A la carte me. I'd like to only pay for the programming that I watch.

But here's what's scary . . . many channels would be forced to bow out because of low revenue. So the available programming would be driven mainly by what the majority wants to see-- the same majority that turned TLC, HGTV, Discovery, History, etc. into cesspools of awful, lowest-common-denominator programming.

I suppose that's happening anyway but it might get worse under a la carte. I want Science, NatGeo, and H2 but would they exist anymore?

Same here. The History channel and the others you mentioned are now nothing but reality shows. I'm also a big fan of H2, and both the Science and National Geographic channels. Record many of their shows almost daily. If they were out of business, except for sports, so would my time of TV viewing be out of business!

BG

With this post I'm now officially the old guy (58 years young) and telling you how hard it was growing up; it wasn't. I'm like the grandparents telling me how many miles they walked to school. Heck, I'm still pumped just with the invention of cable and satellite! Back in the day we initially had only three stations with one being the educational station in Alabama. That was it!

 One station's network was ABC, with the other showing either NBC or CBS shows. Heck, we even missed the Beatles first appearance on Sullivan because the local station chose the NBC offering that Sunday night, and I still haven't forgiven them for that huge oversight! Didn't matter anyway really, because the next Christmas I still got my electric Gibson guitar! Long live the Beatles music, and I'm still a huge fan!

BG "Nowhere Man" Harper


Sorry, I had to edit choose to chose, proving without a doubt I never once watched that educational station!

FYI, Rivals guys. They're back online. Also, I read where one poster called them to cancel today (it took him forever to get through on the call) and they offered him six months free. That might be a good idea.

BG

It's not going to happen overnight, but I think it will eventually.  AL and LA have traditionally produced more talent than TN because of racial and geographical demographics that date back to colonial times.  Long story short, when the slaves were freed, most didn't stray far from their former plantations, and their descendants remained in those regions for the next 100+ years.  And only in the Western third of our state was the plantation culture very prominent, so naturally Memphis became the only real hotbed for football talent in TN.  But we have a larger total population to draw from than either AL or LA, and it's growing at a faster rate, too.  And as the AA population continues to migrate, you're going to see things start to even out.  It may take 15-20 years, but it's going to happen.

I should have added since we're on a history subject, yes, Memphis is much more inline demographically with two other states, but a good portion of that is attributed to the close proximity of the Mississippi Delta and the migration to the city for jobs.

Recently read a good bit about Tennessee's days in the 18th century, and Sevier, the Watauga Association etc. Really love history, and particularly the Colonial period. Also, visited the Vonore area of your state last spring, and went to Fort Loudon, and the Cherokee Chief Oconostota grave and what had been once one the Cherokee's largest sites (the overhill cherokee villages) at what was once Chota.  Loved the Vonore area!


BG

It's not going to happen overnight, but I think it will eventually.  AL and LA have traditionally produced more talent than TN because of racial and geographical demographics that date back to colonial times.  Long story short, when the slaves were freed, most didn't stray far from their former plantations, and their descendants remained in those regions for the next 100+ years.  And only in the Western third of our state was the plantation culture very prominent, so naturally Memphis became the only real hotbed for football talent in TN.  But we have a larger total population to draw from than either AL or LA, and it's growing at a faster rate, too.  And as the AA population continues to migrate, you're going to see things start to even out.  It may take 15-20 years, but it's going to happen.

Yep, I'm an absolute history nut and familiar with those facts. Also, have lived in both states, so very familiar with the demographic differences first hand. In fact, recently read a large portion of a book on Mobile's colonial days, and the first arrival of slaves in the state (sad and sick) Yes, it would at least take that long to out produce those two states, but your state is heading in the right direction.

BG

Really like the pic of the Vandy coaches!    Plus 1 for you.



BG

I think Tennessee is improving dramatically in producing HS football talent.  The good thing for UT is that all the population growth in the state seems to be in the Eastern 2/3 and away from Memphis, where most of the talent has come from in the past.  We've never recruited well there.  I don't know that every year will be as strong instate as this one has been, but I think this year is much closer to the new normal than say, a decade ago.  We'll never be Florida or Georgia- we just don't have that kind of population to draw from.  But there's no reason this state can't produce talent at the same level as Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, etc.  I think we're rapidly moving in that direction.

