By Mark Nagi Well, it is that time again. Time to get out the crystal ball and make some predictions on the year ahead in sports. Some are actual predictions… some are tongue in cheek. It’s a fun game figuring out which are which! Let’s light this candle. In January, Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt […]
By Tom Mattingly Over the course of the University of Tennessee football program’s history, there are connections that aren’t readily apparent, but they make sense once you realize what they are and how they manifest themselves. These connections go back to the 1930s, to the horse-and-buggy days of Tennessee football, marked by the single-wing, leather […]
By Joe Rector Good-bye 2020! I’m glad you’re gone. The past year has been one of the worst that I have spent in my life. Others with whom I’ve talked feel the same way, and too many experienced the loss of loved ones to this pandemic during the year. That makes my squawking about being […]
By Ralphine Major Since 1982 it has been a landmark along Knoxville’s beautiful skyline. The big, shiny ball sitting high in the air atop a pedestal is one of the most recognized symbols of the 1982 World’s Fair. Postcards, pictures, and tiny replicas of the structure were sold during the fair. One floor of the […]
By Jedidiah McKeehan There may be a time when you make some bad decisions and end up in jail. While there, you may make a phone call to a friend or family member and talk about what happened. Are the police listening to your phone calls? They are. Let’s unpack this though. If you are […]
By John J. Duncan Jr. Thanks to the kindness of the people of East Tennessee, I had the privilege of working in our Nation’s Capital for over 30 years. I have walked the halls of that Capitol building and have participated in meetings there thousands of times. So, you can probably imagine my shock at […]
By Steve Hunley No More Gender For some years, an element of the Democratic Party, especially those “woke” folks have told us there is no such thing as gender. One nutcake out there says parents who identify the gender of their unborn child are committing child abuse. The mere notion someone would call parents finding […]
By Ray Hill The fascination with royal families is hardly new. I well remember just how many people were caught up in the wedding of Prince Charles to Diana Spencer. Like every capital of a civilized country, Washington, D.C. has a vibrant social life and the visit of King George VI and his queen, Elizabeth, […]
By Mike Steely In a recent story in The Focus I mentioned that my wife and I collect political and promotional buttons and cups from places we’ve visited, and other things like postcards and business cards. The article drew some response when it appeared. Kathy Turpin wrote, “I read your column in The Focus. Related […]
By Ralphine Major Many called it God’s gift during COVID-19. White Christmases are rare in East Tennessee. I can only recall two or three of them. On Christmas Eve, as predicted, the rain turned to snowflakes. Quickly, huge snowflakes came pouring down! Meteorologists cautioned everyone to stay home unless an emergency required them to go […]
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