TankTalk

I hope, since this was the selection committee's recommendation, this is true. However, I am scratching my head because as of a late-afternoon conversation with both Chuck Carringer and coach Gaddis, no hire has been made. Hopefully, this mess will "officially" be over soon. It's causing my already-thinning hair to fall out.

I just had a great interview with coach Gaddis about another situation. He is very fun to talk with and if he does indeed get offered the job, I can't wait to work him.

I am sorry, but I have compared the two "stud" running backs in question ... and have made my selection. It was a tough one, but it has been made. Best of luck to both of them this season. How do they compare on yards per carry? I don't really know. I wouldn't hold it against your running back if his team had deep-playoff success, by the way.

Yikes! I did jump the gun ... but it was you all that made me trigger happy, hehe. No seriously, this is a real messed up situation. I hope the right thing is done. Why even have a process with a committee if you are not going to allow them to do the job? This leaves me scratching my head. None of this is in today's paper, because I just didn't feel right about helping spread the wildfire ... sure it will/has spread without any of my help. I am resigned to wait on the call from Chuck with a name of the head coach. After that, I pray everyone can get together and get back to business. By the way, what catscratch has said, is pretty much true, as sad as that is.

I don't think you compare that extra game or two. Total numbers have never really factored into my equasion anyway. Some running backs don't play as tough as competition as others. Should we penalize them as well? Perhaps. Look at yards per carry ... that's a pretty good way to compare 5A backs. I think it's stupid to not use playoff success in the Mr. Football award. Should a Mr. Football winner not also be good enough to lead their team deep into the playoffs? *shrug* I think so ... but that's just an opinion. I have seen many running backs on the high school level in Tennessee. There are some really good ones. I had the honor of seeing Spencer at the tail end of the season last year and he is as good on the high school level that I have ever seen. Of course, my work has been in East Tennessee for the most part, so I can't in good conscience come on here and say who is the best back in 5A this year. I wouldn't trade Gulmire for anyone, however.

Guess I have been doing it wrong for 16 years, but when keeping stats, I do it for the entire season. If that includes playoffs - then it includes playoffs. Spencer finished with 2,058 last year if I am not mistaken. Look at his attempts and it was evident that he was done by halftime in many of those games. Lot of good running backs in 5A, no doubt about that.

Could probably say that Daniels-Mulholland as well, since he turned down a full ride to walk on for the Vols. I know he didn't technically get a scholarship, but the offer was indeed on the table.

I would be happy to start working on that. If anyone has leads of players currently playing college, let me know. tank.johnson@oakridger.com Since I came at the end of football season, you may have noticed in my Gameday Previews, I was starting to run small stories about former Wildcats playing college ball. It is something I plan on doing on a continuous basis during the season.

Tommy Laurendine serves as offensive coordinator for the Mulerider football team. Laurendine came to SAU from the University of West Alabama in Livingston, where he was the offensive coordinator from 1997 to 1999. Before his stint at UWA, he was the offensive coordinator at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., from 1995 to 1996. Laurendine began his coaching career in 1990 as a student assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., where he had an outstanding collegiate career. From there, he was a graduate assistant at the University of West Georgia, where he coached wide receivers and tight ends. His next assignment was at Dalton, Ga., where he coached quarterbacks at Northwest High School. As a standout quarterback in college, Laurendine earned two letters at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., before transferring to Lenoir-Rhyne in 1988, where he was the 1988 and 1989 South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, shattering several school records. A native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., Laurendine earned his B.A. degree in physical education from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1990 and a Master?s degree from West Georgia in 1993. He is married to the former Shawna Sauls, who was hired as the head volleyball coach at SAU in 2001. The Laurendine?s have two daughters, three-year old Alexa Landry, and newborn Lakin Lee.

