October has been a busy month. Between football games, the start of elementary basketball, District 6-4A Basketball Media Day and really diving into the JK Show partnership with Kelly Walker Slaughter, I've had plenty to talk about lately.
And apparently, so have you.
This month's mailbag covers a little bit of everything, from whether Warren County football is actually getting better to what I've learned watching third-graders play basketball. We'll also get into my new morning-show partnership, what I noticed at basketball media day and why nearly 30 years of sitting in the same seats at Neyland Stadium hasn't made me any friends.
That last one probably says more about me than anything else in this column.
Let's get into it.
Q: Has Warren County football actually made progress over the last two years, or are we just getting better at finding wins?
Wow, let's just tackle the heaviest question I've been asked in a while when it comes to local sports. And I want to really expand on it because it weaves in a lot of different conversations I've been having lately, but they all boil down to the same premise: How do you fix problems in Warren County?
We can all make the same version of the 12-step joke, "The first step is admitting you have a problem," but after that, does anybody really know the other 11 steps? Does anybody even know the SECOND step?
Look, Warren County admitted it had a football problem two years ago. It decided banging its head against the wall of 6A football wasn't going to get the job done, so things had to change. And they did when the Pioneers moved into non-region play.
In the previous 20 games before that decision, Warren County was 1-19. And if you want to stretch it out to four years, WCHS was 3-36. In the 20 games since the decision, with two more coming in the next 13 days, Warren County is 10-10.
I call that progress, even if you want to call it creative scheduling. And here's why: Was doing it the old way any better?
We could've continued to commit to 6A ball and, most likely, we'd probably be staring at the same 1-19 or 2-18 type runs with a new staff that we had with the one that was moved out.
And we'd all be saying the same thing: "How do we fix this?"
I get that it can be discouraging when we roll through a few weeks of border battles and take our lumps. I was asked this question not long after Warren County lost 48-7 and 39-9 to White County and Cannon County in back-to-back games. And yes, we lost to DeKalb County too.
So if you want to use those games as our only measurement of tangible improvement because they're games we've kept largely unchanged as the schedule shifts, then I can see why you'd think there has been no progress.
But looking past the scoreboard, I see more kids coming out to suit up for coach Eric Belew. We still need more who can make an impact every Friday night, but the numbers are growing.
Brent Carden photo - There have been some fun moments for the Pioneers this season.
And I think the idea that there can be competitive schedules in the future has gotten more and more kids intrigued by the sport at younger ages. Really, that's probably the biggest sign of progress over the last two years.
I had a lengthy conversation recently about Pioneer football and somebody hit me with something I'd never really thought about: Instead of getting so focused on teaching boys ages 7-8 the fundamentals of football, can we at least start making it where they just enjoy it?
Their premise was that fundamentals will come for kids who want to play and get better. But they're never going to want to play and get better if we don't find a way to make football fun in Warren County.
And that has to be applied at every level.
I'll take it a step further: We need to make it cool to be a Pioneer again. Because, if I'm being honest, that was one of the main reasons I never played. And I think we're still fighting that battle every single year.
Winning had to be a part of that answer, so that's why I still agree with the decision to go to the non-region schedule. And I'll support that until the TSSAA decides to change how it aligns teams or condenses its classifications (Six public school classes is too many).
What's next? Well, I don't know. Nobody really does.
And that's the step we've been stuck on as a community for nearly four decades. If anybody had the true answer to this riddle, I think they would've shared it by now. Instead, it's just been cycle after cycle of hoping a new coach will be the answer.
And as much as I respect coach Eric Belew, just like I respected and loved coach Matt Turner before him, one man isn't going to figure this out alone. We have to figure it out.
And simply saying, "We have a problem," isn't going to do anything anymore. We passed that step.
Where coach Belew has really opened my eyes in our conversations about Pioneer football is his refusal to just sit around and point out the problems. I've heard him say countless times: "I need problem solvers."
And he's right. Warren County has to find problem SOLVERS, not problem promoters.
We've all seen it. We've all said it. But what solutions are we offering?
The non-region schedule offered a solution to winless seasons, but it didn't offer every solution on how to secure the borders.
Getting more kids will help, but we still need those kids to be ready to play, not simply fill out a uniform. Hiring the school's first full-time strength and conditioning coach will hopefully help turn prospective athletes into productive ones.
But we'll still need more than that.
We'll need more and more solutions over the next 5-10 years when it comes to building stadiums, building weight rooms, expanding locker rooms, improving Xs and Os, increasing the Jimmies and Joes and supporting the Pioneers.
How much progress have we made? I truly don't know. But I know just continuing to say it's not good enough isn't going to help us progress either.
Q: What's the biggest thing you've learned from broadcasting elementary basketball?
It's hard to pre-pick games that will be competitive.
Sorry, that's probably not the answer you're wanting to see, but it's the thing that has stood out to me for years of covering county basketball: It's rare to have two teams capable of winning the championship in any given season.
