Welcome to Monday!!! What a great weekend of football and basketball we were treated to. After starting 0-2 the Vols have won 3 straight and are rolling. My Eagles and Brian's Jaguars are through to their Title Games.
Before we get started, I want to personally thank Brian Hartman and Beano and Alex for giving up their Saturday night and hosting Garza Law Tennessee Basketball Overtime while the NFL playoffs were going on. Guys!!!! That's why WE are the Official Voice of the Common Fan. We've been doing it longer, stronger, louder, prouder and more consistently than any pretender.
Orange Throat
'Tony B Nation:
Random musings as we continue to bask in a great run by our Tennessee Basketball team:
WHAT AN IMPRESSIVE win by Rick Barnes' team Saturday night against a Texas Aggie team once thought to be the SEC's best this season. The Vol defense overwhelmed the Aggies' floor game. Kyle Alexander continued his improvement, Jordan Bowden reappeared to be a big factor and there was even a Jalen Johnson sighting!
THE RED SHOT VOLS are now 3-2 in the league after reeling off three straight wins, and now go on the road for two. The tougher of the two should be Wednesday night at Missouri in the Cuonzone. You can't ever take a Frank Martin coached team for granted but the Vols should handle the Gamecocks in Columbia on Saturday. We are looking for no worse than a split this week.
WE'RE NOT SURE what to make of the bizarre story around Todd Kelly Jr., and the jump/fall from 30 feet. Insiders tell us copious amounts of alcohol were consumed by both Kelly and girlfriend, so that explains a lot. The good news is he appears to be relatively ok, given what could have happened. The bad news is there was possible violence between the two and that will have to be thoroughly investigated by the university before Kelly is allowed to rejoin the football team.
INSIDERS SAY JEREMY PRUITTand his staff have discovered they are not going to be able to sign a full 25 for the 2018 class, due to some 2017 signees being held over to count against the 2018 number. Couple this with the new staff's growing realization of just how badly the talent level of this program has deteriorated, it is safe to say there is a lot of grim urgency in the football offices in the Anderson Center. One question bubbling up is why Bob Welton, Butch Jones' personnel chief and confidant, is still hanging around the UT football program.
ON A BRIGHTER NOTE, JP and staff had a terrific group of 2018 and 2019 prospects in for the weekend. The 2019 group included five-star RB Quavaris Crouch. The Charlotte, NC native is the type of RB the Vols want to sign at 6-3, 224 pounds.
PRUITT LANDED A RECRUITING ACE in filling out his on-field coaching staff by hiring David Johnson from Memphis. Johnson hails from talent-rich Louisiana and has shown a propensity to land top prospects from there in past stops.
AND A SHOUT OUT to Holly Warlick and the Lady Vol basketball team for a big road win at defending national champion South Carolina. They play at #2 Notre Dame Thursday and come home Sunday to play #4 Mississippi State, the current SEC leader.
Orange Throat
IGYTH'
Throaty:
The Basketball Vols are tracking for my predicted 21 wins with this 3-0 stretch. That win at Vanderbilt was YUUUUUGE. Seeing Jalen Johnson was interesting. Having many choices on your bench is a nice problem for a coach to have. Rick Barnes has had a perfect 2017-18 season. He's doing the best job in the league this side of Bruce Pearl.
What can you say about Butch Jones? Apparently he finagled with the blue shirting #'s so badly last year in his 3 star fever haste that Pruitt and staff will lose at least 2 if not 3 in this class.
I had a really interesting correspondence over the weekend with a T Club (TonyBasilio.com monthly supporter C in Tennessee) Member regarding Jimmy Hyams reportage of the Todd Kelly Jr. incident.
He wrote...
'I am interested in your thoughts on Jimmy reporting it as a suicide and hope you address it on radio and/or blog. I personally think it is chicken shit to do that to this young man and his family. I don’t care that it was in the police report and that people were going to find out about it. I can almost guarantee you none of us would want to know because that is personal. I find it infuriating that he won’t report the shit Jones did but will report this. (This is a sensitive subject to me due to my father committing suicide so maybe I am too emotional about it.) Thanks for all that you do Tony
'No. I don't think you are. I see it two ways. Yes it was in the police report.
