ProfessorBriggs.com

PROFESSOR'S MAILBAG -- AUGUST 13, 2017

Coming up this October is the 16th anniversary of ProfessorBriggs.com, which means I should have some sort of celebration or new feature. Well, I've already added extensive high football stats for Mercer County this season. While that's important and informative, it's also not necessarily exciting. So, I thought I'd incorporate something fun (hopefully) by fielding questions from folks for "Professor's Mailbag." I took questions via Facebook, Twitter and email. All subject areas are in play.

Hopefully this is something that I do on a somewhat regular basis in the future. Not all questions that I received will be answered here -- not that they are bad questions, but some parties asked 4-5 questions, so some of them will stay in the hopper for next time.

Q: "Kids Day" at PNC Park. Good or bad idea? -- Bob Greenburg, Sports Radio 96.7 Studio

A: Kids Day is a great idea for all Major League Baseball franchises. Baseball is a wonderful sport. There so many things an adult can talk to a child/teen about throughout the course of a game -- why a team pitched out, why a team is guarding the lines, why this is a bunt situation, etc. Every pitch, something unique can happen.

It's great to have merchandise geared toward youngsters on these days too, be it a stuffed animal or batting helmets or T-shirt, etc. It's really cool to see the kids out on the field with the players before the game and getting to talk to them and receiving an autographed ball. What a great thrill it must be for a boy or girl to get to meet Andrew McCutchen or Josh Harrison or Josh Bell ON THE FIELD. Running the bases after the game is cool too. It makes great memories for those involved.

The one thing I do not like is when they have a kid making the batter introductions over the public address system. Have Tim DiBacco or Joe Klimchak (aka "Professionals") announce the batters. Some of the kids are OK but too many of them YELL into the microphone. It's tacky.

The NFL and NBA seem hellbent on pricing all of their fans out of tickets. The NHL's love of goons and thuggery keeps that organization on a path to Palookaville. "Son, let's go watch the best player in the world get maimed by an unskilled, rugged defenseman!" Baseball has a great opportunity grow its popularity among youngsters in coming years. There are a lot of great young players with personality (Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correia, etc.) who could really inspire young people to play baseball/softball and be fans for life.

Q: Briggsy, what pro wrestler, past or present, would you want to form a tag team with? -- Commander Marvin Lander, Venango County Hinterlands

A: Probably Arn Anderson. He was a very successful tag team wrestler with several great partners (Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, Bobby Eaton) and was also accomplished on his own. He was durable, tough and could wrestle both scientifically or as a brawler.

Q: What are your top five baseball uniforms? -- Scott "Skippy" Clary, Hermitage

A: If you mean my favorite jerseys in baseball, I'll be glad to list them.
Current: Kansas City Royals powder blue alternate, White Sox black alternate, Cardinals home (birds on the bat is a great look); Blue Jays (all uniforms); Tigers home jerseys.
Classic: We Are Fam-A-Lee Era Pirates (gold tops, black pants); 1980s Brewers, home and away; 1980s Royals; early 1980s Braves home and away; Tigers home jerseys.

Q: What's your all-time favorite game that you've covered? We all assume it involved a muddy field, a tie, or some combo of them both! -- Dr. Ryan McKinnis, An Eye Clinic In Suburban Cleveland

A: When thinking through 20 years of high school and college broadcasts, football and basketball (along with some baseball here and there) -- that's a lot of games. There have been countless memorable games over the years -- overtime games, buzzer-beaters, great individual performances, high-stakes playoff games and intriguing regular season games.

With that in mind, my favorite game that I've called was not one that was close or on a muddy field. The No. 1 game on that list (keep in mind, this is not the BEST game) would be the 2011 District 10 Class AAA football title game between Grove City and Erie Prep at Veterans Stadium. Grove City (my hometown, for the record) had lost to Prep the previous couple of seasons in the D-10 title game, so to see Grove City go to Erie and defeat what seemed like the "Evil Empire" was quite special.

Being able to call that game and watch Grove City put together one of the best 48-minute performances I've ever witnessed still stands out to me. Grove City whipped a great Prep team that won the state AAA title the next year.

Q: Will Jim Thome get elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018? -- Marc Means, Niles

A: With over 600 home runs, nearly 1,600 runs scored and 1,699 runs batted in, it would seem that he'd be a lock based upon traditional thinking. He had a great career and was one of the most feared power hitters of the 1990s and 2000s. He was never connected to performance-enhancing drugs and was always a very popular player and teammate. Winning the Roberto Clemente Award is notable on his resume as well.

There are a few things working against him, however: First base was crowded with stars during much of his American League career: Frank Thomas, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Carlos Delgado, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi. Only five all-star game appearances and his highest MVP finish was fourth.

