Sheltered Observations heading to Tumblr

It's official. Sheltered Observations will be moving over to Tumblr.

http://clayjseal.tumblr.com/

It's an easier-to-use blogging interface that will make it a lot easier for me to post every day. I've always wanted to post more frequently, but Blogger isn't the greatest place to post different types of media.

I'll be posting more of everything that strikes my fancy. Music, funny YouTube videos, random blurbs. I hope you join me on the new site.

Path of Loneliness

My time here has ended
I move, but I do not move on
I've never been able to do that
I put my heart away that day to save it for you, its only right possessor
My wish was that our hearts were reading the same book, but maybe weren't on the same page just yet

If you've never been able to shake love for him, I wish that you never do
But, if you ever find yourself on the vague, underexposed path of loneliness
You'll find me, waiting for you

Tennessee-Florida gallery

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go on the field for the Vols' game against Florida and get some photos for TNJN.com, Tennessee's student news website. It was pretty cool being on the field, but it was a lot of work. I definitely like it better up in the press box writing the game stories (and being in air conditioning and eating free food).

I got a couple of really awesome pictures. The rest were nearly perfect, but were blurry due to the fact I've never shot a game as fast as football.

Love at first sight

The existence of love at first sight has been a topic of debate for centuries.

Western literature and poetry (as well as Hallmark commercials) have definitely helped popularize the notion. Countless movies feature it (Big Fish, when Edward first sees Sandra and time stands still), and with many of the stories assuming the couple lives happily ever after, it makes it a really nice idea for people to believe.

There are many people who don't like the idea of love at first sight (as well as the idea of soul mates). They believe that you can only love someone after deep emotional intimacy is achieved, which usually involves lots of time spent getting to know each other and building the relationship.

So, is there really love at first sight?

Yes.

It's real and I'll tell you how I know: I've had it happen to me...twice.

The only way I can explain the first time it happened is with sappy romantic cleches, but it's the best I can do

I was at freshman orientation for college and I was in line at the cafeteria for lunch. I was alone in a new place, and was questioning my college choice. I just wanted to go home. Then this girl next to me said, "I think I'm just going to hang out with you."

I was speechless. This beautiful girl, who was glowing like Lacey Chabert in Not Another Teen Movie, was talking to me. I thought I was getting pranked. Nevertheless, this irrational feeling that she was special took over me. She claimed that we had dabbled in brief small talk just a few minutes before, but I have no recollection of that.

As I got to know her during the year, she was definitely worth a love at first sight scene. We got along very well. She was the typical perfect girl: smart, funny, cute. The kind of girl that makes your heart skip every time you get a text message because it might be her. I definitely was in love with her, even though I eventually told her how I felt and she didn't feel the same way about me.

The other time it happened to me was more bizarre.

It was a girl that I have known since I was little. Our parents had been friends since before they had most of their children. We had been close family friends, but it had probably been 10 years since I had seen this girl in person.

I knew she was very pretty, I had seen her on facebook. I went to her graduation party, mingled with a few old friends, and then I saw her walk through the kitchen.

Once again, I was in shock. No filter/glow effect, but she was still amazing to me. The strange part was that right when I saw her I thought, I'm going to marry her. How messed up is that? I hadn't even talked to her since I was under five feet tall. How could I even think that?

I was so nervous that I waited about 45 minutes until I finally talked to her. I introduced myself because I didn't know if she'd even recognize me. She did. Wee hugged and talked for just a minute before we were interrupted. But I was in la-la land the whole time. Once again, I barely know anything about her, and vice versa.

Still, since then I haven't stopped thinking about this girl of which I have about 45 seconds of shared experience.

You might be thinking, Clay, you're just a hopeless romantic who's been too influenced by the media. You're only partially correct.

I think about girls a lot. Ever since I had my first crush in elementary school, I dreamed of getting married and starting a family. So it would make sense that I would see movies with two strangers falling in love and want my life to be like that.

