Bishop Media Sports Network
Show Me The Money
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I don’t know about you, but college football is my favorite sport.
It’s my favorite sport to watch, it’s my favorite to talk about, and it always been my favorite to report on.
Guys used to play the game by giving all they had, dreaming of the riches that may come for those fortunate enough to play in the NFL.
The collegiate game is definitely changing and looks more like the NFL because of Name Image and Likeness (NIL) money, and the ease of changing schools through the Transfer Portal.
Nico Iamaleava’s messy exit from Tennessee might’ve just shown us what college football’s new normal is going to look like.
After trying to renegotiate his NIL deal from around $2.2 million up to $4 million for the upcoming season, Iamaleava skipped a spring practice without telling anyone.
That was the final straw for head coach Josh Heupel, and now the once highly touted QB is in the transfer portal, looking for a new team and a bigger payday.
This wasn’t totally out of the blue. Iamaleava originally made headlines back in high school with an $8 million NIL deal, setting a new bar for recruits.
But now, with top quarterbacks like Carson Beck and Darian Mensah landing $4 million deals at Miami and Duke, Iamaleava’s camp, mainly his dad and agent, wanted to get him a raise to stay competitive.
The problem? It’s April, and most teams already have their rosters set. Plus, SEC rules mean he can’t transfer within the conference and play right away.
Options like North Carolina and Tulane were mentioned, but they’ve either backed off or just don’t have the budget for a $4 million quarterback.
All this has caused a lot of debate. Holding out is a move we’re used to seeing in the NFL, not college.
But with how NIL works right now, or doesn’t work, it’s kind of inevitable. There are no real rules or structure.
Deals vary wildly from one school to another, promises sometimes fall through, and the NCAA hasn’t done much to bring order to the chaos.
Without contracts that actually mean something or rules that apply to everyone, it’s a free-for-all.
Some folks say the fix is simple: treat players like coaches. Coaches sign contracts with buyouts. If they leave early, someone pays a fee. It could be the coach or the school hiring him, but that money changes hands.
That system doesn’t stop movement, but it does slow things down, maybe even helps with renegotiations or smoother exits.
If NIL deals worked the same way, with built-in buyouts, players and schools might think twice before jumping ship or playing hardball.
But that kind of fix only works if all the major schools are on board.
If some schools do it and others don’t, players will just follow the money to the places with fewer restrictions. And as long as athletes aren’t considered employees, there’s no collective bargaining to create consistent rules.
The NCAA keeps hoping Congress will step in, but let’s be real, that’s probably not happening. And any attempt to enforce tighter rules is likely to get challenged in court, like everything else the NCAA tries.
This isn’t about blaming Iamaleava or calling players greedy. It’s about recognizing that the system is broken and something has to give.
Right now, college football is stuck in this weird space where players have more power than ever, but the infrastructure hasn’t caught up.
Boosters and collectives are throwing around big money, but without guardrails, stories like this will keep popping up.
Iamaleava might not get the deal he wants this time around, but more players are going to try. This isn’t the end of college football, but it is a sign that the game’s rules, both on and off the field, are changing fast.
It’s time to stop reacting with shock every time something like this happens and start figuring out real solutions.
Finally
By: Cameron Miller
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This year on Masters Sunday Rory McIlroy finally achieved what many believed would never actually happen for him, which is winning the Masters to complete his long-awaited career grand slam.
Rory is now a 5-time Major champion, but this is his first major victory in over 11 years.
For those who don’t remember, here’s a little flashback to how McIlroy made his way to the Career Grand Slam.
He won his first major title in 2011 in the U.S. Open, which was being held at Congressional Country Club just outside of Washington D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland. He was able to claim this victory by a whopping 8 shots over Jason Day.
His next Major title came at the PGA Championship in 2012 at the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
He was able to claim this victory by shooting a bogey-free final round 66, giving him a 8 shot lead over runner-up David Lynn.
Rory then won his next Major in 2014 at the Open Championship, which was held in Merseyside, England at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Rory was able to get out to a hot start and hold the momentum all the way through, leading wire-to-wire, he was able to secure his third Major title over runners-up Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia in historic fashion.
