Sports Columns

Johnson: 'Old school' AFL looks appealing (11/16/09)
NASHVILLE -- Call me "old school" or "old fashioned" but I like the legacy uniforms that are being worn from time to time this season in the National Football League. The latest was Sunday's matchup between the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills at LP Field...

Johnson: Vol state signee credits Naron for success (11/13/09)
Shelbyville recently lost one of the best and most successful baseball coaches this community has ever had with the passing of Jerry Naron. Coach Naron lost a long and hard fought battle with diabetes and cirrhosis on Sept. 11. For those of us who had the great opportunity to play for Coach Naron, that was a sad day...

Parker: Late Series losing luster (11/05/09)
Make no mistake about it, this year's World Series was entertaining and the most competitive version in six years with the Yankees ending the decade the way they started it -- on top. Their defeat of the Phillies in six games couldn't have been scripted much better for New Yorkers who got a chance to see their team clinch world championship No. ...

Jones: Limbaugh's words led to lost dream (10/21/09)
Rush Limbaugh's bid to become part owner of the St. Louis Rams became an exercise in futility last week when Dave Checketts, the leader of the group, informed the bombastic radio icon that he and his money was being dropped like a hot potato due to a protesting public that is worried that his views may not be the best for a business man in a sport that predominately employs minorities...

Don't blame Titans' problems on Collins (10/09/09)
What a difference a year makes!! Last year at this time the Tennessee Titans had run rough shod over four opponents and were leading the AFC South on their way to 10 straight wins and a 13-3 regular season record. This year the Detroit Lions have won more games than the Titans, who have now lost six straight dating back to last year, prompting the naysayers and fair weather armchair fans to call for firing Jeff Fisher, the longest tenured coach in the NFL, or perhaps, at least in my mind, the more drastic maneuver of yanking Kerry Collins for Vince Young.. ...

Johnson: Raider excitement builds (09/15/09)
Excitement's in the air at Middle Tennessee! I know it's early and the team is only 1-1 but things are really looking good for the Blue Raider football program. Being an alumnus, I've been to a lot of MTSU games both as a fan and as a member of the media, but what took place Saturday night was better than I ever expected...

Parker: Prepared Vols make good impression (09/06/09)
KNOXVILLE -- Luck, as they say, is when preparation meets opportunity. Tennessee had quite the audience for their season-opening 63-7 shellacking of Western Kentucky on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Offseason comments by new head coach Lane Kiffin and a staff plucked from various levels of football had both fans of the Volunteers and curious onlookers providing all the opportunity they could ever ask for to leave a first impression...