Cloud Nine Higher

One day can make quite a difference. But don't plan ahead four years either. And don't make me vote any more often than I have to. The media and the party outside of power already love to start presidential politics way ahead of schedule. By the time the real election season rolls around, the public has had it. But don't get me started with Megan Barry, who should now be coasting into a second four years as Mayor of the IT city. The one I live in. The one I am typing this blog post in. The one we all love even when it is tough to do so. And the one our former mayor said she loved. But actions speak louder than words. And I lost count of the times that we folks who call Nashville home had to vote in a year when we should have been focused 100% on the elections for governor and United States Senator, respectively. By the time November rolled around, we had voted in a special election for mayor, an election for vice mayor, some sort of runoff election, plus the st...

The post headline comes from a Tweet by Tennessee governor Bill Lee regarding the recent controversy surrounding the observance of Nathan Bedford Forrest Day. Forrest was born July 13, 1821 in Bedford County, Tennessee. His subsequent history as a slave trader, Confederate general in the Civil War, and Ku Klux Klan wizard has prompted a sudden outcry for a partial repeal of Tennessee Code Annotated section 15-2-101. This statute requires the governor to proclaim six "special observance days" each year: January 19 Robert E. Lee Day February 12 Abraham Lincoln Day March 15 Andrew Jackson Day June 3 Memorial Day or Confederate Decoration Day July 13 Nathan Bedford Forrest Day November 11 Veterans' Day Per the statute, "The governor shall invite the people of this state to observe the days in schools, churches, and other suitable places with appropriate ceremonies expressive of the public sentiment befitting the anniversary of such dates." Som...

Okay, so before I get to UConn, I have other exciting news ... The UMKC Roos (Missouri - Kansas City) will move back to The Summit League in 2020. And the Bellarmine Knights (Louisville) will move up to Division I and the ASUN Conference in the same year. Okay, so our college sports fans probably aren't chomping at the bit for me to write about how I think the UMKC-Oral Roberts game might turn out in a couple of years. But UConn vs. Georgetown ... You might be a bit more interested. The world of college sports turns on money, the footprint of the fan base, and ability of a school to bring its athletes and general mojo to a conference. This combination doesn't always give us the best rivalries and matchups day to day, however. From a fan and competition standpoint, I don't see Rutgers and Nebraska in the Big Ten, Texas and Texas A&M in separate leagues, and fourteen team mega conferences where some teams go for years without playing each other.  Ever thought...