And the fourth betting operation poised to get the go-ahead in Tennessee is ... drum roll ... Action247.com, a company based in Nashville, waiting for the final official OK from state lottery folks.

They are not admitting the undeniable truth that a football season with a college football champion happening without the Big Ten or the Pac 12 would be devastating for the Big Ten and the Pac 12. Financially. In interest. In perception. And in appearance.

The Miami Heat win over Boston last night was fun. Well, not for Spy, but for just hoop watching it was a treat.

Rachel Nichols has become the female face of pregame and postgame NBA coverage on ESPN. She's good at her job, and one of the reasons is she asks tough questions.

The Braves have 20 division titles, the most in baseball since divisions were crafted in 1969.

Will MJ give NASCAR the buzz he brings everywhere and the buzz the sport is starving for?

Two pioneering TV personalities. Two funny women. Two scandals and two different outcomes.

Another Sunday, another wasted effort from a high-profile offense by a staff that apparently was absent the day they taught detail at coaching school.

Well, the coronavirus and the demand for business owners to find ways to make up lost revenue have hit us in ways that maybe we could have expected and in ways that no one could have expected.

Here is a monster mailbag for your Friday.

This weekend will be about survival. Of course, I would love for Phil Mickelson and/or Tiger to be in the mix, but hard to see it happening.

The Big Ten called an audible this week, reversing field and announcing football will be played starting the weekend of Oct. 24.

So, in preparation of a must-have postseason, Major League Baseball and the players association have agreed to bubble-up.

Man, gotta tell you guys, getting into the fall routine feels great.

I'm not sure anything in our country can shock me anymore, and that's saying something.

Will the Big Ten play this fall? Sure sounds like it according to Day.

I said a silent prayer Friday for those lost and their loved ones affected by 9/11. It was the 19th anniversary of that tragedy.

Before we get to the mailbag and try to have some fun, let's say a silent prayer for the memories and those lost and affected by 9/11 on this day 19 years ago.

True or false, you would take Patrick Mahomes over the field for MVP.

The NFL starts Thursday night. It will kick off its 101st season.

I'll offer that the NFL has been the one organization across all sports — and all of society really — that has been as deliberate and determined to plow through the pandemic.

Hey, I hope you had a great Labor Day. But it's hard to fathom you had a better Labor Day than Dustin Jonson.

Sports. Wow, what a weekend for sports fans, right? Something everywhere, even with the NFL intrigue of cut day.

There will be a river of ink spilled and a million blisters hatched from the hand-wringing over what surely is our next COVID-19 controversy.

Here's your Friday mailbag for the long weekend ahead.

We have covered the fallacy of politicians' "stick to sports" mantra many times over the last few years.

With all apologies to Tom Brady, there is only one Tom Terrific and it was George Thomas Seaver.

College football has started and will continue tomorrow night with more games. And the conversation and anticipation will only grow.

So, the Braves stood pat and watched as the Padres got better, the Reds got better and, heck, the Phillies got better with deals at the deadline.

When demands for civil treatment by all police officers become deaths of police officers, we're through the looking glass.

And while we're here, the Dodgers set a National League record for the most homers in a month with on more day to go in August.

I think a big part of the problems of division in our country today are because far too many are set so firmly in one opinion that everything else must be gleaned or bent to support that overriding opinion.

Not sure I'm surprised by this — we talked some about the conversations of boycotts Wednesday morning in this space — but it's certainly surreal.

The pandemic has been unpredictably predictable — the only certainty is that every aspect of our lives has been affected.

"This is really about providing that opportunity for the players," Saban said about the questions about the motivation of trying to play a college season amid the pandemic.

I do believe that as a player LeBron's the best I've ever seen. Yes, a better player than Jordan, but not a better winner or the competition that MJ was.

Last week the Democrats got together, patted each other on their backs and took turns telling us how bad Donald Trump is.

This one is clear High School Football won the weekend friends.

OK, if you missed the Democratic National Convention, well, no one is going to fault you for that. But if you're looking to get caught up, here's the CliffsNotes:

Wow. Talking SEC picks feels good, friends.

Paul Pierce said that if the Lakers lose to the Blazers (Game 2 is tonight; Blazers lead 1-0), then LeBron is washed and he has no business in the GOAT conversation. Yawn.

In a sea of negativity, count me among those trying to see the positives in our coronavirus fight.

We're talking nationally about baseball, and it's not about the Reds or the Marlins going into quarantine or some Indians bullpen pitcher breaking Corona protocol.

Are those shots being fired at Kirby for possibly not releasing Mays?

Admit it, the headline made you chuckle.

The Yankees. Wow, they've won nine straight against arch-rival Boston, which is scuffling like we have not seen since pre-Pedro days.

This week's mailbag.

OK, for some of us who grew up loving baseball — loving it friends — a big part of the attractions was always numbers.

Not sure many of us are surprised, but the Big Ten and the Pac-12 made Tuesday the worst day in college football history – and potentially the last day of college football as we knew it.

The Big Ten and the Pac-12 announced that they are shooting for a spring season, which is junk and hard to envision in almost any circumstance.

If there were any lingering doubts about the Braves' focus on the here and now and winning, well, they dropped another clear exclamation point on their intentions.

My hair is uncharacteristically long these days.

With all the worries and concerns of the pro-Alabama 'conspiracy' theories, the SEC was OK with the bombastic schedule released last week? Really?

Well, beach blanket ballgames are in the books. Headed back to the 423 and be back in the saddle proper-like next week.

If you are looking for the public trends, well, you guys love some Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm.

So players on the WNBA Atlanta Dream — a team that has among its owners Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler — has decided to change course and change its message on protest T-shirts.

We got a golf major this weekend friends. Repeat. A. Golf. Major.

The Yankees are 7-1 after rolling Boston and Judge is on pace for a historic roll through the shortened season.

Maybe this coin shortage thing should tell us something.

I know they are going to try everything possible, and while football is football and it's impossible to socially distance and block and tackle, I 100 percent believe that the NFL will do anything to make a season happen.

Here's an idea pitchers? Don't want hitters celebrating or slow-walking a home run trot, keep the dang ball in the ballpark.

What did you expect? Seriously, we'll ask again: What did you expect?

Baseball is spinning, like a tight Steve Carlton slider, and the future is going to be as difficult to grab as a Niekro knuckle.

Colin Kaepernick will forever be known more for what he did on a football field during the national anthem than what he did on the field after the anthem played.

Fans or no fans. Cutouts or empty seats. Meaningful baseball with the names and logos that we all know and love was such a joy.

There was something downright peaceful and completely pre-2020 to be sitting with the family, eating a hot dog (seriously, we had hot dogs for supper) and drinking a CoCola watching a real MLB game last night.

Baseball is back. Allegedly. Reportedly. Hopefully.

We may be staring at the most critical 10 days in the history of college sports. So let that sink in.

Uh, gang, Kirk Ferentz is not out of the woods yet at Iowa.

Over the weekend, Fox News' Chris Wallace stepped into the circle and, wait for it, practiced journalism.

MLB baseball on my TV. Sweet buckets in a time of craziness, the smallest connection to something that feels like regular summertime activities is most appreciated.

Amid all the corona controversy, here's one thing we should universally recognize: If the Chick-Fil-A logistics team ran the testing centers, the entire Chattanooga area could be tested by lunch Monday.

And I know this, be it MLB playing 60 games or if the SEC (fingers crossed, fingers crossed) only plays eight games, if the Dodgers or the Auburn Tigers win it all, I will not give two bleeps what anyone else has to say about the scenarios.I will celebrate titles.

Lots of big money was tossed around the NFL on Wednesday as teams had to either extend star players on franchise tags by 4 p.m.

The build-up was blustery.

Tiger is back. That's always a good thing, friends.

Man, there are a few athletes that are truly leading by example in these confusing and troubling times.

I asked, and you folks responded. Big time. And you responded with a degree of uniformity seldom seen in these divided times.

So what's next? I'm with a few of you in support of RedTails — the self-given nickname the Tuskegee airmen gave each other — and think the transition would be pretty seamless, all things considered.

And just like that — like a moth unable to avoid the flame — some Hamilton County commissioners want to reopen the slush-fund, vote-buying scam known as discretionary spending accounts.

The Big Ten announcement was striking and the more I think about it, the decision must be viewed through a multiple array of prisms that offer varying perspectives.

But you have to think that as the clock continues to tick, by this time next week, you have to believe that a plan needs to be in place, right?

There was a report over the weekend that the NFL is adding to pregame playlists for the first week of the upcoming season, provided there is a season, of course.

The "Yeah, what about" defense of shortcomings big or small can be a scary carousel.

It's an amazing scenario when pledging to give an athlete $500 million is every bit as good a deal for the team as it is for the player.

Are the Washington Whomevers winners or losers of the weekend?

First, I realize this is a statement and not a question. I also reluctantly shared it because it's somewhat self-promoting.

OK, huddle up.

We're way behind, but great comebacks are borne in moments surrounded by great obstacles.

