5-at-10: Brady leaving the Pats, and I blame the Corona

AP file photo by Elise Amendola / Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, clearly doesn't want to waste time getting ready for a new season with a new club.
AP file photo by Elise Amendola / Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, clearly doesn't want to waste time getting ready for a new season with a new club.

So, how was your evening? Quiet and at home I presume.

As we discussed Monday, we're going to need distractions and talking points that make us think of anything other than a certain illness that borrows the name of a certain Mexican cerveza.

So, welcome to the 5-at-10. Also of note, we're planning on continuing Press Row, our daily talk show from 3-6 p.m. with cohost David Paschall on ESPN 105.1 here in Chattanooga.

You regulars know the drill. For you newcomers, well here's the deal. This is the 5-at-10, five things at 10 a.m. Yep it's just that easy. (We have three main talking points, a 'This and That' and a daily question that normally includes a Rushmore. That's the format but there may be tweaks considering the coronavirus.)

On Mondays, we ask who won the weekend and who lost it. Tuesdays, we play a game of true or false. Fridays I answer emails - and occasionally share hate mail - from you guys and gals. Giddy-up. Feel free to leave a comment or a question or an observation below. I try to swing by and respond every day, so check back.

This little conversation is and will try to stay sports-based, but we live in surreal times at the moment.

Enjoy, and stay safe gang.

Corona ideas

You know there have been a handful of realizations or ideas or notions that have entered my rather large noggin' in the wake of the coronavirus. (Side question: Shouldn't something this powerful, potentially deadly and omnipresent have a capital C? I think yes.)

Yes, we discussed the impact of the sports world late last week in the mailbag. And that's pertinent.

But what about some of the big picture talking points?

I'll start here: I understand the need for government assistance, be it for an industry or an individual.

The latest to walk to Capitol Hill with their hands out and their wallets empty is the airlines. OK. I certainly understand their importance and anything we can do to avoid a depression - we're almost certainly headed to a recession friends - in these crazy times.

My question: Why did no one offer newspapers any assistance in this industry's struggles over the last two decades? Can't recall ol' Tommy Jefferson noting the importance of a free airline industry to the Republic or any of the Founding Fathers putting the auto makers in any of the amendments.

Next, we all miss the brackets. All of us. Here's one simulation of how March Madness would have marched out. The ESPN college basketball gurus are putting together a field of 64 for the best college basketball player ever. (The brackets are named Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Christian Laettner and Breanna Stewart. Sorry Chas, my vote would be for Laettner in the end, but can understand the case for Stewart, who won four nattys at UConn.)

I like the thought of the a faux bracket. In fact, we suggested that the selection committee should have put out a field of 64 of the best college basketball teams ever Sunday night and we could have simulated those over the next few weeks.

What kind of bracket should the 5-at-10 craft in the days ahead? (Also, I'm going to share some of my recent cooking experiments on Wednesdays until we get back on schedule. Deal? Deal. Stupid Corona.)

One more thing: Would this not be the perfect time for HBO or all the streaming services to offer free access to their products?

First, the goodwill would be invaluable now and well into the future. And it likely would be comped or subsidized by the government in some way, dontcha think? (While we are here, kudos to the local utilities who have suspended the shut down process on those tardy on bills in these unknown times. We have to be mindful of everyone right now, especially those struggling.)

Second, as for the free HBO, there will never be more eyeballs on screens than during the looming bunkering process due to the Corona.

And with that, there's no better way for HBO to get all its excellent content - or Amazon or Disney+ or whatever - in front of more people than right now.

Thoughts?

Bye bye Brady

Wow, what a crazy and full Monday of NFL news.

(Side question: Back in the good ol' days, you know B.C. - before Corona, which is like a week ago in terms of sports lockdown - Monday's NFL news would be the lead story, but with all the shutdowns and the only operations coming from the folks behind the Shield, well, it feels almost a Chinese buffet of options, no? You walk up knowing that the first plate is going to be chicken teriyaki, fried rice and an egg roll, but the eyes are already wandering to what will be added to the second, third and fourth trips back.)

And we'll get to all of it in due time.

But it's officially a pandemic because the Corona killed Tom Brady and the Patriots.

OK, the Corona is not officially to blame, but it is official. Tom Brady took to social media Tuesday morning and under a tag called "Forever a Patriot" the most accomplished player at the most important position in all of sports has announced he will not return to New England.

Let the ripples reach.

Where will he go? Who will replace him? Who will win a title first without the other, Belichick or Brady? Will Robert Kraft treat himself to a spa day as he recovers? (Man, that puts a whole new twist on social distancing, no?)

Anyhoo, Brady is on the move.

Man, this feels like it's going to end more like Namath with the Chargers than Montana withe the Chiefs, don't you think? And how crazy is it that the last pass Brady threw as a Patriot was a pick-six in a playoff loss to the Titans?

More postponements

OK, the Corona has added a couple more notches to its syringe.

The Kentucky Derby has announced it will be rescheduled.

And apparently the Derby organizers had started sipping those dreadful Mint Juleps a little early. They have rescheduled the Derby for Sept. 5, which puts it right in the mouth of football season.

Hey, the Derby is the fastest two minutes in sports, but up against a college football Saturday, well, if the fastest two minutes happen and no one notices, did it really happen?

Monday also dropped the MMA, which was the last-standing sport amid the Corona.

Adhering to President Trump's warning Monday that no gatherings of more than 10 people should be held, Dana White announced that the MMA will also suspend its activities.

It's a complete sweep. Since Rudy Gobert got the Corona, it took the disease less than a week to completely halt the entire sports industry in this country.

Well, other than off-the-field NFL news.

Take that Corona. You may force Brady out of Boston, but you cannot topple the Shield.

This and that

- We have a few rules around these parts, one of them of course is when TFP ace columnist Mark Wiedmer writes about college basketball, we read and link Weeds on college hoops. Here's the college hoops pooh-bah noting that Dayton is patient zero in terms of sympathy after March Madness was Corona-ed.

- Part of the plan to make sure we have three entertaining hours of radio on Press Row is scheduling some interesting guests. Here's Monday's chat with two-time PGA winner Harris English, the former Baylor School star who was white-hot on the course before the PGA got Corona-ed. Today we are scheduled to have Brian Edwards, who is a professional handicapper and how the Corona has waylaid the betting industry as a whole.

- Speaking of Press Row, here's an excellent look at the financial implications of canceling the spring sports for colleges from cohost and TFP all-around college guru David Paschall.

- Rick Pitino said at a news conference that he deserved to be fired at Louisville. Ya think, Count Pitino? You likely deserved to be arrested truth be told. And why did you sue Louisville if you 'deserved' to be fired?

Today's questions

True or false, it's Tuesday. True. That's a gimme.

True or false, you are a lenient 'gimme' putt guy for your opponents in golf.

True or false, we need 'Corona-ed' as a verb in terms of things that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19.

True or false, the Titans signing Ryan Tannehill for $29.5 million per was a good deal for Tennessee.

True or false, Tom Brady will be in Tampa Bay next year.

True or false, Teddy Bridgewater will be the starter in New England next year.

Answer some T or Fs, and feel free to offer some T or Fs. Deal? Deal.

As for today, let's review.

On this date - March 17 - in 1946, Jackie Robinson played 5 innings at second base for the Montreal Royals in a spring training game against the Brooklyn Dodgers, marking the first time the color barrier was broken in professional baseball.

Take that Corona.

Happy St. Patrick's Day friends. Side question: Did you know St. Patrick was not Irish? Hmmmmmmm.

Rushmore of Patrick. Go.

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