The thing is that I'm constantly looking at the girls on campus (you know, because I'm a creep), and I think a lot of them are very good looking. I'm physically attracted to them. But love at first sight hasn't happened with any of them.

Another problem people have with love at first sight, is that their definition of love is different. Love is more of a commitment than a feeling to them, which I agree with. When you say you love your spouse, until death do you part, you are not just saying that you hope the lovey-dovey will last, but that you promise to care for each other and have each other's best interest at heart and never get divorced.

As well as people's different ideas of what love is, there are definitely different types of love. You love your family, friends and spouses all different ways, with each of those categories having different loves within them. This may explain why my two love at first sight experiences were different.

Finally, here's what I think.

For two people to be compatible enough to have a chance at a lifelong bond there has to be more than physical and emotional attraction. Something that separates friendship from something more. I have a few friends that I think are stunning, but I have no romantic interest in them whatsoever. This isn't to say that love at first sight has to happen, but there needs to be something more.

It's that extra, inexplicable and initial connection. Something that doesn't make any sense, which to some people, lessens its legitimacy. But a friend recently told me that the harder it is to explain, the more legitimate it is. I buy that.

To those who think that the idea of love at first sight is irrational, when is love ever rational?

Cyclones' coach Weber moves on to Rochester, won't forget Cincinnati

This was a story I wrote for Channel 9 (WCPO.com) but was not published due to technical errors. Enjoy.


When Cincinnati Cyclones head coach Chuck Weber took the head coaching job for the Rochester Americans of the AHL July 27, one of his main concerns was setting up a working relationship between his new team and old one.

"That was a big thing for me moving on to the (Florida) Panthers organization," said Weber. "I said, 'Would you be willing to use Cincinnati as your primary (ECHL) affiliate?'"

His influence proved weighty, as the Panthers of the NHL, who already use Rochester as their AHL farm team, penned a minor league affilliation agreement with the Cyclones Aug. 4.

For Weber, the man who led Cincinnati to unprecedented success during his four seasons as head coach, the opportunity to move up the totem pole to the AHL while maintaining a strong connection to the team he built is very important.

"The Cyclones have such a great reputation in the hockey community for developing players and just a great winning environment," said Weber. "So, being able to continue that association was huge for me."

Even though his contract with the Cyclones has expired and he has a new job, Weber will remain in Cincinnati for about another month helping his former team prepare for the upcoming season.

"I want what's best for this organization," said Weber. "We were able to put hockey on the map back here in the past four years. We want to keep it going. We want the new coach to come in and hit the gorund running and be able to have an exceptional team on the ice again next year."

And "put hockey on the map" is an understatement.

Financial issues forced the franchise to suspend operations after the end of the 2003-2004 season and they did not compete again until the 2006-2007 season when Weber was hired on for his first gig as a head coach after serving as an assistant coach for seven seasons.

In four seasons he compiled a 177-92-19 record (.648 winning percentage) on his way to two Kelly Cup Championships, three American Conference finals appearances and two North Division titles.

During the Cyclones' first Kelly Cup campaign in 2007-2008, attendance rose 37 percent to lead all minor league hockey teams that season. Attendance rose 23 percent the next season and 25 percent last season. A total of 139,919 fans attended regular-season games at US Bank Arena in 2009-1010, breaking the former franchise record set in 2002-2003.

The team's success spoke for itself, but Weber's coaching accomplishments were more than noteworthy during his four-year stay in Cincinnati. Weber won the ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2008 after finishing second in voting the year before. His 177 wins are the third-most in for an ECHL coach in his first four years and his 45 playoff victories rank as the most by any ECHL coach in a five-year span (even though he did it in four years).

Those achievements allowed him to move on to Rochester, where the games are all televised and the team is maybe the second-most popular in the city behind the Buffalo Sabres.

Nevertheless, with the Cyclones' new deal with the Panthers, Weber is not leaving Cincinnati in the rear-view mirror. He still uses "we" to refer to his now former team.

"Everyone in the hockey community knows we do everything first class," Weber said. "For how we travel to the living arrangements...

