Mega-phone Madness

Cal was overwhelmed by the one of the top distinguished college football atmospheres in college football last season as they suffered their 35-18 blowout to the mighty Vols. Now, with the Vols on their way to the west coast, how can Cal match that exceptional noise, in an attempt to disrupt the Vols goal of winning the game? Mega-phones. California's athletic department will be handing out mega-phones to the Berkeley crowd on Saturday. They hope to create the same atmosphere as the 107,000+ crazy fans of Vol Nation.

Tennessee senior safety Jonathan Hefney is not impressed.

“They did that in high school,” Hefney said with a smile. “We come from the South,” Hefney said. “We play tough football.

“In high school, we played tough football. We came here (to UT) and it was the same thing. That’s what we're bringing to California just like when they came down last year.”

Can a bunch of West Coast fans seriously get into the Vols' heads, a school that plays in the tough stadium atmospheres of the SEC? This is a team that came back from 21 points down in one of the harshest atmosphere's of LSU's Death Valley in Baton Rouge. This is a team that has won 2 out of the last 3 in the Swamp. This is a team that goes into Tuscaloosa , where every fan hates Phillip Fulmer down to their bones, and comes out victorious.

“We're just going to go in like we did last year and do what we have to do, man to man, throw the zone in there, do whatever we have to do to stay on top of them and not let them get the big play,” Hefney said.

Vols, listen up. You go into Cal and show the how SEC football is played. You're fighting for your school, your city, your state, all the Vols fans around the Nation, a whole region where football reigns supreme, and the millions of SEC fans that call it home.
Go Vols!

LSU - MSU Game Recap - A World Class Beatdown

Thursday night's match up between 2nd ranked LSU and unranked Mississippi State kicked off the SEC season in dramatic fashion. No, it was not even competitive. But it was southern football at it's finest, a rain-drenched, hard fought (initially) battle between classic foes.

The final score doesn't tell the whole story. MSU's defense played well early and LSU's offense struggled to find any kind of a rhythm, but the poor play of State quarterback Mike Henig gave the Tigers' offense ample opportunities to put together scoring drives. Factor in that new LSU Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton did not really want to show his hand early with much tougher games coming up, and the Tiger's offensive flatness makes more sense.

While Matt Flynn did little to live up to the billing the LSU faithful had given him all off-season as the next great LSU quarterback, Henig made him look like a pro.

Henig finished the day 11 of 28 passing for 120 yards and 6 interceptions. The Tigers scored points after five of his interceptions and he also fumbled a snap on a fourth and 1 play in the first of only two trips into LSU territory.

It is hard to say anything positive about a team that fails to score even a field goal, but the MSU defense played with heart. Unfortunately heart was not enough on that fatal evening in Starkville.

Final Score 45-0

Vols Land "Big" Recruit

The Vols made one positive step in improving their run game in the 2008 season on Wednesday as 6'5", 315 pound offensive lineman, Preston Bailey stepped to the podium and said he would be playing for the Big Orange next season. Out of Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, TN, Preston is a 4-star recruit, the number 4 prospect out of Tennessee, and ranked 30 at his position by Rivals.

In the back of Preston's mind, he knew Tennessee was the right place to go, but a visit to Michigan had him second guessing. When it was all said and done, Bailey could just not refrain from the great Rocky Top atmosphere, "playing in the best conference and against the top athletes in the Nation," as Preston put it to terms.

Bailey also seemed very intrigued with the thought of playing under Phillip Fulmer. From his visit, he admires Fulmer greatly as a coach, and as a mentor. His family grew to like Fulmer as well, and Bailey referred to his visit as "Not a college visit, but visiting a friend."

Bailey will join high school teammate Ben Bartholomew in Knoxville next season. Both players are known for their strength and leadership, as well as being great gentlemen and students, and we are happy to have them as a part of the Vols.

College Football is Finally Here

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Yes, loyal readers, I awoke to the same smell you did. I sat straight up in my bed (still wearing last evening's attire. Whoa what a night) and the air had a familiar aroma. Then I remembered....It's friggin' college football time!

Tonight, the No. 2 LSU Tigers travel to Starkville to face the unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs.

It's likely to not be a very close game, but it is the first SEC match-up of the year. We will finally see what these LSU fans have been clamoring about regarding Matt Flynn and be able to judge for ourselves whether or not he is the "real deal". Granted this aint Florida, but it is an SEC team and anything can happen.

