Lopsided scores means that TSSAA should stop arranging classes by size of student bodies

On Tuesday, in a girls' basketball game, Pearl Cohn defeated Hume-Fogg 101-8.

Yes, you read that right.

One-hundred-and-one to eight.

It's the fifth time this season that the Lady Blue Knights have finished a game with only eight points on the board. But amazingly, it's not their lowest score of the season. That came on January 3, when Maplewood beat them 85-3.

No, your eyes still aren't playing tricks on you; that final score reads eighty-five to three.

Tom Kreager of The Tennessean - formerly of the Daily News Journal - published an article on Wednesday about Hume-Fogg's struggles. According to the article, the Lady Blue Knights have one player who returned from last season's squad, and no player on the team plays AAU ball in the summer to sharpen her skills.

Of course, the article goes into talk about sportsmanship, and running up the score, and this Saturday, when Districts 10-AA and 12-AAA meet to determine their brackets, sportsmanship will be discussed.

While running up the score certainly isn't ideal, what is a team supposed to do when they play someone who is obviously weaker than they are?

Hume-Fogg obviously aren't the only team who have been blown out in girls' basketball this season; LaVergne have also been drubbed; not as badly as the Lady Blue Knights, but the Lady Wolverines have only finished four games with more than 30 points on the board this season. And in their two games against Stewarts Creek in District 7-AAA play, LaVergne scored just 11 points in both games. They also lost 72-11 to Oakland on December 9, but last Friday, it was announced that the Lady Patriots were forfeiting that game, along with the 71-25 win over LaVergne on January 24, plus the 16 other games they'd won through last Friday, thanks to playing an ineligible player in those 18 victories. For LaVergne, it's the first time they've won a district game since 2013-14, and it's the first time they've won multiple district games in a season since 2009-10, when they went 8-2. Shame it had to come from forfeits, though.

Looking back through their old schedules on CoachT.com, both LaVergne and Hume-Fogg have been through long rebuilding periods during this decade; Hume-Fogg have not anything close to a winning season in district play since 2010-11, when they finished 8-8. The aforementioned 2009-10 season is LaVergne's last successful one to date.

Girls' basketball isn't the only sport where teams have struggled for a long time; Coffee County's football program has not finished above .500 since 2007. Warren County has not had a winning season on the gridiron this century.

Then there's softball. Blackman are finally making gains again after spending the last five seasons recovering from have their roster decimated by the formation of Jack City's spring travel ball program. Part of the Lady Blaze's rebuild has been the introduction of head coach Kelsey Ferguson, who's not even 30. LaVergne have not had a winning season on the diamond since 2003.

So, how does all of this tie in?

Well, every four years or so, the TSSAA executive board votes on whether or not to reshuffle classes. They typically do, especially next year, with many private schools opting to move to Division II. Schools are placed in classes by their student body counts; the public schools with the highest counts are placed in 6A in football, and AAA in other Division I sports.

This may have been a good solution before there was a division for private schools, but now, this is misguided. Placing a school in the highest class because of its student population is insane. Just because a school has a ton of students doesn't mean it's full of elite athletes. Every school has at least one elite athlete in a sport, but not all of their sports teams contain elite athletes.

It's time for the TSSAA to get radical about this; it's time for the TSSAA to introduce promotion and relegation.

"Promotion and relegation? What's that?" I hear you asking.

Promotion and relegation is a system used in European and Central and South American sports - particularly soccer - where a team is placed into a league based upon its performance in the previous season. The most famous example is the English Premier League, where the teams that finish in the last three positions on the table (18th through 20th) are dropped into the second tier of English soccer, the English Football League Championship, for the following season, and are replaced by the Championship's Top 2 finishers, plus the winner of a four-team playoff between the clubs that finish in positions three through six. A relegated club can immediately earn promotion right back to where they came from, and a promoted team can be sent right back down the following season if they don't perform. Leicester City, who famously avoided being relegated from the Premier League with a fantastic run through the final month of the 2014-15 season, then, even more famously, defied 5,000-1 odds to WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE LAST SEASON, are currently one single, solitary point above the relegation zone in the current campaign. And yes, they can be relegated; being the reigning champions doesn't give them an exemption. Mexico's soccer leagues also use promotion and relegation, although their system isn't as simple as the leagues in Europe.

So, why don't we have this in the United States? It's simple: soccer teams in Europe are clubs formed by people in the pubs, whereas we have franchises purchased by billionaires. Instituting promotion and relegation in the USA would break antitrust laws.

That's not to say that people aren't clamoring for such a system to be installed here; there's a massive grassroots campaign to introduce promotion and relegation in American soccer. The man at the forefront is a gentleman named Ted Westervelt, whose Twitter handle is @soccerreform. Here is Westervelt's long but thoroughly detailed idea for American pro/rel.

While it would take legal wrangling to bring pro/rel to American professional sports leagues, it would be much easier to install at the high school level. Teams should be in a class based upon their performance, not their school size.

That's why I say it's time for the TSSAA to get radical, and introduce promotion and relegation to team sports. And I know exactly how I would implement it. How? Well, let me get the numbers from Hermitage, and I'll post a Part 2 to this blog this weekend.

-Michael Hackney

Retracting some statements, and apologizing for jumping the gun

We are in the midst of the GNASH postseason, and next week, we finish pool play for all three tournaments.

Last night, Pope John Paul II defeated Franklin in the Henry Hine Cup, and Ensworth-Oakland defeated the Tennessee Outlaws in the same tournament.

I declared that JPII had clinched the first berth in the Hine Cup Final with their win, and that the Outlaws had fallen out of contention for the other spot.

Likewise, I declared that, with their win over Hendersonville on Monday, Ravenwood clinched the first berth into the Preds Cup semifinals from Pool B, and that Hendersonville were out of contention for the other semifinal berth.

On all of those statements, it seems I jumped the gun, and for that, I'd like to say I'm sorry to everyone for getting their hopes up so soon.

I will say that I am correct that Montgomery Bell clinched the first berth into the Preds Cup semis from Pool A (as well as the #1 seed), because they are 2-0, and the two teams they have beaten in pool play - Father Ryan and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central - are right behind them (meaning the Big Red own the head-to-head tiebreaker on each of them), and the Fighting Irish and Golden Bears will decide the other semifinalist from Pool A next Wednesday.

Likewise, I am correct in saying that Centennial are out of contention for the second semifinal berth from Pool A, because they are 0-2, and right behind Father Ryan and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central...the two teams who have beaten the Cougars in pool play.

It is also correct that Hume Fogg-Page are out of the running for a berth in the Mielnik Cup Final, because they are dead last at 0-2, and three points behind second place Station Camp-Beech, and can only pick up two points with one game to go (which, oddly enough, is against the Bison, so the PatriKnights can mess with Station Camp's hopes of getting to the Final themselves).

But back to the Hine Cup, and Pool B in the Preds Cup. After the second round of pool play last night, JPII are all alone at the top of the pool standings at 2-0, with Franklin and Ensworth-Oakland right behind them at 1-1, and the Outlaws in dead last at 0-2.

Pool B in the Preds Cup has the exact same look; just switch the teams out: Ravenwood are 2-0, with Brentwood and Lipscomb-Brentwood Academy right behind them at 1-1, and Hendersonville in dead last at 0-2.