"And just the fact, the growth of the fans. Guys love to play in front of people. They don't want to come to an arena that has 500 people in it. The growth that we've made allows us to become a premiere destination for guys if they're not getting National Hockey League contracts.

"They want to come to Cincinnati."

Five years ago there was literally no reason for professional hockey players to come to Cincinnati. But thanks to Weber, there are now plenty of reasons.

Appeal of liberalism

"Liberalism is easy. It doesn't solve diddly-squat. Liberalism makes things worse but, boy, it's easy to be liberal. It's easy to let somebody feed you. It's easy to let somebody pay you not to work. It's easy to be praised as caring because all you've got to do is look at suffering and say, "Oh, that's horrible." And you can even be more highly thought of if you say, "Let's take somebody else's money and give it to that person; it's not fair!" Oh, then you are a star liberal. See how easy that is?" - Rush Limbaugh


I don't care if you like him or not, Rush speaks the truth right here. The whole transcript from this part of his radio show a few days ago is the truth. No argument.

Pics from Bengals training camp check-ins

I have an internship with the sports team at Channel 9 (ABC) in Cincinnati this summer and they let me tag along to the check-ins July 28 for the Cincinnati Bengals training camp. I got a bunch of pictures of Chad Ochocinco, Carson Palmer, Marvin Lewis and a few other guys. Take a look at the photo album on flickr.

My flickr page

Finally got to take some outdoor sports pictures with my Nikon D3000 that I got for Christmas. Covered a Lady Vols tennis match and a Vols baseball game. Check out my flickr page with some of my photos. Hopefully I'll be able to do a lot more this summer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clayjseal

Izzo, Michigan St. end Vols' tourney run

If you look at the stats for Michigan State's 70-69 win over Tennessee, you'll see that they were about as close as the score was.

The Vols shot 24-of-48 from the field (7-of-16 from 3-point range), the Spartans shot 24-of-52 (6-of-18 from 3-point range). Tennessee was 14-of-21 on free throws, while Michigan State went 16-of-21 from the charity line. On the glass, each team had 24 rebounds. Both teams were also careful with the ball, giving up just 10 turnovers each.

On paper, it was close. Really close. Yet the Spartans are the ones wearing the Final Four hats and t-shirts, hoisting up the regional championship trophy and getting the CBS post-game interviews, while the Vols sat with their heads in their hands, reliving each moment that could have gone the other way and maybe changed the outcome of the game.

You could blame Brian Williams for missing two free throws that would have tied the game with less than five minutes left. You could blame the refs for missing some foul calls on Michigan State in the paint. You could blame J.P. Prince for getting two fouls in three seconds, leading to an 8-1 run by the Spartans while he was on the bench.

The fact of the matter is that each of the nine Vols who took shots during the game missed at least one. That's pretty much how it goes in every game at any level. Unnecessary analysis of every play is pointless, especially since the game is over.

If you're looking for the real reason why the Vols lost, look no further than Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.

In 15 seasons as the head coach, Izzo has accumulated a 363-144 record and taken the Spartans to 13 straight NCAA Tournaments. In his fourth season, he led Michigan State to its first Final Four since 1979, and the Spartans won the national championship the next season. Since winning the national title, Izzo has made it back to four Final Fours, including a championship game appearance last season.

Izzo has a strong argument to say he's the best coach in the country. Saying the Vols didn't win because of avoidable mistakes is just getting it wrong, because it degrades Izzo and his team of their accomplishment. They advanced two rounds without starting point guard Kalin Lucas, who led the team in scoring this season.

Against a Vols team that had dominated its past two opponents inside the paint, Izzo hit the mark on his defensive strategy. Michigan State made a non-factor out of Wayne Chism, who terrorized Ohio State inside in the Sweet 16, holding him to just three points in the second half. The Spartans held their ground in the paint, forcing the Vols to play on the perimeter for much of the game.

When the game came down to the wire, it was clear that Izzo and his players had been there before, and UT head coach Bruce Pearl and the Vols had not.