I recently read an article on either 247 or Rivals that mentioned your state was indeed gaining ground in quality of recruits instate. They attributed much of this due to the growth of Nashville, and supported their analysis with numbers produced by that area in the past few years. The article mentioned the same states as you, but did point point out particularly Louisiana and Alabama both have far more players playing on BCS teams (Division 1) than Tennessee, and that is not likely to change in the near future as the gap is very wide. However, South Carolina may be a different story, plus your recruiting in that state will improve as UT once recruited that state very well, and sooner rather than later SOS will step down.


BG

EPIC fail by Rivals. Just horrible.

Yep, board crashed at the very worst time of the entire year. Heads need to roll, and probably will.


BG

...our tailgates, and my brother (Be-the-Vol) asked that I post this picture of Dom with his mother pinning on his aviation wings when he graduated from Army UAV school at Fort Huachuca earlier this week.    Dom is now an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator (15W) and will be going to Fort Lewis, Washington.  Good job. soldier!

         

Just saw this thread. Big time congrats! I know you are proud of him, and have every reason in the world to be.

BG

I agree. We are getting better in a hurry. The others aren't getting a lot worse though either.

Don't you on occasion post on the Rivals national college football board. If so, don't mention to Della I had favorable things to say about UT's recruiting class.


BG

Look at it like this.  While one class will not cure everything that ails you, you have to build a foundation and then raise the crawl space walls and then the first floor subfloor.  Butch has done all of that and actually got some walls on the first floor subfloor up with this class.  Overall I would say we are doing pretty good after the past four years with the Lame Kiffin and Derek Fooley aborted Coaching stints.  Frankly I am very impressed with Butch's recruiting so far.  I think he will be killing it for a long time at UT.  

PS We only lag three teams in the SEC West and each and every SEC East team is below us in this year's rankings......

Plus you did close the gap and proved UT can once again recruit on a high level. And, yes, those ranked ahead are all in the west. Big difference if those teams were all in the east, but they aren't, and you have to win the east first before getting to Atlanta.

BG

Don't shoot yer eye out!!!   

Just opened my two presents from under the Crimson Christmas tree. First gift was my much wanted Red Rider BB gun, but the second gift is just amazing. I opened it and out popped the son of a former Auburn player, and current Auburn High School player, 5* Rashaan Evans! Apparently, Gus Malzhan had been a bad boy and Santa took note.


BG

Might be a good time to try the Vol site with 247. I use them and Rivals, and 247 is by far the most innovative of all the recruiting sites. Really like their composite rating , and many in the press are starting to quote it when speaking of prospect ratings.


BG

flead from Volquest but BG Harper will love it with his Barner Grandkids

(I wonder where the grandkids will go to college at?)

 

The smart money should be on Notre Dame and Tennessee.  Due to past family school decisions, I'm now convinced God has a peculiar sense of humor and I'm the butt of his joke! 

BG

Excuse me? I've never driven faster than 85.

Huh, sorry 'bout that LTF! Ok, just a slow 85, but even in 35 MPH zones!


BG

[BAZINGA]

BAZINGA   
                                                         

Just shut up Emerald and say no more! Let's keep this between us. Please! I have a reputation as a Bama Guy to maintain!  If this gets out, due to her, I could lose my Bama Fan license!:dielaughing:


BG

Just got off the phone with my son....He got home just shy of 8 hours to go 18.5 miles.

Good, he's finally there! Incredible, that's worse than my wife's trip! Many of her co-workers are not home yet. and some headed back to 280 and are staying at the Hyatt. We know some other people who never left work and are staying all night at their office.

BG

Not yet!!! He sent me a text at 5:50 and he was 2 miles from daycare where his youngest son stays....he was at a standstill and hadn't moved in 20 minutes. When he gets to the daycare he is still 8 miles from home.

His other son is staying all night at school with about 150 other students.

Heads in the Birmingham area needs to roll over this cluster. Didn't they treat the dang roads at all???? They knew this was coming 2 days ago!!

Glad your wife made it home safe!! My son's wife is a nurse at UAB hospital...she worked today and is staying the night at the hospital. My son left his office at 10:50 this morning!

The forecasters are the ones that blew it. They predicted this storm to hit as far south as Baldwin and Mobile counties on the coast, and then northeastward to Montgomery and continue east toward Auburn. No mention of much of anything here. This area was caught with virtually no warning. Your son left work at almost the exact same time as my wife. I know it's been a heck of a day for him!

