by Tom Mattingly | Oct 26, 2020 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly Reporters once asked Southern Cal head coach John McKay why he gave the ball to O. J. Simpson 25-30 times a game. His response: “He doesn’t belong to a union. Anyway, the ball doesn’t weigh that much.” The ball may not be heavy, as McKay noted, but...
by Tom Mattingly | Oct 19, 2020 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly How did it happen that Lindsey Nelson, a product of Columbia, Tennessee, became one of the best sportscasters of his era? It was all very simple, with the humblest of humble beginnings, with Lindsey pulling out all the stops. He was totally committed...
by Tom Mattingly | Oct 12, 2020 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly In the days of Gen. Robert R. Neyland (and perhaps even before then), Tennessee wore its orange jerseys on the road. It was an article of faith. That notion came to an abrupt end with an SEC’s “Gentlemen’s Agreement” in early 1971, giving the home...
by Tom Mattingly | Oct 5, 2020 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly It was 99 years ago this past month, September 24, to be specific, that Tennessee played its first game in a new arena called “Shields-Watkins Field,” sometimes referred to in its early days as “Shields-Watkins Stadium” or “The Shields-Watkins Field.”...
by Tom Mattingly | Sep 28, 2020 | Columnist, Mattingly
By Tom Mattingly It was a comeback to beat all comebacks in a season of comebacks and close games. Tennessee spotted archrival Vanderbilt a 28-3 lead in the second quarter in the 1987 regular season finale, as the Commodores scored on their first four possessions....