With this victory Rory became the first European player to win three different Majors and also one of three players (Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus) to win three Majors by the age of 25.
Just two months after his victory at the Open Championship, McIlroy was able to claim his second PGA Championship Victory and forth Major title in 2014 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, but this victory wasn’t as much of a cake walk for McIlroy as it was in his three prior major victories.
Beginning the final round with a two-shot advantage, Rory made two bogeys in his first six holes.
As McIlroy turned to begin the back nine he found himself trailing Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, and Henrick Stenson, but that didn’t last long.
Rory made Eagle on the 10th hole to put himself right back into contention.
Now with the sun quickly setting, they were forced to finish the final round in nearly complete darkness. Rory was able to get up-and-down out of a greenside bunker and two-putt for par on the final hole to get past Mickelson by one shot for the Open Championship title.
Now with the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Open Championship titles all under his belt the only Major he was missing to complete the coveted Career Grand Slam was the Masters Tournament, but to most this was beginning to feel like a nearly impossible feat for McIlroy.
After his catastrophic blow up in the 2011 Masters, where he had a three-shot lead going into the final round back nine where he ended up completely falling apart, shooting a final round 80, losing to Charl Schwartzel.
Rory, again, in 2018, found himself in the final pairing on the final round, but ultimately fell apart once again and lost to Patrick Reed by six shots.
Even after an impressive final round 64 in 2022, the Green Jacket was still just out of reach for Rory. It seemed as if it was beginning to become routine for Rory to be heavily in the mix on Sunday and just fall apart in the end.
Fast forward to 2024 U.S. Open, where once again we see McIlroy in the Sunday final Pairing, but this time he was paired alongside Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy had the solo lead over DeChambeau with four holes remaining but based on history I’m sure we can all guess the outcome of this scenario.
After a series of poor shots and missed putts, once again Rory blew a lead in the final round of a major championship, losing to DeChambeau by one shot on the Final hole.
So now we head into 2025 wondering if this could be the year he does it, could this be a new start for McIlroy or would we just see history continue to repeat itself?
Well after a win in his first start of the season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, things were starting to look bright for McIlroy heading into The Players Championship, or as some like to call it “The Fifth Major”.
Rory began the Final round of The Players four shots back, but after getting off to a hot start, he was able to gain a solo lead just before the weather temporarily suspended the final round.
Once they resumed play, McIlroy once again began to display a final round back nine sequence of untimely mistakes. Which had all of us prepared for him to give up the final round lead.
McIlroy and J.J. Spaun ended their final rounds tied at -12 and would have to play a 3-Hole Aggregate Playoff to decide the winner. J.J. Spaun started the playoff making crucial errors, leading to McIlroy holding on and eventually taking the victory.
Seeing Rory be able to come through when it matters and get a hard-fought victory had many starting to think maybe this is the year he could finally get that green jacket he has so desperately been chasing.
Well now the time has come for the playing of the 89th Masters and Rory’s eleventh attempt at completing the Career Grand Slam.
After a great start to his first round came to a halt with double bogeys in two of the last four holes, McIlroy quickly followed up his first round 72 with back-to-back rounds of 66.
These two days of consecutive great days would give him a two-shot lead going into the final round, and once again have him alongside Bryson DeChambeau in the final pairing. Now the question is, would Rory be able to flip the script from the 2024 U.S. Open.
The final round of the 2025 Masters was one of the most nail-biting rounds of golf I’ve seen in a long time and definitely not what anyone was expecting.
DeChambeau got off to a slow start and was never able to get any momentum going, but Justin Rose on the other hand, had what seemed to be all of the final round momentum.
Rory made the turn to the final round back nine with a five shot advantage on the field and a seven shot advantage on Justin Rose, but here is the part that probably won’t surprise you.
McIlroy went into hole 11 at -14 under and by the time he made it to hole 15 he was all the way down to -10. While at the same time Justin Rose was making birdie after birdie catapulting him back into the lead at -11.