Yes, it's July 1, which means it's Bobby Bonilla Day.

There are a lot of heavy issues around us, even in sports conversations.

The heated debates around barbecue should be about Carolina or Memphis, maybe even vinegar- or mustard-based.

Is there a better place for a 31-year-old former MVP to springboard toward a Ryan Tannehill-like career rebound than New England? I don't think so.

There has been little that surprises any more in 2020.

Here are some thoughts on the baseball world and today's changing culture for your weekend.

Baseball is back. Now what?

In this convergence of medical, social, financial and emotional controversies, we have directly and indirectly felt the unprecedented absence of team sports.

I wrote about the strides NASCAR has taken — strides that are proper and more brave in terms of any league's fan backlash than any other — for A2 today.

Sports have been at the crux of social unrest and uncomfortable conversations about race long before we knew George Floyd's name.

MLB owners have voted to implement a 60-game season.

Sunday's NASCAR race was postponed by weather. But the breaking news Sunday night had nothing to do with rain or rescheduled details.

There's a good chance that a corporate statement starting with the words "not wanting to be in the political discourse" or something like that is becoming the modern version of "with all due respect" when the next part has very little respect offered.

Here is your weekend mailbag.

The NFL turned its back on him because of business decisions. Now the NFL is welcoming him back as a business decision. So there's that.

Tuesday was a big day for a couple of notable Hall of Fames around the sports world.

Baseball is going to completely botch this, aren't they?

There's a shortage of some qualities in our national character.

Welcome back sports. Tournament was entertaining — yes, we all would have liked Rory, and say, Jordan in the playoff rather than Berger and Morikawa — and finished in a playoff.

Well, the cancel circle has expanded.

Here are a few takes on pop culture and the sports world for your weekend.

And, like that, sports are back.

You're aware of the cancel culture, right?

OK, the draft is about to happen. Some teams will take some future stars. Some teams will take some future insurance agents. That's how the baseball draft — the most unpredictable draft anywhere — works.

The first time I met Lumber Morrison was on the golf course.

The MLB draft is today. I love the draft you know this.

While the NFL is in the crosshairs — and considering its recent history with Colin Kaepernick and the dominoes of that — the NBA should be facing some very pointed questions right now too.

If baseball can't get out of its own way and lets money keep it from playing this year — and makes fans turn to the NBA, the NHL and of course football when the time comes — it will be a generational mistake that will cost the game countless fans and likely billions of dollars.

How crazy has the last 24 hours been for Drew Brees?

The weight of the newscycle in our country right now is almost unbearable.

At some point Kaepernick likely will speak. There are too many folks looking for a comment from him to be honest. Will we listen then? We'll see.

The MLB owners have taken a step backward and returned to the March agreement with its players for prorated salaries.

I'm afraid to wonder what June of the disastrous, terrible, rotten, up-to-no-good, really bad 2020 has in store for us.

While baseball is bickering, basketball looks to be skating smoothly toward a return as Adam Silver and players union leader Chris Paul have worked out a deal that reportedly will be approved later this week.

Have a good weekend friends. Here's your Friday mailbag.

For the most part, Donald Trump can do nothing right in the eyes of his haters and next to nothing wrong in the eyes of his followers.

The Corona has changed our fandom, maybe even in ways we won't even realize until the games actually return.

For the leadership groups of the major sports leagues in our country to be this tone deaf is staggering.

Maybe it was the lower expectations for Lance than I had for The Last Dance, but I thought Sunday's first of two parts on the 30-for-30 on the greatest American cyclist of all time was well done.

This side of the Masters and that early-morning British Open dual between Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson a few years ago, I watched more of The Match on Sunday than any other single-golf telecast in my life.

Thoughts on the sports world for your Memorial Day Weekend...

NASCAR clearly made a business play by, pardon the pun, racing back into action.

Forty years ago today, "The Empire Strikes Back" was released, which makes me smile.

The NCAA will vote later today on whether or not to extend the moratorium on college sports activities beyond May 31. There's a lot of scariness in that sentence, right?

There are a slew of changes to the Rooney Rule being pitched this week by the NFL owners.

Last weekend was supposed to be graduation weekend for so many college and high school seniors across the country.

NASCAR. Huge winner, and I watched way more of the NASCAR than I planned and would have watched more if not for being at the lake and spending most of the afternoon either in the water or with a hook in the water.

At times, 2020 feels a little like a chapter from Revelations, the last book of the New Testament that predicts the end of days.

I trust my crystal ball and use it frequently, but the future images of what sports will look like are as nebulous as clouds and the perspective of those trying to shape those guesses seem as uncertain as those folks who think they have a potato that looks like Richard Nixon.

Whether it's Blake Snell or Trevor Bauer or even Adam Jones, who is now playing in Japan, the feedback from MLB players after details of the MLB owners' proposal are leaking out in terms of the financial terms.

I don't know.

Today, it truly feels like the sports world has edged to the brink of the stark reality that 2020 may be a wash for way more sports teams — and leagues — than we ever imagined.

As is the case in almost every negotiation of this size, it's of the utmost importance to remind everyone that this is proposal No. 1. There likely will be several, and several counter-proposals to match.

If we know anything about anything it's "If you get a guy that Nick Saban truly wants, well, you got a guy worth getting."

Billionaire Elon Musk is a lot of things.

What do I miss about sports in general? To begin with, everything.

It's no secret that a lot of the regulars around these parts are most concerned about what will happen come September.

Not sure if it was curiosity. Maybe it was desperation.

I'll admit it — I watched a good chunk of the KBO.

Trevor Lawrence is no-doubt No. 1 overall prospect. What does that mean if Miami or Coincy gets No. 1? Who knows since they just spent top-rive picks on a QB. But it's interesting for sure.

So, how's your life in a pandemic going?

OK, where do we begin with chapters 5 and 6 of "The Last Dance" this morning?

The Chattanooga Area Prayer Breakfast was scheduled for next Tuesday, and with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee booked, the breakfast had set a record for tickets sold.

Did you see the ESPN story about college football in 2020? Super long read but I would be curious on your thoughts.

Our NFL draft review comes complete today with another top-five list.

Like most of us, Dr. Allen Coffman is sickened by the politicization of the coronavirus.

So today, let's look at the five worst drafts. Deal? Deal.

Over the next three days, we're going to peel apart a list of five from the draft.

The headlines are dominated by everything COVID-19-related.

Jake Fromm. Wow, that had to be a painful way to spend a weekend with your name atop the "Best available" list for what felt like a week.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is offering the most aggressive re-opening plan in the country.

You like the draft, as we know. What I don't understand is this: Why? What does the draft prove? I think of Manziel, for example.

OK, for those new to these parts, well, I love the draft. The regulars know this.

So Andy Berke became CNN's Southern Democrat go-to last night.

Have the Chattanooga Lookouts played their last game?

This will easily be the most-watched draft in NFL history. It will not be close.

Tennessee legalized sports betting a year ago. Apparently, more than 12 months later, the details remain devilish.

There simply is too much from the one sports event that has felt like an actual sports event in a month.

OK, we're officially at the place where every name that starts trending on Twitter elicits the same response: "Do they have the Corona?"

Friday mailbag and more.

And like that, poof, it's gone, like Keyser Söze. Damn you, The Corona. Damn you.

The questions about the coronavirus have been constant; lots of those questions are unanswerable.

Considering the gaping void in the sports world right now, shouldn't we expand the draft contest beyond round 1?

There's actually something in the sports world that I will give some TV attention to tonight.

Hey, 2020, kick rocks. Pound sand. Long walk, short pier.

Jesus. The Son of God celebrated his anniversary of rising from the dead over the weekend. Thank you Jesus.

We shared last week about the group of Nolan Elementary School third-graders who sent handwritten thank-you notes to our health care workers helping patients overcome the coronavirus.

The Friday Mailbag

How could school be different? The options are limitless, be them virtual and/or practical. To their credit, state school leaders offered a survey for everyone connected to local school systems.

Today's question is bigger than a "Which way Wednesday" piece. On this day in 1974, Hank Aaron hit homer 715.

Did Monday feel kind of, dare we say optimistic?

It's become a bit cliche to bemoan the politicization of this pandemic.

We're going to offer a few more winners this week because we all need some good news right about now.

Looking for ways to continue educating our children, teachers all across Hamilton County are innovating, crafting and redirecting the education process.

The Friday mailbag

OK, we're three weeks from round one of the NFL draft.

We talked earlier this week about the need for sports and our starvation for entertainment.

Which format should the (fingers-crossed) reported golf match with Phil, Tommy, Tiger and Peyton have: Best ball, scramble, alternate shot or some of each?

There are actually a couple of sports-related TV options today, and a bit of promise for sports viewing in the immediate future.

President Trump trumpeted his TV ratings over the weekend, comparing the numbers to a "The Bachelor" episode or a "Monday Night Football" game.

Almost all of us can agree that the cancellations around the sports world have been life-changing.

