5/17/2020 football Edit

McCready: 10 Weekend Thoughts, presented by Harry Alexander

10 Weekend Thoughts is presented by Harry Alexander.

Neal McCready • RebelGrove

Publisher

Former Arizona State forward Romello White signed with Ole Miss Friday. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

1. Ole Miss signed Arizona State transfer forward Romello White Friday.

I wrote about in on Friday afternoon, a couple of hours after Zach Berry’s analysis. Berry and I podcasted about it on Friday afternoon as well, so there’s a ton of copy from this site about White and the significance of his signing.

What we didn’t spend as much time on was the overall rebuilding of a roster in such a short time. Ole Miss has been blessed now for the past 14 years with coaches who don’t mince words, don’t hide behind coachspeak and who simply tell it like it is.

Andy Kennedy was and is certainly that way. So is Kermit Davis. All through last season, even when he could’ve bristled at the repeated questioning, Davis owned what his team was — a group of nice guys who simply didn’t, collectively, possess the toughness needed to win in Southeastern Conference.

That team had some misfortune — Austin Crowley got sick, Luis Rodriguez got hurt — but it simply couldn’t get to a level where it could live up to its preseason expectations. The season finished in Nashville with a loss to Georgia, about an hour after the NBA game between the Thunder and the Jazz was stopped just before tipoff in Oklahoma City.

Davis and his staff needed to rebuild a roster in a single offseason, and they had to do it during a global pandemic that sent players home and stopped on-campus recruiting. It was a Herculean task, and the Rebels’ staff did it with aplomb.

By mid-March, Ole Miss’ roster was a giant question mark. Breein Tyree was gone, leaving Devontae Shuler as the face of the program and a huge load on the shoulders of Khadim Sy, KJ Buffen and Blake Hinson. By mid-May, the Rebels had added experience, talent and toughness. In two short months, the Rebels’ roster has become balanced and deep.

People inside the program know the Rebels are now a team that is in the mix, one that should go into the 2020-21 season as not only an NCAA Tournament contender but one that should contend to finish in the top handful of teams in the SEC.

2. I reported in this space last week that I was hearing student-athletes would start reporting to campuses around the Southeastern Conference on June 1.

I was right. There’s more. According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, that could be a nationwide clearance of sorts. From Dellenger:

Officials can cross a major hurdle Wednesday in football’s return.

The NCAA Division I Council, a 40-member decision-making body made up of key college athletics figures, could lift a nation-wide moratorium on on-campus summer activities, multiple sources told Sports Illustrated, creating a pathway for schools to welcome back their athletes as soon as June 1. The ban, triggered in March amid the coronavirus outbreak, expires May 31.

Council members have three options. They can keep campuses shutdown completely by extending the ban, an unlikely ruling, according to people knowledgeable about the discussions; they can open campuses for voluntary training (without coaching interaction); or they can grant required training (with staff interaction). Members are in somewhat agreement on allowing voluntary access, but they plan to get feedback from coaches and administrators over the coming days.

Across the country, dozens of athletic departments are mobilizing to hold voluntary workouts with football, men's basketball and women's basketball players. In that scenario, players would work out at team facilities while strength staff members provide supervision and other school officials administer safety precautions, such as screening athletes, sanitizing equipment and creating small-group training schedules. But many administrators are hoping the Council lifts the ban to allow required training, when players can have their normal summer activity maximum of eight hours per week—six with strength coaches and two with on-field coaches.

The SEC is even further ahead. As Dellenger noted in his story, 10 of the conference’s 11 footprint states have at least started a reopening plan. Kentucky, the only state lagging behind, is scheduled to begin opening retail businesses Wednesday and plans by May 25 to allow for gatherings of no more than 10.

In at least a half-dozen SEC states, gyms are reopening, a point of contention among athletic administrators. In fact, at a handful of SEC schools, recreational facilities on campus will open June 1. “That’s happening a lot around the conference,” says one league athletic director. “If our kids can work out in the recreation center, why can’t we go to the facility? We feel like our facility is safer.”

So here we go. There is hope among SEC sources I’ve spoken to that the programs around the league will be smart and see its coaches implement a staggered return. There’s no reason to rush. There’s plenty of time — from June 1 to the start of the season is at least 95 days — and there’s plenty to lose.

