Archive for January, 2008

Well, this week my little blog reached the 5,000 hit mark. I don’t think when I first signed up for that free WordPress.com account back in late November that I realized where this little exercise in ego-stroking would go. Hopefully, it isn’t a complete waste of time and some of you out there actually read what I am writing (instead of merely clicking the wrong link when looking for some free porn). Anyway, in celebration of my 5,000th hit here at Gate 21, I am pleased to announce the opening of the first phase of the new permanent Tennessee Home for the Visually Offensive.

Yes, that’s right, now you can look at goofy pictures of Les Miles and his Corndog, pictures of Ashley Judd on a VD poster, or Steve Spurrier as a gay nightclub owner anytime you want. It even has it’s own little tab in the page bar at the top.

But Wait, There’s More!!!

While there are only a few photos in the collection right now, I plan on adding many more. In fact my ultimate goal is to create a repository which be the largest collection of SEC and College Sports Farks in the World!!! (Mmmmuuuhhaaahhhaaahhhaaa!!!)

Oh, Ambition is such an evil thing…

Thus, if you have Farks that you would like to submit, I’ll be posting a link in the new THFVO section in the coming days where you can send them in. And don’t you worry, I’ll be giving credit for all the photos I have artist information on.

At any rate, thanks to everyone who has made this blogging experiment worth my while, and a whole lot of fun.

Hopefully, the best is yet to come…

- Go Figure …

Hunting up links any way I can!!

A few links worth looking at:

• One more reason to be pissed off at Dana Jacobson — SECFB
• One Former Hawaii Warrior Has Gone Crazy… and why crying in public is not always a good idea — YMSWWC
• Only in America can you buy Marijuana in a Vending Machine — DBKP
• Bob Huggins having to dodge some pretty interesting questions about his program when some pranksters get the number for his press teleconference (Audio) – Big Lead (absolutely freakin’ hilarious, NSFW)
• Wake Forest’s Quarterback Showing what he’s made of (arrgh, I didn’t need that)– With Leather
• America’s Top 20 Drunkest Athletes — CO-ED Magazine
• Impressive eye-candy and Birthdays — Busted Coverage

• Looking for a Football Playoff? Yes, Yes, and YES – Bring On the Plus-one — Curveballs for Jesus
• The Top Ten Things Your Girlfriend Doesn’t Understand About Football (bet that one will make you think) – BCS Frenzy
• Rich Rodriguez’s Letter to West Virginia (I honest to God hope that is actually what he sent) – Gump for Heisman
• The Best Super Bowl Ads from the Past — Brahsome (including one of my favorites)

• Urban Meyer + Bill Bellichick = Mutual Admiration Society — Loser With Socks
• A Bear Bryant Tribute Orgy — Tide Sports
• Trev gives Orson a little payback and why all College Quarterbacks should keep a little NyQuil with them on the sidelines — EDSBS
• Ouch, a pole in the crotch is no laughing matter (unless it happens to someone else, then it’s funny) — Deuce of Davenport

- Go Figure …

Image Courtesy of: College Humor & Busted Coverage

Technorati Tags: Urban Meyer,Hawaii Warriors,Links,Headlines Links & Lies,Rich Rodriguez,West Virginia Mountaineers,Crotch Shot,Super Bowl Ads,Bob Huggins,Bud Bowl,Bear Bryant is Still Dead,Bear Bryant,Trev Alberts,NyQuil,Marijuana,Dana Jacobson,Wake Forest Demon Deacons,Drunks,Rehab

Despite intense play by the Bammers, the No 7 BasketVols managed to hold off Tide and win in Coleman Coliseum for the first time since 1998, 93 -86. Chris Lofton — continuing his return to his form of last year, scored 23 points, while Tyler Smith added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. That is a cause for celebration.

On the flip side, the BasketVols allowed 23 turnovers and allowed Alabama to whittle Tennessee’s 10-point lead down to 3 late in the second half. Fortunately, JaJuan Smith fired off three rapid-fire three pointers to put the game away. After the game, Coach Pearl criticized his squad for playing recklessly on offense and defense, especially during the first-half, when they shot only 31% from the floor.

