For some of our new readers who have emailed about the 5-at-10, welcome. Feel free to play along in the comments section or you can play along or Twitter at @jgreesontfp or email questions for the Friday mailbag to jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.
We do this every Monday-through-Friday (and we mean every Monday through Friday since this is our 1,068th consecutive daily 5-at-10 during the week) and all opinions are welcome. We all may not always agree but we will be civil.
From the "Talks too much" studios, clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
College football poll
The top four in the eyes of the college football playoff committee was released Tuesday night.
And we are equally intrigued and insecure about how this will play out. The committee ranked them this way:
Alabama quarterback Blake Sims throws as he works through drills during an Alabama practice on Nov. 18, 2014, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Mississippi State
OK, let's explain our belief that there is trouble on the horizon.
First, we believe Alabama to be the best team in the country. We do not believe them to be the most accomplished team in the country to this point.
So, we have to wonder if the committee is trying to rank the best teams or the most deserving teams. We have to wonder this because of the awful lack of transparency the committee has embraced rather than making the process more open.
We also have to wonder what this means going forward.
How can a power conference team be the nation's lone unbeaten and not be No. 1. And save that "FSU's got a weak schedule" junk. They have played their conference schedule - and they can't help it that this year that conference schedule is below average. They have a consistent top-finisher from the Big 12 (Oklahoma State) and two of the nation's power programs (Notre Dame and Florida) on their non-conference schedule - and they can't help it that it's a blah-tastic year for those programs.
Nope, the fact that Florida State is No. 3 despite winning every step on its journey means that the committee is gauging quality of wins rather than winning. This is not a good thing.
By that account, it may not be enough for any of these teams to simply win out to secure a top-four spot. Case in point, TCU fell out by escaping against a terrible Kansas team 34-30 last week.
So style is now a factor. Glitter over guts we could call it. And point differential matters, too, which means running it up will be more common.
And to highlight the confusion even within the committee, committee chair Jeff Long said in consecutive sentences that Alabama was No. 1 and keeping former No. 1 Mississippi State in the all-coveted top-four was because Alabama was in complete control of the game but "you never felt like Mississippi State was out of it."
One team was in complete control but the other team was never out of it? Hmmmmmm.
Now TCU and Baylor and Ohio State are on the cusp looking in.
And if you think the "Let's just do eight and move along" would make this easier, well, in the scenario we tried to craft three years ago - eight teams, power five conference champs, three at-larges - here's the field with assumed champs:
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston gestures to the crowd after Florida State defeated Miami 30-26 Saturday.SEC Champ: Alabama
ACC Champ: FSU
Pac 12 Champ: Oregon
Big 12 Champ: TCU (holds the tie-breaker)
Big Ten Champ: Ohio State
That means the next two would be Baylor and Mississippi State as two easy at-larges. From there, who among the two-loss hodgepodge of Georgia, Ole Miss, Michigan State, et al. is next? Or does Marshall get a sniff.
Curious times ahead, for sure.
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Kentucky is really good
To quote the 5-at-10 Jr. who frequently quotes his dude Emmet Brickowski from The Lego Movie, "OH MY G-O-S-H." (Quick Rushmore of Emmitts: Emmitt Smith, Emmet Brickowski, Emmitt Otter of Emmiett Otter's Jugband Christmas fame and Emmett Fitz-Hume from "Spies Like Us.")
Sweet Buckets of beatdowns and backdoor cuts, Kentucky hammered Kansas 72-40 in a game that was not as close as the final score. Yes, it was a 32-point win over one of the founding father programs of college hoops that is ranked No. 5 in the country, and it looked worse than that.
"OH MY G-O-S-H."
And the numbers were every bit as impressive and eye-popping.
Defensively, Kentucky held Kansas to 19 percent shooting. Nineteen. Kansas. We're not talking about DeVry. We're not talking about practice.We're talking about holding No. 5-ranked Kansas to 40 points on 19 percent shooting while blocking 11 shots and forcing 11 turnovers.
"OH MY G-O-S-H."
On offense, the two, five-man units were amazingly balanced. Of the 10 players in those two groups all played at least 17 minutes and none more than 21. All attempted at least two shots and none more than eight. All scored at least four points and none more than 11.
"OH MY G-O-S-H."
OK, yes, it was one game. But if we had an AP Top 25 ballot, we'd at least ask if we could enter: "1. Kentucky's starters; 2. Duke; 3 Kentucky's second five."
