Like It Is

Orange a fitting color for some Vol fans

Mississippi players stand on the field after the game was delayed because of fans throwing bottles onto the field during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Knoxville, Tenn. Mississippi won 31-26. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

If you are driving through Knoxville, Tenn., in the near future and you see dozens, maybe hundreds, of young people wearing what looks like Tennessee orange jerseys picking up trash, those are the culprits who were caught on video.

That is if the University of Tennessee tries to find all the people who lobbed water and beer bombs at the Ole Miss Rebels, their cheerleaders and apparently their pep band last Saturday night.

The Vols fans were mad at the officials so they started throwing water bottles, most with water in them, beer cans and even a mustard container at the visitors.

Rebels Coach Lane Kiffin almost got hit by a golf ball, and it was a range ball so he can only hit it one time.

Who brings a golf ball to a football game?

Someone who wants to hurt someone.

My eyes, ears and every muscle in my body were telling me to go to bed and get some sleep. It had been a long day covering the Auburn-Arkansas game that kicked at 11 a.m., filing a column and a blog and then driving home, arriving at about 8 p.m.

To wind down, the SEC Network was tuned in to see a game that promised to be pretty good.

And it was, until the Vols went for it on fourth-and-24 and came up short.

Every replay on my TV showed they were short and the Rebels’ 31-26 lead would probably hold.

The crowd at Neyland Stadium, especially the student section, disagreed and the booing began.

It became louder and louder and reminded me of that afternoon, when the Razorback fans felt the annual bad call by the officials favored the Tigers.

Reynolds Razorback Stadium reverberated with the boos.

Not one object was thrown at an Auburn player or anyone associated with the team.

The voices were aimed at the refs.

On Monday, the SEC announced it was fining Tennessee $250,000 for the incident.

Now it is up to UT officials to decide if they want to find out who the culprits were, but the good news is Tennessee wears orange like people who are court ordered to pick up trash on the roads.


It appeared as soon as the bottles and cans started hitting the sideline, Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter, who is from Perryville, was on the field ordering his cheerleaders and band to leave the stadium and for the players to move back

He had a few conversations with the officials who should have done the right thing and called the game before the golf ball almost hit Kiffin.

Were those officials reprimanded or talked to? Maybe.


In Monday’s SEC basketball poll, members of the media voted Kentucky as the preseason No. 1.

That’s about as shocking as Alabama winning a nonconference football game.

Arkansas was picked third and Alabama second.

There was also a six-man first and six-man second All-SEC team, and no the league is not going to six-on-six in basketball.

Devonte Davis from Jacksonville was picked second team. No other Razorback was honored.

Davis, a sophomore, will see action at point guard this season, which will eventually help his overall game.


Season tickets for Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, whose live racing season starts Dec. 3 and runs through May 8, are on sale at www.oaklawn.com.

Grandstand seats are just $5 per day, and there are several packages available.

With the December start, Oaklawn has added races for 2-year-olds including some stakes races.

What that means is during a time when racing is usually shut down around the country, top horsemen can bring their horses to Oaklawn and vie for purses.

Most will stay for the 66-day meet and that just means even better racing at Oaklawn.