More AP poll
So the AP poll was released Monday evening. We discussed it with some length in this space Tuesday.
We have long wondered about the motivation of the voters. Are you ranking the best 25 teams in the country as of this moment and what they have coming back, or are you voting on what you believe will be how the final ranking will look at the end of the season?
It also is worth noting that if this were the poll going into the 2024 season, there would be 16 of the 25 from the SEC and the Big Ten.
Forget Power Five. We're closer to a Power 2 and a half.
We touched on some of the overrated/underrated Tuesday, and you guys chimed in, too.
In this day and age of sports betting, shouldn't we be able to wager on the over/under final ranking compared to the preseason AP poll?
If forced to make a prediction, I would say Georgia is going to make history and three-peat, so they are where I think they will finish.
If we go old-school Card Sharks, here's my view on the poll and where they will finish.
2. Michigan will go lower.
3. THE Ohio State will stay right there.
4. Alabama will go lower.
5. LSU will go higher.
6. USC will go higher.
7. Penn State will go lower.
8. FSU will go higher.
9. Clemson will go lower.
10. Washington will go lower.
11. Texas will go much lower.
12. Tennessee will go higher.
13. Notre Dame will go higher.
14. Utah will go higher.
15. Oregon will go higher.
Thoughts?
Kickball all-star
I'm far from a soccer expert.
I know you can't use your hands. I know I was sad at the end of "Ted Lasso." I know that the Chattahooligans seem to have a lot of fun being Chattahooligans.
And that's about the end of it.
But I know sports and can fawn over true sports greatness.
Manning on pre-snap reads and yelling Omaha. Rodgers rolling left and looking back across the middle.
Calvin Johnson — and Randy Moss — with the ball in the air.
Cam Newton on fall Saturdays in 2010.
Red-shirted Tiger on Sundays at the majors in the early 2000s.
Maddux purposefully missing by inches just to make sure the ump is paying attention.
Pat Summitt glaring at anyone who dared to defy her unrelenting will.
MJ in flight, Magic in transition, Bird with his feet set.
You get the idea.
Well, that's where Lionel Messi is and we should just appreciate the fact we get to witness it right about now.
Messi has played six games with Miami after signing a monster contract that gave him more money than a third-world dictator and may have co-signed Disneyland over to him.
In those six games, Messi has scored nine goals. Heck, he was minus-170 to score last night, and I should have taken it.
It's not easy to score in soccer. Heck, 0-0 happens a lot and folks still embrace it as the beautiful game. Zero-zero to me is Blutarsky's grade-point average — "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son," — or the BAC of the Baptist preacher on his way home from the picnic.
But Messi scores more than a Las Vegas john. He fills more nets than Forrest and Lt. Dan after the hurricane. He clicks more goals than the crowd at Tony Robbins speech.
This is true greatness. Messi is doing the expected — the predicted — in a completely unpredictable environment.
It's wizardry in truth, a professional athlete doing things against other professional athletes that make it feel like it's simply not fair.
Kinda like Tiger back in the day. And Omaha when Peyton needed it.
And whether you love soccer or not, we can all appreciate true greatness.
Blind sided
So it has been relatively clear for a long time that Michael Oher was not overly happy with the movie "The Blind Side."
Now he's suing the Tuohy family — the folks that were portrayed by Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock in the movie — for a slew of things.
Here's more on the story, including some responses from Sean Tuohy.
It also brings to light the very real discussions that should be had on movies "based" on a true story.
"The Blind Side" was completely distorted. Heck, wasn't Hugh Freeze Oher's high school coach, and do we really think Leigh Anne Tuohy calling him from the stands during the game on Friday nights and screaming "Run the dang ball" was realistic?
And not to bust anyone's bubble, but "Remember the Titans" is so distorted from the actual story of that team and that time, that it's difficult to even recognize.
Also, Roy Hobbs strikes out at the end of "The Natural" in the book.
This and that
— You know the rules. Here's Paschall on a UT transfer hoping for big things this fall.
— Michael Anthony Hall, underrated right? How should we describe his career, because his Rushmore is pretty stout with "Vacation," "Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles" and "Weird Science."
— This scene of a mentalist tricking all of the Jets, especially Aaron Rodgers is awesome.
Today's questions
Which way Wednesday starts this way:
Which college football team is the most underrated/overrated as it comes to the AP poll?
Which side is telling the most truth in the Oher-Tuohy squabble?
Which current athlete is the greatest?
As for today, Aug. 16, let's review.
The Mrs. 5-at-10 celebrates her birthday today. She's an angel.
She was born on the day Elvis died.
Also, Madonna is 65 today.
Steve Carell is 61 today. What's his Rushmore?
Go.