Here’s reality: The national media is going to be watching like starved wolves, just waiting for a breakout on a college football team and/or coaching staff. Those headlines would cause administrators to cringe and could lead to a shutdown. Here’s hoping for a sensible approach, one that leads to success and an on-time start to the season that we all want and that college athletics programs absolutely need.

3. Ole Miss’ football program was dealt another, albeit predictable, blow this week when the NCAA extended the recruiting dead period through June 30.

Lane Kiffin and Co. had big plans for this spring and summer. The Rebels were going to use the spring as a time to bring in official visitors and they were going to have a very active summer. Those plans haven’t been completely scrapped, but recruiting virtually is much more difficult for a new staff than it is one that is established.

Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama, among others, have been picking up commitments over the past few days and weeks. Ole Miss, which hired Kiffin in December and has a staff that came to Oxford from all over the country, doesn’t possess the continuity needed to get off to a hot start without the benefit on in-person recruiting.

Sources close to the program, however, insist some high-profile commitments are forthcoming, sooner rather than later. And there’s a real chance the Rebels’ breakthrough will have to happen virtually. Most expect the dead period to be extended through at least July, and no one knows how much coronavirus will impact what in-person recruiting looks like once it’s allowed.

4. Sports returned — at least to some degree — this weekend. Bundesliga returned without fans in Germany on Saturday. There was horse racing without fans at Churchill Downs in. Louisville. NASCAR ran at Darlington and though it wasn’t a PGA Tour event, the TaylorMade Driving Relief event on Sunday at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, was the first televised event of PGA Tour golfers competing since the Players Championship was canceled on March 12.

I watched a few minutes of Bundesliga and one of the races at Churchill Downs. Based on some early ratings numbers and a few glances at Twitter, it appears I was in the minority.

Sports fans are clearly starving for sports. With that in mind, there’s real pressure for Major League Baseball to solve differences between the players and owners and get to spring training camps early next month, as unrealistic as that timetable appears to be.

The NBA is expecting a decision from commissioner Adam Silver is expected in the coming weeks. The president of the NBA players' association, Chris Paul, said this weekend that players want a return to competition.

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard, in an interview with Rachel Nichols that aired Friday on ESPN's The Jump, said the issues inherent are complex but worth navigating.

"A lot of hard conversations that have to be made, a lot of hard decisions," Paul said in the interview with Nichols. ”But with the team around us, I think ultimately we'll get to where we want to. Obviously we want to play. Oh man, we want to play. We want to play bad. And I think that's a consensus for the guys around the league. We want it to be, obviously, as safe as possible. But the biggest thing is, we miss the game.”

For both the NBA and MLB, a lost season would be financially catastrophic. An MLB season without fans would cost most franchises more around $200 million.

Everywhere I go, I get asked if I think seasons will happen. Maybe this is calloused, but when push comes to shove, I follow the money. The money involved is simply so necessary for these leagues and franchises not to do everything humanly possible to get some sort of a semblance of a season in.

5. Forgive me for getting a bit political this week, though frankly, politics are going to play a major role in the story most of you are here to read about. I refer you to the Colorado Sun, which had a fascinating story this weekend about COVID-19 deaths in the Rocky Mountain State. From The Sun:

The number of coronavirus deaths in Colorado State figures topped 1,000 earlier this week, and the number stood at 1,150 deaths as of Friday afternoon. But officials with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment revealed during a call with reporters that that number does not represent the number of people who have died due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Instead, the death figure CDPHE has been providing for weeks is more accurately described as the number of people with COVID-19 who have died — for any reason. The number of people who have died and have COVID-19 listed on their death certificate is 24% lower: 878, according to CDPHE’s latest figures.

“We recognize that there certainly has been confusion around this topic,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, said during the call.

But even this latest revelation does little to clarify the battle over the virus’ death toll, which has become one of the most contentious and politically rancorous fights of the pandemic. A Republican state representative has called for a criminal investigation of CDPHE. The coroner of Montezuma County joined the media call unexpectedly Friday to directly question state officials about their reporting of death numbers. And politicians and political activists across the country have engaged in heated debate about whether the pandemic’s toll has been inflated or undercounted.