On the last Michigan State possession after Scotty Hopson made one of two free throws to tie the game, there was apparent confusion about defensive assignments, forcing Prince to bite the bullet and commit a foul with two seconds left. When the Vols had 1.6 seconds left to inbound the ball and get a 3-point attempt, they completely botched the play when Prince, a not-so-adept long-range shooter, took a half-court shot that was nowhere close to the rim.

Maybe the players didn't execute instructions, but blame ends up falling on Pearl. However, he shouldn't have to face too much fire. After all, he did just deliver Tennessee's first Elite Eight appearance and nearly had them in the Final Four as a six-seed.

The Vols survived a scare against San Diego State, found their stride against Ohio, held on to beat a national player of the year in Evan Turner and Ohio State, then stayed close and played a solid brand of basketball against an elite defensive team in Michigan State, all while several people picked UT to lose in the first-round.

There's no shame in putting forth true effort and coming up short. No shame at all.

Sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way.

Chism wills Vols to first ever Elite Eight

There are so many storylines for the Vols making their first Elite Eight in school history with a 76-73 win against Ohio State.

Wayne Chism's performance takes the cake.

The senior scored 18 of his team-leading 22 points in the second half, dominating inside the paint. It was clear that Chism was not willing to let his UT career end without making history. After two previous trips to the Sweet 16 with no victories, Chism willed his team to the next round, giving the Vols the lead twice in the final six minutes.

And talking to Bill Raftery after the game on national television, Chism could have been cocky and gloated in the moment. Instead, he kept things classy and calm, making it apparent that even this isn't satisfying enough of an accomplishment to put things in cruise control the rest of the way.

Seniors J.P. Prince and Bobby Maze were also big contributors in the historic win. Prince, who had 14 points, mostly avoided his usual bonehead plays, and even stuffed Evan Turner on a desperation 3-point attempt that could have tied the game. Maze added a quiet 10 points, but helped the Vols defense keep the Buckeyes' shooting in check.

It was appropriate that Chism dominated the floor after entering the second half trailing to Ohio State. He is the only current Vol who played in the 85-84 Sweet 16 loss to Ohio State in 2007. In that contest, he logged just six points in 17 minutes of play while watching his team give up a 17-point halftime lead to the eventual national runners-up.

Seriously, though: of all five of Bruce Pearl's UT squads, it would be this one that made it to the Elite Eight.

We all know about "the incident," so I won't even talk about it or do any hyperlinks. But after losing three players indefinitely and permanently dismissing two-time All-SEC player Tyler Smith, the makeup of this team seriously changed.

This would have been a very understandable time to curl up and die. Instead, they banned together. They played some ugly basketball, lost a few bad games, but eventually found their way.

Despite an improbable recovery of the season, the Vols continued their signature poor postseason play in the SEC Tournament, including a 73-45 romping from the hands of Kentucky, they looked poise to be another NCAA Tournament burnout.

Instead, the Vols took their six-seed, played like they actually had a chip on their shoulder (instead of just making the claim) and made history.

But the Vols might not be finished just yet. Tennessee can advance to the Final Four with a win Sunday over Tom Izzo and Michigan State.

That's no small task, even though the Spartans lost Kalin Lucas to injury in the second round of this tournament. Michigan State has been here before, and the Vols obviously haven't.

But so far in this tournament, the Vols look like a team that won't be satisfied with an Elite Eight bid.

It appears they know there's more history that can be written.

(Read the original story at TNJN.com)

Vols beat Ohio, move on to Sweet 16

Solid performance, Vols. You took Option Three, and I'm eating my words.

UT advanced to its third Sweet 16 in four years with a 83-68 win over 14th-seeded Ohio Saturday. The Vols didn't just avoid another upset bid like they did against 11-seed San Diego State Thursday, they proved that they were the better team.

There's one main reason Tennessee won: the Vols outscored the Bobcats 58-12 in the paint.