What's the problem here, you ask?

In both cases, the leaders are two points ahead of a team they've yet to face in pool play. Likewise, the teams in dead last are, you guessed it, two points behind a team they've yet to face in pool play.

In both tournaments, we could have a three-way tie for first at 2-1 (in the Hine Cup, this would mean Franklin beating the Outlaws this Monday, and Ensworth beating JPII in regulation next Friday; in Pool B in the Preds Cup next Wednesday, this would mean Brentwood beating Hendersonville, and Lipscomb beating Ravenwood in regulation).

We could also have a three-way tie for second at 1-2 (in the Hine Cup, this would mean the Outlaws beating Franklin in regulation, and JPII beating Ensworth in regulation; in Pool B in the Preds Cup, this would mean Hendersonville beating Brentwood in regulation, and Ravenwood beating Lipscomb in regulation; in this scenario in both tournaments, one team would finish all alone at the top, and reap whatever reward they get).

I was under the impression that, because JPII and Ravenwood had beaten two teams in their pool, they were on to the next round. Then, I realized this is pool play; you're only facing your pool opponents once.

Now, if the Outlaws had won last night, instead of Ensworth, JPII would've gotten a berth into the Hine Cup Final, because the two teams they had beaten in pool play would be right behind them, and, the best part, they would play each other on Monday, preventing any chance of a three-way tie.

Same with Ravenwood. Both they and Lipscomb would be on to the Preds Cup semis if Lipscomb had been able to beat Brentwood on Monday, because both they and Ravenwood would be 2-0, with no chance of either Brentwood or Hendersonville being able to close the gap.

Two-way ties in pool play are settled like they are in the regular season: If you beat the team you tied with head-to-head, you get nod.

Three-way ties are handled differently. Unlike the regular season, where everyone played their division opponents twice, you only get one crack at each of your pool opponents.

If there is a three-way tie in the Hine Cup at 2-1, then everyone is 1-1 against the teams they're tied with: JPII would've beaten Franklin, but lost to Ensworth; Franklin would've beaten Ensworth, but lost to JPII; Ensworth would've beaten JPII, but lost to Franklin. How do you break the ties?

Here's the criteria:

(3) If three (3) or more teams have an equal number of points at the conclusion of pool play, their final order of position will be determined in the following tie-breaker sequence:

         (i) The greater number of games won in pool play

         (ii) The greater number of games won in regulation in pool play

         (iii) The greater differential (subtraction) between goals for and goals against for head to head games in pool play. (Max seven (7) goal differential per game).

         (iv) Least penalty minutes in head to head games from pool play

         (v) Least penalty minutes per game from pool play

         (vi) If these tie-breaking techniques do not resolve the tie, the Commissioner shall resolve the matter.

Well, you have to scratch the first two, because they'd all be 2-1, and they'd have all won their games in regulation.

The third criterion should simply read "goal differential". That is what will be used first to break a three-way tie. Right now in Hine Cup pool play, JPII's goal differential is +5 (8 scored, 3 allowed), Franklin's is +1 (6 scored, 5 allowed), and Ensworth's is -3 (6 scored, 9 allowed).

Of course, this could all be moot if Franklin and JPII win their respective games, or, Franklin lose in OT or a shootout to the Outlaws on Monday. The latter scenario would give JPII the first berth in the Hine Cup Final, and force Ensworth to beat them on Friday to get the other berth.

Well, I've done enough rambling. Again, I apologize for getting any hopes up, or deflating any hopes, and I hope that whatever happens next week, the situation is resolved fairly.

-Michael Hackney

The A-Game saga ends in disgrace

Over 24 hours ago, I walked out of A-Game Sportsplex, another GNASH broadcast in the books.

I knew that, eventually, I'd be walking out of the facility for the last time.

I had no idea that last time would be on Wednesday night.

Chaos erupted on Gothic Court early Thursday morning, as people pulled up to A-Game's entrance, only to find it blocked by members of the Franklin Police Department. They were told that the owners had changed the building's locks, and that no one was allowed inside. The facility was closed, a strong-arm tactic by A-Game's owners to get the groups that run the building's volleyball and hockey programs to finally terminate their leases early, so that A-Game's owners can throw the keys to Al. Neyer, the Cincinnati-based real estate firm that began the process of buying the facility last July so they can turn it into office space.

This led to outraged parents who had invested tons of money for their children to play a season on the ice or court, and children crying, wondering if they'd ever get to skate or play hockey/volleyball/basketball with their friends again.

All along, it had been said that after the sale was complete, the respective sports would be allowed to finish their seasons in the spring, then Al. Neyer could begin redevelopment.

So much for promises.

It got ugly the week of Christmas. When Sports Land Group LLC - A-Game's owners - saw talks between them and the volleyball and hockey groups - Alliance and MDG, respectively - of getting an early termination of their leases break down, SLG took action. The week before Christmas, SLG sent an e-mail to A-Game employees, telling them to collect their belongings on Christmas Eve (the facility, as it always was, would be closed on Christmas Day), because the facility would probably be closing for good.

When the two groups got wind of the e-mail, they took matters to court. A restraining order was brought down against A-Game's owners. The order was in effect from the week of December 21 until this past Tuesday, when it was lifted, as a Williamson County judge saw it necessary for A-Game to be able to complete its sale to Al. Neyer. Otherwise, the facility would be at the risk of foreclosure.

The most stunning thing in all of this is the fact that SLG had been losing $72,000 a month on its business venture, How the heck do you lose that much money on a building that's seemingly packed every weekend? I mean, sure, it costs a lot to maintain the ice, but $72,000? What were they doing, gambling away their profit on riverboat cruises?

As a broadcaster, A-Game has been a big part of my life since 2009. Not just with GNASH games, but with weekend youth hockey tournaments. I have many memories of that place, from seeing Ravenwood win the Predators Cup there in 2010, to seeing the Raptors, Centennial, and most recently, Montgomery Bell, skating the GNASH Cup around as regular season champions. I even remember the scene I left behind on Rink 1 on Wednesday night - a bunch of guys playing late-night open hockey.

I can't imagine how a kid who's spent a massive part of his or her whole life in that building must feel. It's all been ripped away from them.

By people who are supposed to be adults.

To quote a song from the long-running Nicktoon, The Fairly OddParents, "Adults ruin everything."

Too bad a song from a silly cartoon series has such a massive amount of truth to it.

Shootouts in the GNASH regular season: Implement them fully, or dump them

The Thanksgiving break has arrived for the GNASH regular season. We have completed one-third of said regular season. A total of 40 games have been played, 20 for each division.

Of those 40 games, a mere four (10%) were tied at the end of regulation. Of those four, only one went to a shootout, Franklin's 4-3 win over Station Camp-Beech on November 13, the lone blip in an otherwise stellar first third for the Bison. In fact, the standings page on the GNASH website still hasn't been updated with the addition of a shootout losses (SOL) column; the Bison are shown as having played five games, but one of those results is missing. The other three ended in draws, being unable to be decided on penalty shots because there wasn't enough time.

The first of these, a 4-4 deadlock between Tennessee Outlaws and Pope John Paul II on November 4, suffered a long delay late in the third period, due to a loose pane of glass that had to be fixed for safety reasons. Following the JPII Hockey Twitter account that night, the game might have gone to a shootout if it hadn't been for that delay.

