5-at-10: UTC football, Mike Dyer sighting and LL Cool J as the Elvis of rap

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

We're hoping to fill the mailbag before we hit the road heading South to Lake Martin, so if you got a question, shoot. You ask, we'll answer, no big whoop.

There's a lot to get to, so buckle up.

Before we get going, we heard an oldie, but a goldie the other day - L.L. Cool J's "I'm Bad" - and realized that LL may be the Elvis of rap and Run DMC may have been the Beatles. Discuss

From the "Talks to much" studios, and as L.L. taught us many moons ago, "Got concrete rhymes; been rappin for years and even when we're braggin' we're being sincere."

Comfortable college football countdown: UTC, Day 2

We started last week looking at college football schools of area interest. We examined Auburn last week. This week, we have UTC.

We know there are some vested Johnny Mocs Fans in the crowd, so we'll open the floor for any and all discussion.

Following last week's loose formula, we spent Tuesday talking about concerns. The Mocs are full of experience and talent, but there are questions. Yes, Virginia, there is a (Santa) cause for concern.

First, and we touched on this Monday, but it's the Mocs No. 1 concern right now: Who will make plays other than Nos. 14 and 17?

This is the big on-the-field question and it's bigger than any elephant in any room. (Well other than the scenario Todd962 described on The Twitter last night when he offered this: ?

@Todd962

Bring your baby to the bar? Not a first. Whip a [breast] out and nurse it? Thought I'd seen it all. #floored

Of course our answer was, maybe the kid's momma is from Moscow and the tot ordered a White Russian. Thank you, thank you.)

Where were we? Oh yeah, the Mocs. Like MocTastic, we have high hopes for new offensive coordinator Jeff Durden and the formations and calls of a spread-friendly plan. That said, if the postgame news conferences include no mentions of offensive Mocs other than Huesman and Robinson, well, the SoCon is a tough row when you only have two offensive options.

photo UTC's Keon Williams, 22, picks his way through the Georgia Southern line.
photo James Stovall

Enter Keon Williams and James Stovall - the two cats we discussed Monday.

We've been a big fan of Stovall's work since his days at Bradley Central. Kid was one of those players that you knew the ball was coming his way and you still couldn't stop it.

As for Williams, here's saying the light has come on and the power back from Red Bank is ready to deliver.

The other question we have deals with whether this team is ready to handle the expectations of success. Is UTC ready to carry the bull's eye of being the hunted? Yes, we quickly and readily admit that this question is the product of five years of work from everyone involved in the program, and that we're even asking this question is a hallmark of the strides made.

Still, if those strides are to continue, dealing with the pressure and the expectation of winning must be handled.

What questions do you have Johnny Mocs Fans? Are you worried about the transition from consistently solid to solidly contending for a title? Are you worried about nothing more than making sure you have your playoff tickets?

----

Moving on up

Speaking of the hometown Mocs, well, speaking of hometowns anyway, we'd be remiss if we did not mention this.

The Mr. and Mrs. 5-at-10 Sr. - the Ward and June 5-at-10s - officially sold their house today. Yep the house they built in 1973 and in which they lived for the last 40 years.

They sold 3800 Ridge Road in Smyrna and will be officially moved to the 423 around 4 p.m. this afternoon.

We say welcome home 2.0. And thank you for providing such a great place for a family-oriented, interweb-based sports columnist to grow up.

To the tens and maybe even hundreds of thousands of jumpers we hoisted in the driveway to the lack of a yard that meant we didn't have to cut grass to the watching Flutie's Hail Mary in our room or the ball trickle through Buckner's legs in the basement.

Or the meals and talks and times of having a real home. Good times.

And more good times to come. Welcome to Chattanooga, June and Ward 5-at-10.

----

photo Mike Dyer

Artist formerly known as Mike Dyer

Former Auburn stud duck and problem-child Mike Dyer is looking for a third chance.

After being dismissed from the Tigers after rushing for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, Dyer followed Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State and was dismissed from there. He's proven to be a five-tool troublemaker, falling behind on his studies, reportedly failing drug tests, owning the gun that was used in the infamous Wire Road drug heist by the former Auburn players a month after winning the national title, and has been in trouble with the law.

Let's say this, as a person, Mike Dyer seems to be a heckuva running back, and he's not going to be among the first few choices to watch our kids in teh future.

After leaving Arkansas State after another disagreement with a law-enforcement officer, Dyer landed at Arkansas Baptitst and sat out the 2013 football season while, as he told ESPN's Jose Schad, he focused on school and on stopping his synthetic marijuana habit.

Dyer wants to get back into football because, now that his head appears no longer to be a think candy shell filled with beer and bong resin, the idea is pretty clear that an NFL career will be far more lucrative than anything his Arkansas Baptist two-year degree can generate.

So there are some interesting schools being tossed out, including Western Kentucky, which is coached by Bobby Petrino, who should be happy to give someone a third chance since he's the nine-lives, black cat of the coaching world. (Side note: If Bobby P. does land Dyer, and Dyer has cleaned up his act - two huge ifs mind you - here's saying that offense will click sooner rather than later.)

Discuss.

----

This and that

- Got in late to the discussion on The Twitter about Dwight Howard. The thoughts of him landing in Atlanta - as friend of the show Wells Guthrie from 105.1 FM here in town suggested - make sense, and we agree with Wells that Houston is likely the ultimate destination.

- Serena Williams was bounced from Wimbledon on Monday, ending a 34-match winning streak. After spending a Best of Preps evening with the larger-than-life Serena, well, let's just say we shed no tears over Monday's outcome.

- Andy Pettitte now has passed the great Whitey Ford for the Yankees career strikeout mark. Is Andy Pettitte a Hall of Famer? Discuss.

- Wow, Paula Dean has paid an overwhelming price for a mistake, no?

----

Today's question

We really were taken aback by the old-school greatness of LL Cool J, and even tried to locate our "Bigger and Deafer" cassette tape. No luck - which is OK because we're pretty sure we do not have a cassette player in the house. What? How is that possible? No cassette player? Next thing you know we won't have a VCR... wait... WHAT?

OK, here are today's questions:

First, who is your Elvis and the Beatles of rap - the guys that took it to the next level across the nation? We stand by LL and Run DMC, but are interested in your thoughts. If you need to trot out a rap Rushmore, we're game.

What are the things that the next generation will have zero reference point to that we grew up with being an everyday thing. Here are a few - the pay phone, cassette tapes, VCRs. We could see a future in which we ask the lil' 5-at-10 about a fax machine and he looks like were talking about black-and-white TV.

Would you want your team to sign Dwight Howard? Would you want your team to give Mike Dyer chance No. 3?

Discuss and remember the mailbag, and when we enter the center they say, yo, yo, there he goes.