To their credit, the Tide played with real fire in front of the “white out” full house at Coleman Coliseum — which has been a house of horrors for the Vols over the years. The Tide had four scorers in double figures, led by Alonzo Gee, who added 27 points to the Tide total.

While the BasketVols are now 18-2 (5-1 in the SEC), and in the driver’s seat in the SEC East, they must focus in on better discipline on both defense and offense if they want to be playing deep into March. Be that as it may, a win is a win. In the past, this would have been a game the Vols would have lost. Under Coach Pearl, however, they just seem to find a way to win. That confidence has to be a boost for the team as they head down the stretch in February. The good news is, with their 18th win, the BasketVols have already qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

For a more in-depth breakdown, visit the Bruce Ball Blog.

Next up, the Vols face the Bulldogs of Mississippi State in Starkville, on Saturday, 2 February at 7:00pm.

- Go Figure …

Technorati Tags: Tennessee Volunteers,Bammers,Alabama Crimson Tide,SEC Basketball,College Basketball,BasketVols,JaJuan Smith,Chris Lofton,Bruce Pearl,Coleman Coliseum,Mississippi State Bulldogs,White Out,Tyler Smith,Alonzo Gee

The No 2 Lady Vols defeated the No 9 Lady Blue Devils of Dook 67- 64 at Cameron Indoor Stadium (if you’ve ever been there, you realize that the word “stadium” is used in the loosest possible sense…) in front of the predictably un-friendly Cameron Crazies. The Lady Vols iced the game on a Candace Parker shot with 22 seconds remaining on the clock. 19 seconds later, she added a free throw to increase the Lady Vols margin of victory to 3 points.

This win snaps the Lady Vols 0-3 record against the Lady Blue Devils over the last 3 years.

Tonight, the BasketVols take on the Bammers in Tuscaloosa. The Vols look to continue their winning ways, maintain their position in the SEC standings, and secure their first win at Coleman Coliseum since 1998.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN at 9:00. For more information on the game, visit UT Sports or the Bruce Ball Blog.

Avoid the Rush, Hate Bama Early!! Go Vols!!

- Go Figure …

Well, as has been mentioned in a variety of places, Bear Bryant died 25 years ago this past weekend, and that got me to thinking … which rarely turns out well for me.

The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. The more it bothered me, the more I felt convicted to come clean. The more I felt convicted to come clean, the more ashamed I felt.

Thus, here I am — prostrate before the world — preparing to come clean.

Everyone who knows me, know that I am a true Volunteer fan (except to the extent I actually hate Florida more than I love Tennessee … but that’s really just opposite side of the same coin). Hell, I even have this blog filled with all manner of orange and white, linked to every site I can find that even refers to Tennessee. I pay a truly ridiculous amount of money every year to the Athletic Department at Tennessee for the right to buy tickets, and then pay even more to actually purchase those tickets. Having bought those tickets I drive all the way from Raleigh, North Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee — about 6 1/2 Hours — so I can walk through the real Gate 21 and watch the Vols play. I’ve done this for the entirety of my adult life. To everyone who sees me and knows me, I am a great model of what a Vols fan should be.

But I have a secret — that is both sordid and detestable…

Though it pains me so, I must come clean to my fellow members of the Orange Nation, and I will bravely take what ever punishment they may mete out to me.

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Okay, this is getting a bit ridiculous…

First, Gerald Jones gets caught smoking a fatty (I simply can’t do it the way Basilio“>Basilio does it) in his car — which just happened to be full of recruits.

Then Daryl Vereen was arrested for public intoxication and underage consumption after trying to leave the scene of a dorm fight with a bloody lip, a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes (“No sir, Ossifur, I wuddn’t doin’ shit!! Got any tickets to the ball?”).