It is time for tailgating, vulgar displays of beer drinking, beautiful southern college girls, and last but not least, royal ass whippings handed to your most hated rival. (one can hope, right?)

So pick up that 12 pack of your favorite choice beverage, call in a pizza on your way home from work. And tune in to ESPN tonight at 8:00 Eastern Time to see some SEC action.

Thank god it's finally football time.


Sab's prediction:

This one won't be as close as the final score will dictate. Expect MSU to come strong out of the gate, but succumb eventually to the superior talent of the Tigers.

Final Score: 34 -10

Ainge's Broken Pinkie - What to Expect

It has been all over the internet news sites and sports radio, so it is nothing new that Erik Ainge has a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand. Some have gone as far as projecting backup Jonathan Crompton to get the start versus Cal on Saturday.

Few doubt the ability of Jon Crompton to come in and handle the offense. He did so as a freshman last year and performed as well as could be expected against top SEC foes LSU and Arkansas.

“You’ve got to go out there and compete everyday,” Crompton has said. “That’s what everybody on this team does no matter if you’re first, second, third or fourth team. I think our whole team does a good job with that.”

Crompton came in to the Tennessee program surrounded by all the hype that one would expect when the number one pro style quarterback in the Nation commits to as prestigious a school as the University of Tennessee. While he has been competitive, he has been satisfied with playing the role of a back up his first two years.

“You’ve got to do what’s best for the team,” Crompton said. “You’ve got to know when to be selfish and when not to be.”

But losing a player of Ainge's ability is never good, especially when playing an opponent with the talent that will be seen when Cal takes the field on Saturday.

But Ainge insists that he will line up behind center come game time.

“The issue is, am I going to be able to be as effective as I need to be to win the football game?” Ainge said. “I believe that answer is yes.”

Ainge has been limited in practice but has been throwing some. Fulmer and receiver Josh Briscoe said his passes have looked good.

“It was the same as it’s been,” Briscoe said

The injury to Ainge’s pinkie has more of an effect on his grip on the ball than it does his throwing.

An injury to the middle finger or index finger would be more significant because those fingers stay on the football longest.

Ainge finished practice on Monday after sustaining the injury and has been held back in practice only as a precautionary measure.

The real question becomes, how soon can his finger heal with Southern Miss and Florida looming large in the coming weeks?

Two Top 15 Teams Face Off To Open the Season

Saturday, 12th ranked Cal plays host to the 15th ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Last year these teams met to open the season and Tennessee handed the 9th ranked Golden Bears a 35-18 pounding in Neyland Stadium. Tennessee led 35-0 at one point late in the game before putting in backups to gain experience.

So suffice it to say Cal has a chip on their shoulder the size of Neyland Stadium. This year Tennesse must travel to Berkley to face the Bears on their home turf. The Vols have historically been a good road team, but traveling across country is somewhat different then to Tuscaloosa or Lexington.

The Volunteers will also be without the help of sophomore running back LaMarcus Coker. Coker has been practicing with the team since being reinstated but is not on the travel roster. Junior Arian Foster and sophomore Montario Hardesty will shoulder the load at running back behind a revamped offensive line.

Senior Quarterback Erik Ainge suffered a pinky jam on his throwing hand and will be limited in practice leading up to the game. Fulmer has said that Jonathan Crompton is ready to start in the event that Ainge can't go.

The Vol's travel roster will include true freshmen, Eric Berry, Denarius Moore, Brent Vinson, Daryl Vereen and Gerald Jones, as well as junior college transfer Kenny O'Neal.

Cal, which appears to be an offensive juggernaut, is a six-point favorite heading into the 2007 opener.

Under Fulmer, the Vols are 13-1 their first game of the season, with the only loss coming in their last trip to the West Coast at No. 14 UCLA in 1994.

Keys to the game:

Volunteers running attack vs. Cal defensive line - Each time the Vols rushed for over 100 yards last year, they won that game, the problem is that only happened five times. Look for a heavy dose of the running game early to test the Cal defensive line. If the running game is successful, the vols have a good shot at winning the game.

