The latest report on the bar fight involving several Volunteer players reveals that Da'Rick Rogers allegedly assaulted a guy at Bar Knoxville, but that the victim declined to prosecute. The guy had reportedly tried to "detain [Rogers] for another assault that had taken place on the sidewalk" and Rogers "pushed him and attempted to hit him while attempting to stop Rogers from leaving." Rogers said he'd been pepper sprayed inside and couldn't see "who was trying to get him." The pepper spray might also explain the resisting arrest charge: "While trying to detain Rogers, officers briefly struggled with him, but (he) was later taken into custody without further incident." Or maybe it doesn't explain it. And none of that really explains why he'd been pepper sprayed inside, although the most reasonable explanation is because he was fighting. Still no news on the identity of the guy who kicked an unconscious off-duty police officer.
ESPN Insider's 2010 Blue Ribbon Preview of Tennessee is out, if you have access. Actually, it's out even if you don't have access, but in that case, it's just screaming elitist things at you from behind a shoji screen.
Wayne Chism, on trying to make the Sacramento Kings roster:
Chism's backup plan is Turkey, and already has a provisional agreement in place with . . . deep breath . . . Antalya Buyuksehir Belediyesi Spor Kulubu (how do you fit that on a jersey?)
As we said a couple of days ago, folks in the know are high on Matt Simms and in awe of his arm strength and spiral. He's also used his summer well to learn the playbook:
"It's been different because in the spring, it was kind of like I just wanted people to believe in me even though I didn't really know what I was doing," Simms said. "Now, finally I know what I'm doing. So, really you should listen to me because I've got a better grasp of what's going on. You can ask all the coaches and all the players, I've definitely made a huge leap this summer, and that was my goal just to become more accurate with the football, better decision-making and to be quick but not to hurry.