Monday, February 23, 2026

2026 SEC QB Power Rankings?

680 posted Chuck Oliver's 2026 SEC QB power rankings. Not so fast. Usually the King of College Football is spot on, but this time he has several kinda shakey picks. We'll see who is on top come December. Here's the rankings, but with last year's QBR.

1. 86.0 Trinidad Chambliss Ole Miss. A Mississippi judge recently granted him a 6th year of eligibility, but it very well could be overturned by a NCAA protest.

2. 65.2 Sam Leavitt LSU transfer from Arizona State. Every year the LSU comes into the season highly touted, and more often than not, they fade away.

3. 70.6 Arch Manning Texas. In 2026 Arch's QBR will be top ten. Ya heard it here first.

4. 85.8 Gunner Stockton UGA. I expect no letup from Gunner.

5. 61.5 LaNorris Sellers SC was supposed to be a Heisman candidate last year, then struggled. He won't be in the top five come November. 

6. 65.6 John Mateer Oklahoma struggled with injuries last year.

7. Byrum Brown Auburn

8. Marcel Reed Texas A&M struggled against tough competition

9. Austin Simmons Missouri

10. Austin Mack Alabama will be a first year starter

11. Aaron Philo Florida transfer from GT. Might surprise some people. 

12. Kemario Taylor Miss State

13. Jared Curtis Vanderbilt. True freshman. May not even start.

14. Kenny Minchey Kentucky

15. KJ Jackson Arkansas

16. George MacIntyre Tennessee. The Vols' fifth starting QB in 5 years. 

Speaking of Gunner, he and Herschel were on hand to greet the president when he stepped off Air Force One in Rome this past Thursday. Social media going crazy. 

Sportscaster Al Michaels has done so many great things in his long career. The miracle on ice in 1980. Super Bowls. World Series. The 1989 San Francisco earthquake. But perhaps best of all: Al Michaels has never eaten a vegetable.  

The Idiot's Guide to Being Alone: Chapter One: How to Exist in Public Without Triggering an Alarm. Old guy things...

1. You explain things no one asked about.

2. You think your experience is relevant. It's not. No one cares.

3. You linger. Regular people finish the transaction and leave.

4. You mistake proximity for permission to chat. Standing near someone doesn't mean they want your commentary.

5. You make eye contact, and expect it back. 

6. You evaluate people out loud. "You look tired!" or "That's a lot of groceries!" This is not charming, not desired in any way, and quickly becomes creepy. leave other people alone.

GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER [SABR Biois the only pitcher to lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA in three straight seasons. 

1915 – Led NL in W (31), K (214) & ERA (1.22)

1916 – Led NL in W (33), K (241) & ERA (1.55)

1917 – Led NL in W (30), K (167) & ERA (1.83)

He won 91 games for the Phillies, 83 for the Cubs, and 34 for the Cardinals. In 6 seasons, his CG total was more than 30. Only Christy Mathewson did this 7 times.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Benefits of Working Together

What's the Point?
Lee Taylor JFBC (Heather Swilley's husband)
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 two is better than one.

Last week: The lonely rich guy. Solomon: it's all vanity.

Lee grew up in Stuart Florida near West Palm Beach, taking long floats on kayaks. Loved the show Alone, a reality series. Totally isolated. One guy didn't last 5 minutes. Others lasted 60 days. They drop out because they can't handle the isolation. What Solomon is talking about. So much was good when God created the world, but it was not good for man to be alone, even in paradise.
 
What's the point? God designed us for relationships, because it is better than being alone. Anxiety skyrocketed after everyone got a smartphone.

Benefits of working together…

1. v 9 More reward. Just by being together. Jesus could've done it by himself, Matt 4:19 - he instead invited 12 to do ministry with him. He sent them out 2 by 2.

What are you working toward? Who is doing it with you? God has commissioned us to go and make disciples.

2. More safety. v 10. Exodus 17 after they come through the Red Sea, they encounter another battle. Moses takes his staff and raises it, and it helped them in battle. Aaron helped prop up Moses arms with his staff uplifted.

You will continue to encounter broken people and various difficulties. Did Aaron think Moses was the one doing all these great things? But God directed Aaron to check up on Moses. Good days and bad

Who is going to help me when I'm having a bad day? Who can I ask for help? Who can I help?

3. v 11 More warmth. Not just physically. Coals stay warm when together, but grow cold when separated.

Hebrews 10:24-25 let us consider how to stir one another up, toward good deeds and love. Sometimes it takes awkward conversations. Part of the abundant life that God wants for us. Living the Christian life is a team sport.

