The Third Saturday in October - GO VOLS!

Just another fall day for many, but to college football aficionados and particularly to fans of the University of Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide, this day is a holy day. A day by which your season and thus the rest of the year is measured. Sure there are bigger games for both teams, but none that possesses the history and fanfare. This is the game that legends are made of. The series began in 1901 in Birmingham, a game that ended in a 6-6 tie, and has marked over the last 30 years by long winning streaks by one team or the other. Currently Alabama holds the edge in the series with 44 victories to Tennessee's 38, with 7 ties. Legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant held a commanding 16-7-2 record against Tennessee
while storied Tennessee coach General Robert Neyland held an equally impressive 12-5-2 record against Alabama. Current Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer owns an even more impressive 11-3 all-time mark against the Crimson Tide including a 3-1 record at Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium.

A few interesting quotes

"You never know what a football player is made of until he plays against Alabama.", Legendary Tennessee Coach Bob Neyland.

"He literally knocked the door down. I mean right off its hinges. A policeman came in and asked who knocked the door down, and Coach Bryant said, "I did". The policeman just said "Okay" and walked off." Jerry Duncan describing an irate Bryant after a 7-7 tie with Tennessee.

Music Please Maestro

Rocky Top (Osborne Brothers)
Can't Shake Knoxville (Scott Miller)
Alabama Bound (Scott Miller)
Diggin' Up Bear (Unknown)

A Long Saturday Afternoon

Its finally starting to feel like fall around here, which mean football season is kicking into full gear, and with that come the annual Tennessee-Florida tilt. With this game so goes my mood and the rest of my day. Pretty pathetic I know, but I've come to accept my for who I am. Part of who I am is a Tennessee Vol.

I firmly believe that there will soon be an entire religion in the state of Florida dedicated to Gator's QB Tim Tebow, complete with parables about his conquests. CBS will be the official broadcast network for the Church to Laud the Invincibility of Tebow, or CLIT for short.

I took the liberty of going ahead and creating an image for followers to pray to and worship.

The Gators jumped out to an early lead with a punt return against our atrocious kick coverage team which had me Seeing Red (Minor Threat). But even as the first half closed with my beloved Vols trailing 28-6, I said, So What (Ministry) and in true Vol form we closed to within 8 after a nine-play 64-yard touchdown drive followed by a 96-yard interception return for a touchdown by true freshman, and future All-American, Eric Berry.

The bottom fell out when Tennessee QB Eric Ainge and RB Arian Foster couldn't execute a simple handoff (to be fair Ainge is playing with a broken pinkie on his throwing hand and had been using his non-throwing had for handoffs) and the ball was scooped up and returned for a Florida touchdown, making the score 34-20 in favor of Florida. But it wasn't until Florida's next possession, which ironically began with a mishandled punt return that Florida was lucky to recover back at the one yard line. On the next play his greatness connected with Percy Harvin for a 49-yard gain to mid-field. It was at that time that I know we were Flat out Fucked (Mudhoney). Obviously they went on to score several more times, and once again the Vols start conference play with a loss (the first of at least 2 more to come).

Credit goes to the Gators. They are far more talented overall at the skill positions, and they have a bright and innovative head coach. The better team won (while running up the score). The Florida-LSU game coming up on October the 6th with a fun one to watch. It will also be another opportunity for CBS to recruit members for CLIT and remind us all of the greatness of Mr. Tim Tebow. Meanwhile, my Vols will trudge ahead to another mediocre season unless they can somehow find a way to win the rest of them.

Oh well, good luck to the Tennessee Titans tomorrow as the defending Superbowl Champion Colts visit Nashville for our home opener.