McIlroy was able to regain some traction and make birdies on holes 15 and 17, which would put him back into solo first with a one-shot lead and only one hole left to play. All Rory needed to do is make a Par on the 72nd hole to take home his first Green Jacket.
So now we all sit and wonder if he would actually be able to close it out with a victory. Well, the answer is not yet, because Rory made a bogey on 18 dropping him out of the solo lead and in a tie for first with Justin Rose.
This is where even more of the drama starts. The last time there was a playoff to decide the winner of the Masters was back in 2017 when Justin Rose was defeated by Sergio Garcia.
So now there are two different ways to see history repeat itself. Will McIlroy cave under pressure and give up another green jacket in the final round or will Rose once again be defeated for his green jacket in a sudden death playoff?
Well, I’m sure from reading the beginning of this you already know the answer, but yes Rory McIlroy is your 2025 Masters Champion.
After years of heartbreak Rory was finally able to get his green jacket and become the 6th golfer in the history of the sport to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Taking Off The Jersey
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Nico Iamaleava’s name will go down in college football history as one that created a turning point for players in multiple ways.
Which part fans remember might depend on how the rest of Iamaleava’s football career plays out.
As he prepares to enter the transfer portal amid a public breakup with Tennessee about name, image and likeness re-negotiations, this first-of-its-kind NFL-style holdout situation was possible only because of what had come before it.
Iamaleava once again has brought college football a lot closer to … whatever its future will be. His NIL deal going public before enrolling at Tennessee and the legal defense of it led to more money for players. Iamaleava gave a lot more leverage to the players by knowing the value of college athletes.
On the other hand, his public breakup with Tennessee gave leverage to the universities. Had Tennessee and its collective balked or hesitated, more stars might’ve started public holdouts. Instead, Vols fans backed coach Josh Heupel, and players are anticipating that fans won’t be on their side.
It started in 2022, an $8 million multiyear for Iamaleava while he was still in high school.
It was one of the first sets of public NIL numbers, and this caught more attention from the public because Iamaleava hadn’t played a single down of college football.
When the NCAA looked into it, the state of Tennessee’s attorney general sued the Tennessee collective, leading to a settlement that allows boosters to negotiate NIL with athletes and their agents before players enroll.
Both of those situations will likely lead to more millions going to players. The public contract leak in 2022 reset the market for active players and recruits and has removed the possibility of universities underpaying athletes who are inexperienced in negotiation.
The AG’s lawsuit opened the door to more direct NIL conversations with recruits. Cracking the NIL and creating a more lucrative space for athletes is part of Iamaleava’s legacy.
That is why the whole idea of calling this “NIL” remains farcical. The millions and millions spent on players for NIL come from boosters, local business owners, and rich alumni who want these players to represent their business the same way they represent their university.
This has created tension between regular fans, who don’t care about any individual’s success, they just want to see their team win…
College football is a transient sport; because of that fans root for a team more than a player because the players are only there for 4 years MAX.
The NCAA was able to keep up amateurism and cheat athletes for so long. The NCAA has purposely made the unionization of players hard on the principle that fans, more often than not, will show up on Saturdays no matter who’s on the field, even if they’re showing up with paper bags on their heads.
That reminder is the message coming out of Iamaleava’s impending divorce from Tennessee. Tennessee was one of the only states in America that never outlawed sharecropping, and their slave-owner mentality with college athletes is what bit them in the ass financially and on the field.
There is no college football without college athletes, and there is no excellence in college football without excellent college athletes.
The story is far from over. Perhaps Iamaleava finds a new home, continues to succeed, and earns whatever amount of money he’s worth.
Perhaps Tennessee can’t find an adequate replacement internally or in the portal and struggles in 2025.
The Vols appear willing to live with the potential consequences of fumbling a world class athlete, and the fans support being a worse team in 2025.
Players are worth what organizations are willing to pay them. That’s basic business. This breakup is a reminder that it only goes so far.
The Back Nine
By: Brian Albertson
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Wow, what a thrilling Masters this year.
Rory McIlroy finally won a green jacket and became the sixth golfer to win the professional Grand Slam.
