Being Butch isn’t easy

Marvin Westwestwords

It isn’t easy being Butch Jones.
Paying customers demand perfection. Media types are constantly nipping at his heels.
Famous rivals seek to run him over. His own people sometimes cause consternation. And, …

Winning with freshmen

Marvin Westwestwords

The General was no fluke.
As a Tennessee football coach, Robert R. Neyland combined what he knew about military strategy and engineering principles to produce a remarkable (or phenomenal) record of …

Not sure who won

Marvin Westwestwords

Stop me if you have heard this one …
Tennessee and Georgia Tech, approaching their football opener, agree that the Volunteers hold a 24-17-2 edge in what was once an interesting …

Shoop miscalculation

Marvin Westwestwords

Let’s take a walk in Bob Shoop’s shoes.
Peak time in his 28 years of college coaching came at Vanderbilt, of all places. As defensive coordinator, he somehow made the Commodores …

Tennessee opening games

Marvin Westwestwords

Philosophy quiz to condition the mind before the Tennessee opener against Georgia Tech – choose one:
(a). One game does not a season make.
(b). How you start doesn’t matter as much …

Difference of opinion

Marvin Westwestwords

What we have here, right before our eyes, is the maturation of Butch Jones as a football coach. Some might call it learning on the job.
He survived the off-season — …

Big Mike is moving on

Marvin Westwestwords

The second-best sportswriter in town is leaving what remains of the printed news business.
Mike Strange has chosen retirement from the News Sentinel over a demotion cooked up by the foreign …