This is your final Tony Basilio Blog I will do until Tuesday the 21st. I'm taking a break for sanity's sake. Everybody needs a break from time to time. I hope you'll understand. I'm also taking a break from the show during this time as well. Thanks to Beano/Sinco/Hatfield, Seth, B-Ball Lee Earl, Swaineee, and everybody pitching in to keep the dream alive. When we return we will be full strength on the blog as Vol Colonel will join Throat, X, Brian, Colquitt and the film watching family. We are coming for you for the rest of 2016. Beleeeee Dat...
Before we start with Orange Throat today, I want to congratulate Nick Senzel for being drafted #2 overall by the Cincinnati Reds. That's HUGE! Amazing UT Baseball failed to move the bar a little bit with a #2 overall MLB draft pick on that roster for 3 years. That's quite a statement. Nick is a tough young man who has a real chance to be a solid professional. Here's to a healthy start to his professional career.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and meet and greet Orange Throat!!!
Orange Throat
'Planet Basilio:
Random musings as we get another week closer to FTIT ("Football Time in Tennessee"):
UT NOT RIGHT FOR REITMAIER: Disappointing news came this week with the commitment of Nashville DT Rutger Reitmaier to Oregon. Reitmaier's situation illustrates the challenge of recruiting the bustling, fast-growing Nashville metropolitan area. The kid's parents aren't from the area and there are no real ties to the state's flagship university. Although Reitmaier is a good player, probably not a great player, this one hurts because the Vols are in desperate need of DTs after fanning on that position group in the 2016 recruiting class. It is early, though, and the Vols won't back down on this.
WORDY JOHN IN MARYVILLE: Tony had a fun exchange with a Tee Mail contributor this week, John in Maryville. John probably had calluses from typing two long missives attacking Tony's provincialism in advocating people with stronger UT connections in future hires as UTK chancellor and athletics director. We think John misses the point in a couple of important ways:
1. You don't have to be from the Volunteer State or even have gone to UT to become a "Tennessee" person. Peyton Manning is from New Orleans, longtime UTAD employee Carmen Tegano is from Pennsylvania and didn't go to school here. Ray Mears was from Ohio. In fact, it's hard to define or describe how you become a "Tennessee" person, but you know one when you see one.
2. John's probably not aware of the "anti-UT person bias" that has existed on our campus in recent years. Jimmy Cheek did not seriously consider any candidates with strong UT ties when he ultimately chose Dave Hart after a long and arduous search. Hart brought in two guys from his days at the University of Alabama to be his chief lieutenants and ran roughshod over veteran UT operative Bud Ford and was cavalier with the Lady Vol tradition. This implies that Hart either didn't have an appreciation for these people and things, or didn't care, or both.
COLUMBIA IS THE NEW CENTER OF THE SEC WOMEN'S HOOPS UNIVERSE: If these attendance stats are to be believed, the SEC champion South Carolina women's basketball program led the nation in attendance with an average of 14,000 fans and easily outdrew the Lady Vols, perennial attendance champ, by about 4,000 fans per game. Another tangible sign of the degradation of the UT program, which started well before Holly Warlick inherited the HC job.
CALLAWAY ON THE WAY BACK: Florida WR Antonio Callaway has been readmitted to school in time to get eligible for the 2016 season. UF hasn't said what the talented receiver did to get suspended both from school and the Gator team, but it's a safe bet it was more than jaywalking. If you're having trouble remembering Callaway, he was the Gator that took Will Grier's 4th and 14 pass and sprinted 63 yards for the winning TD against Tennessee last season. That play with 1:26 to go capped a two-touchdown fourth quarter rally for Florida, which is a big reason Butch Jones replaced DC John Jancek with Bob Shoop in the offseason. So, perhaps there may be something good that resulted from that awful night.
BAYLOR MESS PROBABLY NOT OVER: We can probably expect more fallout from the scandal at Baylor. More allegations from alleged victims are coming out and it is hard to believe some existing staffers will still be around a couple of months from now. Plus, you may not know it but Baylor is a private school and has not been forthcoming with the full report commissioned by the school's board of trustees. Public schools should probably demand that private schools divulge information same as them, if they are going to compete in athletics at the same level. Closer to home, that would apply to Vanderbilt if they are going to be part of the SEC.
SUDS AT THE SHOE: Ohio State announced this week it would start selling beer to the general public at home football games this season. This marks a growing trend in college sports and it is disappointing the SEC did not remove its hypocritical conference-wide ban at last week's annual meetings. This should be a matter left up to individual schools. We say hypocritical because the booze is already flowing in high-priced suites and premium seat areas at every school in the league. Studies have shown that schools actually have fewer alcohol-related incidents when they offer beer for sale in a well-managed and regulated environment. This is because folks (especially the young ones) binge drink in the parking lots pregame and smuggle in spirits. (it's hard to put a six pack under your coat!) If you don't want to be around alcohol at a college football game, don't ever go to a bowl game and you better stay away from the Battle of Bristol because Vol and Hokie fans will guzzle enough brews that night to fill up the Tennessee River.
Apologize for being so long-winded today but wanted to keep pace with John in Maryville.
Orange Throat'
Throaty: Not you, too. A cheap shot at John from Maryville. I thought you were better than this. You called him 'Wordy John'. Not his name. Anywhooo, great report from you. I do wish you would refrain from name calling next time.