On his road to making golf history, Rory set a couple of unique records. He made the most double bogies of any Masters winner. And to offset that he made more threes on his scorecard than any player in the history of the masters.
Rory also avenged his great disappointment from last year‘s U.S. Open with a short missed putt on number 18 while losing out to Bryson Dechambeau. On this day, the roles were reversed as Bryson struggled for most of the day shooting a 75.
The biggest Sunday charge came from Englishman, Justin Rose. Justin closed with a phenomenal 66 and found himself in a Sudden Death playoff with Rory McIlroy.
The back nine was riveting for everyone watching and gut wrenching for the players.
The shock of the back nine came when Rory dumped a simple short wedge shot into Ray’s Creek at number 13.
This led to another double bogey that allowed numerous players back into the competition. Some of the players with late charges included Cory Connors, Ludvig Aberg, Scotty Scheffler, Patrick Reed with an incredible eagle at the 17th hole, and the super-hot Justin Rose.
The huge mistake at 13 served as a wakeup call for Rory. He rallied with an amazing approach shot to par 5, 15th hole setting up a makeable eagle putt.
He would miss that putt but make an easy tap in birdie followed by birdie at 17.
Needing a four-footer on number 18 to win the masters in regulation, Rory missed a short one similar to last year‘s at Pinehurst and we all thought “here we go again.”
This day would end differently. Rory and Justin would finish 72 holes tied at 11 under Par. Both players returned to 18 to begin a sudden death playoff. Both players hit perfect tee shots in the fairway. The tee shot at 18 is undoubtedly one of the hardest shots in championship golf.
They both followed that with amazing approach shots with Justin, having an 8-foot birdie putt and Rory stuffing a wedge in tight to 3 feet.
Justin‘s putt barely slipped past the right edge of the hole leaving him with a par four setting up a winning opportunity for Rory.
Rory not so calmly made this nerve-racking 3-foot birdie putt to win his first masters in his 17th try while also completing the career professional Grand Slam of golf.
Something that only five golfers had done before him. Rory now joins golf legends Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only other golfers to win the professional Grand Slam.
Of course, Masters founder, lifelong amateur and Georgia native Bobby Jones is still the only golfer to win all four majors in one year, in 1930 Mr. Jones won the US Amateur, the British Amateur, the US open and British Open all in the same year.
The professional Grand Slam came about years later after the Masters quickly became a major championship.
Till Next Year’s Masters, Happy Golfing
G-Day
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Bulldogs recently played the G-Day Spring game. That is significant because some programs like Nebraska have chosen not to play a spring game.
With the transfer portal some teams say that causes other programs to poach players. That is why the UGA spring game was not televised.
This game featured the Red Team (No. 1 offense/second team defense) against the Black Team (No. 1 Defense/second team offense). The Red Team won 34-17. The announced attendance for the game was 35,003.
The offense had 88 pass attempts and just 44 rushing attempts. Gunner Stockton took every rep with the first-team offense in the first half. Defenders aren’t able to hit the quarterback, while it often plays very vanilla coverage and rarely blitzes.
Projected starting quarterback Gunner Stockton passed for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception and he completed 50% of his pass attempts.
Backup QB Ryan Puglisi had 49 pass attempts. He was inconsistent but he did throw a touchdown pass to Colbie Young on his first chance playing with the starting offense. He did throw an interception that was picked off by Dominick Kelly shortly before halftime.
Third-string quarterback Colter Ginn led a touchdown drive to start the second half. He threw a seven-yard TD to London Humphrey’s.
“Some good and bad for both, but that’s the way spring games go,” Kirby Smart said. “We’ve got to play some loose plays, throw the ball around, got to do some two-minute.
Excited about the guys that got to play. We’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of offseason and getting ourselves where we need to be for next year, but a lot of the mid-years got valuable minutes. I can remember when mid-years kind of went with the threes and fours, and now it seems like more of them are going with the twos.
“That’s just the way of college football right now.”
The defensive backs looked good in this game. Daniel Harris prevented a deep pass to Noah Thomas on the opening drive. He intercepted Stockton in the end zone later in the first quarter.
