From Don
Why are we talking about replacing 20 year old stadiums here? This isn't Atlanta.
Don
Great call.
And the conventional thinking of today's sports franchises are along those exact time lines. Two decades, new billion-dollar building.
As long as other cities are willing to build them - or promise to build them to lure them - it's a cycle that will continue.
Should it continue in Chattanooga? It depends and varies, in my opinion. We have made that pretty clear.
If UTC can raise the money, it would be wicked cool for them to build a new stadium that could also house the track teams and the women's soccer team. Do we think they can raise that much coin? No. Especially with the list of needs around them.
Still, it makes sense for UTC to own its football house rather renting.
AT&T is dated. There is no doubt. It also is pointed toward the setting sun, which makes it hotter than six suns in July and August. We get all of those things.
But it's hard to see the city and the county putting $40 million toward a facility for a private company. And that does not even discuss the splintering of the entertainment districts downtown into three (Riverfront, Southside and the new proposed RiversideSouthside.)
It's a cycle that will not end, and the only ones we can see making sense for cities are football venues that can host mega concerts and conventions (because we are talking about major, top-20-to-30-sized cities) and youth sports complexes, which bring a slew of money-spending folks to town.
Seriously, a full-blown 12-field soccer complex down there - with potentially a 5,000-seat soccer facility - would crush it.
Astroturf on the fields around the perimeter, which allows for multiple use and multiple sports. (Lacrosse as well as soccer.) And the great thing about those sports is that they apply to each gender, meaning with various age groups, you could almost host a tournament a weekend or every other weekend for sure.
Build a couple of on-site fern bars, and some amenities but that land is so close to downtown it would add some serious coin to the reported $1.1 billion the city recently reported in tourism revenue.
And speaking as someone who has been to a slew of those tournaments through the years and knowing that a lot of them are in places that cause you to stay and eat and be entertained 30 miles from the park, well, having it downtown Chatty-Vegas would be as gold mine.
Great question
From Casey
What are your thoughts on the AI / Automated strike zone? Maybe worth it just to see players/coaches try to "fix" a malfunctioning unit with a bat or heater to the central processor or the always handy Gatorade cooler. Replay sucks btw.
Casey
I am somewhat anti-replay. We think it should be part of the coaching decisions. Give more challenges to coaches. Make fewer automatic reviews.
(Seriously, is there anything that slows the flow of a great college football game than replay-play-play-replay-play-play-replay?)
Make it like tennis. Players get a set number and when they are gone, they are gone.
But the availability and the need to get make-or-break calls ultimately correct are too great. The stakes are too great.
And remember this: As gambling goes online, we will get more review before we get better review policies. The money on the line will force that.
As for the automated strike zone, I am in. All in.
The "human error is part of the game" argument is hogwash to begin with. But the variations of the strike zone from ump to ump, day to day and some times even pitch to pitch are hard to take at times.
Plus, think how great the outbursts of Lou Pinella or Phillip Wellman would have against an automated system.
(Side note: Did you know that Wellman clip from Rick Nyman and Channel 12 has been viewed almost 900,000 times.)
Auburn junior running back Kam Martin / Wade Rackley/Auburn photo
From Julie
Question. Every opening weekend there is a game that everyone thInks will be great and ends up one sided bc one of the teams just isn't as advertised. This year I think that is this Auburn-Washington game. Feeling like Washington just won't be able to score. And Stidham is so solid, they can get up two scores pretty early and feed off the home crowd and it just won't be that entertaining and then several people's final four is already blown up. Bc the PAC-12 can't get in with a loss, right??
If not this game, which one?
Julie
You are so right. There always is a game that we are stoked for that turns into a real stinker. Most times that game involves Alabama.
And for your scenario about Auburn and such, well, from your lips to God's ears. And that's possible, because Jarrett Stidham is a dude.
But we think the Auburn-Washington game will be tight from start to finish for a few reasons.
First, it's Auburn, and Auburn never does anything easily.
Second, Washington will have the second-most first- and second-round picks of any team Auburn will face. (The most play for a team that sounds like Alaslamma.) Washington had three first-team preseason All-Americans - two in the secondary and the left tackle - and record-setters at quarterback and running back.
Third, Washington is exceedingly well coached. Chris Peterson knows what he's doing.
Now if Washington can't block Auburn - a real possibility considering Auburn's front seven is top-five nationally, right there with anyone not named Clemson - then things could get one-sided. And yes, Auburn will have 80-plus percent of the crowd.
But we think this one will be a one-score game either way.
As for the one that could get nasty, well, we have two.
First, we think Miami-LSU could unravel. Quickly. LSU's got a new quarterback, a new OC and a terrible head coach. Miami is preseason top-10 and has a ton of talent returning from a defense that was explosive and opportunistic.