OK, now that I have regained control of myself and remembered that I have been through this before ... I have to apologize. The players meeting was scheduled well in advance of today to discuss some fundraising things and to get an idea of players who were going out, that had not been on the team prior. I just got off the phone with the head of the committee and have been guaranteed that no hire has been made. There are three on the board and a decision is coming very quickly. The excitement, I believe, really got to people today due to some things that could have been said in the halls of ORHS. I got caught up with it due to what seems like a million phone calls/e-mails about the situation. I am going to stick with Carringer and hope he is telling me the truth on this one. It's not here yet, but the light at the end of the tunnel is much more clear. Of course, this post is subject to change on a minute-by-minute basis.

Players meeting confirmed. Surprise ending confirmed.

Didn't mean to imply I knew anything officially. Just the tap dancing I have got on the phone all day leads me to think a hire has been made. Perhaps they are waiting on Chuck to get back from his conference, or meetings out of town. Think he is scheduled back tomorrow evening. I have never spent this much time in the office during the afternoon, praying for the phone call to come in. In fact, just yesterday a little birdie told me to be waiting this morning because the golden call would in fact be made. So much for that happening, but I am hopeful to hear something soon.

I have no doubt that a hire has in fact been made. When it will become "official" is not yet known. Sadly enough, it will probably be just in time for the Knoxville paper to get the info before the hometown paper does, hehe.

whew, amen on that one ...

I am happy to say that I am 99.9 percent sure that Rankin fans in the boro can breathe easy ...

Well if we have to be skinny and a great athlete to do this job ... I will turn in my resignation Monday morning.

Sportswriters — what a subject to be talking about during such an exciting time of the athletic year. I for one know I am WAY overpaid, expecially during tournament time. I am really glad I have photos of my two children, so I can remember what they look like. But seriously, this profession is like any other. There are some good ones and there are some bad ones. As for the need to be a great athlete to be a great sportswriter — I will continue being an average sportswriter, like I was an average athlete — as long as fans remember they are average most of the time without the chance of scrutiny. But that scrutiny is something we should expect and be used to. I was born with thick skin and it increased with every deadline I almost missed. While I will never be a wealthy man, I do know that I can actually smile every weekday morning when I drive to the office around 4:30 a.m. with another day ahead of me covering our wonderful student-athletes.

I wanted to say something about the top preferences you listed ... I really should have worded that a bit different, because of course I have not talked to every single football fan in Oak Ridge about this. It was pretty much a feel from several that I have spoken with. To be honest, if I was going to rank them as those conversations go, Gray would be first and Rankin wouldn't even be in the top five. I suppose I fell into the "Rankin Rumor" trap and felt the need to let people know he has not even applied for the job. And the 20 applications, the exact quote I got from AD Carringer was "roughly 20," which tells me there are are somewhere between 18 and 22 ... but who knows.

I think the bleacher situation is under control and Lockard said without a doubt, Clinton would still be hosting the regionals.

In the tie situation between Oak Ridge and Powell, they would go with how they did against the next highest seed. If that's the case, as of now, it would be Campbell County in the third position of 3-AAA. Oak Ridge lost to them early, so Powell would get the 1 seed because they swept the Lady Cougars. Could be wrong, but that's how it was explained to me.

I know for a fact the Lady Wildcats got some points ... just not enough to crack the top ten.

Death to AP voters!!!

Way to go Lady Wildcats. Karmen Smith has to get my game ball for practically taking out Powell's leading scoring. The entire team played incredible defense and Oak Ridge hit some crucial shots down the stretch. After watching the game, there is no doubt in my mind who the district Player of the Year is and who the Coach of the Year is. After beating two top 10 teams in a week's time, Oak Ridge continues to get better each time out. The district tournament should be crazy!

That first game was a tough one to watch, both teams really struggled offensively. This is an important game and both squads are playing so much better. Has the potential to be a dandy, but Powell will be tough at home. They have a ton of experience and will be hard to handle.

Well I can't, but I just pasted what the Strohl man sent me. I will take it out of his illustrious stringer pay!!