The doctor is set on draining me of every ounce of blood I can produce, thus the missing Talking Points this morning. And because it's lunchtime, it's time for SBN links, so . . . Wondertwin powers, activate!
Tennessee football
- Peyton Manning's in town and reporters are turning each of his quotes into their own stories. First up, Manning's old:
"I had a kid last year tell me he likes watching me play on ESPN Classic. I'm not comfortable with that, either," he joked. "I don't think I'm that old. ESPN Classic to me is Jets-Colts 1967. It's not Tennessee-Georgia 1995."
Yeah. It doesn't get any better, either, Peyton. Next, Manning's a Crompton fan:"Very talented player. He's got a very live arm, which is important. But obviously the mental side of it is important as well. I think that's where he's continuing to learn and grow. There's no question - not that it's an excuse - this will be his third system in three years, which is a challenge. That's not easy for a young player. In fairness to him, that has been a challenge. I think for him, he just needs to learn as much as he possibly can about this system. I think the key is getting as comfortable as he possibly can with the receivers. You want to know exactly where each receiver's going to be so you're not having to look for them and hope they're there. You trust that they will be there. That comes through time and through experience.
"I'm pulling hard for him. I want him to have a great year. It's special being a quarterback at this school and this conference. I hope he has a good year. I hope the receivers and running backs surrounding him really help him out."
I used to say 'this guy is great and on and on.' "My answer now is ask me in two years. I'll tell you how we did in the draft. I think it's kind of that same way (with Kiffin)."
- More on the Pahokee players who made it to camp this past week.
So let's get this straight: The University of Tennessee is cutting 500 positions and raising tuition nine percent. Meanwhile, the Vols' football program is paying $400,000 to let go a strength coach, Mark Smith, that it just hired.To me, this is simply a story of Kiffin's mistake. It was a bad one with significant expense associated with it. But to couple it with the bad economy and the cutting of jobs and the rise in tuition gets it backwards, I think. When things are tough, you don't just start cutting everything, including the cash cow's udder. Feed the cow, because it's what's going to make it possible to bring some of those folks back.
Around the SB Nation
- Tomahawk Nation on the arrest of linebacker Maurice "Smiley" Harris.
- Roll Bama Roll on why Crimson Tide wide receiver Julio Jones is getting more pub than Georgia's A.J. Green.
- And the Valley Shook says that LSU survived a subpar performance in a close win over Texas for the first game of the College World Series and is not backing down from its confident projection of an ultimate victory.