5-at-10: SEC asked and answered, NFL power poll, baseball change and Mickey Mouse Rushmores

Man, this has hardly been a slow news week and it's only Tuesday. Buckle up boys, week isn't over yet.

From the "Talks too much" studios, may each of you attack the day like a 7-year-old embraces morning snow flakes. Good times.

SEC asked and answered

photo Alabama coach Nick Saban watches the first half against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.

1) Alabama (9-1, 6-1; vs. Western Carolina, 4 p.m.): Who was surprised Alabama coach Nick Saban got a little jumpy with the media on Monday? Exactly no one, including the media. This is typical Saban - big win followed by an overmatched foe, so Saban speaks to his teams and his fans in harsh tones directed at the media. It's his go-to play in the playbook, like Dean Smith running the Four Corners back in the day or Shooter running the picket fence. And while in a million years, Saban nor anyone with a 50-mile radius of the Alabama football building would admit it, here's saying the defense spends little time on the Catamounts and a majority of the week on the struggling Malzahns.

2) Mississippi State (9-1, 5-1; vs. Vandy, 7:30 p.m.): Are the Bulldogs still in the circle? It will be interesting to see how far the Bulldogs fall tonight. They could be No. 4.

3) Georgia (8-2, 6-2; vs. Charleston Southern, noon): Is Georgia still alive to win it all? We say yes, but they will need help, even if they are a two-loss SEC champ.

4) Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2; at Arkansas, 3:30 p.m.): Do you think Hugh Freeze dod the Michael Corleone "Right when you think you're out, they pull me back in" routine from Godfather III? Maybe. We can see Freeze being cool enough to pull that off. Because now the Rebels are back in the mix for the SEC West and would head to Atlanta if they win out and Auburn beats Alabama.

photo Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

5) Auburn (7-3, 4-3; vs. Samford, 7 p.m.): What was that? There may be some deeper issues with this Tigers team than we know, because Saturday night was unlike anything that Auburn has done in the previous 24 games under Gus Malzahn.

6) Missouri (8-2, 5-1; at Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.): Can we reserve some time to tip the cap to what Gary Pinkel has done in the last two years? Yes, we can. Golf clap, Mr. Pinkel, if you please. Missouri is 20-4 overall and 12-2 in the SEC since the start of the 2013 season. Yes, Missouri. Forget the golf clap, that deserves a true ovation Mr. Pinkel.

7) Texas A&M (7-4, 3-4; off): Would you rather buy penny stocks or bet on the Aggies? Either way it's a coin flip on which A&M bunch shows - the team that held off La.-Monroe, the team that beat Auburn at Auburn or the team that let Missouri off the hook. Well, since that's three versions, maybe that's like flipping a three-sided coin. Nevermind.

8) LSU (7-4, 3-4; off): How much work does LSU have to get back among the SEC elite? Not as much as you'd think considering the Tigers are playing a bunch of young kids - the Tigers start two seniors on each side of the ball and 10 starters are freshmen or sophomores. That said, Les Miles biggest recruiting challenge this offseason will be getting the slew of juniors on the Tigers defense to come back for their senior seasons, something that has crippled LSU the last couple of years.

9) Tennessee (5-5, 2-4; vs. Missouri, 7:30 p.m.): Will the A.J. Johnson suspension for alleged sexual assault be a huge distraction? It seems like it has to be. Johnson has been the most reliable and consistent defensive player in Knoxville for each of the last three years. That void - coupled with the first-half suspension of safety Brian Randolph for targeting last week - leaves the Vols defense looking for answers to questions they have not faced in the middle of that defense

10) Florida (5-4; 4-4; vs. Eastern Kentucky, noon ): Where do the Gators go now? It's hard to know, but we do agree with the growing feeling that it will be an offensive-minded coach and it will be someone with head coaching experience. It's a top-five job, and the fact that Florida moved when it did gives AD Jeremy Foley a leg up on Michigan.

11) Arkansas (5-5; 1-5; at Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m.): Who will second-guess Vegas? Well, we all will, but we should all remember that the fancy buildings and the free shows and the racks of chips are made by those guys knowing the odds. And they were spot on in having Arkansas the favorite last week. And congrats to the Hogs and Bret Bielema, who captured his first SEC win, and are one more win away from the postseason. And yes, there is a real chance that the SEC could have 13 bowl-eligible teams.

photo Will Muschamp

12) South Carolina (5-5, 3-5; vs. South Alabama, noon): How hard will the Gamecocks chase Will Muschamp? It could be extremely interesting, especially with the pained look on USC coach Steve Spurrier's face after the Gamecocks pulled a rabbit from their collective helmets in their overtime win at The Swamp that was the final straw for Muschamp at Florida. And let's face, even as loyal as Spurrier is, a team that was preseason top-10 and the pick to win the SEC East that finishes 6-6 will look to make changes.

13) Kentucky (5-6, 2-6; off): What do the 'Cats do during the bye week? Well, Tuesday night they certainly watched the hoops squad square off against Kansas - hey it's Kentucky after all - but the list of areas to address is filled. While they need more playmakers and the play at linebacker has been, well, it's been less than good (see we are trying to be nicer; hugs for everyone), the work inside the locker room this week could be paramount. Kentucky surged to a 5-1 start playing loose and free. The tension to secure a bowl bid has intensified each week, and it's a lose-and-turn-in-the-gear game against Louisville. How Mark Stoops prepares for these stakes will be as interesting - and telling about that monster extension he signed - as any drill or scheme.

