Guitar Shots to the Head – August 21

I have often wondered what it takes to make a journalist or any news contributor bare his or her soul to an audience. The last week of my life has given me a small taste. I had premature twins born last Sunday, and it looks like they will be spending a little time in the hospital. There is nothing like watching your kids sit in a hospital room knowing there is very little that you can do to comfort them. I spend hours driving back and forth to the hospital, and more time catching up at the office once I have visited the boys.

For the last few days, I have also felt a little guilt, that has revealed the inner football nut that exists within me. You see, I always find an hour or so during the day to visit the Nation. Don’t get me wrong. I would spend my last dollar, run through a brick wall, and defend my kids with my last breath. I would not spend my last dollar to follow the Vols (even if I did it once when I was in college).

I will admit this to my fellow Vols on the board. My relationship to football is very special. The entertainment value of wondering what my beloved Volunteers may or may not achieve this year offers a welcome respite to caring for my lovely wife and my three kids. This week’s “Guitar Shots to the Head” is part of that therapy. Surely there are more important things in life than Tennessee football, but in facing the truth I realize that those “things” are few and far between.

So, for those of you that ask, “How can Lexy be writing a blog with two boys in the hospital?”, allow me explain it this way. The times that I will share in Neyland with my daughter and two boys will eventually be memories that I take with me to my grave, and hopefully in time, my kids will say the same thing. So as you read this week’s Shots, please know that this small part of my life is helping keep Lexvol sane.

The first order of business is handing the “Intercontinental Belt” to Hatvol. He earned it this week with his “Ten Reasons that Tennessee is Better than Cal”. One cannot help but think of Steve Bartkowski dropping back to pass, and looking for a safe place to fall as his offensive line crumbles around him. That is definitely some imagery that we can all apply to Longshore and the rest of his west coast pretenders.

However, for all of you thinking that UT is going to spread the field and throw the ball around against Cal, here is your Shot To The Head. Look for the Vols to line up and try to ram the ball right down the throat of this Cal defense. Like it or not, that is how it is going to happen.

To posters who have inside sources, you will soon be picking my guitar strings out of your teeth. It has taken me a while to realize this, because I too have sources close to the program, but the bottom line is really this. Nobody knows how this UT team will perform until kick off at the Cal game.

Here is a rare and special “Shot to the Head” this week for Erik Ainge. By most accounts Erik still looks tentative in the pocket. Now some will be critical of this shot, but before you get too excited, just think about this. Erik has supposedly taken the reigns of this offensive football team. It is time for him to man up, stay healthy, and prove that he is a leader on the field.

Speaking of becoming a man, I would like to give the 2005 recruiting class a gigantic lump on the melon. Fellas, if you are in there, some contribution this year would be nice. We all had pretty high hopes for this bunch, and much was made of their talents and abilities. Morely is gone along with all of his friends he was recruiting down in South Florida, and as much as I don’t want to mention it, I cannot help but think of the way Raymond Henderson was treated in relationship to the way Coker is being handled now. We could sure use his presence on a thin defensive line this year.

Thanks to all of the posters who were willing to wade through my convoluted ramblings through the weeks. Until the next edition, Go Vols.