5-at-10: All-star suggestions, eye-popping LIV-PGA merger ideas, college football hot seats

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — From the 5-at-10 satellite office here on the panhandle, where we will start bracket play this morning.

We split Day 1 of pool play, losing our opener to a team from Illinois and beating a team from Arlington. We won our third pool game against a team from the Houston area.

Dare I say we have a lone win and a lone loss against Texas teams so far.

The blond pitcher who rode in my backseat gets the ball for Game 1 today. Pray for me. And the umpires.

All-star snoozer

As UTCMocs mentioned in the comments, the MLB All-Star game has become rather forgettable.

And for those of you who never knew a VCR, know this: The MLB All-Star game used to be the bee's knees. For fans and the players.

Yes, interleague play forever changed that newness and competitive pride. So too did the DH in some ways because there used to be a passionate "Our league is better because of this" kind of vibe that carried over to the All-Star Game.

And since interleague play and the DH are not going anywhere, there's a real chance the All-Star Game will never be able to fully regain the luster it had in its heyday.

Side note: How big was the All-Star Game? Know this, of all my childhood baseball memories — think MLB action from Bucky Dent's homer to beat the Red Sox (sorry, Spy) to Gibson's homer off Eckersley in 1988 when I was a senior in high school — Dave Parker's throw to nail Brain Downing at the plate in the 1979 All-Star Game is high on that list people. The Cobra was a dude now.

Last night's 3-2 NL win put more people to sleep than Nyquil and made more people blurry-eyed than Bud Light (especially with the way the sales continue to plummet).

So as baseball's powers that be have wisely and effectively tweaked its longstanding rules to make its product more fan-friendly and more TV-appealing, why not roll the dice on something that already has the key sports broadcast point that checks the first box of business enterprise.

Location, location, location on the TV calendar.

The All-Star Game has absolutely no competition. If they can make even a mildly compelling product, they have the attention of every sports fan — and every sports media outlet — across the country.

So how can we help if we know the old-school NL vs. AL pride created by the World Series and the All-Star being the only times those leagues faced? Let's explore.

First, put the star back in the actual All-Star Game. Look, I know the Oakland A's are still a MLB team, but do away with the "every team gets a trophy" all-star rule folks. Do you want to see Shohei Ohtani bat an extra time or watch A's outfielder Brent Rooker (I swear he was an All-Star; must have been the coach's kid huh?) and his .246 average stroll to the plate?

Let the names we know in the lineup play at least the first four or five innings.

Also, trim the rosters back to help in the process of not needing to pinch-hit for every hitter after the third inning and relieve every pitcher after three outs. This is way more doable since the break is longer than ever, but being an All-Star should really mean something. Not just because you're a fan favorite in Arlington and the Rangers fans flooded the ballot box, you know?

Next, you cannot over mic these players. Find the ones that want to be future announcers — looking at you Freddie Freeman — or future managers — looking at you Sean Murphy — and let them call the action rather than being an interview subject. The sounds of the game inside the game would be a smash, and it's something we'd never get in a game that actually means something.

Also, "means something" needs to be discussed. Be it financial — $1 million to each player on the winning side; nothing to the losing side (if you make the All-Star Game what it could be, the TV partners will pay the tab) — or embarrassing — losing players and managers have to do a slip-n-slide of Nickelodeon goo across the outfield after the game — have the players put some skin the game.

And while this may just be cosmetic, do away with the matching uniforms. Have the players wear their team threads and look wicked cool as a mismatched collection of stars in road or home duds. Just trust me on this.

Like you have to trust me that the All-Star Game used to be a big deal.

Devils in the details

So normally I'd rather be audited by the IRS during a root canal while waiting to attend the mandatory company insurance seminar than watch a Congressional hearing.

Yeah, no thanks.

A Saudi bigwig wanting membership at Augusta National, among other muckety-muck clubs. Can't you just see the LIV executive who runs the PIF for the Saudis who wants a Green Jacket walking to the first tee and yelling, "Hey, Billy Payne, bet you slide into the concession stands, $1 million." Payne's only answer of course would be, "gambling's illegal at Augusta National, and I never slice."

Rory and Tiger were clearly the LIV's top targets before settling on Phil, Brooks and others. Part of the LIV wants for essentially funding men's professional golf across the globe was to have Tiger and Rory play in at least 10 LIV events and included them in the team format as captains/owners of their own squads.

The PGA wanted Greg Norman fired and did not want him part of the future union. Man, talk about swimming with the Sharks. (See what I did there?)

Wait, why did no one ask for Brandel Chamblee to be forced to cover a LIV event?

It's critical to note that these were suggestions and wants in the negotiation process not agreed on terms, but still, as the deal is fluid and pieces in motion who knows.

Well, who knows anything other than this: There is very little that could surprise me in the merger discussions between the LIV and the PGA.

And nothing more so than the LIV bigwig attending a members meeting at the Masters.

Hot seats

So CBSsports.com's Dennis Dodd ranked the college football coaches with the hottest seats.

Yeah, it's a list, but summer is sports-list city, you know?

Here's the story, and enjoy. It does rank every coach at the 133 FBS schools.

It also had a picture of Butch Jones on the lead-in tile, which made me wonder if the current Arkansas State and former Tennessee coach has really ever enjoyed a cool seat.

Here are the three five-alarm fire chairs in Dodd's eyes:

Indiana's Tom Allen, New Mexico's Danny Gonzales and West Virginia's Neal Brown.

Of note, the hottest SEC seat belonged to Jimbo Fisher, who got a 4 on the 0-5 scale with five being the hottest.

Which begs the question for me that I think Jimbo this year is either a 1 or a 5. Either they have pooled the money for that massive buyout if the Aggies replicate 2022 this fall or they know the money is too extreme for the next few years.

Thoughts?

This and that

— Speaking of the All-Star Game, the NL won outright and the game went under the 7 (or 7.5 depending on what line you got and when) last night. Who knew? Oh yeah. Rule 1 of a betting streak, don't talk about Fight Club. Rule 2: DON'T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB.

— Atlanta is a candidate to host the 2025 All-Star Game. Hmmmm, wonder if Rob Manfred has gotten Stacey Abrams' okie-dokey on that idea.

— Also the pitch clock could be expanded for the postseason. Interesting. Thoughts?

Today's questions

Which way Wednesday starts this way:

Which idea would help the MLB All-Star game the most?

Which SEC coach is on the hottest seat?

Which demand acknowledged in the LIV-PGA merger is the most outlandish?

Which way do you vote, pro-Barry or anti-Barry in terms of the Hall of Fame?

As for today, let's review.

Alexander Hamilton died on this day after losing a pistol duel to Aaron Burr. Man, that's cold.

On this day in 1976, the first "Family Feud" debuted. Man, Richard Dawson's kissing antics would simply not fly in this day and age, you know it?

The Rolling Stones performed for the first time on this day 60 years ago. Yes, 60. I was negative 8.

Rushmore of "stone," and live a little.