Maybe you missed it Monday night, but in there between a big baseball trade and Madonna's denial that she's throwing batting practice for A-Rod, Knoxville got some love on ESPN's SportsCenter.
Our fair city is one of 20 finalists in ESPN's "TitleTown USA" promotion. It's a contest to help fill airtime in July when there essentially is nothing else to report on other than major league baseball.
When I Googled TitleTown, the first screen of entries all came back Green Bay, Wis. But what's the shelf life of a nickname? The beloved Packers may claim 12 NFL championships, but only one since 1968.
Knoxville's candidacy, if you watched the show, is based entirely on the University of Tennessee's athletic teams and the fanatical support they engender. Don't think we got any points for the Ice Bears.
Knoxville is a great college sports town. That's a given. It's a compliment to be included among 20 finalists, along with the other college towns, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Chapel Hill, Lawrence (Kan.), Louisville, Gainesville and Palo Alto (Calif.).
But TitleTown? That's a stretch for Knoxville, once you get past Lady Vols basketball.
Pat Summitt and Bruce Pearl came on live at the end of the hour. (Phillip Fulmer is vacationing.) Pearl summed it up:
"She just won her eighth national championship. We've got eight between us.''
When you think of TitleTown, even on any SEC level other than women's hoops, Knoxville isn't the first place on the tip of many tongues.
Florida has two national titles in men's basketball and one in football in the past three years.
The Gators routinely capture the SEC all-sports trophy and boast three Heisman Trophy winners.
In football, the sport that matters most in Knoxville, I guess a case could be made for SEC Eastern Division TitleTown. But I doubt anybody's jumping on that bandwagon.
Besides the Lady Vols' hoops dynasty, ESPN gave UT credit as an attendance leader in the three major sports and for five national championships in track.
Peyton Manning, Reggie White and Candace Parker got a nod. So did Fulmer, Johnny Majors, Willie Gault and Justin Gatlin.
"Right behind" women's basketball, ESPN said, UT has six national championships in football, "three consensus and three shared."
At this point, we pause to bemoan the lack of a playoff system in college football. Tennessee does claim six national titles in football but I don't think many folks, including true Vol fans, buy that.
The 1998 championship is undisputed. The 1951 title also is recognized far and wide by virtue of the Associated Press poll.
UT also lists 1938, 1940, 1950 and 1967 as national championships, according to various ratings or panels.
To be fair, the AP poll didn't begin until 1936 and for the first few years (TCU won in '38, Minnesota in '40) it probably didn't carry much more weight, if any, than the Dunkel, Litkenhous or any of the other systems already in business.
But back to TitleTown. In the big picture - and ESPN is big picture - a World Series or a Super Bowl trumps all those tennis trophies Stanford brings home to Palo Alto, or, for that matter, women's basketball trophies on display in Knoxville.
I don't know who will be declared the winner on July 27, but I'm betting it's a pro sports city. And it should keep in mind that TitleTown is a temporary moniker.
Green Bay had its day. Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Detroit have seen impressive eras.
Counting Foxborough as an extended suburb, Boston gets my vote as TitleTown for the current millennium.
As for Knoxville, it deserved being on the list.
It's a great sports town. But it's not TitleTown USA.
Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Vanderbilt 65, Tennessee 47, Jan. 24…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 85
VOLS85 writes:
dang
VOLS85 writes:
...but seriously, how about that jab on fulmer? Right on the chin there feller.
I find it more entertaining that Lexington didn't make the list...
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
Foolmore still vacationing. Imagine that. He's been on vacation for the last month (or 10 years).
InterestingStory writes:
WorkinLikeHeck...
That is a solid point. I heard he's been spotted at the Calabash Seafood Buffet in Myrtle Beach four times already the past two days. Stay the Course.
Hunter writes:
Calabash Seafood Buffet is good stuff - I can;t blame CPF for that one.... but the question is which one??? There are three right next to each other, and all three are packed. Go figure...
K-Town is not Titletown. We have a few titles, but all the titles in MAJOR SPORTS in our school's history just can;t compete with NYC, Boston, LA, etc. That said, Knoxville does have a winning/championship attitude which is apparent when you step onto campus for the first time. Here;s hoping we have a stronger case this time next year with Pearl and Pat.
Sorry Phil - gotta do more thna get to the game in ATL to justify a lifetime contract.
BigVolinCarolina writes:
Mike Strange is absolutely right with all that he said in the article. When I think of "TitleTown", K-town isn't what comes to mind.
