Who’s on the Cover?

Who’s on the Cover? By Tom Mattingly When two major sporting events are held on the same day hours apart, which event gets the cover picture in a magazine such as Sports Illustrated? Here’s one answer. I found a copy of the Sept. 23, 1968, edition of Sports...

Something special right in front of you

Something special right in front of you By Tom Mattingly Sitting in the press box or in some radio or television booth for many years was fun, and the view of the field was always spectacular. There was food and great camaraderie, highlighted, in most cases, by being...

‘Lost weekends’

‘Lost weekends’ By Tom Mattingly Over the years, there have been several “lost weekends” over the course of Tennessee athletics, a time when everything that could go wrong did. The recent Vanderbilt hoops weekend was one of them, two one-point losses at...

Super Bowl LIX Preview

Super Bowl LIX Preview By Mark Nagi Ugh. Are we really doing this again? Super Bowl LIX is coming up on Sunday, featuring the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. Like the dynastic Patriots, the Chiefs are the darlings of the league and seem to get every break known to...

The storm was building as kickoff approached

The storm was building as kickoff approached By Tom Mattingly It’s still only January, but the memories of football seasons past are with us on an almost daily basis. It doesn’t take much to get the memory banks charged up. Someone says, “I remember the time,” and the...

Drama underneath the south end

Drama underneath the south end By Tom Mattingly Interesting things go on in the visiting team dressing area after the game. That assertion comes after spending time in the visitors’ media area post-game from 1989 through 2006. There’s drama underneath the south end...