Guilty on all counts
Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges Tuesday.
From what we saw on the video, it certainly looked like a man guilty of murder, police officer or pedestrian.
According to the New York Times, a conviction like Chauvin's is exceedingly rare. The Times quoted a Bowling Green professor who states there have been seven convictions of officers in fatal shootings or events since 2005. That prorates to the odds of a killing by the police eventually becoming a murder conviction about 1-in-2,000.
The commentary, in a lot of ways, has been predictably inflammatory. As has the blowback.
You knew Tucker Carlson was going to race to preach to his choir.
Still, it was rather shocking that the Las Vegas Raiders and owner Mark Davis posted "I can breath" with Tuesday's date on Twitter.
And not sure what Nancy Pelosi was thinking by thanking George Floyd for 'sacrificing' his life for justice, either.
Simply put, I believe justice was done.
Golf fund-amentals
Got an email this morning from former co-worker David Uchiyama, who covered golf for the TFP for an extended period.
Apparently the PGA Tour is pooling together an appearance pool to help incentivize the game's biggest stars to appear at events.
A pay-to-play format is an interesting wrinkle for sure. And one that clearly was hatched when a proposed rival league aimed at luring some of the sport's biggest names away from the PGA Tour.
The fund - known as the Player Impact Program - will split $40 million among the 10 biggest stars over the course of the year.
Among the measuring metrics are Google searches, brand exposure rating, and a slew of other media tools and numbers.
The most popular player will get $8 million of the pool, and it's hard to think that even if he does not put a peg in the ground this year after the car accident, how Tiger is not going to clearly run away with this.
Super league super done
Had a question earlier this week about the proposed Super League in soccer.
Before I could even craft an answer, the pitch for the pitch has been ditched.
The idea - the 12 biggest soccer franchises across Europe pulling out of their leagues and forming a 12-team 'super' conference - was announced Sunday and dead by Tuesday.
Has there ever been a billion-dollar idea that was this bad and this universally hated? New Coke is the only thing that comes to mind, and at least that lasted several months.
Two days and poof.
It's an interesting case study, though, and as Weeds wrote this morning, it certainly was being watched very closely by those that run big-time college football.
That said, I think the big wigs in college football are already plotting something similar. It will not be as isolated as a dozen or even two dozed programs, as Weeds' model spit-balled.
And as the NCAA continues to drag its feet on Name, Image and Likeness guidelines with a July 1 crossroads looming, there is more and more disgust among the money-making programs in college sports. And more and more need for those funds at home, rather than sharing with smaller and less-lucrative programs across the landscape. (Side note: The 'July 1 crossroad' is a reference to at least four states having legislation in the works for NIL and the laws could start as early as July 1. And if that happens and this does not get handled uniformly, Katie bar the door.)
Thoughts?
This and that
- Braves played. Braves lost. Braves bullpen smells. And without Ronald Acuña, that line-up is punchless. When the core of your order is boasting batting averages that look like good to very good bowling scores - 233, 219, 214, 148, 190, 220 - well good luck with that. And if you're curious, those numbers are the batting averages of Freddie Freeman, Marcel Ozuna, Travis d'Arnaud, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley, respectively.
- You know the rules. Here's Paschall on UT's mixed bag at linebacker.
- Stacey Abrams has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. OK.
- Interesting story here listing the five most impactful college hoops transfers during the offseason. Two of the names - Walker Kessler going to Auburn from UNC and Kellan Grady going to UK form Davidson - will play next year in the SEC.
- So Michael Keaton will return as Batman in the upcoming movie "The Flash." After the first two installments of the Christopher Nolan series, I thought Christian Bale was the best Batman. But all of Bale's grumbling and growling in the third Nolan film was so over the top, Keaton has a legit argument as the best Batman.
Today's questions
Which way Wednesday starts this way -
Which golfer, other than Tiger, is the most popular player on Tour?
Which actor was the best Batman?
On this day, April 21, Elvis' first hit record - Heartbreak Hotel - reached No. 1. Iggy Pop is 74, and he's on that 'Who, he's still alive' list with Keith Richards. Robert Smith is 62.
Wow, Queen Elizabeth is 95 today. She has ruled for 69 of those 95 years. Buckets of Buckingham that's impressive.
She has to be on the Rushmore of Elizabeths, right? Who else?