I've told this on here many times..both sides of my family are from east Tennessee going back to the early mid 1800s, my Dad's from the Sequatcie River Valley and Chattanooga and my Mom's from Sharp's Chapel until it was flooded under Norris lake, then they all moved to Lutrell, Maynardville and finally Knoxville.
My parents moved to Fort Worth, then to Amarillo Texas and we lived out there from 71-75, in early 75 we moved d back to Chattanooga where we lived in East Ridge from 75-79, then in early 80 we moved back to Amarillo-Pampa and stayed there until early 85 when we moved to Knoxville...I was actually 17 when the 85 Sugar Vols season started.
My Dad was not really a sports guy, so I learned to love the 3 major American sports on my own...I loved the Steelers from the late 70s and the NFL was the first sport I got into as a boy, after we moved to Texas I started watching the Braves on TBS and became a rabid baseball fan and since the Steelers started sucking I kinda lost major interest in NFL football...I still watched games, but I was a major baseball fan.
I also started following the NBA during the Bird-Magic-Dr J years and college basketball in the early 80s also...but I didn't really have a die hard love if any teams except for the Braves..that all changed when..
We moved to Knoxville just in time for that awesome beautiful scrappy Sugar Vols season, and finally being with all my Moms family that is typical fanatic VFLs especially my Pappaw..I just fell into what I really was along...I just didn't know it yet.
My blood was turned pure Orange and I have been a Vol ever since...and that is why I say the Sugar Vols will always be my favorite team. They were the epitome of what I personally want to be, and what the Tennessee Volunteer spirit is....pure scrappy heart.
, it's not the size that matters. . .