The second, a controversial 7-7 result between Outlaws and Hendersonville on November 13, ran out of time, simply because there were so many play stoppages, for penalties (especially in the second period), and, of course, for goals. As for how the game ended? That's for another discussion at another time.

The third, a 3-3 stalemate between Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central this past Wednesday, looks like a normal game, from the box score. Only six total goals scored, nine total penalties. Was there a long delay? I'm not sure, because neither team has a Twitter account, nor did I see it in person.

Shootouts were introduced into GNASH regular season play in 2013-14. For a GNASH regular season game to go into a shootout, there must be at least eight minutes left in the time window of the game currently being played. That rule is not always followed, though. Remember that crazy game between Hendersonville and Centennial back in January? That went way over the time window, with constant stoppages for goals and penalties, and it still went into a shootout, where Centennial prevailed.

Of course, a game going into a shootout still doesn't mean someone will come out a winner. Shootouts in GNASH regular season games are limited to three rounds. If no one's ahead at the end of three rounds, the game is a draw.

Both of these rules pretty much render shootouts in the regular season meaningless. Tied at the end of regulation, but can't settle the score because there's no time? Sorry, guys. Here's a point for each of you. Good game, everybody. You go to a shootout, but nobody's ahead at the end of the three-round limit? Same response.

All of this to asking this question: Why do we have shootouts in regular season games if it truly doesn't matter whether or not someone wins the game? You obviously need shootouts in the playoffs (that is, if a 5-minute, sudden-death overtime period doesn't get the job done); someone absolutely has to win those games. But if shootouts in regular season games can be either/or, why bother?

This issue especially needs to be raised this season, when so much is at stake. No longer does being in the Gold Division guarantee you a spot in the Predators Cup. If you finish in the Bottom 2, you're on your way to the Hine Cup with the 3rd- and 4th-place finishers in the Blue Division, while the Top 2 in said Blue Division join the Top 6 from the Gold Division in the state tournament. A tied game failing to go to a shootout, or a shootout failing to decide a winner, could mean the difference between getting to play for the biggest prize in high school hockey in Tennessee, and ending up playing for GNASH's NIT equivalent. Same for determining the GNASH Cup champion, or ending up in the Mielnik Memorial, instead of the Hine Cup.

And in terms of time, I've noticed an anomaly with the schedule, particularly with the games at Ford Ice Center. Games on the North Rink are given a 90-minute window; games on the South Rink get 75. If you get a game on the North Rink, and it's tied at the end of regulation, you're pretty much guaranteed a shootout, unless there's a massive delay. On the South Rink, you'd probably have to have a minute amount of stoppages to get a shootout in a tied game. That is a major fairness issue.

I hope the board addresses this during the offseason; it's too late to do anything now. If you're going to have shootouts in the regular season, they need to be integrated fully. If any game is tied at the end of regulation, no matter how much time is left in the game window, you go to a shootout, and you don't stop playing until there is a winner and there is a loser. Otherwise, dump them, and go back to having drawn games when regulation ended tied. There should be no either/or here.

There's too much at stake; especially this season.

-Michael Hackney

Getting into the Predators Cup - what GNASH's Tier 2 teams must do with four games left, and, farewell to Kevin Whitmire

The GNASH season resumes tomorrow with a few teams practicing, as a briefer-than-normal Thanksgiving break - thanks to Centennial and Hendersonville having to play a makeup game on Monday night - comes to a close.

With two weeks left before the month-long Christmas/New Year's break, the focus turns sharply to Tier 2, where we're on the verge of determining which two teams will be playing in the Predators Conference for January play, and which three teams will fall into the Hine Conference.

By the end of Wednesday night's slate of games, one team could clinch a spot in the Predators Conference, and another team fall into the Hine Conference. We'll go through each's team scenarios by order of their current position in the standings, starting with:

Tennessee Outlaws

The Outlaws were pretty much a safe bet to get into the big show because they have so much depth. They've been at the top of Tier 2 since the season started, and with the exception of a couple of blips on the radar, both of which came against Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture, have been pretty solid and steady. The tier-leading Outlaws are up by four points over the second-place Knights (15-11), and could have themselves a spot in the Predators Conference before their game against Montgomery Bell next Saturday, which is being played ahead of schedule because of MBA having finals. The Outlaws needn't worry about JPII-Goodpasture, but rather, Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central, since there are, after all, two spots up for grabs, not one. The Outlaws have a five-point lead on the third-place Golden Bears, who play JPII-Goodpasture on Wednesday.

The Outlaws' four remaining games before Christmas are as follows:
Wednesday vs. Ensworth-FRA
Friday vs. JPII-Goodpasture
Saturday vs. MBA
December 12 vs. Hendersonville

For the Outlaws, the clinching scenario is simple: defeat Ensworth-FRA on Wednesday, with JPII-Goodpasture beating Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central in the game immediately preceding, and a spot in the Predators Conference is yours, and those games against MBA and Hendersonville become an early look at how you might do against Tier 1 competition. JPII-Goodpasture can beat Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central in either regulation or a shootout, because, even if the Golden Bears completely made up a six-point deficit to the Outlaws over their last three games, the Outlaws have beaten MJ-WC in both of the teams' meetings this season, so, Tennessee owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

If Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central beats JPII-Goodpasture on Wednesday, then the Outlaws would have to win on Wednesday and Friday to snatch up a spot. I would post all the scenarios, but, I don't think there's any way the Outlaws are going to stumble now.

Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture

The reigning Blue Division State Tournament champions started the season 0-2-1 (a loss to Hendersonville on opening night, a stunning draw against the Outlaws, then a shocking beatdown from Blackman-Stewarts Creek on Halloween), but have since won five of their last six, the only blemish in this run being a 4-2 loss to MBA on November 12, and the biggest result being that vicious 6-1 spanking they gave the Outlaws (with one Russell Morris in the line-up, mind you) two nights later. Since those opening three games, the Knights have really gelled, and are back to playing the type of hockey we're used to seeing them play, a great occurrence after a difficult 2013-14 campaign, albeit with the happy ending. Unlike the Outlaws, who only have Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central to watch, the Knights have both MJ-WC and Ensworth-FRA looming behind them. The Knights are a point ahead of Mt. Juliet (11-10), and three ahead of Ensworth-FRA. The Knights' four remaining games are:

Wednesday vs. Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central
Friday vs. Tennessee Outlaws
December 10 vs. Independence-Summit
December 12 vs. Ensworth-FRA

The Knights can also have a spot in the Predators Conference secured by the end of the week, but, they're going to need some help to do so. First off, the Knights must win both of their games this week, against the Golden Bears and Outlaws, with Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central also losing to Franklin-Oakland on Friday night. They also need the Outlaws to defeat Ensworth-FRA on Wednesday. This entire scenarion occurring would give the Knights a five-point lead over both Mt. Juliet and Ensworth, allowing them clinch a Preds Conference berth at the end of the week. They can beat MJ-WC in regulation or a shootout and still be able to clinch on Friday, since they would then own the head-to-head against the Golden Bears. Otherwise, it looks like JPII-Goodpasture needs to win out (or, at least win three of their last four, with one of those three being against Mt. Juliet), because Mt. Juliet has three very winnable games remaining after Wednesday.

Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central

The reigning Hine Cup champs have a chance to abdicate their throne for greener pastures, but time is running out. They're sandwiched between a hot JPII-Goodpasture and a stumbling Ensworth-FRA, both of whom the Golden Bears have lost a game to. MJ-WC avenged that one loss to Ensworth a week ago last night, but, the Ice Tigers own the goal differential tiebreaker, outscoring the Bears 5-4 over both games. It seems, though, that the Knights are now the bigger concern. The Bears are without Kieran Ogle, now in Detroit, playing for the Belle Tire Selects, but have maintained the core that guided them to the Hine Cup last season, albeit having graduated Shaun Silk. The loss to Ensworth on November 5 stands out, because if that were reversed, Mt. Juliet would be a point ahead of JPII, but, you can't play with the past. The Golden Bears' final four games include a scheduling oddity:

Wednesday vs. Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture
Friday vs. Franklin-Oakland
December 10 & 12 vs. Station Camp-Beech

That's right - the Bears close their pre-Christmas slate with back-to-back showdowns with the Bison. As previously mentioned, the Bears' last three games are winnable, since their opponents have struggled, but beating JPII-Goodpasture in regulation would put them up by a point with three games left, going a long way towards getting that last spot. For Mt. Juliet, their scenario is simple but difficult: they need to win just one of their four remaining games (a win against JPII-Goodpasture must come in regulation, because a shootout win would give JPII the tiebreaker of number of points earned in head-to-head games, having already won the teams' first meeting), with JPII losing all of their remaining games in regulation, and Ensworth-FRA losing three of their last four in regulation.

Ensworth-FRA

The Ice Tigers started out by winning three of their first four, the lone loss coming to MBA on October 30. The trend has reversed, though, and they've now lost four of their last five, the only win in this run coming against Indy-Summit on November 14. Franklin-Oakland and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central avenged losses to the Ice Tigers the week before Thanksgiving, and now, Ensworth's hopes of getting to the Preds Cup are slowly slipping away. They're seven points behind the Outlaws as of this moment, and, if that gap remains the same after Wednesday, their chances will suddenly take a big hit, because the gap to the Outlaws would be insurmountable, and they would find themselves locked in a three-way battle for the last spot. But the two teams immediately ahead should be their biggest concern. They pretty much need a collapse from both JPII-Goodpasture and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central. Even worse news for Ensworth is the fact that their first post-Thanksgiving game is against...the Outlaws. Lose that game, with either side winning the JPII-Mt. Juliet game prior, and suddenly, the Ice Tigers need a ton of help. In fact, their remaining schedule is nail-biting:

Wednesday vs. Tennessee Outlaws
Friday vs. Blackman-Stewarts Creek
December 10 vs. Hume Fogg-Page
December 12 vs. Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture

The game against Hume Fogg-Page is pretty winnable, considering the tailspin the PatriKnights are currently in. The game against Blackman is harder to judge. But having to close out with JPII is just brutal. The odd thing is, it's the teams' only meeting pre-Christmas, and it happens to be the last night of play before the long break. The Ice Tigers are only three points behind JPII, but their task of getting that last spot is tall. If they lose to the Outlaws on Wednesday, Mt. Juliet beating JPII in the game before would be the lesser of two evils, because, they would still have a fighting chance. A four-point gap to the Bears is better than a five-point gap to the Knights. Forget about the Outlaws: Ensworth-FRA need to win three of their last four games, with JPII-Goodpasture losing three of their last four in regulation, and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central losing two of their last four in regulation. It's a tall task, but this is GNASH, and crazier things have happened (Ravenwood-Brentwood winning the 2010 Hine Cup after having only won two games in the regular season, both of which came after Christmas, anyone?).

Franklin-Oakland

The Rebels were the #1 seed in the Hine Cup last year, but got forced out in two games. They finished their season as runners-up to JPII in the Blue Division Tournament. This season, a lack of pucks in the net have put Franklin-Oakland way behind the 8 ball, a shock when you consider how well Dylan Akers has played in net; taking over from Peter Yasso is no easy task. The Rebels have only two wins: against Hume Fogg-Page on November 7, and Ensworth-FRA on November 19. They have no draws, and no shootout losses, meaning, they have only four points. They sit seven points behind JPII-Goodpasture, and if JPII wins on Wednesday night against Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central, or even draws or loses in a shootout, Franklin-Oakland will find themselves in the Hine Conference. What's worse, as their last four games before Christmas show, they have to play a couple of Tier 1 squads; not great news for a struggling team:

Wednesday vs. Hume Fogg-Page
Friday vs. Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central
December 10 vs. Hendersonville
December 12 vs. MBA

The Rebels truly control their own destiny. The game against Hume Fogg is winnable, but they have only one game against the three teams immediately in front of them in Tier 2. Franklin have to tiptoe through a minefield to reach their goal; I'm sorry to say, I don't think they'll make it. They need a complete and total collapse from the three teams in front of them. They need to win out, with JPII, Mt. Juliet, and Ensworth losing every single game they have left. That's how tall their task is. I don't think they can beat Hendersonville; I think it's too late for them to make up ground.

These last two weeks are going to be a lot of fun to watch. Getting to the Preds Cup out of Tier 2 is as simple as following the Al Davis philosophy: "Just win, baby!"

Finally, a fond farewell to Kevin Whitmire, whom, tomorrow, will move back to his native Texas to start a new job on Monday. His wife and two children will join him after the school year wraps up in Maury County. They've also recently announced that they are expecting their third child. Kevin has been more than vital in helping MTSN get to where it is now. He joined us in September 2009, and has really helped get our GNASH coverage out there. He stepped away in 2011 to take up contract work with KBR in Iraq. He returned in December 2012, and got right back into GNASH coverage. His most recent broadcast with us was the UT-Vandy game at Bridgestone Arena back on March 30. Kevin's most recent broadcasting assignment was the State Wars roller hockey tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana, back in late July and early August. In addition to GNASH, Kevin also did play-by-play for football and baseball on occasion, and helped me and Craig Jolly call races at Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown. He's a great businessman, and when we had the chance to get GNASH coverage on WAKM last season, he made a big push. He fell short (though, that's more down to the businesses not realizing the benefits of advertising with us, than him), but I'll always appreciate the effort. Kevin: Thanks, and good luck. We're gonna miss you.

GNASH coverage resumes Monday evening with Hendersonville taking on Ravenwood. The schedule for the last two weeks leading up to Christmas is up at MTSNOnline.com.

-Michael Hackney

Are the TSSAA's recent penalties about post-game football brawls teaching an unfortunate lesson?

On Thursday night, MTSN closed out its sixth season of high school football coverage, featuring LaVergne shockingly crushing Siegel 56-23 to nail down its first playoff berth since 2006. In the fourth quarter, after Roshea Grays scored his third rushing touchdown of the night from eight yards out, LaVergne offensive lineman Charlie Heughan and Siegel defensive lineman Isahia Gooch became entangled and started throwing punches at each other, leading to their ejections. The officials were quick to break up the fight, and both teams' coaching staffs did a great job in keeping their sidelines calm.

