Sports Thread

[Tennessine]

Aside from Soccer to Nashville, I have noticed a lack of users engaging in sports discussion on the board. That may be a blessing in disguise (fans can be crazy) but surely many of us are Titans and Predators fans, right? For those interested in our local franchises, I'd like to begin this thread. Even if Nashville's local teams aren't your favorite, please feel free to discuss sports in general. 

A little more about my favorite teams, with my interest in each organization ranked from most interested to least interested:

College Sports: Univ. of Tennessee football, Men's basketball, and Lady Vols basketball

NFL: Titans

NHL: Predators

MLB: Atlanta Braves

NBA: Memphis Grizzlies / Boston Celtics bandwagoner

Soccer: USA Men's and Women's National Team (I confess I do not follow much soccer and have little knowledge of European or even American leagues.)

I'm mostly a college football nut. You can make fun of UT's piss-poor 10-year stretch of mediocrity (throwing in a couple of fool's gold Butch Jones Life Championships along the way). Since I'm a student here, I'll be sure to respond

[Pdt2f]

I think when the preds were in their cup run their was a lot of enthusiasm on this board. 

I’m a lifelong Alabama football fan and I’ll actually be at Neyland on Saturday for the game. I’ve only been to a game there once, when UT beat South Carolina in 2009 (Kiffin’s year). This will be my second Third Saturday in October game, I was at Tennessee’s 5 overtime win against my Tide in 2003 in Tuscaloosa. I’m old enough to still consider Tennessee a huge rival of ours, although many of the younger fans don’t get it because of Bama’s recent domination. I was happy seeing y’all beat Auburn last week, I’d cheer for the University of Hell over Auburn. 

[Tennessine]

1 hour ago, Pdt2f said:

I think when the preds were in their cup run their was a lot of enthusiasm on this board. 

I’m a lifelong Alabama football fan and I’ll actually be at Neyland on Saturday for the game. I’ve only been to a game there once, when UT beat South Carolina in 2009 (Kiffin’s year). This will be my second Third Saturday in October game, I was at Tennessee’s 5 overtime win against my Tide in 2003 in Tuscaloosa. I’m old enough to still consider Tennessee a huge rival of ours, although many of the younger fans don’t get it because of Bama’s recent domination. I was happy seeing y’all beat Auburn last week, I’d cheer for the University of Hell over Auburn. 

That's good to know; I joined the board a month later in July 2017, though I had been lurking since 2015.

Happy TSIO, Bammer. You'll be calling us "12essee" after this one.... xD

I'm surprised Saban is starting Tua this weekend. I suppose he knows what he's doing, but I would think he would want to risk Tua getting injured. Tennessee has a weak defense and there would be little difference in scoring if he were to start Jalen, who is probably the second best QB in the SEC (Burrow may be better; we'll find out how good LSU is in November).

Prediction for the game: Alabama 45, Tennessee 16.  Tennessee is forced to kick a lot of field goals; Alabama's offense dominates as usual like 1995 Nebraska. Tennessee barely covers the spread. I don't think Saban will have it anywhere near full throttle on Saturday. But we will see what kind of fight my Vols put up- they are riled up from last weekend's victory.

And welcome back to Knoxville! Let me know if you need any information about restaurants, nightlife, etc. I think you'll really like it over here. Knoxville punches way above its class, and contrary to what some users on the board believe, it's quite a nice city.

Actually I was AT that USCe - Tennessee game in 2009! My dad took me to it. Halloween night with the black jerseys. I will never forget that. I was 12.

[MLBrumby]

I was at that game too... with my wife and another couple in section U, about 4 rows from the metal fencing that separates the concourse from the seating areas... and some drunken $#!+%3@& started banging on the fence from late in the first quarter till early in the fourth... and then passed out.

[Pdt2f]

@nativetenn he’s probably thinking that Tua is still only a true sophomore with 7 starts under his belt so he needs all the reasonable time he can get before we get to the hard part of our schedule. They’re saying Tua is in better health than he was before the Missouri game. 

I’ve been to Knoxville many times, not much of a nightlife person but I’ve had some good nights there over the years. 

@MLBrumby I stumbled into some front-row student section tickets for that game. Me and a friend had no intention of going to that game but we visited with some younger friends at a frat house and they hooked us up. My Halloween costume was as a 70s porn star (complete with sideburns and Jim Croce-style mustache) and because of our position in the front of the student section and our inebriated enthusiasm we ended up being shown on ESPN a bunch that night 

[Mr_Bond]

22 hours ago, Pdt2f said:

@nativetenn he’s probably thinking that Tua is still only a true sophomore with 7 starts under his belt so he needs all the reasonable time he can get before we get to the hard part of our schedule. They’re saying Tua is in better health than he was before the Missouri game. 

I’ve been to Knoxville many times, not much of a nightlife person but I’ve had some good nights there over the years. 