John 13:35

What is the proximity of the people in your life? Are you alone, or are you building relationships?

4. More offense and defense. v 12 Ephesians 6 our struggle is not against flesh and blood…

The thief comes to steal kill and destroy. That's what satan is thinking about. We desperately need God on our side.

Do you have a fight club? Because you're in a fight. Who's on your side? Are you? in a group who intentionally and relationally help each other grow closer to God?

The three fold cord is not easily broken. Is Jesus woven into the fabric of your life and relationships? Look for this in your relationships.
Since Clay wasn't preaching, he volunteered to help out in one of the preschool classes.

38 in Sunday School. My friend Lee was pictured on the back of the bulletin.

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Chattahoochee Nature Center

Had a couple of crazy days with the girls. Thursday we took them to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Walked almost 3 miles. Wore them out. Turtles, geese, ducks, a possum, a snake, two owls, fish. Shivonne only brought boots, and eventually took them off. So Millie had to take her sneakers off. 
Cost us $65.00 to get in. Cheaper to go see the Braves. Came home and had nap time after lunch. Matthew came over and ate supper with us. Spaghetti. Winnie and I slept downstairs on the couch. 
Friday morning they've had me read Green Eggs and Ham several times. I showed them the video of Jesse Jackson reading the book, but they didn't appreciate it as much as I did. 
We all spent time outside in the sunshine. We're going to have to clean up the backyard playhouse for the girls.  
We all went to Target. They were amazed at  all the Disney stuff there. Friday evening we went to a Sunday School gathering up at the church. My friend Gee cooked: wings, dumplings, Doritos, cookies, cheesecakes, fresh fruits. His wife made me take home a to go plate. Sixteen in attendance.  

Stumbled across a hole in the wall wings place down on MLK not too far from W&MC's. The Bando. On Thursday and Friday they have an Aunt & Uncle Special for people 35 & older: 13 wings & fries for $7.99. They double batter & double fry the wings. They also serve loaded hot dogs with chili, bacon, cheese, and lettuce. Lots of good reviews. 
Missed out on three nice mornings to play golf. Rained Saturday, and it's going to be too cold next week. We'll see. 

Watched Best Medicine on Wednesday night. After the first few episodes being very good, hopefully they're not lowering their standards and resorting to sex and other violence, as Radar O'Reilley used to say.  

In the famous "Merkle's Boner" game, as replayed at the end of the season, Christy Mathewson was the losing pitcher. The winning pitcher was MORDECAI BROWN [SABR Bioon 08-Oct-1908. Click here for details. Ironically, he was the losing pitcher in Mathewson's final career victory, on 04-Sep-1916Click for full story. A switch-hitter, Brown racked up 206 hits. He played for the Chicago Cubs 1904-1912 and 1914. He played 33 games for the Federal League's Chicago Whales, where he had a record of 17-8 with a 2.09 ERA. He went back to the Cubs in 1916 where he pitched on the final 12 games of his Hall of Fame career.

They laid the new floors in the bedroom. The carpet upstairs was like 20 years old, and in bad shape. 

Went to the gym Wednesday morning, then mailed a letter on the way home. Ceil ate dinner with one group of friends Tuesday night, and for lunch Wednesday with Myra and Mary Hurt. Mary Hubert was sick. Tuesday night I fixed myself quesadillas with leftover chicken salad. For lunch Wednesday I ate the oatmeal that Ceil had leftover. Ceil volunteered to cook dinner for a lady at church whose husband died, but I was the one delivering it to Kennesaw on Wednesday afternoon. C skipped small group tonight. Her group is behind the curriculum. My group is on track, and with a couple of group members out of town, we took the scheduled week off for winter break.

Bought myself a ticket for the first game in Chattanooga's new baseball stadium on April 14. We'll see how that conflicts with the arrival of Anna's baby, due April 12.   

On Tuesday was down with the girls. I lifted weights this morning. Saw Nancy and the Navy vet David, and some of the regulars in the sauna. Then I cooled down on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Stopped by Wendys for free large fries with purchase. Had to wait 4 minutes / 240 seconds. Fries were hot but the burger lacked ketchup and mustard. 

Denison: It is unusual when a book about science and faith draws endorsements from leading scientists, but that's the case with God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution. A Nobel laureate and professors at Oxford, Cambridge, and Princeton have all applauded its remarkable "panorama of current knowledge regarding the existence or non-existence of a creator God." The authors collaborated with 20 "high-level international specialists and scientists" over 4 years of research. It deals with arguments against God's existence from across history, demonstrating that the universe is better understood as the product of a mind-like cause than by blind process. The writers conclude: Until recently, believing in God seemed incompatible with science. Now, science has become God's ally.  