Earlier in the evening, on the Eastern side of the state, Daniel Boone and David Crockett engaged in battle while shaking hands following another rendition of their classic rivalry, the Musket Bowl. WJHL, a CBS affiliated located in Johnson City, captured three Crockett players pulling a Boone player out of the handshake line, and throwing him to the ground. Multiple Boone players charged in to aid their teammate, and all hell broke loose. A fan who came on to the field was arrested for shoving a cop.

Six days prior, in Memphis, as Hillcrest celebrated a win over Mitchell, a player from the losing team prepared to hit a Hillcrest player with his helmet. A Hillcrest coach stepped in between, took the blow, and twisted his ankle while falling. A brawl which included fans ensued.

All four teams have been banned from the next three postseasons, including this upcoming one, and fines totaling $4,750. They are all appealing the punishments. It's especially unfortunate for Hillcrest and Mitchell, who were going to finish in the Top 2 in District 16-A, earning themselves first-round byes for the Class 2A playoffs.

Siegel and LaVergne will be fined for the fight, since players were ejected, but because it didn't escalate into all-out mayhem, nothing else will come of it. A week prior, we featured Siegel taking on Blackman, where not one, but two scuffles broke out: one during the first quarter on the Siegel sideline, and the other right at the end of the game, when a spearing tackle against Blackman's Jauan Jennings caused tempers to flare. The latter scuffle forced Siegel head coach Greg Wyant to make his team leave the field without shaking hands as a preventative measure. Nothing of note came from either of those two incidents.

That leads to this question: Is the TSSAA sending the message that it's better to fight during the game than after or before? It sure looks like it. Think about the scenarios: in the Hillcrest-Mitchell and Boone-Crockett brawls, the game was over, and everyone was on the field, off the sidelines. Sure, the officials are outnumbered during play, but when the game is going on, they only have to keep 22 players in check. When everyone is brawling, the officials are completely outnumbered, because now, you're talking about close to, maybe even more than, 100 people on the field, all centering around an altercation.

Officials - and quick-thinking teammates - were able to break up the Heughan-Gooch fight without any further incident because it happened while the game was going on, and everyone else was on the sidelines - or in the stands - like they were supposed to be. It may have been in a dead ball situation, but, the game was taking place. Same with the first Siegel-Blackman skirmish the week prior. In the end, both altercations were minor incidents. The Hillcrest-Mitchell and Boone-Crockett brawls overshadowed the game, and, in the case of the latter, made headlines all across the state, even leading off newscasts in the Tri-Cities. It goes from a minor incident to a disgrace, and must be dealt with accordingly, though, banning the four teams from just this postseason instead of the next three is probably a better punishment.

So, lesson learned, high school football programs of Tennessee: if you're gonna fight, do it during a game, not before or after. And to everyone on the sidelines and in the stands, make sure you stay on the sidelines, and in the stands, or else, you risk your team's postseason eligibility.

Hey, Nashville's new NA3HL team, where's the roster?

On May 1 of this year, the NA3HL, the third tier of the North American Hockey League, the biggest junior hockey league on the continent, announced that Nashville would be one of three new markets getting NA3HL teams (the other two being Decatur, Alabama, home of the new Point Mallard Ducks; and North Richland Hills, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, home of the new Texas Brahmas, whose head coach is ex-Ravenwood boss Al Rooney, who will come up again in this blog post). After being unnamed for a few weeks, the team decided to be smart, and call themselves the Jr. Predators, though they aren't affiliated with the youth program. The team is owned by Franklin-based MDG Management, which includes former Pred J.P. Dumont. Dumont is also serving as the Jr. Preds' general manager.

The team will play its home games on weekends on Rink 1 at A-Game Sportsplex in Cool Springs, the first being on Friday, October 3, though one game - against Rooney's Brahmas - will be held at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, November 15. The team's first game is in 18 days, against the Topeka Capitals at the Kansas ExpoCentre. I hope to make it out to some games, and I hope you will, too.

However, not everything is completely rosy with the Jr. Predators. They really haven't marketed themselves very well, and they seem to spend more time retweeting stuff on their Twitter account (@NashvilleNA3HL) than posting news. The biggest problem on the team's website is the fact that they haven't posted a roster. The team Tweeted this three months ago:

First local tender announcement coming soon - things coming together for Nashville Jr hockey #NA3HL
— NashvilleNA3HL (@NashvilleNA3HL) June 4, 2014

But nothing ever came. In fact, the Twitter account, website, and Facebook page the team operate has only somewhat mentioned the players in regards to being a host family to those from out-of-town. After months of Twitter searching, I ran across this earlier this morning:

Proud to say I've signed with the Nashville Jr. Predators of the NA3HL.
— Jacob Elrod (@ellyrod7) August 7, 2014

That's right. Jacob Elrod, one of the biggest pieces of Centennial's Predators Cup-winning team in the most recent GNASH season, has signed with the Jr. Predators. And good for Jacob. He deserves this shot at the next level, and I'm glad he's doing it in his hometown.

But that's all I can find. Are there any other GNASHers who have signed up with the team? Kyle Kawamura? Kieran Ogle? Brenden Eng Tow? I don't know. Not even the team's "31 in 31" preview on the NA3HL website mentioned any players.

Meanwhile, Rooney's Brahmas have been announcing player signings left and right. Three of them are GNASHers: former Ravenwood Raptor, Zach McPherson; Brock Brown, now formerly of Station Camp-Beech; and Matt Alfieri, now formerly of Pope John Paul II. I've complimented Al and the Brahmas on announcing their signings; this is a great way to get people interested in the team, especially kids.

This brings us back to the Jr. Preds. Why have they said absolutely nothing about who will be wearing the sweater for them? Why did it take a Twitter search for me to finally find someone who's going to play for them? The team took part in the NA3HL draft in June, but didn't draft one player from the Nashville area. Did any of the players drafted end up signing? I have no idea.

What's even wilder about all of this is the fact that the team is on their second head coach before even playing their first game! In late May, Steve Howard, who won the league's Coach of the Year Award head-manning the Flint Junior Generals last year, was hired. By the time the league's camp in Flint, Michigan, rolled around last month, Howard had left his post to become an assistant coach with the United States Hockey League's Waterloo Blackhawks. Taking over was Karlis Zirnis, a Nashville resident for the last few years, who had worked at A-Game. Zirnis was an assistant to Ted Nolan for Latvia's men's hockey team during the Winter Olympics in Sochi back in February, where they reached the quarterfinals, and gave Canada a hard time, before the eventual gold medalists pushed Latvia out. A local coach in Zirnis and at least one local player in Elrod is a good foundation to build this team on.

But more has to be done.

Get out in the community with player appearances, buy ads on TV and the radio, put up a billboard, COUGH UP A ROSTER! No one ever got attention by sitting on their hands. The Jr. Preds are opening for business at the right time in this market, with the opening of Ford Ice Center in Antioch, but they need to make themselves visible if they want to succeed.

I love that the Nashville market has an NA3HL team, since it means that any GNASH players who want to go to the next level can do so without leaving the state, but getting a fanbase starts with them. So far, it seems that only the diehards are aware of the team's existence. The Jr. Predators failing would be a big blow to the Nashville market (and the youth version almost blew things up this past Spring, which would've been absolutely horrible for hockey around here), so, just give us a roster. That's all we need.

