Jay GreesonGang, before we get rolling, once again here's the link to the Mrs. 5-at-10 snowy owl gallery.
This is not a promotional reference as much as praising her skills and her efforts, something I think we all can be better at (more near the bottom, before the hate mail of course). She is giving all of the proceeds from the purchases of her snowy owl photos back to the Tennessee Aquarium.
She's cool like that.
To the mailbag.
From Ernie:
Bill Clinton famously said, "I want to say one thing to the American people; I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." Best all time presidential quote! How about a Rushmore of presidential quotes!
Ernie,
I think there are two categories here, and the modern news cycle has overlapped the 'best' presidential quote to the most reused presidential quote.
For example, if we are going to offer best presidential quotes, you have FDR and "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" as well as JFK asking all of us what we can do for America, Lincoln and Gettysburg and a personal fav of "Comparison is the thief of joy" from Teddy Roosevelt. (And that leaves off "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit" which is attributed to Harry S Truman.)
But I understand what you're saying, because in the modern cycle, quotes like Bill Clinton's define a presidency as much, if not more - good and/or bad - as those all-timer historic quotes and moments.
Like, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," or even "Read my lips, no new taxes" from some of the more recent presidents. In some ways, you could even call it the Saturday Night Live effect. And that's fine, it was comedy done for comedy's sake.
In my opinion, where we really went off the rails was when Comedy Central took Weekend Update - which was once a week and clearly farcical - and made it the Jon Stewart Show, which is fine if everyone remembers it's comedy and not a news program.
But an entire generation looked at Stewart as their Cronkite, only funnier, and took that as news. Worse still, rather than hunker down and fight farce with facts, the cable news outlets hired glib and good-looking folks and fought for Comedy Central's numbers by trying to be more entertainment than information, more right now than right on the nose.
And we're all worse off for it.
Anywell, to the Rushmores ...
Rushmore of Greg - Had to break this one into two, fictional and nonfiction. Nonfiction - Maddux, Peck, Louganis and Norman (with all apologies to Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine), Fiction - I put it to you, Greg Marmalarde, Greg Brady, Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Gregor (yes it counts) from Game of Thrones.
Rushmore of 'hotel' - Heartbreak Hotel, No-Tell Hotel, Hotel California, "Motel, Hotel, Holiday Inn"
Rushmore of perfect athletic form - Curry's stroke, Adam Scott's swing, Ryan's wind-up and far left is Griffey Jr.'s swing. (Have I ever told you guys and gals about the time when a 16-year-old Junior hit a low-80s heater from a 15-year-old 5-at-10 about 5 or 10 miles?)
Rushmore of Winter Olympic moments - Miracle on Ice - four times. (Then everything else.)
From Scott:
My Georgia-fan friend had a perfect one-word description on the (UT) hire: "Lazy."
Also, White's comments didn't bother me. If there's anything we lack as a fan base, it's self-awareness. Don't you think – at least some – recruits are turned off by the absurdity of Vol Twitter?
Scott,
We have more questions than usual this week '- and some hate mail - so we will try to move quickly.
I think the word 'lazy' is an interesting word. Comfortable also applies. And if we all realize and recognize that Danny White is 100% married to this hire - it works, he could be here a decade-plus; it doesn't, well, we'll meet back here in 36 months and run it again - comfortable is a pretty big positive in my eyes.
Comfortable to White makes sense - especially in terms of NCAA compliance.
And White is smart enough to know the stakes on this, so with that in mind, that he tied his wagon to someone he has worked with for three years has to be a testament to what he saw from Josh Heupel in those three years, no?
As for recruits, no not really. Every fan base has a lunatic fringe. Every single one.
But when times are good, there is nothing to complain about, so they are left in silence in the shadows. When times are bad, they start circling the social media scene and the outlandish quotes are the ones that make the news, because the 90-plus percent of any group - fan bases, political organizations, student bodies, you name it - are normal, rational and decent.
The fringe, though, are the ones that generate the headlines. Heck, there are UK loons wondering if they should walk Coach Cal because the wheels fell off and Coach Cal is one of the three-to-five best with a whistle in college hoops.
(Side question: Would UK trade Cal for Pearl, because I know Auburn would not trade Pearl for Cal?)
From Spy:
Or does Josh Heupel look like a younger version of David Cutcliffe (whom UT should have hired years ago but didn't)?
Having seen UCF's offense up close and personal, and how quickly they can go and run different sets in a hurry-up without changing personnel, which means the defense doesn't get a chance to sub, it is very, very impressive.
Spy,
Completely agree - on the looks like and the fact that UT would be UT if Cutcliffe had been the post-tiffin choice.
UCF's offense was impressive, and those numbers are even more eye-popping when you recall that Heupel had to replace QBs - not once but twice - after season-ending injuries in his time at UCF.
So it's not a huge surprise that he's looking at some of his offensive assistants to make the move with him, as TFP college football savant David Paschall shares here. (You know the rules.)