It's no secret that Tennessee's half-court offense has been shaky this year, as it usually consists of the Vols passing the ball around the perimeter and taking a contested jumper with the shot clock winding down. But hats off to Bruce Pearl and his staff for understanding what they had to do to win the game. They kept play inside the arc, only shooting 14 3-pointers (they made five).

The Vols also had a solid defensive night against guards Armon Bassett and D.J. Cooper, who combined for 55 points 10-of-18 3-point shooting in Ohio's first round upset of Georgetown.

Bassett, who averaged over 29 points a game in Ohio's last five games, was held to just seven points in 40 minutes of play. That's a testament to Bobby Maze, who has has successfully defended multiple high-scoring guards this season.

Depth also played a role in the game, with Tennessee's bench outscoring Ohio's 28-16. It should be noted that DeVaughn Washington scored all 16 of those point, and while he didn't start, he did play all but two minutes of the game. In Ohio's 97-point outing in the first round, its bench only accounted for 10 points.

Now the Vols get to play in the Sweet 16, where things really start heating up. They'll play the winner of the 2-10 match-up of Ohio State and Georgia Tech.

The Vols have always played better as the underdog (refer to the 2007 tournament), so they could do well against the two-seed Ohio State. Since few of these Vols were around when Ohio State came back from 17 points down to beat the UT 85-84 in 2007's Sweet 16, I'm not even going to say that revenge will be a factor. But after seeing how Tennessee responded against Kansas and Kentucky, I imagine they would elevate their play against the Buckeyes.

Georgia Tech would be the other option for the Vols in the round of 16. The Yellow Jackets were one of the last at-large teams placed in the tournament, and pretty much only made it in because they gave Duke a close game in the ACC Tournament.

Although Georgia Tech has been inconsistent this season, it features three players with NBA talent. ESPN Insider has power forward Derrick Favors projected to be a top-five pick in this year's NBA Draft, while Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert are rated as potential first-round picks, too. Their size alone could bother the Vols, as Favors is 6-10, and Lawal is 6-9.

What some of these Vols will remember is getting smacked by Louisville in 2008's Sweet 16, 79-60. Between that and a first-round exit last year, there has to be a bitter taste on the some of these guys' tongues.

Expect Wayne Chism, as well as the other seniors, to lift this team on their shoulders in hopes to do something no other Tennessee team has done: reach the Elite Eight.

(Read the original story at TNJN.com)

Vols escape Aztecs, will need more to advance

The Vols have found their niche in college basketball this season as the clumsiest thieves around.

Despite being the only team in the country this season to knock off two teams that were at one point ranked No. 1, the sixth-seeded Vols were one of the popular upset picks of the first round. Many thought they would fall in their matchup against 11th-seeded San Diego State.

Tennessee escaped with a 62-59 win Thursday against the Aztecs, but only after breaking a decorative vase, having the watch dog gnaw on their legs and setting off the alarms.

But hey, they got away, and you can't really complain about that. For the sake of argument, though, let's do just that.

UT received a sixth-seed for the NCAA Tournament, which many felt was too low for a team that won 25 games. As if that wasn't a big enough slap in the face, CBS analyst Seth Davis immediately picked the Aztecs to upset the Vols, which seemed to influence many brackets around the nation.

Along with the bitter taste of last year's first-round exit from the NCAA tournament and last week's 29-point thrashing at the hands of Kentucky, one would think Tennessee would put everything they had into looting this year's event for everything it was worth.

Thursday night, however, saw a team that, once again, had an inexplicable lack of drive and motivation.

Within minutes it was clear that SDSU was not a team to be scared of. The Vols had definitely knocked off bigger foes. But UT just couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, runaway with a game that could have been theirs with much less nailbiting.

Credit where credit is due, Tennessee did some things well. The Vols shot 47 percent from beyond the arc and only committed 10 turnovers. Those are numbers belonging to great teams.

As tends to be a trademark with the Vols though, the box score did not describe everything. There were a lot of air balls, they didn't have a scathing defens, and no Vol had an overall commanding presence that the tournament tends to demand from winning teams.

