Love is in the air, baby, and it’s got the Train Daddy feeling oh so right! The football fans are cheering, the fantasy football enthusiasts are studying, and the drunks are just pleased that football gives them just one more excuse to get hammered. No matter what your pleasure is, this sport here in America that we Americans call football unites many different people in this diverse country. It doesn’t matter your team, it doesn’t matter if you prefer college ball or pro, it doesn’t matter your race or gender; all that matters is the fact that football is powerful enough to unite a country that at times needs uniting. People all across the country are excited: people like the MeMa, who is ready to rock and roll with the shuffle, people like the Train Daddy Mafia, a sexy group of 12 who meet every year for the love of football.
When it comes to fantasy football, this isn’t your average league; this is the mighty 12 with yours truly as the commissioner, Papa Train Daddy who does it just right, but doing it just right is just easy for the Train. I am going to send a shout to the mighty 12; word up to my people Big Slobber Knocker, The Captain Mayo, Big Balls Batson, Young Jeezy, The Shank Nasty, Big Hunter, The D-Feva, John Poop Daddy, Justin hung like a Muslim Garner, The lone female and dirty towel swinging Steelers fan Courtney, and last year’s champion and big cheddar cheese winner, my boy Brandon Castle. The game has done nothing more than grow bigger and bigger every year, with somewhere around 30 to 35 million people playing the game this year, and I have no doubt the Mafia is the elite league to play in.
Enough Fantasy talk. It’s football time in America and God bless it; all you need are the four F’s to be successful this season: friends, family, football and faith!
UT’s Tyler Bray crowns receiver Cordarrelle Patterson with the Vols’ leather helmet after a season-opening win over NC State. Photo by Kevin C. Cox
People that have kept up with my work the past few years know that I write a lot on the Tennessee Titans. I like to think of myself as the elite Titans beat writer . . . maybe one day. I am going another direction here. The Tennessee Vols have caught my eye and the eye of Big Orange Fans with a spectacular showing opening week against NC State. I have been a loyal Big Orange fan through the rough times, and trust me, it has been rough for quite a while now. I am hoping and praying that the tides have turned for the football program and third-year coach Derek Dooley; the loyal fans deserve it! It’s been rough to be a Tennessee fan with the success of the super power SEC; Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Florida have all won a BCS championship over the past six years. The dominance here in the SEC is obvious and uncontested across the country. Teams like Ohio State and Michigan, USC and Oklahoma who all desire to get back on the big stage haven’t stood a chance in seven years, and I believe its going to be quite a while before we see a shift in power. I don’t know what it is; I guess all the boys down South are all corn-fed meat heads that were born to play football, and the recruiters down here know how to snatch them up; it’s easy to sell your program when you’re winning. So the top athletes will keep coming and playing for these SEC schools, and it will take a very special team from another division to dethrone this dominance.
Thank God for next season. Hallelujah! I can not wait for this four-team playoff system to take effect next season; it is a step in the right direction. I wish it was an eight-team playoff system, but I am not complaining; even with just a four-team system, I am convinced the country will all agree with the champion, and there will be little talk of a deserving team getting left out.
Onto a few sad stories. For whatever reason, the sports whorl has had two fan deaths in the past few weeks; this past week at the Tennessee game a man fell to his death, and just a day prior to that fall, another man fell at the Houston Texans stadium. A year ago, a fan fell at the Texas Rangers stadium. A 20-year-old man attending the UT vs. NC State game fell from the upper level of the Georgia Dome 35 feet to the bottom and landed on another man seated in the mezzanine seating area. Both men were rushed to the hospital as witnesses were stunned before being pushed away by security. The man that fell was pronounced dead that night after arriving at the hospital, and the fan whom he landed on was later released with no injuries. A day prior to this incident, a man fell 60 feet from a fifth-floor escalator, and witnesses called the police; he was later pronounced dead. One of the sadder stories happened a year ago at a Texas Rangers ballgame where a dad and his 9-year-old son were enjoying a ball game. The man fell from the left field stands while reaching for a ball that all star outfielder Josh Hamilton threw up at him as his 9-year-old son witnessed the fall. Later that season, a statue was dedicated to the man, who was a firefighter. Whatever the reason for these incidents, being alcohol, foolishness or just an accident, they are all sad and the lesson here is do not lean over the rail at ball games.
Back to opening week with the Volunteers and their smashing win over NC State, 35-21. Tennessee finished last season 5-7 and last place in the SEC’s Eastern Division. Derek Dooley said, “It really doesn’t mean anything than we won the first game.”
There was one very special surprise to the game, wide receiver and a first-year community college transfer might be superstar potential for the Vols. Cordarrelle Patterson, a 6′ 3″ receiver, had the game of his life against NC State with 6 catches for 93 yards, a receiving TD and 2 rushes for 72 yards and rushing TD; that’s big boy numbers! Tennessee linebacker Dontauis Sapp said, “He’s got a chance to be one of the best in the league.” Patterson was a surprise to the fans and NC State’s head Coach Tom O’Brien who said, “We didn’t know a lot. He obviously is a heck of a player”.
He is just what Tennessee needs in the passing game. With 6′ 4″ receiver Justin Hunter lined up on the other side of the field. It adds a lot of stress on defenses with tall boys on each side running like they do. Tennessee scored 16 points in 38 seconds on two TDs and a safety and rolled up 528 yards total offense. What does this mean for the fans? Well, the Train Daddy is here to tell you, baby girl. The Vols had to have this game, especially with Florida coming to Knoxville in two weeks. Neyland Stadium and the “Rocky Top” faithful are sure to be rocking for the Gators; this seems to be a Tennessee team that could make some noise in the East.
Jake Locker, photo by Wade Payne
I hope my Titans squad is ready to play vs. New England. That is a big first game and the road doesn’t get easier the beginning stages of the season. I hope Jake the Snake Locker is ready; his play has looked a little spotty at best this pre-season, and it’s time to step up. The 53-man roster is set for the Titans, and it is time to see what they got. Let me pray: Dear Lord, Please help the Titans this year. Please give Jake the Snake the ability to flourish into a solid quarterback who makes smart decisions and makes superstar plays. Finally, Lord, please give Chris Johnson the ability to run with feet of thunder and bolts of lighting, give the receivers the ability to catch these balls and the defense the ability to pound faces with the best of them. I pray for a 13-3 season, Lord; that’s not too much I think. Amen!
Alright everyone, that’s it. Let’s go, Vols. Let’s go, Titans. It’s football time in Tennessee, baby, and the Train is out the station. CHOO CHOO!