Nonetheless, in 15 or 20 years when ESPN does another "TitleTown quest", perhaps we'll have added some more golden trophies to help make us a more legit contender.
oldorange writes:
Its Foxboro, not Foxborough, you twit.
We all understand that this is the era of journalists to be contraversial. This approach to journalism gives even the buffoons who lack the where-with-all to become real journalist, an opportunity to be published.
We currently have an opportunity to become recognized in a national spotlight and this article is all you can come up with?
This is embarrasing for me to read and should really be an embaressment for you and your reporting team.
T0MMYJACK writes:
This is a great example of there being too much sports media. There is not enough genuine sports "stuff" to fill ESPN's time, so they have to come up with something as silly as this.
Too bad.
55 more days! Go Vols!
rocky_topper writes:
Thank God for the Lady Vols or we wouldn't have even been looked at! Fulmer? What a joke!
GreerVol22 writes:
oldorange, well said. Strange, try writing how you really feel instead of catering to the Adams agenda and slamming UT every chance you get.
There is a city on the other end of the state that would fall in love with your anti-UT 8th grade writing.
richvol writes:
At least ESPN recognized UT's six national championships in football even if our hometown paper and reporters don't.
Strange, don't presume to speak for any UT fans when you say that even fans don't recognize these titles. Are you crazy? I seriously doubt if you would not lay claim to a national award of any kind given to you.
There are only a handful of schools that could even begin to be able to say they have two...much less six. You and the KNS need to learn when to give respect to an institution that has stood the test of time.
What an idiotic approach to a positive thing for UT.
AugVol writes:
First of all, given ESPN's history with UT, I think it's a huge olive branch of sorts. When you throw in UT's FB tradition, Women's basketball, the occasional tennis/swimming/golf titles here and there, it's certainly a list UT belongs on. I hate Alabama with a PASSION, but I find it hard to believe that Tuscaloosa is not on that list. Either way, it's a great recruiting tool to use and something UT fans can be proud of.
I really wish some of you idiots ridiculing Fulmer would step back and take a look at yourselves. You put yourselves on the level of an Alabama fan, which is close to white trash. I'm not pleased with his performance either, but I am adult and educated enough to criticize him without taking personal shots at him. I bet none of you who ridicule him have the guts to say it to his face. Reading this garbage only makes me support him even more.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
All will feel better when you read Tennessean.com - Climer's - UT pays too much for 8 wins.
bigtimevol writes:
Hey, at least ESPN is using some creativity to generate discussions. Can't KNS do the same to get the positive football topics going, instead of Ga football players being dismissed, or KY/Fl signing a junior high kid, or bemoaning the fact that we haven't signed the DL's we need yet. Get with it KNS
Best regular season wins ever (1982 win vs Bama to snap 11 game losing streak/Florida 1998)???
Best offenses...best by position???
Biggest upsets (Miami '85)
Biggest chokes (vandy/duke)
What's the history of Vols success under first year upper classman QB's, and how do those teams stack up against our returning starters this year...(T.Rob, J. Francis, T. Martin, Dickey, etc, etc)
sdye16#641965 writes:
I agree with you AugVol. There are too many fans on here who don't have the guts to stand up for what they believe. They bash the writers on here for critiquing the Vols and say "you need to support your team and school" but then they turn around and say "FIRE FULMER!!" Last time I checked, the coaches are considered part of the team and school. Hypocrisy is ignorant, yet so many of the "fans" here insist to live with it.
THE_VOL writes:
Uhhh...AugVol...I have told him to his face that he needs to retire. And I'll tell you to your face that your a moron! This ridiculous - entertaining but ridiculous - deal by ESPN will have absolutely NO bearing on ANY recruit worth having. If Knoxville is Titletown, USA then Washington, DC is Honestyville, USA!!!
Silent_Fulmer writes:
FOOLMER was on vacation and didnt want to talk to the national media? Frankly I'm shocked.
