Let's handle our BID-ness.
Congrats to all the Best of Preps winners from last night's virtual banquet. And my virtual chicken was delicious. So there's that. Here's the story from last night's event and the winners.
You know the rules. Here's Paschall on the expected dismissal of four-star QB recruit Kaidon Salter from Tennessee's program.
Here's today's A2 column on the feedback from the Macy Gray rant about how racist our American flag is.
As for this week's Rushmores, let's do this.
Rushmore of TV westerns: Lonesome Dove, which was a made-for-TV event and epically great, Deadwood, Gunsmoke and Lone Ranger. That's with all apologies to Justified and with the admission that I do not consider Yellowstone to be a western.
Rushmore of RBs in the 2000s: Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James.
Rushmore of untouchable per-game records in sports: Maravich's 44.3 points per game in college hoops, Herschel's career 159.4 rushing yards per game (or even his 35.0 carries per game in 1981), Wilt's average of 48.5 minutes per game in the 1960-61 season and Barry Bonds' 0.82 intentional walkers per game in 2004.
Rushmore of Chris Pratt vehicles. Lego Movie. Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World and Parks and Rec.
From Hot Rod
Why do we keep watching these Braves?
Hot Rod -
No clue, but I do know this:
With Ronald Acuña Jr. out of the lineup the last couple of days, I have not watched a single pitch.
And I have not missed it one iota. (Side question: Where does the iota come from and why is there only just one iota?)
They are officially infuriating. A '65 Mustang with a lawnmower engine.
From Chas
UK is set to host 2022 five-star center Jalen Duren, the most sought-after player in all of high school basketball, on an official visit next week. Kentucky governor Andy Beshear signed Thursday an executive order that will require all colleges in the state to allow athletes to capitalize off their name, image and likeness starting July 1.
Word was that Duren had narrowed his college options to Miami, Memphis, and Kentucky, but he was likely to jump to the G-League. But arguably nobody offers Duren a better chance to develop and make money next year than Coach Cal.
Will opening the NIL door wide be enough to change his path?
Chas -
I included this one because the NIL has, at least for me, been linked most commonly to football for obvious reasons.
But the NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) opportunities across college sports will have a lot of impacts.
Let's start with Chas' scenario, and in truth, I'm kind of remiss that this has not popped into my oversized noggin' before now. Two recruiting cycles ago, Auburn lost Jalen Green, a top-three national dude who will be a top-three NBA pick later this summer, to the G-League, which is the NBA minors, which is now offering high school superstars as much as $500,000 to play one year before entering the draft.
More five stars took that route in the last recruiting cycle too, including one metro-Atlanta point guard who reclassified - graduated a year early - to move into the G-League for six figures.
As for NIL, if the G-League is prepared to offer $500,000 to the very best high school players like Duren, and that was enticing for obvious reasons to these kids who are fast-tracked for the Draft lottery.
But what will/could Nike offer a five-star like Duren to a) go to a Nike school like UK and b) to get in good with the future stars before they become future stars? Nevermind what the Lexington State Farm guy or the local Chevy dealership could pony up. A legit, five-star program changer like a Duren could make seven figures off his NIL.
It also crosses over to some of the monster names in some of the lesser known sports, especially in an Olympic year. Think of the swimmers and track stars who will get their moment in the sun this summer in Tokyo and, under the previous construct, they were faced with the choice of taking the commercial money or staying NCAA eligible.
Sure the Duren situation seems fraught with potential seediness, but the latter scenario is a great change in my view.
From Bob
I think Mark Emmert owes Rob Manfred a big thank you for deflecting the doofus-meter elsewhere. Is there a bigger joke than the latest MLB debacle? Checking pitchers' belts? I guess it's a good thing there are no female umps in the majors. Besides, who's to say that the offending substance is anywhere on the pitcher's clothing? The catcher may be loading the stick-um on the ball. And the last thing an already slow game needs is another reason for delay. Isn't there a better way to address this issue?
