Yep, I’m the new guy. The Vol bloggers started the Roundtable early in July and it’s been a resounding success. And now they’ve asked me to join them, so thanks guys for the kind addition. Also, thanks to lawvol at Gate 21 for giving me the nice little logo in the above picture.

If you’re not familiar how this works, one of the ten Vol blogs hosts the Roundtable, coming up with questions and answering them. The rest of us then respond and that’s when it gets interesting.

Anyways, Thomas the Terrible over at YMSWWC (Your Mother Slept With Wilt Chamberlain) hosts this week, and he’s all about hating on Alabama, which is totally cool with me.

(1) One former VOL made the brave choice to testify against some Bammers and has to enter witness protection with a whole new identity, but that also gives him 4 more years of eligibility. Which VOL would you pick and why?

An obvious choice would be one of Tennessee’s great defensive linemen of the recent decade or so – such as YMSWWC’s choice Albert Haynesworth, Leonard Little, John Henderson, Jesse Mahelona, anybody who nearly killed Brodie Croyle 2003-2005, and many more I’m leaving out.

Of course another obvious choice is Peyton Manning because, well, he’s Peyton Manning. But that’s too easy of answer for me to take.

That said, I’m gonna go old-school (for me at least) with Jay Graham, because he broke the Bammers’ hearts two straight years, and I think he just scored on the Tide again. Proof…


(the particular highlights start at 0:53)

I understand we have excellent HBs already, so I picked Graham more for his Bama ownage than the need for him to return for four more years (though he was a great Vol). I’m all for Bama ownage and I’m expecting some this year after seeing last year’s debacle live and in person (I was at the Florida game too…ouch).

(2) Alabama has been given the death penalty and is forced to leave the SEC, at the same time South Carolina decides it can win a lot more in the Sunbelt conference and bolts the SEC. Two teams have to take their place who would you like to see take their place?

South Carolina in the Sun Belt…classic. I think the common answer here will be for Clemson to replace the Gamecocks. Clemson is basically Auburn anyways (been to both).

Clemson’s had the most success of any ACC team in the recruiting battles against the SEC schools, and they have SEC-type talent. When I look at Clemson, I see an SEC school that’s out of place in the ACC. I would love for Tennessee to play the Tigers avenge the garbage of the ‘03 Peach Bowl.

My second choice might get me kicked off the Roundtable: I’ll go with Memphis. I’m from there, and I’ve had to deal with Tiger fans for my entire life. In fact, my first memory of Tennessee losing was the Memphis game in 1996 when I watched in horror as the Tiger fans tore down both goalposts. That shouldn’t have happened and here’s proof (at 0:27)…

They like to talk about how they should be in the SEC, especially with basketball, and I’d like to see them try and end up at as the worst athletic program in the league because that’s what would happen.

Driving around town, I’ve seen my fair share of 21 17 license plates, and plenty shirts as well, from that one time Tennessee lost to Memphis. I also had a couple Memphis fans talk trash about Tennessee in football after our 2005 bowl-less season, and I kindly reminded him that we still beat them.

This choice is more for basketball. That’s two wins for Bruce over the tool Calipari every year and the Tigers have been using their garbage C-USA schedule to get 1-seeds and 30 wins per season. And I hate the basketball program about 250 times more than the football program.

(3) What will be the toughest road game to win and why?

UCLA will be tough because it’s across the country and that didn’t go so well last year. There’s Georgia, where Tennessee will likely be the blackout game with the revenge factor from the past two beatdowns. Then there’s South Carolina, and though it’s always a tough battle in Columbia, it’s South Carolina. Vanderbilt isn’t a “road” game.

I’ll pick Auburn. Jordan-Hare is always a difficult place to play, and we haven’t exactly done well against the Tigers the last few times we’ve played. I know there’s the more familiarity/hate factor with UGA and Carolina, but I’m still going to go with Auburn. We know how to beat UGA and Carolina has no QB.

Not only that, but this game’s after the Florida game, which, barring an inexplicable loss to UCLA, should be an epic, a bigger game than Cal was in 2006. A big win or close loss by Tennessee could really effect the Auburn visit next week. I know Auburn hosts LSU the week before, but it seems it’s always tougher to play a big home game then go on the road into a hostile environment.

(4) Could have the great Coach Fulmer handled himself better at the SEC media event when he was asked about the subpoena instead of asking what subpoena?

Probably, but I feel that in this particular situation it’s more on Fulmer’s PR guys and Tennessee’s media people to take care of that. Coach is there to talk football, he’s not thinking about getting a subpoena.

Had he been told about it by his people, he then should have publicly ripped the childish antics of the parties involved in embarrassing him. There’s a professional way to serve a subpoena and throwing an envelope at the targeted person doesn’t count as professional.

And in a way, he’s still got some responding to do: he has a successful year – another trip to Atlanta and breaking the drought would be nice, and NO blowouts – and any ill effects from the crap in Birmingham will be obviously forgotten.

Here’s the other Vol blogs, check back as I link their responses once they’re available. Please go read their answers and do it NOW!

- YMSWWC
- 3rd Saturday in Blogtober
- The World According to MoonDog
- Fulmer’s Belly
- Loser With Socks
- The Power T
- Rocky Top Talk
- SouthEastern Sports Blog
- Gate 21