But during the 2005-2006 season things have changed.
Kentucky is a bubble team. The Vols are SEC East champs.
And entering their game on Wednesday night, the Vols were favored
to complete a rare season sweep of the Cats. That's where this
game diary begins....
Tipoff is 8pm, but fans have been lining up at the gates
much of the day. Orange and White t-shirts are handed out for
the lower bowl, 10,000+.... to make a human checkerboard. It
is senior night, and at halftime the Vols are honoring former Vol
Head Coach Ray Mears, and legendary UT broadcaster John Ward.
Everything is pointing towards a huge night for the 20-5 Volunteers,
and a rough go for the 18-10 Wildcats..... You know what that
means.
45 minutes before the game the student section behind
the basket is jam packed already. One unlucky blonde sitting
in the regular student section has not yet put on her "Orange" t-shirt.
She is put on the big screen, with the text "Put Your Shirt On"
underneath her picture. This prompts the student section to
chant put your shirt on. Her pic stayed up there, the chanting
continued.
Google search
for unlucky blonde produced this fine specimen...also not wearing
her orange shirt.
Obviously this girl saw the after school special about
peer pressure. You know, where the kid drinks because
his friends are drinking. So this girl not only refuses to wear
the shirt, she throws it at the camerman. This gets the student
section in a big time tizzy, they chant for her to get kicked out,
prompting her to storm out of her seat, walk down to the student section,
and begin verbally abusing a student wearing a large foam orange cowboy
hat.
The game hasn't even started yet.
After the peer pressure girl goes back to her seat, I have
a conversation with large foam cowboy hat student. He says he
got to the arena gates at 10am. I asked if he missed any classes,
he said yes.... History. Remember, those who fail history are
doomed to repeat it.
I'm assuming the hat
looked something like this.
15 minutes before the game Vol Head Coach Bruce Pearl walks
onto the floor.... the student section roars. The UT students
absolutely love Bruce Pearl. I cannot stress this point enough.
I firmly believe if Bruce Pearl instructed the UT student body to
invade Chattanooga, 25,000 students would be driving down I-81 with
weapons in hand.
In a matter of
hours it could be Pearlanooga.
Before the game, the Vols seniors are recognized.
The loudest cheers for C.J. "Quiet Storm" Watson. That's his
nickname. My official fraternity nickname wa s "Lurch."
C.J. wins.
The Quiet Storm
and Lurch...together at last.
The Vols are introduced t o "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.
One of the best intro songs in history. "Welcome To The Jungle"
and that Chicago Bulls intro both solid as well.
Vols guard Chris Lofton (former Mr. Basketball in
Kentucky) gets a huge cheer from the UT crowd. Kentucky fans
watching at home ask loved ones for the 450,005th time this season
"Again, why didn't we recruit him?"
Finally game time.... the Vols start with a Lofton alleyoop
to Major Wingate. Ten seconds in, it's 2-0 Vols.
At the first media timeout, the "Kiss Cam" makes it's nightly
appearance. Always a crowd pleaser.
Hey single gu ys... too afraid to make a move on your platonic
friend? Slip a camera guy $10 before the game, and there is
your chance. This is why they call me Mark Nagi.
Dr. Love.
OK, that never happens....
6 minutes in the Vols are threatening to make this game
a laugher. They complete a 15-0 run when Vols Guard Jordan Howell
(who looks just like "Screech" from 'Saved By The Bell' by the way)
hits a 3. It's 21-7 Tennessee.
Jordan Howell's
birth name was actually Samuel Powers II.
Wildcats Head Coach Tubby Smith calls timeout to stop the
bleeding. Mrs. Tubby Smith calls her real estate broker to ask
about property in Charlotte.
The happy couple...is
it just me or is this blouse really sheer?
Kentucky counters with an 8 straight points.... Randolph
Morris single-handedly keeping them in the game. He had 14 first
half points.... despite playing only 9 minutes... Tubby sure is lucky
he mysteriously found that fax on his desk.
This look loosely
translated: "Ima leave this bitch as soon as I can."
With about 9 minutes to go in the half the game clock has
a brain freeze. The score is now 95-93 Kentucky. If we
can put a man on the moon, why cant we get game clocks that work?
After the timeout Wingate brings a towel on the floor,
only to quickly realize that isn't allowed, and throws it back to
the bench. A light chuckle from the crowd.
Tennessee builds a lead as big as 13 points, but only lead
by 7 at the break. It should be much more.
At halftime Mears and Ward have banners unfurled in their
honor. Ward could run for Governor of Tennessee and win in a
landslide. Seriously.
Little known fact,
John Ward also played Data on Star Trek:The Next Generation.
Sample John Ward campaign speech. "Give Him Six!"
"Touchdown Big Orange!" and "Final Score. Tennessee
20, Florida 17. Pandemonium Reigns!" That's it... no other
words necessary....
Remember when Vols football was good and men's basketball
wasn't?
The second half gets off to an ominous start for Tennessee.
Kentucky hits 2 quick 3's... . and takes the lead 52-50 on a Brandon
Stockton 3. Suddenly a raucous Thompson-Boing Arena is
quiet. By the way Brandon is no relation to Dick.
Dick Stockton
personifying the phrase "shit-eating grin."
A perfect time to recognize local elementary school principals
at the gam e, honored for the "Character Counts" program. Large
foam cowboy hat student is given detention.
The next few minutes defense is optional. Lofton
a 3, Sparks a 3, Screech a 3.... Than Rajon Rondo turns into Michael
Jordan, hitting layup after layup for Kentucky.
During a timeout the UT senior cheerleaders are recognized.
A pom-pon banner is unfurled.
Rondo keeps hitting layups.... with 8:30 remaining his
35th layup of the second half gives Kentucky a 69-66 lead, followed
by a 3 from Quiet Storm. We're all tied. This is a great
game. Every once in a while a foul is called too, the refs way
of letting the 2 5,000 fans at the game know that they deserve to
get paychecks after the final buzzer.
Final appearance of the season for the UT Dance Team.
I find myself looking for Stacy Kiebler. The UT Dance team shakes
their bon-bons to a bad cover of "Tainted Love."
"Sometimes I feel I've got to...
Run away I've got to..."
Who doesn't need
tainted love lip balm?
A day without hearing Tainted Love is like a day without sunshine.....
By the way, in the next few weeks my wife is giving birth to our
first child. A daughter. I cannot stress enough how she
will NOT become a dancer or cheerleader. We will watch the peer
pressure TV shows together to make sure this does not happen.
OK, Quiet Storm drives and picks up a 4th foul on Morris.
Quiet Storm hits his free throws. With 4:55 left, its 73-73.
Then with 19 seconds left... the Vols have the ball with a chance
to tie or win, but Smith fumbles it.... Joe Crawford picks it up for
UK.... is fouled, but then he misses a 1+1....
After shaking hands with the Kentucky coaches and players, instead
of turning for the locker room, Pearl walked over and said a few words
to Ray Mears, and thanked him for being there, just as he did before
the game.
