IIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT’SSSSSSSSSSSS MONDAY!!!!!!! And you fine folks know what that means. It’s time to grab some pickaxes, don the hard hats, and go mining for Tennessee-related thoughts scattered through the recesses of my mind.
1) I went to the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta last weekend for the first time. The absence of SEC-related things was rather surprising to me. I expected to see lots of Alabama and Georgia stuff (and there was some Georgia stuff), but as it turns out, that place appears to be run by the Big Ten, which has its own locker-slash-shrine room that no other conference has. Very, very weird. My wife was like, “I thought Atlanta would have had more southern representation here.” Me too, dear. Me too. Instead, I shanked an extra point attempt wide left on the mini field and bought my kid a small $40 stuffed Smokey at the gift shop. Aside from a Peyton Manning interactive display, that was about it for Tennessee displays there. Disappointing.
2) Tennessee hoops had a heck of a bounce back week. I was very disappointed with the effort at Texas A&M last Saturday, but lordy, did they bounce back mid-week against Arkansas 92-63. Yes, I know the Hogs are garbage this year, but it’s still Bud Walton Arena, which has been a hellish place for UT to play. The Vols followed it up on Saturday against the Commodores with an 88-53 thrashing. Their halftime lead of 51-30 was the second largest in SEC play over at least the last 28 years, per UT (50-18 vs. LSU on 1/6/99). 11 Vols scored, and all 5 starters reached double figures. That’s what I call team basketball. Sure, the competition wasn’t stiff, but the execution was outstanding. Things are about to get a lot tougher after Mizzou mid-week, with all 5 remaining teams being possible tournament teams. Time to see what the Vols are really made of.
3) Being in Atlanta with the family, I didn’t get to see the Diamond Vols’ games this weekend. But hey, two out of three against Power Five teams, with the loss coming in extra innings, isn’t bad, which earned the Vols the Shriner’s Childrens College Showdown title on run differential. And my God, Billy Amick hits majestic home runs.
Billy Amick’s second homer as a Vol travelled 425 feet. Was 112 mph off the bat.
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) February 19, 2024
Apparently, his nickname is Billy Barrels, per Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore.
#Vols second baseman Christian Moore: “Billy just being Billy. I call him ‘Billy Barrels.’ He’s going to do what he does best and that’s hit.”
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) February 19, 2024
I will most certainly be using that one. Billy Barrels it is from here on.
The Vols kick off a 15-game homestand starting with UNC-Asheville and ETSU this week. Time to lock in. Should be a fun ride this year.
Go Vols!