's words about college football. Here's today's views on the never-stopping recruiting cycle for SEC football coaches, the Corona or no.
- Count me among the believers in the Mel Kiper Jr. camp of not drafting a RB in round one. Also, count me among the guys who would be ever-hesitant to give any NFL running back that huge second contract. Name one since Emmitt Smith who truly delivered on that second five years at the most demanding - and interchangeable - position in the game? We'll wait. Yes, Christian McCaffrey is a great player who is on a Hall of Fame tract. But are you on a path to a Super Bowl giving McCaffrey and Teddy Bridgewater and average of $37 million combined for the next three years in a hard cap sport? As we discussed on Press Row on Monday, the McCaffrey signing makes more sense for the Panthers than just about any other franchise considering the star power that has left Charlotte the last two years with Luke Keuchley retiring and Cam Newton leaving town. But the history is overwhelming toward the point that this will not work out well for Carolina.
- The Colts have slight uniform changes and a new secondary logo. Thankfully, the horseshoe remains unchanged. The Indianapolis Colts unis are super underrated and the horseshoe is too as a logo.
- SEC player of the year Immanuel Quickley is taking his old-man game to the league. Dude is accomplished at getting buckets and getting to the line where he shoots 90-plus percent. Want to know the best piece of sports advice my PawPaw ever gave me? Standing at the foul line after he made about six or seven straight, he told the 12-year-old 5-at-10, "That's why they call them free" as he dropped another swish. I never forgot that.
- Resetting the sports line in the sand for the sports calendar, part 357: The Tour de France, which was scheduled for June 27 has been postponed.
Today's question
True or false, it's Tuesday after all.
True or false, Kyle Larson's NASCAR racing career is done.
True or false, Jalen Hurts will be drafted in the first two rounds.
True or false, you like potato salad.
True or false, Carolina will ultimately regret the McCaffrey contract.
True or false, watching Greg Maddux pitch was the funniest science experiment of all time.
You know the drill, answer the T or Fs, post some T or Fs.
As for today, April 14, well, let's review.
Lincoln was shot on this day in 1865. The Titanic hit an iceberg on this day in 1912. Black Sunday - a severe sandstorm ravages the midwest and becomes known as the Dust Bowl. Be safe out there, friends.
One this day in 2002, Tiger became the third player to win back-to-back Masters. (Nicklaus and Faldo were the first two.)
Pete Rose is 79 today. So there's that.
In honor of Maddux, what specifics?