5-at-10: Holiday mailbag

Friday, July 5, 2013

LAKE MARTIN, Ala. -- Gang we got a slew of letters late, after we had already devised our holiday plan. Most of the involved college football. We will get to them next week.

We're going to move quickly -- three questions, getting, getting out -- because the Mrs. 5-at-10 puts working on vacation somewhere between IRS audit and root canal on her list of non-favorite things.

From the satellite branch of the "Talks too much" studios, don't go changin' to try to please us.

From scole023

Been awhile and was wondering when the next contest will be. I like to win stuff.

As for my question, what's this with a new radio show? Too much sports editor can go a long way, you know?

Looking forward to it and congrats. Is there a way to get it on the internet?

scole,

Brother you always keep us humble. Wait, strike that. You always try to keep us humble.

And yes, too much TFP sports editor could clog the flow of the premise and the promise of "Press Row" the new sports talk radio show we are doing with TFP SEC football ace David Paschall starting Monday.

Here's what we believe about the endeavor:

1) We think it can be pretty good. We have high hopes.

2) As we said on The Twitter, it's a good mix because Paschall knows the SEC better than any three people we know, and we know Judge Smails first name (Elihu) and when Shooter led Hickory to the Sectionals as a player (sectionals of '33, 5-4-3-2 let her fly... in and out).

Either way, we're pretty stoked for Press Row, Monday-Friday 1-3 p.m. on ESPN 105.1 in Chattanooga and at streamed live espnchattnooga.com on the interwebs.

As for our next contest, well, we can see a British Open contest on the horizon in a couple of weeks. We also could see a contest on when will an American men's tennis player be relevant again? But who has until 2023 to wait and win a contest?


From Stickler

This is my first letter to the 5at10. Enjoy the column and have started subscribing online to keep reading, so no pressure right?

That's not my question. My question is with all the drama among sports superstars, who are on your current Mount Rushmore of bad teammates?

Thanks and thanks for the 5at10... good times, even if it no long don't cost nothin'.

photo New York Yankees' Derek Jeter. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Stickler,

Thanks for the letter and for reading, especially now that we don't don't cost nothin'.

Such a great question about the teammates.

Our current Rushmore of bad teammates is Dwight Howard, A-Rod, Johnny Football and Chcuk Fleischmann (Seriously, Chuck, a red-state Rep. Congressman giving to the Obama inauguration fund? That screams "Big Chuck, Little Team" right there. Side note: We were in the locker room getting chewed out during our sophomore year in high school when Coach X unloaded the "There's no 'I' in team" speech. Prima donna point guard offered up "Yeah, but there is an 'I' in scholarship." We ran until we puked. Good times. WEe're just joshing about Chuck -- mostly.)

Who else is out there?

Here are two more questions for the group: One, who do we name this Rushmore for? We nominate Dennis Rodman, unless of course he wins the Nobel Prize, then all bets are off and we'd lean toward Barry Bonds. Second, who is on the Derek Jeter good teammate Rushmore?

Discuss. And we'll offer our views after lunch.


From True JMF --

Are you sunshine pumping about the Mocs or do you really think they are going to be good this year?

I hope so -- a playoff trip would be awesome, you know?

Thanks and thanks for talking Mocs football,

Arkansas-Oklahoma State Live Blog

True JMF,

We think the Mocs are legit. Are they 2 legit, 2 legit to quit (copyright Hammer and Hammer Properties), well, we'll see.

We think the pieces are there to make the giant leap. From dreadful five years to consistently competitive to winning the league. Yes, we know JMC and a few others will stake a claim to the fact that the SoCon is much weaker now. And that's undeniable. But the thoughts of winning even a water-down SoCon B.H. (Before Huesman) was a pipe dream. Heck edging Baylor or McCallie in Div-II in Tennessee would have been a nice goal in the latter days of the B.H. dark ages.

We see 10-2. Truly. And agree with MT -- who has an impressive background in Mocs knowledge as his "MocTastic" handle would attest -- that 9-3 is distinctly possible.

So it goes. And our high hopes are strengthened by the Mocs' strengths. They are great on defense and exceptionally sound/soon-to-be great at quarterback. Either of those is the basis of being good; both of those is the combination for big things.


Bonus question

From Jason

What's your favorite holiday? Just wondering if there's going to be one that is 5-at-10-free?

Thanks and I'll be listening Monday... don't mess up.

Jason --

First, love the pick-us-up encouragement of "Don't mess up." We'd get that tattooed somewhere but since we've already messed up so much, it would feel more Hypocritical Oath than Pessimist Life Mantra. So it goes.

Our favorite Holidays...

1) Christmas

2) Labor Day/Memorial Day -- we have these higher than most because our kids -- have birthday parties on the Sundays of those holidays. Good times.

4) July 4

5) Thanksgiving

Least favorite -- New Year's Eve. Although the commitment from college football to make New Year's Day special again could change that greatly.

Enjoy the weekend. Feel free to discuss any and all of the above.