Right now, it's hard to envision any team making a true run at the Boyd Lady Broncos and West Wizards, though I'm looking forward to seeing some try later in the schedule.
That said, I think it's one of the more competitive years for teams trying to be the next-best team, something that popped up again Monday when Centertown swept Hickory Creek on the road.
Dibrell's boys, who are off this week, probably have the best claim for second on the boys side right now, while the girls side seems to be a toss-up between a few teams. The Centertown Lady Warriors certainly made a statement by beating Irving College and Hickory Creek in back-to-back weeks.
Honestly, I just enjoy shining a spotlight on some 3-5 grade kids who may or may not have a big future on the hardwood someday. Certainly, I hope the stars of today are the stars of the future, but there's really no guarantee at this age. Maybe in 10 years, when they're doing something else, they can still go back to the video and say, "I was pretty good back then."
I know people WANT me to say the future is so bright for local basketball we're all going to need shades, but I don't know how this thing maps out over the next few years. And sadly, most of the time when I see a star kid rolling in a local elementary game, I'll get a text within 30 minutes of the broadcast ending that says, "Do you think we'll be able to keep them in Warren County?"
That's where we are with sports now.
Yes, I'd love to see Skylyn Wright become a 4,000-point scorer as a Lady Bronco. And I think it'd be cool if Cam Chadwell, Byron Keyes, Princeton Scott, DJ Ramirez and Malik Ellis became the local version of the Fab Five and stuck together to win championships as Wizards, WCMS Pioneers and WCHS Pioneers.
But I don't own a crystal ball to examine the future.
So right now, I'm just going to enjoy calling their games and hope we end up having a few last-second nail-biters before the end of the season.
I don't know what I'll say if we have a buzzer-beater, but I hope I get to call one.
Kelly and I have at least gotten close enough as co-hosts that we think its funny to dress up as each other for Halloween.
Q: Has the JK Show changed the way you think about morning news?
Well, for starters, I've learned that I apparently don't get to make all my own decisions anymore. I thought I was signing up to co-host a morning show. Somehow, I ended up with a new life coach, a personal stylist and somebody who can volunteer me for things before I've even figured out what we're talking about.
My dad actually brought this up on Father and Son Friday. For years, he's been the guy I've gone to for advice. Now he's convinced Kelly Walker Slaughter has taken over that job. I'm not sure when the official transfer of power happened, but apparently I missed the meeting.
In all seriousness, though, I've really enjoyed doing the JK Show.
I don't know that it's necessarily changed my philosophy about local news. I've always believed that the best local coverage comes from being involved in the community, talking to people and knowing what's happening beyond whatever somebody decides to send in a press release.
What has changed is how those conversations happen.
When you're hosting a show by yourself, you're responsible for keeping everything moving. You ask the questions, you make the transitions, you fill the dead air and you try to make sure there's something worth listening to for the entire program.
When you've got somebody sitting beside you who has absolutely no problem talking, that last part gets considerably easier.
And if you've watched five minutes of the JK Show, you know Kelly doesn't have a problem talking. Of course, neither do I. So you can imagine how that goes.
What I really enjoy is that we don't always approach stories the same way. Kelly can bring up something she's been hearing about around town and I'll have a different piece of information from reporting on it. Sometimes I'll have a story from The Warren County Way that she wants to dig into further.
That's a pretty good combination.
Take Tuesday's show, when we were discussing the city administrator search, voting locations and some of the questions surrounding election equipment. We could go from joking about Halloween costumes to talking about something that actually matters to how Warren County operates.
And I think that's what a morning show should be.
We don't need to spend an hour every day acting like everything is the biggest breaking news story in the history of McMinnville. Sometimes people just want to laugh before they go to work. Sometimes they need to know where they're supposed to vote. Sometimes they want to hear about a local fundraiser or an event they can take their kids to over the weekend.
And sometimes they apparently want to see me dressed up like Ken from Barbie. I didn't know that was a demand in the local media market, but here we are.
One thing I particularly enjoy is how much of the show is just genuinely unscripted. We can have a plan when we walk in and still end up somewhere completely different.
Today, a conversation about a possible road trip to Sparta somehow turned into Kelly agreeing to film an entire WCSA show from inside a vehicle while Chris Sullens drives and Trevor Evans and I sit in the back.
I think that's a tremendous idea and Kelly thinks we should probably practice it first. That's probably a pretty good illustration of our working relationship.
The other thing is that I don't feel like I've had to give up what I enjoy doing. I still get to talk sports, interview people and cover local news. I'm just doing it with somebody who brings a different personality and different connections to the table.
And we get to have a little fun along the way.
I don't know if the JK Show has changed the way I think about morning news as much as it's reminded me that doesn't have to be complicated: Find interesting people, talk about things that matter and have some fun.
And if your co-host tells you you're dressing up for Halloween, apparently you just do it. I'm still learning that last part.
Q: Does Tennessee beating Alabama ever get old?
Absolutely not. And if you think it does, you probably haven't spent enough time watching Alabama beat Tennessee.