We are living in an unprecedented, even surreal, time, folks.

What in sports have you missed the most?

On this day in 1979, Bird-and-Magic met in the NCAA title game. Think about the power of that rivalry for just a second.

We have long trumpeted Chattanooga for its myriad assets. We're proud of where we live.

Thursday was supposed to be the first day of the baseball season.

It's hard to see the Games canceled — this is a multi-billion-dollar extravaganza — so moving them back a year considering the logistics and the details makes sense.

What started as a suggestion from his wife to stay home, be active and have a little fun has blossomed for Aaron Wood.

With mounting pressure from some of the biggest participating nations, it appears the 2020 Summer Olympics will be at least postponed and most likely pushed back at least a year.

In this time of the unknown, we need to embrace the wisdom of borrowing from the successes of others.

The Friday mailbag.

The first day of March Madness always brought the surge of buzzer beaters, the drama of upsets, the finality of lose-and-go-home (the sport's original and best one-and-done), brackets busted or saved.

The epicenter for the best and the worst among us in our collective fight against coronavirus is Hixson, Tennessee.

Tom Brady is gone. I didn't think it would happen, to be honest.

Let the ripples reach.

The sports news amid the coronavirus craze is either bad or non-existent.

Morning, hope you're safe. We're going to make it through this thing, friends.

Gang, as you would expect, the flood of coronavirus emails was staggering.

How was your coronavirus Wednesday? It certainly was news filled.

Let the spring excitement begin for Johnny Vols Fans everywhere.

Barry Bonds sat down with The Athletic for a very interesting — and quite candid — interview.

Gang, a bunch of you are freaked out by the coronavirus.

LeBron. Dude is 35 and delivered a statement this weekend with a dynamic all-around performance Friday night against the Bucks and a crunch-time clinic Sunday against the Clippers.

Friends, happy March. May it be drier than the previous days of 2020.

Do you think part of the NFL's motive behind the new Collective Bargain Agreement is to dismantle the XFL?

Joe Biden stole the headlines of Super Tuesday, redirecting the Democratic primary race and making Mike Bloomberg the biggest money-wasting politician in history.

The speculation has been everywhere this offseason about Patriots QB Tom Brady.

Tennessee's NCAA hopes depend entirely on winning the SEC tournament next week.

Of course Major League Baseball is trying to put on an authoritative face as a countermeasure to the cheating scandal that has been the talk of the game for months.

Come Tuesday night, a large part of America will be watching Super Tuesday results.

If reports are accurate, Romo is set to get a $17 million a year contract from CBS to call football games.

Happy birthday, Leaplings.

"I'd vote for Castro over Trump, and I'd read David's (Cook) grocery list over anything you have ever written. (Bleep)hole."

The details are pretty clear. Other than Santiago Vescovi's excellent shooting form, almost every other aspect of UT's point guard play has ranged from subpar to stinky.

Normally you'd have to go to a youth hockey all-star meeting to see that many white people yelling at each other at the same time.

The player representatives approved the league's offer and will take it to the entirety of the players in the league for a vote.

The NFL players union and the owners will meet today and try to iron out their differences in the ongoing discussions about a new collective bargaining agreement.

Weekend winners: Everyone involved in the completion, the opening and the dazzling debut ceremony Saturday for the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage Center. Kudos to all, and it's somewhat fitting that the next piece of our downtown commitment to a better 'burg is right there next to the aquarium, the original community venture that was the catapult for Chattanooga proper.

I know the measures of justice have to be blind, but sweet buckets of beatdowns, John Lee King and Rebekah Anamay Wilson need to prosecuted to the highest limits of the larceny laws.

I know you are having fun with your XFL gambling parts but I have a question for you.

The league is looking to expand to 17 regular-season games, with one fewer preseason game, as well as expanding the playoff field by a team in each conference.

I guess my question has to be, "Why?"

There has been a lot made about this QB free agency cycle. And rightly so, considering there's at least three surefire Hall of Famers out there.

Hey, you guys and gals know me. I am here for the laughs and the irony.

The headline was eye-catching.

Tennessee hoops. Good night. The Vols had backed themselves into a corner in terms of NCAA inclusion.

Superintendent Bryan Johnson, the Hamilton County schools bigwig, apparently is close to getting a new contract.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

It was one hiring, but it pulled back the rug on several huge issues that expose the hypocrisy of college sports and the ever-growing divide.

The last 10 days may be the perfect example of how broken, poorly led, and out-and-out inept the NCAA is.

New York Post reporter Joel Sherman shared that Major League Baseball is exploring major league overhauls to its playoff format.

Was the XFL debut a success, a big success, a flop or a "What is this XFL thingy of which you speak?"

Lots of chatter about local school system guru Dr. Bryan Johnson.

I read what you wrote about Will Cain. I like him too. Who is the best ESPN personality in your opinion? Thanks and I love the 5-at-10.

It's really hard not to like Pruitt's second full recruiting class.

It took until the announcement portion of the Hamilton County Commission meeting Wednesday for anyone to address the elephant in the chamber.

It's World Series-or-bust for the Dodgers. Period. End of conversation.

True or false, if you could have bet easily and legally on the Super Bowl in Tennessee you would have.

The biggest event in the U.S. came and went Sunday.

All of us who had Patrick Mahomes and over 30.5 rushing yards. How bad a beat was that?

Friends, we are staring down the barrel at Super Bowl Sunday.

Is Kobe best honored by no NBA Player to ever wear #24 again? Or would it honor Kobe more by seeing one #24 jersey on EVERY team EVERY season?

I'm picking the 49ers, and the numbers that do not lie — like Shakira's hips — are simple.

I have lamented frequently on social media in this space.

So will Mahomes be the Marino — or, in the M-based name game — the Montana of his generation?

If we were going to surmise who has the most at stake this Sunday, the answer starts and ends with Andy Reid, right?

Can you remember a celebrity death that has affected us more than Kobe Bryant's?

Play ball.

I love the Titans and I know that you hate them and that's OK.

We start with a tear in our eye and — a little anticipation that our cholesterol numbers will drop.

I can say this with the utmost confidence: Eli Manning is a great guy.

Now comes news of the Braves adding Ozuna, which generates a fair amount of attention around these parts.

Will The Captain get 100 percent?

A number of speeches in our relatively short history as a nation are universally viewed as the "best."

Four teams played Sunday; two teams advanced to the Super Bowl.

Jay, I believe the Ravens loss to the Titans may be the largest upset in the Super Bowl era after the New York Jets victory.

True or false, Derrick Henry is the biggest match-up problem in the NFL right now.

The Oscar finalists were announced this week. It was a field that represented a diverse range of interests.

So congrats, Braves ownership, you have saved money but again betrayed your fans by fielding a team good enough to contend for a playoff spot and very little else.

The LSU Tigers finished one of the most dominant college football seasons ever with an emphatic 42-25 win over previously unbeaten Clemson.

Sometimes, I wish sports announcers could be the voice of the political realm, if for no reason other than the emotion they would bring.

The best football player on the planet right now is Derrick Henry.

Proving yet again, that it's a super long way from "Full House" to the big house, Lori Loughlin is making folks scratch their heads — again.

Let's find that entertainment.

Derrick Henry yanked the Patriots' will to tackle, and that's saying a mouthful.

We'll start this morning with the most fundamental non-faith and non-family statement I can make.

There's lots to like in these NFL playoffs, especially if you are rooting for newness.

In retrospect, Tua had to go, right? Had to.

Did that happen Saturday night?

What? There's unrest in the Middle East?

OK, earlier in the year, I wrote that a good gambling tidbit would be taking the Patriots every time they were favored by 10 points or fewer.

I spent a lot of yesterday wondering: What in the bleep was that, Gus? Seriously.

On most holidays, we move quickly. This is not most holidays.

As we look back on the decade in college football, the face certainly is that of Nick Saban.

My formative years were in the "Me" generation.

The Titans are soaring into the playoffs and the once-unimaginable task of winning in the 'ry' months does not seem as daunting right now.

Friday mailbag with a defense of Eddie Murphy's all-time greatness, NFL picks, Baseball movie character starting lineup

Our NBA picks went 1-1 as the Warriors erupted in the second half to win by 12 as an 11-point underdog.

Merry Christmas, gang. I hope you had a blessed one, and let us all remember that the greatest gift all of us ever received was born on this day.

From the Ho-Ho-Ho Studios, high atop Whiskey Hill, let's be jolly.

It's Christmas Eve, and Santa is working up a sweat on his Peloton for a big finish to the season.

When you have that much talent and you need the hapless Giants to beat the Eagles to get into the playoffs, you have failed.

We got 64 entries this year in the Bowling for Bowls of Bowl Game Success (Bowler Optional). You guys are awesome.

OK, first the macro. I like the first signing day. Truly.

Hamilton County attorney Rheubin Taylor closed what is expected to be the final county commission meeting of 2019 with the caveat, "Unless something comes up."

Hard to imagine the choice for these 20-somethings right now?

