9 OCT 06: CITY OF HARD KNOX

Guest bloggers are offering entries for a few days, while your regular blogger is on vacation. This item was submitted in advance last week, by former WTVM sports anchor Justin Cazana -- before all the weekend surprises!

"Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia, on my mind....." >

Funny I heard that song just a few minutes before I started this blog. Needless to say just because I moved out of Columbus doesn't mean I don't spend a whole lot of time in Georgia. In fact, I was in Atlanta on Friday [29 Sep] and I'll be back again this week.

A quick recap...

It's been a almost 26 months since I last called Columbus my home and their are days when I truly miss it. If I had moved any other place other than my hometown Knoxville, Tennessee) I would miss it a lot more. Things are great here in Knoxville. My kids (Caroline 3, Andrew 6) love to be close to their uncle and grandparents and enjoy school. As for me, I'm no longer doing TV sports full-time, and I can't imagine going back to working until 1am five nights a week, like all the sports guys at WTVM and WRBL regularly do (although I am anchoring at the local NBC affiliate this week as a fill-in)

Fortunately, I have the best of both worlds. I have a full-time job developing commercial real estate, and I continue to work for FSN-South, CSS and Sports USA Radio calling live events. Most weekends I am at an SEC, ACC or NFL game. The schedule can be tough when I am away from my family, but you won't hear me complain about having to go to a football game.

How do you compare Knoxville to Columbus? First, both are river cities that got their start from river traffic. While they are very different cities; the same issues and problems seem to arise no matter how big the population. The City of Knoxville has a population of about 173,890, but a metro area of 655,400. Both Columbus and Knoxville have enormous government facilities that bring quite a bit to the city. Columbus has Fort Benning, Knoxville has Oak Ridge (home of the original atomic bomb). Oak Ridge has quickly turned in to the U.S.'s fastest growing national lab. They just completed the Spallation Neutron Source (at $1.4 Billion, its the world's largest science experiment). I have no idea what it does but it is apparently a big deal. Plus the lab now holds 3rd fastest computer in the world (total of 250 teraflops, again way beyond my understanding of computers).

Both cities also have areas they are trying to redevelop. Columbus with Columbus South, Knoxville with the east Knoxville water front. Knoxville has gotten quite a few private developers involved through deferred tax financing but there are road blocks because people live on the property they want to develop. The loft/condo boom has also hit Knoxville (about two years after it hit Columbus). The downtown areas of Knoxville and Columbus are quite different, and while I can imagine living in downtown Columbus in a loft (if I didn't have kids), I could not do it in Knoxville.

Of course the thing both cities have most in common is a love of college football. In Columbus it is the Tigers, Tide, Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets. Knoxville is nothing but bright Volunteer orange. You know what they say, Tennessee orange is the perfect color. They can wear it to the game on Saturday, hunting on Sunday and they can where it to work Monday thru Friday while picking up trash on the side of the road ;-). Seriously, Neyland Stadium is quite a spectacle. Any time you get 107,000 people together it gets interesting. And while tailgating at Auburn, Athens or Tuscaloosa has a better overall feel, you can not top going to a game by boat as a member of the Vol Navy.

OK, lets get to the important part (and something I can actually succeed at every once in a while)...breaking down college football. So far this year I have seen Auburn, LSU, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Cal, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Florida play in person, and I got to see Georgia last weekend. Auburn is the class of this field, with LSU a close second. If these two teams played 10 times they would split the series 5-5. We will find out a lot about UGA this weekend. On paper it should be Tennessee in a walk, but if Mark Richt will trust his offensive line and let his three stud tailbacks carry the game (instead of relying on his young QB's), they have a chance for an upset. If UGA wins [last] weekend I think they will beat Florida. The Gators schedule is abusive. They may survive LSU and Auburn, but the toll it will take on their health could be to much, so look for the Dogs in Jacksonville.

Georgia Tech is the real deal. That win in Blacksburg was special. The problem with the Jackets is they typically follow a big win with a half hearted effort (Maryland, UPSET ALERT< UPSET ALERT!) If they play their typical game against the Terps they get Clemson and Miami next. I think they can win both of those (especially if Miami is looking for a new coach by then). The Jackets COULD be 10-1 heading into the Georgia game. When was the last time that game meant so much? Just keep throwing it to Calvin Johnson and things will be fine.

SEC Title Game: Auburn vs __???___. This is really tough to call. I don't know if Auburn will be undefeated but either way they will be playing the 3rd best team in the SEC (sorry LSU, you are sitting at home because you refused to throw the ball in to the end zone on your final drive against the Tigers). The [last] weekend could very well decide who gets the other spot (LSU-Florida, Tennessee-Georgia).

SOMETHING TO PONDER: Auburn goes undefeated and beats an undefeated, or once beaten, Florida, Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game. USC loses to Cal but beats Notre Dame (sadly even with 2 loses and a suspect defense some idiot will vote for Brady Quinn for Heisman and try and get the Irish in a BCS game). Michigan loses to Michigan State, Penn State or Iowa (all in the next three weeks) and then beats Ohio State to end the year. Auburn will be in the Fiesta Bowl. But if LSU runs the table do they deserve to be in the National Championship game as well? It would be a great justifying moment for the SEC and the beginning of the apocalypse for the BCS. I am NOT saying I will happen, just something to ponder.

I will stop rambling now. If you want to drop me a line to say hi, or to criticize my football picks, you can reach me at justincazana@yahoo.com

So long.

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