SINCE WE LAST SPOKE: 5-8-14

DIAMOND VOL DRAMA: After weathering a 15-1 televised shellacking at the hands of Kentucky last Thursday night the Vols took Lone Watie of The Outlaw Josey Wales advice and “endeavored to persevere” their way to a series victory and a solid foothold on an opportunity for their first trip to Hoover and the SEC Tournament since 2007. With only two regular season SEC series remaining the Vols currently find themselves tied with the aforementioned Wildcats (10-14) for the 10th spot in the 12 team affair slated for May 20-25. Tennessee trails Arkansas (10-13) by ½ game; leads Auburn (9-14) by ½; Georgia (8-14) by 1 and Missouri (6-17) by 3 ½. Tennessee has without question the toughest schedule of all the teams vying for the last 2-3 bracket spots up for grabs as the only team facing two ranked opponents with a trip to #21 Mississippi State followed by a visit to Knoxville by the #4 Florida Gators. Here are the remaining schedules for teams that the Vols must exceed or keep pace with to make the field:

Arkansas: #20 Texas A&M; @ Missouri
Kentucky: Auburn; @ Georgia
Auburn: @ Kentucky; #15 LSU
Georgia: @ #11 Ole Miss; Kentucky
Missouri: @ #17 S Carolina; Arkansas

#-Rankings according to Baseball America

SOLID WITH SERRANO: If patience is a virtue I must be one of the least virtuous people alive when it comes to UT coaches. Excluding Butch Jones and Donnie Tyndall -who are in their honeymoon period- I’ve had belief in and tolerance for exactly ONE coach in the three major men’s sports since 2005; Bruce Pearl. The others have either never gained or quickly lost my confidence. Whether it is a product of rebuild fatigue, exorbitant salaries, undeserved opportunities or all of the above I’ve had little or no tolerance for most of the “leaders” who we’ve recently made millionaires. Dave Serrano however has restored the child-like faith of my younger years regardless of the slow progress realized in the baseball program over his three-year tenure. I guess in searching for an explanation for the restoration of my unconditional support of a Volunteer Head Coach it comes down to accomplishment and allegiance. Serrano is the first head coaching hire since Johnny Majors who had won big at multiple stops, left a better situation than Tennessee offered and returned to Knoxville undeterred by the challenge of the extremely difficult rebuild that awaited their arrival. The bottom line is I want someone directing our programs that love wearing the orange as much as I do. I think Dave Serrano is that guy.

LITTLE OR NO VOL DRAFT DAY DRAMA: Nowhere is it more evident how dramatically Tennessee’s football program has fallen then NFL Draft weekend. The Vols once donned suits in huge numbers expecting to hear their names quickly called and seemed stunned if they fell to day two. Now most of the Big Orange Nation can tune into other programming until deep in the process and probably won’t miss more than two Vol selections. Butch Jones and staff appear poised to reintroduce pro scouts to the Tennessee roster but need several more recruiting periods to do so. Right now it-is-what-it-is and here according to cbssportsline.com is how bad what-it-is-truly-is:

JaWuan James: Rated the # 38 prospect projected for rounds 1-2

Antonio Richardson: Rated the # 72 prospect projected for rounds 2-3

Daniel McCullers: Rated the # 117 prospect projected for rounds 3-4

Zach Fulton: Rated the # 201 prospect projected for round 6

Raijon Neal: Rated the # 209 prospect projected for round 6

James Stone: Rated the # 311 prospect projected for round 7-FA

As you can see from the listing above the Vols have only two of the Top-100 rated 2014 Draft prospects and only three of the Top-200. Between McCullers at 117 and Fulton at 201 players from such national powers as McGill; Georgia Southern; West Texas A&M; Shepard; Bloomsburg; Pittsburg State and Alabama State are projected to be selected. Hit that recruiting trail Butch and I mean hit it hard.

COLTS DRAFT: My Colts have their seemingly annual need for secondary –especially after Safety Antoine Bethea’s defection to the 49ers in free agency- and offensive line help to stay “Lucky”. Barring a trade their first pick will be at 59 after swapping their first rounder for two-yards-a-tote Trent Richardson who appears poised to continue Alabama’s run of stiff RBs in the league. If they aren’t careful they will surpass the ineptitude of Florida QBs.