Yes, a win's a win, and the name of the game in postseason play is 'survive and advance.' Especially for these Vols, who perennially struggle in postseason play. But you can't convince me they played like a team that truly deserves a Sweet 16 spot.

With 14th-seeded Ohio's upset of third-seeded Georgetown, it appears that Tennessee's road to their third Sweet 16 in four years has become much easier, although, Ohio should not be underestimated in the slightest. The Bobcats shot over 50 percent from 3-point range and had two players combine for 55 points Thursday.

There are three scenarios that can occur Saturday afternoon:

1. The Vols lose: They come out slow and are blindsided by Ohio's ability. The Vols can't escape the hole they dig for themselves, giving a disappointing end to the careers of three seniors who have been heavy contributors.

2. The Vols win: They play with an unconvincing matter, not their very best effort, but just well enough to get by.

3. The Vols dominate: They play competitive and tough basketball from the get-go, handling a team that they are better than, giving them plenty of momentum and confidence heading into the Sweet 16 and beyond.

Obviously, as a UT fan hope for Option three. I'm not expecting this team to make some crazy run for a National title, but I expect to see heart. I expect to see pride. I expect their best effort.

Because as we've seen this season, when the sincere effort is there, this team can accomplish very special things.

(Read the original article at TNJN.com)

Pearl's Vols continue to underachieve

When Tennessee got romped by Vanderbilt 90-71 last night in Nashville, it once again left many Vols fans scratching their heads. In reality though, the game answered the biggest question of them all: Will Tennessee make a run in the NCAA Tournament this year?

Sorry, folks. It's not going to happen. In fact, this loss essentially knocks Tennessee out of contention to defend their SEC East crown. Even though the Vols beat No. 1 Kansas in January, all of the sudden they're not even a sure thing to make it into the tournament.

This team seems to be absolutely incapable of winning outside of Knoxville. Four of their five losses this season have been away from Thompson-Boling Arena. This just in: the Vols won't get to play any postseason games in front of their home fans.

The best teams play well wherever they go, because at the end of the day, it's still the same size ball on the same size court with the same rules. The only difference is what color sweatshirts the crowd is wearing.

No. 12 Tennessee is supposed to be an elite team, but it hasn't been very convincing. In fact, any time a Bruce Pearl team has had weight upon their shoulders they've collapsed.

Despite poor play toward the end of the season in 2006, the Vols received a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament in Pearl's first year at UT. They needed a buzzer beater from Chris Lofton to make it past 15-seed Winthrop in the first round. They lost 80-73 to Wichita State in the second round.

The Vols once again had a No. 2 seed in the 2008 tournament, even though many argued they should have been a top-seed. They had an extremely difficult draw, but the Vols were also supposed to be one of the nation's top teams. Despite this, they stumbled past American and Butler, then suffered a devastating 79-60 loss against Louisville in the Sweet 16.

Last season was probably the biggest example of the Vols self-destructive tendencies. With Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism leading the team, as well as the addition of McDonald's All-American Scotty Hopson, Pearl's team looked poised to defend their overall SEC Championship. All it did though, was make a season-long drop out of the top 10 and put together embarrassing performances, culminating in a first-round exit against Oklahoma State.

The only time a Pearl-run Vols team has lived up to the regular season hype it created for itself was in 2007.

The Vols lost a few key SEC games late in the season due to the absence of Lofton to injury and eventually earned a No. 5 seed for the tournament. The team scored a school-record 121 points in a win against Long Beach State in the first round then upset fourth-seeded Virginia in the second round.

UT fell 85-84 in the Sweet 16 against eventual national-runner-up Ohio State, when their 3-point shooting went cold in the second half. Nevertheless, it was the only time Tennessee put together consecutive games that were noteworthy in the NCAA Tournament under Pearl.

Tennessee has had to overcome adversity this season, but we saw that they are very much capable of winning. It's inexcusable that a team with this much talent can lose by 19 points in a rivalry game that has postseason implications.

