December, 2006

It's sunny and 83 degrees outside. And here I sit, inside a stuffy hotel room writing an internet column. Yes, I'm an idiot. I could have (should have) found a poolside table to use as a workstation.

All is well in Tampa. Phillip Fulmer and Joe Paterno held their final Outback Bowl press conference this morning.

Paterno still isn't sure he will coach from the sideline. His injured knee is still troublesome. His mobility is limited. And he doesn't want to be a distraction.

A Saturday surprise from the Vols. Bret Smith isn't going to play against Penn State afterall. Funny how that works.

On Tuesday, Smith was a no-show at Vols practice. Officially, UT said he had travel difficulties in his home state of Arkansas. Smith was at UT's Wednesday practice and Head Coach Phillip Fulmer indicated he was clear to play.

But on Saturday, after their final full practice, UT issued a release saying Smith was not academically eligibile. Smith has left Tampa.

Yikes. Officially it's Saturday, but in reality my Friday hasn't ended. Long day in Tampa Bay. Met UT football players at 11am at the Tampa Convention Center. Eight players and two coaches were available for a thirty-minute interview opportunity. The players were Erik Ainge, Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain, Aaron Sears, Jonathan Wade, Marvin Mitchell, Turk McBride, and Ryan Karl. The Coaches were David Cutcliffe and John Chavis.

Coaches like it when bowl trips are uneventful. And despite an early no-show by receiver Bret Smith, this has been a relatively quite week. And there is nothing wrong with that. Today's personal highlight was hearing from Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno.

Vol fans may have mixed feelings for this guy (he got LeRoy Thompson, and has beaten Tennessee easily in their last two meetings), but Paterno is among the last of
a kind.

Good news from Tampa. Bret Smith is back for the Vols and ready to play. Smith doesn't lead the Vols in receiving stats, but his impact shouldn't be underestimated. He's a big play guy, and makes defenders pay attention on inside pass routes.

The Sunshine State didn't live up to its reputation on Tuesday-- the first day of practice in Tampa for the Vols. It was overcast, and downright chilly (for Florida).

Vol offensive lineman David Ligon, who has become a go-to guy for quotes and soundbites, told us the weather was perfect!

For him perhaps, but I brought my entire collection of floral-print Florida/Hawaii shirts that hang unused (for now) in my hotel room closet.

Regarding my previous post on the NFL Network's dispute with Cable TV, and my dad's ability to carry on the fine American tradition of writing complaint letters--- here is a brief article on how it's impacted some of the league's most loyal, and vocal, fans.
m/Global/story.asp?S=5838964


And if you're interested, here is a good background article on the disupte.\r

...March Madness!

It might be the busiest week of the Christmas shopping season, but the Vol basketball team has given UT fans reason to believe in more than just Santa. Their win over 15th ranked Oklahoma State last night has the Vols looking more-and-more like a legitimate NCAA Tournament team.

UT did it without a big game from Chris Lofton. Granted, he scored twenty. But he was just 5 of 15 from the floor, and 3 of 8 from behind the 3-point arc. And that's ok. Lofton has carried this team in recent games. Although he tries, he can't do it all.

I am my father's son, so I hate it when big guys pick on little guys. Dad hated it when the powerful took advantage of the less powerful. Dad was a Republican, but he still cared about those who didn't wear a suit to work. He wrote a fair share of letters to the utility company, the newspaper, and the bank.

I'm not sure how Dad would feel about the NFL's fight with local cable television operators. I'm sure he'd see through the mess, and agree that once again, it's the little guy getting... well, hurt.

I won't say who.

I won't say where.

And I won't say when.

But I can say, I was once approached by a football coach for videotape so that coach could HEAR another team's practice. The coach was looking for snap counts-- signals the other team gives at the line of scrimmage.

I don't think the coach was wrong in asking. And that's why I don't think Miami Dolphins' Head Coach Nick Saban was wrong in trying the same thing.

Technically, I am on vacation. But before I left Knoxville, I submitted my Heisman Ballot. No surprises, but for the record, here is how I voted.

1. Troy Smith: The guy compeleted nearly 70% of his passes, never lost a game, and could lead the Buckeyes to a national title.
2. Darren McFadden: Best running back in the best conference in college football.
3. Brady Quinn: Better stats than Smith (TD passes/Yards), but those losses hurt.

I'll be shocked and disappointed if Florida isn't invited to play Ohio State for the natioinal title. The Gators deserve a shot.

While the mystery of the BCS selection process made this weekend of college football wildly entertaining-- the system is still flawed.

After Saturday's games, I heard John Fricke on Fox Sports Radio make an excellent point. The possibility of non-sellout games at the Orange (possibily Wake Forest vs. Louisville) and the Fiesta (Boise State vs. Oklahoma) may leave bowl game organizers unhappy.