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Here's a comment I just posted on GoVolsXtra (you can see it here):

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According to one web site's national player rankings:

• Kansas -- #3 point guard, #2 center, #4 freshman, #1 coach
• Kentucky -- #1 point guard, #3 center, #6 power forward, #1 and 2 freshmen, #2 coach

And yet both teams come to Knoxville and LOSE to the Vols!

Great win today for the Big Orange. Good game plan, good coaching, great crowd, great heart.

And a great birthday week for me: Lady Vols win the regular-season championship, Gentleman Vols beat Kentucky. "Happy Rocky Top to you, happy Rocky Top to you ..."

:-)

I've been a Vol fan for a long, long time -- over 45 years. As such, I've seen some amazing Vol moments. But one happened this weekend that deserves some recognition, some attention. In fact, it's almost unprecedented. You ready? Here's the first part:

Bruce Pearl's Vol team won 20 games for the fifth year in a row.

I know, I know -- here in the land of Big Red and Big Blue, no one gets excited until it's time to hang a banner. A 20-win season is the minimum that's expected. But at UT, where men's basketball has traditionally been the 3rd most important sport (behind football and women's basketball), those 20-win seasons have been few and far between. Five in a row? Only Don Devoe did it before now.

But here's the real record-setting second part:

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Being a Vol fan, I naturally cheer against all things Florida. The animosity is good-natured -- this is sports, people -- but still, a win over Florida is always extra-special. And for years, I've joined Vol fans in calling Billy Donovan, the Florida men's basketball coach, the wonderfully appropriate sobriquet of "Eddie Munster." If you've seen pictures of both gentlemen, you'll immediately see why.

After the events of this past weekend, I have sworn that off. When it comes to Billy Donovan, it's ixnay on the unstermay stuff. In fact, I have a new respect for Mr. Donovan. Make the jump to see why.

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You want to know why I love college sports? You want to know why I keep loving it, even in the face of egotistical coaches, colleges selling their souls, and players suspended for majoring in stupidity? It's because of stories like THIS:

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If you are one of the chosen few who actually read this blog on a regular basis, you'll know that I am a Big Orange fan from way, way back. (About 45 years, to be specific.) I can wax poetic about the 1985 Orange Bowl upset of Miami, can tell you all about the national championship season, can even regale you with tales of John Ward and Ray Mears. In short, I'm a Vol fan through and through. So grab Smokie's leash and keep Pat Summitt away from me, because I'm about to say something heretical:

I hope Kentucky wins on Saturday.

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Stumbled across the ESPN/ Sagarin All-Time Rankings for college basketball the other day, and just found the whole list fascinating. Sure, it's just one guy's rankings, but at least it's based on a system and not on a bar bet. You can find the rankings here (PDF) -- take a look to see where your alma mater ranks all-time.

Here's the real fun, though: I pulled out our three local teams, plus my home team of Tennessee, and did both a data table and a chart. (Yeah, I know -- seriously geeky.) Take a gander ...

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When you follow three teams in two leagues, you normally expect that at least one of them will have a good year. And, on a given weekend, you expect that at least one of them will win.

On this first weekend of October, though, all I can do is make an omelet. Why? Because all three of my teams laid an egg.

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Some thoughts on the games this weekend for all three teams -- add your thoughts in the comments:

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Yes!! College football is finally back! It's a beautiful Saturday, there's a hint of fall in the air, and college football starts today. All is right with the world.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big college football fan. I love the pageantry, the spectacle, the rivalries, and the game itself. There's drama, and pathos, and celebration, and redemption, and story after story of triumph over adversity. Yes, there are also stories of decadence and frailties and greed and abuse ... but those just add to the sweep of the story and highlight even more the good that sport can bring.

A key part of college football is tradition. I love so many of the traditions before, during, and after games -- the Ramblin' Wreck, the USC trojan on the majestic horse, the Notre Dame kilt guys, Script Ohio. (And if you have no idea what any of these are, here's a slideshow of the 30 Best College Football Traditions.)

There is one tradition, though, that all Big Orange faithful know and love. It's not Smoky, or the Block T, or even Rocky Top, even though all of those are very special. No, it's a sound that many of us grew up listening to, a sound that has become engrained in our consciousness and imprinted on our hearts. And it all began with a radio announcer ...

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Some final comments on women's basketball before I pull the plug on sports until football starts in the fall (sorry, just not much of a baseball fan):

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Say "Tennessee basketball" and a number of expected images come to mind: the Lady Vols cutting down yet another net, Chris Lofton hitting yet another 3, the Smoky mascot in his orange tux as the band plays yet another repetition of "Rocky Top." Add to those some more recent images, including sell-out crowds for the men's team and Candace Parker showing "8" to the crowd after last year's NC, and you'd understand the excitement and expectations that have always surrounded the women's program, and recently spread to the men's as well. Knoxville was on its way to becoming another Lexington or Louisville, where basketball was more than just the filler between football and spring football.

The success of both programs over the last two seasons only adds to the pain of this season. After a football season so bad that the school fired the coach that won it all in '98, we were all looking forward to a great season of basketball. The women have injury issues? No problem, Pat will figure it out. The men lost both some great shooting and some great leadership? No problem, Bruce is a miracle worker.

Turns out, no one figured it out, and there were no miracles. Just one of the most frustrating and disappointing seasons the Orange faithful have ever experienced. Why did it happen? Make the jump, and I'll give you my I'm-just-a-fan thoughts ...

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Wow -- Bruce Pearl lays it out, completely. Calls out his team publicly, on the air. Apologizes. Says he isn't quitting, but his team did. Wow.

Give it a listen -- Bruce Pearl Post-Game Show

On the GoVols web site, sports editor John Adams has written a column that calls this "the worst week in UT basketball history." Having watched both teams deliver embarrasing performances in back-to-back games, I would agree.

The question on everyone's mind, lips, and keyboard is -- Why? Why are teams that had such high expectations in pre-season having such season-ending meltdowns?

Here are my thoughts, which I posted as a comment on Adams's article:

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So, here we are, a few weeks from March Madness, and things are pretty confusing for the Maples Eight teams. Even so, I think we can find a one-word summary for each team, and perhaps predict a little of the future. Let's take a look ...

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