Vols secondary vs. Cal Wide Receivers - Cal is lead by all-everything receiver DeSean Jackson who is widely regarded as the no. 1 receiver in all of college football. A key to a Vols victory will be how well the secondary led by senior Jonathan Hefney will be able to keep Jackson in check. Two first year starters will get the nod at corner back in Marsalous Johnson and Antonio Gaines, but don't be surprised to see a lot of true freshman Eric Berry as he is slated to be the starter at Nickelback.

Special Teams - Special Teams will factor in on both sides as Cal has DeSean Jackson returning punts. All he did last year was average 18.2 yards and score 4 touchdowns to lead the nation in that category.
The Vol's talented punter, Britton Colquitt is nursing a Quad pull and will be limited to punt duties. Daniel Lincoln is an unproven kicker and he will be handling kickoffs, extra points, and field goals.

Tennessee Names Game Captains for Cal

Tennessee named four seniors as game captains for the season opener at California on Friday.

The defensive captains will be free safety Jonathan Hefney and defensive end Xavier Mitchell.

The offensive captains will be quarterback Erik Ainge and offensive tackle Eric Young.

They will handle all coin toss duties as well as being the designated players that will communicate, if necessary, with the officials.

Kickoff is set for 7pm CST on Saturday September the 1st at California Memorial Stadium in

Berkley. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.

LaMarcus Coker Reinstated

Sophomore running back LaMarcus Coker has fulfilled all obligations and has been reinstated to the Volunteer Football team on Friday afternoon. He will practice on Saturday, but will not travel to California with the team.

"I do expect him to return against Southern Miss if he continues on a positive track." Coach Phillip Fulmer said late Friday.

Fulmer also said that the troubled tailback's attitude through the entire ordeal has been exceptional.

Coker led the Vols in rushing last year and was expected to play a large role in the Tennessee ground game until he was suspended indefinitely by Fulmer for undisclosed reasons earlier this month.

Coker adds a dimension to the Volunteers' run game that isn't to be had in projected started Arian Foster and makes an already potent Tennessee offense outright dangerous.

Loser With Socks - Tennessee Playbook

LWS has posted a simplified playbook for the Tennessee receivers that you simply have to see.
Find it here.

Scrotum Wars

In Oklahoma City, a man has been charged with aggravated assault and battery, after causing extensive damage to another man's scrotum.

Allen Michael Beckett reacted violently and launched a verbal attack when Brian Thomas entered a local bar wearing a Texas Longhorn T-shirt. Thomas said Beckett called him "everything under the sun”.
Thomas claims he and a friend sat at a table in the corner and tried to ignore Beckett's tirade, but Beckett -- who is apparently an OU fan, kept screaming at him.

He said after about 20 minutes, he had had enough of the abuse so he went to pay his tab when Beckett grabbed his crotch and would not let go.

Thomas repeatedly punched the man in self-defense attempting to deter him from further harm to his groin, but to no avail. The crazed man continued to pull at his scrotum until Thomas felt his scrotum tear and blood dripping down his leg.

It took more than 60 stitches to close the wound to his scrotum.

The felony charge carries up to five years in prison.

Jimmy Clausen Busted

Not many quarterbacks enter their Freshman years surrounded by more hype than has Jimmy Clausen. The number one overall recruit in last years class is expected to break records at Notre Dame before his four years are completed. The only thing he has broken as of now, however is the law.

as entered a pretrial diversion program after receiving a misdemeanor citation for transporting alcohol as a minor.

Indiana State Excise had been staking out a liquor store in an unmarked car near the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana that was known to have sold alcohol to minors. Police cited Clausen and a 23-year-old companion on June 23 for trans

Clausen was cited for a misdemeanor citation, while the 23-year-old, a recent Notre Dame graduate, was cited for inducing a minor to possess alcohol, an infraction.

Police said the 23-year-old entered the store and bought two 1.75-liter bottles of vodka, a 200-milliliter bottle of whiskey, and case containing 30 cans of Natural Light beer.

Clausen stayed outside the store in a Chevrolet Tahoe along with another Notre Dame freshman, who was not cited.

Clausen has entered a pretrial diversion program with the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office.

Under the terms of the agreement, signed on July 11, Clausen agreed to pay a $170 fee and to remain trouble free for a year.

If he meets those terms, he will not face a misdemeanor charge for the June incident. But if he's cited for the same offense within a year, he'll face two misdemeanor charges.