The (proper) grammar of talking about sports

When I was younger, I was a professional wrestling fan. However, I lost my interest in it when I was about 10 years old, and I haven't watched any wrestling event or show extensively in almost two decades.

I do, however, like current WWE Superstar CM Punk. He's true to himself, he says what he feels, and, having sat in on the WWE Mattel panel at last year's San Diego Comic-Con, he seems to be a really nice guy.

As part of YouTube's "Geek Week", Punk has launched a new web series on Nerdist's YouTube channel, entitled Grammar Slam. Five episodes have been released so far. In each episode, Punk reads a hate Tweet and a hate email, each one written specifically to him. Each written statement contains improper grammar, and Punk proceeds to teach the writer(s) of the statement(s) about proper grammar with his own special brand of tough talk. The series is pretty funny, and I recommend viewing it. Here's the episode on the difference between "your" and "you're", both of which are increasingly misused these days (warning: NSFW language):

A new hockey rink for Nashville - it's about time. How about GNASH's future? Will it grow?

The Tennessean's Getahn Ward reported today the news that many hockey fans around Nashville have been expecting and hoping for - finally, a new sheet of ice will be built. A new rink for those in the community to learn and play the game on, and one that the Nashville Predators could be calling their new practice facility.

The new rink, expected to be officially announced on Monday, will be located on the grounds of the old Hickory Hollow Mall, now known as the Global Mall at the Crossings, at the mall's north entrance. The rink is one of many projects going up at Global Mall, along with a library, a community center, and a park.

Forget the fact that this is something that could revitalize Antioch's economy, which has taken a huge hit, with the Best Buy and Target stores recently closing, leaving Universal Kia, Kroger, and the Home Depot, plus a few fast-food restaurants, as those in the area needing business, Kroger being the only one of those that's a total necessity.

This is something the Midstate's growing hockey community has needed for years. Four sheets of ice - two at Centennial Sportsplex in Downtown Nashville, and two at A-Game Sportsplex in Cool Springs - are no longer enough. It would've been more than enough, maybe even too much, when the Predators began play in 1998, but now, with many Northern transplants seeking out a place to play, and many Nashville natives starting to take the game up because of the Predators' success over recent years, we need another rink.

Class AAA State Softball Tourney schedule - why so staggered?

So, here we are, just over 36 hours away from the first pitch of the 2013 Class AAA State Softball Tournament at BlueCross Spring Fling, and the field will be set tonight, once Soddy-Daisy and Smyrna decide a winner.

And whoever wins won't have long to celebrate, as they have to face Maryville at 4 o'clock on Starplex Field #1 in Murfreesboro tomorrow.

But one thing always nags me about the AAA State Tournament schedule - how come half the field starts on Tuesday evening, and the other half on Wednesday morning?

High School Football

Well folks, this past Friday was the start of the high school football season. I was privileged to be at Tullahoma with Davey for the Tullahoma v Blackman game. From the start of the game it was all Blackman. Actually, it was all I'Tavius Mathers. This running back/kick returner for Blackman has skills like nothing I have seen before. He can break tackles, run like the wind, and just flat get at it when the ball is in his hands. Over four hundred general purpose yards and four touchdowns (two kick return touchdowns) on the night. This was just the first game of the season. I can only imagine what he might be like when he really gets going this season. As a junior, I am sure he has several scouts keeping an eye on him and I plan on talking with his coach to get some more information on this young man. Seeing this kind of performance on the first night of the season gets me very excited for what is to come. I truly look forward to seeing the talent that is out there in Middle Tennessee over the rest of the season.

Early prospects for the Titans in 2010

It's August 2, and the NFL Preseason begins this Sunday with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals, whom, of course, just got one Terrell Owens. Both of these teams could be factor big in the postseason.

I can't believe it's already been six months since the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, a result that I loved, by the way.

But here we are, another NFL season on the horizon. Enjoy it, because thanks to the impending labor dispute, there might not be one next year.

However, I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to give my early predictions on the Tennessee Titans' 2010 season.

It's been a bit of an unusual offseason for Tennessee's NFL franchise. Chris Johnson got a new contract he held out for (he deserves it, in my book). But that's pretty much been it. In a year with no salary cap, the Titans, with their billionaire owner, Mr. Bud Adams, did what they usually do in the offseason for new players: nothing. They lost Kyle Vanden Bosch to the Detroit Lions, and Keith Bulluck to the New York Giants. No question those are huge losses on the defensive line.

The offensive line pretty much looks the same, except that longtime center Kevin Mawae is gone now. Vince Young's still at QB, CJ in the backfield with Ahmard Hall. Bo Scaife remains a tight end, and Nate Washington and Justin Gage remain at wide receiver, along with sophomore Kenny Britt.

A lot of people are thinking VY might have a career year. He just might, if he keeps up his play from last season.

Fans' expectations of the Titans are varying. Some diehards see a Lombardi Trophy coming to the Music City in early February 2011. Some might be thinking a playoff appearance.

But those like myself who know this team just a bit better never know what to expect. I had no idea the Titans would go 13-3 two seasons ago, winning their first 10 games. Sadly, their Divisional Round playoff loss to Baltimore didn't surprise me at all, no matter how much I was thinking about a parade down Broadway.

I actually wasn't surprised to see them struggle so badly at the start of last season. Thank God they recovered to finish 8-8.

But how about this year? How do I think the Titans will do in 2010? Let's see.

The Titans should start the new season 2-0. Should. They open on September 12 against the Oakland Raiders at home. The Raiders, of course, cast away Jamarcus Russell after the former LSU QB turned out to be a bust, and picked up Jason Campbell, sent away by the Washington Redskins after they got Donovan McNabb. Expectations for the Raiders are, again, low.

September 19, the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town. We all know what happened the last time they were here. December 21, 2008. The Titans clobbered the Steelers 31-14 to seal the #1 seed in the AFC for the playoffs, which, of course, they wasted. But the victory was, as you know, overshadowed by Chris Johnson and Keith Bulluck stomping on a Terrible Towel, which sent Pittsburgh into an angry frenzy. It might've been a bad omen for the Titans, whom, as previously noted, was kicked out the door by the Ravens in the postseason, and the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Titans and the Steelers opened the 2009 regular season with the annual NFL Kickoff Game. The Steelers won 13-10 in overtime, but neither team made the playoffs. The Titans, though, didn't know how slippery the slope was about to get.

The Steelers are considerably different for 2010, however. They lost Santonio Holmes to the Jets, and Willie Parker's gone, too. Hines Ward is returning, and the team has brought back Antwaan Randle El, who played with the Steelers when they won Super Bowl XL over my NFC team, the Seattle Seahawks (a loss, that, by the way, still doesn't sit well with me). Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for the first six games for, basically, not using his head off the field, and expectations for the Steelers went from low to real low.

The Titans should open the season 2-0, and I say they will. But it's all up to them. They're the ones who play the game for dough.

On September 26, the Titans make their first visit to New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey to play the Giants. This obviously means Mr. Bulluck gets an early showdown with the team that let him go without a fight.

The Giants went 8-8 last year, and don't want that to happen again this year. I think this could be a tricky one for the Titans, and will result in their first loss of the season.