Pearl has proven to be a solid regular season coach, but he needs to figure out how to keep his team focused and get them playing to their potential in the next month.

Otherwise it will be another year wasted.

(Read the original story at TNJN.com)

Heed the words of Honest Abe

The greatest words from a president that I ever read:

We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names - liberty and tyranny.

-Abraham Lincoln

I wish he were here to guide us today.

The Illusionist

Do you ever walk down the street and and see something along the lines of this?

It's great. Over the past 18 months, I've developed a deep appreciation for a nice set of buns. Other than boobs, the butt is what set woman apart from men. It makes me happy when women appreciate themselves enough to take care of themselves so that they can maintain the superior bodies God intended them to have.

So me being the perv I am, I quicken my pace just a tad so I can catch a glimpse of her face. However, sometimes when I get there I'm extremely disappointed.


Yeah. It ruins my day too. And it happens a lot. I don't understand how or why, but it happens. It's like someone holding an ice cream cone in front of your face on a scorching summer day only to have them drop it on the pavement.

Like I said, I don't know why it happens, I just know that it's not fair and somehow, some way, it must be stopped.

From my lips to yours

How can I tell you how beautiful you look today?
Directly? No, it can't be so
You'd think of me a dog, a scoundrel
And I only want you to think of me as highly as I think of you

I hope he told you how beautiful you look today
I hope he tells you how beautiful you look everyday

If he doesn't, give me a sign
Tell me with your eyes
Tell me with your smile

I've never let this go because I've only grown on you since we met
You look back to me for approval more and more as time passes
Approval of what?
Maybe of him, but I cannot oblige
Though, his shortcomings are brief, they are fatal in that he is not me

Somewhere in your mind you know this
Somewhere in your heart you feel this
Maybe for us to be together those two must be in rhythm,
But for now they are not

And it is now I wish time followed man,
So I could manipulate it, use it for me, use it for us
I wish to skip the part where I lay awake at night,
Hoping to crawl inside your room and just be there,
Even if you knew not I was with you,
I would be with you
I would take your dreams and bring them to life
I would whisper all that you are to me
I would whisper until I need not whisper anymore

For there is nothing I could say,
That couldn't be said better than our fingers intertwined
If I could give this to you, you could read it,
But the only way to truly send this message is from my lips to yours

Reporting on UT coaching situation

As I lounged around on my last night before school started last week, I received a phone call from my sports editor from The Tennessee Journalist (TNJN), UT's student news website, that our football coach Lane Kiffin was leaving to take over at USC. He wanted me to write a brief write-up and post it as soon as I could. I posted it and figured I'd keep my eye on ESPN to see if anything else happened, and that would be that.

Oh, how I was wrong.

Soon after, I got a call from TNJN's editor in chief telling me to get down to Lindsey-Nelson Sports Complex, because Lane Kiffin was giving an exit press conference. This started the most hectic four-day period since I've been at college, as I was part of TNJN's extensive coverage of the coaching search.

I just started writing for TNJN last semester, mostly writing game recaps for women's soccer and men's basketball. I had never been a part of any sort of breaking news coverage like this before, and it was incredible.

I did my first original reporting when I covered the roughly two-thousand student riot in response to Kiffin's leaving. I ran around helping get footage, and interviewed kids to get their opinions on the matter.

For the next couple of days, I was on Twitter just about every minute I was awake, waiting for news on the new coach to break. I didn't even think about the fact that classes were starting up, and that I still had to get my schedule finalized and buy my books.

When Derek Dooley was announced as the new head coach just a few days later, I had the opportunity to cover his introduction press conference at Neyland Stadium, including interviewing players on their views about the hire.

Before Kiffin and Dooley, UT's only had two head coaches since 1977, so this was a rare occurrence that I was honored to be a part of.

