Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over $300 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was $90 more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save $90: like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Gate 21 » Rants From the Cheap Seats http://gate21.net Life, the Universe, and the Bounce of the Ball Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:21:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2009 Big Orange Roundtable: Week 2 http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/ http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:56:12 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3519 This Week's Roundtable is hosted by: 3rd Saturday in Blogtober This week marks the second edition of the 2009 version of the Big Orange Roundtable and is hosted by the guys over at 3SIB..

Week 2

1)  We will start with an easy one.  Last week, our beloved Rock was relocated across the street to make room for a new building on campus.  What are your thoughts on the Rock’s relocation?

bullet HSH: Being a student, I actually have the slight advantage of seeing the change.  I drove by as the crane was lifting the behemoth out of the ground, and I've only seen it once since it's been moved.  I have to say it's going be to a little odd driving through the stoplight next to Stokely Athletic Center and the Thornton Athletic Student Center (where all the UT athletes get their school on), looking to my left and not seeing the Rock.  It might take a little bit of time to get used the change come the fall. For me, it's just another aspect of a common theme of my years here as a student.  Here's what's changed or been built since I came to Knoxville in the fall of 2006: all the recent renovations to Neyland Stadium, the makeover of Thompson-Boling Arena, Pratt Pavilion, a new soccer stadium, a new softball stadium, the brand new aquatic center. And that's just the changes on the athletics side of campus.  There's also been the total change in the old Glocker Building, which has now become Haslam Business Building where all the business majors do their thing.  The Baker Policy Center was risen up on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and 17th Street, replacing the parking lot where my family parked for every game I came to up until I graduated from high school.  Those are two major projects, that I've seen started and completed in my days as a student. Back to the Rock, my only contact with actually came before I was officially enrolled.  I had two of the more enthusiastic Orientation leaders, and late one night during the two-day event we got together and painted the thing.  I would have visual evidence to prove it, but my computer erased my hard drive awhile, thus I have nothing...
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="150" caption="The Rock in its new Home"]The Rock in its new Home[/caption] bullet Lawvol: First of all, I am glad that the Rock did not unceremoniously disappear from campus as a result of the new Student Health Center that is being constructed.  The worst thing imaginable would have been for the university to simply blow the thing up or what have you and cart it off.  I realize the process of relocating the Rock was both onerous and expensive, but I have to give a little credit to university administration (a/k/a “The Big Orange Screw”) for making the right call and preserving this tradition for future generations.

All that said, the last time I painted the Rock was 1997.  I say “painted”—my involvement actually centered more on leaning up against the Rock in a near catatonic state as drool fell from my gaping mouth and I uttered various slurred obscenities at my cohorts.  You see, I was completely pissed drunk overcome by a multitude of circumstances at the time and my recollection of that particular evening of frivolity is fuzzy to say the least.  Still, the Rock does have a special place in my mind due to its tradition of announcing great events, lurid innuendo, and Gameday proclamations.  Considering it is directly across the street from where it used to be located, I doubt there will really be all that much difference.

Of course, I do wonder whether some students may be confused by the relocation—in particular, those suffering from the same … mental confusion … that afflicted me the last time I painted the Rock.  If so, the university may be faced with a long road of maintenance as the drunken masses repeatedly paint the front of the new Student Health Center.

2a)  Wednesday is the beginning of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, which usually signifies that the season is just around the corner.  What would you prefer that Coach Lane Kiffin do this week: Speak up or shut up?

bullet HSH: I think Lane will be on his guard this week, as I'm sure he—and everyone else—expects some media members to try and force him into conflict or a mistake.  I want to hear him talk about his football team more than anything, as it's getting awfully close to nut-cutting time. But if he does indeed have a verbal jab in him, I hope he goes after Nick Saban at Alabama.  For two reasons: first, I just don't like Alabama.  Second, someone needs to bring up the whole issue with Bammer telling some upperclassmen who "don't fit the system" to hit the road to make room for the incoming freshman class and make it under the 85 scholarship limit.
bullet Lawvol: Frankly, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Kiffin walked in and did nothing but scream “Wild Boyz!” for an hour or so. Okay, I might be overstating that just a bit. Either way, I am sure that the Blackjack General will be on his best behavior and on top of his game.  Kiffin seems to have a real knack for working the media.  The only down side is that they sometimes seem to have a knack for working him.  I am sure he will get a few pointed and loaded questions which will lead to some interesting sound bites after the fact.  Still, I have full confidence in the man in charge of the Tennessee Football program and am sure that he will represent us all well. Speaking of SEC Media Days, I want to personally give a shout out to Joel from RTT for managing to score press credentials for the SEC’s annual Love-in.  Nice to finally begin seeing bloggers represented at these sorts of events.  Now, I just have to figure out what I need to do to score some of those for myself…

2b)  If you could take back one thing that Coach Kiffin has done or said to this point, what would it be?

bullet HSH: Nothing.  Was falsely calling Urban Meyer a cheater smart?  Probably not, but most of that was drug out and blown out of proportion.  The secondary violations?  Harmless.  Who cares about getting those?  I think most of us would agree that Tennessee's football program had gotten stale, and Lane and Co. brought some flair, by hiring Monte Kiffin and Coach O, stealing some players on and after Signing Day, and ruffling feathers.  I think he's definitely got the fanbase excited about this season at least. However, I do just wish he would have recruited a quarterback by now...
bullet Lawvol: Hmmm…  You know, the lawyer in me understands the need to manage public relations and to be careful when making public statements.  The fan in me, however, loves seeing the Tennessee staff mix it up with all the so-called powers that be.  On the whole, Tennessee took a lot of guff from a lot of people over the last decade or so.  I’m not trying to criticize the Great Punkin for being a nice guy and trying to stay above the fray or anything like that.  Still, I imagine that even he got tired of having to hear all the crap that spewed from the mouths of so many—I know I did. Thus, I am pretty much okay with Kiffin’s statements so far.  In hindsight, would I add a small clarification here or there; would I re-phrase a few things; would I make sure that I knew whose cameras were running before speaking?  Sure, I’d do all those things.  This, however, is football not a trial by jury.  Thus, I say let it fly.