I don't know how many times I've watched the Vols lose to the Crimson Tide over the years, but I know I've watched enough to appreciate every single victory. If Tennessee wants to make beating Alabama an annual tradition, I'll gladly clear my schedule for the third Saturday in October for the rest of my life.
And I'll probably still be nervous every single time.
This year's 26-10 victory was particularly special because my dad was there to enjoy it. And if you happened to see the picture I posted of Don Simmons sitting in Neyland Stadium with a cigar after the game, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I've never thought my dad was cooler in my entire life. . . Seriously. The man looked like he'd just struck oil at Neyland Stadium.
Dad had predicted a 28-24 Tennessee victory on Father and Son Friday before the game, so he was feeling pretty good about himself afterward. He wasn't quite right on the score, but he nailed the most important part.
The Vols won and Dad celebrated like he should: Lighting a victory cigar. And it wasn’t one he grabbed as the gas station on the way - He had a Padron 1926, which he informed me was a very good cigar.
In fact, he took SIX cigars to the game because people apparently have a habit of asking to share yours.
I don't know what kind of people my dad has been hanging around at Tennessee games, but I can assure you I wouldn't be sharing something I'd already put in my mouth with 10 strangers.
That's a different kind of Volunteer spirit.
The cigar discussion eventually led us down another rabbit hole on Father and Son Friday, and it might've been my favorite conversation we've had on the show.
We've been sitting in the same seats at Neyland Stadium since somewhere around 1997 or 1998: Section R, Row 46, Seats 9 and 10.
Think about that for a second. I'm 40 years old now. I started sitting in those seats when I was about 12. I've literally grown up in Neyland Stadium.
And one of the coolest things about having season tickets for that long should be the relationships you develop with the people around you. I've heard other Tennessee fans talk about the families they've gotten to know over the years. They've watched each other's kids grow up. They've celebrated wins together. They've suffered through losses together.
Some of them probably exchange Christmas cards, but not us. I can't stand the people around our seats and I'm pretty sure they can't stand me either.
We've spent nearly THREE DECADES sitting around the same people, and somehow we've managed to develop absolutely none of those wonderful relationships everybody else talks about.
Dad tried to defend them a little bit during the show, pointing out that my brother Brett and I never sit down during games. Well, yeah - It's a football game!
I'm not paying all that money to drive to Knoxville, sit in traffic, climb into Neyland Stadium and then politely remain seated while Tennessee tries to beat Alabama. If I wanted to sit quietly for three hours, I'd stay home.
And that's when I realized something that made me laugh harder than anything else about the entire situation: These people have watched me grow up - they've watched me go from a 12-year-old kid cheering for Peyton Manning to a 40-year-old man still yelling at the officials.
They've literally watched me grow into a man they cannot stand. That's impressive.
Q: What's your biggest takeaway from District 6-4A Basketball Media Day?
Some people forgot it's for the kids and the basketball programs, not a way to gain leverage in the local media landscape. That's by far my biggest takeaway, but I'm not grinding that ax any more than Sullens and I already did last week on the WCSA show.
Frankly, I didn't learn a ton about the district or how people thought things would shake out because coaches love to keep things close to the vest.
But I did notice some things that I think go beyond the answers. Take, for instance, the Coffee County boys team.
The Red Raiders had a full group there, and one of their players started answering a question about their style of play and how they'll handle pressure. He kept stressing how they were going to get after it, including one of his teammates who, let's just say, he believes may be a little undersized.
That got the whole team laughing as one teammate started listing off the player's height, then seemingly shortened him by an inch with each following reference. And everybody was laughing and enjoying it. For me, that's the kind of interaction that makes me feel pretty confident the Red Raiders have a strong locker room.
Does that mean they'll have a strong team?
Who knows? Being undersized in basketball isn't exactly a great starting point. But there's something to be said for a group of guys who are comfortable enough with each other to joke around in front of a room full of people.
I thought Kyle Turnham and the Lady Pioneer seniors showed some similar chemistry. Turnham even acknowledged it by noting how he doesn't care about the outside perception because he knows they're good together. The girls seemed to agree.
And I think that's another sign of a team that should be on a string this year with four starters back in their third season under Turnham. There's a familiarity there that should matter when games get tight and everybody needs to know exactly where their teammates are supposed to be.
As for coach Danny Fish, I think he's right to never use the word "rebuilding." But there's definitely some construction that'll need to take place for the Pioneers to build toward success this winter.
That's just the reality when you lose a huge senior class that happened to feature the last two District Players of the Year. You don't simply replace that kind of production and experience overnight, no matter what word you want to use to describe the process.
I don't think it's a stretch to call Coffee County's girls, armed with the returning Jules Ferrell, or Cookeville's boys, fresh off a run to regionals (albeit with a different roster and new coach), potential favorites going into the season.
But I wouldn't be confident in saying either will win a title. This district has been pretty crazy since its formation, and I expect nothing different this winter. And I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
Be ready for the WCSA to show up live Nov. 17 at the Dalt!