Drew Brees topped Peyton Manning's all-time mark with his 541st touchdown pass.

Someone asked me over the weekend the last time we had carolers.

OK, we talked a little last week about how much time we'd give the Presidents Cup.

I'm curious about the crossroad of freedom and outrage.

It's time for the Friday mailbag

We have to start here. Wait, let's back up a step.

Words are like water in the old verse from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner": "Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink."

Cole is the first pitcher with 300-plus Ks and a sub-2.50 ERA since the 1910s.

Like Stardust on the main stage, let's go to the polls and some sneaky important stats as we head into the final three weeks of the regular season.

Joe Burrow. Or is it Burreaux? Wow, what a season. And the question is not whether he'll win the Heisman, but if it will be the biggest landslide in Heisman history.

Cellphone injuries among pedestrians are at an all-time high. Seriously.

OK, we're here and there are a lot of experts taking a lot of underdogs.

Maybe there is such a thing as bad publicity after all. That, or Peloton actually means "virtual firestorm" in Latin.

Which way Wednesday starts this way: Am I crazy for staying with the bang-up Bulldogs against the lethal LSU offense? Discuss.

This morning, on ESPN Radio Jason Fitz and Mike Golic Jr. listed a top four of NFL teams in how the college football playoff committee might view them.

You know, for those of us who have wondered why the stores have Christmas stuff on display sometime between Labor Day and Columbus Day, the answer may be at our fingertips.

Gus Malzahn. Yes, we have been hard on ol' Gus — and he has deserved it — but Saturday had to be a sweet win for the Auburn head coach. He now has three wins over Nick Saban.

It's time for the Friday mailbag.

We do this little morning meeting every Monday through Friday. Even Thanksgiving Thursday.

I hope you have plenty to be thankful for on Thursday. Too much even.

So, let's get to the picks, right? Right.

Before we get to the NFL's most powerful and powerless, the lessons on Monday Night Football were clear in several regards.

The 5-at-10 picks. No-Pay November. Who knew all we needed was a catch phrase to catch fire.

The TFP's business team had a story earlier this week on the worst toys of this holiday season.

What do think about Myles Garrett's claims that Mason Rudolph made a racial slur that triggered the fight?

Everyone is entitled to their views, I suppose, but if I was a Rams linebacker and was looking for some input on how to slow down Lamar Jackson, and Weddle's got nothing, well, I'd downright have questions about where Weddle's loyalties lie.

At issue was what can people do on their property, and what they can't.

Not much has changed. Although with Tua on the shelf, if Bama wins out we think the Tide may not be the most attractive non-playoff SEC team. Think that likely will be Georgia, as long as they play a dogfight against LSU in Atlanta.

So how many of the QBs slinging it right now would you be willing to trust in three years?

Does Colin Kaepernick want to play in the NFL?

UTC and Rusty Wright. Wow, what a comeback. Kudos coach. Job very well done.

OK, with all apologies to fortune cookies, any mystic tarot card readers and all Magic-8 balls around, I'm going to predict the future.

Well, I guess we could start that if Mason Rudolph had thrown a punch it would have been intercepted. Thank you. Thank you. Don't forget the wait staff.

THE Ohio State has become THE ATM since week 1. Another game, another cover. But 52 feels crazy. Simply crazy. On the road, gang.

What you got going on this Sunday?

Everyone needs to go full-blown Aaron Rodgers on these rankings.

Game-changing moment this morning at the 5-at-10 compound.

Ed Orgeron and Joe Burrow. A near flawless first half from Burrow spring-boarded LSU by Alabama into the top spot in everyone's eyes. And no one enjoyed it more than Coach O, who took his Tigers to T-Town and toppled the Titan that is Lord Saban.

So Donald Trump is heading to the big LSU-Alabama game Saturday.

The Friday mailbag.

Forget No-Shave November friends. We're angling for a No-Pay November in which your entertainment broker is finding you rather than the other way around.

The SEC has a pile of bowl tie-ins. Comes with the territory of being the best in the country, no matter what Dabo thinks.

Did anyone else notice that Aaron Rodgers certainly noticed that a lot of his teammates had a really good time in L.A.

Kudos, Riverbend.

Hey, Kirby was going to make this list one way or the other, right?

It's easier to be happy for a Nats fan or a UVA fan I would think than it would be for an Alabama football fan, a UK hoops fan or a Yankees fan because after all they have a slew of titles.

Nick Saban is 68 today. Interested how you rank these three dudes in order of best to third best: Lord Saban, John Wooden (The Wizard of Westwood) and Geno the Great.

Auburn's loss Saturday hit me hard as a fan.

I am all for the NFL trade deadline becoming a thing.

Weekend winners and losers

OK, amid all of the chatter about our public education, let's start with Hamilton County Schools' proverbial elephant in the room.

The Friday mailbag and 5-at-10 turns 9.

Man, spinning wheels is a great time when you're 17, couple of iced-down Coca-Colas in the mud.

It's OK to be sad today. And frustrated.

Wow, lots happening in Game 1 of the World Series, right?

The World Series starts tonight

OK, it started with 70 or so teachers penning a letter to the Hamilton County Commission for not voting to allow a potential wheel tax on the March ballot.

I love what I do. I love where I do it. And I love for whom I do it. After all, without readers — in print, online, on a phone or tablet — we don't have a reason to exist.

Honeycutt would be the first to admit that Dale Murphy was a much better player.

OK, we've pulled even. Yay for us.

What do you think when you hear the word "luxury" tossed around?

At some point I will remember what I have told myself a half dozen times — pick Alabama as long as Saban is there. Period. Move along.

Holy buckets, can you believe we're back discussing ways to increase taxes?

Can you believe we are through six weeks of the NFL season (and halfway home in college football)?

Weekend winners, losers and that time I went viral.

It's pre-dawn here as we look for random socks and pack our stuff in our Times Square hotel room and start our trip back.

From the satellite office in Times Square — hey, is that Jerry Seinfeld? Let's do this.

We are on vacation. Good times.

OK, gang, some house-cleaning announcements.

Weekend winners and losers

Is it Bend or broken?

The Friday mailbag

It's hot.

Before we get to the 5-at-10, I want to congratulate the web folks for reworking the site.

I grew up a Tennessee fan. Not sure how many of you guys and gals knew it.

Retired U.S. Navy Chaplain Cmdr. Phil Sumrall will open a special event around lunchtime Wednesday with a prayer in honor of a man he never met.

It's here. It's all happening.

This past weekend's winners and losers are in.

Few movies have had the pre-release buzz or hype over movie-circuit award show success as "The Joker."

The Friday mailbag

We get a sneaky great Thursday night game tonight, even if the play may not be all that good.

We have passed through the looking glass to the real-life place where the cliche "no good deed goes unpunished" has become a way of life.

Paschall, Wells and I submit ballots. Mine is below. This also allows a chance to share an interesting debate about rankings.

Three games in and we are nearing the tipping point of the famous Dennis Green rant "They are who we thought they are, and we left them off the hook."

I admit it, I quit award shows a long time ago.

Daniel Jones. Well, we all nailed that one right?

Thursday, as members of the Hamilton County Board of Education were eyeing how to spend their budgetary windfall, someone asked if I was going to write about what they believed to be the glorious move by the school board to allocate $2.5 million to Sale Creek High School for a football stadium.

Pickers gotta pick, right? Ask Dwight Yoakam. Or Buck Owens. And while we are there, let's get back to the "Streets of Bakersfield."

There are a lot of us who look suspiciously and caustically with eyebrows raised at the public budgets pitched every year.

You know the drill. Power poll from the NFL is a Tuesday staple. Power poll from the closest thing to the NFL comes Wednesdays.

OK, we have become used to NBA teams embracing the process. Of course the process is acquiring as much draft capital as possible.

Atlanta Braves. The Braves took two of three from Washington and punched their postseason ticket.

What was your biggest takeaway from the debate?

For a lot of college football fans the slate of this week's games may not be overly entertaining to watch, but it could be extremely entertaining to risk.

As Americans, one goal we should all share is how to make our voting process as easy as possible.

Well, here we go. Full week of the NFL in the books.

In a couple of days, the trimmed herd of Democrat candidates for president will take the stage in the next debate.

The Titans crushed the much-hyped Browns in Week 1, and Marcus Mariota looked pretty decent.

This will be the first full football weekend - high school Friday, college games Saturday and the NFL on Sunday and Monday — of the season.

It's time for the Friday mailbag.

Well, last week was entertaining in every way until it wasn't entertaining.

Walmart is no longer selling bullets for handguns. The superstore super power is taking other steps in terms of selling ammunition and guns and what it allows customers to bring into its stores.

This NFL power poll continues this year

I feel for Steve McB, and TFP sports editor Stephen Hargis and Brad Shepard and Weston Wamp and ESPN 105.1 the Zone program director Wells Guthrie and my cousin Scott Cole and several other folks who have been long-standing and, over the last decade, long-suffering UT fans.