Now Anthony Parker has managed to get himself arrested for “standing in the parking lot of the [Sutter's Mill apartment] complex, waving his hands and yelling.” Okay, I, like Joel over at RTT, have to agree that’s a new one. That said, who the hell goes around yelling and waving your arms like an idiot in an apartment complex at 12:30 in the morning?

I remember what Sutter’s Mill was like when I was at UT, and it is essentially a privately run dorm about 5 miles from campus. The apartments are crappy and small, but they are cheap and convenient. Needless to say, there is a lot of law that hangs around the place to make sure no one gets to feisty. You don’t have to be a genius that — even if you aren’t doing anything you shouldn’t — running around screaming in the parking lot in the middle of the night might arouse some suspicions. Of course, I am talking about an offensive lineman here. Perhaps I am assuming too much.

Am I being pissy or rude in implying that Anthony Parker isn’t smart enough to realize this?  Probably.

Does he deserve the criticism? You damn well better believe it.

Parker is a junior — he’s been around a while. I’m also betting he’s all too familiar with the situations surrounding Vereen and Jones. Presumably he was out running the track with the rest of the Vols as a result. So what the hell was he thinking?

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Well, it looks like the BasketVols found their stroke again after a disappointing loss to Kentucky.  The Vols dismantled the Georgia Bulldogs, 85-69 in front of a full house in Knoxville.  Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution summed it up pretty well, writing:

Speaking elementally, you’d have to say the Georgia Bulldogs most closely resemble carbon.

Carbon is the chemical element that makes up one of the hardest natural forms in the world — diamond — but also is the basis for one of the softest — graphite.

It was the graphite Bulldogs that showed up at Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday night.

As tough as Georgia can be and has been at times under coach Dennis Felton, it crumbled into tiny little pieces against the Vols. The end result was humbling 85-69 defeat in front of 21,099.

In the process of laying it to the Dawgs, Tennessee secured its 27th consecutive victory in the Tommy Bowl. and improved to 17-2 on the season.  Chris Lofton — apparently feeling the juice once more — scored 27 points, including 6 three-pointers.  Lofton has been steadily improving over the last few games, which is good considering now is when the Vols will need his shooting ability most — in the heart of the SEC schedule. 

On a lighter note, this game was concluded by Ryan Childress proposing to his girlfriend — in front of all of his teammates and the remaining fans in the arena.  So much for an intimate and romantic setting, but best wishes nonetheless.

Next up, Bammer in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday night at 9:00.  The Tide is 12-8 (1-4 in the conference) and haven’t exactly been wowing people with their focus or ability to convert.  Be that as it may, the Vols need to focus on continuing to improve on the mistakes they made against Kentucky — building toward the post-season. 

I’m sure Bruce and the Barbarians will do just that…

- Go Figure …

Well, in case you haven’t noticed, I am still in the process of changing the graphics and layout here. I decided to get rid of the “Power T” Flag on the header for a couple of reasons.

First, while I do focus on the Vols of Tennessee, my goal is to also cover the SEC and beyond. Thus, in the interest of being a little less partisan, I decided to remove the implication that Gate 21 is about nothing but the Vols.

Second, in light of all of all of the “cease and desist” letters that schools and teams have been sending out to bloggers over the last 12 months or so (See Busted Coverage’s issues with the Big Ten, and MissouriTigers.com’s issues with Mizzou), I decided to remove anything that could lead the University of Tennessee to tell me to can it. While I am all about free and fair use, the fact is that Tennessee would have a pretty easy time demonstrating that I was, essentially, using one of their trademarks. Given the fact that Tennessee had to take Texas to court over the whole “UT Interlock” logo and the “Power T” logo, I imagine that they would be willing to take steps to defend their marks. Furthermore, I don’t particularly want to get into an adversarial relationship with my alma mater. No, I’m not surrendering, I still plan on using the “Power T” and other logos where appropriate, I just figured it probably shouldn’t be in my header. Besides, it’s always better to create your own identity rather than ride on the coattails of others.