Paschall also notes that Kevin Steele's days appear numbered, which makes the DC hire for Heupel every bit as important as the HC hire was for White. And considering the NCAA clouds above and the thunderheads on the horizon, that hire is as tricky as it is critical.
Will Muschamp anyone?
From Don:
I'm not surprised about (Kevin) Costner and Yellowstone. He said in an interview a while back that the show was pitched to him as a miniseries or a movie. When he got into it he found out that it was a series and he could have quit then but for personal reasons he stayed. I wonder if he will die from the gunshot wounds he got in the season finale from last season. If season 4 truly is his last one then it should be the series last one too I think. He is Yellowstone. How many shows have tanked after the main star left? Hard to see how it goes on for long without him.
Don,
You're right, almost every time the lead leaves the show goes into the tank.
Whether that's the star's choice, the network's or even by accident.
Some of the big-time failures that come to mind are The Office, House of Cards, Two and a Half Men, Nashville and Roseanne.
Heck, even some sidekicks - like Barney leaving Mayberry - wrecked chemistry and all-but-ended the show.
A few that survived - like Cheers, Three's Company and Charlie's Angels - were more ensemble casts. And in truth, M*A*S*H forever changed to be all about Hawkeye when Henry Blake and Trapper John demanded more money and left in the same episode.
From Todd:
T or F - Brady's Bucs win the Superbowl and he retires at the postgame ceremony.
Todd,
I think false, but man I want it to be true.
Imagine him getting the MVP, getting the camera in his face with the, "Hey Tom Brady, you just won the Super Bowl (again), where are you going?"
"Disney World - and then home. For good."
It would drop the exclamation point on his GOAT status.
Still, I think he's back for at least one more and likely two more years. It's also worth noting that Brady is currently 1,100-plus yards behind Bress for No. 1 all-time and yeah he wants all the records.
From Pat:
My 9-year-old granddaughter attends Ringgold Elementary School and has been in school 5 days a week since September. It seems to be working well for K-5 children. Why can't it work in Chattanooga?
Pat,
I wish I had an answer for you to be honest.
I know safety is paramount, but our kids need to be back in school ASASP - that's as soon as safely possible - because watching this virtual learning has made it clear to be all of this is long on the virtual and short on the learning.
I understand and appreciate the caution, but I believe we should have been back this week.
Thankfully, in Hamilton County, they are making plans to go back four days a week starting Monday.
From Allan:
I want the Braves to re-name Truist Park "The Hank". Who wants to play baseball at something called "Truist Park"? Anyway, if the last ballpark could be called "The Ted", the Braves should have no problem honoring Aaron this way. If you agree, would you promote in your column?
Allan,
I certainly can see that logic, but with the coin Truist Bank is ponying up, The Hammer has been nailed before it ever got off the ground.
I think the field will be named for Aaron sooner rather than later.
As for tributes to Aaron, they are pouring in. TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer suggested changing the name of the team to The Hammers.
I'm OK with that, but kind of indifferent, although if they continue to sign retread starting pitchers rather than aces and let Marcel Ozuna walk, well, change the name so I can really put meaning to the phrase, "Dumb as a bag of Hammers."
I also saw a suggestion thatthe tomahawk that is the crossbar in the 'A' on the team's logo be switched to a Hammer, and I like that one more.
I also saw this in the AJC, that Aaron is among the names being looked at to replace Forrest Hill Academy, which was named for Nathan Bedford Forrest.
I know this, the outpouring of support and tributes for Hank Aaron has been heartwarming. It also serves as a reminder that we need to tell the people who are important to us what they mean to us, while they can hear it and appreciate it in a human way.
Sure, Hank is smiling from here to Mobile as he talks hitting with Williams, Ruth and Gwynn on a Heavenly swath of grass that looks like a cross between Wrigley, Fenway and the old Yankee Stadium. But we should have celebrated his greatness with him here before now, you know?
Speaking of which, how about some hate mail? Deal? Deal.
From not fans:
(From me: Been too long since we've included the hate mail. Enjoy.)
> Are you a (bleep)hole all the time or do you just act this way for your "fans" - if you actually have one?
> Now that we have taken back the White House from you and your crazy Trump-Lovers, I hope you know you've ruined this country.
> Local transphobe @jgreesontfp writes a whole-(bleep) article in my paper about how he's scared trans folks are going to dominate his kids in sports. Get a life, my guy. You're not living in reality.
> You are so full of it! I disagree strongly with your comments. That group is not equipped to study the daily numbers of teachers students workers in comparison to the numbers in the general population. I find it hard to your reasoning.
> Why don't you shut up and stick to sports! You dare to question the school board when you know nothing about it! It's people like you that cause all of us to hate the media! Shut UP already!
> I'm glad you (bleep)canned from the radio. PressRow is better without you and your arrogant and your opinions.
Enjoy the weekend friends, and thanks for sharing your time with me. It means more than you know.