Born in Tennesse, grew up a UT fan (though admittedly strayed during high school - the Tide was pretty impressive), attended UTM, never looked at orange the same way. It was that first visit to Neyland Stadium on Game Day. Orange EVERYWHERE. Followed very closely by the trip to the stadium with my young daughter, and it was EMPTY, but all set for game time. Fresh paint, etc. We touched the checkerboard (didn't dare walk on it: hallowed ground). She got her first UT shirt that day. I have GOT to get that child to a real game. In my real life, I'm a middle school administrator in Middle Tennessee after teaching music, art, and drama for almost 2 decades. I also have lots of other craziness on the side. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

College football is the best sport on the planet (sorry, soccer fans). I do enjoy a good hockey game, though. My wife is NOT a UT fan (she grew up in Virginia, and understands very little of this uber-complex orange absorption of my time and attention), and I maintain it's because she has never experienced Neyland when the team runs through the "T". There is nothing like it.

Enough. Go read the blog - it's much more fun.