Thus, I introduce my new “Gate 21 Volunteer,” which I designed, and who now lives in the header, and may undergo a little more plastic surgery until I get him the way that I want him. I hope you like him, and — in case you care — I’m naming him “Gus” in honor of longtime … media-type-guy … at Tennessee, Gus Manning. Why? Well, I’m not sure, except that I’ve never been clear on what Gus Manning does, but everyone at Tennessee seems to think his opinion is pretty important; in terms of age he’s on the older side of “completely indeterminate;” and he’s a pretty comical character along with his buddy Haywood Harris. Again, it was the only name I could come up with.

Anyway, say hello to “Gus” and let me know if you like him, if you think he needs something else to make his placement in the Gate 21 header make sense. Also, if you’d be interested in having a logo designed for your, blog, website, organization, etc., shoot me an email — I work cheap.

Oh yeah, the BasketVols play Georgia tonight at 7:00. Let’s hope for a win.

Given the topic of this post, it is obvious that I have little to write about today…

- Go Figure …

Technorati Tags: Tennessee Volunteers,Graphic Design,Graphics,Logos,Logo Design,Gus Manning,Gus,Haywood Harris,Copyright,Trademarks,Cease and Desist,Volunteer,Ramblings,Power T,Gate 21

Going Postal, Internet Style …

A few links worth looking at:

• The Knoxville Snooze Slantinel’s take on Bruce Pearl as a color commentator.– Go VolsXtra
• Cedric Wilson really needs to re-think his dating strategy, and avoid the crazies. — YMSWWC and With Leather
• A Message To The Law Enforcement in Knoxville and a Song on the Epic Tale of Rich Rodriguez – YMSWWC
• So, ESPN is Completely Unbiased Huh? and Bama is still looking for an Offensive Coordinator — TSIB
• Eli Manning is Superman? — SEC Football Blogger
• Drunk Girl + Bathroom Stall Door = Funny — EDSBS

• Hey, man Tom Cruise demands that you Respect the Crock. — Hey Jenny Slater
• SEC conventional wisdom, 2008 edition — Get the Picture
• How to Dodge a Federal Subpoena, By Chuck Knoblauch and a everyone wants to know if Tim Tebow’s Legendary Ladyfriend Has Resurfaced?– The Big Lead
• Top 5 ESPN Personalities We’d Like To Muzzle Until After Super Bowl — Busted Coverage
• You be the judge, is Kristi Capel “America’s Hottest Weather Anchor” — Busted Coverage
• A Look at Gator Recruiting Tactics, more reasons to believe that Urban Meyer is one Freaky Dude , and a big “FU Urban Meyer” — Loser With Socks & Sportscrack
• Oh my God! To think people in Japan actually want to be on this game show — Duce of Davenport

• His Parents obviously hate him: “Long Wang” at Chapel Hill? — Brahsome
• Once again, “The Man” (Mizzou) comes after a Blogger — FanBlogs
• Damn, These People Really Want a Whopper (too funny but NSFW – language) – Hugging Harold Reynolds
• Inspired by Barefoot Coaching for Charity, Majerus to Coach Without Pants – Your Face is a Sports Blog
• Cheerleader with Abs of Steel – SI on Campus
  

- Go Figure …

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Image Courtesy of: DevilDust75

Technorati Tags: Bruce Pearl,Drunks,Video,Hit in the Balls,Game Show,Bad Name,Long Wang,Rick Majerus,Florida Gators,Urban Meyer,Sportscasters,Weather Anchor,Kristi Capel,Recruiting Tactics,Headlines Links & Lies,Superbowl,Chuck Knoblauch,Subpoena,Steroids,Tebow,Ronald McDonald,Postal,Law Enforcement,Missouri Tigers,Blogging,The Man,Whopper,Burger King,Eli Manning,Superman,Cedric Wilson,Crazies,ESPN,Bias,Chapel Hill,Knoxville,Links

My updated nominations for the 2007 CFB Awards (including all of the ones from Round 1) are as follows:

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