Sunday, February 28, 2010

Rocky Top Rocks this Weekend


So both the Vols and Lady Vols were in action at Thompson-Boling arena this weekend and they both came out on top. The Vols of course knocked off Kentucky in an incredible game on Saturday, and the Lady Vols outlast a game Ole Miss squad this evening. Both teams look like they are ready for a decent run in the post season.

Under Bruce Pearl, Tennessee always seems to be better as the underdog. They knocked off number one Kansas in January with only six scholarship players, and beat number two Kentucky on Saturday after getting blown out earlier this week at Florida. After all Tennessee has been through this season, this squad just tries to find a way to win. It may not always be pretty, but they get the job done. Tennessee had a 19 point lead early in the second half, only to see the Wildcats make a run to tie it up. Tennessee showed incredible heart and did not wilt as they scored the last nine points to win the game.

Tennessee has two more games left in the regular season, against Arkansas and at Mississippi State. The Vols will most likely finish in third or fourth place in the SEC East which will set them up to play against LSU, Alabama, or Auburn in the first round of the SEC tournament. I think the Vols will be primed to make a run in the SEC tournament. I still like Kentucky to win the tournament, but if they run into Tennessee or Vanderbilt they can get knocked off.

Speaking of the Wildcats. It looks like their three point shooting may be their undoing. In their last four games they are only shooting 19% from beyond the arc. As talented as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are, you need a shooter to hit that big shot in the tournament. I do not know if they can hit that clutch shot to get them to the Final Four.

Meanwhile, the Lady Vols are back where they should be. On top of the SEC. They may not dominate every opponent like UConn has this season, but they also know how win in the clutch.

Looks like the Big Orange will be a force in March Madness! It is finally here!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Bye Bye Cats!

Awesome game by the Vols! The Big Orange showed incredible poise once Kentucky tied the game late. Tennessee then closed the game on a 9-0 run.

More in depth opinions on this game tomorrow!

It sure has been a crazy week. My girlfriend decides the best way to break up with me is via text message, I see an awesome show by Flogging Molly, and Tennessee beats Kentucky!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

If I Ever Leave This World Alive


So Flogging Molly was awesome tonight! They played for a solid two hours with songs from all their albums. It was one of the best shows I have ever been to!

This song of theirs goes out to all my great friends who are with me no matter what! I would not be me without all of you!


If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank for all the things you did in my life
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll come back down and sit beside your
feet tonight
Wherever I am you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive

If I ever leave this world alive
I'll take on all the sadness
That I left behind
If I ever leave this world alive
The madness that you feel will soon subside
So in a word don't shed a tear
I'll be here when it all gets weird
If I ever leave this world alive

So when in doubt just call my name
Just before you go insane
If I ever leave this world
Hey I may never leave this world
But if I ever leave this world alive

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right

She says I'm okay; I'm alright,
Though you have gone from my life
You said that it would,
Now everything should be all right
Yeah should be alright

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Worst Day Since Yesterday

Ok so many of you know about the insanity that happened yesterday, and for those that do not know, I'll fill you in later.

But on a much brighter note, Flogging Molly is coming to the Norva tonight! I am pumped about the show. A full recap of the show coming tomorrow!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Time for NCAA to Get Tough on Fans

I should be writing about the great second half Tennessee had against Georgia last night as the Vols won a "must win" game over the Bulldogs 69-60. However, what has me all worked up is what happened at Mississippi State Tuesday night in the game against Kentucky.

The Wildcats won a tough 81-75 overtime victory against the Bulldogs in Starkville, but it was the fans that got most of the attention.

The officials got under the skin of the fans when down the stretch, Mississippi State was called for ten fouls to zero for Kentucky. Three of those calls were key: a block-charge call that went Patrick Patterson’s way, when virtually every collision had been called a charge all night; a no-call on a John Wall goaltend; and a tickle foul on a Wall jumper. The officiating last night has added to the notion that SEC officials are favoring the national title contenders just like during the football season.