The issue even drew a pointed response from Gov. Jared Polis at his own news conference on Friday.

“What the people of Colorado want to know is not who died with COVID-19, but who died of COVID-19,” said Polis, who has rarely expressed such public frustration with his health leadership before. “And the numbers are very close, of course. There’s only a few cases that we’re aware of where there is some gray area. But where there is a gray area, we should always use — for reporting — the numbers that come from the physician or the coroner that actually addressed the patient or inspected the body.”

Come on. I mean, really, come the blank on. As a society, with our economy in shambles, there’s no room for this game. Listen, every life is precious. Every life should be mourned when it is lost (Note: I still don’t want a funeral or memorial service when I die; don’t get it twisted). However, when an 84-year-old man in hospice contracts coronavirus and dies, he didn’t die from COVID-19. He died with it, and there’s a distinction. There’s a very real distinction.

If, conversely, a 40-year-old healthy woman contracts coronavirus and dies of COVID-19, we should all be digging into how that happened. Fortunately, that’s not happening much.

And until it does, and until you can prove to me that it does, I’m growing more and more skeptical of the government entities producing these COVID-19 numbers. I don’t know if they’re politically motivated, financially motivated or both, but I no longer trust them even a little bit.

And I’m hardly alone.

6. Of course, to play college football this fall, universities need to be open to students. I know there’s some gray area there, but I’m going to keep it real: If universities are closed to in-person instruction, there won’t be football played on those campuses. That’s an opinion, but it’s one I’m willing to bet on.

Along those lines, I simply don’t understand the reluctance to openly state the plan to open colleges and universities (and all state-funded K-12 schools, for that matter) in August.

There’s simply no real data to support a decision to the contrary. Yes, some things probably have to change. For example, buffet-style serving probably needs to disappear. I, for one, always found that to be nasty, but that’s besides the point.

Perhaps older teachers with comorbidities need to instruct electronically. God knows we’ve gotten good at Zoom. Perhaps students on college campuses need to wear masks in class. I don’t know. Whatever. Everybody might have to give a little, but putting life on hold for a virus that is ravaging nursing homes no longer seems sensible.

Don’t ask how, but I ended up in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Holly Springs Saturday. The following isn’t going to be politically correct, so if you’re easily offended, stop reading.

We were told months ago when we shut down society that this virus attacked the unhealthy. We were told it ravaged packs of people and spread like wildfire. I read that it was especially vicious on the obese and those with pre-existing health conditions.

I have to tell you, after spending some time observing in Holly Springs, I’m skeptical. I’m really, really skeptical. The only struggling I observed was people trying to cram a 58-inch television into a compact car already filled with people who clearly aren’t going hungry. People aren't socially distancing in towns like Holly Springs. Most weren't wearing masks. The DEA could've had a field day right there in the parking lot. And I dare say there were comorbidities all throughout that Wal-Mart. Yet people aren't dying there. They just aren't.

I’m not trying to be flippant, but I think a lot of the fear is simply unnecessary. College kids should be allowed to resume their lives. Yes, we should preach sanitation. Yes, we should take extra care of the elderly. But it’s time to get on with life.

In our house, we’re no longer limiting the kids’ movements. Their mental health is every bit as important as their physical health. They need their friends and their lives and their activities. I’ll buy big bottles of hand sanitizer from my friends at Cathead Distillery and I’ll urge the kids to use it liberally, but I refuse to lock them inside this house.

We’ve accepted visitors and will continue to do so. We’ve let Campbell travel and will continue to do so. If that’s irresponsible, well, so be it.

It’s my personal opinion, at least at this point, that college football should be played this fall and open to fans. In turn, fans should assess their own risk. If my 77-year-old parents were to tell me they planned to go tailgate all day and then attend a four-hour college football game, I’d question their logic. However, if that’s a risk they’re willing to take, OK. For the record, I doubt they’d do that, but if others in their shoes choose to, OK. No one should be ridiculed for wearing a mask, either. If that makes someone feel safer and more secure, all power to them. If body temperatures need to be taken, so be it. People need to be responsible. If you feel sick, you don’t need to be out and about around thousands of people.