3)  The biggest news of last week on the football front was that seemingly our entire receiving corps is in the infirmary.  Austin Rogers is lost for the year, Denarius Moore is going to miss several games at a minimum, and Gerald Jones has an injured wing that may cause him to miss some games.  Although it seems like it is time to hit the panic button, is there a way out of this for the Vols?

bullet HSH: I asked my closest inside source about the injuries and he said both Moore and Jones were still at workouts and didn't seem too bad.  I think Gerald Jones will at least be ready for Western Kentucky, although I'm not sure that if he's not 100% that you don't keep him out of that game.  Losing Moore hurts because he was the deep threat and Rogers is the type willing to take a shot over the middle on third down.  However, I don't think we should start panicking yet.  Why? Because I expect Tennessee to run the ball early, often, well, and consistently.  Seriously, what's the one position everyone isn't concerned about in terms of talent or depth?  Running back.  Granted, the departure of Lennon Creer and injury to Toney Williams limited those expectations, but Tennessee should be OK with a healthy Montario Hardesty, Bryce Brown and Tauren Poole.  Sure, those last two guys don't have that many carries between them, but count me in the group that feels confident they can get it done.
bullet Lawvol: There is still a fair amount of time before the season starts, so I am not exactly in panic mode, but even I will admit that the injuries are concerning.  Still, as HSH points out above, we have more horses in the stable with real experience if less than awe-inspiring numbers.  Furthermore, we have a couple of key freshmen who—if they are ready—could use this opportunity to step-up and fill the void.  Finally, there is always the option of re-tasking folks to play the role of receiver.  That sort of thing might fit quite nicely into the recently announced campaign to promote Eric Berry’s Heisman Trophy candidacy, very nice indeed. Given the fact that we look to be a run-oriented offense, I am not exactly ready to run screaming from the room in uncontrolled fits of hysteria, but I am sincerely hoping that we hear a little good news on this front in the near future.  On the whole, though I am less concerned about the receivers than I am about the quarterback throwing to them.

4)  Basketball recruit Josh Selby decommitted from the Vols over the weekend, and many suspect it is because he wants to play for a Nike school. Tennessee is an Adidas school, and there is speculation that future sponsorship money with Nike may be at stake if Selby doesn’t go to a Nike school like Kentucky. This obviously has ramifications in all sports, so what do you make of all this? (NOTE: The NFL is a Reebok league, which is owned by Adidas.)

bullet HSH: I have friends of mine that insist Tennessee would become the next USC in every sport if they just switched to Nike or Under Armour.  I always say that I don't want players who are caught up in the gear they'll get (they'll be getting so much free gear anyways, so it shouldn't matter).  And I always use the argument that it has no impact what brand name apparel you wear.  It has no effect on your performance. As Lane Kiffin said in Tuesday's press conference when asked about the hotly-debated black jersey issue, your jersey or the brand logo on it has no effect.  If Tennessee's winning SEC and national titles, we could wear pink and be sponsored by Hanes for all I care.  When I go play pick-up basketball games at T-RECS, whether or not I wear my dry-fit Nike shirts as opposed to Under Armour gear or a plain t-shirt has no effect on how well I shoot the 3 or whether I can dunk on anybody. OK, end of rant.  But I will say this: if Tennessee does indeed switch apparel sponsors, I want Under Armour, for two reasons: first, to screw Nike, and two, because I just plain like it more.  You might say they would mess with the classic Tennessee look too much (like they did with South Carolina), but Auburn switched from Russell Athletic to UA and their unis didn't change at all, and still look classic and look sleek.
bullet Lawvol: Okay, this is a sore spot of mine, and this is a bit of a rant (you’ve been warned) but it is directed more toward Nike than it is toward Selby.  I can sum it up in three simple words: I hate Nike… I absolutely abhor what Nike and its founder, Phil Knight, have done to sports over the last quarter century.  Though my hubris toward Nike first formed in the mid-1980s, I became an unwavering anti-Nike critic after reading Sports Illustrated’s 1993 article on Knight entitled “Triumph of the Swoosh” (this is a really good article by Donald Katz, and I highly recommend it despite its length). In this article, Katz recounts, among other things, the sordid tale of the medal uniforms controversy which arose with the dream team at the 1992 Olympics and the near-stranglehold that Nike possessed in the early 1990s.  While I respect Knight’s dedication to the ideal of creating a sports apparel and marketing powerhouse out of nothing, I blame Nike and Knight for so much of what is wrong with sports today.  I am proud to say that, I own not a single item of Nike manufactured apparel and have not knowingly purchased anything produced by Nike since 1994. It was Nike who forever changed the face of sports by transforming athletics into a media circus—converting sports into little more than another form of Hollywood-style entertainment.  In fact Nike’s own goal was to become an experience and entertainment corporation, that just happened to be grounded in the worldwide fascination with sports.  It was Nike who—via its marketing machine—transformed the landscape of professional sports by making sports heroes into demigod-like icons who were as untouchable as they were unreal.  Nike is all about image… …that and big piles of money. The problem is that Nike singlehandedly transformed the sports endorsement world by changing athletes from being spokespersons into carefully crafted and manicured corporate assets.  Nike was the first to “buy” athletes.  After that came teams.  Since the mid-1990s, it has been schools. When I arrived at Tennessee as a student, the football program was sponsored by Nike.  Fortunately, in 1998 the entire athletic department entered into a global equipment and apparel contract with Adidas.  Since that time, Tennessee has stood apart from the machine that is the Nike image. From an aesthetic perspective, I personally think that the Adidas-branded apparel that has graced the backs of both the Vols and Lady Vols for the past decade has been great.  I like the “Adidas look,” but I will be the first to admit that such assessments are a matter of personal opinion and that I have no monopoly on determining “what looks cool.”  That said, I am proud of Tennessee for not being another sheep in Nike’s fold, one which is forever beholden to the Nike power structure and its power to make or break an athlete, a team, or a school. In 1986 Knight publicly declared that his goal was to become “the IBM of the sports-apparel industry” by 1991.  There really is no point in arguing with whether he achieved his goal.  In 2008 alone, Nike converted $ 18.6 billion in revenue into almost $ 8.4 billion in profits.  It is hard to fight such a behemoth.  Most fall in line with Nike’s aggressive school of thought that the world can be conquered. I admire Nike’s drive, but in the process of becoming the dominant sports apparel company that it is, it has completely—and I would contend irreparably—damaged sports by converting it into little more than a commercial engine.  That engine is driven by the athletes, teams, and institutions in the Nike stable and is fueled by the hopes and dreams of everyday sports fans to get just a bit closer to the their heroes or their favorite team.  Where this gets troubling is when the image becomes more important than the sport, when the money to be made controls the game. I am but one small voice of dissent in a Nike-inspired, Nike-controlled, and Nike-orchestrated world, but my conscience will not permit me to be otherwise. Fortunately, Nike is not the only face in the world of sports now.  Though there have always been competitors seeking to erode Nike’s dominance, the reality is that until the last decade there were no legitimate contenders.  Now, at least there are faces like upstart Under Armor, and the reinvigorated Adidas / Reebok.  Still, Nike’s dominance is secure for now.  I, however, am hopeful that, Phil Knight’s megalomaniacal goal of being the IBM of sports is an instructive omen.  If Big Blue can fall from its pedestal of preeminence—rejoining the world of mere mortals—so too can the swoosh come crashing back down to earth. For now, however, we all must accept the reality that as long as the Nike juggernaut is in control, we will continue to see athletes make decisions based solely on the whims of sports-apparel executives in Beaverton, Oregon.  It is sad and, in my opinion, it is deplorable.  It is deplorable not because a player, such as Josh Selby, wants to do what is best for his playing career, but because Nike is all too willing to flex its muscle to control the decisions made by athletes, fans, and the general public.  Some would say that is simply smart marketing.  In my opinion, however, there is a line—one which Nike crossed long ago.

"Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything." -Phil Knight

Thus, I am disheartened to hear that Selby has decided to de-commit from the BasketVols.  I hope he made that decision based upon concerns tied to him being in the best environment, being comfortable, and being successful.  I hope it was not a decision based solely upon what sports-apparel logo appears on his uniform, as many have suggested.  Such a decision would not, however surprise me.  Either way, I do wish him all the best. Nonetheless, I want to encourage the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department, and Mike Hamilton to stay on the outside of the Nike machine.  Regardless of who provides the Vols with their orange, from my perspective, any company is preferable to Nike.  Were Tennessee to affiliate with Nike, I would not buy “official” apparel any longer. More important than a single fan resisting the urge to spend money on clothing, however, is the “soul” of the program.  Once you are with Nike, you are bought and paid for.  Once that occurs, you might as well become “Nike State University at Knoxville.”  All assets that can be purchased can be expended and thrown away.  Phil Knight was once quoted as saying that “Michael Jordan without Nike [wouldn’t] mean anything” I doubt he would have a different opinion about the Tennessee Volunteers…

The Rest of the Roundtable:

Having wasted your time on my largely meaningless and insignificant thoughts for this week, go check out what the other roundtablers (who actually know what they are talking about) have to say (in no particular order): Also be sure to check out the round-up over at 3SIB later this week... -- So it goes …Email lawvol No McAlisters and -- About Home Sweet Home... ... to me.
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/07/23/2009-big-orange-roundtable-week-2/feed/ 4 The US Congress and College Football: An epidemic in the making http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/ http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 20:15:13 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3228

In case you hadn’t heard, the United States Congress has been hard at work lately—tackling the hard-hitting issues that our country is facing.  Our representatives in the House have been addressing monumental concerns impacting the daily lives of all Americans far and wide.  What, you might ask, is the single most important question in the minds of Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) and Mike Simpson (R-ID)?

Whether the BCS / Bowl system for determining NCAA football championships needs to be replaced by a playoff system.

As a result, these congressmen introduced a House Resolution in April seeking to have the United States Congress and the United States Department of Justice investigate the Bowl Championship Series.  In particular, this obscenely overstated meaningful legislation resolves that the House of Representatives:

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

• 111th Congress, House Resolution 68

Heavy stuff, that…

As a result of the tireless grandstanding efforts of these shameless self-promoters champions of the common man, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection held hearings this past week to look into the actions of the BCS in hopes of determining whether something nefarious is afoot.  This included taking testimony from: John Swofford PDF Document (Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series), Craig Thompson PDF Document (Commissioner of the Mountain West Conference), Derrick Fox PDF Document (President and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl), and Gene Bleymaier PDF Document (Athletic Director of Boise State University).

For those of you out there that hate yourselves, you can view a streaming video of the entire hearing through the committee website.  Note: Apparently the Congressional muckety-mucks are too busy to hire someone schooled in the basic art of video editing.  Thus, you will want to fast forward to approximately 19:45 to view the hearing (that is, unless you just enjoy watching a blank screen for almost 20 minutes).

During the hearing, the Committee specifically looked into whether the BCS amounted to a monopoly, running afoul of federal anti-trust provisions.  With the great all-encompassing seriousness that can only come from the stuffed shirts of Congress and with the aire of the Watergate hearings, the committee set about digging deep into the bowels of college football’s deep dark secret.  Having watched some of the video of the hearing, it was obvious, in the minds of some of the assembled officials, that they felt the very sanctity of our American Republic hung precariously in the balance.