Weekend winners and losers

Hamilton County's longest-serving employee retired this week after nearly six decades of service.

It's time for the Friday mailbag

Where do we start. Buckets, where do we start.

Well, for the first time in 30 years, involvement in prep sports declined, according to this story on ESPN.

Anyone else surprised that the ripples from the Andrew Luck announcement are still circling?

A group of Hamilton County pastors is determined to foster positive race relations among police officers and black people.

Rory McIlroy. We have said for a long time now that Rory's A game is better than anyone else's A game on the planet.

Yes, we are officially the Divided States of America because we have reached a place where we will argue about anything, especially online.

Jay, my work buddies and me read the 5-at-10 daily and almost always something you write carries our lunch conversation.

Long before the Ricky Bobby mantra — "If you ain't first, you're last" — became the new-age mission statement of NASCAR folks everywhere, we believed in the glory days.

I am trying to figure out which is more vexing these days, and I wonder if you can help.

Braves played. Braves won.

OK, we have reached a place where we will argue about anything, especially online.

For a lot of us, the perception of the season changes long before the weather.

New England Patriots. No this has little to do with the outcome of a meaningless preseason game in Nashville

The University of Tennessee is going to sell beer at Neyland Stadium this fall.

Thanks for the preseason picks; what are your 'overreactions'?

There is a Little League hubbub a-brewing as the New England Regional has been consumed by accusations of sign-stealing.

Count me among the taxpayers who are super pleased with the advancements and progress in test scores for the Hamilton County Schools system.

OK, the 28-hour marathon of fantasy football coverage on ESPN has ended.

We have openly admitted to the growing man crush we have on Ronald Acuna Jr. Dude is that much fun to watch.

Race Imboden is an American fencing competitor. He's really good at what he does.

Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts, who got back on the practice field after being suspended until his arrest for cocaine possession was sorted out. Werts was arrested July 31 for what police thought was cocaine on the hood of his car.

OMG! We have "learning designers" in schools now? This is crazy.What is happening to us? Teachers, folks, they are teachers.

As we discussed before, the expansion of legalized gambling will change the way sports are covered sooner rather than later, and the info and tips or trends from folks with a betting history will be everywhere.

We will recap a slew of college football tidbits in the 'This and That' because there are a lot of items out there.

The Braves rolled to a 12-7 win after building an 11-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth at Minnesota.

From the files of the Interweb being a strange, funny and at times head-scratchingly surreal place come the following two stories that are perfect for you 5-at-10ers.

Here we are, back to school and back to controversy.

Tom Brady. And yes, we could put Brady on this list every Monday. His life is pretty excellent all things considered.

Are there any new 5-at-10 items to be looking for as we steam toward the family oriented, interweb-based column's ninth birthday?

We all were nervous, and we all know that nothing was announced until the process inched closer to the witching hour of 4 p.m. on Wednesday's deadline.

The Braves won last night by scoring 11 runs on the heels of Josh Donaldson's latest three-run jack and Austin Duvall's insane hot streak since being called to the big leagues to fill the spot of injured Nick Markakis.

Between cooking breakfast and hustling to get to the sand, my time is crunched.

OK, we are going to move quickly this week. Today, there's a lot to get to, but we are still going to try to move quickly.

OK, the tug of war over the budget and the added funds on top of the added funds for our schools has been painful. And everyone has blisters and rope burns on their hands because of it.

Sometimes I feel like expanding the themes of the 5-at-10.

I admit it. I am not a downtown business owner. Sadly.

The Atlanta Braves have no business losing to the Kansas City Royals when you get six impressive innings from your starter and four runs.

NFL camps are opening. That is a good thing because it certainly means football is, cue Hannibal Lector, "closer closer."

So what did I miss?

Jim Harbaugh. Loved his comments late last week about controversy following Urban Meyer's tenure at previous stops.

There were more than a few. In no specific order.

We're wrapping up SEC Media Days here in Hoover, Alabama.

When Nick Saban speaks, college football listens.

This the unofficial start to college football season, these media events designed for hype and lacking hyperbole.

Let's review the storylines from this week's British Open:

There were some interesting - if not that surprising - trends here Tuesday as the cavalcade of cliches and coach-speak continued at SEC Media Days.

For most SEC fans, the annual mid-July gathering known as media days offers the first chance in spring practice to hear from the coaches of their favorite teams.

We're one day into the annual SEC glad-hand fest that is known as media days.

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey took the stage Monday at the home of this craze known as SEC Media Days to discuss the state of his league.

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey took the stage Monday in Hoover, Alabama to discuss the state of the league.

OK, by the time you read this, there is a real chance I will already be in Hoover, Ala., for SEC Media Days.

I have bought my last cup, bag or anything related to Starbucks.

The Friday mailbag

The Braves are six games clear in the NL East.

The conversation we started in this space Tuesday generated a lot of response.

Less is more

ESPN SportsCenter opened this morning with 12 consecutive minutes on the Home Run Derby.

I'm not sure that nostalgia technically covers it, but two images of Sunday made me realize how far off course we are as a nation.

U.S. women's soccer. The 2-0 victory in the World Cup final was not even that close.

Though I may not agree with Ms. Rapinoe's attitude toward the White House, I will give her props for her answer yesterday, in which she said this is a great country and we should strive to be better.

Happy birthday, America.

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

There is a lot of hand-wringing about Kawhi Leonard joining the Lakers, becoming the most dominant trio since Moe, Larry and Curly were running comedy back in the day.

Crazy right, that we're halfway through 2019.

The mailbag is here.

Well, the last six weeks have been a lot of fun Braves fans.

Our county's mayor worked the room after a political setback in a long career in the public eye.

We'll start this morning's chat with a puzzled look at the New York Yankees.

Buckle up kids, this could get messy.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry sometimes.

Your Atlanta Braves hitters. Yes, we all wanted more from Dallas Kuechel on Friday, but winning two of three when you easily could have been swept is a mark of a team that is potentially special.

Did you really say this week on Press Row that backup QBs deserved to be in the Hall of Fame? You've said some dumb things but that may be the dumbest.

We are in a contentious time around these parts.

I love the draft. You know this.

Today, even though we are still a few days from the official start go summer, let's explore the divide between contenders and also-rans in today's MLB.

Not unlike our Tuesday essays in college basketball season, we will examine the MLB in general on Tuesdays for the summer. (Or at least until football returns.)

Everyone involved in the Anthony Davis-to-L.A. LeBron, who has his best sidekick of his career.

OK, the Chattanooga Beer Board cancelled another meeting.

NBA Finals thoughts? Whatcha got? (Also, those of you heckling my Warriors-in-6 pick, well, that's fair, but who had any idea that KD would get 12 minutes in the series and Klay would put 30 on the board before leaving with a knee injury in Game 6?)

OK, because we are going to be outraged about anything — everything? — now the U.S. Women's soccer team is under fire for being too good, celebrating too much and fulfilling dreams.

Gang, I know a few of you have not paid the NBA an ounce of attention. And that's fine.

Rafael Nadal. How about this: No athlete ever has been better at any venue than Nadal has been on the clay at the French Open. He won his 12th title at Roland Garros — and his 18th major, which ranks second among men ever — and his career record on the clay there is 93-2. Yes, 93-2, which is so good, even Saban looks at it and says, "Dang, that's strong."

Apparently the National Basketball Association is considering doing away with the word "owner" because it is racially insensitive.

Binge-watching ideas, Braves adding Keuchel, College football Hall of Fame talk and everyone's favorite hate mail.

Wednesday morning at the Hamilton County Courthouse started with doughnuts and several dozen poster-waving partisans clamoring for a tax increase.

Fun time for the Atlanta Braves.

I love the draft. You know this.

Late last week Hank Haney was suspended from his day job as a radio host on the PGA Tour Network on XM Radio.

We all know Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger is presenting his proposed budget next week.

Tennessee's decisive action proved to be quite wise.

I want this series to be good.

We're here.

Yes, they lost on Memorial Day, but the Twins pass the unofficial start of summer with a 10-game lead and leading the league in homers and homers allowed.

Happy Memorial Day weekend.

There was a gaggle of supporters cheering at the top of the gentle incline of the Walnut Street Bridge on Sunday.

OK, here's the winner - Sorry Brooks (more on him in a moment) and everyone else - from the weekend.

Have you tried the social media app that takes your picture and transposes it to the opposite gender?

Seinfeld is one of those shows that I can watch episodes that I've already seen 10 times and still be entertained.

OK, Tuesday night, when the Hawks got just about the worst result possible from the draft process.

Terry Bradshaw apologized earlier this week for calling actor Ken Jeong "that little short guy from Japan." Jeong is a Korean American.

Jay Greeson on the NBA Draft, PGA, Terry Bradshaw and more.

Jay Greeson on Game of Thrones, NBA Draft, PGA Championship and more.

Jay Greeson on Kawhi Leonard, the Braves, James Harden and more.

For a Chicago Cubs fan, the "You're Outta Here!" call came quickly and with little regard to intent or circumstance.