Tatoo Parlors Across Alabama Prepare for Flood

Tatoo artists around the Southeast are readying their guns for the rush of fans they are certain to see. Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday, that despite diligent attempts to negotiate a deal that would bring the no. 8 to Hendrick Motorsports and allow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to continue to drive his trademark car number.

"We've been working hard to secure the #8 for Dale Jr.'s car number next season," said Marshall Carlson, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. "Obviously, he has a tremendous history with that number, and we know how important it is to his fans. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach a point where the terms made sense, and now we have to move forward with other options."

"Personally, I sort of planned for this," Earnhardt said. "I've been in these negotiations with the same person before, and they've never worked out in our favor. I knew this was the way it was going to be. I just didn't have the guts to tell my fans. They were holding out and hoping it would work out. I didn't have the guts to tell them it was just a waste of time hoping that would happen."

So the battle between step-mother and son continues and it is clear that there are hard feelings when it comes to Jr. leaving the company his father founded. It is sad that the company that bears his name is being run by someone that truly has the wrong motivations at heart.

"I'm not going to sit here and get personal about this. The personal stuff is way far away from the racetrack. It's upsetting as hell, and unfortunate. But you know, that's just what happens sometimes. Like I say, I kind of had an idea that we were going to come down this road and have to take another turn. I knew this was the way it was going to happen. I'm not really all that surprised," he said.

Earnhardt was complimentary of DEI president Max Siegel's efforts to negotiate the use of the number."Max tried his butt off to make it work," Earnhardt Jr. said. "He was trying to talk to Teresa and get some sense into her."

Jr. has said all along that if Hendrick couldn't procure the no. 8 that his preference would be the 81. Jr. has driven that number before in the Busch series, but as of now, no timetable has been set for the announcement of his new number.

And to all his fans with No. 8 tattoos? "Hold on. Hang tight," he said.

Fiction turns reality

Chris Hannon

Chris Hannon finished Thursday night's exhibition game with three catches for 33 yards and caught the Chiefs' lone touchdown.

Okay. Not sure how much more I need to say here. Go Chris Hannnon!

Michael Vick Alleged to have Al Qaeda Ties

A South Carolina inmate has become the latest to accuse Mike Vick of criminal activities. Jonathan Lee Riches is suing the embattled Falcons quarterback to the tune of 63 billion dollars. (backed by gold and silver and to be delivered via UPS to the front gates of Williamsburg Federal Correctional Facility, Sulters, SC.) Riches claims that on April the 20th, 2007, Vick stole two white mixed pitt bulls from his Holliday, Florida residence which he then used for fighting until on April the 28th, Vick put the dogs up for auction on Ebay and used the proceeds to purchase missles from the Irani government.

But the harassment did not end there. On May the 4th, Riches alleges, Vick stole his identity from his coat and used it to open new store accounts at PetSmart and Doggie Warehouse.

And we're still not done. Riches futher alleges that Vick voilated his copyright laws by using his copyright name on his personal football outfit.

Further allegations:

• On February the 10th, 2007 Vick pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda
• Michael Vick subjected me to microwave testing (this guy is one cooked turkey)
  
• Michael Vick used drugs in school zones

• Michael Vick is in the business of illegal steroids

Riches implores the court to issue a temorary restraining order barring Vick from "selling my copyrighted materials," stealing anymore of his animals, and "Michael Vick has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes."

Riches is an inmate at the facility serving out a wire fraud conviction.

View charges here

Steven Fowlkes Commits

At Banneker High School in College Park, Ga., he plays wide receiver on offense and defensive end on defense. Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama, and Central Florida were among the schools recruiting him to play defensive end. But Fowlkes says the Vols want him at wide receiver.

“They are going to give me an opportunity to play it (receiver). I want to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Fowlkes is being recruited by Trooper Taylor. “He’s a good coach for me," he said of Taylor. "He’s a good person and I’ve enjoyed talking to him.”

Steven was one of the visitors on hand for the Volunteers first fall scrimmage on Saturday.

The 6'5", 215lb. player is rated a 3 star recruit by rivals.com. One reason why may be that he didn’t begin playing football until last fall and missed five games last year due to a nagging elbow problem. He s also a standout post player on the basketball squad at Banneker.

Fowlkes also knows he will have something else if things don’t work out at receiver. While offense is his preference, he’s keeping his options open to playing defensive end.

Fowlkes makes eight commitments for Tennessee's 2008 class.