Right…

Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to the idea of a college football playoff, in fact I would gladly support such a system—so long as it is fair.  The disdain that is oozing from this article comes not from my opposition to the notion that college football needs a playoff, but rather from the nauseating belief by those in Congress that they are the answer to this problem.  Oh yeah, there is also the minor fact that the entire nation is passed out from the H1N1 flu in the economic toilet of the world with chunks of last night’s General Motors and Wall Street flavored hot dog still clinging to its mouth while these clueless egomaniacs are wasting their time trying to determine how we end our football seasons.

I’d love to sit around in a fancy conference room with hospitality service and get paid to talk football all day as much as the next guy, there’s no denying that.  The thought that our Congressional leaders have nothing better to do than just that, is more than a little bothersome.  The fact that they can do it with a straight face while purporting to represent the best interests of their constituents, makes me think of three words: “explosive projectile vomiting.”  I suppose that this sentiment is precisely what led CBS Sports.com’s Dennis Dodd to note that “Retching is common for these kinds of mundane Capitol Hill gatherings.”

To me, how we crown our college football national champions football is an important question.  Of course, I’m a person who dedicates an inordinate amount of time, money, and effort into writing about college football, so I’m not sure that really matters all that much.  The fact remains, however, that Congress has no business trying to legislate the fundamental structure of the college football season.  Now, as a lawyer, I am not saying they lack the Constitutional authority to do so (although some legal minds do question whether that is the case), but rather as a citizen of the United States and a football fan I am loudly declaring that they have no business trying to do so.

The reasons that Congress has no business interjecting itself into the BCS vs. playoff debate is multi-faceted.  First, I don’t personally trust the Congress that was charged with safeguarding the American financial markets to have any clue how the college football season should or should not end.  This is especially true given the fact that one of its champions is none other than Representative Joe Barton who—based upon the video of the hearings—apparently cannot even learn to pronounce the names of the witnesses correctly despite the fact that they have their names printed—in letters the size of the Empire State Building—on a name card directly in front of them.  Barton, seething bolt of reform that he is (at least in his mind), however believes that he has the answer to the problem: make the BCS quit billing itself as the "National Championship" game.

Yep, that’ll fix it.  We don’t need a playoff, we just need to change what we call the one we currently have.  This coming from a man who also stated that the BCS was “communist.”  I’m not so sure that Barton could even academically qualify to play sports with that kind of white-hot intellect.  What a typical Washington whitewash that would be: don’t solve the problem, just make it look a little different and smile for the cameras.  I guess this is to be expected, however, considering that this band of blowhards immortals in Congress didn’t even bother to include other current or former congressmen who might actually know a thing or two about college football such as former congressman Steve Largent (R-OK) or Representative (and former Tennessee Volunteer) Heath Shuler (D-NC) to name a few.

More fundamentally than their lack of ability, Congress has no business in this arena because—as I mentioned above—there are an alarming number of “real” issues facing our country at the moment, and it would be nice to know that the Congress is not asleep at the wheel like it was for the last … oh … 30-40 years.  God forbid that Congress actually do some real work on issues that might actually make the lives of regular Americans a little better, maybe even improving their economic situation a bit so that they don’t have to search night and day for a job just to make ends meet.  Maybe working towards the return of the day when folks can find a decent paycheck so they can afford to enjoy life a little bit by taking the weekend off to go see a real football game in person and, likely as not, catch the swine flu along with 80,000 other people due to some idiot in the box seats who “just thought it was a case of the sniffles.”

I guess that would be a little too much to ask.

The fact that the reaction to these congressional antics have been so uniformly negative is hardly surprising.  This sort of media-whoring by elected officials is precisely why most Americans lack faith that the government will ever get anything right.  Not that Barton, Abercrombie and come-lately compatriot Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are deterred—that just shows the underlying conspiracy. What do you expect from a pig, but a grunt?

Now, I am not meaning to impugn all elected officials in this tirade—there are some fine men and women who serve this country admirably as members of the government.  With those individuals—on both sides of the aisle—who follow their convictions and the good-sense that God gave them, I have no quarrel.  Just like it is with my chosen profession (shysters a/k/a “attorneys”), I suppose a few bad apples spoil the lot.

In the end, these are not political issues.  These are not Red or Blue (state) issues.  In the end, the game must right itself.  No amount of Congressional interference will correct things—it can only make things worse (although, in fairness, I would support having former Senator Fred Thompson as the commissioner of everything football related, just because he can make anything just sound so damn cool).  The perpetual camera-jockeying of the egos on Capitol Hill only complicate matters and take away from the beautiful agony that is college football.

All of these shenanigans really boil down to the reality that football needs to fix its problems before some idiot in Washington screws the whole thing up.

In the meantime, the Surgeon General needs to seriously consider putting a big warning on the foreheads of some members of Congress:

“Warning: excessive exposure may cause permanent and irreversible loss of lunch, bladder control, and the will to live…”

Note:  If you'd like to send a message to any of the active members of Congress mentioned in this article (especially Joe Barton), simply click the hyperlink associated with their names above, which will take you to their "official" congressional websites.

Don't mince words on my account...

-- So it goes Email lawvol No McAlisters

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/05/04/the-us-congress-and-college-football-an-epidemic-in-the-making/feed/ 3 The Great Punkin Returneth… http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:08:34 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3178 Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Phillip Fulmer (a/k/a “the Great Punkin”) has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Robert R. Neyland Trophy.  Fulmer will be formally presented the award at the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame awards brunch on Saturday morning.  Fulmer will also be honored on the field prior to the start of this weekend’s Orange and White game.  This award, named in honor of General Neyland, has been awarded by the Knoxville Quarterback Club for the last 44 years.

This year’s choice has a few people upset, or at least scratching their heads a bit.