The leading receiver for the first-team offense was Dillon Bell. He had 5 receptions for 78 yards. He also had a 13-yard rush to showcase how versatile he is. Junior London Humphreys had 4 receptions, 77 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“London’s very smart,” Smart said of Humphreys after the scrimmage. “He doesn’t have a lot of anxiety, he’s very mature, and he’s good for those kids in that (group) because he works really hard.”
Kicker Peyton Woodring made field-goal attempts of 44 and 35 yards. Liam Badger made a 23-yard field goal.
The offensive line was missing Monroe Freeling and Daniel Calhoun, as both recover from injury.
The defensive line is very young and they were in a tough position dealing with 88 pass attempts. They lost a lot of talent to the upcoming 2025 NFL draft so they need to gain more experience.
“We (have) got to get better,” said Smart when asked about all the redshirt freshmen playing on the offensive and defensive lines.
The Bulldogs will open the 2025 season August 30th at home against Marshall.
Down On The Farm
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Although the Braves may be off to a slow start to the 2025 season, we’ve said a couple of times/ways that “it’s not time to hit the panic button for Braves fans.”
Although the main reason for that is that it’s only April, another piece is what’s coming for the Braves along the horizon.
When most fans think of the “future” of a club, they think about the minor league system, and we’ll get there, but to start a trio of familiar names closer to making a major impact on the big club in the ATL.
Spencer Strider is the closest. After two dominant outings in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett, rumblings say that Strider could be activated in Atlanta as soon as next week.
Ronald Acuna Jr. seems to be trending in the right direction as well. The former NL MVP is hoping to get cleared to start cutting and start/stopping while running which is one of the final hurdles before beginning his minor league rehab trip.
While those two are the front of mind for Braves fans, one that could be a dark horse is Craig Kimbrel. The Braves signed Kimbrel back to his original team late in the process of Spring Training, so Kimbrel has had to work his way back into season shape and is close to facing live hitters.
Once that happens, it would make sense that he has a little more extended time at a couple different minor league levels, but some say that (assuming all goes well and he’s effective) Kimbrel could be back on an Atlanta mound in May.
As far as the farm goes for the Braves, four of the top 5 Braves prospects are expected to see time in the big leagues this season.
The Braves top prospect actually broke camp with the team in Drake Baldwin. Now that Sean Murphy has returned from injury, Baldwin is now the backup. Although the first thought may be “why not send him back to Triple A to get consistent at-bats?”
I think keeping him in “The Show” is absolutely the best move. With him expected to be a huge piece of the Braves’ future, having him learn the big-league level and also being able to catch and get to know the pitching staff is unbelievably beneficial.
While the #2 overall prospect in the organization is still a couple of years away in theory with Cam Caminiti in Rookie Ball, Prospects #3-5 are expected to make an impact in the Bigs this year.
Hurston Waldrep is starting the year in Gwinnett with the Stripers. The former Florida Gator is off to a 1-0 start of the year with Gwinnett with eight strikeouts in nine innings of work.
The 4th best prospect in the Atlanta System is starting the year on the injured list, but Nacho Alvarez Jr. had thirty at-bats last season with the big club.
The middle infielder has a huge up-side with the glove and is a career .284 hitter in over 900 minor league at-bats.
Finally, the 5th best prospect, Drue Hackenberg is a former dominant force in the ACC with the Virginia Tech Hokies which led him to be a 2nd round pick by the Braves in 2023.
Hackenberg starts the 2025 season with the newly formed Columbus Clingstones (Double A affiliate). In two years in the Braves organization, Hackenberg boasts a 3.14 ERA in 30 career starts.
All of this to say, yes, the first two weeks of the season haven’t been what Atlanta was looking for, but while it evens out, also know reinforcements are on the way to the ATL.
Jason Bishop Show April 10 2025
Pirates Sail Into Playoffs
By: Cameron Miller
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Brunswick High Pirates are headed to the State Playoffs!
After a long regular season of ups and downs, the Brunswick High Pirates Baseball team punched their ticket to the state playoffs after sweeping the Evans Knights in 3 game series.
