Submitted by Jim Wogan on March 17, 2010 - 10:16am
I think of my Irish-born grandmother often. She and her sister came to America as teenagers in the 1920s, leaving behind two parents and a younger sister in County Roscommon, Ireland.
I am no bracketologist. In fact, I'm not qualified for any job that has ologist as a suffix.
That said, I think they NCAA got it right when it comes to Tennessee's seeding for this year's NCAA Tournament.
The invitation was announced shortly after 6pm-- the Vols receive the 6th seed in the Midwest Region. It was a decision met with a less than enthusiastic response-- a smattering of polite applause-- and a couple of surprised looks when it happened.
So far, so good at the SEC Tournament. The Vols arrived for their 2nd round game with Ole Miss around 2pm Friday and I snapped this photo of guard Bobby Maze stepping aside to watch the Kentucky-Alabama game. Bobby is standing in a tunnel, just off the main arena floor.
So I'm sitting in Nashville a few hours after covering a less-than-impressive Tennessee win over LSU in the SEC Tournament. After the game, Bruce Pearl said it best, "we play like that tomorrow (vs Ole Miss) and we don't win."
I've poured through the other college basketball scores, and taken a few minutes to get a late-night jolt of news on the Boston Red Sox.
When it comes to Tennessee sports, I like March better than August.
I previous years, that would be enough to get a reporter run out of town. But not anymore.
August is the lead-up to football season, and there's not much that tops Tennessee football-- during the season. But the fact is, the preseason is a long and often predictable month that at times seems endless from start to finish and is usually drenched in sweat.
Submitted by Jim Wogan on February 18, 2010 - 3:33pm
Want to know what UT football coach Derek Dooley is thinking these days? So do I.
Apparently the head coach isn't anxious to speak about it. A request to interview Dooley was placed two weeks ago, and so far, nothing. I'm not alone. I am hearing similar comments from other members of the media.
All coaches have their styles. We're getting to know Dooley's, and we shouldn't be surprised.
Submitted by Jim Wogan on February 16, 2010 - 3:14pm
Today, I made a drive out to Smokies Park to pick-up a photo of Dale Murphy I won in a benefit auction. It's hard to tell from this picture, but it was snowing to beat the band. The good news, Chicago Cubs prospects head to spring training this week, and it won't be long before the weather improves and the Cubs AA affiliate opens the season. The home opener is April 14th.
Submitted by Jim Wogan on February 15, 2010 - 9:08pm
Sometimes Josh Liner works for my sports staff. Other times, he's just a fan. I'll let you figure out which role he was playing the night this photo was taken with Vols guard Bobby Maze.
Submitted by Jim Wogan on February 14, 2010 - 1:42pm
Pick a winner for the Daytona 500. I dare you.
If you're lucky, you might be right-- because at Daytona it's more about luck than it is car set-up, driver ability, and track know-how.
NASCAR history is filled with drivers who should have won at Daytona and didn't.
Dale Earnhardt dominated the Daytona 500 in 1990, and then cut a tire with one-half lap to go. Earnardt backed off his throttle, and Derrick Cope dove low, held off two other cars to the finish line, and proceeded to victory lane at NASCAR's most famous race track.