Jay Greeson on Game of Thrones, Albert Pujols and more.

Jay Greeson on Joey Gallo, Kevin Durant, the Braves and more.

Did you notice on Wednesday that Houston Street officially transitioned from a one-way to a two-way street?

Jay Greeson on Braves/Dodgers, dynasties and more.

Jay Greeson on Game of Thrones, the Warriors versus the Rockets, Tiger Woods and more.

Wow, so much for a Kentucky Derby just being about big hats, big horses and big hangovers. (If you've had more than two mint juleps, you know what I'm talking about.)

Jay Greeson on Steph Curry, Game of Thrones, Kentucky Derby and more.

You love the draft, I know this.

Jay Greeson on the Kentucky Derby, NFL Draft and more.

Game on.

Jay Greeson on the Kentucky Derby, Warriors/Rockets, Tyreek Hill and more.

Jay Greeson on Game of Thrones, the NFL draft in 2020 and more.

We are halfway through the spring fundraising event season.

Jay Greeson on the NFL Draft, Game of Thrones, Avengers and more.

Well, happy budgeting everyone.

Jay Greeson's 2019 NFL draft Day 1 recap.

Jay Greeson on the NFL draft.

OK, we obviously will kowtow to one group of offended people and take down a statue because Kate Smith sang an offensive — and potentially tongue-in-cheek — song in the 1930s.

Jay Greeson on Russell Westbrook, the NFL draft, college football and more.

Jay Greeson on Kate Smith, the NFL Draft, Game of Thrones and more.

Elizabeth Warren pushed her socialist chips into the middle of the Democratic presidential race with a bold step this weekend.

Jay Greeson on the NBA playoffs, ESPN, the Boston Red Sox and more.

Jay Greeson on prayer, Tiger Woods, the NFL Draft and more.

Jay Greeson on the Braves, NFL schedule and more.

The Chattanooga Area Prayer Breakfast is an annual treat: The fellowship and the foundation are first rate; the purpose of the event is clear to anyone who has attended it.

Jay Greeson on Russell Wilson, Robert Kraft, Ronald Acuna Jr. and more.

Jay Greeson on Game of Thrones, Tiger Woods, Eli Manning and more.

There is no debating that we are more divided than ever.

Jay Greeson on Tiger Woods, the Vols, the 76ers, Russell Westbrook and more.

Hey, Chattanooga's mayor is against hate.

Jay Greeson on the Masters, Game of Thrones, Virginia versus Texas Tech, Tim Duncan and more.

Jay Greeson on the Masters, NBA and more.

There was a story in Tuesday's San Diego Tribune about the fine folks at the San Diego Zoo finding a way to fix infertility in a rare species of rhinoceros.

Jay Greeson on Masters, Magic Johnson and more.

Jay Greeson the Vols, Nick Saban, the Masters and more.

This is an easy time to get excited about sports.

OK, not sure how to handle today. We have the weekend winners and losers, and we'll use that for several angles to the biggest story of the sports weekend.

So they are going to sell suds at the soccer site for the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Jay Greeson on Bruce Pearl, UT, Bobby Cox and more.

Jay Greeson on Zion Williamson, Russell Wilson, Bryce Harper, Adam Jones and more.

Jay Greeson on Bryce Harper, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on John Calipari, March Madness and more.

OK friends, Monday was, you guessed it, April Fool's Day.

Jay Greeson on Michigan State, Auburn, the Braves and more.

OK, we have a slew of stuff to get to this morning.

Jay Greeson on Opening Day in the MLB, Vols' loss, Mocs hoops and more.

Jay Greeson's AAF picks, Opening Day thoughts, March Madness picks and more.

A little bit after lunch Thursday, Kyle Hudson will put his lengthy experience as the leader of the UTC Mosaic program to the test.

Jay Greeson on NFL pass interference rule, MLB preview and more.

Jay Greeson on Keith Mitchell, March Madness and more.

Sorry for missing our regular chats. Well, sorry is not the best word, but they were missed.

Jay Greeson on Holly Warlick, Gronk, the Boston Celtics, Donald Trump and more.

Jay Greeson on The Masters, college sports and more.

Jay Greeson on March Madness contest, Tate Martell and more.

Jay Greeson on Mike Trout, the March Madness contest and more.

Jay Greeson's March Madness contest, the Final Four and more.

Jay Greeson on A Star Is Born, LeBron, Rory and more.

Jay Greeson on Kyler Murray, Duke, Zion and more.

Jay Greeson on the AAF, NFL free agency and more.

The scandal that has the country talking is the college admissions scam.

Jay Greeson on Russell Westbrook, Odell Beckham Jr. and more.

Jay Greeson on college basketball, Russell Westbrook, the NFL and more.

In truth, I sometimes wrestle with what to write for our morning chats on Tuesdays.

Jay Greeson on Will Wade, Keith Mitchell, Antonio Brown and more.

I have converted.

Jay Greeson on Dan Jenkins, Jeff Franceour, Zion Williamson, Michael Jordan versus LeBron and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron James, Holly Warlick and more.

Let's call these the dizzying Dog Days. The hounds of happiness. The canine connection of contentment.

Jay Greeson on the Vols, the NFL combine and more.

Jay Greeson on college basketball, the NFL draft combine, the NL East and more.

Friday morning I pulled into the driveway of the house where my parents used to live. The street was filled with cars and dozens of people waited in the driveway.

Jay Greeson on Keith Mitchell, LeBron, the Vols and more.

Jay Greeson on Holly Warlick, basketball picks, Vols versus Kentucky, Michelle Wie and more.

Jay Greeson's AAF picks, Vols basketball and more.

So many county and local governmental gatherings are filled with line items and agenda yawns.

Jay Greeson on MLB free agency, SEC officiating, Brendan Johnston and more.

Wow, this is the sixth in our series of college hoops essays. Good times.

The headlines from the weekend were varied.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Other than a couple of musical acts, it was a forgettable Oscars.

Thursday was not the best day for the folks in charge of the Hamilton County school system.

Jay Greeson on college basketball, Zion, the Oscars and more.

Jay Greeson on Duke versus UNC, Zion Williamson and more.

We have discussed it before and most assuredly will again.

Jay Greeson on Duke versus UNC, AAF, Manny Machado and more.

Jay Greeson on Tim Tebow, college basketball and more.

The Yahoo.com headline read "Florida student faces misdemeanor charges after refusing to stand for Pledge of Allegiance."

Jay Greeson on Daytona 500, Vols, Kentucky and more.

Colin Kaepernick's name was in a lot of places this week.

Jay Greeson on the Vols, UK, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on Joe Flacco, Matt Kuchar and more.

On the third shelf to the left of his new office on the ground floor of the downtown headquarters of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Austin Garrett proudly points to two family heirlooms that explain a great deal about the newly hired deputy chief.

Jay Greeson on college basketball, high school football and more.

Jay Greeson on James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyler Murray

I am hesitant to do this, but why not? It's a Monday.

Jay Greeson on college basketball. the Celtics and more.

Maybe we just need to start finding elected officials in Virginia who do not have a black-face incident in their past.

Jay Greeson on the Super Bowl, the NBA, Hank Aaron and more.

Jay Greeson on national signing day, Anthony Davis, the NFL and more.

It's likely impossible for you to read something today that will greatly change your mind or your point of view about President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

Jay Greeson on the State of the Union, National Signing Day and more.

Jay Greeson on Duke, Kentucky, the Vols, James Harden and more.

There is no bigger moment in pop culture in our country than the Super Bowl.

Jay Greeson on Bud Light's Super Bowl commercial, Tom Brady, Todd Gurley, the Super Bowl and more.

Well, there's already a parade of people marching to podiums to announce their intentions to run for president.

Jay Greeson on the Super Bowl, college basketball and more.

Jay Greeson on Roger Goodell, Super Bowl contest, Jackie Robinson and more.

Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday - a day unto itself like few others on our calendar.

Jay Greeson on Tony Romo, Super Bowl, Gene Hackman and more.

Jay Greeson on the Super Bowl and more.

It was 53 and sunny when the first school system announced today's classes would be cancelled.

Justin Rose is the best player on the planet right now and the gap between Rose and everyone else is a) growing and b) bigger than you may realize.

OK, for a lot of our NFL fans around these parts, the Super Bowl LIII matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots does not offer a direct connection to either side.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, Big Papi, Paul George over Anthony Davis and more.

Jay Greeson on the Vols, Tiger Woods, gambling and more.

There's lots of chatter around these parts about the folks who wear badges.

Jay Greeson on Mariano Rivera, NFL conference title games and more.

Jay Greeson on Rams, Patriots, NFL referees and more.

Jay Greeson on Serena Williams, Tony Romo, the Rams, Chiefs, Saints, Pats and more.

Jay Greeson on Auburn, Jason Bateman, Holly Warlick and more.

Jay Greeson on his NFL picks, James Harden and more.

Jay Greeson on NFL, Golden State, MLB free agency and more.