Friday, February 20, 2026

Top Five QB's by Team

Question of the day was who were your team's top five QB's. I posted six teams. Since so many youngsters post the most recent five, my picked traded old school. Should be easy for you to figure out what the teams are below.

1. Otto Brown
2. Frank Ryan
3. Bernie Kosar
4. Milt Plum
5. Bill Nelson

1. Joe Namath
2. Harry Gilmer
3. AJ McCarron
4. Tua T
5. Ken Stabler

1. Joe Montana
2. John Brodie
3. Steve Young
4. YA Tittle
5. Frankie Albert

1. Brett Favre
2. Bart Starr
3. Aaron Rodgers
4. Zeke Bratkowski
5. Lynn Dickey

1. Sammy Baugh
2. Sonny Jurgenson
3. Joe Theisman
4. Billy Kilmer
5. Doug Williams

1. Roman Gabriel
2. Norm Van Brocklin
3. Bob Waterfield
4. Kurt Warner
5. Jim Everitt

1. Eli Manning
2. YA Tittle
3. Charlie Connerly
4. Fran Tarkenton
5. Phil Simms

1. Johnny Unitas
2. Peyton Manning
3. Bert Jones
4. Earl Morrall
5. Andrew Luck

1. Trevor Lawrence
2. Deshaun Watson
3. Steve Fuller
4. Homer Jordan
5. Tajh Boyd

1. Roger Staubach
2. Don Meredith
3. Troy Aikman
4. Eddie LeBaron
5. Danny White

1. Drew Brees
2. Archie Manning
3. Billy Kilmer
4. Bobby Hebert
5. Aaron Brooks

1. John Lujack
2. Paul Hornung
3. Joe Theisman
4. Terry Hanratty
5. Joe Montana
1. Stetson Bennett
2. Fran Tarkenton
3. Buck Belue
4. Aaron Murray
5. Matthew Stafford

1. Billy Lothridge
2. Kim King
3. Joe Hamilton
4. Shawn Jones
5. Haynes King

1. Matt Ryan
2. Steve Bartkowski
3. Michael Vick
4. Bob Berry
5. Chris Miller

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Are You a Digital Creator?

Couple of months ago I stumbled across my friend Gary's bio.  He works for Stan Smith Events. His bio describes him as a digital creator.  Evidently that's a thing. Had to google the definition. Here's what it said: "Someone who sets up their account to monetize clicks, shares, and engagements". "Many are bots or scam accounts". "Someone who doesn't have a real job". "One who produces content for a larger audience". Some say Facebook will just arbitrarily designate your account as digital creator. Or you can manually do so yourself. Evidently my sister is a Digital Creator. 

My friend Lang is a Digital Creator. It's literally his job. He talks and writes and posts for a living, on several different media platforms. Works for a media company. I checked his profile. Doesn't say digital creator. Doesn't have to. It's who he is.

While I rarely post on social media any more, I will tweet from time to time. If the feeling is right. And I've been posting original content on my personal blog on a daily basis for the past twenty years. If that's not a digital creator, I don't know what is. Yet some people dub themselves a digital creator while posting close to zero original content, aside from trolling people they don't know in the comments of other people's posts. Whatever floats your boat. 

Tuesday: Ceil was down with the girls again. I lifted weights. Saw Nancy and the Navy vet David, and some of the regulars in the sauna. Then I cooled down on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Stopped by Wendys for free large fries with purchase. Had to wait 4 minutes / 240 seconds. Fries were hot but the burger lacked ketchup and mustard.

Wednesday: they're laying the new floors in the bedroom. The carpet upstairs was like 20 years old, and in bad shape. 

Went to the gym, then mailed a letter on the way home. Ceil ate dinner with one group of friends Tuesday night, and for lunch on Wedbesday with Myra and Mary Hurt. Tuesday night I fixed myself quesadillas with leftover chicken salad. For lunch Wednesday I ate the oatmeal that Ceil had leftover. Ceil volunteered to cook dinner for a lady at church whose husband died, and I delivered it. My small group is on track, and with a couple of group members out of town, we will be taking the scheduled week off for winter break. 

We hope to take Shivonne and Millie to see Megan in Cinderella, in the Saturday afternoon matinee.
It was nice enough this morning for Anna and Goose to hang out on their front porch.   