It is hard to argue with Fulmer deserving the award.  The issue for some folks is the the timing, because now Coach Fulmer will be honored immediately prior to Lane Kiffin’s debut as the head coach of the Volunteers—the same team that Fulmer coached up until the end of last season.  One need look no farther than any of the various Tennessee web forums and blogs to see the proverbial “lines in the sand” being drawn by fans on both sides.

Never afraid to make a public statement when called upon to do so, the Blackjack General commented on the matter earlier today :

Coach Fulmer has had a tremendous impact on Tennessee.  He's the second-winningest coach in Tennessee history behind General Neyland. It's only fitting that he receives this prestigious award. I hope all Tennessee fans will show up early Saturday to show their appreciation for all he has done for our program, our university and our state.

• Lane Kiffin: Commenting on Coach Fulmer being honored prior to the Orange and White Game | GoVols Xtra

Some will say (or already have) that the timing of Fulmer’s selection was intentional—that this was an orchestrated barb at the athletic department (most pointedly at Smiling Mike Hamilton) from Fulmer supporters on the Neyland Trophy committee.  Others will say that the award amounts to little more than incurable homerism on the part of some who refuse to let Coach Fulmer go.  On the other side, there is the argument that Coach Fulmer was an immensely successful coach and earned the award fairly, and that it is fitting he be receive the award at the first appropriate opportunity—the first year after he leaves Tennessee.  Others still will say that the only reason that some are complaining is because they fired a good coach and they know it.

Either way, it makes for some high drama…

I for one don’t see what the big deal is either way.  Lane Kiffin had nothing to do with Phillip Fulmer’s ouster.  Phillip Fulmer was a great coach for the Vols and remains a loyal Tennessean—I respect the man for what he has done.  Coach Kiffin has had to deal with much worse, as has Coach Fulmer.  There is no reason in this instance why the orange-clad faithful can’t have their cake and eat it to.

In my opinion, the “controversy” over this is nothing more than a few people with axes to grind on both sides of the fence trying to create a storm for/against Coach Fulmer being honored or for / against Coach Kiffin taking “the greensward of Shields-Watkins Field” for the first time.  What I haven’t heard from anyone is this:

The politicization of this event by “factions” does nothing but dishonor the memory of one person: General Robert R. Neyland.

The Neyland Trophy was created to honor the General’s legacy, and to preserve his mark on the landscape of college football.  To try and turn this award into a circus is, to me, repugnant.  To anyone that would add fuel to the fire in either direction and not support both Fulmer and Kiffin, I say “shame on you.” It is bad for the fanbase, it is bad for Tennessee, it is bad for Coach Fulmer, and it is bad for Coach Kiffin.  In my opinion it is wrong.

There is no reason that the fans cannot cheer their former coach for winning the Neyland Trophy and then, five minutes later, cheer their current coach as he brings his team out on to the field.  In the process of doing both, those cheers also honor General Neyland.  I support both Fulmer and Kiffin.  I also support preserving Neyland’s place in the pantheon of the game I love.

More than any of that, however, I support Tennessee first and foremost…

It is not about either man, it is not about making a statement for or against one coach or the other, it is not about using the event as a bully pulpit.  It is about supporting your team, your school, your “family,” and doing what is right.

So, who do you support?

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/16/the-great-punkin-returneth%e2%80%a6/feed/ 1 Death to the Smurfs (UNC), Go Spartans!!! http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/ http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:35:03 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3150

I will be the first to acknowledge that both the blogosphere and the internet in general are full of vitriol directed toward various teams.  Any team that has ever enjoyed any success whatsoever has something written about it which drips of the sort of steaming hatred that accompanies sports rivalries great and small.  Most of the time these flaming rants come from fans of teams that are either rivals (or wish they were rivals) of the object of the spewing hatred.

This post is a flaming rant.  It is not, however, aimed at a traditional rival of the Tennessee Volunteers.  Furthermore, while it amounts to little more than a creative rationalization on my part, I feel that I have earned my bitching license on this one since -- in addition to being a graduate of the University of Tennessee -- I am also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I despise the Tarheels Tarheads...

From 1998 until 2001, I attended "trade school" at UNC.  For the record, I got a wonderful education at the UNC School of Law, and have nothing but good things to say about the educational aspects of that institution.  There are a few reasons for this.  First, UNC School of Law is an excellent institution with a fine faculty.  Second, as is the case at most professional and graduate schools, most of the students at UNC School of Law did their undergraduate work elsewhere.

See, I said something nice about UNC...

As for the actual teams that UNC fields and the fans that follow those teams, well, I am much less complimentary.  Having spent 3 years among the Tarheads, I am all to familiar with their "regal society" mentality.  I had it explained to me one more than one occasion by more than one person that my not being a fan of the Tarheads just indicated that I "did not understand" just what an amazing team and tradtion UNC has.

The fans at Dook -- only 9 miles up the road from Chapel Hill -- are arrogant, there's no way around that.  This difference is that Dook's fans acknowledge this fact and wear like a badge of honor.  They make no bones about it -- they are some of the most obnoxious and arrogant fans in the country.  UNC Fans, on the other hand, do not generally think themselves arrogant, but rather "right."  In my book, that feigned humility, paired with their overbearing arrogance (all while criticizing Dook fans for being arrogant), puts UNC fans right near the bottom -- just a few notches above Florida fans, and directly below degenerate bottomfeeders (a/k/a "lawyers like me").

Furthermore, if it can’t be the SEC that brings home the NCAA title tonight in Detroit, it might as well be the BigTen.  Besides, I’m kinda partial to Sparty, and I like green…

Thus, it is with great conviction that I declare:

GO MICHIGAN STATE!!!

UNC-Smurf-MSU-2

Vanquish the Mother Smurfin’ Tarheaded Smurfs of UNC!!!

Nah, I don't hold grudges, honest I don't...