14) Vandy (3-7, 0-6; at Mississippi State, 7:30): How miserable will Saturday night be in Starkville for the Commodores? Well, considering the Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker last week, and that this is the last home game for a program changing senior-class, and that there will be enough cow bells there to guide the entire cattle population of Texas, and that there is a 30-percent chance of rain, and that the 'Dores opened as a 30-point underdog, we'd put the misery index somewhere between insurance seminar and root canal. (No offense intended for those that run insurance seminars or perform root canals.)

---

NFL Power Poll

With the Tuesday morning announcement that the NFL has suspended Adrian Peterson for the remainder of the season, there is a feud brewing.

Peterson has already appealed the punishment, which was announced a few days after he skipped a meeting last Friday with the league. Peterson said the meeting was against the league's collectively bargained protocol and he told them he was not going to be there.

The suspension also would be for the remainder of the regular season, after Peterson missed the first 10 weeks being on the commissioner's list, which meant he agreed to be unable to play but was getting paid to not play.

Now, he is suspended and the players' union has already fired several PR shots on national programming using words such as "bullying" and phrases such as "lack of confidence in the process" and the commissioner.

The league is a steamroller of pop culture. The games are hugely popular and more people play fantasy football than played golf last year.

It's an extreme success, but that success has created a spotlight that now casts shadows on some of the things that the folks within the league are doing.

We know about Ray Rice and his crimes. Peterson's charges and his eventual guilty plea on child abuse counts that were reduced to misdemeanors came after Rice and landed on commissioner Roger Goodell's desk after he bungled the Rice punishment 12 ways to Tuesday.

Peterson was the first domestic violence offender after Goodell got tough and there are going to be some examples made. In fact, the last paragraph of Goodell's letter to Peterson informing the Vikings All-Pro of the suspension told Peterson not to be involved in any other incidents of this nature or he could face "banishment" from the NFL. It's similar language as was used in Goodell's plan in September.

So where do they go from here?

The players' union will paint the league as bullies and trying to strong arm their rules. The league will paint the union as trying to protect a child abuser and covering up the seedy underbelly of the NFL gladiators, who are flawed humans predisposed for violence.

It will get ugly, but addressing it is a must. In fact, this issue will define the Goodell legacy.

And right now, it's taking a beating.

photo Football tile

1) New England.

2) Green Bay.

3) Arizona.

4) Denver.

5) Pittsburgh.

Bottom five

28) Tampa Bay.

29) Washington.

30) New York Jets.

31) Jacksonville.

32) Oakland

---

Baseball machinations

photo From left are Atlanta Braves baseball players Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden. At right is St. Louis Cardinals' Shelby Miller. The Braves have dealt outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals for pitcher Shelby Miller and a minor-leaguer.

The Braves dealt Jason Heyward for Shelby Miller, who sounds like a cute sorority girl but who actually is an effective right-hander. (Rushmore of male famous male athletes that have names that could easily sound like cute sorority girls? We'll go Adrian Dantley, Courtney Upshaw, Tracy McGrady and Robin Ventura. Thoughts?)

In truth, we see the logic of dealing Heyward now if the Braves were committed to not resigning him after the 2015 season. If you let him play through the contract season and he hits .300 with 15-80-25 and wins another Gold Glove then you are going to be pressured into making him the face of the franchise when in truth, he's a great defensive player who is a leadoff hitter in a linebacker's body.

Plus, Miller is signed long-term.

In other baseball news, Giancarlo Stanton signed a 13-year, $325 million contract. Sweet buckets of cash. (Of course the Marlins will have to trade him to the Dodgers or the Yankees or the Angels three years from now or he's going to be the modern day Eddie Banks.)

The number breakdown on Stanton's deal:

He will make $25 million a year for the 13 years.

He will more than $2.08 million a month for the next 13 years.

He will make more than $68,493 a day for the next 13 years.

He will make more than $2,853 an hour for the next 13 years.

He will make roughly $47.55 a minute for the next 13 years.

He will make right at 79 cents a second for the next 13 years.

Egad.

---

This and that

- Stanford beat UConn in women hoops. UConn is the biggest dynasty working right now.

- This is pretty interesting. More intrigue with Jameis Winston.

- Nice effort from the Titans in a 27-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday. Zach Mettenberger looked pretty good in spots. So it goes.

Today's question

We have a wide array of items on this Nov. 18, which is quite an interesting day.

In addition to this being Mr. Belding's birthday, it also would have been Imogene Coca's 106th birthday (she died in 2001). Mr. Belding, the renowned UTC and Notre Dame alum also known as Dennis Haskins, is 63 today.

Mrs. Coca started an award-winning career as a child acrobat on vaudeville and you likely know her as Aunt Edna, Clark Griswald's pain-in-the-neck in-law who died in the family Truckster in Vacation.

But that is trumped by the celebrated 86th birthday of the one and only Mickey Mouse.

We offer two Rushmores: Rushmore of Mickeys and Rushmore of the best couples in movie history, because Mickey and Minnie have been together for a long time. (Not sure what the trouble is and why there are no little Mouses... So if Mickey and Minnie get invited to a formal event, and they are introduced as they enter would it be, "Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse... The Mouses." Or would it be, "Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse... The Mice.")

Either way, let's have a little fun today.

What's our Rushmore of extinct names? We knew at least two "Imogene" that were friends with our grandmothers. Today, not so much. And we're not sure Imogene is even considered among today's Noun-based and gender-vague names.

Go.

Upcoming Events