R.I.P. Jesse Jackson, a pivital figure in the civil rights movement.  When Dr. Seuss passed away, Jackson famously read the book "Green Eggs and Ham" on Saturday Night Live.
ANDRES GALARRAGA [SABR BioFrom 1985 to 2019, Galarraga played for MON, STL, COL, ATL, TEX, SFG, & ANA. Galarraga averaged 105 Ks annually over his 19-year career, but he finished with a slugging average of .499 & an OPS+ mark of 119. He won Gold Gloves in 1989 & 1990 for the Expos, won Silver Sluggers for the Expos in 1988 and for Colorado in 1996. Comeback Player of the Year in 1993 with the Rockies and in 2000 with the Braves. Whitey Herzog called his the best fielding first baseman since Gil Hodges.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Chattanooga's New Ballpark

Chattanooga is building a fancy new baseball stadium / event venue south of downtown. www.ErlingerPark.com - across the interstate from the Choo Choo. Opens in April. I just bought a ticket for Opening Day. Hard to figure out what it's going to look like. Being built into the side of an old tube factory. I'll pass by there in a couple of weeks.
Historic Engel Stadium still stands just northeast of downtown Chattanooga (above & below). The Lookouts played there until 1999. Where Ruth and Gehrig were famously struck out by a woman pitcher. As a high school freshman, Will pitched five no hit innings in the old ballpark. The old jewel is owned by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. UTC wants to tear down the grandstand to make way for a women's sports complex, though historic preservationists are seeking to keep the ballpark. 
JFBC is moving ahead, getting the necessary permits and surveying done, and should start clearing land for the new worship center this summer. 

Tasty biscuit places that I need to try out. 
1. Red Eyed Mule in Marietta
2. Stilesboro Biscuits in Kennesaw
3. Beaver Creek Biscuit Company in Lithia Springs
4. Biscuits And More in Marietta
5. Burger Inn, in Woodstock
There's this investor guy named Ray Dalio sounding the panic alarm about artificial intelligence. Turns out he is in cahoots with the Chinese government, a well paid pawn the Chinese are using to create chaos in the US while China uses American resources to develop even more powerful artificial intelligence. China is paying off former US Presidents and their families, politicians of both parties, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley - getting them to work against the US to develop greater weapons. China is paying off the US media to get them to not report about these things. Chinese officials have paid off Bill Gates, Henry Kissinger, and even the great Lebron James. All in the book I'm reading: Red Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win, by Peter Scheizer. There's a saying in China: "Capitalists will sell you the rope to hang them with", perhaps first uttered by Vladimir Lenin or Karl Marx.   

Finished the novel Part of Your World, by Abby Jimenez. Addresses domestic violence and verbal abuse.

R.I.P. ROY FACE [SABR BioFor the 1959 Pirates, his record was 18-1 (with 0 starts), resulting in a record .947 W-L%. He was the first pitcher to save three games in one World Series: in games 1, 4, & 5 of the Pirates’ 1960 upset WS win over the Yankees. John Wetteland surpassed Face in 1996 setting a record that is unlikely ever to be broken: 4 saves in a single WS. Face was the first to save 20+ games twice: in 1958 (20) & 1960 (24). His career-best was 28 saves in 1962. Branch Rickey’s Brooklyn Dodgers selected Face in the annual winter draft in 1950.  Two years later, Rickey drafted Face again, this time for the Pirates. Saves were tallied by most teams even though the "save" wasn't officially acknowledged by MLB until 1969, Face's final season. Retroactively, he was credited being the NL saves leader in 1958, 1961 & 1962. Face’s signature pitch was a forkball, learned in the minors after watching former Yankee star reliever Joe Page throw in 1954 Spring Training with the Pirates. Face said his own forkball acted like a cross between a knuckler and a sin.ker. “How do you know which way it will go?” he was once asked. “I don't,” he said, “but neither does the batter.” Face appeared 802 times as a pitcher for  the Pirates. Years earlier, Walter Johnson had reached the same number with Washington.


Denison: It is unusual when a book about science and faith draws endorsements from leading scientists, but that's the case with God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution. A Nobel laureate and professors at Oxford, Cambridge, and Princeton have all applauded its remarkable "panorama of current knowledge regarding the existence or non-existence of a creator God." The authors collaborated with 20 "high-level international specialists and scientists" over 4 years of research. It deals with arguments against God's existence from across history, demonstrating that the universe is better understood as the product of a mind-like cause than by blind process. The writers conclude: Until recently, believing in God seemed incompatible with science. Now, science has become God's ally.  

