by design | Jul 15, 2024 | Columnist, Mattingly
‘We want Bama! We want Bama!’ By Tom Mattingly Football fans sometimes get what they want, and it isn’t pretty. Despite the best of intentions, there are days and nights in various venues that seem longer than most, when everything that can go wrong does....
by design | Jul 8, 2024 | Columnist, Mattingly
‘A mind-numbing array of numbers’ By Tom Mattingly There are times the game-by-game scores listed in the 2023 Tennessee Football Record Book, pp. 322-339, are a mind-numbing array of numbers, assembled neatly through seasons stretching from that first game...
by design | Jul 1, 2024 | Columnist, Mattingly
The best offensive player to ever wear No. 50 By Tom Mattingly Mark down Jan. 1, 1967, as an orange letter day in the history of Tennessee football. That was the day the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported that Curtis Cliff “Chip” Kell from Decatur, Georgia,...
by design | Jun 24, 2024 | Columnist, Mattingly
‘Their stories are worth telling… and retelling’ By Tom Mattingly There’s nothing better than reading a well-told story, particularly about athletics. Likewise, hearing a well-told story is equally delightful. Willie Morris (“The Courting of Marcus...
by design | Jun 17, 2024 | Columnist, Mattingly
‘Pretend Grass’ By Tom Mattingly When football spring practice and its aftermath were happening in 1968, there were definite undercurrents that would affect the program for at least the next 25 years. During that time, the Vols were trying to replace...
by design | Jun 10, 2024 | Columnist, Mattingly
Significant memories from an earlier life By Tom Mattingly AUTHOR’S PREFACE: Last week’s story on the 1998 national championship book from Pediment Publishing brought back some significant memories. More than a few years ago, I remember calling Susan Alexander at the...