Our second choice would be Michigan running away from Notre Dame.
Here's why: Michigan (like Auburn) has an elite from seven. Notre Dame lost three offensive linemen to the NFL (including two top-10 picks) and four total. And that's a Notre Dame team that struggled mightily with Miami's defense late last year (with all those O-linemen too). Plus, Brandon Wimbush is not a reliable pocket QB.
Great question.
Tennessee receiver Josh Malone leaps on teammate Jauan Jennings' back in celebration after Jennings made a last-second touchdown catch to lift the Vols to a 34-31 win at Georgia two years ago.From several of you
Thoughts on UT this season?
Gang
OK, we think UT is going to be better.
That's an easy call because last year was the worst season in the proud and rich tradition of a top-10 all-time program.
But the strides are going to be clear and obvious. And we're not just talking about on the field and in the standings.
No more BS (that of course stands for ButchismS quotes). No more BS (Butch Simplicity) calls like shotgun on third-and-goal from the half-yard-line or not knowing when to go for two. No more BS (Butch Silliness) penalties. No more BS (Butch Stupidity) period.
Yes, we are happy Butch is gone, and it was the rare occasion that any replacement was going to be better. Well, any replacement other than Greg Schiano that is.
Anyhoo, what we do for a living - both here and on the radio - is more fun when Tennessee is relevant. Period, end of discussion.
And whether you are the biggest Tide rider or Dawg lover or Moc wearer, you know that things around these parts are more interesting, entertaining and exciting when Tennessee matters in football. (OK, UTC fans may not concur there, but the rest should because beating a whipped UT fan base is no fun and playing UT right now for UGA and Alabama especially feels more like a money game than a rivalry. Where's the fun in that?)
So we believe brighter Orange times are ahead.
Will they get here this fall? In some ways.
We mentioned the decision-making, the protocol, the professionalism and the attention to detail that comes from a Saban discipline will be much-needed. And much-appreciated.
Trey Smith is a first-round (maybe top-10) D-U-D-E at left tackle. The receiving corps is above league average. If Keller Chryst delivers, we think this UT offense has a chance to stay in games with most folks. And that includes West Virginia tomorrow.
Defensively, there are a lot of holes and some questions about how some of those cats earned four stars (or more) from Rivals and 247sports.
But we think that plays into Pruitt's area of expertise.
Game by-game, we think double-digit losses are on the horizon against West Virginia, Alabama, Georgia and Auburn. (Phil Steele ranks UT's schedule as the 54th toughest in the country and UT's opponents went a combined 80-73 last year.)
We think UT will sweep its other nonconference games (three wins) and beat Vandy and Kentucky. That's 5-4
We believe Florida is going to be better this year. So is Missouri. But both of those games are in Knoxville.
South Carolina has better talent at Tennessee and a legit solution at quarterback. That game is there.
Win one of Florida, Missouri and South Carolina and its a bowl trip. That would be a good run.
Win all three, and that's a bowl trip to some cool spot in Florida and Pruitt is likely your national coach of the year.
This week's Rushmores (And take these with a grain of salt because after we were done we realized Auburn is entirely over mentioned here. Sue me. It's college football season.)
Rushmore of best college football pregame traditions: Auburn eagle landing, THE Ohio State dotting the 'i' with the band, Clemson and Howard's Rock, FSU and Chief Osceola's flaming spear.
Rushmore of live college football mascots: Uga (you know who he is), Bevo (Texas longhorn steer), Ralphie (Colorado's buffalo), Nova (Auburn's eagle)
Rushmore of college football programs without a state in their name: Notre Dame, Auburn, Clemson, Miami. (Yes we left off the military academies and the Ivy League.)
Rushmore of best individual season by a college football player: Barry Sanders had 2,850 rushing yards and 42 rushing TDs in 12 games in 1988, Derrick Thomas had 27 sacks and 39 tackles for loss in 11 games in 1988 (amazingly considering the best offensive and defensive season ever happened in the same season), Marcus Allen had 467 touches in 12 games (433 carries, 34 catches which is almost 40 touches per game friends) for 2,683 yards and 23 TDs, and Howard Twilley in 1965. (Who? Yes, Tulsa's Howard Twilley, who caught 134 balls in 11 games for 1,779 yards and 16 TDs. He was so far ahead of his time his 134 catches still ranks in the top 10 all-time and every other season in which a player caught more than 100 passes happened since the Reagan administration. (Side note: Did you know that there have been 15 seasons in which a FBS quarterback threw for 5,000 or more yards and five of those were from Texas Tech quarterbacks. And yes, we left off the quarterbacks, but the only one we considered was Cam Newton. Yes Tebow and Johnny Football had an edge in numbers, but no one carried his bunch to a natty more than Cam did in 2010.)
Sorry friends. No hate mail this week. Better luck next time, I guess.