-- So it goes…About Lawvol

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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/04/06/death-to-the-smurfs-unc-go-spartans/feed/ 1 Flashback: CBS Sports and the NCAA Tournament http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/ http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:47:08 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=3044 Flashback | Gate 21

Yes, friends and neighbors the NCAA Tournament is upon us.  Thus, we all get ready for the mayhem that accompanies that grand old tradition.  For what seems like forever, that has included watching endless hours of basketball courtesy of CBS Sports.  Now, generally, I am a huge fan of CBS Sports, and I favor their web presence when it comes to sports content on the internet. **

All that said, last year’s NCAA tournament almost drove me mad.  Actually it wasn’t the tournament, but the way that CBS covered the tournament on television.  That led me to fire off at the mouth a bit.  Since it is that time again, I figured it would only be appropriate to take a stroll down memory lane and look back on what I had to say about CBS’s coverage.  I do this for two reasons.

First, this seems relevant as we all get ready to become couch potatoes for a month.  This may be minimized a little bit due to the fact that CBS will be broadcasting all games online free of charge once again, but the fact remains a big flat screen is infinitely better than even the best computer monitor.

Second, I have been so busy that I haven’t yet gotten a chance to finish up my thoughts on the Oklahoma State Cowboys…

Thus, without further adieu, we go back in time to my post entitled simply:

CBS = Complete Bull Sh*t

The following is an excerpt from an archived post on Gate 21 which originally appeared on 31 March 2008.  To continue reading the original post in its entirety, simply click the title above, or the “Continue Reading” link at the foot of this post

BANNER%20-%20RANTS

I intentionally waited a few days before airing this complaint, mainly because I didn’t want my vitriol to be mistaken as nothing more than "sour grapes" over the BasketVols loss to the Louisville Cardinals.

Trust me, this has nothing to do with Tennessee, Louisville, or any other specific team...

CBSFor the past ... well, it seems like quite a long time, now ... CBS has been the exclusive home of the NCAA Tournament. I vaguely remember ESPN covering first and second-round games during the 1990s, but CBS is all we have had for a while. Either way, CBS has held a stranglehold on the Final Four since Billy Packer conned James Naismith himself into signing over the rights some time during the 1920s -- back when Billy Packer was in his 50s.

First of all, I do want to applaud CBS Sportsline -- CBS Sports’ internet division -- for their ambitious decision to broadcast every tournament game for free on the web. Similarly, the CBS "Game Center" on the internet for each game -- displaying myriad stats and information in real time -- is amazing. It is as artful as it is impressive. Any fan can get up-to-the-second information on every facet of the game -- including points, fouls, assists, shooting trends, whether a player is taking bribes to throw the game, which boosters the cute little cheerleader next to the basket is sleeping with, and so much more -- via one of the best interfaces I’ve ever seen for statistical information of that kind.

Despite the minor fact that the bandwidth draw for the "March Madness on Demand" service has been so obscenely high that it has -- at times -- nearly crashed massive trunk lines on the web, I salute these efforts of CBS’s internet division. For reasons which will become clear in a second, in the future I may choose this as the only way I’ll watch the tournament -- even if it is in a 5" x 5" low resolution streaming window.

Continue Reading >>

**Disclosure: While lawvol is a voting member of the CBS Sports Football Blog Poll and the CBS Sports BasketBlog Poll, neither this site, its editor, nor publisher receives any payment or other compensation of any type or kind in return for participation. Furthermore, neither Gate 21 nor lawvol received any benefit of any kind for this article, which was neither requested nor solicited by CBS Sports. This article represents the actual opinion of the author (for what that is worth) and was in no way influenced by any other person(s).
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]]> http://gate21.net/2009/03/18/flashback-cbs-sports-and-the-ncaa-tournament/feed/ 5 Yeah, I’m not happy… http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:25:02 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/ Rants From the Cheap Seats | Gate 21

I'm not going to complain, however.  I just really thought a new header was in order (you may have to hit refresh a time or two for it to appear).

No, the new graphic has no correlation with Tennessee's performance in the game today.

None whatsoever. I wouldn't lie...

-- Go Figure …Email lawvol

» Updated: 20 September 2008 -- 10:25 pm

I changed the header back to my standard look, but for those of you who would like to see what it looked like, you can view it by clicking here. Gate 21 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/20/yeah-im-not-happy/feed/ 2 Our Students… http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/ http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:48:10 +0000 Home Sweet Home http://gate21.net/?p=1082 The View From the Hill | Gate 21

From One of Their Own...

First off, let me say some stuff: I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee. This is my third football season here, and in the previous two years I've missed one home game (Kentucky 2006 because it was on Thanksgiving weekend) and been to five away games. I was in Athens in 2006. I witnessed the embarrassments at Florida and at Alabama last year. I saw the heartbreak of letting and SEC title slip away in ATL last December.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Proof I witnessed the beatdown in Gainesville last year (more on that trip Friday. I also saw the one in Tuscaloosa and the heartbreak in Atlanta..."][/caption]

So going back to last April, when The Daily Beacon broke the story (yes, it was their one occasion of actually printing new news) that students were going to have to begin to pay for football tickets, I hardly cared. I had spent probably close to over 0 on the three trips (hint: getting tickets from my dad and staying with people you know helps), what was more?

The rest of my fellow students didn't take the news so well. There was Facebook group that got up to 7,000 members in anger of what Mike Hamilton was doing. There were threats of boycotts of the UAB game, and a rally at the Orange & White Game, a rally that never occurred.

Personally, I got a kick out of watching everyone get so pissed off. I was actually happy in a way, because having to pay for tickets would get some of the people who don't care enough anyways (dead weight, if you will) out of Neyland Stadium. It's nowhere near impossible to save : like, say, spending less money on alcohol and the "going out" that I generally hardly ever take part in. Not only that, but I knew what getting tickets post-graduation was like, and we still have it pretty easy.