Plus, predicting voting patterns is a total guessing game. As time goes on, the Old Boy Network is slowly fading from the voting population and more forward-thinking voters are taking their place. So, I think Thome will get in by 2020, but probably not this year. It pains me to say that because he was one of my favorites in my younger days.

Q: When Terry Funk returned to the WWF in the late 1990s and teamed with Mick Foley, he was called "Chainsaw Charlie." Why in the blue hell? -- Mike Carpenter, Lynchburg, Va.

A: After doing some research on this, it was Terry Funk's idea. They put the pantyhose over his head so that it wouldn't look like "Terry Funk," from what he says. I would have guessed that it was WWF/Vince McMahon call, considering how other guys came back with new names/gimmicks, such as: Ricky Steamboat was simply "The Dragon"; Tony Atlas came back as "Saba Simba" and Barry Windham was "The Widowmaker."

Chainsaw Charlie was still better than Terry Taylor as "The Red Rooster" or seeing Dusty Rhodes parading around in polka dots.

Q: George South, Mike Jackson or Charlie Fulton as the greatest pro wrestling jobber who got no push, such as Barry Horowitz or Steve "Brooklyn Brawler" Lombardi did? -- Rick Briggs, Parts Unknown

A: All three of those guys are worthy of that distinction. Of those three, I'd lean toward George South. If he's good enough for Ric Flair, he's good enough for me. Those guys were different than guys like the Mulkey Brothers and Tom "Rocky" Stone, whom you knew had no chance of winning. Tom Stone was from Milwaukee but billed from Baton Rouge.

Q: Boxers or briefs? -- John Fierst, Sharpsville

A: "B" More comfortable. Always glad when someone I've known since kindergarten submits a question!

Q: DeShone Kizer -- first or second ballot Hall of Famer? Keep in mind that he torched New Orleans' 3rd string. -- Clinton Stewart, Deep in the Heart of Texas

A: The Cleveland Browns have been searching for a quarterback for so long that when anyone demonstrates some level of competency, it gives fans and -- probably the organization -- optimism. Terry Pluto, the longtime Cleveland sports writer, thinks Kizer is a first-round talent. Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson is a very capable head coach, much more qualified than many of the front office-appointed stooges of recent yore.

The odds on Kizer ending up in Canton are probably pretty long. But, as long as Jackson is allowed to do things his way, Kizer is the best chance of being The Guy for Cleveland, ending a two-decade search for a franchise quarterback.

Q: Dream match Briggsy, Braun Strowman vs. Andre the Giant (in his prime). Who would win? -- Allen Lichvar, Somewhere in Oklahoma

A: That would certainly be an intriguing matchup. Strowman is a big man, at 6-foot-8 and 380-plus pounds. However, he would still be giving up eight inches and close to 100 pounds. I would say it would be comparable to the Big John Studd-Andre matches of the 1980s, before Andre really got heavy. I think Andre's size and experience would be the deciding factor. Suffice to say, there would not be many hammerlocks or stepover toeholds.

Q: Given that Le'Veon Bell is concerned about guaranteed money, why can't the Steelers offer him a deal with a large signing bonus, like they did with everyone else they signed? -- Matt Shipton, South Hills of Pittsburgh

A: Considering that the Steelers are in decent shape with the salary cap, especially when compared to a few years back, and that Bell will be a $12M cap hit this year, it's not probably primarily a financial decision. It probably comes down to the front office not trusting Bell to be available for 16 games a year for the next handful of years. In his four years, he's played 16 games once. The other years have been affected by injury and/or suspension. Keeping him on the franchise tag may be a little more up front but could keep them from getting saddled with owing more in the future. It's kind of like leasing a car, compared to buying it, I guess you could say.

Q: What is the more difficult thing to do -- broadcast a game solo or broadcast a game with someone you've never worked with before? -- Corey Corbin, Allied News coverage area

A: For me, it is more difficult to work with someone I've not worked with before, or worked with very infrequently. I have plenty of experience of calling games by myself and I am very comfortable doing that. Having a partner is preferable, however. Working with a partner for the first time usually takes a little time to get in the flow. Sometimes, you get synced up very quickly in the broadcast, other times it takes maybe a full game or two.

It is not significantly more difficult, but there is an adjustment period between the two.

Q: Second question - if you could play a game of softball in any MLB stadium, past or present, which would you pick? -- Commander Lander

A: There are many classic parks and a lot of newer facilities that would be great choices. Playing a game at PNC Park or Camden Yards would be a great thrill. However, I'd turn back the clock a little bit and choose Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The history, the cool overhang in the outfield -- it's the one place I wish I would have gotten to see a game. Or in this case, play a game. 

> Keep the cards and letters coming to ryanbriggs@zoominternet.net. Follow me on Twitter @professorbriggs