Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

maybe Jake is enjoying his present situation?

the NFL is a job, maybe more fun than most jobs, but a job

not that playing for a top SEC program isn't serious and hard work

I would always tell kids to enjoy their college experience and get the degree

if he's a top 10 pick the NFL will always be there waiting with boat loads of cash

the maturity will be an asset

I'm friends with a number of ex-major leaguers from Fantasy Camp and they all talk about the "job aspect" of playing professional ball today.  Back in the day, a Mantle could party until 3 AM and get up late and play the next afternoon.  They don't do that any more, there are too many players who treat it as a near 24/7/365 job.  They train every day in the off season and come to camp in top condition.  They are in good shape even today mostly in their 40s and 50s, though they all have shoulder problems.

Of course it's well compensated work.  I know playing in the minors in baseball is not much fun in the main after a few years.

Hell, its a job by high school now.  MLB has the "Don't retire kid" campaign now to fight against picking one sport too early, which makes sense for baseball, because that is partly why it's dying at the younger ages.  Kids always played baseball during the summer, and up through high school played multiple sports.  If by then they figured out baseball was their best, they stuck with it.  When you have to pick one sport by age 11, no kid is picking baseball.  My 6 year old already gets some shade for playing baseball and soccer simultaneously, although it's not his fault our local baseball organization does a stupid split season that runs late March-Memorial Day, then late August-late October.

Tell you who hates their life.  6 year olds and their parents at a tee ball game on October 26 under the lights, when its 42 degrees out.

But back to the point, the minor leagues are brutal.  Top picks at least get a decent bonus, but whatever you get there has to hold you over.  Once you make the majors you make a liveable wage, but the young superstars are still grossly underpaid.

I played for about 8 years in MSBL in Cincy, Men's Senior Baseball League.  It was a lot of fun, we had two ex-minor leagures and one guy who pitched for the Expos on our team, and I got to know some of the other guys.  One older guy on another team was a former Reds pitcher, he was probably 55 or so.  He threw every pitch right down the middle of the plate, and hard, probably 80 mph.  We were walking off together one night after I had two hits off him and asked him why he didn't throw another pitch and he said "I'm just having fun, if people can hit me, fine with me."  Great attitude.  

Of course an 80 mph pitch is a changeup or curve in MLB.  His fastballs had some steam on them and were making that FFFFFFFTTT!!! sound coming in enough to where you didn't want to get HPB.  I'd choke up and swing knowing where the ball would be.  I was in a posted 90 mph cage once and it was scary.

A guy who can hit corners and change speeds it very hard to hit.

I'm checking on flights right now. You can pick me up at John Wayne or Long Beach a little later.

What's the the difference the fat cap?And quit downloading pics of Franklin's Q

Franklin doesn't know the first thing about a kamado. Or at least didn't, a few years ago, when he had his BBQ with Franklin show on PBS. He had an episode talking about grill styles, and talking about putting a whole split of wood into the firebox of a kamado, which is wrong on so many levels. He cooks with offset smokers... The "pure" way ;-) 

I have recently picked up some customers in Texas, though, and I'm hoping to make a trip to Austin and sample his brisket from the source.

As for the difference, a "whole packer" is comprised of two cuts, the brisket "flat" and the brisket "point". They're separated by a vein of fat between them, but that's a completely different vein than the fat cap, which is on the opposite side of the flat. The point is a lot more fatty than the flat, and is more typically used for burnt ends or chopping, rather than slicing--although you can slice it. 

Typically flats are used for pastrami or corned beef. They tend to run much more expensive on a per-pound basis than whole packers partly due to that usage, and partly also because to prepare a flat, you end up cutting away a lot of fat. When using in a BBQ setting, I prefer the whole packers because you get that fatty point, either for burnt ends or used elsewhere. 

Someday soon I'm planning on giving pork belly burnt ends a try, though... That sounds like fun but I haven't done it yet.

Yep, kamado is the generic name for a big green egg style cooker. Mine is a brand called Kamado Joe.