Since suffering a 2-1 series loss to the Glynn Academy Red Terrors in the city championship and losing one of their stars with Junior OF/P Grant Moore suffering a season ending injury during game one of the city championship, the Pirates have tallied wins in 8 of their last 10 games.
It’s safe to say the Pirates and head coach Greg Roberts seem to be getting hot at the right time. Brunswick definitely has a chance to make some noise in the playoffs this year, but with Grant Moore being out for the season it did seem to raise a big question of whether the Pirates have enough talent on the mound to replace him in the rotation.
Well, the short answer is yes.
They still have their other go-to starters in star OF/P Trenton Robinson who is only a junior and University of Central Florida commit standout senior Jordan Lodise. Robinson has pitched 53.2 innings so far this season with a 1.69 ERA that has led him to a 6-1 record on the mound. Jordan has pitched 46.1 innings this season with a 1.83 ERA giving him a 5-0 record.
Brunswick has a variety of options to go to on the mound besides those two. They have Junior Catcher Avery Jefferson, who has proven he can be a valuable asset behind the plate and on the mound.
Jefferson has a 2-0 record starting on the mound, pitching 24 innings for the pirates this season. The Pirates also have options in the Bullpen with Junior 2nd baseman Brett Hickson, Junior 1st baseman Braxton Johnson, and Sophomore Right Fielder Coleman Smith all being able to come in and provide quality arm talent on the mound to close out games.
We all know the importance of a team’s ability to pitch, but that’s still only part of the game. Not only was Moore a go-to on the mound, but he was also the Pirates starting Center Fielder and batting .311 as the number two hitter.
Coach Greg Roberts was forced to make some quick mid-season defensive adjustments and must have designed the perfect recipe for success.
With the emergence of Junior Braxton Johnson into the starting lineup at 1st base, it allowed Coach Roberts to Shift Trenton Robinson from RF to CF and Coleman Smith from 1st to RF.
You might be wondering what they do when one of those guys mentioned is told to head up to the mound, well that’s where the super versatile Junior Garrison Strickland comes in. Strickland is one of those Charlie Culberson types of players. This season Strickland has played right field, shortstop, 2nd base and even catches when Jefferson is on the mound.
The Pirates this season are averaging almost 7 runs per game, which means they can be a very dangerous team when they get their bats going in sync and get on base. Leading them in runs scored are Hickson (26) and Lodise (25), but the Pirates runs are being scored all across the lineup.
Close behind them you have Senior Left Fielder Dawson Parke (20), Coleman Smith (16), Garrison Strickland (14), Trenton Robinson (14), and even Freshman Bentley Henson (10) and Sophomore Brady Miller (7), who get brought in at times for some additional speed on the bases, have brought in their fair share of runs for pirates.
Brunswick’s batting is highlighted by Brett Hickson who is batting .442, Jordan Lodise batting .337, and Avery Jefferson batting .312, but they aren’t the only ones putting the ball in play.
A few others who have had a consistent season at the plate are Coleman Smith, Dawson Parke, and Trenton Robinson all batting over .250 for the Pirates this season.
The Pirates finished the regular season off very strong, but their big 10-0 win against Seckinger wasn’t the only accomplishment that night.
It was also a huge achievement for Coach Greg Roberts with that game marking off his 300th career win as a baseball coach.
There’s no doubt the Pirates have had a rough road to the playoffs, but with the ability of these players and their coaches being able to gain all of this momentum over the last few weeks, the only thing that matters now is what’s ahead of them.
The playoffs and a chance to reach the coveted State Championship. If this Pirates team under the leadership of coach Roberts can continue to stay hot and take it game by game the sky is truly the limit for them.
Masters Inspired Recipes
By: Callie Rose
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Hey y’all, Callie here!
And today I’m talkin’ about one of the greatest Southern traditions that ever graced a paper napkin: the pimento cheese sandwich. But not just any ol’ version—these are my fancy little Pimento Cheese Sliders inspired by those famous sandwiches from Augusta National.