Don't get me wrong, the officiating in the SEC this season has been dreadful, but I do not believe there is some conspiracy going on. However, the officials were terrible in Starkville. Home teams usually do not get jobbed like that.

During the waning moments of the game the fans started throwing full bottles of water on the floor, one nearly missing one of the officials. This really got under my skin. I hate boorish fan behavior. It was that same a few weeks ago in West Virginia when fans threw things on the floor and a Pitt assistant coach got hit with a coin in the neck.

I have been hit in the face by a coin flung from a crowd and it left a mark for a week and stung for a few days.

I know it is just a hand full of fans that make everyone look bad but I think the schools and the NCAA need to come down hard on these idiot fans. Here is what I think needs to happen.

First, fans around the waste of food who threw something on the court need to stop cheering him and point him out to police. If said fan who threw something is a student at the school, he should be expelled immediately. People like that should not represent your university. If the fan is a paying customer, he should be banned from the arena forever.

The school needs to be punished as well for fan behavior. Every time something is thrown onto the court or field the officials have the right to flag the home team 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct in football, and call a technical foul on the home crowd in basketball and award the opposing team two free throws.

For really lousy fan behavior like we saw at Mississippi State and West Virginia, the NCAA needs to take a page from Europe when soccer fans get out of hand. For the next home game, you have to play in an empty arena. No fans means no ticket and concessions revenue. You want to make a school get tough on its fans for bad behavior, hit them in the wallet.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Anti-Valentines Day Movies


It is the day everyone either loves or hates. Valentines Day! Love and over commercialism are in the air. For the first time since 2005 your dear author has a girlfriend on this day known for diamonds, flowers, candy, and Al Capone ordered killings.

Since I will be taking my lady out tonight, I will not be able to do what I usually do on this day, pop in a guy movie and drink a six pack. However, for those of you who are staying in tonight (and that is nothing to be ashamed of) here is my list of the top movies to watch if all the romance is too nauseating for you.

1. The Departed - It is the movie I have watched the past few years on V-Day. I love this movie! It is all crime, deception, and people getting shot in the head. Directed my Martin Scorsese, you know there is not a whole lot of romance, but plenty of violence and swearing.

2. 300 - Talk about being the alpha male! 300 Spartan soldiers against the entire Persian Army. It is all about being a man in this movie. Even the leading lady gets to stab someone. Plenty of blood, guts, and abs.

3. The Blues Brothers - One of my all time favorites! John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are two musicians on a mission from god to save the orphanage they grew up in. Full of great music, memorable scenes (driving through the mall), and plenty of music greats (James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and John Lee Hooker.

4. Caddyshack - Think golf is only about Tiger Woods? Go back to 1980 and have a ball on the course with Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe and Bill Murray. It is the snobs verses the slobs, plus a gopher! The movie has been out this long and you walk around a golf course and you still hear it quoted! So it's got that going for it, which is nice.

5. The Dark Knight - I don't think I need to add anything more to what has already been said about this awesome movie!

6. Sin City - The one that started it all for great bloody graphic novels being put on the big screen. Awesome cast, great visuals, and people doing the right thing no matter how bloody it gets.

7. Animal House - Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell No! This movie is still a riot. All great comedies made after 1978 have Animal House to thank.

8. Hard Boiled - The original "Bullet Ballet" from John Woo. Made in Hong Kong in 1992, Chow Yun-Fat plays a police inspector spending most of the time shooting bad guys. Some of the most memorable gunfights of all time are in this movie, and set the standard for all action movies.

So there you have it. Pop one of these movies in and you will forget all your troubles!

Happy Valentines Day!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

UT commit Justin Hunter in action

So as many of you know, I am an announcer at my old high school in Virginia Beach. Last night Kellam played Ocean Lakes in basketball. Ocean Lakes is the high school of Tennessee football and track commitment Justin Hunter.

I was announcing the football game between Kellam and Ocean Lakes when he caught 3 huge touchdown passes. Now I finally got to see him up close sitting at the announcer's table while he played basketball. I had joked with the Kellam players earlier in the week to go ahead and win but try not to hurt Hunter (they all know I am a UT grad). They got a laugh out of it and said they will do their best.