DEFECTIONS NOT ON DONNIE: Even with the inordinate amount of attrition currently plaguing Tennessee Basketball I lay NONE of the responsibility for it at Donnie Tyndall’s feet. A new coach’s first task may be re-recruiting his inherited roster but you can’t sell to those unwilling to listen to your pitch. I don’t blame the players; they have every right to turn their backs and look elsewhere as the coaches that recruited them do so regularly. I hope each and every one land in a place that comfortably fits their personality and style of play. Tyndall has inherited a mess not of his making and has had less than two weeks to ingratiate himself to an irritated group caught in the middle and left behind. It is next to impossible to overcome skepticism of that nature in such a short period of time. Tyndall’s reputation suggests that his recruiting prowess exceeds that of his predecessor and time will hopefully show that to be fact rather than conjecture. It will take time however that I for one am willing to concede. I’ll hold Coach Tyndall and staff responsible for the roster makeup….about this time in 2016.

TIDE-TURNING TRIO? It is waaaay too early for rational opinion forming –and I may have to embarrassingly retract this statement in a couple of years- but I feel really good about the trio of head coaches now directing the major men’s sports programs at UT. Butch Jones, Donnie Tyndall and Dave Serrano have all been successful at two previous stops, have the personality and charisma that will capture the interest of the fan base, are proven recruiters, employ an aggressive, entertaining style of play and seem to genuinely want to be here for the long-haul. I finally feel positive momentum building throughout the department. Hopefully my enthusiasm is not foolishly based solely on the fact that their predecessors possessed few if any of the aforementioned attributes. The more I ponder it the more preposterous it seems that Mike Hamilton could have possibly hired Todd Raleigh, Derek Dooley AND Cuonzo Martin within the span of three years. Three guys who elicited the exact same –and eventually proven justifiable- response from the Big Orange Nation of “who the hell is that and what are we doing talking to him at any point in this search?” He might as well have hired Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian who would have created a lot more excitement, looked better doing it and probably won almost as many games.

HONORING MOM: One year ago Friday my Brother Mike and I lost our Mother only days before Mother’s Day. This was a mere year and six days from the time we lost our hero and older Brother Ron so as you would expect early May is not our favorite time of year. We do however thank God for the years we had as a loving, tight-knit family and the positive impact it has had on both of our lives. I hope you will indulge me as I re-post the tribute I wrote to our blessed Mom last year at this time:

For the first time in my life I will spend Mother’s Day without her; my mom passed away at 4:10 AM on May 9th. On Sunday as others rightly honor their beloved mothers I will find little earthly joy as mine lays in a casket at Weatherford’s Mortuary in Oak Ridge. Actually only her deteriorated earthly body will be at the funeral home. Her soul will be reaping the rewards of her faith and salvation in heaven in a Henderson celebration that will almost certainly be worthy of a divine noise ordinance violation. Mom, Dad and Brother Ron are reunited and Brother Mike and I will celebrate that.

Mom was and is my role model. She was caring, compassionate, sacrificial and spiritual. She was a teacher, disciplinarian, counselor and friend. Mom helped raise her brothers, raised three sons, and later was the primary caretaker for her husband and mother up until their deaths. Somehow amidst all of that responsibility (and waiting until I was old enough and she was 40 to start work) she rose from a Bookkeeper to Vice President of the Bank of Oak Ridge. She was the rock of our family and all of us have reaped the benefits of her character.

In later years the insidious effects of Alzheimer’s robbed my Mom of many of her finest attributes placing a stranger in the body I recognized. But while wiping her mind clean it couldn’t destroy the 80+ years of motherhood, friendship and love that she afforded so infectiously. On Sunday I will probably cry more than laugh but I will not be unappreciative. I will thank God that he placed an angel on earth for 86 years and that kind, spiritual being was my Mother. I love you Mom, I will use something you taught me every day for the rest of my life and I will continue to try to make you as proud that I am your son as I am that you are my mother.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU ALL.

IN A PERFECT WORLD: Mothers would be honored every day of the year.

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