@MLBrumby I stumbled into some front-row student section tickets for that game. Me and a friend had no intention of going to that game but we visited with some younger friends at a frat house and they hooked us up. My Halloween costume was as a 70s porn star (complete with sideburns and Jim Croce-style mustache) and because of our position in the front of the student section and our inebriated enthusiasm we ended up being shown on ESPN a bunch that night 

I'm a lifelong Bama fan.  My dad is a Bama grad and he and my mom raised their children on Crimson Tide football while we grew up in Mobile.  I went to a college with no football team so I never switched allegiance.  Roll Tide!

[Tennessine]

Bammers are all over the place today. I can't tell how many of these visiting fans are Gumps who traveled or just bandwagoners in the area.

I imagine Neyland is the second most visited stadium by Bama fans, behind Jordan-Hare.

Also, just a cultural observation: Why are so many CFB fans obese? It's a little depressing when 3/4 of the people walking around are freaking huge.

[MLBrumby]

In chatty, you just assume that all are bandwagoners...and they're all the hell over the place.

[Tennessine]

2 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

In chatty, you just assume that all are bandwagoners...and they're all the hell over the place.

Like 1990s UT fans, most of them are working-class folks with a good football team being all they have. At least they benefit our universities by paying tickets and attending the games.

[Mr_Bond]

7 hours ago, nativetenn said:

Bammers are all over the place today. I can't tell how many of these visiting fans are Gumps who traveled or just bandwagoners in the area.

I imagine Neyland is the second most visited stadium by Bama fans, behind Jordan-Hare.

Also, just a cultural observation: Why are so many CFB fans obese? It's a little depressing when 3/4 of the people walking around are freaking huge.

Today's game was the 101st meeting of Tennessee and Alabama, far more than Auburn-Alabama.  In some ways the rivalry with Tennessee is deeper than the one with Auburn.

[Pdt2f]

8 hours ago, nativetenn said:

Like 1990s UT fans, most of them are working-class folks with a good football team being all they have. At least they benefit our universities by paying tickets and attending the games.

That’s not exclusive to 90s UT (never heard that characterization specific to UT before and I lived through that era in this state) or modern Bama fans, that’s all college football teams. The reason that there’s such big money in college football is because the game and the college have very little to do with each other in the minds of 90% of the fans. I was raised a Bama football fan by my Bama native father so I’m a fan of the team, but I couldn’t really care less about the state, school, or even the other athletic programs of the university. If these programs had to rely on their alumni to fill all those seats every stadium would maybe be the size of Vanderbilt’s and there would be like 1-2 games per week broadcast like it was 1960 or something. 

[Tennessine]

Alabama -14 at LSU. Who y'all got?

[Pdt2f]

18 hours ago, nativetenn said:

Alabama -14 at LSU. Who y'all got?

Over. LSU doesn’t have an offense. Bama will score at least 35-40, LSU doesn’t have the firepower to score more than maybe 20-24. Basically the fact that the game is at LSU is why it’s only -14. The recent history of Bama vs LSU in Baton Rouge doesn’t mean anything, this isn’t a normal Bama offense and Coach O isn’t les miles. 

[Tennessine]

8 hours ago, Pdt2f said:

Over. LSU doesn’t have an offense. Bama will score at least 35-40, LSU doesn’t have the firepower to score more than maybe 20-24. Basically the fact that the game is at LSU is why it’s only -14. The recent history of Bama vs LSU in Baton Rouge doesn’t mean anything, this isn’t a normal Bama offense and Coach O isn’t les miles. 

My thoughts are exactly yours.

I'll go out on a limb and guess it'll get ugly among the fans

[Tennessine]

How about those Preds?

I may attend a regular season game once my semester is over. I'm excited. I haven't been to one since Jan. 2016.

[titanhog]

I'm a Titans and Preds fan.  

Arkansas Razorbacks are my college team (grew up there).  Good program in everything but football (best track program in NCAA history).

NBA...used to love the Bulls when Jordan and Pippen were playing (I played basketball in the same district as Pippen in high school and he dated a girl on my college basketball team while he was at UCA and his rookie year at Chicago...so I'd see him in our dorm all the time.)

I was a college basketball All-American at school in the same league as Belmont and Lipscomb at the time.  Was a 2-time state Pentathlon champ in Arkansas.  I have the horrible knees to prove it. 

Used to love playing golf until I messed up my leg 11 years ago.

[bigeasy]

Get hyped!! I am a bit biased since I am a UT fan, but this is one of my favorite hype videos. No corny rap or country music, high quality video, simple yet effective.

https://t.co/7C04S1Ntnn

Edited November 7, 2018 by bigeasy

[Tennessine]

GO VOLS... For once we are more hyped about basketball season than anything else. 

 

Huge game against Gonzaga next month.

