5-at-10: Friday mailbag

1,700,000,000

500,000

From Buschleaguer

photo Commissioner Roger Goodell

Mailbag: Is there something in the CBA that prevented Roger Goodell from taking a first round pick or two from the Colts? That would seem more equitable and send a much stronger msg.

BL -

There is no a collective bargaining agreement for the owners. There are by-laws since the owners technically own the NFL and Goodell works for them, which makes this shaky from the start. That said, the by-laws state that no owner can get fined more than $500,000 from the league, and while that looks like a huge chunk of coin to each of us, it's sofa-cushion money for NFL owners. For Jim Irsay, the Colts owner who plead guilty to DWI after being stopped with close to $30,000 and more than 100 prescription pills in his back seat at 2 a.m. in March, the $500K is roughly 1/3,400 of his reported $1.7 billion net worth.

To put that in common coins if you had $1,700 in the bank, this fine would be 50 cents.

Losing draft picks would have been an interesting play, but we're not sure that punishment will be used any more after the Bounty-Gate and the Spy-Gate fallout. (Owners were none-too-pleased about that form of penalty and its lasting effects on franchises.) It's almost like the NCAA and how there will never be another TV ban penalty because the money and the stakes are too great.

Some claim NBA commissioner Adam Silver overreacted on the whole Donald Sterling mess, and we could hear that debate. But there is no doubt Goodell under reacted to the seriousness of Irsay's situation.

And while this does not fall under the collective bargaining agreement, the next time the sides sit down at the table, the league's kid-glove treatment of Irsay will be a starting point of contention when discussing players' discipline.

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From Buschleaguer, part II

5-Mailbag: How many seasons go by before Malzahn is on an NFL sideline? Bradshaw is 2 or 3 as far as big game winners, overall top 5 for sure. Rushmore (of running backs): Brown, Dickerson, OJ, Sanders.

BL (agai) -

You got the rare mailbag double-up because we liked both of your questions.

photo Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn

(Side note: This week on the 5-at-10 at timesfreepress.com we asked for the Rushmore of NFL running backs. We concur on two of the above. We'll go Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and most likely Emmitt Smith, but Adrian Peterson likely will pass Emmitt on our list.)

As for Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, we believe Chip Kelly's success with the Philadelphia Eagles will open an opportunity sooner rather than later for the offensive genius that is Malzahn.

In fact, if he wants to take the NFL challenge, Malzahn could be on an NFL sideline as soon as next year and no later than 2016.

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From Top Dawg

Man, you and David are awesome on the radio. It makes the drive home fun.

I was wondering if you ranked the teams on how they played in the first weekend, who is your top 10 and who would you have in the playoff?

One more thing, do you think the playoff is going to be a good thing or not?

Top Dawg -

Our top 10 heading into this Saturday based on the overreaction of the first week of the season would be:

photo Football tile

1) Georgia

2) Texas A&M

3) Oklahoma

4) Auburn

5) Alabama

6) USC

7) Oregon

8) FSU

9) Ohio State

10) Baylor

Is that heavy on SEC teams, maybe a touch, but Georgia and Texas A&M won the weekend.

It's almost impossible to name playoff teams before conference champions are decided, but we know this: Games like Saturday's Michigan State-Oregon matchup are huge for teams and leagues. When the champions of the five major conferences are put in a hat, the team that wins Saturday in Eugene, Ore., earns an extra feather in its conference's cap with a win.

If forced, to pick four right now, we'd go with Georgia, Oklahoma, FSU and Alabama in the Football Four.

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From Jeff

I have enjoyed your 'letters' column in the Saturday paper and have been trying to think of something to ask.

photo Joan Rivers

How's this -- With Joan Rivers' death what's your Rushmore of funny females?

Thanks, and keep up the good work here and on the radio -- you guys are great on Press Row.

Jeff -

Thanks for listening and for reading and the feedback.

Rushmore of funny women, huh? Well, our 4-year-old daughter is hilarious, but she likely doesn't make the cut.

Here's our stab at it: Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tina Fey.

Granted that's with huge apologies to a lot of very funny women, but that's ours. What's your Rushmore of funny women?

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From JMC

I'm sure we'll probably discuss Chattanooga's chances against Jax State but what do you believe needs to be done to prevent Jacob from doing his Tony Romo impersonation? Also, Offensive Coordinator Jeff Durdan said he shoulders a lot of the blame for the Central Michigan loss. How much of that is true or is he just covering for Jacob?

JMC -

First, Tony Romo gets a bad rap.

Second, UTC Jacob Huesman was voted as the SoCon player of the year last year by the coaches and was the preseason pick to repeat this year. The kid can play.

Finally, the mark of good leadership and good coaching is taking the blame and giving the credit. As for Durden and Jacob, well, there was a lot things that everyone involved in the UTC program would like to go differently after the Mocs took a 16-0 lead at Central Michigan. And that's not just on offense, either.

photo Jacob Huesman

One thing Jacob and Romo and quarterbacks everywhere share is the simple truth that QBs get too much credit when their team wins and too much blame when their team loses.

As for the past, it's just that. We believe UTC let one get away last week in Michigan, but if they let last week affect this week, then the loss is truly crippling.

Now, that said, Saturday is a monster matchup for UTC in the eyes of the FCS selection world and the fan base and in terms of overall perception as to whether UTC will be able to take the step from competitive to contender.

UTC needs this one. And yes we hear the sentiment that conference games are more important and the Mocs can win the SoCon and get into the postseason even with a loss against Jacksonville State.

But this is bigger than contending or even winning a watered-down Southern Conference.

UTC has made strides but it has to take the next step. Saturday is a chance to take that next step. The team expects and the fan base craves it.

There's a huge difference between putting yourself into a position to be in big games and being comfortable in the moment. This is one of those moments, for Jacob and Davis Tull and Keon Williams and the rest of the players - young and experienced - and the coaching staff.

We believe the Mocs are ready for the next step.

Whether they make that leap or not will speak to the progression of the program and the limits and/or limitations of the future.

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