CoverOrange writes:
Great idea bigtimevol. I would offer up the 1998 Syracuse game or the 1990(?) Notre Dame game at South Bend as best road games in the regular season.
sdye, it's not always the same fans that say "support the team" as those that say "fire Fulmer". But those sentiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive of one another. As Seinfeld pointed out, we cheer for jerseys.
volssam writes:
Why wouldn't a "TRUE" vol fan claim 6 nat'l titles? In case you've never been around a BAMA fan or in Tuscaloosa, they're adamant and a even a bit annoying when they calim their precious 12 titles....and they SHOULD claim 12.........I am a VERY TRUE VOL fan, and if we can claim 6, then we SHOULD claim 6!!!!!
dvols writes:
right. its not titletown. its ROCKY TOP by god!
volssam writes:
The info below is from Wikipedia....it gives us 4 nat'l titles but it also only gives Bama 10 and as I posted above they're not too shy about claiming 12 and noone seems to call them on it, and if we have been awarded 6, then we have the right and we should claim 6....it's not our fault they didn't have the "perfect" system in the past that we have now.........
School Championships Years
Notre Dame 13 1919, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988
Alabama 10 1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992
Michigan 9 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997
USC 9 1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004
Ohio State 7 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002
Oklahoma 7 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000
Minnesota 6 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960
Miami 5 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001
Nebraska 5 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997
Pittsburgh 5 1910, 1916, 1918, 1937, 1976
Harvard 4 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919
LSU 4 1908, 1958, 2003, 2007
Penn State 4 1911, 1912, 1982, 1986
Princeton 4 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922
Tennessee 4 1938, 1950, 1951, 1998
Texas 4 1963, 1969, 1970, 2005
Army 3 1914, 1944, 1945
California 3 1920, 1921, 1922
Cornell 3 1915, 1921, 1922
Georgia Tech 3 1917, 1928, 1990
Illinois 3 1919, 1923, 1927
Michigan State 3 1952, 1965, 1966
Yale 3 1907, 1909, 1927
alfrizzle097 writes:
I don't. Why take credit for something that isn't legit? Those titles we claim came from where? The same newspaper that gave Auburn a title a couple years ago? Claiming it seems to diminish what you did accomplish. Just saying...
I claim two titles and am proud of that.
imw8n4u writes:
If USC can claim 2003 from the AP(LSU was BCS Champ), then UT should count AP titles as well.
rootin4volz writes:
Wow, Mike Strange...you sure know how to pull out a big straight-pin and pop our balloon, don'tcha? What's next...you gonna steal some candy from a baby? I mean, come on, you're stating the obvious here...You could at least let us enjoy it for one night without commenting on it. Better stop hanging out with Adams...that negativity is rubbing off on you.
UT_LAW_2011 writes:
Until/unless there is a playoff the whole system of awarding a champion makes less sense than calling Ramar Smith a role model.
Given that, there is no reason for us to self hate on the number of championships UT has brought home.
If the flawed system at the time awarded you a championship, then you have a championship.
Otherwise, none of them are worth spit.
Go4Two writes:
Vols have the highest winning % in college football since 1921. Titletown should be base on the cities total book of work. Didn't it take the lizards 100 years to win 1 SEC football title..
CoverOrange writes:
What I don't understand is how there wasn't some podunk newspaper that rewarded the perfect season 1939 team with a National Championship much less the AP. Remember that bowls were not included in the polls back then.
byobbio writes:
I think Mike Strange needs to find something else to report on. And to throw in the playoff system? Man, it is not going to work. End of story. Period.
As for titletown, there is only one titletown. That is GreenBay. If you ask someone from there where they are from, they usually say "TitleTown". How do you change that? Because ESPN says so? I wouldn't trust ESPN if you gave it to me.
How bout we do next years' summer contest to see who is Touchdown Jesus?
Early votes are in: Knoxville, Birmingham, Miami and Athens!
volboy81#211803 writes:
Mike-you write this like the johnny-come-lately that you are. Look at history. Florida has none. We dont need people up here waving the Gator banner! Go get a job youre good at.
volwalk writes:
Fire Strange and Adams!!!
ESPN puts our university in the spot light during recruiting season and let me say I was pretty fired up after the piece they put together. This is a great recruiting tool---every high school athelete watches this network. Then I wake up this morning and "our own" media puts together a negative article in attempt to stir the negative bliss that surrounds our team.
Lets get rid of these bozos' at the KNS---this is ridiculous!
skinalive#242458 writes:
Title Town would have to be Los Angeles with:
The Lakers, Dodgers, USC, UCLA, Raiders (at one point), Angels, Ducks, Kings and Rams.
There have been over 40 championships won there.
rockytopron writes:
The concept of Titletown isn't all inclusive to titles, its also about fan support, and range of athletic competition.
Having Knoxville on the list is a huge statement for the city as well as the University.
While UT may not have as many titles as other schools or cities, if you look at how many teams have made the postseason the last couple of years you will see the almost every sport UT fields has made the postseason on a regular basis.
