We talked this time last week about how our area's meteorologists have added pressure when the forecast calls for the white stuff. Channel 12's Patrick Core even said snow is a "four-letter" word.
Let's start today's week in review by thanking the road crews all around Hamilton County for their preparation, effort and diligence this week.
There was anywhere from six to eight inches of snow all around us Wednesday night, and even through the re-freeze Friday, the roads were in excellent shape.
We know this: If not for the great work by the road crews, this week's snow would have generated far more four-letter words from a lot of us.
Sounds of snow
Speaking of the snow, man, how about the extended break the school kids in the area have enjoyed lately?
A full day and a half-day of school in Hamilton County in the last two weeks and that's it.
In fact, my 7-year-old was waiting by the phone almost daily this past week to see "423-209-6090" pop up. That's the automated recording that means school is called, and I know one first-grader who met each call with a Tiger Woods-like fist pump.
Snow.
Playing to lose is for losers
When girls high school basketball makes national news, it's either something really good or really bad.
This week, two teams in the middle of Tennessee found themselves in the spotlight after playing a state playoff game and trying to lose to avoid the best team in the state.
We can all be outraged about two high school coaches so flagrantly ignoring the fundamentals of sportsmanship and competition and purposefully tanking a game. In fact, I wrote about that very thing, and how the TSSAA, the governing body of high school sports in the state, did the right thing by suspending those teams and bouncing them from the playoffs.
They played to lose, and they got what they were striving for.
In the aftermath of this incident, though, we have to also offer that the TSSAA has a tangential amount of guilt here, too.
There are too many teams in the postseason, which allows a system to be in place where you can lose back-to-back games and still advance. One of the big reasons there are so many qualifiers in the playoffs is more teams means more money for the TSSAA.
It's a system that likely won't ever be rectified, but it's fractured from the start.
Tunnel vision
Maybe I missed something, but how in the name of Bruce Springsteen does the lack of love for a tunnel reflect poorly on how a city views a neighborhood or community?
It's a tunnel. A tunnel.
And to compare how Chattanooga deals with the Wilcox Tunnel -- the lone tunnel under its care mind you -- to how the state deals with the other tunnels in town is simply nonsensical.
It's worse than apples and oranges; it's tunnel stakes and funnel cakes.
What's next, sidewalk cracks as a sign of disrespect?
Map to success
Earlier this week we had a story about the University of Tennessee's new exhibit of some really cool maps of Europe dating back to like the 1500s.
Grand.
"It's wonderful ... You're seeing cities that were wiped out," said UT geography professor Henri Grissino-Mayer.
Hmmmm, OK.
That said, maybe this helps explain the awesome football recruiting classes Vols Coach Butch Jones is landing.
Because what excites a five-star recruit more than a 1600 view of Bohemia?
Moment of silence
Speaking of things that are not for everyone, Con Nooga is in town this week, so if you see a wookie or a robot or any of the other strange/lovable/inexplicable characters, well, now you know.
And with the sad news that Mr. Spock died Friday, maybe they'll have a moment of silence to honor everyone's favorite Vulcan.
Maybe even they can lower the flag of some made-up sic-fi planet to half staff?
Until next week.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him on Twitter at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.
His "Right to the Point" column appears on A2 Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and his sports columns run Tuesday and Friday. Read his online column "The 5-at-10" Monday through Friday starting at 10 a.m. at timesfreepress.com.