NighthawkVol
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My wife and I attended the Big Orange Caravan at Nissan Stadium last night and had a great time. I didn't know whether to post this on the basketball or football board, so I'l just post on both. Some highlights:
-Rick Barnes was late. I asked Steve Hamer if he knew where Barnes was and Steve told me Coach was stuck in traffic. He had not come to Nashville with Heupel and Harper because he'd been out recruiting. They had to send an escort out to get him. Just as Barnes arrived, Steve told me that Chris Ledlum had just committed. After Barnes did his radio spot with 104.5, he signed autographs and we were one of the first to greet him. He said he'd "been up in Boston recruiting." My wife asked him if it was cold up there. He said it was cold and the wind was awful. But obviously, it was a successful trip.
-I had Josh Heupel sign a Tennessee mini helmet for me. I joked with him that "my wife told me to ask you to sign an Oklahoma helmet, but I told her you'd refuse." He said (with a tone of adamance), "That's right. It's all orange over here now." The man behind me had an Oklahoma card that he had Heupel sign. But there was a photographer taking shots of everything and CJH told the photographer, "No photos of me signing that OU card." The photographer said, "yes sir." It was pretty clear to me that there is no love lost between Heupel and OU now and he's now a Tennessee man through and through.
-Kellie Harper was very kind and engaging. My wife spent some time talking about basketball with her (my wife coaches middle school girls) and the fact that our daughter is a student manager for the Cincinnati women's team who would love to work for the Lady Vols one day. Kellie asked her name, asked questions about her, and was very genuine. I really hope she succeeds at Tennessee, because I think she's all class.
-When the coaches got on stage to talk (roundtable discussion style with Kesling as the host), it was the Rick Barnes Comedy Hour, but the other two showed some wit too. At one point, Barnes made fun of Heupel's signature and said, "when did you start practicing signing your name...the 7th or 8th grade?" Heupel said, "well unlike you, I was signing autographs during my playing days." Kellie lost it. At another point, they were talking about their worst run-ins with officials during games. Barnes talked about some instances, Harper talked about some instances, then Barnes said, "Josh always gets away with it, though." Heupel said, "Didn't get away with it in the Orange Bowl." I wish someone had asked what he said.
It was a great event. Loved meeting and engaging with our coaches. We have as healthy an athletics department as any school in America. I had hoped to meet Danny White and thank him for that, but he was in Cincinnati for obvious reasons.
-Rick Barnes was late. I asked Steve Hamer if he knew where Barnes was and Steve told me Coach was stuck in traffic. He had not come to Nashville with Heupel and Harper because he'd been out recruiting. They had to send an escort out to get him. Just as Barnes arrived, Steve told me that Chris Ledlum had just committed. After Barnes did his radio spot with 104.5, he signed autographs and we were one of the first to greet him. He said he'd "been up in Boston recruiting." My wife asked him if it was cold up there. He said it was cold and the wind was awful. But obviously, it was a successful trip.
-I had Josh Heupel sign a Tennessee mini helmet for me. I joked with him that "my wife told me to ask you to sign an Oklahoma helmet, but I told her you'd refuse." He said (with a tone of adamance), "That's right. It's all orange over here now." The man behind me had an Oklahoma card that he had Heupel sign. But there was a photographer taking shots of everything and CJH told the photographer, "No photos of me signing that OU card." The photographer said, "yes sir." It was pretty clear to me that there is no love lost between Heupel and OU now and he's now a Tennessee man through and through.
-Kellie Harper was very kind and engaging. My wife spent some time talking about basketball with her (my wife coaches middle school girls) and the fact that our daughter is a student manager for the Cincinnati women's team who would love to work for the Lady Vols one day. Kellie asked her name, asked questions about her, and was very genuine. I really hope she succeeds at Tennessee, because I think she's all class.
-When the coaches got on stage to talk (roundtable discussion style with Kesling as the host), it was the Rick Barnes Comedy Hour, but the other two showed some wit too. At one point, Barnes made fun of Heupel's signature and said, "when did you start practicing signing your name...the 7th or 8th grade?" Heupel said, "well unlike you, I was signing autographs during my playing days." Kellie lost it. At another point, they were talking about their worst run-ins with officials during games. Barnes talked about some instances, Harper talked about some instances, then Barnes said, "Josh always gets away with it, though." Heupel said, "Didn't get away with it in the Orange Bowl." I wish someone had asked what he said.
It was a great event. Loved meeting and engaging with our coaches. We have as healthy an athletics department as any school in America. I had hoped to meet Danny White and thank him for that, but he was in Cincinnati for obvious reasons.
