Finding Orange in unexpected places

If you ever wanted proof that there's an Orange lining to every cloud, it's this beautiful 1979 VW bus. The reason it's so joyful, in addition to his high-vibrating positivity, is because the pic was provided by a Gator fan.

"This is my son Brett's beloved 1979 orange Volkswagen bus. Sad to say it's more Tennessee orange than Gator red, though don't tell him I said that."

That was from Sandy in Jacksonville, a co-worker and devoted UF fan/alumn. And here she is, showing she can tell good Orange from bad!

Of course Tennessee fans are desperate for anything positive these days, and we sure ain't getting it from the gridiron. News from Knoxpatch is that UT had a "rocky" recruiting weekend. Yikes.

But there is good news in Orange Nation if only we look for it, y'all:

* Like how about that men's hoops team putting the chomp on the Gators Saturday night?

* Or hows bouts the men's golf team kickin butt and taking names out Arizoni Way?

* Our baseball team is getting a lot of attention, and not just because it's fixin to start its 100th season.

* Tennessee's softball team has been picked to finish strong in the SEC East this season. Rock on!

* Oh and let's not leave out track and field, where our men and women are tearin' it up!

The BOVB is grateful for the pic, Sandy. Thank you! Because it's a reminder that Orange comes in all shapes and sports.

Jeff

Too close to call?

Orange Nation is a happy place these days. Of course there were the huge coaching catches, but now it seems that several coveted recruits, once thought uninterested in Rocky Top, could be headed to the Hill.

UT is getting closer in snagging a kid who already committed to Florida, another originally more interested in Southern Miss, and is gaining on a third who's being pursued by several SEC schools plus Purdue. It's exciting news but it's too close to call at this point.

What's not even close is Tennessee Orange and "Florida Orange." The photos of these two VW bugs prove it. Both, interestingly, where provided by UF grads desperate to prove their Orange credentials. Both, sadly, failed.

On the left you see a Bug photographed by Diana this past weekend just off Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. She called it a "Gator Orange bug" in her e-mail.

The pic on the right was provided by Bruce in Jacksonville earlier this month. With the cap and the text added to the vehicle, it's clear Bruce sees this as "Gator Orange."

But seeing them together like this, it's obvious the two cars are different colors. Diana's bug is closer to the pure, true Orange of Tennessee, while Bruce's Bug is clearly the light red shade of UF (proven by the fact it matches the red "F" on the cap).

Vol Nation has spoken.

Jeff

BGSU: Talent- and colorblind

The verdict is in: former UT offensive coordinator Dave Clawson knows nothing about offense and he knows nothing about Orange, neither.

Exhibit A: The 2008 football season. The Vols ended the season with a 5-7 record and a ranking of 115th out of 119 Division I-A teams in total offense.

Exhibit B: Former UT wide receiver Josh Briscoe told GoVolsExra.com last week the team was repeatedly told to give Clawson’s complicated offense time to work — that it would take two years to work. “Coach, we don't have that time. We're struggling right now," Briscoe remembers telling a UT assistant.

His trust in Clawson cost Coach Fulmer and his staff their jobs.

Which leads us to Exhibit C: Despite his dismal performance, Clawson lands the head coaching job at Bowling Green State University.

Like Florida, Texas, Syracuse, Oklahoma State and many others, BGSU is a school that claims Orange as one of its colors. But a visit to the school Web site proves the university is as colorblind as it is talent-blind.

Some page headers are close to Tennessee (i.e., pure) Orange. But then you see safety Orange ball caps and football helmets as Gator red as this weathered VW Bug spotted by L. last week in Boulder, Colo.

Vol Nation now passes sentence on Clawson: May there be enough faux-Orange around to constantly remind him what a rotten job he did at UT.

Jeff