We are now putting UK on the clock and will track its progress until it loses. We think it's 50-50 whether the Wildcats run the table. Truly.
So here's the first of what will become a familiar piece of the 5-at-10 (at least in the This and That):
Kentucky 72, Kansas 40.
Star: If you had to pick one, we'll go Karl-Anthony Towns, who in 18 minutes had nine points, eight boards, four blocks and three assists. In 18 minutes. "OH MY G-O-S-H."
Up next: Kentucky (3-0) plays at home against Boston University.
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In this Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, file photo, American media mogul Ted Turner is photographed on the red carpet at the Captain Planet Foundation benefit gala in Atlanta.Noteworthy birthday
We normally tip the visor to birthdays in our daily "Today's question" segment.
Today is a little different.
Happy birthday to Ted Turner, who turns 76 today.
Yes, Turner is a McCallie grad and a billionaire businessman and philanthropist.
But as an overview, Turner may be on the short list of people who have shaped modern sports and modern society as we live it.
Follow along.
In the sports world, as the owner of the Atlanta Braves, Turner was among the first to realize that the marriage - and the financial boon - between sports and TV programming was golden. Almost every baseball team has since embraced that philosophy and every league has too.
And it all started with Turner and the terrible 1970s Braves and TBS Channel 17 that became TBS the Superstation.
Now, spinning that a step forward, Turner is also on the Rushmore of cable TV pioneers. Dude started CNN, which seemed like a reach for a guy that made his money on billboards and land deals.
Then the Gulf War started and Wolf Blitzer became the Scud Stud and CNN was a monster. It also became, along with ESPN, the dominant, 24-hour themed station.
Now, half the cable dial is filled with 24-hour-themed stations.
Happy Birthday Ted.
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Tiger Woods hits from the fifth tee during the final round of The Players championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass, Sunday, May 12, 2013, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.This and that
- Dan Jenkins posted a satirical fake sit-down with Tiger Woods for Golf Digest. Woods fired back on theplayerstribune.com, Derek Jeter's new project. It's a curious situation. First, we have from time-to-time had some (hopefully) light-hearted faux interviews with the Pretend Les Miles, the Pretend Al Davis (R.I.P) and even the Pretend Jon Gruden. We viewed those more as impersonations, and in Miles' case, used actual quotes the coach has delivered through the years. Jenkins' attempt was different. And before we go on, we'll say this Dan Jenkins is on the Rushmore of sports writers all-time. Dude is a magician and wordsmith and thought-provker and a comedian. He has every tool in his box and uses all of them equally masterfully. Tiger is a pill. We all know this. But...... We think Tiger has every right to be ticked off about this and handled his response (or whomever on his staff that wrote his response) well. Jenkins is one of the funniest sports writers EVER, and in some ways this seems beneath him.
- Adrian Peterson has been suspended for the rest of the year. Thoughts? We'll discuss more but we are tick-tock-tick-tock (Senator love the suit) close to 10 a.m.
- The Steelers released LaGarrette Blount for leaving the field early Monday night because he was upset about his lack of playing time. That leaves the Steelers with two healthy RBs. The Steelers handle their BID-ness.
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Today's question
OK, let's get there.
Just scanning the above, you've got a ton of talking points. Knock yourself silly.
If you need another, well, it was 151 years ago today that Abe Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. It's certainly renowned as one of the noteworthy speeches in American history.
OK, what is the Rushmore of sports speeches. And yes, you can go real life like "Win one for the Gipper" or reel life and throw out a sports movie speech that delivers chill bumps like Kurt Russell in "Miracle" or Billy Bob Thornton in "Friday Night Lights."
Whatcha' got?
(Side note: And just reading the speech from Friday Night Lights and from Miracle will make the hairs on your arm stand up. Check them out:
From Miracle (which is alleged to be patterned after Herb Brooks' famous pep talk):
"Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you have earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em 10 times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with 'em. Tonight, we stay with 'em, and we shut them down because we can! Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. You were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done; it's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time! Now go out there and take it!"
From Friday Night Lights:
"Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn't let them down, because you told them the truth. And that truth is that you did everything that you could. There wasn't one more thing that you could've done. Can you live in that moment, as best you can, with clear eyes and love in your heart? With joy in your heart? If you can do that, gentlemen, then you're perfect."
Getting a little dusty in here.