It's raining this morning on the Panhandle, and it leaves us with a handful of sports questions. Let's explore five of them as only we can.
From the soggy satellite office of the "Talks too much studios" who brings an umbrella to the beach?
• Rick Reilly penned his final column for ESPN. It's here. At one time in his life Reilly was the best at his craft. Seriously. Who's on your Rushmore of sports writers - ours has Lewis Grizzard (he started in sports), Jim Murray, Dan Jenkins and Gary Smith. Reilly when he was with SI was as good as any of them, though.
USA's Diana Taurasi (12) makes a blind pass against the Czech Republic during a women's basketball game.• June 11 is a great birthday for a women's basketball player, considering Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi. When you add in some of the other people celebrating a birthday today and how they were regarded in their respective fields, well, if you were born on June 11, you have a leg up. Celebrating today are Jacques Cousteau (if he was alive he'd be 104), Peter Dinklage (44, and the best acting short person alive - this is not debatable considering he is a stud on Game of Thrones), Gene Wilder (80, and a great tag-team partner with Richard Pryor back in the day - Stir Crazy may be the most undervalued comedy classic of all time) and Joe Montana.
Miami Heat forward Rashard Lewis, left, and LeBron James, right, apply pressure on San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard in the second half in Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, in Miami.• We have maintained that the Heat were the best team in the NBA because their A-game was superior to everyone else's. Well, we have to juggle that view, considering what the Spurs did last night in a 111-92 Game 3 win that returned home-court advantage to San Antonio and gave the Spurs control of a series that appears headed for all seven games. The Spurs put on a clinic Tuesday, shooting almost 60 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3 and better than 80 percent from the foul line. And in truth the difference was as much about the defense as it was the ball movement and the efficiency. San Antonio forced 20 Miami turnovers and turned them into 23 points. Question: How does LeBron only get/take 14 shots in a game like that? #Postup.
• Which ostrich is in charge of the NCAA, because the head in the sand routine that has mandated the governing body of college sports for far too long is finally going to destroy the whole enchilada? The NCAA settled one of the video game law suits - giving the class-action suit led by former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller $20 million - on the day the Ed O'Bannon suit started. This begs the question of why did they not go at this from the beginning rather than pretending it would go away? If they had settled this five years ago - and saved each side eight figures in lawyer fees - they could have had a hand in reshaping their model. Now that model will be formed and epoxied with the glue of the court and dried with the $100 bills of the power conferences.
Dayton, Tenn., has installed a walking bridge on loan from Chattanooga for the BassMaster BASS Fest tournament that gets underway Wednesday. Fishermen must park their trailers on the west side of U.S. Highway 27 and walk to the landing via a walkway to the marina at the Dayton Boat Dock.• And in a moment of pride for the aces that work at the TFP sports department, we have to say well done to David Paschall, who had an interview with former Georgia coach Jim Donnan on Press Row, Stephen Hargis for his look at the TSSAA board of control proposal, Jim Tanner on pro fishing, Weeds' excellent column on student-athletes and Uch's look at local golf along with some other items and tidbits. War TFP Sports. And since that's not a question, we'll alter it to say, who you like in the U.S. Open?
Discuss. We'll check in around noon.