p9morbid

so basically you're saying that people should be allowed to show up naked and smoke cigarettes at the Maryville High games too? Give me a break.

It's a realistic possibility that Alcoa will lose to: 1. Kentucky team 2. Maryville 3. Fulton 4. McCallie It's a realistic possibility that Alcoa could win all 4 of those games. It's an even more realistic possibility that Alcoa could win/lose a combination of those games. I'm just saying, Alcoa's got a pretty tough schedule this fall. At least, tough compared to what they're used to.

alcoa could have drilled Fulton last year, they're not really a "HUGE" problem. They won 3A which is easier than winning 2A. Maryville is good every year, and if Alcoa doesn't beat them this year -- they may never beat them again. Losing their senior QB to the SEC, this couldn't be anything but a "down" year for MHS, despite having all kinds of talented players. It's definitely a good possibility that Alcoa will lose 4 games and win the state championship this coming season.

this is not a First Amendment issue, sorry.

why don't they just play cover 2-man all night and press the corners?

one way or another it would be a close game.

so until someone can attribute a "problem" to maryville, they should be allowed to do whatever they want? That's a rhetorical question. Of course not, trying to PREVENT things from happening is always better than waiting until they happen to say oops. Let's be honest, the rebel flag thing is not THAT big of a deal in the whole scope of "wrong" vs. "right." But, I have respect for good-hearted people that are trying to make the right decision. The flag is prejudicial to some people and it just makes sense to eliminate the possibility of it creating a problem down the road. It's probably the right thing to do.

indifference is the devil's only bargaining chip. keep that in mind.

this thread is going places as long as people don't start with the "X team plays a weak schedule and that's why they win so much" stuff. It's just inevitable.

so what exactly is the unfair advantage that maryville and central have? I'm just missing the point apparently.

Does Fulton play Hoptown or whatever? That's crazy if two Knox area schools play the same Kentucky team in the same season. Both teams won state last year in TN fyi.

like I said, I don't think for one second that the Maryville High School populous waves their Rebel flag with an insensitive motivation. However, that doesn't disqualify the flag from being insensitive. It IS a symbol of MHS pride and has been part of their tradition for many years. Nevertheless, it's congruently a different symbol to a LOT of other people. Should it be banned? Apparently the MHS school board thinks that the insensitivity of the flag is large enough to warrant it's discontinuance.

that has to be a 1st time for Alcoa to have 3/20 top TN players.

this is a loaded question if i've ever heard of one.

The point is, if Maryville changed its nickname from "Rebels" the flag would not be so controversial. Period. You get what you pay for, and in this case...Maryville isn't kidding anyone. I do not believe the flag waving to be deliberately insensitive; however, it IS insensitive nonetheless. If you've been hiding underneath a rock for the past 200 years, the flag was used as a means of identification for Confederate states during the Civil War -- a war fought for many economic reasons, most notably the livelihood of Southern slave owners being diminished by Lincoln. Anybody that honestly believes in their heart that a rebel flag is "heritage not hate" is: A. Perhaps not old enough to understand the complexity of historical context(s) or B. Just a stupid redneck (i'm not black)

try this thread (which is on the first page by the way).

being that Alcoa generally has the blessing of good athletes, it's hard for me to see a coach sticking around for very long. You cannot blame Meadows for leaving, and I certainly wouldn't blame Reid if he decided to use Alcoa as a "stepping stone" kind of job. If I were in the business of coaching I would probably try to "move up" in the ranks as best I could.

IMO the kid from Powell is a better football player than the kid from central. He's probably the best QB in the Knoxville area this year, at least until the season starts.

The bottom line is, Alcoa is taking a needed step in the right direction. By no fault of their own the majority of their schedule usually included cakewalk games. There is something to be said about scheduling an unnecessary out of state opponent just for the challenge of it. Same deal with scheduling McCallie...they didn't have to schedule them, but the program is on the "up and up" when you're scheduling hard games "just because you can." I think one way or another, Alcoa is moving forward rather than idling in their comfort zone of mediocrity.

look...4.2 40 is in the top 2.5% in the nation (including track athletes). 4.3 40 is like...top 5%. It's not completely impossible, but the "conditions" under which these people run their sprint matter a great deal. Some coaches mandate players wear shoulder-pads and helmet. Others allow players to wear gym shorts and no shirt. There are 10,000 factors that can be contributed to a fast/slow 40 time. Hand timed vs. hip number? Even if it's a pistol start...the sound of the gun is delayed [similar to fireworks (which is why they have "acu-track" in high school/college athletics)]. I congratulate anyone in high school who can run 4.2-4.39 because they will be undoubtedly rich in their elder years.

Graig Cooper is definitely the #1 RB in TN this coming season. After that, there's no telling. There are a LOT of good RBs that could play defense at D1 level, but in terms of high school running backs...Cooper takes the cake in 2005.

i bet that felt good to get off your chest.

Man...this is the HONEST truth about Farragut. I certainly do NOT mean any disrespect to their program at all...because i'm just talking about their general school populous. Most of the kids there are more concerned about trying to "appear" redneck (driving old SUVs, wearing camo hats w/fish hooks, etc) than they are about football. They're not going to be "awesome" at football anytime soon.

I'll agree that Joey Fiegler is the best QB turned punter. Let's just be honest, he's not going to be playing QB anywhere in 2007.

entertainment tax in Knoxville is one of the highest in the nation. If you're going to charge people money to see a concert, sporting event, etc., etc., you pay a royalty to the city of Knoxville on the front end. This is the same reason why Knoxville doesn't get very many good concerts and certainly not very many big sporting events. Simply put, larger profit margins can be achieved at other locations. This is the EXACT reason that the "Spring Fling" was moved to Memphis (from Chattanooga).