Jay Greeson on Michael Thomas, NFL playoff losers, Duke and more.

The numbers make your head hurt. No, not the numbers from the government shutdown and its impact on the country. It's the 150-year lifespan of a daily newspaper in Chattanooga, and the scope of what was reported in those pages over the decades.

Jay Greeson on the NFL playoffs, Kyler Murray, Vols and more.

Jay Greeson on Trevor Lawrence, Eagles and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL playoffs, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and more.

Who should host the Oscars?

Jay Greeson on NFL playoff teams, Vols hoops and more.

Jay Greeson on Clemson, Alabama, Tua, Trevor Lawrence and more.

Monday night the national college football title was decided.

Jay Greeson on Vols basketball, Holly Warlick, Nick Foles, Bears fans and more.

One of the intensely discussed issues of the bowl season was Bevo vs. Uga.

Jay Greeson on the Vols, Auburn, Titans and more.

Jay Greeson on Nick Saban, the NFL playoffs and more.

So, how's your year been?

Jay Greeson on Urban Meyer, LSU, UGA and more.

The bowl season has been, in a word, strange.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone.

Jay Greeson on the bowl contest, fantasy football and more.

Jay Greeson's fab four picks, NFL talk and more.

Jay Greeson on December traditions, signing day, Christmas and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, college football and more.

Jay Greeson on Vols, NFL underdogs, Patriots, Tom Brady, Tom Arth and more.

Raise your hand if you were surprised that the Hamilton County Board of Education plans to spend $500,000 for folks to stroll through our county schools and point out facilities flaws. How about they start at Bonny Oaks Drive on Thursdays?

Jay Greeson on Mike Tyson, Tom Brady, LeBron James, bowl games and more.

Are you addicted to your smart phone?

Jay Greeson on the NFL, Buster Douglas, Mike Tyson, bowl games and more.

Jay Greeson on Butch Jones, the NFL, college bowl games and more.

Jay Greeson on Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, UT basketball and more.

Jay Greeson on the Falcons, Titans, college football and more.

Jay Greeson on college football bowl season, the NFL, Mel Tucker and more.

Outside of what soon will be one of our biggest sources of public pride, there was a private moment of tribute Tuesday evening.

Jay Greeson on college football bowl games, Will Healy, NL East and more.

Jay Greeson on NFL's best and worst, Kareem Hunt, Urban Meyer and more.

Tyner Academy graduate Swayyvo Morton's song "Zone" was used in an NBA.com video for LeBron James' return to Cleveland last month.

Jay Greeson on Jalen Hurts, Kareem Hunt, Whitwell, Kirby Smart and more.

Jay Greeson on UGA, Alabama, the College Football Playoff, the Colts and more.

Jay Greeson's college football picks, Jeff Brohm, Cowboys versus Saints and more.

Jay Greeson on Gus Malzahn, college football playoff rankings and more.

Jay Greeson on NFL power poll, Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on Derek Mason, Tua, Jim Harbaugh, Gus Malzahn and more.

Your feedback from Tuesday's annual, "What are you thankful for" request was excellent, friends. Here are some of the best of the almost 50 emails I received, with my comments in italics.

OK gang, we're a day before Thanksgiving.

Jay Greeson on the NFL and more.

Jay Greeson on the Dallas Cowboys, Atalanta Falcons, Notre Dame, Les Miles and more.

Well, Jim Acosta will be back in the presidential press pool, splashing his way back into the headlines.

Jay Greeson on Kirby Smart, Butch Jones, Chris Stapleton and more.

Jay Greson on college football, LeBron James and more.

Jay Greeson on college football, Le'veon Bell, and more.

Jay Greeson on NFL power poll, statement games and MLB rookies.

Jay Greeson on the Vols, Titans, D'Andre Swift, Bobby Petrino, Falcons and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, SEC and more.

Jay Greeson's fab four picks, college football and Panthers versus Steelers.

Wednesday morning, four Hamilton County Commissioners tried to reach back into your pocket and grab almost $1 million of your money.

Jay Greeson on NFL, college football rankings, Duke and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, college football and more.

For all the news today from all the elections — local, regional, national — check online at www.timesfreepress.com for up-to-date results.

Jay Greeson on Alabama, the New Orleans Saints, UGA, the Lakers and more.

Jay Greeson on MLB, NFL, college football and more.

Jay Greeson on Durkin, college football and more.

Jay Greeson on Halloween, college football the long ball and more.

Jay Greeson on NFL power poll, college football and more.

Jay Greeson on The Red Sox, Kentucky and more.

Jay Greeson on scary movie characters, Rushmores, Georgia Tech and more.

Jay Greeson on college football and more.

We frequently share a morning conversation around these parts on some of the social justice warriors and the interweb morality mob.

Jay Greeson on the World Series, the NFL and more.

Jay Greeson on the Saints, the World Series and more.

Jay Greeson on the Chattanooga Lookouts, Alabama, Ohio State, Nikola Jokic and more.

So "The Conners" debuted Tuesday night.

Jay Greeson on the MLB and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, college football, NBA and more.

Early voting in Tennessee starts Wednesday.

Jay Greeson on the Titans, the Vols, the Patriots and more.

We have heard all of the talk about football and the dangers of it.

Jay Greeson on Kentucky, UGA and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, Dan Wetzel, Louisville and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, college football, the Braves and more.

I asked Sharon Alexander if she was a glutton for punishment.

Jay Greeson's weekend winners and losers.

Jay Greeson on the Ryder Cup, the Vols, Jay Greeson and more.

Jay Greeson makes his NCAAF picks,

There should be no goal more unifying than the desire for better public schools, regardless of which direction you lean or the side of the aisle on which you sit.

Jay Greeson on the MLB, the NFL and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL and more.

Jay Greeson on Marcus Mariota, Notre Dame, the Falcons and more.

Jay Greeson on the Ryder Cup, Andrew Luck, Tiger Woods and more.

Jay Greeson on college football, Soddy-Daisy's athletic director and more.

We are all concerned about public education and our schools in Hamilton County. Understandably so, considering some of our test scores and our painful recent history.

Jay Greeson on the Ryder Cup, baseball and more.

Jay Greeson on roughing the passer, NFL power poll, college football and more.

These are troubling times for professionals in my line of work.

Jay Greeson on Tiger Woods, UTC, Mike Vrabel, the Titans, the Patriots and more.

Jay Greeson on Baker Mayfield, ESPN, Urban Meyer and more.

Jay Greeson makes his fab four picks, talks UTC, Mark Cuban and more.

Because, well, it's so today.

Jay Greeson on Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, Fan Duel and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL and more.

Jay Greeson domestic violence in hockey, college football and more.

My TFP colleague Judy Walton told us this week that scooters are coming to Chattanooga.

Jay Greeson on college football, Colin Kaepernick and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL power rankings, college football, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, weekend winners and losers and more.

Jay Greeson on college football and more.

Wednesday morning was business as usual for the Hamilton County Commission.

Jay Greeson on Rick Pitino, the Braves, the Red Sox, the NFL season and more.

Jay Greeson on Nike, Colin Kaepernick, the NFL season and more.

Jay Greeson's Labor Day weekend winners and losers.

Jay Greeson on a new stadium, automated strike zones, the Vols and more.

Jay Greeson's college football picks and more.

Chattanooga's reputation as an outdoor destination is well-known and well-deserved.

Jay Greeson on Finley Stadium, UTC, Urban Meyer and more.

Jay Greeson on Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and more.

Jay Greeson on John McCain, Tiger Woods and more.

Jay Greeson's mailbag.

Jay Greeson on Alabama's QB situation, Donald Trump, Texas A&M and more.

Jay Greeson on the AP college football polls, Roger Goodell and more.

Jay Greeson on his son, Ronda Rousey, the Braves, Al Sharpton and more.

Jay Greeson on Maryland, whiffle ball, Tiger Woods, Trump and more.

Jay Greeson on Acuna, the Braves, NBA ring-chasing and more.

Well, now it's completely political.

Jay Greeson on Maryland, Acuna Jr. and more.

Jay Greeson on Tiger Woods, Acuna and more.

When my father died from brain cancer last week, it left a hole in my soul.

Jay Greeson on Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Paxton Lynch and more.

Jay Greeson on the PGA Championship, the Braves, NFL preseason and more.

Jay Greeson on the NCAA, Buffalo Wild Wings, NFL protests and more.

Jay Greeson on Ohio State, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, MLB, Urban Meyer and more.

Jay Greeson on the Red Sox, Urban Meyer and more.

Jay Greeson on Urban Meyer, T.O and more.

Jay Greeson on the Lookouts stadium, the MLB trade deadline, sports betting and more.

Jay Greeson on the MLB trade deadline, LeBron James, the NFL and more.

There are a slew of things for which I am thankful for daily.

Jay Greeson on journalism, the Braves, Dustin Johnson and more.

I wrote earlier this week about the negative campaign tactics that have become the fallback for the weak-minded and the exploitative tool of the weak candidate.

