Make your plans for Wednesday, Feb 1st to join us in the loft of Calhoun's Pellissippi Parkway for our Smoothie King Signing Day Spectacular. It's going to be a tremendous day of celebration as we welcome another stellar class of Vols. This is one of my favorite days of the year because people come from miles around to enjoy each other. We're going to have a special buffet and Mr. Chase is cutting us a great deal so you will be out the door for only $13 per person. This includes the tip. Also, we will have terrific prizes as well. It's going to be a wonderful time. I hope you can get there! We will broadcast from 10 am to 2pm. Our first and last hours will app only. Really looking forward to this special day. I hope you'll choose to spend a portion of it with us. Fun stuff.
Orange Throat
Tony B. Nation:
Random musings today as we apply a quote to ourselves from the great Spiro Agnew and resolve to not be "a nattering nabob of negativity" for a complete week:
OFFENSE SHOULD BE FINE: We're coming to around to Tony's way of thinking that Butch Jones has strengthened his offense with the hiring of Mike "Chico" Canales as QB coach and the promotion of TE coach Larry Scott to OC. We've said before in this space and still believe we'll always be left thinking what might have been with Josh Dobbs if he had a good position coach in his junior and senior years. To be sure, Scott and his offensive staff will face the challenge of facing a tough early schedule with a new QB. A veteran offensive line will help smooth the transition and freshman RB Ty Chandler should be a nice #2 to John Kelly, who should be a workhorse in '17. We expect grad assistant Walt Wells will be named soon to replace Don Mahoney as OL coach.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DEFENSE: Your humble correspondent will continue to beat into the ground the importance of Jones addressing his defense if his team has any chance to compete in the SEC East next season. We'll continue to harp on the fact that we want to see Tyler Byrd at corner on the first day of spring practice about two months from now. We like the hire of Charlton Warren to coach the corners and believe he might actually teach them to find the ball before it arrives in the hands of an opposing receiver. We want to see DC Bob Shoop get Nigel Warrior ready to start at free safety this spring and summer. We expect Jones will replace DL coach Steve Stripling with a new man, perhaps former Michigan HC Brady Hoke. If so, Hoke will have a huge challenge to put together a front that will be tested on the very first day of the new season in Atlanta against Georgia Tech's vaunted Spread Option offense. The Yellow Jackets chewed up Kentucky in the Taxslayer Bowl, outrushing the Cats by a margin of 266-149. RB Dedrick Mills went for 169 yards against UK and is back. Starting QB Justin Thomas is gone but redshirt junior Matthew Jordan is big and has experience.
It is hard to imagine Tennessee having a successful season if we don't walk out of the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a tough win on Labor Day, 2017.
SEARCH SHENANIGANS: UT avoided eventual embarrassment by opting for the Turnkey Sports search firm instead of Collegiate Sports Associates, because inside information points to CSA as Dave Hart's next place of employment. Collegiate Sports is headed by former Vanderbilt AD Todd Turner, which would have been another irritant if they had been selected. It is thought former UT grad assistant and veteran AD Gene DeFilippo will head the search for Turnkey. While DeFilippo is a longtime friend of Phillip Fulmer, it should be noted that Fulmer emerged as the clear frontrunner for the job before Gene D's firm was even selected.
ARROW UP FOR BARNES BALL: Saturday's game was vital for Rick Barnes young team and they delivered in a dominating home win over Mississippi State. Robert Hubbs III, Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bowden were all outstanding, but we were impressed by Lew Evans scrapping for nine rebounds.
Now at 10-9 overall and 3-4 in the SEC, the Vols have an outstanding chance to go 6-6 or better the rest of the way and get into NIT contention. Or, dare we say, get red hot and get onto the NCAA tourney bubble. (See, told ya we were going to be positive this week!). The Vols play an incredibly talented Kentucky team tomorrow night and a very solid Kansas State team at The Tommy on Saturday. House money this week. The first game with a Wildcats team might be a bridge too far but UT has an excellent chance to spring the upset of the Wildcats on Saturday.
EVEN HOLLY WON A GAME: The Lady Vols drubbed SEC cellar dwelling Vanderbilt yesterday and has a great shot at two league wins in a row at Florida Thursday night. The Gators are 13th in the SEC.
We'll talk a little recruiting on Friday.
Orange Throat
IGYTF
Great work Throaty. I'm feeling positive myself today. Why not? The Tennessee Basketball Vols kept their season alive by winning Saturday night. Put it this way, if Tennessee would've dropped to 2-5 with Kentucky followed by a trip to Auburn, it would've been tough. The schedule in February lightens up a little bit for the Vols so they should be able to make some strides toward a post-season berth. I believe we're singing off two different songbooks as to what tourney the Vols could be heading toward. I'll take an NIT bid all day long.
