In honor of the greatest show in the history of television returning last week, we decided it was time to ask the beautiful Ms. Evangeline Lilly of ABC’s Lost to introduce the Goodies this week.
As always, these are links worth giving a gander to, as we’d say in Smalltown, Tennessee. But I’d like to start this goodies link with an admission: I’ve made peace with Alabama’s signing class. You know what? This is a good thing. It’s not only a good thing for Crimson Tide fans, but in my opinion as we’ve discussed a few times in the past couple of weeks, it’s a good thing for Tennessee, too. After all, the South’s biggest rivalry this year was on freaking Lincoln Financial Sports. It’s becoming irrelevant the past few years, and that’s just unacceptable.
With Nick Saban in the fold in Tuscaloosa pulling ridiculous recruiting classes — which he’s going to do — Tennessee has two choices, in my humble opinion:
1) The Vols and Phillip Fulmer can fold up tent, curl up in a fetal position and settle in for a long losing streak.
or …
2) The Vols and Phillip Fulmer can buck up, amp up recruiting, do a better job of coaching up the talent they have and will get and raise the level of play. As driven as Fulmer is, especially when it comes to Alabama, I don’t think there’s any way he’ll accept losing annually to Saban and the Tide, so I think things are going to get better.
Either way, it seems to be a good thing for the Vols. It’s been painful for me to come to this conclusion, but after thinking about it, really, it’s been there all along. If UA starts dominating, Fulmer won’t be around to see it, and that would mean that he wasn’t pulling his weight (no jokes here, please). And if that’s the case, he needs to go. If we get better, I mean, that’s a no-brainer how it improves UT.
Alabama sucking isn’t good for the Vols. The Tide won last year handily, and while it was a big, big deal to me and us here at the blog, it hardly made a blip on the national radar. When UT won two years ago, same deal. How is this good for either team? The bottom line is Bama’s going to be better. I’d love to see them lose every game out of spite, but it’s just not good for UT, the SEC or the country for it to be that way.
It’s more fun beating Alabama than some shell of a once-great football program. And I don’t think Tennessee’s done beating Bama. How much fun would it be for us to FINALLY meet in Atlanta??
Does that mean I’m going to become an Alabama fan when the Tide isn’t playing the Vols? LOL. I wouldn’t bet Saban’s still-ludicrous salary on it.
On to the links …
*****
- As I’ve said a couple times already, I could care less that UT’s class is 36th in the country. It’s 26th-best in average rating on a year when we could only sing 18, and though I’m disappointed we didn’t land more Hoggies, I think it’s highly underrated. Check this juicy little nugget (along with Fulmer audio) I found in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press from Jamie Newberg on UT no-name DT commitment Montori Hughes of Murfreesboro’s Siegel High:
“That kid’s a heck of a player that we obviously missed on early, there’s no question about it. Right now, to me, he may be the best prospect in the state when it’s all said and done. And we just flat missed him. That’s hard to do today, just miss a guy like that, but we did. He’s a great pickup.”
This makes me feel better about not landing any “quality DTs” in this class …
- After his epic book about the travels and travails of tailgating through the SEC, Dixieland Delight, everybody’s second-favorite Vols fan, Clay Travis, is back with his second book, Man: The Book is written with his buddies from the Deadly Hippos days, back before Clay Travis became THE Clay Travis and his game diaries made him a Big Orange Cult Classic.
- Too bad Kevin Hart didn’t commit to Alabama. We really could’ve made fun of him. Ah heck, we’ll do it, anyway. Wonder what his punishment will be? Not playing college football?
- Good news for Vols fans on All-World linebacker and four-time commitment Gerald Williams’ pending eligibility in this story from the Huntsville Times.
- This is sad, but uplifting on the Tennessee tornadoes.
- The dirtbag who is John Calipari.
- We know NFL referee Mike Carey for his demonstrative penalty calls. Thankfully, as we learn in this story, that’s still what he’s best known for. As it should be. Glad he let them play in the Super Bowl. We’d have been robbed if not.
