Talking Points: the residue of hate edition

A little late on some of this stuff, but . . .

• Actual conversation Monday at work. I see Mr. IT Vol Fan. We simultaneously do one of those facial expressions that's two parts grimace and one part grin, like you've just downed a shot of wheat grass juice from Planet Smoothie. "No words necessary," I say. He complies and says nothing; just continues to grimace. I say, "CFO Vol Fan has some words, though.". Mr. IT Vol fan laughs and says, "Yeah, and I bet they're all four letters and end with 'Fulmer.'" Mmm, hmm.
• Don't sit next to Clay Travis in the Swamp. "Let's put it this way -- I had to go to the bathroom when I sat down for the game. By halftime I no longer had to go to the bathroom. I think it's the only time I've ever sweated my bladder out." Wow. Dude pees through his pores.
• Small Mike reappears. Remember the guy who used to call in to every Knoxville sports talk show and clamor for coach Fulmer's head? Well, his name's not "Small Mike" but Jim Copeland, and now he has his own radio show on the Horne Radio Network on Saturday mornings. He was kicked out of the athletic complex this week when he tried to attend the Tuesday "media opportunity" without having been credentialed.
• What's wrong with anger? Dave Hooker opened his radio show yesterday by saying he didn't want to hear any Vol fans "crying" about the Gators running up the score in last Saturday's game. John Pennington penned a column yesterday complaining about the complaining as well. Gator blog Saurian Sagacity took exception to me taking exception to Meyer not only "keeping the starters in, [but also] throwing bombs, and calling time outs, all with a 49-20 lead and only ten minutes left to play." Generally the response is something along the lines of "if you don't like it, don't cry, stop us" or "hey, that's football," or simply "waaaaaaaaa." I don't really know what's going on on the message boards, but what I initially wrote was this: "What's up with Meyer, leading by 28 points midway through the fourth quarter, not only keeping his starters in, but calling bombs and timeouts? Is anyone else seething about that?" There's a huge difference between feeling sorry for yourself and expecting the opponent to alter its behavior to make you feel better on the one hand and admitting that that behavior is ticking you off on the other. The latter is fine, I think, and is hardly whining. Should Florida have had mercy on Tennessee? No. But to expect players and fans to be happy about it is ludicrous. By the way, Jimmy Hyams reported on the radio yesterday that Meyer was approached by some reporter after the game and asked about this. Meyer responded by first asking if he was on or off the record, and when he was told that he was on the record, he said (paraphrasing here), "If this was my last game, I would give you a great quote." There's something underneath all of this, and it is inflaming the passions of the teams and their fans. Good. The rivalry escalates.
• Welcome. Head on over to the newest SB Nation Miami Hurricanes blog, Hall of Canes and give them a hearty welcome.