Random Thoughts - Friday Morning

- The Braves are at the breaking point. The Reds' come from behind victory in SanFran last night leaves Atlanta 7 games back with the calendar rushing towards September. Atlanta lost two of three at home to the team with the worst record in the National League earlier this week, and there's simply no more time for any margin of error. The Braves have closed to within 4.5 games three times since the All-Star Break, but have gotten no closer. Consistent starting pitching and more clutch hitting is what Atlanta simply must have if the Braves have any shot to sneak into the playoffs. The odds are stacked highly against them, but this is Atlanta and they've done it since 1991, so I'm not calling them dead until they are.

- PacMan Jones was charged with disorderly conduct after a profanity-laced argument with a woman in Nashville last night. The Titans' CB has been a love-hate player in Nashville for the past two seasons, picked #6 in the 2005 Draft and shown flashes of living up to it, but this would be his second charge in as many years, and Jeff Fisher doesn't like trouble. If Jones can keep his head on straight, he's a key part of the Titans' young defense. If not, he'll get in the doghouse rapidly, and the team will suffer. Stay tuned...

- ESPN.com's SEC Preview has no mention whatsoever of Tennessee, running feature stories on Chris Leak, Quentin Moses, LaRon Landry, and Kenny Irons. I'm not upset about it, and those are all good pieces to read...but I can't figure out if it's good or bad that the Vols are flying so low beneath the national radar. When sites like ESPN discuss who's going to win the SEC East, often times you won't see the Vols even in the conversation, which goes something like "it's the winner of the Cocktail Party, and watch out for South Carolina". I know this makes no difference in the grand scheme of things, but it's a new thing for me and I'm still adjusting...

- Finally, Alcoa and Maryville renew Tennessee's best high school football rivalry tonight. The News-Sentinel is predicting crowds in excess of 10,000 out at Maryville to watch this clash; the crowds at Alcoa last year eclipsed 8,000 easily. Even playing without Brandon Warren, it'll be hard for Alcoa to have had a better shot at beating Maryville than they did last year, which turned into a 41-21 loss that wasn't really that close. The Rebels did suspend four players this week, including their starting running back, and the last time Alcoa won in 2000, a similar situation unfolded in a 14-7 victory that propeled the Tornadoes to their first of three state titles in six years. Maryville has won five of six, and both schools have won back-to-back titles. If you're in the Knoxville area, you owe it to yourself to check this out, both for the D1 prospects you'll see on the field, and for the unmatched atmosphere of this rivalry game. For my alma mater today, I'd love to find a Rebel flag, shred it, and hang it outside my front door - but the folks up here in the Virginia hills probably wouldn't appreciate that. Here's pulling for an Alcoa win.