In November 1982, USA Today [2] was just two months old, President Ronald Reagan was in his first term, the Soviet Union was knee-deep in Afghanistan, and Knoxville, TN had just wrapped up its hosting of the 1982 World’s Fair [3]. The Tennessee-Vanderbilt football game was played in Nashville that year, and a funny thing happened — Vanderbilt won. They haven’t won since. Until today.
Vanderbilt, the school that runs its football team under the rubric of its intramural department. Vanderbilt, known for its academics and being the divinity school of choice for one Al Gore, Jr. Vanderbilt, the whipping boy.
Vols, next week you play Kentucky, a school whose perennial battle cry is “just wait ’til basketball season.” I’m asking you — pleading with you — lay off the turkey this week until you get this win. I don’t even want to contemplate the alternative.