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Talking points: consequences for death threats edition

By Joel Hollingsworth

Tennessee football

  • Consequences for idiots. Clay Travis says its time to prosecute stupid fans for making death threats against players:

    What would you think one day if you opened your e-mail folder, and someone had threatened to kill you? You'd probably be shocked, then scared, but you'd also be angry as hell. You'd want that person to have to pay, and you'd probably go to the authorities and make them aware of the threat. Sadly, if you're an athlete at a major college, you aren't even surprised when these e-mails arrive. How have we gotten to this point as a society? I'll tell you, by not making an example of someone, by not showing that emailed threats have serious consequences outside the computer screen.

  • We're No. 1! The Season of Which We Do Not Speak is first on Track 'Em Tigers's list of the Top SEC Single Season Coaching Failures this Decade. Woo for us.
  • Lane Kiffin's first $300,000 mistake. According to a memorandum of understanding, Tennessee will owe strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith $300,000 unless they can fire him for (1) gross misconduct; (2) "conduct of such an inappropriate nature thereby bringing the university into public disrepute"; or (3) Smith's "failure to negotiate in good faith to execute the employment agreement within a reasonable amount of time." With $300k on the line, Smith's not likely to engage in anything that could be construed as (1) or (2), and UT's probably not going to want to negotiate in good faith with Smith, so it appears they're in a stalemate. Time to cut losses and move on, unless you want your team in the hands of a disgruntled employee.
  • No reports of missing shirts, but Lane Kiffin was pleased to host 180 prospects from about a dozen states on a one-day UT Linemen Camp. OL signee Jacques Smith ran a personal-best 4.62 40 at yesterday's UT linemen camp. He's also putting the hard sell on James Stone, who's one of the best prospects in the state and a high priority for UT.
  • Mostly there. 16 of 22 Tennessee signees are enrolled for the first session of summer class. The rest of the guys are expected to enroll for second session, and at this time, it appears that we will see no academic casualties this year. Woo for that, because we are thiiiiiiiiin.
  • Single game tickets go on sale on Monday, June 8. Be there with virtual cash on hand.
  • Go figure. Lane Kiffin, Gene Chizik, and Dan Mullen "aren't exactly five-star recruits," says Kevin Scarbinsky. It's actually pretty well-written and entertaining, but his conclusion that Mullen is the odds-on favorite of the three to succeed because "he's proven the most adept at keeping his mind open and his mouth shut" suggests he's using the wrong criteria to judge SEC coaches.
  • We're No. 8! Eric Berry is, anyway, on Sporting News's list of the Top 25 college football players. That's low for him, I think.

Tennessee basketball

 

 

SEC

  • Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been tazed and arrested. SB Nation FSU blog Tomahawk Nation is all over the fact that Jenkins is the 24th Gator arrested under Urban Meyer. Also, a reader made the mistake of leaving this comment on TN's Facebook page:
    I don't think it's very classy to promote the bad news of other teams (even if it is the hated gaters). I was looking forward to some new, interesting commentary regarding FSU athletics, and unfortunately I haven't found it here. Best Wishes.
    That comment triggered this classic response from TN, which you must read.

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