BG

My son sent me a text about an hour ago....he was stopped in traffic. Cars were stuck on a hill in front of him and people couldn't go forward or backwards.

Wife just made it home about thirty minutes ago. Left Inverness area on 280 and it took 6 and 1/2 hours to drive 25 or so miles. Hope your son has made it back!

BG

I think that was the same storm that hit hard across much of the country with record lows in the deep south. midwest and eastern seaboard. I was in Chicago on business, and for all the times for this southern boy to be there Chicago had a record low of -34 degrees. Yes, -34 with a windchill factor of something like -54. The wife was home in Chattanooga (we lived there at the time) and temp was below zero there as well. They actually had more snow on the ground in 'nooga than in Illinois. BTW, the wife (she of course remembers you and just luvs Emerald and his food ) is stuck in major traffic on 280 in B'ham/Hoover (where we had dinner and drinks with you at Bahama Mama) as we speak. Roads closing and accidents everywhere!


BG

My son called me around 11:00....he lives in the Hoover area and was trying to get to school to pickup his son....He is suck in traffic jams and cars can't get up hills. He was at work and he said everyone's cell phones were going off alerting about school closings. He said it was a flat mess.

They were calling for this weather so they should have closed schools....Bet they wish they had now.

We go down to visit them 2-3 times a year...hell people in B'ham can't drive in July much less in the snow and ice.

True! The worst drivers barring Louisiana drivers. They're the ones always going past you at 95 MPH. Bama drivers are the ones who don't know what a fast lane is, and don't know how to use a turn signal! Phil, the wife is stuck because of the traffic from Hoover schools such as Spain Park getting out late. It's a total traffic mess! We now live south of the area in southern Shelby County. Have no idea when she will make it home!


BG

In 1980 I was in Myrtle Beach (weekend before or after the miracle on ice) when it snowed 6”.  I grabbed a 6 pack and found the biggest hill (maybe 25 feet high) and pulled into a gas station to watch the fun-n-games.  Cheapest entertainment around.

I think that was the same storm that hit hard across much of the country with record lows in the deep south. midwest and eastern seaboard. I was in Chicago on business, and for all the times for this southern boy to be there Chicago had a record low of -34 degrees. Yes, -34 with a windchill factor of something like -54. The wife was home in Chattanooga (we lived there at the time) and temp was below zero there as well. They actually had more snow on the ground in 'nooga than in Illinois. BTW, the wife (she of course remembers you and just luvs Emerald and his food ) is stuck in major traffic on 280 in B'ham/Hoover (where we had dinner and drinks with you at Bahama Mama) as we speak. Roads closing and accidents everywhere!


BG

Brentwood's Wesley Horky, Longsnapper.  I know, I was all "meh" too until I checked out these links.  LOL, I had no idea there were camps where dudes lined up and watched other dudes long snap, but whatever...    But the more you think about it, that's a solid brick right there.

http://kohlskicking.com/profile/wesley-horky/5942/

http://kohlskicking.com/recruiting/national-rating-system/snappers/2014

247 said he wants to be a Vol and could announce as early as Monday. He would be a preferred walkon his first year, but could have a scholarship in year two. Also, coaches said he told him he would have every chance to be the starting long snapper as soon as this year.

Just let make one bad snap; those guys are very important. We put a player as far away as California on scholarship last year, and he made every snap in the kicking game as a true freshman. No problems and scholly well used.

BG

So now you have barner grandkids????

 


Don't say a word more!


BG

Doesn't he have to sit out a year after transferring?

You would think so Phil, but the rule now in place says if a player has graduated they can play immediately. He's scheduled to finish at FSU in May, and will do so in three years. He has two years of eligibility remaining. He's from Mobile, and grew up a big Tide fan so he's very excited. Strong arm yes, but as you know there have been plenty of guys he could zip it but some try to thread the needle too often and end up with far too many picks. Also, I don't know how accurate that arm is, but FSU fans and writers think a lot of his potential. We'll see.

BG

Well, maybe you should leave the bar then ...

No bar. Couldn't make the game as the daughter was very pregnant and she delivered two days before the game. In honor of the two new little BG's-Bama Guy and Bama Girl-the Crimson Tide rolled. At least that's what the Grand-BG will tell them. 


BG