On October 3, the Titans return home to host the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have two questions for 2010: Tim Tebow? Or Kyle Orton? Gonna be a bad year for the Broncos. I have the Titans at 3-1 after this game.

For Week 5, the Titans head to Cowboys Stadium to take on the resurgent 'Boys, whom a lot of people think might be playing for the Lombardi in their own house come February. Of course, the two teams' preseason clash last year saw debate ignited over the insanely large JumboTron over the field, after a couple of Titans punts hit it on the uptake. I think the Titans will really struggle against Dallas, as Tony Romo greatly matured at the end of last season. Jason Witten is as dangerous as he's ever been, Miles Austin looks like he might have a great year, and if he's healthy, I think Dez Bryant will make a big impact. The Titans will be 3-2 after this game.

The Titans' first game against a divisional opponent comes on Monday, October 18. The Titans will be in Jacksonville, taking on the Jaguars under the Monday Night lights. The Jags came into the NFL in 1995, going 4-12 in their first season. The next four seasons, though, were great. The Jaguars got to the playoffs in all four of them, including two AFC Championship Game appearances, where they were beaten by the New England Patriots (January 1997), and, of course, the Titans (January 2000). But since the turn of the century, the Jags have fallen apart. Since the 1999 season, the Jaguars have only made two playoff appearances. It's gotten so bad, people are wondering if NFL football is still viable in Jacksonville (all they need is to start winning again; chill out, people). Jacksonville will put up a fight, but the Titans will be 4-2.

Six days later, the Titans will head back home to host the now-Donovan McNabb-less Philadelphia Eagles. I think bad times await the City of Brotherly Love. Kevin Kolb might not be able to handle the pressure. Titans will be 5-2.

The Titans' last game before the bye week is a trip to San Diego, to take on Philip Rivers and the Chargers, who have gotten under the Titans' skin these last few years. I don't think it'll get much better. Make it 5-3.

So, Halloween will mark the Titans' bye week, and they'll be halfway through the season. Things should be looking good, but the road's about to get bumpier...

The Titans' first post-bye game will be at Miami on November 14. Since nearly going winless a few seasons back, the Dolphins have really picked themselves up, though they went 7-9 last season. The Dolphins picked up Brandon Marshall during the draft, but lost Ted Ginn, Jr. and defensive big man Jason Taylor. I don't know what to expect from the Dolphins, but I think a surprise is in store for Tennessee. The Titans will be 5-4 after Week 10.

Week 11 brings the Washington Redskins, now with Mike Shanahan at head coach, and, as previously noted, Donovan McNabb at QB. Whether ex-Titan Albert Haynesworth will be in the lineup remains to be seen. I think this could be the start of something good for the 'Skins. McNabb, even without a ring, has a Hall of Fame resume, and Shanahan's got Super Bowl rings. I think McNabb's veteran leadership will outshine Young, and the Titans will drop back to 5-5.

November 28 sees the Titans head to Houston to take on Kevin Whitmire's beloved Texans. I've noticed something with the Titans these past few years: They've never, ever shown the Texans ANY respect. They think they're gonna beat 'em down, just like that. But it's bitten the Titans in the aft end twice the last two seasons, and, to be honest, it should be a lot more. Remember the Titans' game against the Texans in December '08, the week before they beat down Pittsburgh? The Titans put up a horrible effort, and lost to a team that I've always taken seriously. It started the snowball that led to the Titans' playoff collapse. It'll be the case here, too. The Titans will waltz in, like the Texans don't belong on the same field, and it will bite them. Again. 5-6.

December 5 sees the Titans' second matchup with the Jags, this time at LP. The Jags will be struggling again, and the Titans will get back to .500.

December 9 is the big game. The Indianapolis Colts come to town to take on the Titans in the Thursday Night NFL Network clash. Those close to me know I am not a Colts fan or a Peyton Manning fan, and I reveled, reveled in their Super Bowl loss to the Saints. But the truth is, despite a few victories over them in the last few seasons, the Titans are afraid of the Colts. And Indy knows it. And the Titans will be 6-7 when this clash is done.

10 days later, the Titans host the Texans in their second matchup. The Titans will barely escape with a win, and get back to .500.

On Boxing Day, or the Day After Christmas, the Titans visit the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. I'm hearing the Chiefs are a couple of years away from being good again, with free agency and trades. But this is now, and the Chiefs will stink again. The Titans will be 8-7, and barely in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.

But the season ends in Indy. And it won't end well. The Titans will end up 8-8. Again.

Now before you go all "Ye of Little Faith" on me, this is what I think will happen. These are predictions. As I've said, it's up to the Titans to prove me wrong, and they might. But I don't expect them to.

I don't see a Super Bowl-caliber team when I look at the Titans. VY might have a good career, CJ's a great player, and I'm expecting great things about Kenny Britt. But the coaching is inferior (Jeff Fisher must have something in his contract about a raise for every 8-8 season), and the defense just isn't there. Which means this team isn't there. Will they ever be there? I'm really not sure.

GO TITANS! Please.

-Michael Hackney

What's Coming Up

Greetings MTSN fans. I sit here on Friday evening checking the weather forecast for Summertown, TN tomorrow. As of now the forecast does not look good for racing at Thunderhill. This is disappointing because the SRRS is in town tomorrow with their Super Late Models. Hopefully the rain will stay away for tomorrow evening so there can be a good night of racing. Keep your fingers crossed. Now, on to other sports that are coming up soon. Right now, Craig is currently working on getting our schedule set up for football season. Hopefully we will have a great season of football to bring you each Friday night from around Middle Tennessee. Later in the fall, we will be getting into Hockey season. I told you last week that I cannot wait. Well, I know you are chomping at the bit for hockey or anything hockey related as we swelter in the summer heat. In an effort to take our minds off the heat and to fill the void we feel from a lack of hockey, I am currently in the process of setting up a pre-hockey season show. This show will feature several of the coaches from GNASH teams to include: Defending State Champions Ravenwood Raptors Head Coach Dennis Hagemann, Second Place Centennial High School Head Coach Mark Layne, Pope John Paul II Head Coach Pete Neiman. This will be a fun filled evening of looking back on favorite moments from last season and discussing the upcoming season. I know it will be a blast for us and the coaches, and I hope that each and every one of you will tune in and enjoy as well. I will let you know as soon as the date is scheduled for this event. That's all for now from me. I'll be back next week with a little more entertaining blog. Have a good week.
SEE YA!!!

Kevin Whitmire

Hello All

Alright folks, Michael finally gave me the blog account info so here I am in all my glory just for you. Summer is in full swing in Middle Tennessee and we are really enjoying our time on Saturday nights at Thunderhill Raceway. It's definitely different from ice hockey and football, but it is a blast broadcasting a true southern pasttime like dirt track racing. Folks have even said we do a halfway decent job at it. :) Since this is our first time broadcasting any kind of racing, I will take that. I'll also work with Michael so we can improve. hehe. Just kidding Michael. As I said, summer is in full swing here which means I am in total withdrawal symptom mode for hockey and football. I have been talking with some of the GNASH coaches and it should be an interesting season. Everyone of the top contenders has lost seniors and I have been informed that some of the seniors from this year have moved on to different places to try and give themselves a shot at playing at a higher level in their future. I wish those kids all the best as they chase their dreams and I know you do to. However, what this does is open the door to a season full of possibilities. Could one of the other teams come up and compete for the GNASH Cup this year? Only time will tell, but I am excited with the thought of it and I hope you are too. That's all for this first session on here. I'll be back soon with more thoughts. To quote my normal nightly sign off when we are on the air......."SEE YA!"
Kevin

Our starting lineup music

First off, wow, major apologies for not updating this blog. I'll try not to let six months pass by before the next update.