What does this have to do with anything? Well let me be blunt: on the whole, our students suck. Yes, I think we get pretty loud (the "F*** You Bama" chant in '06 was pretty good too) and I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the student section on Saturdays, have always enjoyed it, and will continue doing so. That's about it.

It started with the whole unnecessary uproar over paying for tickets, the people who either show up late/leave at halftime, and the clingy couples who exhibit more PDA than interest in the actual game, and continued with this weekend's nonsense. First, the booing - which unless my hearing is deteriorating (it's not, that's my sight) - began in the student section. After two incomplete passes and an interception.

I'm pretty adamant about this: NEVER BOO THE HOME TEAM. Not the players. The coaches I'll give some leeway on, but never the players. Did Luke Stocker deserve to be booed after his drops? Probably. Does Jonathan Crompton's play deserve the boos he got? Maybe. Still, there's no reason for that - from the students, from anybody. I can't count how many times Erik Ainge was cussed out last year around me - and we were undefeated at home!

Our moronic students need to be more aware that recruits on official visits come in and see that, and it's duly-noted. Who wants to go where if they potentially screw up get booed? By their fellow students? Especially this week, when our recruit list is pretty phenomenal - not just limiting it to football recruits either. This is a big weekend for Bruce Pearl as well.

Then there's the above picture, taken by my dad from his seats in XX3. Notice this is at the time the "T" is opening up. From D, I had no idea that was even there. It's pathetic. Yes, it was UAB. Yes, it was a 12:30 game. Yes, it was on TV. Yes, it was really freaking hot. Yes, we lost to UCLA. Say what you want, give your excuses, whatever. That's just awful and there's no other way around it. I showed the picture to my friends later that night and they felt the same way.

I know attendance on the whole was pretty bad, but the last place I honestly would expect to see a decline in attendance would be the students. Out-of-towners, yes. Students, no. I know there are actually people here that came to UT and the whole football scene didn't factor into their decision. Seriously, though, how hard is it?

You don't have to live and die with every play. You don't even have to know what the hell is going on. You don't even have to know what a UAB is or name a Tennessee starter. Treat it like a social event for all I care (those types need to go in the upper deck, though). It's not hard, and most of the time the games are pretty enjoyable - especially any win.

The main point of my post is this: from this point on, I won't be defending the students when the awful attendance and not picking up 1,500 of the allotment or anything else gets criticized. I know it's not everyone and there are plenty of true fans on this campus, but I'm done. And with all that done and said...

HERE'S TO THE STUDENTS AND ALL VOL FANS PULLING TOGETHER FOR SATURDAY - NEYLAND NEEDS TO BE ROCKING!!

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]]> http://gate21.net/2008/09/17/our-students/feed/ 5 Battling for the Blogosphere: StripeHype v. the Bengals http://gate21.net/2008/05/08/battling-for-the-blogosphere-stripehype-v-the-bengals/ http://gate21.net/2008/05/08/battling-for-the-blogosphere-stripehype-v-the-bengals/#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 17:38:35 +0000 lawvol http://gate21.net/?p=365

In case you haven't noticed (and given the fact most of my readers live in the south, and the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals ... well ... suck hard, you probably haven't), there is a major showdown between blogosphere and the NFL brewing. This battle pits the Cincinnati Bengals against the Fan-Sided Blog Network and its StripeHype blog covering the Cincinnati Stripes.

Apparently, the Cincinnati "Football" Bengals -- without warning -- sent StripeHype (via its network parent Fan-Sided Blog Network) the proverbial lawyerly "nastygram" informing StripeHype and Fan-Sided that if they didn't cease and desist use of the Bengals identity a lawsuit would be filed. This led to a blow-out between the powers that be at the Fan-Sided Network and the lead writer at StripeHype.

In the end, Fan-Sided backed down at the threat from the Bengals, and the lead writer at StripeHype, quit the blog and has decided to start pulling for the Cleveland Browns ("Hold on, wait a minute, put a little Dog in it! Woof, Woof Woof, Woof Woof...").

The Bengals -- apparently in partnership with the NFL -- decided that StripeHype was appropriating the identity of the Bengals and were causing the Bengals and the NFL "serious and irreparable harm." Ultimately, lawyers for the Bengals and the NFL demanded that StripeHype and Fan-Sided:

  1. Cease any and all use of any NFL and Member Club logos on the Website and on any webpages owned or operated by you.
  2. Cease any and all use of the Bengals' color scheme, uniform designs and helmet designs on the Website and on any webpages owned or operated by you.
  3. Cease any and all use of any NFL and Member Club trademarks, including the Bengals' WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE trademark, on the Website and on any webpages owned or operated by you.
See Nastygram, p. 2. <Click to download in PDF Format>

I still just don't get the position that some institutions take with regard to blogs...

On the first point, I'll give the Bengals their due, if it's their trademarked logo, then they have the right to control it. Be that as it may, under the Fair Use Doctrine (See below), I'm not sure that the use of the logo is an infringement in the context it was used (reporting on the Bengals). Newspapers often print team logos next to stories about that team -- simply to hel identify the subject matter.

On the third point ... well ... I understand what they are saying, but wouldn't Axl Rose and the other members of Guns & Roses also have a claim here as well? While I appreciate they may have trademarked the phrase, the fact remains that the English language is not subject to being trademarked. All that said, I do understand what the Bengals are saying with respect to the use of the phrase within the context of a blog about football, the Cincinnati Bengals, etc.

The second point -- at least in part -- however, is pretty laughable. Ignoring the issues of helmet designs and uniform designs, telling someone they cannot use a certain color scheme -- whether the team uses it or not -- is about as absurd a notion as I have ever heard.

Bearing all of this in mind, the larger issue is one going to the heart of the blogosphere -- where is the line between "promoting" a team as opposed to "appropriating the likeness" of a team? On one level, this is a question of law and fact, and one which is not always that clear -- that's the stuff that lawyers argue about till they are blue in the face.

