Let's handle our BID-ness.
Here's today's A2 column on the US gymnast from Trion High School in North Georgia. I appreciate his father giving me some time Thursday.
You know the rules. Here's Paschall on a Paschal playing for UK.
We are headed out of town this morning, so play nice. And we'll try to be quick. Key word is try.
From Chas
But I wonder if, for Friday's bag, Jay would perhaps try explaining why the Olympics don't stir him. Are there philosophical or practical reasons that you can put into words? It could be an interesting thought and writing challenge. Thanks.
Chas -
The Olympics normally do stir me - as a person and as a sports fan.
THESE Olympics do not stir me. Let me see if I can elaborate.
First, NBC's decision to show things live on Peacock (its online, for-pay streaming service) and then show them tape-delayed during prime time is a disaster. In today's world of immediate news and results, whoever hatched this and whoever signed off on it deserves to be canned.
Second, the passion of the crowd - especially in the farce that was the opening ceremonies - is noticeably absent. That's no one's fault - it's affected all sports that have been crowdless because of COVID - but it makes the viewing experience far less enjoyable.
Finally, the protests in this event bother me way more than all the others combined. This is representing your country, and doing it against a litany of athletes in countless nations that would gladly trade places with any of the U.S. athletes on the global stage.
We have problems and folks have the right to voice their displeasure to those problems how they see fit. But if you have that big an issue with what's going on in our country, then don't represent our country.
Otherwise, you're having your cake and trying to kneel while eating it.
Hope that clarifies it some.
From J-Mac
Hey Jay,
Just a couple questions. How soon do you think Sark knew of the discussions of Texas going to the SEC?
Now we have 2 UTs in the conference. Who gets top billing? How will the media refer to them?
J-Mac -
I do think Sark knew before the rest of us, but not before he took the gig. And while we are here, how did they keep this so secret for so long? That's impressive.
It also makes you look around at all of the Saban-ites leading programs. Sark, Kiffin, Kirby are but three, and there likely will be more when more SEC gigs open.
As for the decision, I understand that money makes the world go 'round and Texas was the prize pig, but I still am not sure why Oklahoma - again other than money - was so gung ho about this realignment.
They are a playoff contender every year right now. In the SEC, they will simply be Auburn West.
The two UTs question is very intriguing to me. I am an SEC product - in terms of education and in long-term fandom - so UT has always been in Knoxville for me.
But I realize nationally, UT is in Austin.
The media will refer to them each as UT except when they play each other. And that's fine since we have multiple Tigers and Bulldogs already, why not multiple UTs right?
From Pat
You're probably getting a lot of the "What should the Braves do" now that the trade deadline is nigh. (Nigh - friend or foe?)
I still say you package Wilson, Wright and Pache (who is still the Braves' No. 1 prospect) for Kris Bryant. You could make it Muller and Touki instead but given the way the latter has pitched, make him a part of a rotation next year with Fried, Anderson and Charlie Morton and you've got something. Wilson and Wright flashed their potential in the playoffs last year. Either cash in on it - by trading them - or call them up and leave 'em in the rotation.
Put Bryant in the cleanup spot. So you get Pederson, a lefty, Ozzie, a switch hitter, Freeman, a lefty, and Bryant, with Riley behind him. Besides, the Braves outfield, aside from Pederson, consists of two fourth outfielders right now. You want to go down the stretch with that?
Or, if you don't want to pay that price, put together a smaller package for Kimbrel. The Braves will be four games back (providing the bullpen doesn't blow this one today) going into the deadline.
Don't they have to do something?
Pat -
Last part first. Yes, in my mind they have to do something. Whether that something is a push for the final two months or a move looking toward a healthy return for Acuña and Soroka in 2022.
But they need to do something. I keep Touch and Muller, but I agree with packaging the other pitchers and especially Cristian Paché. (Who knew the English translation of Paché was 'swing-and-miss' because I sure didn't?)