But as a depression sufferer myself I think silence and the stigma are deadly. Now TK Jr can get help and not suffer in silence though it's now out there.
Plus he'll be able to help others.
But in the short-term it's embarrassing for him and his family.
So I see it both ways.
I feel terribly that you had to go through that. Mental illness is a bitch.
With your permission I would like to run this exchange in Monday’s blog as I do plan to talk about it.
I think this conversation and ones like it can make a huge difference.
Thanks for reaching out
God bless
TB'
He wrote:
'You can use my story if you think it will help and I appreciate you asking. I appreciate the kind words. It has been years and I am about to turn 40 and it hurts as I miss my dad but it’s life. I applaud you for openly talking about your depression. Own it. Your family and Vol family love you.
I'll unpack this further today on the Tony Basilio Radio Show but this conversation needs to take place because so many people (especially men) are afflicted with various forms of mental illness and feel ashamed and choose to suffer in silence. As we see from above, the consequences of going it alone can be deadly at times. It's my belief through years of transparency with my struggles that when people feel they aren't alone, they're more likely to reach out for someone to talk to.
I say all this to say that I hope TK Jr. gets the help he needs. Whether or not his actions were a true suicide attempt it was obviously a reckless deal for that young man to put himself in that situation. I wish him well. The Kelly's are terrific people in our community.
NFL Playoffs: It was apropos that Alvin Kamara would haul in a 15 yard pass reception in an acrobatic fashion to give the Saints a 21-20 lead with 3 minutes left in last night's game in Minnesota. The Saints came back from 17-0 at the half to take the lead. That's quite a collapse in the post-season. That was almost the largest lead ever lost by the Minnesota franchise in the post-season.
Ballplayers Are Everywhere: Adam Thielen who made a huge catch to give the Vikings what could've been a game winning field goal opportunity late played his college ball at Minnesota State University-Mankato. Have you ever heard of that place? Yeah. Me neither.
Speaking of Collapses: What happened to the vaunted Steeler defense yesterday? They surrendered 35 points to Jacksonville's offense in their own building yesterday and NONE of it was fluky. Jacksonville must be viewed as being a in a different class after that win in Pittsburgh on that stage. Brian Hartman's Jags are for real for years to come. You can book that.
Sean Payton Took A Timeout????? For that? Marcus Williams looked like he was coached by Butch Jones on the final play of the Vikings/Saints game. That's an insane finish to a football game. You've never seen anything like that. Botchy Ball lives!!!!
Can The Vikings Move To Atlanta? That was such a Falcon finish!!! Wow. Team almost...
Titans Had A Nice Season: To get to the AFC Divisional Playoff Round. It's a shame the NFL is the NFL because it's one thing to face a red hot, HOF QB but it's quite another to face him with massive help from the zebras. I thought the officiating Saturday night was disgracefully one-sided.
I Can't Wait: For YOU...If you're a TENNESSEE FAN...To experience the finality and magic of the college football playoff. There's simply NOTHING like playoff football. Being in Philly over the weekend for that was incredible. I probably won't thaw out until Wednesday but being in Philly for that game was worth every ounce of energy. Special shout-out to my brother Richard for scoring the tickets and treating us to that game. That was a great time. As for how my Eagles will do in the NFL Title Game....Let's say we like being underdog. It suits us just fine. Bring it on.
Final Thought: Stupid politics and ill timed political statements can't mute that playoff NFL football is a phenomenal fan experience. That Saints/Vikings game was the NFL truly saving it's best for last.
A New Direction At TonyBasilio.com: Here at Tonybasilio.com we’re creating a series of programming with little to mostly zero commercial sponsorship. In other words, you will be digesting the following programs in coming days with almost no interruption. This is unprecedented in the history of my business. Nobody has ever done this. Here are the offerings coming your way.
