5 at 10: Braves, Draft contest, College football scandals and this and that

photo Atlanta Braves' Dan Uggla scores in front of Toronto Blue Jays catcher Jose Molina during the third inning of an interleague baseball game, Tuesday, June 21, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

From the 7-Up Stinks Studios, here we go...

Braves' Groundhog Day

It's becoming as common as 90-plus degree days: The Braves get strong pitching and win again; Dan Uggla goes hitless again. Wash the uniforms and repeat.

Mike Minor was strong - kid has the look of winner and the stuff to match - and the bullpen has become a real strength.

This team is nine games over .500 with one regular (Brian McCann) hitting better than .270, and that's after every starter with a name that does not sound like "Stan Puggla" had a hit in Tuesday's 5-1 win. The offense has to get better. It has to, folks.

OK, today's Dan Uggla thought: Did anybody see the above-the-plate camera angle that allowed Joe Simpson and Brian Jordan break down Uggla's swing? Interesting stuff on two levels.

First, the camera technology available today is amazing. And what they show on golf tournaments is incredible.

Second, if Dan Uggla was pulling away from the plate any more, he'd have been on the concourse ordering a hot dog. Seriously, every part of Uggla's swing - his head, back, shoulders, feet, hands - was moving away from contact. Hello, it took Joe Simpson to spot this? Larry Parrish get on this, stat.

photo NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks as former players and NFL draft prospects look on before the first round of the NFL football draft at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, April 28, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

NBA Draft contest

The 5-at-10 loves the draft. You know this.

You love contests and winning stuff. We know this, too. Let's blend.

This contest is starting to take shape. We'll give the winner the choice between answering a 5-at-10 mailbag question or a few Braves tickets. Here's the categories for "The Chas9 Feeling the Draft Free-for-All"

Which of the following has the most first-round picks:

SEC, ACC, Pac10, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, All other colleges, All other countries

First tie-breaker: Which first-round pick has the best suit (as determined by the 5-at-10)?

Second tie-breaker: Which first-round pick has the worst suit (as determined by the 5-at-10)?

Here are the entries so far:

McPell

Most drafted - Big 12

Best Suit - Jordan Thompson TX

Worst Suit - Brandon Knight (I really wanted Al Davis for this but wrong sport)

Chas9

Most drafted - OCU (Other Country University)

Best suit - Kyrie Irving

Worst suit - Jimmer Fredette

Oso

Most drafted - Big 12

Best suit - Kemba Walker

Worst suit - UT player(s)

BIspy

Most drafted - Big East

Best suit - Derrick Williams

Worst suit - Enes Kanter

5-at-10

Most drafted - OCU (Other Country University)

Best suit - Jimmer Fredette

Worst suit - Kenneth Faried

College football scandals

UNC received its notice of allegations. Oregon is submitting documents to newspaper reporters about dated recruiting packets that cost them $25,000. (The cash was paid to a guy Willie Lyles, a one-man recruiting service who incidentally had a great relationship with former five-star running back Lache Seastrunk, who incidentally picked Oregon a couple of years ago).

Stories out of Auburn are centered on student hosts and hostesses in the football office being paid sizable sums of money. In fact, the recent "good" news for big-time college football was that apparently the car scandal at THE Ohio State University was not that crooked. According to Ohio state officials, the car dealers "made money" in 24 of the 25 deals examined by officials.

How about that sports fans?

Sidenote: Consider the 5-at-10 genuinely excited for the Jon Gruden-Terrelle Pryor sit down that is set to air next Thursday. And, with the interviews that are being released early, Pryor's apologies and mea culpas continue to sound heartfelt and genuine.

This and that

- Bye, bye Thrashers, we hardly knew you. The 5-at-10 had the chance to attend Flames games at the Omni and Thrashers games at Philips, and know this: While we're not a puckhead by any stretch of the imagination, going to hockey games is a blast. Hockey ranks with NASCAR as events that improve the most by going as opposed to watching on TV. Simply put, they are loads of fun. Sounds like Nashville will be the South's only option now, huh?

- Rumors out of Atlanta have the Hawks looking at ways to bring Dwight Howard back home to the ATL. Step away from the podium guys, and listen clearly - "You need a point guard, not another front court player."

- That said, the 5-at-10 loves the draft. You know this. And the growing interest in Thursday's NBA draft is not about who drafts whom, but rather who gets traded to whom. Some names that are being tossed out there include Tony Parker, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash

- The new from the NFL negotiations sounds good. We're not getting our hopes up, though, until the July 4th weekend. That seems to be the date that will cause folks to lose money and practice times and to face schedule adjustments, and until those folks start to face the real possibilities of it affecting their bottom lines, then nothing will be done.

Today's question

Our PawPaw (great dude all the way around) enjoyed watching "The Young and the Restless" in his latter days. He called it his "story."

Clicking channels last night, the 5-at-10 bounced between the Braves, "Wipeout" (love this show) and "America's Got Talent" (first time we've ever seen it - and it may be the last). It got us thinking, past or present, what's your all-time oddest guilty TV pleasure? (And remember we're a family-oriented, Intertubes, web-based sports column.)

Here's a starting point: We mentioned we loved "Wipeout" - especially the first obstacle course. The 5-at-10 also has seen way, Way, WAY too many "Saved by the Bells," and that was long before we moved to Chattanooga and realized the cultural icon (and CBC regular) that is Mr. Belding.

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