One other thing to consider. UT is the only school that made the top 25 this past season in Football, Men's basketball and women's basketball.
That's impressive.
gohawks1 writes:
oldorange (5:42 a.m.) - when calling someone a twit for a misspelled word, it's best to review your own post before submitting:
wherewithal, not where-with-all
controversial, not contraversial
journalists (pl), not journalist
embarrassing, not embarrasing
embarrassment, not embaressment
But hey, it was 5:42 in the morning. I understand.
VolMoment writes:
Alfrizzle097, check Alabama's claim of National title. They are some of the same. Yes they should claim them and so should UT.
PureOrange writes:
Strange is the appropriate name for some guy who cannot accept a compliment for his city without some negative comment.
Some of us are very proud of Knoxville, even if we do not live there. We appreciate what all our teams and players have done.
Maybe Strange could find more comfort in living in some of those other places. I, for one, would not miss him.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
I enjoyed the article. Keep up the good work Strange.
AugVol writes:
@the_vol
"Uhhh...AugVol...I have told him to his face that he needs to retire. And I'll tell you to your face that your a moron! This ridiculous - entertaining but ridiculous - deal by ESPN will have absolutely NO bearing on ANY recruit worth having. If Knoxville is Titletown, USA then Washington, DC is Honestyville, USA!!!"
Riighhhttttt.... Sure you did... If the day ever comes that a punk like you calls me a moron to my face, I guarantee you will get "measured" response in return.
Fact is, you have no clue about anything you are writing about. "NO bearing on ANY recruit worth having" Are you kidding me? What kid wouldn't want media attention, especially a 24 hour network like ESPN. The media lives on that campus during football and basketball season. Geez, do you even think before you post something? Go take your A.D.D. meds and take a freakin' nap, you loser.
gohawks1 writes:
Sometimes they just make it too easy, marc_ash.
Enjoyed the links to BJ and Crompton. Keep 'em coming.
tngeoff - Steve Earle and Copperhead Road - great song!
oldorange writes:
IPorange - I understand my spelling is not what it should be. I,like the most of the cattle who post here, do not get paid to write articles. I will expect someone who does to present correctly spelled and researched information. The cattle can write as they wish, and wait on someone like you, who habitually posts, to point out their shortcomings.
Sheepscape writes:
It'd go a long way to smooth things out around here if the football team could end the drought and bring home an SEC title(not just getting there!) for the first time in ten years. I fear we are getting complacent. That 8 win a season nonsense in the contract gives me quite a bit of trepidation.
VolGraduate writes:
Thanks for the negative article. Is the KNS in some sort of negative article competition. Why turn the good into bad?
gohawks1 writes:
Heh, heh, heh. That last post is perfect for us cattle, tngeoff.
AugVol writes:
@marc_ash:
Thanks. I usually try not to take the bait, but it's hard to let it pass when being called an outright moron. Mullet heads like to talk and I should know better.
I hope to make a trip or two to Knoxville this fall too. Perhaps he and I can continue our conversation, albeit a short one i'm sure.
LVVOLJJ writes:
Headline "KNS is able to turn gold into lead". Even if it's a stretch it's positive.. thank you ESPN.... we complain about your lack of respect and we complain about your overabundance of respect. Try again but you can't please us! NAN, NA, NAN, NA, NAN, NA!!!
ggriggs939#223122 writes:
A typical performance by the media which bites the hand that feeds it.
This is a nominee for the JERK that will tear down the opportunity for knoxville to gain some reknown.
alfrizzle097 writes:
Boston: Championships in the three major sports since 2000. How many? 7?
spvol writes:
Why no big uproar over athletes at other schools being arrested? Why no call for coaches at other schools to be sacked for failing to maintain control over their programs? The NS never seems to miss an opportunity to dis my beloved Vols. Guess that's part of the reason circulation is waaaaay down. Fire Adams for failing to maintain control over his minions!
IBleedOrange444 writes:
This article is spot on. It is an honor to make the list, but we probably don't deserve to win. I'll still go online and vote for K-Town anyways!
Got my tickets for the UCLA game this weekend. Front row of the corner endzone if I'm reading the seating chart correctly! I can't wait to paint Pasadena orange! I hope they'll let me tape some signs up over the railing.
lind212#269973 writes:
This must be a voting thing. I've seen several websites asking people to "Vote for Knoxville". I saw it on one travel site called gobahama.com, which has nothing to do with Knoxville!
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.