On a more practical level -- removed from the absurdity of legal arguments made by shysters, degenerates, and lawyers (I can say that, I am one) -- is reality. In day-to-day life, what is okay and what is not?

As a general rule, the Fair Use Doctrine is embodied by a series of of defenses laid out at 17 U.S.C.A. 107-118. The most important being the ones found in section 107 which reads:

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include--

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;

(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

17 U.S.C.A. 107 (2008) (emphasis added). Also see e.g. Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. v. Nation Enterprises, 471 U.S. 539, 105 S. Ct. 2218 85 L. Ed.2d 588 (1985).

This, along with the caselaw construing it, is what protects writers, reporters, teachers, editors and -- yes -- even bloggers in their reports, analysis, commentary, and other "publications" about whatever subject they choose. While the concepts and court opinions emanating from this doctrine are extremely powerful in terms of the protections they grant, they are defenses (i.e. they are only useful after you are already in court). Thus, they are more academic concepts for most folks, than they are guiding principles.

First of all, I am not going to say that the folks at StripeHype did not cross the line of Fair Use and infringe on the likenesses (copyrighted or otherwise) of the Bengals and the NFL. The reason for this is that -- until this story started developing -- I had never read StripeHype, and all of the "offending" content has been taken down.

What I will say is this, I think that the powers that be with various teams, schools, institutions, and so forth misunderstand the goal and purpose of the blogger. Today's blogger was the penny-press writer, pamphleteer, or street corner barker of the late 19th Century. True, the medium and potential reach of the blogger is quite different from those early raiders of the Fourth Estate, but the concept remains the same:

"I have something I want to say publicly, and I'm going to say it..."

Now it does not follow that anyone will actually want to hear what is said (especially in the case of Gate 21) but that is the driving force for most bloggers. Some have an axe to grind, some have a "cause" they seek to promote, some simply want the satisfaction of seeing their thoughts on public display, there are numerous motivations. In the case of sports-related blogs, however, the typical motivation arises from a fan's dedication to "their team" and their desire to support it more publicly.

In other words, most sports-bloggers -- at their basic level -- are fans first and writers second.

Thus the question of why a team, league, or player would go after a blog seeking to promote them arises. Now, make no mistake, part of supporting your team often includes bashing your rival -- I'm as guilty of that as anyone. There is also a fair amount of satire involved with sports-blogging, which -- I suppose -- could be taken the wrong way. As best I can tell, none of this was at play in the case of StripeHype -- the writers there were fans (stress "were") of the Bengals. So why go after them?

Well, first of all, the Bengals are hardly new to this. In 2000, they sent a similar cease and desist letter to the anti-Mike Brown site: MikeBrownSucks.com -- apparently to no avail since the site is still up and running, and has publicly posted their "Legal Documents Library" which includes their absolutely priceless response to the demand.

Even though I am a lawyer, it seems to me that a quick email asking nicely if StripeHype would remove the logos that the Bengals felt were being infringed upon might have been sufficient. I got such an email from a really nice guy at the Knoxville News-Sentinel asking me to attribute or remove a photograph that I posted which I never realized they owned. I called him, we had a very friendly conversation, I apologized, and I took it down. No harm, no fight, no conflict. He won, I won -- and I still read the paper. That, however, just isn't the way some folks think.

Ignoring what the Bengals "could have done," however, the only thing that ever really matters when it comes to big-time sports any more is, of course, money. This once again seems to be an issue in the case of StripeHype. The above-referenced nastygram unabashedly keys the fact that they felt StripeHype used these images to make money stating:

Although the NFL encourages noncommercial fan sites, your Website is commercially supported (there are several advertisements and numerous links to third-party websites), and the use of NFL and Member Club trademarks must cease at once.

See Nastygram, p. 1.

It is true that some bloggers do little more than try and use their "platform" for making money on ads, click-thrus, etc. I have ads here on Gate 21, but -- to date -- I believe that I have made a total of, maybe, $30.00 -- and due to minimum payments on revenues, I have yet to get a single check. The ads are there to try and defray some of the costs associated with the operation of this site, not to line my pockets. This is the case for most bloggers.

Ignoring all of this, at the end of the day, the question remains do teams really want to go after fans who are -- at least by most standards -- promoting them?

Of course, this question is completely rhetorical -- there is no answer. Fortunately for me, Mike Hamilton, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the University of Tennessee have -- essentially -- adopted the "just ignore them" mentality. Thus, I haven't gotten any nastygrams (Although, in the interest of disclosure, I have sent quite a few in my day, but never as a result of a copyright issue. Damn lawyers!) and Gate 21, my temple of wasted time, continues on.

In the end, I have a feeling that teams and franchises will eventually have to face the issue of bloggers directly. Purely speculating, I would imagine that collegiate athletic programs will -- in the end -- be far more willing to embrace bloggers than professional sports teams. Bloggers, however, cannot be ignored indefinitely, simply due to their growing popularity. Whether that face-to-face takes the form of cooperation or legal attacks is yet to be determined.

In the meantime, the Bengals appear to have won this battle -- on little more than a threat from a young associate at a big law firm in New York. It is a shame that a team feels the need to attack fans like that, but I suppose they felt it was what they had to do.

In completely turning his back on the Bengals as a result, I'm sure the lead writer at StripeHype felt exactly the same way...

-- Go Figure …

For More Information on Copyright and Blogging, Check out the Following:

*Disclaimer: While the writer of this post is an attorney licensed to practice law in the state in which he resides, this post is not intended to give or offer legal advice, or otherwise render a legal opinion on the matters discussed herein. Furthermore, the author does not actively practice in matters pertaining to media law, copyright, trademarking, or intellectual property, and makes no claims as to the accuracy or correctness of any statements regarding the law(s) herein. Should you have questions regarding such legal matters you should consult an attorney licensed in your jurisdicition.
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