I love the idea of Bryant down the stretch, but I like the idea of Kimbrel more because he has a team-friendly 2022 option on his contract. I'd sweeten your offer and see if the Cubs would send both here.
And as long-suffering followers of the Braves, we could really use a reason to believe that management wants to win as much as the fans do, don't you think?
(Also, nigh is a total friend.)
From Bicycle Bob
Hi Jay,
How about a tip of the cap to American gymnast (and Auburn scholarship recipient) Sunisa Lee. She won Olympic gold today in the all-around competition. And did it on a knee that's had three ACL reconstructions. I've had that surgery once, and it's a yearlong recovery and a fair amount of hell in the process. OK, Simone Biles had to bow out; who among us hasn't had to take a 'mental health' day? Her timing was bad, but I'm willing to give her a break ... but not a parade. That should be reserved for Ms. Lee.
Bob -
Suni Lee - War Eagle ma'am. Way to go, and what a story. The details of her story are starting to come out and they are amazingly cool.
These are the types of Olympic stories we love, but even with all the drama and the hype, I did not watch it because I knew how it turned out. (Going back to the main point in the answer to Chas' question above.)
And the wear-and-tear on the limbs and joints of these gymnasts is unbelievable - especially the females, who are proven to be more susceptible to knee injuries than males.
As for Ms. Biles, my stance has softened some, I suppose. And Vader's response earlier this week made some sense to me.
If she knew she didn't have it physically and was going to a) hurt the team and b) potentially hurt herself, then that's a conversation that falls somewhere between complimenting her self-awareness and wondering whether she's letting her teammates down.
And again, I do not know of Simone Biles' past or her present conditions and if you want to make a point that is different than the socially accepted (and generally easy) take, we in these times have to word them very carefully.
I do wonder though, that if everything falls under the 'mental health' umbrella and the awareness of those issues, then are we in some ways watering down those conditions? Thoughts?
From Scott
Also for the mailbag: (1) was the 1985 NBA Draft rigged? (2) at what point does the woke culture shift, when the trends very clearly show that "woke makes you broke"? At what point does corporate America (and other power brokers) say "enough"?
Scott -
As for the easy one, yes, I think the 1985 NBA draft was rigged, and I love the theories behind it.
Back then the lottery was a big spinning container with sealed envelopes with the team logos on them. They would spin this thing like the Knights of Columbus bingo hopper and David Stern would pull out a card. Legend has it that the Knicks card was put in the freezer before the lottery began.
And since the Knicks were dreadful and every sports league realizes the importance of having a contender in NYC, Stern picked the Knicks' card last and gave them the chance to draft Patrick Ewing. (Side question: As big as Michael Jordan was, can you imagine how much bigger he would have been if he had played in NYC? Wow.)
I'm not sure the 'woke makes you broke' narrative is true, to be honest.
The 'woke' movements are the easy stance, and Coke and Delta both lined up behind the terrible decision to move the MLB All-Star game out of Atlanta, and neither of them are going broke.
If you're talking about sports leagues and TV ratings, well, the protests and the 'woke' sentiments are just a part - and I believe a small part - of the downturn in ratings. Everything (with the exception of the NFL) is down, sports and otherwise. There's more to watch and there's more to do.
The NBA numbers are the best argument for the social commentary affecting ratings, but again that's just part of the puzzle.
That said, there is a shift in the culture, and it's widening the divide because so many of us are tired as heck of being told our opinion does not matter simply because it does not conform.
We've lost the power to agree to disagree, and because we disagree does not make the other side wrong no matter what the morality mob on Twitter says.
We have debated the differences between cancel culture and consequence culture. I wish we could re-engage in conversation culture.
But sadly, the power brokers to which you referred - in business, media and politics - benefit from that divide and the conflict by preaching to one side and condemning the other.
It's got to be on us to get back to the conversation culture. And feel free to 'woke' me when that happens.
Enjoy the weekend friends. See you Monday from the Sunshine State - socially distanced of course.
Jay Greeson