Bob -
It would be hard for me to agree with you any more. (Still I think Emmert > Manfred on the all-time doofus scale, but Manfred certainly is making a late push.)
MLB's sticky situation with the sticky stuff is absurd, plain and simple. And you couldn't be more correct in noting that baseball's already maddening snail pace is made slower by checking the skivvies of every pitcher at almost every turn.
Two things that I saw that caught my eye this week:
> First, ESPN baseball ace Jeff Passan noted that almost all of baseball has been scared straight and took measures to rid the sticky stuff before last Monday's deadline. That's a good thing, especially if it leads to more offense;
> Second, and I first saw this on The Athletic and from Phillies catcher JT Realmuto, is the solution is not looking at Max Scherzer's privates or walking to the mound every time a pitcher cuts loose a darting slider. The answer is baseball finding a better baseball.
Bob's overarching assessment, though, is spot on. Very few leaders can come up with and implement a plan to address an issue and have that plan create even more issues more consistently than Manfred and Emmert.
From Zach
Please tell me you've changed your tune on the Hawks and the Trae Young-Luka trade.
Zach-
I have never been down on the Hawks. In truth, I've never had that much of an opinion on the Hawks since they dealt Dominique for Danny Manning and some sweatbands.
But this Hawks run has been fun, and I admittedly have jumped on the bandwagon - which is driven locally by Mader, who has been banging the Hawks' drum for months.
And I will watch a large chunk of tonight's Game 2 against Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals. (Much more fun than watching these Braves, as Hot Rod suggested.)
As for the Luka-Trae trade, I have not changed my tune, but I may have softened my stance.
Trae has been unbelievable during this Hawks run, both as a scorer and a facilitator. And most importantly as a leader. This bunch believes in Young, and there's extreme value in that. It's how runs like this become possible because the Hawks have an identity and a belief.
When the chips are down late and they know they need a bucket, they get the ball to Young and everyone plays their role. That's an invaluable clarity and outstanding definition. (Yes, Mader, Nate McMillan deserves a lot of credit for that too.)
And for the first time, since that deal was made, I think the Hawks would not reverse because of the value Young provides this specific franchise and the connection he's forming with Atlanta.
Still, Luka > Trae. By more than a little bit.
Because this prediction/statement has not changed even with the torrid postseason run Young is leading:
Young will make multiple All-Star appearances; Luka will win multiple MVPs.
From Stan
Jay, I love your writing. If I can ask, considering you have been doing this a long time, have you ever looked at going someplace bigger than Chattanooga? Who are your favorite people to read/watch/hear in the business or at ESPN?
Thanks and keep up the great work.
Stan-
Thanks for the kind words.
As for relocating, wow, I can't remember the last time I floated a résumé anywhere. I had a couple of offers - to be the sports editor in Green Bay and to interview at ESPN national - way back in the day, but the Mrs. and I were/are happy here, with family in the South and wanted to raise our kids in these parts.
So that was that and - she had multiple offers across the country too - and we've never really looked back. Life is too short to live in the past.
As for my favorite ESPN personality, well that's easy. It's David Paschall. Then Wells. Then everyone else.
Side story: Did you guys/gals see the surreal story involving Jay Williams, the ESPN morning radio cohost? Apparently, Williams' Twitter account congratulated the new Boston Celtics coach - some dude I'd never heard of - for being the first Black head coach of the Celtics. Well, even an NBA novice knows that a) Boston has had a slew of Black head coaches and b) Boston hired the first Black head coach in NBA history. So, whoops. Big whoops.
The backlash was quick and fierce, because Twitter lives for the mistakes of others. So after the Tweet was deleted, Williams went back to his Twitter handle and said he was hacked. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Anyway, I don't read for fun as much as I used to, when guys like Jim Murray, Dan Jenkins and even the greats in Atlanta starting back in the day with Grizzard and Dave Kindred and so many others, were pounding on keyboards. I read more than I ever have, but I sadly don't hunt out the sacred few like I used to.
Thanks for the question and the kind words. Enjoy the weekend friends.
Jay Greeson