Tennessee has the best fans in America. Everybody else above them got rewarded this year with pretty good college hoops but this fan base. Tennessee used to live in the top 10 which is a statement all to itself. Nebraska, Creighton, and BYU prove that there must be nothing to do at those places. Otherwise Tennessee fans flat out rock. How many of the above schools have an orphaned Elite 8 Appearance as their best finish in school history? Think about it. I sure hope Weekend at Barnsie's can get in the game. This fan base deserves his best each and every day.
The thermometer indicates that summer has arrived in East Tennessee. A dwindling sports calendar confirms that assessment.
1. It is always good to see your program associated with a potential number one ranked player in a class. Charles Bassey, 6'10" and a member of the 2019 class, lists Tennessee as one of the seven schools from whom he has received offers.
2. Tennessee basketball fans continue to show a remarkable level of loyalty. Once again they produce a place in the top 20 in attendance despite an uninspiring product.
3. If you missed its initial airing, do yourself a favor and watch one of the reruns of the 60 Minutes Sports interview with Marshawn Lynch. He is simply one of the most fascinating personalities in sports.
4. Jim Harbaugh continues to stay one step ahead of the competition. Having Paterson Catholic play a game at Michigan Stadium is a stroke of genius.
5. The suspensions for Manny Machado and Yordano Ventura were what they should have been. Machado certainly didn't deserve any more than four games.
6. Jerry Colangelo asking Mike Krzyzewski to take over as head of USA Basketball makes perfect sense. It gives the program continuity.
7. Nick Senzel was a solid pick for the Reds. They have to get some solid position players in the is system.
8. San Jose showed serious moxy in extending the Stanley Cup final. If they protect home ice in Game 6, the pressure all falls on Pittsburgh.
9. Cleveland has a chance to really change the narrative of the NBA Finals. A win in Game 4 puts the weight of the world on Golden State going home.
Keith
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I didn’t even hear a mention of the Mixon issue, which is the 1000-pound gorilla in the room in the state of Oklahoma...So different than coverage of Pearl, Baylor, etc...Where were the timelines of doom?
A judge has ruled that video of Mixon’s altercation with a female is public record, but yet still not released...Now two years after the assault, and he was allowed back on the team to play last year by Stoops, who apparently has seen the video.
Stoops will be in trouble if this video is released (post-Baylor), not to mention others at OU. Unbelievable how they’ve kept this video from going public...It will be interesting to see what lengths Stoops and others at OU went to keep that video from going public, which will probably cost them all their jobs eventually, not the video itself.
From SI story...
The dispute centers on a soundless surveillance video of approximately three minutes in length. The video reportedly shows the 6’1”, 225-pound Mixon, who was celebrating his 18th birthday, and University of Oklahoma student Amelia Rae Molitor, then 20 years old, engaged in heated early-morning argument that takes place inside and outside the restaurant. The argument escalates and becomes violent, with both landing hits on the other. According to a police report depiction of the video, Molitor, who is much shorter and smaller than Mixon, slapped Mixon around his face. In response, Mixon “struck [Molitor] on the left side of her face with his closed right fist.” Mixon’s punch caused Molitor to hit a table and then the ground. Published reports indicate that Monitor suffered a fractured jaw, fractured cheekbone and other serious injuries to her face.
SG in KV'
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SG: Different rules for different programs by different media outlets. Different coaches are worshipped. Butch Jones has zero gravitas with the national media people that matter. He would get excoriated. Phillip Fulmer wasn't loved because he didn't kiss the right asses in the media. I kinda liked that about him. Stoops is a buddy and OU is semi regal under him. This Mixon deal is a complete disgrace. NEVER should a woman be struck by a man. I don't care the circumstances. The only time is if you're encountering a woman armed and your life or that of your loved ones is in danger. Otherwise women are to be celebrated. If a woman is striking you and you're a male, at worst restrain her. Otherwise walk away. As to the OU deal, if the Sooners would've petered out last year after losing (and they should've lost) in Knoxville to an 8-4 record, they would be using this video to run Phat Bob. But that's not the deal. He only goes if the national media gets involved (ala the Baylor deal) and raise a ruckus. Otherwise these programs are always going to err on the side of profits and the path of least resistance.
Carry on Vol Nation....
It's been a most rewarding first half of the sports season with you!
Friday night’s Iowa-UConn Final Four game had 14.2 million viewers. That’s more than any women’s college basketball game, ever. More than every 2023 NBA Finals game and more than every 2023 World Series game. ESPN has had the rights to NBA games since 2002. But the Final Four game between Iowa and UConn was the networks most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, pro or collegiate EVER.... [more]
Friday night’s Iowa-UConn Final Four game had 14.2 million viewers. That’s more than any women’s college basketball game, ever. More than every 2023 NBA Finals game and more than every 2023 World Series game. ESPN has had the rights to NBA games since 2002. But the Final Four game between Iowa and UConn was the networks most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, pro or collegiate EVER.... [more]
The Vols did what they were expected to do against UConn. There's not really much to say about that game. The game this Saturday in Columbia, Missouri will decide whether or not this season is a failure in my opinion. If they Vols lose, they are staring at 8-4 and probably the Gator Bowl. Maybe Reliaquest..... [more]
The Vols are coming back to Neyland Stadium and I am returning after a discretionary bye week. I'll be honest with you. This year it seems like I've been writing the same preview over and over because the formula to win has been the same pretty much every SEC game. I didn't want to sound like a broken record so I needed a bit of a break from that.
I'll start with some general observations..... [more]
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