Our Family Of Offerings:
‘X-Cast: A Recruiting Podcast’: Featuring Tony Basilio & ‘X’ where we discuss the latest moves, behind the scenes machinations and all the intrigue from the world of recruiting. This will hopefully be offered twice monthly with lengths varying. If this takes off perhaps we can even do some live offerings of this show. THIS IS BEING OFFERED COMMERCIAL FREE!!!
Fifth Quarter Fan Reaction: Back for season 4. Sponsored by Marcos Garza. This year with NO OTHER SPONSORS. This will be pure content for you. I’m taking a chance here but I know you will reward me for not bombarding you with messages Vol Network style. This program will run for at least 3 hours following Tennessee Football Games. We will have new visual presentation of this feature as well that we’re investing in. Thanks to Jayson Swain for helping me with the technical side of our visual presentation.
Southeastern Sunday Night: 7p to 9p on Sunday Nights airing on Periscope/Facebook Live and other platforms including your Tony Basilio Show App. This will be a regional program that aims to keep it real. We will tell the truth on us, them and all with you. This could be a lot of fun if you help me spread the word across the region. This hopefully will turn into a free for all that is free for all. ZERO SPONSORS. COMMERCIAL FREE OFFERING.
Vol-Scars: A podcast featuring Vol Historian Tom Mattingly and Eric S where we go back in time and commemorate the painful losses in UT football history that left a mark. These shows are extremely time intensive to put together. I’ve worked all summer on these offerings and am really proud of what we’ve compiled thus far. I think you’ll really enjoy this. COMMERCIAL FREE.
Gate Twenty Won: A podcast Featuring Vol Historian Tom Mattingly where we celebrate the greatest wins in UT history in time capsule form. These are a breath of fresh air and the type of programming I’m aiming to bring to you . COMMERCIAL FREE
Chill Cast: Tell Me A Story: A podcast where I grab folks from the sports world and our community and allow them to share their stories with us. This will be done in the spirit of the recent re-launch programs that I did. We’ll aim to go deeper here. Stay tuned. COMMERCIAL FREE.
Tennessee Basketball Overtime: Back for year 5! Immediately following Tennessee Basketball Games. A Tennessee Basketball Call-In show featuring ONLY ONE SPONSOR…GARZA LAW FIRM. Therefore we keep the conversation going without bombarding you Vol Network style. What a concept!!!!
Garza On The Law: A Podcast dealing with the legal issues that invade the sports world featuring the great Marcos Garza. We will go deeper here. I promise that you will find this interesting. Presented by Garza Law Firm.
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FAQ's Asked Of Tony Per Our Relaunch Announcement:
Q: Tony, you didn't say anything about your daily show yesterday. Will you continue to do this?
A: Absolutely. I'm looking forward to year #24 with you.
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A: Great question. 'Subscribe' is a misnomer. What you actually are doing if you choose to help us monthly (and we need this for budgeting reasons) is actually acting as a patron. The goal is to keep the content (ALL CONTENT, from postgame offerings to various podcasts) free for all.
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A: Because you value the content and our contribution to the market and you want to help us keep this stuff free for everybody.
Q: Are you going to beat us up for money all the time here?
A: Absolutely not. I will bring this up a few times heading into the football season as we attempt to meet our financial goals and create new programming. I'll also mention it in the post-game format as well as the regional programming. I will not however wear you out with this. Either you feel the need to help us or you don't. This is why I'm taking today to field some question I received after day one.
Q: What happens if this doesn't generate the revenue you're seeking?
A: We will scale back our online offerings accordingly. The blog itself could even disappear. I really don't want this to happen but will be forced to spend my time in the most profitable way necessary. That's why we're having the conversation. All my cards are on the table here.
Q: Where can I find these new podcasts, like that X-Cast?
A: Click on "Podcast" wherever you see it on the site, and it will take you to our Podcast page.
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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FISH focuses on what more can be done to help ensure that everyone gets enough to eat.
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