[Mr_Bond]

On 10/31/2018 at 9:39 AM, Pdt2f said:

Over. LSU doesn’t have an offense. Bama will score at least 35-40, LSU doesn’t have the firepower to score more than maybe 20-24. Basically the fact that the game is at LSU is why it’s only -14. The recent history of Bama vs LSU in Baton Rouge doesn’t mean anything, this isn’t a normal Bama offense and Coach O isn’t les miles. 

Saw a great statement on FB after the game, "29 tua zereaux."

[bigeasy]

23 hours ago, nativetenn said:

GO VOLS... For once we are more hyped about basketball season than anything else. 

 

Huge game against Gonzaga next month.

It is a weird time right now. I have a friend that is a huge Kentucky fan and on Tues he said "Well at least it is still football season"

[Pdt2f]

To be honest I haven’t heard Tennessee fans talk about anything other than basketball in like a decade. Not much to talk about on the gridiron. 

[Tennessine]

4 hours ago, Pdt2f said:

To be honest I haven’t heard Tennessee fans talk about anything other than basketball in like a decade. Not much to talk about on the gridiron. 

That's bull. UT fans come out of the woods every time we beat a conference opponent now. There was plenty of hootin' and hollerin' after the win at Auburn. The football spirit in Knoxville, while masked and self-loathing, won't truly die until football itself becomes less popular than other sports. 

This past decade of mediocrity has proven Tennessee has an extremely loyal fanbase. There is some semblance of optimism among the fans before every season begins. It's hidden during bouts of losses to rivals, but never vanishes.

Meanwhile, while football season is the talk, Alabama fans will simultaneously pretend their basketball team does not exist. There is rarely an occurrence of a "true" crimson-blooded Alabama fan who follows year-round Alabama sports. You know it's true. You'd postulate when there are no professional teams in Alabama to follow that Alabama fans would follow other Alabama sports, but that would be a bitter realization that everyone can't always be a winner.

Edited November 8, 2018 by nativetenn

[Tennessine]

5 hours ago, bigeasy said:

It is a weird time right now. I have a friend that is a huge Kentucky fan and on Tues he said "Well at least it is still football season"

Eh, I wouldn't be too down if I were a Kentucky fan. From what I saw that night, nobody is beating that Duke team this year. They were unreal.

[Pdt2f]

20 minutes ago, nativetenn said:

Meanwhile, while football season is the talk, Alabama fans will simultaneously pretend their basketball team does not exist. There is rarely an occurrence of a "true" crimson-blooded Alabama fan who follows year-round Alabama sports. You know it's true. You'd postulate when there are no professional teams in Alabama to follow that Alabama fans would follow other Alabama sports, but that would be a bitter realization that everyone can't always be a winner.

Oh I completely agree with this, but don’t see it as being hypocritical or anything because they’re completely different sports with (oftentimes) completely different fanbases. I’m a fan of Alabama Crimson Tide football, but I couldn’t care less about Alabama basketball because college basketball bores me to tears and I don’t have any particulat loyalties in it.  College athletics is such big money that there are millions of people who are huge fans of a team without caring one iota about the university, because that’s the type of viewer sport they’ve created. There’s very little in college sports that differentiates it from professional sports as far as being a fan is concerned.  So for me asking me to cheer for Alabama basketball because I’m an Alabama football fan is like expecting me to cheer for the Titans because I like the Preds. 

27 minutes ago, nativetenn said:

That's bull. UT fans come out of the woods every time we beat a conference opponent now. There was plenty of hootin' and hollerin' after the win at Auburn. The football spirit in Knoxville, while masked and self-loathing, won't truly die until football itself becomes less popular than other sports. 

This past decade of mediocrity has proven Tennessee has an extremely loyal fanbase. There is some semblance of optimism among the fans before every season begins. It's hidden during bouts of losses to rivals, but never vanishes.

My comment was a little too flippant but you have to understand that Tennessee football was great when I was growing up, and this state used to be bananas about it. Like every gas station you’d walk into had a little ‘98 Vols gear shrine in a corner. It’s probably primarily due to a combination of their ineptitude on the field and the continued influx of internal-migrants into middle Tennessee, but it used to be that out of every 10 people you’d meet there’s be like 7 Vols fans, now there’s maybe 3. Of the 5 or 6 biggest Vols fans I knew 15 years ago I think like 3 of them still actively follow Tennessee football. 

[bigeasy]

I can agree with that. I remember as a kid in the 90s how much orange you would see on gameday around town.  I am a bit surprised about how passionate the fanbase is considering how bad they have been. I highly doubt many other larger schools could pull off the numbers they do with such a poor record. I know actual attendance in the seats wasn't this high but the fact they averaged 95K last year, or 93% on their worst year ever is impressive. But speaking as someone that hated them in the 90s, they reallllllyyyyy need to get over '98, and they really need to quit thinking firing everybody is the answer. Not much the coaching can do when you have talent this bad. They made Charlotte's defensive line look like a powerhouse.