Because let’s be honest—watchin’ the Masters without pimento cheese is like sweet tea without sugar.
I still remember sittin’ cross-legged on Mama’s old braided rug, the TV hummin’ soft in the background, and Daddy hollerin’ through the screen door about his bracket being busted again.
Mama always had a bowl of fresh pimento cheese chillin’ in the fridge, just waitin’ to be slathered on some white bread. And honey, when Jim Nantz whispered, “Hello, friends,” we knew we were about to witness magic—both on the course and at the kitchen table.
These sliders are my love letter to that memory. A little nostalgic, a little elevated, and just right for tailgates, porch parties, or your own Sunday watch party.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 4 oz diced pimentos, drained
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup Duke’s mayo (don’t even think about another kind)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Optional: pinch of cayenne for a little kick
- Soft slider rolls or Hawaiian rolls, warmed
- Chopped fresh chives for garnish (optional but sassy)
Instructions
- Mix it up: In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Fold in the cheddar, pimentos, and seasonings. Taste and adjust—just don’t you dare over-mayo it.
- Chill it down: Let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour (overnight is better) so all that goodness can marry up proper.
- Assemble your sliders: Slice your rolls, scoop a generous dollop of that creamy pimento cheese inside, and top it with a sprinkle of chives if you’re feelin’ extra.
- Serve ’em proud: These are best served room temp on a warm spring day—with sweet tea, a breeze, and the hum of golf commentary in the background.
Callie’s Tip: Wrap these up in wax paper with a green checkered napkin if you wanna feel real Augusta-like. But even if you’re sittin’ on a tailgate in South Georgia, just know—this bite brings a little tradition with every chew.
Bombs Away
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Torpedo bats have been the main focus of baseball at the start of the 2025 MLB season and bat companies are winning big as a result.
Marucci and Victus, the new official bats of MLB, as well as Chandler were the first manufacturers to put torpedo bats on sale, at prices ranging from $199 to $239.
MLB Commissioner Manfred also called torpedo bats, another relatively new advancement in the sport that’s rapidly gaining popularity, “absolutely good for baseball.”
The bats differ from traditional models due to their shape, which comes from redistributing their weight so that the densest part, or the “sweet spot,” is closer to the handle.
The barrel (where players want the bat to make contact with the ball) is bigger. These bowling-pin-shaped bats have sparked interest among players and spurred discussions among fans, and of course Manfred supports the interest and attention.
The Yankees helped bring the torpedo bats mainstream earlier in the season after they hit 15 homers and scored 36 runs in only three games against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Five Yankees — Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells — used torpedo bats in the opening 4 game series, and they combined for 10 of the club’s record-setting 18 home runs in its first four games.
If not for the initial offensive barrage from the Yankees, it’s likely the level of interest in the torpedo bats would not be so pronounced.
Torpedo bats are recently mainstream, but they were being used under the radar in 2024. Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo bat all last season and finished with his best stats since 2021.
Behind the scenes, Stanton’s adoption of the technology during his torrid postseason last October started generating buzz in the bat industry, according to Smith. Stanton had seven home runs and a 1.048 OPS for the Yankees in the 2024 playoffs.
New York Mets superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor also used a torpedo bat last season and finished second in the National League MVP voting.
While the bats have only recently become a major storyline across the league, it turns out that uniquely shaped bat experiments have actually been happening quietly across baseball for a long time. Why the national uproar now on bat technology?
Torpedo bats are not under the radar anymore. Players across the sport have started asking manufacturers for their own versions.
Birch seems to be the preferred wood for the bats, which were designed to help hitters make truer contact in an age where more and more pitchers are throwing 100 mph and offering nastier repertoires than ever.
For decades in baseball’s past, players swung bats made of ash until Barry Bonds (with the help of steroids) helped popularize maple in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Christian Yelich was happy that there was a possible technological advancement in hitting. Yelich noted that over the past several years, most of the advancements have come on the pitching side.
Torpedo bats might be the response to the technical and analytical advancements that pitching has seen in the past 5-10yrs.
In other words, time for the hitters to get their turn.