- I laughed until tears came at Your Mother Slept With Wilt Chamberlain’s take on this year’s Vols recruiting class. This is more than likely how UT’s recruiting class will turn out. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. There’s some language here, but it’s hilarious, anyway.
- Good story by CNNSI.com’s Stewart Mandel on some former powerhouses’ rise on National Signing Day. This one’s for you, Bammers.
- Dang Atlantazation of Georgia. This ain’t gonna fly wit dem Dawgs. UT and Bama aren’t far behind, it seems.
- Joel does a great job with the 2007 Animated Blog Poll.
- What doe Bama fans have to look forward to? Here’s Saban’s goodies. But don’t forget who’s second on that list… We’ll be right there. Don’t worry.
- For all you Bravos fans stoked about baseball season like me, here’s an entertaining story. Apparently, Chipper Jones busted into AJC beat writer David O’Brien’s team blog under the name “You Kno Who” and interacted with fans. Good stuff.
- OK, I’ll admit I don’t know how good the kid is, and I understand he didn’t want to play for his dad, but I remember the days when UGA and Clemson hated each other. So, this is just weird to me. That, and I hate Clemson after they stole Brandon Thompson, Kenneth Page and Antoine McClain. Hate them.
****
Finally, I just want to congratulate all the nominees for the blog awards, including Gate21 and Rocky Top Talk, frequenters on our humble site. Unfortunately, we were not nominated, though we were discussed a lot. Oh well, it’s disappointing, but we’re trying here at 3SIB. It’s not easy with Bama and Vols fans blogging together, but hopefully it comes across that we’re all friends. We’re only six months old, after all. Hopefully, the readers enjoy what we’re doing.
We tried to come up with an Alanis Morissette jagged-little-pill-esque song, but it just didn’t work out. I guess we’re too nice. Thanks for the nominations to the readers, and WE WILL BE A PLAYER IN THIS BEFORE IT’S SAID AND DONE …
Losing the nomination is all a part of the process.
We’re workin’ like heck to get better … Ghost and the crew.
I second the motion on the stuff at the end in that hidious orange font.
Well, I don’t want to seem bitter. It was an honor to be mentioned with such great blogs.
And, man, do I love Evangeline.
Too bad she’s dating a hobbit.
Yes, that’s too bad, Ghost. Because otherwise, you’d be right there.
I kind of look like a hobbit.
Are you sure about that Ghost? Or is it hint to the very attractive woman above?
No need to worry about your blog. You already have a great start on regulars for a 6-month old blog. the interaction of rival fans here also adds something unique; in most other blogs, any rival poster is a “visitor” to the blog rather than a member.
Beyond that, you really do get some great prose and thoughtful stuff on here. It’s a good bet that any given post is worth reading, and that’s not easy to keep up. You’re in great shape.
Thanks, Hooper.
A little validation is always nice, but we’ve gotten an awful lot of that from readers and fellow members of the blogosphere. We just try to do things the right way and hope people like it. Plus, we all love doing it, and we never thought it would get THIS big, so anything else is a bonus.
Basically, we just got sick of sending 1,000 group emails a day to each other and decided to put our thoughts/opinions/feelings in a forum.
Ghost, you said “thoughts/opinions/feelings” but you left out “facts.” At least, that’s my contribution. That, and a little something for the ladies.
“I kind of look like a hobbit.”
Then might I suggest a trip to the podiatrist?
I usually don’t like the hair pulled straight back look, but nothing looks bad on Kate.
Evangeline Lilly is the only reason I continue to watc…oh, who am I kidding, no matter how infuriating that damn Lost keeps getting, I can’t stop watching it. I hate you, Lost. I hate you so much.
We know how you feel, Todd.
See, this is why I’m glad I never started watching Lost when it got hot.
Lost is well worth all the infuriation. At least to me.
As long as the payoff is as excellent as I think it’s going to be. If not … well, that’ll be six years of my life I’ll never get back.