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

GOAT

Fans compare Greg Maddux to Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martenez, and Nolan Ryan as if they're equals. Not even close. Who won 15 or more games a record 17 times? Who won more games than any righthander since the end of the Dead Ball Era? Maddux's 1.8 walks per 9 innings were markedly lower than his contemporaries. Strikeouts might be cool. Some pitchers may have been lights out for 2 or 3 years. But the object of the game is to win. No one was as consistently great as Maddux. 

W/YR..W.YR.BB9.streak of 15+wins
15.43 355 23 1.8 17 Greg Maddux
14.95 284 19 2.0 06 Fergie Jenkins
14.93 209 14 2.2 04 Don Drysdale 
14.78 266 18 4.1 06 Bob Feller 
14.76 251 17 3.1 05 Bob Gibson
14.75 236 16 3.1 05 Whitey Ford
14.75 354 24 2.9 07 Roger Clemens
14.11 268 19 3.0 05 Jim Palmer
14.09 324 23 2.3 08 Don Sutton
13.77 303 22 3.3 04 Randy Johnson
13.75 165 12 3.2 04 Sandy Koufax 
13.71 329 24 3.2 07 Steve Carlton
13.30 266 20 2.5 03 Justin Verlander
13.25 318 24 3.0 07 Phil Niekro 
12.78 221 18 2.4 04 Max Scherzer
12.39 223 18 2.2 03 Clayton Kershaw
12.17 219 18 2.4 04 Pedro Martinez 
12.00 324 27 4.7 03 Nolan Ryan
Monday: productive morning: (1) played golf, (2) gassed up my car, (3) hit the gym for an hour, (4) visited the AT&T Store, (5) picked up two things at CVS, and (6) picked up my dry cleaning.
AM golf: Took my time getting started, but the professor was a no show. Even played the first hole twice while looking out for him.
1. Decent 6 iron off the old first tee box. Then another nice long 6 iron to just short of the front right bunker. Chipped just over the green. 
1. From the new 1st tee box I hit driver. Went a little further than my earlier 6 iron. Hit two good 5 irons, first into the front right bunker, then a mulligan that landed just a short of the green. One of my 3 chips stuck on the green. Two putt for bogey.
2. After a flub I hit one straight, but short. Hit about 5 chips, none that good. Double.
3. Hit two straight 8 irons off the tee. Both short, but at least that didn't roll down off the green. A couple of good chips. Took me 4 tries to sink the par putt.
4. Hit one short, then hit two good 5 irons. One settled on the front right fringe. Hit several nice lag putts to within inches. Par.
5. Hit four tee shots, not that good. Hit several chips, a couple to the front fringe. Hit a couple of good lag putts. Couldn't sink a bogey putt.
6. Hit two pretty good drives off the tee. Only one of my three fairway shots was good. Hit one real good chip, out of four tries. Took me a couple of attempts to sink the par putt. 
7. Hit a drive right, flubbed one, then lined a drive into to the hill. It managed to roll part of the way up. Two decent 6 irons, the first further than the mulligan. Chipped one to the front of the green, and a second to the back. Putted two close. Bogey.
8. Hit two high drives to the middle of the fairway. Not much roll or distance. Hit one great chip, three others were just okay, and only one flub. Hit like 4 birdie putts to within inches. Par 
9. Just before i walked to the last tee, a grandfather had taken his two young grandsons off the adjacent bike trail for a little adventure. Maybe one had to pee. But they hung around to watch me tee off. I hit a decent hybrid up the right side of the fairway. With a tree branch in my way, none of my chips were good. One did hit the branch, or it might've been good. Hit three uphill putts past the hole, and left one short. Just so hard to putt on this green. Double 

SHOHEI OHTANI [B-R Biois the only major leaguer to win MVP unanimously more than once. Playing for the Angels, Ohtani won the AL MVP in 2021 & 2023.  After signing with LAD, he won the NL MVP in 2024 & 2025. All 4 times, no other nominee ever got even a single first-place vote. He was ROY with LAA in 2018 with 25 of the available 30 first-place votes. Pitching for LAA in 2022, he finished 4th for the Cy Young Award, behind Justin Verlander’s unanimous vote


Denison: in Reinventing Liberal Christianity, the British theologian Theo Hobson describes the three marks of a revolution:
  1. What was universally condemned is now celebrated.

  2. What was universally celebrated is now condemned.

  3. Those who refuse to celebrate are condemned.

As a means to advancing such a "revolution," the first step is to normalize "what was universally condemned." We are reticent to celebrate what we consider aberrant, so we must be convinced that what we thought was aberrant is actually normal.