Anyway, those of you who have been listening to our baseball and softball broadcast may notice I use different music when doing starting lineups. If you've wondered what those pieces are, wonder no more.



This is my favorite, my old standard. This is a piece called "Ivory Tower", from the 1984 film, The NeverEnding Story. The piece was written and composed by Klaus Doldinger and Giorgio Moroder. I was inspired to use after seeing that The BBC used the music when displaying the starting lineups for Formula 1 races from the late '80s to the early '90s (I have a few BBC homages in my broadcasting style). Here's an example of the music's use, the grid for the 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. The voice over the video is that of Murray Walker, the greatest Formula 1 announcer of all-time:



A couple of other pieces I use have been used on NASCAR on Fox in the past. This is their starting grid music from 2001, which is still used by sports networks as a generic highlights piece:



And this is the most famous version of the theme, which they no longer use, as the starting grid is, in my opinion, lazily scrolled across the top of the screen. I can't embed the YouTube video for you because it's been disabled, but I can link to it:

NASCAR on Fox starting grid theme

For those of you who heard our coverage of Thursday's District 7-AAA softball tournament championship, you may have heard a thumping, dramatic background piece. That piece is called "A Pressing Need to Save the World", used in the fourth series (the British term for "season") of television's longest-running science fiction series, Doctor Who:



So, there you have it. That's the music I use to read starting lineups. Now, let's hope I keep this blog up-to-date. At least every now and then.

--Michael

Further awarding a turkey

Our friends at the Daily News Journal down in Murfreesboro appropriately released their "Turkeys of the Year" for 2009 on this Thanksgiving day.

You can read the list, which is six pages long, at:

http://www.dnj.com/article/20091126/SPORTS/911250345/1006/DNJ+Turkeys+of+the+Year

The first turkey on page six caught my eye. It happened to be Mother Nature. The DNJ gives its reason:

"Rain has destroyed most of the football fields in the county and at least one school has begun to look at the option of turf."

I believe I would have to agree with them, as the torrential rains this year have screwed up a lot of fields, particularly, Tullahoma, who had to move its home opener with Blackman to, well, Blackman, and were forced to wait a month before the first game in their brand new stadium.

We at MTSN, or at least myself, have our (or, again, at least my) reasons for this.

When we started in February, softball was fast approaching. Two years earlier, Craig Jolly and myself had broadcast Blackman Lady Blaze games on another online radio network. When we formed MTSN, that was one entity we wanted for our on-air schedule.

We and now former Lady Blaze coach Scott Dorsett agreed to 5 regular season games: March 31 at Oakland, April 7 hosting Riverdale, April 14 hosting Oakland, April 25 at Riverdale, and April 28 hosting Soddy Daisy, a game I was looking forward to because of Soddy Daisy's great softball history.

The season came, and as scheduled, the first game against Oakland took place on March 31, a 9-0 romp for the Lady Blaze. But Mother Nature had already been messing with schools' softball (and baseball) schedules. Hendersonville High's Commando Classic took place in mid-March, the first two days in beautiful, not-a-cloud-in-the-sky weather. However, the rest of the week-long tournament was a total washout, as cold, rainy weather ended up winning out, and Hendersonville lost a ton of money.

A few days after the first Oakland game, a cold front moved through and dropped the temperatures down. Down enough that the first game with Riverdale was postponed because Blackman felt that the cold weather would keep fans away. It was moved to April 19. Three days later (April 10), the Good Friday tornado hit, starting in the Blackman Community, and getting close to the school.

The next game against Oakland was postponed to April 26 because of rainy conditions, though, there wasn't a lot of rain around.

More rain hit the next weekend, and the first Riverdale game was postponed again, meaning the teams' first meeting would take place on Warrior Drive six days later. Fortunately, and finally, Mother Nature behaved long enough that we were able to broadcast four games in four days: both Riverdale games (the home version of which was moved to April 28, killing the big showdown with Soddy Daisy), the rematch with Oakland, and the Senior Night game against Lebanon that we didn't intend to do, but since the weather was so sucky, we though, why not? Thankfully, we did our intended number of regular season contests.

Fast forward to the Fall, and football season. Blackman was hot, unbeaten under new head coach Philip Shadowens. Riverdale was looking to return to former glory. How appropriate that the two would meet up in the last week of the season before playoffs. I had wanted that game long before we would know what it would mean, the District 7-AAA championship being on the line.

We got the game, and were thrilled. We were not surprised when WGNS also announced they would close their regular season broadcasts with the contests, nor did we mind. One, we expected it, and two, we have done events with them around before, so we get along nicely. A couple of weeks later, 104.5 The Zone also announced they would air the game. OK, we don't mind that, either. As long as the weather was good.

As the big game approached, we recorded a 30-second promo for the broadcast. We were thrilled to be able to cover the game.

As Week 10 approached, though, the forecast took a lousy turn. Friday looked especially dreary, with thunderstorms. Since the press box would be full, we would have to do the game outdoors.

Gameday came. Heavy rains were still forecast, but the chances of lightning greatly decreased. A couple of hours before the game, it was apparent that lightning would not be a factor, and the game would take place, even in horrible wind and rain. That meant all the video crews filming the game for use come playoff time would be moved indoors, squeezing us out. We couldn't stay. The rain would ruin our equipment, and since our network has no advertisers for the time being, no equipment meant no more broadcasts for a long time. We were forced to our backup plan: Siegel and LaVergne, going from what was the district championship game to a game between two teams who were winless in the district, with a turnout of about 200 because of the awful weather, and the teams' combined 0-8 district record coming in.

To make matters worse, we knew nothing about the two teams other than they were winless in district play, and Siegel running back Gerald Howse had a pretty good game against Tullahoma the week before, which happened to be on TV. Also, about 50 people were on our home page, waiting to hear Blackman-Riverdale, only to be massively disappointed.

I'd say our credibility took a hit, since we had done the promo for the broadcast. It would've been our biggest broadcast ever, but no, the rain just couldn't await.

So, Mother Nature, for squeezing our 2009 softball broadcast schedule into two weeks (I include our coverage of the District 7-AAA tournament in this), and for killing what would've been our biggest broadcast ever, forcing us to cover the "Who Will Win This Meaningless Game and Finish 1-4 In the District?" Bowl, I award you the first annual Middle Tennessee Sports Network Turkey Award. Come Spring, please, please be a little more merciful with your rains.

-- Michael

Welcome to our blog!

The Middle Tennessee Sports Network launched this past February and we continue to grow, slowly, but we're getting there.

This is the best place to read announcements from our network, whether they be about upcoming broadcasts, or games we have just picked up for broadcasts.

And the voices behind the Middle Tennessee Sports Network will use this space to give our thoughts on happenings in the world of sports.

Stay tuned!

-- Michael Hackney, Middle Tennessee Sports Network