Michael Moats of KNS had a great line on Twitter last night when he observed that it was officially a backward summer in Knoxville. I'm still here for day four of SEC Media days while the Sports Animal crew in Knoxville has gone home. Jeez guys, thanks a lot. As Chris Vernon of Memphis fame told me yesterday, I'm making a comeback after 10 years of being dormant. If it's just as well, I'd like to go back into hibernation. This place is mind numbing, stimulating and overwhelming. Sensory overload on steroids. Of course, with the SEC everything is sensory overload. Everything under the sun is bigger but not necessarily better. I'd argue that the conference was better when it was a 10 team league but that's just me.


I'll give Mike Slive credit. He's very good at what he does. He's slick. He's polished. Dresses to the nines. Has all the talking points memorized and like any great politician can spit them out. Yesterday, I got him off his game a little bit as we sparred on the troubling era of college sports we are about to see birthed before our very eyes. The truth is, this is ALL of the doing of guys like Mike Slive. These guys and gals (and God bless em) think they are doing the right thing here. But so did the folks at NASCAR when they got away from their essence and look at what that sport has become. Sure, it looks flashier and it seems to be more presentable to the masses and seems more palatable. Yet it’s not what the same sport.


I asked Mike Slive several times if there's a place for someone like me at the table who says (in the immortal words of NBA Scout and Tony Basilio Show friend in good standing) 'pump the brakes here.' At one point in my interview with Slive, things got so testy that, after he made a point about the SEC's recent expansion having 'regional integrity,' I offered up the silliness of the notion of regional integrity in college sports at large citing Rutgers jump to the Big 10 (or whatever it is). He literally snapped the mic out of my hand and emphatically proclaimed. 'Rutgers doesn't play in the SEC, I'm here to talk about the SEC.'


But the point of his action and my line of questioning are well taken. A guy like Mike Slive knows that we are seeing the beginning of the slippery slope here. How these guys navigate it from here will be slick footing. As former South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia told me yesterday, 'Something has to give here. You've got assistant coaches making a million dollars while a kid can't even get home to see his parents if he needs to.' Amen.


And I don't feel sorry for the Slives of the world. I think he's a brilliant guy but they've created something here that's now bigger than them.


The birth pangs have started. College football is going to morph into something it was never meant to be. And, as I told Mike Slive yesterday, the common fan suffers. He obviously didn't like my line of questioning but my goal in this stuff has never been to get my back slapped. I get up every day and serve you the very best I can. Somebody needs to say 'this is absurd.'


For Mike Slive to claim regional integrity when it takes a literally a day to drive to College Station from Columbia South Carolina is absurdity in the highest order. And for him to bristle about Rutgers having nothing to do with this conversation is ridiculous. The SEC started all of this back in 1992. What's happened to the 'regional integrity' of college realignment has EVERYTHING to do with them. Period end of sentence.


I respect Mike Slive a lot. He's great at what he does. And he didn't shirk from my line of questioning. In fact, he almost welcomed it saying at the end 'though we disagree, we both want what's best for college sports in our own eyes.' True indeed. Only I'm afraid mine have the benefit of not being clouded by dollar signs.


Look, I still love major college sports. It's the best thing going. Will I be able to make that statement in 10 or 20 years? Will you?






Caught up with Bill Hancock on Wednesday's show. He's a trip. That guy is like a windup toy with extra powerful energizer batteries. He's another one not afraid of live contact. I sparred with him over the issue of choosing the four teams. Let's see. We have a panel of 15 people deciding who plays for the national title and they are going to follow a somewhat subjective and nebulous path to do so. And I'm talking about people like Condi Rice who has as much business being there as I do. You’re kidding right. Do you realize what a charade it's going to be behind the scenes when a Texas or Notre Dame is sitting there at #5 and trying to politic into the four slot.


Here's the deal now in college football. They are half pregnant with this playoff thing. Four teams are NOT ENOUGH. In fact, it's not even close to being enough. Texas played politics to gain entrance into the BCS a few years back. That's a fact. Imagine what kind of deal cutting will go to land a spot in the Playoff. Hancock assured me that EVERYONE on the panel is of the utmost character and integrity. They better be because they are going to be tested and tempted. You can book that. What AD or Prez in this country of a major institution wouldn't pull out all the stops to land in one of those games when right on the borderline? I'd say it’s their job to do so. This is going to be interesting indeed.


Rockytopinsider.com is hunting your predictions for the upcoming season. Link



Tiger Woods is playing in a major again while I type this at 6 Eastern Time. Good stuff! That sport needs him back. Can he get all the way back? Great question.


Swiperboy had 4 points and 2 rebs in a summer league game last night for the Lakers versus my Sixers. Man, I love that kid. What a great entertainer!


Les Miles has a complete screw loose. Michael Jordan? Whaaaaaat? Link


No doubt pace of play will be on the agenda today. Saban is so boring and exposed on this issue. Find a way to stop these guys on the field already. Great piece here on the burgeoning controversy. BB from Arkansas is full of it on this player safety non-sense. Total crapola. Link


Ryan Callahan from 24/7 sports tweeted the following last night. To this I say 'beam me up Scottie.' '#Vols fans, don't get excited over anything tweeted by @JoshSweat9. Five-star DE Josh Sweat doesn't have a Twitter account.'

Vol legacy guys are already making an impact. Link


I love Joe Tessitore. His work on Friday Night Fights on ESPN was tremendous. And he's bringing the boxing analogies to his SEC Network quiver. Nice. http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/joe-tessitore-sec-network/





Dale Ellis gives DT and the basketball Vol some love today in his blog! Love Dale Ellis. LOVE that guy’s passion for hoops! Link


I do not do the ESPY's. Does that make me a bad person?


This said, Stuart Scott had a very brave and moving speech last night during that telecast. Here it is. Link


Thanks to Vol historian Tom Mattingly for the link on yesterday's blog. It was unsaid in there that I miss Tom being on The Hill but that's understood. Tom is wonderful people! A real asset to our community in so many ways. One of the quiet heroes in life! Viva Tom Mattingly!


Is Cuonzo Martin still whining about his exit from Knoxville? Link



Ironic that news of a dictator suing a game maker comes on the day Nick Saban appears at SEC Media Days. Connection? Link


In the Nick Saban spirit, NY Newsday calls the NYCNY mayor an 'ass' on the front page! Sheesh. Link


Ran into Larry Vaught of vaughtsviews.com. He shared that Stoops and UK will go last today at SEC Media Days. I immediately thought about Jimmi Hendrix at Woodstock. The guy gave an epic performance and everyone had already left because they were literally and figuratively fried. By the time Saban and the crazies get done with this place today there will be no air left in the room for Kentucky football. Oh well. Business as usual I suppose.


Tony B

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