Happy Thanksgiving - well almost. Let's get to it. Quick house cleaning note: The 5-at-10 will be taking the rest of the week off to spend with the family. Sure we'll be talking sports, but Mrs. 5-at-10 makes us shut off the computer. Alas.
Rivalries everywhere
Contributed Photo by Todd Van Emst
Auburn coach Gene Chizik celebrates with quartback Cameron Newton.
Auburn at Miss State in Starkville in September.Alabama hosts Auburn on Friday. Tennessee hosts Kentucky and Georgia welcomes Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Simply put, this is a glorious weekend for college football. The names of the rivalries alone - from the Iron Bowl to the Game to Clean Old Fashioned Hate - give even the casual fan an idea of the stakes this weekend.
For my money there is no rivalry anywhere that is more passionate and intense than the Auburn-Alabama feud.
And with what's riding on Friday's grudge match - Auburn playing for a spot in the BCS title game, the Cam Newton saga, Alabama looking to extend its winning streak in the series to three and spoil Auburn's dream season - well, like CBS's Gary Danielson, who will announce the game, said earlier this week, you could spend four hours talking about this game if they never ran a play.
Vols to the wall
Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley, left, shakes hands with Vanderbilt head coach Robbie Caldwell after Tennessee won 24-10 in their NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)A month ago the University of Tennessee football team was 2-6 and staring at possibly the worst season in the school's proud history.
The Vols, after all, are one of two programs (Ohio State is the other) in the country never to have an eight-loss season, and that claim appeared in serious jeopardy after a brutal 0-for-October and a narrow home escape against UAB.
Well, three wins later, and these Vols are now talking bowl bids. All that stands between UT and a holiday date in Nashville (presumably) is beating Kentucky, which behind turkey and dressing has become Thanksgiving's second most common tradition.
Seriously, whether the Vols get there or not, it's a credit to head coach Derek Dooley and his staff that this team did not pack it in after that brutal start.
Clash of the Titans
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, left meets at centerfield with Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, right, after the 20-18 win for the Seahawks of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)It sure looks like Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher is starting to draw lines in the sand, huh?
Apparently Fisher told an assistant coach to inform much-maligned quarterback Vince Young he was not welcome to a team meeting Monday.
We also know that Titans owner Bud Adams views Young as his BFF.
Well Crispus Attucks this is going to get sticky.
If this continues on the path to Defcon 1, there will be no way Fisher and Young will be able to be together next year. And if Adams makes the wrong, well, that's how teams like the Detroit Lions are made.
This Duke's looking like the king
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski kisses the net after cutting in down following Duke's 61-59 win over Butler in the men's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game Tuesday, April 6, 2010, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Behind a stellar effort from freshman Kyrie Irving seriously, Duke needed another blue-chip prospect? the Blue Devils handed coach Mike Krzyzewski (spelled it without looking it up, by the way) his 800th career win at Duke. Coach K is the fifth coach to accomplish 800 victories at one school and he now has 873 career wins - three behind Adolph Rupp.
Plus, the milestone win was overly impressive. Duke hammered Kansas State 82-68, and on the surface that may not appear to be much. But know that K-State is No. 4 in the country, and Duke overwhelmed the Wildcats. In Kansas City, no less. Impressive.
Arbitration comes and goes
National League catcher Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals watches as American League's Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees is hit by a pitch during the first inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game in St. Louis, Tuesday, July 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)Several big-name big league baseball players were offered arbitration before Tuesday's midnight deadline.
Among them were Cliff Lee (who will likely command the biggest paycheck in free agency this offseason), Jayson Werth and Carl Pavano.
Arbitration for veterans such as the trio above means that their current teams would receive draft picks as compensation if they signed somewhere else.
New York Yankees star Derek Jeter also was among the names that are on the market. Could be a very interesting offseason, huh? The Yankees management is encouraging Jeter to explore other options, thinking the offer they made the longtime shortstop and captain is above market value.
That very well may be, but here's hoping the Red Sox start talking to Jeter and the Yankees start feeling the heat. This is not the Royals or the Pirates here, this is the Yankees. And if anyone deserves to be overpaid one final time, it's Jeter, who has helped lead the Yankees to five World Series titles. The thought of him finishing his career in a Brewers uniform is disgusting.