As of today, it’s pretty obvious that’s not the plan for universities. Liability is an obvious issue. If an outbreak that resulted in even one fatality could be traced back to a college football stadium, lawsuits would most certainly follow. Further, the national media will be frothing at the mouth for a mistake to occur, and as a rule, universities don’t go looking for public relations nightmares.

We’ll see soon enough. The point where these decisions have to be made is coming and it’s coming quickly.

7. From the Associated Press:

Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House, an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country.

Friday’s 208-199 vote, with all but one Republican opposed, advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before November’s presidential and congressional elections.

In other words, politicians are taking a pandemic and the American economy and are playing games. Isn’t that nice?

The bill has no chance to become law, as the AP pointed out. It’s designed to create animosity. It’s also a teaching lesson if anyone is willing to be honest.

We, as a country, are creating a class of people who are going to latch on to the government tit, thinking — wrongly — that the government will just keep passing stimulus packages that put money in their pockets as long as they stay home and shelter in place until there’s a vaccine. That’s maddening. All we, as a country, are doing is threatening to bankrupt our children and grandchildren, devaluing the American dollar and creating a debt that will strangle their earning power.

More from the AP:

To enhance the bill’s political impact, Democrats named their measure “The Heroes Act” for the payments it would provide front-line emergency workers. With more than 86,000 Americans dead, 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in an frozen economy, Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaign-season target.

“Are you kidding me?” said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, of Republican assertions that it was time to stop spending more money. “Where do you guys live? Food lines at our food banks around the block? In the United States of America?”

Republicans saw the bill as a Democratic political blunder. They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work, and attacked language helping immigrants in the U.S. illegally get federal benefits. They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry’s access to banks.

“It may help the cannabis industry, but it won’t help Main Street,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Pelosi pushed the measure through after overcoming party divisions aggravated by election pressures. Some moderate Democrats opposed the package for its price tag and politically fraught provisions like assisting marijuana businesses. A few progressive Democrats were upset because it did not do more, such as guaranteeing workers’ salaries and bolstering their health insurance coverage.

Fourteen Democrats voted against the measure. Nearly all are centrists and number among the party’s most vulnerable lawmakers in November’s elections: freshmen from districts Trump won in 2016.

Among them was Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa, who labeled the measure “bloated.” Another, Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, tweeted, “This bill strays far beyond delivering relief or responding to an urgent crisis, & it has no chance at becoming law.”

We’ve got to start implementing some common sense here. We’ve got to get back to work. Maybe we need to be careful. Maybe we need to piece-meal it. I don’t know. But it’s time to get back to something resembling normalcy.

I’ve never claimed to be the smartest guy in the room. Whenever I do something stupid, my wife, Laura, will remind me I have a Masters of Arts degree. I have to remind Laura that the people at what is now ULM looked at me, checked for a pulse and said, “Oh, hell, close enough. Congratulations.” Then they handed me a diploma.

Someone smarter than I needs to step up and be the voice of reason. More and more, this whole episode just doesn’t make sense.

We were told to flatten the curve. It’s flattened. We were told we couldn’t overrun health care systems. Most of us agreed; that simply was a risk we couldn’t take. We didn’t. It kind of feels like it’s time to get moving.

Burton Webb authors Taste of the Place each week on 10 Weekend Thoughts.

8. Anyway, let’s eat. Here’s Burton Webb with Taste of the Place, Lesson 36 — Chicken Curry (from David Danish in Bangladesh):

Making the decision to finally go to Italy felt like both a sigh of relief and an overwhelming excitement for possibilities. What was I going to do there? Learn to cook better. Why was I doing this? It was what I needed to do for five years now.

When you go into a land that is not familiar, it can be daunting. I met the gentleman above while cooking in Rome and we have been friends ever since. Every Sunday night with the group of friends that I had in Roma, we would do Sunday night dinner. It was wonderful and yes, David made the best curries that I have ever eaten. Luckily he gave me not only this recipe but others and was more than overjoyed for me to share this with you. He did say to not let his mother know that he gave out the family recipe though.

Tidbit #1: Chop all of your vegetables first before dicing your chicken. In this way you can use the same work surface. Also, the chicken needs to be in rather big chunks since it will shrink during the cooking process.

Tidbit #2: When you peel ginger, never use a peeler. Always use the backside of a spoon. Tidbit #3: You will be cooking everything in one pot so, make sure to have a large enough cooking pot with a lid.

