Fall/Winter Banter - Football, Basketball, Snowball?

[Bigbald]

Sobering forecast.  Where does this December rank in terms of all time warmth, its got to be up there for Ktri, especially by the end of the month.

[*Flash*]

'Tis the season to make lemonade out of lemons. This in response to my son's comment, "Dad, why doesn't it ever snow here on Christmas?" #challengeaccepted

[nrgjeff]

Tennessee at Alabama a Yuge game coming up. It's basketball! Hopefully the game is played this week.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[tnweathernut]

4 hours ago, nrgjeff said:

Tennessee at Alabama a Yuge game coming up. It's basketball! Hopefully the game is played this week.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tennessee never wins against AL at AL, so I have already chalked up a L.  Prepare for the worst hope for the best.  You know, same thing we do weather wise all winter long, hoping for snow…

[Carvers Gap]

Yeah, having a couple of guys out is going to be problematic, but Barnes will make sure the game gets played.  Winning in Bama has always been tough for TN.  UT plays at Bama, LSU, and UK during the first three weekends of the SEC season....all ranked, all on Saturday, and all on the road.  Rob Lewis mentioned that the SEC did UT no favors...I concur.  Then, we scheduled Texas for the last weekend of January in Austin.  Brutal schedule for January.  If we can stay slightly above 500, that would be an accomplishment given the SOS.  If Memphis hadn't cancelled, UT would have played Memphis, Zona, and Bama in consecutive games.  Barnes doesn't shy away from great competition.  We have already played Villanova, Texas Tech, UNC, Colorado(in Boulder) and the aforementioned Arizona team.  

[Holston_River_Rambler]

File this one away in the "GFS was about to create an epic Gulf storm" file:

 

 

 

It wouldn't be a winter if I didn't get this gif out at least once:

 

I mean it isn't really the same, but there is a N stream piece racing to catch a southern stream vort. over the NW Gulf. 

 

 

 

 

[nrgjeff]

I was actually going to take Tennessee. I heard Bama rebounds poorly this year. Day of news check, I'll see if Tennessee tall guys are back before wagering. 

19 hours ago, tnweathernut said:

Tennessee never wins against AL at AL, so I have already chalked up a L.  Prepare for the worst hope for the best.  You know, same thing we do weather wise all winter long, hoping for snow…

Not investment advice. 

Oh yes @Carvers Gap Tennessee will be well prepared for March!

 

[Bigbald]

Saw these on Facebook Snowshoe today.  I was up there Dec 21-22 and they had a 30 inch base.  I am no snowshoe expert but I wonder if they've ever had to shut completely down in the month of January.

[nwohweather]

1 hour ago, Bigbald said:

Saw these on Facebook Snowshoe today.  I was up there Dec 21-22 and they had a 30 inch base.  I am no snowshoe expert but I wonder if they've ever had to shut completely down in the month of January.

I figured it’d have to be warm up there as well. I’ve been routinely running my AC here in Charleston the last few weeks

[John1122]

Really hope we are healthy tonight. Heard Fulkerson and one James are ill but apparently not covid related, as they traveled to Alabama. Kessling just said they were game time decisions basically. 

[John1122]

No sooner do I post that than I read Kennedy Chandler and Fulkerson are out. 

[Carvers Gap]

UT played about as well as can be expected.  Our lottery pick point guard and top post player were out.  The two guys who we never need to miss....both missed the same game.  Tough loss.  

[Holston_River_Rambler]

Little nervous about this game. IMO Perdue is good and although I haven’t kept up with them at all, based on the commentary and how they’re playing (that fullback!) I suspect they were a few red zone plays away from a much better bowl than Music City. 

[Holston_River_Rambler]

I need more beer than I have after that ending. 

[Holston_River_Rambler]

But hey, at least the 18z Euro looks marginally better for Sunday night. 

[Carvers Gap]

1 hour ago, Holston_River_Rambler said:

I need more beer than I have after that ending. 

LOL. What a terrible call....well, at least all of the mustard (and water) stayed in the stands.  Cause you know somebody was tempted.

[Carvers Gap]

1 hour ago, Holston_River_Rambler said:

I need more beer than I have after that ending. 

Christmas Ale isn't going to ease the burn from that one.  

[Carvers Gap]

So true...LOL.  

 

 

[John1122]

That's the kind of game that makes you wonder seriously if the officials are paid off. 

[Greyhound]

Lots of people are saying UT should have kicked a field goal instead of going for it on the goal line. I disagree. My take - Heupel had already gone for it on 4th down on that drive…..so go for it again. Also, him going for the TD instead of a FG was sending a message to the team “I believe in you”. After all the damage the last few whistle-dick coaches have caused - win or lose, it sends a signal to the players that he’s got their backs (and SHOULD pay dividends down the road in team growth/unity). As much as I hate the end result…..I would rather lose from our effort (or lack) on the field, than a terrible officiating call. (Which……..why was that tight end TD for Purdue not whistles dead because forward progress had stopped???)


