College football crossover
OK, the theories and plans and the possibilities range from the college football season starting on time to outlandish thoughts of some games in the fall and the second-half of the schedule in late winter.
It's all over the place. Frankly, that's to be expected because what do we really know about The Corona in the grand scheme of things?
There are multiple Power Five commissioners saying their leagues could go with just conference schedules. And considering the TV money at stake - and the lifeblood the TV revenue represents for the entire athletic programs - that is a real possibility.
The ramifications of playing just a conference season would be far-reaching.
For the SoCon and UTC, the lack of money games and middling TV revenue would make you wonder if playing was even possible fiscally, especially with uncertainty about fans in the stands.
Well, in some ways, this story is also interesting and has a few layers.
The leadership at Notre Dame, which has forever benefitted by not being in a conference, says if conference-only schedules are the football path, the Irish are confident it can fill its slate.
If that's true, UTC AD Mark Wharton would be wise to get on the Irish' speed dial sooner rather than later.
TLD historic numbers
We've had a few talking points about "The Last Dance."
It's one of the only American sports vehicles that is on TV right now that is not a debate show without anything to debate or a replay from a game I've more than likely seen.
So it's wild success is not that surprising.
The six episodes of TLD are the six-most watched documentaries in ESPN history. Yes, all six topped any of the episodes of the Oscar-winning "OJ: Made in America" from a couple of years ago.
In fact, the big numbers of the first four installments are bigger than most realize.
When you factor in streaming, on-demand and DVR viewing, the total number of viewers for episodes 3 and 4 swell to 11.3 and 10.9 million, respectively, according to Sports Media Watch. Episodes 1 and 2 have increased to 13.0 and 13.1 million, after original numbers of 6.3 and 5.7 million.
The explosive numbers after the original airing points to a few things.
To Jordan's pop-culture relevance even two decades after he hung up his Air YouKnowWhos. To our starvation of entertainment - hey, it's kind of like the 30-for-30 meets Tiger King.
To that point, ESPN announced that it's moving several scheduled 30-for-30s up for earlier broadcast.
Three of the known titles to be moving up in coming weeks are a two-part series on Lance Armstrong, and 30-for-30s on Bruce Lee's life and death and the chase for Roger Maris' record between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
Part I of "Lance" will be on Sunday, May 24, and part II will be the following Sunday. "Be Water" on Lee will be June 7; "Long Gone Summer" about the home run derby of 1998 will be June 14.
So, regardless of which leagues return or continue to quarantine, ESPN will have original programming from now through Father's Day.
Korean Baseball League
I'll admit it - I watched a good chunk of the KBO.
It was baseball. And it was fun.
Not sure I will be a long-term, everyday fan - hey the time difference in and of itself is a major hurdle - but the action reminded me how much fun baseball is.
To be honest, if it had not been 6:45 in the morning I likely would have cracked open a Co-Cola.
If it had been, say 10:30, then game on. (Side question: Percentage of day-drinking has to be sky-rocketing in this isolation time, right?.. Hiccup.)
I enjoyed it. Anyone else watch? What did you think?
This and that
- What the bleep? Seriously. You guys and gals know me well enough to vouch that I'm not a conspiracy theorist. But this is nuts and feels more Tom Clancy novel than AP breaking news. According to this story, a Pennsylvania researcher who reportedly had made serious strides against The Corona was found shot to death. Again, what the bleep?
- Here's UTC basketball coach Lamont Paris on Press Row on Tuesday. He's good dude.
- You know the rules, TFP college football guru David Paschall writes college football, we read and link Paschall on college football. Here's the next installment on the top five players in Alabama history.
- OK, the optics of this are downright awful. According to a Mississippi state auditor, Brett Favre received $1.1 in state welfare money for speeches he reportedly never gave.
- As Mr. Vernon told us in "Breakfast Club" when "You mess with the bull get the horns." Well, as this goof shows us, mess with a Murder Hornet, get the stinger. Someone cue Chuck Barkley "Idiot."
- Legalized online sports betting launched in Colorado last Friday. According to @BetMGM, a majority of the betting action has been on Russian table tennis.
- OK, if you do not want every future image of super-COVID-fighter Dr. Anthony Fauci forever changed, just skip ahead. Here's a story that Dr. Fauci was the motivation for Dr. Michael Lanzer, the erotic hero who discovers a therapy for AIDS, has an affair with the First Lady and steals the hearts of readers everywhere in Sally Quinn's 1991 best-selling novel "Happy Endings." (Seriously? "Happy Endings" as the title? Spy, remember this is a family-oriented, interweb-based conversation.)
- Speaking of MJ, this was an interesting glimpse at Jordan. Major championship golfer Brooks Koepka told SVP about the time Koepka took a 1 Up lead to the 17th tee, dropped some serious smack talk, and His Airness promptly won 17 and 18 to take the match and whatever sizable wager was on the line.
Today's question
Which way Wednesday starts this way.
Speaking of table tennis, which of the Co-Cola-drinking, pool hall games are you the most skilled? Choices being table tennis, pool, foosball, air hockey and my choice darts. (If you have another choice, hey, we're flexible.)
Which of the known May sports would you be likely to watch, KBO, MMA or NASCAR?
Speaking of day drinking, which is your favorite TV drunkard?
As for today, May 6, let's review.
Happy birthday George Clooney is 59 today. Dude seems like a pretty all-around good dude. Willie Mays is 89 today.
The Hindenburg exploded on this day in 1937.
Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile on this day in 1941.
The Friends finale with 52.5 million viewers aired on this day in 2004. The Stones released Paint It Black on this day in 1966. (I much prefer the latter than the former of those two.)
As for a Rushmore, Not to answer my own question, but Otis from Mayberry is Jordan in the day-drinking category right? Anyone have one better and more lovable than Otis? Was Archie a drunkard? Wow, you have to count Cliff and Norm, too.
Forget Which Way Wednesday, this is a downright Rushmore. Go, and remember the mailbag.