It was extremely fun and beneficial for me. I got to sit next to AP reporters and mingle with guys I read from ESPN.com. I'm blessed to have the experience, and I wanted to share the four stories I got out of it:

Kiffin bolts for USC - The original article on Kiffin's press conference
Students riot in response to Kiffin's leaving - Students gathered outside of Kiffin's press conference and lit fire to numerous objects in protest
Dooley introduced as UT head coach - Coverage of Derek Dooley's intro and his thoughts on being UT's next coach
Players react positively to Dooley hiring - Although the players had hardly spent 20 minutes with the new coach, they seemed to take a liking to him

Just a dream

She left with him. I sat alone. She came back without him. Told me to stand up. Told me to kiss her. I did. At that point I knew it was a dream.

She left with him. I sat alone. She came back without him. She sat next to me. Put her head on my shoulder. I rested my head against hers. At that point I knew it was a dream.

She left with him. I sat alone. She never came back. I felt alone while I was among many. At that point I knew it wasn't a dream.

Of all the souls I have encountered...

I watched the recent Star Trek movie, and it was awesome. It had fine acting from some relatively unknown actors. Of course, it made me think of Family Guy, as does everything else, and this clip is probably my favorite Star Trek reference in the series. I've never seen the show, so I probably don't get the more subtle and funnier references, but whatever.

Anyway, go check out the movie. Good intro to the world of Trekkie.

Arrested Vols ignore consequences, fans

Tyler Smith and three other UT basketball players were arrested with drug and weapon charges yesterday.

Oh joy.

Recall November's similar fiasco when three UT football player were arrested for attempted armed robbery, and it might make you think that it's really not all that great to be a Tennessee Vol.

I can't scold these guys for not acting their age because there are plenty of fellow twenty-something-year-olds who get caught in stupid situations like this. However, student-athletes have much more at stake than the rest of us commoners.

For starters, Smith and Cameron Tatum are valuable starters on the nationally-ranked squad (pun fully intended).

There's no doubt that the Vols rely on Smith more than any other player. Not only has he logged the most minutes on the team, he also leads the team in assists with 44 and adds 11.7 points per game, the second most. Smith's hard play and distribution of the ball are the only reason the Vols have been able to manage without a standout point guard.

Tatum has emerged as a valuable player who has started half of the season. He is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 8.7 points per game. Tatum tends to play well when others are having a bad game, which is a very important role.

Let's not forget about Melvin Goins or Brian Williams. Although they mostly come off the bench, both have played in every game. Goins complements Bobby Maze at guard. He plays stout defense, but can also weave his way inside for hard-fought points as we saw against Memphis on New Year's Eve. If the junior college transfer improves his assist-to-turnover ratio, he could be the answer to the Vols woes at his position. Williams has steadily improved over his career, and is invaluable as Wayne Chism's backup in the paint.

Either these young men are too humble to listen to all the praise they get and didn't realize how much Bruce Pearl needs them, or they really are just that stupid.

At a time when this university is struggling with immense budget cuts, the students of this school turn to athletics to ease their overwhelmed minds. Unfortunately all they get is embarrassment and disappointment, while at the same time watching valuable scholarship money essentially being burned in front of their faces.

It probably doesn't matter to them, but I'm very jealous of their scholarships. Including room and board, my bill will add up to about $28,000 just for this year, even though I have been on Dean's List two of my three semesters at UT.

Anybody remember the Family Guy scene where the police are trying to interrogate Kobe Bryant on his alleged raping and he spins the ball on his finger to distract them? It seems these four were thinking like Kobe. And why wouldn't they? If I were an athlete and watched Brandon Spikes eye gouge a kid and only get a 30-minute timeout, I wouldn't worry much about serious consequences to my actions either.

Not to keep making it about me, but I'm insulted by this situation. I didn't even like basketball until just a few years ago when I started watching the Vols, and considering Pearl and his boys were a big reason I came to UT, I feel like a fool. Why would I let kids who clearly don't care about those around them to influence such a big decision in my life?

They don't know me, so I guess I can't take it personally, but you'd think these guys might consider the 20,000 fans at their games who cheer them on against anyone, win or lose, before making stupid decisions.

Then again, they are just twenty-something-year-olds with blinders on.

(Read the original article at TNJN.com)