.

[nrgjeff]

Well Tennessee is a sports betting state. ACC Refs could do it under the radar. 

13 hours ago, John1122 said:

That's the kind of game that makes you wonder seriously if the officials are paid off. 

Also UT play calling was atrocious late. Why pass when you can run up their gut? Unbelievable! 

@Bigbald we pulled off a Christmas miracle and skied Cataloochee, NC before these closures. I believe this is uncommon. They can usually make snow a majority of nights even in mild wx. The string of well above freezing nights is a deal killer. Good news those snow guns can make a ton of snow at night. What we see during operating hours is nothing. They can be open very quickly this week after just a few cold nights.

[Holston_River_Rambler]

32 minutes ago, nrgjeff said:

lso UT play calling was atrocious late. Why pass when you can run up their gut? Unbelievable!

There was a point when I started to wonder if Fulmer had come back to call some of those “up the middle” runs lol! 

[Carvers Gap]

I get the deep throws at the end of the fourth quarter.  On one of those, the receiver was held or he walks in...that was a badly missed defensive hold.  The throw was there.

First and goal from the 2 in OT...gotta pound the rock.

But give it to Heupel, he calls a game to win it.  This TN team couldn't score at all last year.  Tillman went from being a ho-hum receiver to having a 1,000 yard season.  Hunter left VT after losing his starting job, and had a career year...enough so that he is on NFL draft lists.  If Evans plays during the second half of the season at RB, we win easily last night.  I know Purdue was missing guys, but we only have like 71 guys on scholarship right now - 71.  We were missing our best OL, best RB, and best DB last night.  Purdue was missing some guys as well.  But Heupel came out in his presser and took responsibility.  He owned it.  Love that guy.  Hate we lost, but this team went from a team which couldn't score at all last year to a team that nearly won a shoot out with like 1,200 yards of offense!  LOL.  

[Carvers Gap]

2 hours ago, Holston_River_Rambler said:

There was a point when I started to wonder if Fulmer had come back to call some of those “up the middle” runs lol! 

You know I think they have to do that sometimes just to give our WRs some rest in the hurry-up.  Like giving everyone a breather.  Plus, it makes the defense stay honest - edge rushers can't go wide.  UT is gonna play fast.  When the other team has to start faking injuries because they are out of shape and can't sub....we have a good scheme.  

Fulmer was a master in OT.  I sat through a 7OT? game one time against Arkansas.  Got home at like 5AM!  LOL.  His teams had pounded the rock during regulation.  He loved the type of games where it went to OT, because he knew the other team was beaten to a pulp.  

[Holston_River_Rambler]

I had more mood swings watching that game than I do watching the NAM and Sref plumes come in lol. Sometimes I watched a series and thought we were regressing and then they’d do something to restore my faith. 

[Carvers Gap]

It was a wild game.  Kind of gave that one away, but at least we got better.  I would rather watch us lose in a shootout than to get drummed 38-14.  TN football is kind of fun to watch again.  

[nrgjeff]

Well @Holston_River_Rambler we might be able to enjoy some SREF plumes. I just saw the 12Z stuff for Sunday snow. 

So we can be disappointed on both the storm and winter side? I'll check that snow stuff later.

Yes @Carvers Gap you make good points about UT. I was just stomping around the living room and barking at my TV.

[Carvers Gap]

37 minutes ago, nrgjeff said:

Well @Holston_River_Rambler we might be able to enjoy some SREF plumes. I just saw the 12Z stuff for Sunday snow. 

So we can be disappointed on both the storm and winter side? I'll check that snow stuff later.

Yes @Carvers Gap you make good points about UT. I was just stomping around the living room and barking at my TV.

LOL.   It took me a few hours to gain some perspective!!! But seriously, UT football was fun to watch again this year.  What a fourth quarter.  Two heavy weight offenses(great offensive head coaches) just slugging it out.  I felt like I was watching a PlayStation game.  4th and goal from the 14...no problem.   This will be remembered as one of the better bowl games.  Both teams showed up with the intent to win. And again, I think we finally have a coach in Heupel - calm, smart, crafty, and a bit of a riverboat gambler.  As Cowherd noted quite eloquently, UT didn't play a lot of boring football this year.  

[nrgjeff]

Yes it was an excellent bowl game. Very entertaining for neutral fans and the national audience. 

Now I'm ready for basketball and other winter things. Red tag can't say the word for risk of a jinx.

[Carvers Gap]

7 hours ago, nrgjeff said:

Yes it was an excellent bowl game. Very entertaining for neutral fans and the national audience. 

Now I'm ready for basketball and other winter things. Red tag can't say the word for risk of a jinx.

We will simply say that we are ready for basketball and "curling."  Curling is code for that which shall not be named unless the Storm Prediction Center decides to throw down the double dare, hatched heavy curling jinx.  Then all responsibility is passed to that higher authority.