Anyway, the first thing I noticed about him is that he is very thin. Yes I like that he is 6'4" and is very quick, but I think he will have to spend some time in the weight room and get stronger if he is going to be able to battle for balls in traffic in the SEC. I do not know how that will effect his leaping ability for track and field, but for football it is a priority.

What impressed me the most was his crazy leaping ability. He really got up above the rim on the two dunks he had in the game, however, basketball is definitely his third best sport as he could not sink a free throw to save his life and Kellam won the game 50-44.

I do think Tennessee has a great player in Hunter and will be a huge help for the Volunteers in both football and track and field.

Another name I want everyone to remember is Kellam basketball player Ramone Snowden. He is just a freshman and only 14 years old, but plays like a senior and at 6'5" 200 lbs (and still growing) he looks like one too. I am not a big fan of these scouting services that are ranking high school freshman, but he is near the top of those lists.

It will be fun to watch Snowden's progress from up close.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Super Bowl XLIV

It's finally here! These two weeks before Super Bowl Sunday seem to drag on forever with all the pre game hype. I have learned more about a sprained ankle and how to heal it than I ever needed to know, and I have had sprained ankles! Of course I am not about to play in the Super Bowl, so just staying off of it for a few days was good enough.

Anyway, here is my pick for the game: Colts 31 Saints 24

I have to go with Peyton Manning here. He is like an orchestra conductor with a football when he runs that offense. You give him a few series and he will have the Saints defense figured out. I also do not think the Colts will turn the ball over 5 times like the Vikings did in the NFC Championship game.

However, if the Saints do win I will not be too upset. I think everyone has a soft spot for New Orleans and what happened to that city after Hurricane Katrina.

Enjoy the game (and the commercials) everyone!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Tennessee's Signing Day 2010

I have never been the biggest fan of recruiting. I know it is essential to the college football process, but I think it gets a little out of hand.

Take for example New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. He was the Texas 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led his team to a 16-0 record and state championship, but was not recruited heavily by the big Texas schools mostly because he was too short. Instead he went to Purdue where he set all kinds of school and Big Ten records, and led the Boilermakers to the 2001 Rose Bowl. Still his draft stock took a hit because of the belief that he was again too short, lack of arm strength and was a system quarterback. Now here he is taking the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl!

Nevertheless, new Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley did a fabulous job on the recruiting trail with less three weeks on the job. Dooley was able to keep many of the Tennessee commitments that had been recruited by Lane Kiffin before he skipped town, and was also able to add some big names of his own.

The biggest story out of Knoxville is the possible return of "Wide Receiver U." Tennessee landed two great receiver prospects in Justin Hunter of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Da'Rick Rogers of Calhoun, Georgia. According to Rivals.com, Hunter was the No. 8 WR prospect overall and Rogers was the No. 1 prospect in the entire state of Georgia, which I am sure does not make Mark Richt happy.

Along with early-enrollees Matt Milton and Ted Meline the group of receivers Dooley and former coach Lane Kiffin collected could be the envy of college football. And it could have been even better if Kiffin hadn't taken former UT commit Markeith Ambles with him to Southern California.

Tennessee also got some help shoring up some holes on both lines. Ja'Wuan James and James Stone are both top ten offensive tackle prospects, and Corey Miller and Jacques Smith are great defensive end prospects, which has to make new Tennessee defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox excited. With potential starting quarterback Nick Stephens heading into his senior season, it was a plus to get Tyler Bray onto campus early so the Vols can have a solid backup to start the season.

The biggest miss from this class is at defensive tackle. Losing J.C. Copeland to LSU on signing day was a killer. However, Dooley did a great job at getting Tennessee a top ten recruiting class in less than three weeks. No matter who is coaching Tennessee, a few huge recruiting factors remain the same. Neyland Stadium still seats over 100,000, the facilities are state of the art, you play in the best football conference, all the traditions are still there, and you get to play for the greatest fans in college football!

For a complete list of Tennessee's commitments, check them out here