Tidbit #4 (Last one): You are not going to cook the chicken all the way through when we first “brown” the outside of it. We want to infuse the oil with the chicken flavor and will continue to cook the chicken once we simmer the mixture later.

Things you will need: 1 hour of being in the kitchen Serving plates for 4-6 people Side helpings of rice A wonderful mid-spring evening

Utensils needed:

1 Work surface with a chef knife 1 Regular spoon 1 Slotted spoon 1 Wooden spoon

Measuring cups of 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 tbsp, and 1 tsp 1 Medium mixing bowl 1 Large sauce pot with lid

Ingredients needed:

2 Kg Boneless chicken breasts 2 Tsp Salt 1/2 Cup cooking oil 1.5 Cups chopped onion (medium) 1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 1/2 Tsp minced fresh ginger root

1 Tbsp curry powder 1 Tsp ground cumin 1 Tsp ground turmeric 1 Tsp ground coriander 1 Tsp cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp water

8 Tomatoes cut into dice 1 Cup plain yogurt Fresh coriander leaves, just a few to make you smile he says 1 Tsp salt 1/2 Cup water 1 Tsp garam masala

Directions:

Step 1: “Mise en place” of all of your spices. There are a lot of them. Begin by chopping your onion, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger root. Then proceed to dice the chicken after. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the 1 tsp salt and turmeric powder.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet and partially cook the chicken in batches until completely browned. Transfer the brown chicken breasts to the side plate and set aside.

Step 3: Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium-low. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook until the onion is translucent, for about 8 minutes.

Step 4: Stir in the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and 1 tbsp of water into the onion mixture. Allow to cook together for 1 minute.

Step 5: Add the diced tomatoes, yogurt, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, and 1 tsp of salt. Return the chicken breast to the skillet along with any juices on the plate.

Step 6: Pour the 1/2 cup of water into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Turn the chicken to make sure it is coated in the sauce. Then sprinkle the garam masala over the chicken.

Step 7 (Last step): Cover the skillet and let simmer for 20 minutes. If you would like, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end if you desire more acidity. Serve with rice in a bowl! From the Mississippian in Paris to Bangladesh, Bon appétit!

Jonathan Howard authors the Drink of the Week for 10 Weekend Thoughts

9. And for goodness sake, let’s drink. Here’s our award-winning resident mixologist, Johnathan Howard:

The heat is hitting the south as the country slowly begins to open back up. I spent last weekend with my grandmother in what will most likely be her last Mother’s Day. The whole family was there and it felt really special. It’s moments like that I want to be able to look back on fondly and know I did everything I could to be present. It also makes me remember when I was home after a long stint in NYC without time in Alabama, and I came home for the Fourth of July. My brother and I received a call from my grandmother on the drive to my aunt’s house and all I remember hearing is, “When are you gonna get here and work this blender?” So in honor of Annelia Howard, the Pina Colada is your drink of the week.

First a little review!

The five ingredients of a cocktail are:

Physical Liquids & Solids, Dilution, Aeration, Balance, & Mouthfeel, Temperature.

Physical Liquids & Solids are the tangible items being used to create the cocktail. They of course start with spirits whether they are a full 80 proof or not, but can also include acid, sugar, herbs and spices.

Dilution is the amount of water added to the drink to bind it through the use of ice or chilled water. To get proper dilution into a cocktail:

Stirred Cocktails: 35 rotations.

Shaken Cocktails: Shake hard for 12 seconds

Thrown Cocktail: Toss 6 times.

Swizzled Cocktails: Swizzle for 12 Seconds

Aeration is the amount of oxygen forced into a cocktail by stirring, shaking, or throwing the beverage. Aeration adds a dry quality to the cocktail much like drinking sparkling water instead of still as an example.

Stirred Cocktails: This is for drinks consisting of all spirits and gives minimal aeration.

Thrown Cocktail: This is for drinks consisting of all spirits and gives medium aeration.

Shaken Cocktails: This is for drinks consisting of mixed ingredients and gives maximum aeration.

Swizzled Cocktails: This is for drinks consisting of mixed ingredients and served on crushed ice and gives medium aeration.

Balance is equaling out the ratio of spirit to acid to sugar. This is something a little more complex that we will get into drink by drink as it is in my opinion the hardest and most important ingredient we will deal with.

