UT and UA, banding together in one common hatred: Florida

Sure, we’re all close friends here. UT and UA fans co-existing, which is what makes this blog so great, right? (What’s that? Yes, I said “great.” Well, OK. Good? Um, decent? Tolerable? OK, we’ll go with that. I’ll start again…)

Sure we’re all close friends here. UT and UA fans co-existing, which is what makes this blog so decent, right? Right. Despite the fact that I’d rather pluck hairs from hard-to-reach parts of my body than hear about Alabama recruiting, and I’m sure Crimson Daddy, Tide Fan and Capstone had rather see Terrence Cody nekked than hear me detail the Louisiana-Monroe Day of Joy, but we have to rag each other, right?

Well, through all of our disagreements, arguments and rantings, we can come together in oneness over a few things: We love to make fun of the Small Ten up north, we like picking LSU and Auburn scabs and … my personal favorite … we share a disdain for the University of Florida Gators.

Whether it’s from being the first-place loser in the Tim Tebow sweepstakes or getting manhandled by them every year without fail, we all have our reasons. So, UT and UA fans, unite as one! At least for a couple of minutes this offseason. I give to you the Florida anthem: “This is why you suck.” It may be a little old, but it never gets old …

(Warning: There is a little bit of language, so proceed with caution.)

Lofton Beat Cancer this past year

Well, I guess I’ll think twice about whining when I pull a muscle on the treadmill from now on.

In an unbelievable reporting job by ESPN.com’s Chris Low, a story broke today that Tennessee senior guard Chris Lofton actually beat testicular cancer this past year secretively. When I say “secretively,” I mean that less than 10 people — and just one teammate — knew about this. This is jaw-dropping, unbelievable stuff. Seriously, I honestly can’t believe what I’m reading. I had to share this with you guys.

When idiots like myself were griping about Lofton taking a step back this season and wondering why he’d lost a step, seemed more out of shape and simply wasn’t the same player, he was recovering from radiation treatments after battling for his life.

As if the Legend of the Maysville, Ky., who will one day have his number retired at UT wasn’t revered enough, now we get to add the fact that Lofton was STILL a dominant scorer at times this year while undergoing cancer treatments. I simply don’t know what to say about this. Heroic comes to mind. Amazing does, too. Stunned as well.

I believe that this is one of the most miraculous stories I’ve ever heard, one of the most remarkable acts of selflessness and heroism ever by a college athlete. I am the king of hyperbole, but what tops this? He is so humble and soft-spoken that only one teammate — roommate Jordan Howell — found out about this situation, and that wasn’t until late in the season.

There were some whispers around the program about Lofton failing a drug test, and some even thought that Lofton would have taken something to get ahead, maybe something to help gain that step of slowness that hounded him coming out of high school. As it turned out, he did fail a test because of a tumor marker. The reason he lost a step this year wasn’t because he was off the juice. It was because he was taking treatments.

I am perhaps the biggest Vols fan who has ever lived. I am also a fan of journalism, of getting the story and beating everybody else to the punch. I’m finally a bigger fan of people who come through in heroic situations time after time, doing things that go beyond the normal call of duty, becoming people whom you are proud to say represents your program.

Chris Lofton, you are a truly remarkable person.