SEC Week 3 Preview

The SEC moves into its second week of the SEC-G5 Challenge, meaning we have another week filled with yawners, leaving one potentially awesome game and another that should have been an awesome game. First, let's tackle the latter.

Link Scrap

One of the many poor souls who had their cars recklessly flipped after the World Series started a blog. He is trying to recoup his losses from the city of Philadelphia and the Phillies. You can help his cause by visiting his blog and donating.

The Oakland Raiders cut their losses by releasing two-time Pro Bowler DeAngelo Hall, meaning Hall made $8 million for eight games.

Knoxville CBS affiliate WVLT catches up with Johnny Majors to ask him his thoughts on the ousting of his successor.

San Diego Charger left-tackle Marcus McNeill sing some Jonas Brothers. Finally giving Charger fans someone to blame for their terrible record other than Norv Turner and the decline of LT.

Woman collapses and dies at Blackhawks game, just as her mother did 22 years ago

Thanks Coach

Thanks for the memories, good and bad. Thanks for all the wins over Bama, the Dawgs, and the Gators. Most importantly thanks for the 17 years of service to the school and state of Tennessee.

The firing of coach Fulmer

It was announced yesterday that Phil Fulmer would be stepping down at the end of the season. The real story is that Phil was fired and will be getting one of the biggest buyouts in college football history. Last year Fulmer signed a new seven-year contract worth $2.4 million, and he's owed a $6 million buyout payable over 48 months as part of that contract. His staff is owed an additional $3.55 million, however that figure could decrease depending on how many of them get jobs next year.

I don't really know how to take the news. The past four seasons has been soul draining but Fulmer means a lot to the team, institution, and the fans. He's been at Tennessee for more than 30 years as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He guided Tennessee to a 45-5 record from 1995-98 and back-to-back SEC championships (3 total), and he also led the team to a national title in 1998 with an unbeaten 13-0 record. The man is UT.

Recently the program hasn't been able to match the magic of the 1998 season. The Vols have lost 31 games since the end of the 2001 season, 19 of those have been by double digits. They haven't been in a BCS game or won an SEC championship since 1998. Along with the mounting losses, the program has had numerous arrests. So many in fact, that it spurned the Fulmer Cup on Every Day Should Be Saturday (EDSBS).

Although it worries me to see the only coach I have known for the Vols headed out the door, it was time for Phil to go. Now the Fulmer Farewell tour begins, hopefully giving the team enough incentive to take Phil to a bowl one last time as the leader of Tennessee.

AD Mike Hamilton wrote an open letter to Vol fans letting us know that the national coaching search will begin immediately. He also included that the Kentucky game on Nov. 29 is when we celebrate "Phillip Fulmer Day" in Neyland Stadium. It will be a sad day on Rocky Top and the mixed emotions will get more convoluted as time moves on. I just hope that Hamilton hires someone with half the heart and dedication for the Vols as Fulmer. Good luck Phil and thanks for the ride, it wasn't always smooth but it was fun.

I leave you with this photo made by the wife of Hooper from Rocky Top Talk. Edited from the original painting of Death of Julius Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini. The picture is a good representation of Phil's firing, as the angry mob finally caught up to him.