Temperature is the desired degree of heat or cold you wish for a cocktail to be. Drinks should be chilled between 28- 32 degrees Fahrenheit for most options however hot drinks like the toddy should be around 116 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is going to help with the mouth feel of the drink and how much of the alcohol shines through depending on what you get for balance.

Mouthfeel this is literally the way the liquid feels once it hits the mouth.

Now that we know a little more of the why, let’s dive in with a basic recipe and break it down then put a couple simple twists on it.

PINA COLADA

Physical Liquids & Solids: Light and Dark Rums, Coconut Cream (coco lopez), DOLE Pineapple Juice

Balance: 1.5oz Light Rum, 2 oz. Coco Lopez Coconut Cream, 2 ounces Dole Pineapple Juice, 1 oz. Dark Rum

Aeration: 2 Ways to properly make this drink. One, is to build in in a glass, other than the dark rum, half full with Sonic ice, swizzle making sure to go up and down the drink to add the aeration, then top it with more ice and floating the rum. The second, is to blend it by adding 1 cup of ice to the recipe above and blending it, then topping with the dark rum.

Dilution: Dilution should be your typical level of 20% dilution for the volume of the drink.

Temperature: 26 degrees is the temperature you want so I would strongly suggest using a chilled cocktail glass at the end so that you can keep that temperature for a long as possible.

TWISTING THE WHISKEY SOUR

Physical Liquids & Solids: This is not the easiest drink to twist and change. But you can by floating different things on the top of the drink and adding in dashes of bitters to the mixture as well. Splitting the Base of the drink can also be a great way to impart some other flavors. Also, grated spices and spraying teas can also give you aroma that imparts flavors as well.

Balance: In keeping with the same formula as the classic version is really the only way to keep balance in this drink.

Aeration: Shouldn’t Change

Dilution: Shouldn’t Change

Temperature: Shouldn’t Change

Recipe could look something like this:

Bitter Colada

2 oz. Bacardi Light Rum

1 oz. Coco Lopez

2 oz. Pineapple Juice

1 oz. Campari (Float on Top)

1 Mist Chamomile Tea

BUILD ON CRUSHED ICE

Spanish Colada

2 oz. Bacardi Light Rum

1 oz. Coco Lopez

2 oz. Pineapple Juice

1 oz. PX Sherry (Float on Top)

Grated Nutmeg on Top

ADD 1 Cup Ice and Blend

Southern Colada

1 oz. Bulleit Bourbon

1 oz. Ron Zacapa Rum

1 oz. Coco Lopez

2 oz. Pineapple Juice

4 Dash Peach Bitters

Garnish with Mint Top

BUILD ON CRUSHED ICE

CHEERS!

10. A piece of my childhood died Saturday when Phyllis George passed away in Lexington, Ky. She was 70.

When I was a kid, I was so glad we went to early church. Church lasted until 9:30. Sunday school was over at 10:45. We were home by 11. The NFL Today came on at 11:30. Brent Musburger would say, "You are looking live..." and I was locked in. It was Musberger, Irv Cross, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder and Phyllis George.

I was a kid, so I never fully understood how much George impacted girls and young women who wanted to get into sports. She was just part of my favorite show, but in reality, she was a pioneer. May she rest in peace.

We will have coverage of football recruiting and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:

College football prepares for a tough matchup versus coronavirus

The questions that need to be answered for college football to return on time – The Athletic

MAC football teams change hotel policy, shrink travel roster | Toledo Blade

Michigan football’s season opener at Washington could be in jeopardy - mlive.com

How MLB's proposal to start the season will affect players (2:22)

Stark: What happens if players choose not to play this season? – The Athletic

Exclusive: MLB proposes medical and safety protocols to players in 67-page document – The Athletic

Carig: More than money, players’ health concerns could challenge MLB restart – The Athletic

Rosenthal: Inactive players could be the only ones receiving full pay this year – The Athletic

Goold on the Cardinals: Goldschmidt finds connections through books | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com

More than a billion concerns: The risks, locations and finances NBA is weighing – The Athletic

Hollinger’s NBA Draft Top 20 (plus sleepers): The guys I’d be willing to bet on – The Athletic