Jay Greeson on comments, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on the Braves, LeBron James Jr., the summer and more.

Jay Greeson on Todd Gurley, the Yankees and more.

Jay Greeson on voting in Georgia, the Harbaugh brothers, Tiger Woods and more.

Jay Greeson on Johnny Manziel, LeBron James, Tiger Woods and more.

Jay Greeson on golf, SEC Media Days and more.

Jay Greeson the Open, SEC Media Days and more.

Jay Greeson on the MLB All-Star game, the US Open and more.

Bryce Harper, world emoji day, golf and more from Jay Greeson.

Jay Greeson on Wimbledon, France, Demi Moore and more.

Jay Greeson's monster mailbag.

Jay Greeson on Papa John's scandal, the World Cup and more.

It was a newspaper story about the size of a social media post, yet the "Chattanooga named one of the worst-run cities in America" short became an online monster at timesfreepress.com.

Jay Greeson on the NFL, the SEC and more.

Jay Greeson on Thailand, the World Cup and more.

Jay Greeson on Nick Markakis, Phil Mickelson and more.

Jay Greeson on Boogie Cousins, the Warriors, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron James, the World Cup and more.

Jay Greeson's Friday mailbag.

Jay Greeson on Arkansas and Oregon State, Paul George opting out and more.

Jay Greeson on the Astros, NBA offseason and more.

Jay Greeson on Dale Earnhardt's return, the NBA awards, Tom Fornelli and more.

Jay Greeson on Bubba Watson, Tom Brady, the Spurs and more.

Jay Greeson on best college basketball players, NBA draft reactions, Octopussy and more.

Jay Greeson on tonight's NBA Draft. NFL players response to Trump and more.

The good folks that own that sprawling eyesore known as the Wheland Foundry and U.S. Pipe sites are apparently looking for a master developer to lead future projects.

Jay Greeson on the NBA Draft, Len Bias and more.

Jay Greeson on the NBA Draft, LeBron James, 'Get Up' and more.

Jay Greeson talks Brooks Koepka, Mexico, Phil Mickelson and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron, the Celtics, the U.S. Open and more.

Jay Greeson on NCAA transfers, the U.S. Open, Jordan vs. LeBron and more.

Jay Greeson on Time Warner, AT&T and more.

Jay Greeson on the MLB, Julio Jones and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron, Rafael Nadal, Luke Combs and more.

Gang, Arlene Hughes has left the building.

Jay Greeson on the future of the NBA, the Capitals and more.

Jay Greeson on the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and more.

During the announcements at Wednesday's Hamilton County Commission meeting, Dr. Warren Mackey expressed his appreciation for all those who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice that was D-Day.

Jay Greeson on the Philadelphia Eagles, LeBron James, the Atlanta Braves and more.

If it had not been for a few storms, today should have been in the conversation to be a national holiday.

Jay Greeson's weekend winners and losers include Stephen Curry, NBA officials, Johnny Manziel and more.

So many folks have asked or emailed me about comparisons between Samantha Bee and Roseanne Barr, and whether they should be viewed in the same way.

Jay Greeson on LeBron James in the NBA Finals, Rushmores and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron James, Brian Snitker, Shohei Otani and more.

I sat down Wednesday planning to write about how smart people can make supremely dumb mistakes on Twitter.

Jay Greeson on the NBA Finals, Nick Saban, Bryan Colangelo and more.

Jay Greeson on the NBA Finals, the Houston Rockets and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron, Memorial Day and more.

The locale was different. Assuredly different.

Jay Greeson on the NBA playoffs, the Braves, Star Wars, Johnny Manziel or Colin Kaepernick and more.

Jay Greeson on marijunana arrest stats, NFL's decision to fine players and teams for kneeling, LeBron and more.

The story from outside Syracuse, New York, is telling.

Jay Greeson on the Houston Rockets, sports betting and kneeling in the NFL.

Jay Greeson on college football, LeBron, game 5, NFL owners and more.

Over the weekend Starbucks announced a big corporate change.

Jay Greeson on NBA playoffs, Atlanta Braves, Keith Mitchell and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron James free agency destination, Babe Ruth and more.

Kickoffs kick out?

It's been a few years since we discussed the "Sneaky Six."

Jay Greeson on the NBA Playoffs and more.

Jay Greeson on the Supreme Court's decision, the Braves, Golden State vs. Houston and more.

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a 1992 federal law prohibiting states access to have legalized sports betting violated the 10th Amendment and is unconstitutional.

Jay Greeson on Showei Ohtani, LeBron James, Dwayne Casey and more.

Jay Greeson on Brad Stevens, Rushmores, hockey and more.

Jay Greeson on the Philadelphia 76ers, Yankees/Red Six rivalry and more.

I make my living with words. Words written here in the Times Free Press in the morning, or words spoken on the radio in the afternoon.

Jay Greeson on the Warriors, the Players Championship and more.

Jay Greeson on LeBron, NFL Qb's and more.

Jay Greeson on Brad Stevens, LeBron James, Matt Harvey and more.

Jay Greeson on Matt Ryan's new deal, NBA playoffs, Albert Pujols and more.

Jay Greeson on Beverly Davenport's firing, the Kentucky Derby, the NBA and more.

"I know Chattanooga is a very patriotic place."

Jay Greeson talks NBA, NFL Draft and more.

Jay Greeson on the NFL draft, the MLB and the Kentucky Derby.

Monday was the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web becoming open to the public. It's hard to believe that it has been 25 years, right?

Jay Greeson's weekend winners and losers.

Jay Greeson on the NFL Draft, the Titans, Alabama, Uncle Drew and more.

Jay Greeson on Josh Allen, the NFL Draft, ESPN and more.

Jay Greeson loves the NFL Draft.

Jay Greeson on NFL draft, Baker Mayfield and more.

In the middle of Tennessee a person with few clothes and less sense shot up a Waffle House, leaving four dead.

Jay Greeson on LeBron James, Jeremy Pruitt and more.

OK, someone tell me why the Tennessee Legislature is getting a big pass.

Jay Greeson's Friday mailbag.

Jay Greeson on LeBron, the Braves and more.

Jay Greeson on Otani Shohei, Tom Brady, Deondre Francois and more.

Jay Greeson on Colin Kaepernick, Rick Pitino, Luke List and more.

Jay Greeson's weekend winners and losers.

Jay Greeson's Mountain Rushmores, Atlanta Braves, Vols baseball and more.

Jay Greeson on the NBA, baseball and more.

I sat in the back left corner of the Hamilton County Commission meeting Wednesday.

Jay Greeson on Colin Kaepernick, Alabama visiting the White House and more.

Jay Greeson on the NBA homestretch, the Atlanta Braves, Tom Izzo and more.

In today's overly politically correct state, TV comedies are left in an uneasy place.

Weekend winners and losers from Jay Greeson.

Jay Greeson covers everything Masters 2018.

Jay Greeson QB carousels, RG3, the Masters, Dilly! Dilly! and more!

Sports should be fun, right? Sports should be about entertainment, right?

OK, we are against boredom of almost any kind.

Villanova was the best team.

Sunday was Easter.

Weekend winners and losers.

Before we begin, Happy Easter weekend, friends.

Like you I like the draft.

We have picked the Yankees-Dodgers in the world Series.

In the place of our muddled politics, why not embrace clarity?

The Atlanta Braves start their march to mediocrity Thursday.

MLB preview.

OK, we'll start. Georgia, keep your dang straws out of the Tennessee River.

Weekend winners and losers.

Apparently everything this side of Russian meddling was covered at the Hamilton County Board of Education meeting Thursday night.

Holly's performance at another school rated as a Average, Bust or Good?

There is a great exchange between Daniel Caffey and Col. Nathan Jessup in the courtroom scene of "A Few Good Men."

Have you noticed the similarly clad young people walking around downtown this week?

New UT football coach Jeremy Pruitt was getting the Big Orange ball rolling in Knoxville.

OK, first the results of the March Madness: Last In/First Out Contest.

Wow, as someone who has frequently been puzzled by and at times critical of Hamilton County Schools system leadership, last week was a gift.

Weekend winners and losers.

Before we get to the mailbag, well, how about being the only one in your office pool with Arizona as the title winner.

Big day at the 5-at-10 compound.

We should all thank Alvin Lee.

We are ever so close to the start of college basketball's season.

The tournament is here.

What is the most important conversation we have each day?

Tiger Woods.

NFL free agency starts in less than a week.

Kevin Love wrote something for The Player's Tribune about having panic attacks during a game this season.

The 5-at-10 will be a little lighter than normal this week.

What happens in Vegas is not the only thing that stays in Vegas.

Weekend winners and losers.

I do love the draft. You know this.

College basketball needs a shower.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle is everything that is wrong with our elected officials.

We are two weeks from the official start of the next NFL year.

We like to share some hoops stuff on Tuesdays

Nothing can bring back the 17 people killed in Parkland, Fla., earlier this month.