You're right in saying that I really like both hires on offense. It's my contention that Butch Jones has upgraded his staff with EVERY hire he's made since he's taken the helm at UT. The problem is that he missed a window by bringing the Cincinnati Kids with him. Of course Butch being prone to hyperbole referred to them as the top staff in America. I wonder if he had a chance to do it all again if he would've gotten more aggressive on the front end with his staff.
Did I say Cincinnati Kids? Click this and feel educated by HOF Harry Kalas.
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Hope For The Kentucky Game?: In an SEC where road teams were winning at a record clip, things reverted back to normal as home SEC teams actually went 5-2 on Saturday. Home teams enjoyed a 6-1 mid week record as well last week. Therefore it appears that things are settling down in the SEC and home games are playing out like home games. Tennessee has a tremendous home court advantage as a general rule. Then again, this is Kentucky and their fans will pay 5 star prices to get into TBA tomorrow night.
Justice & Payback: Tennessee is due. The Vols had so many near hits in their non-league schedule that they are bound to slay a giant. Kentucky is the last chance to make this happen this season. Tennessee is coming off a night where they committed only 5 turnovers during the meaningful part of the game (first 37 minutes). So, I'm trying to develop some good vibes for this one.
Officiating Advantage: I would love to see UT get that crew that did the Mississippi State game. They let Tennessee get away with being the aggressor inside and an undermanned UT team inside beat down the Dawgs. It was comical to see. Everything went UT's way on Saturday.
Apropos Postseason? This was the most average NFL season in my lifetime. So, why not have the postseason match as well. The playoffs are generally wrought with nail biters. This playoff failed to deliver.
Now the NFL gets Atlanta versus professional Bama: If the form holds for what's gone on the sports world all around us in the past 16 months, professional Bama is going down.
Amazing that the Falcons could deliver another Super Bowl Berth to a tepid sports city like Atlanta. No offense if you're from there, but y'all have been fined in the past for piping in crowd noise. Deal with it.
That said, I'm in full #RiseUp mode for this upcoming Super Bowl.
Current Champions: Cavaliers. Nobody believed Cleveland would ever win a major title.
NHL Champion: Penguins
Cubs: Need I say more? They beat Cleveland? (see a pattern here)
NCAA Hoops: Nova. Who woulda thunk it?
CFB: Clemson. Are you kidding me?
NFL?....I'm feeling the Falcons
POTUS: Trump??? See a trend here???
Do you think the Vols can get to Atlanta in this climate in 2017? This is after all the IGYCF. UT players could carry both Butch Jones and Fulmer off the field. Can't you see it now?
Hatfield's Nine
Tony,
The Super Bowl dance card is now set. Let the two week hype smorgasbord begin immediately.
1. Tennessee played its best game of the season in dispatching Mississippi State. Garnering that win was huge for momentum purposed heading into arguably the toughest week of the season.
2. Mike Brey has Notre Dame around the top of the ACC standings yet again. He just consistently wrings everything that could be expected out of his roster.
3. Florida looked out of sorts and dropped a home contest to Vanderbilt. That is no way to try to keep pace with Kentucky.
4. Georgia did serious damage to their NCAA Tournament chances by blowing a double figure lead at Texas A&M. The BUlldogs just can't seem to handle prosperity.
5. Arizona showed why they are the measuring stick in the PAC 12. Their toughness overwhelmed UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.
6. Northwestern is well on their way to an NCAA Tournament bid. Chris Collins has assembled high level talent in Evanston.
7. Kawhi Leonard is playing as well as anyone in the NBA. His development has been a joy to watch.
8. The Falcons just had too much for the Packers. Their defense is improving each time they play.
9. The Patriots once again showed that they are the sport's bellwether. Their consistent excellence is staggering in a sport engineered for parity.
Sapphire is Knoxville's premier nightspot. We'll have some exciting news coming up from them in short order.
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken is a southern tradition. Stop in and grab lunch or dinner for a true regional treat.
Let's keep the momentum rolling for the Blankenship Field renovation project. Go to blankenshiplegacy.org to donate.
Keith
@rkeithhatfield
Vols went 2-3 in SEC Title Games in the Ga Dome.
UT was 0-3 in Bowl Games there losing to Md, Clemson & Va Tech.
UT was 1-0 in Pre-Season games there. (Dooley won that game??)
Bottom line: I liked the Ga Dome but it was NEVER kind to me. I saw the Vols win there in hoops twice and lose there more.
I personally saw the Eagles lose two games in that damn building.
I don't understand why Atlanta needs a new professional football palace 21 years later but it doesn't break my heart that they are imploding that place.
Peace
Tony
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