Inspired by Knoxville-area Vol fans this fall, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam recently signed an official proclamation designating Friday, Oct. 19, as “Big Orange Friday” throughout the entire Volunteer State.
Big Orange Friday is an initiative created to engage the community, residents and fans with Tennessee Athletics and the university by wearing orange on Friday every week.
Every Friday, fans who wear Tennessee orange will receive discounts at Knoxville-area stores, restaurants and service providers. Fans can visit BigOrangeFriday.com for an updated list of participating sponsors, discounts and activities surrounding Big Orange Friday (also seen in the graphic below; Knoxville-area locations only).
Haslam’s State of Tennessee Proclamation encourages citizens from Shelby County to Johnson County to show state pride and don their orange the day before the Volunteers football team faces historic rival Alabama on “the third Saturday in October,” Oct. 20. Kickoff for that clash is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. A limited number of tickets remain available at AllVols.com.
Big Orange Friday Sponsors / Credit: UT Athletics
The wording on the proclamation is as follows:
State of Tennessee Proclamation by the Governor
WHEREAS, formally the third Saturday in October the Tennessee Volunteers play the Alabama Crimson Tide every year, and
WHEREAS, as long as teams have represented the University of Tennessee on the field, they have carried on the name and tradition of the original Tennessee Volunteers, and
WHEREAS, Tennesseans can proudly show state pride by wearing Tennessee Orange on the third Friday in October before the annual Tennessee vs. Alabama game, and
WHEREAS, the University requests that the “Volunteer State” should turn Orange to show the pride and support of the state in the on-field football battle against its neighboring state;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bill Haslam, Governor of the State of Tennessee, do hereby proclaim October 19, 2018 as
BIG ORANGE FRIDAY
in Tennessee and encourage all citizens to join me in this worthy observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the official seal of the State of Tennessee to be affixed at Nashville on this twentieth day of September, 2018.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Turner Sports has announced that it has reached an agreement with Lady Vol hoops legend and UT graduate Candace Parker on a position that includes full-time contributions as an analyst and commentator for the NBA on TNT and NBA TV throughout the 2018-19 season.
Parker, a 10-year WNBA veteran and two-time league MVP, is coming off an All-Star campaign in 2018 where she led the Los Angeles Sparks to the postseason. She will join the Players Only studio team for telecasts airing on both TNT and NBA TV. Players Only provides viewers an entertaining narrative and unique insights into the game directly from the athlete’s perspective. NBA TV will air Players Only telecasts on Monday nights. running Oct. 22 through late-January. TNT will then air the remaining Players Only telecasts Tuesday nights from the series’ Jan. 29 debut through mid-April.
Parker also will provide analysis for NBA TV’s GameTime – the network’s flagship studio show – with regular appearances on Sunday nights during the 2018-19 season beginning with her debut on Oct. 21. She also will contribute to a variety of special projects for both the NBA on TNT and NBA TV.
Additionally, Parker will provide commentary for Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
“I cannot wait to resume broadcasting with Turner Sports and to be a part of what I consider the best basketball coverage out there,” said Parker. “I love broadcasting because it allows me to share my passion for basketball with viewers, and I look forward to sharing my analysis and commentary in a variety of formats.”
“Candace is one of the most influential basketball stars of her generation, and we’re thrilled to provide a wide variety of opportunities for her to share her passion for the game and insights directly with fans,” said Tara August, Vice President of Talent Relations & Special Projects, Turner Sports. “She’s a trailblazer in every sense of the word, and we can’t wait to further showcase her talents as a commentator across our collective basketball portfolio.”
Parker was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008, following a stellar career at Tennessee, where she led the Lady Vols to consecutive NCAA Championships in 2007 and 2008. During the 2008-09 WNBA season, she became the first player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.
In 2016, Parker led the L.A. Sparks to a WNBA Championship, in which she was named WNBA Finals MVP. She was named WNBA All-Star Game MVP in 2013, along with being elected to six All-WNBA teams and three All-Star teams. Parker also led Team USA Women’s Basketball to back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Games.
Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher hosted a benefit on Oct. 4 in Franklin, Tenn., that raised nearly $600,000 for Danita’s Children, an organization that provides medical care, educational opportunities and food to orphaned and impoverished children in Haiti.
The invitation-only event was attended by more than 450 patrons, including Tennessee governor Bill Haslam, who opened the event with a prayer.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck emceed the event, while Carrie and Brad Paisley provided the musical entertainment.
Many country stars—including Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Chris Janson and Florida native Michael Ray—sent out their thoughts and prayers via Twitter for those in the path of Hurricane Michael, which has cause widespread devastation along Gulf.
Hey everyone. Pray for my people. So many dear people I know are being affected. My mother and so many friends live in Mexico beach. And now it’s bearing down on Albany and Leesburg.
Our little island is getting pounded by Hurricane Michael right now. This is our second home and we love this place. We are thinking about everyone down there and hope yall are ok! pic.twitter.com/oLKKuekyLG
I just landed in Houston but my mind & heart are in my home state today. Florida, this hurricane is no joke. It is the first time a hurricane this strong has hit the FL Panhandle. Please stay safe & be smart. Praying for you & all the other communities & animals in its path. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rQBvGABtnn
The American Music Awards featured a who’s who of performers from all genres of music on Oct. 9, including Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign, Shawn Mendes with Zedd, Twenty One Pilots and more.
On the country music front, Carrie Underwood took center stage to perform “Spinning Bottles,” a tune from her brand-new album, Cry Pretty. Carrie co-penned the song with Hillary Lindsey and David Garcia, who also co-produced the album with Carrie.
In addition to her performance, Carrie took home the trophy for Favorite Female Artist – Country.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football team continued to displayed excitement at the challenge posed by this weekend’s road test against No. 21/21 Auburn as it wrapped up its third practice of the week on Wednesday night at Haslam Field.
“Having an off week was really good for us because there’s lots of things that need to catch up on and improve on, but the excitement about playing football is playing the games,” head coach Jeremy Pruitt said.
The Vols will face their second straight ranked opponent as they travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the Tigers on Saturday at Noon ET. The game will air live on the SEC Network.
“We’re playing against a really good football team that’s really well coached,” Pruitt said. “I know they’re coming off of a loss, and I know the men on that coaching staff and a lot of those players, and they have a lot of pride.”
Saturday’s contest is the first noon road game for the Vols since a 12 p.m. ET kick at Georgia on Sept. 27, 2014. With the game being played in the central time zone, it also marks the first 11 a.m. start for UT since Nov. 14, 2009 at Ole Miss.
“We’ll have a tough challenge to go down there and win the game, but our kids are excited for the opportunity to play and we’re looking forward to it,” Pruitt said.
Vols Show Improvement
Tennessee continues to show improvement in all phases of the game but is still looking for consistency when it comes to limiting turnovers.
“Their practice habits are better, and that’s the first way to improve as a player is to become a better practice player,” Pruitt said. “They’re starting to prepare better each week, so I’ve seen a lot of improvement, and I think our team has improved every week in all phases. The one thing that we have not improved on is protecting the football.”
The Vols began 2018 with only two turnovers through the first three games of the season but have since committed seven.
“We’ve got to improve on that, and we’ve worked really hard on it,” Pruitt said. “I think we’re improving our tackling on defense, and we’re improving our pass rush. So, we’ve just got to keep doing that, and that’s what everybody has been focusing on for the last two weeks.”
Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Post-Practice Press Conference Transcript (Oct. 10)
Opening Statement:
“It’s good to be back in game week. I think there’s a lot of guys that are excited to play. Having an off week was really good for us because there’s lots of things that need to catch up on and improve on, but the excitement about playing football is playing the games. We’re playing against a really good football team that’s really well coached. I know they’re coming off of a loss, and I know the men on that coaching staff and a lot of those players, and they have a lot of pride, so we’ll have a tough challenge to go down there and win the game. But our kids are excited for the opportunity to play and we’re looking forward to it.”
On Kevin Steele helping him get started in collegiate coaching:
“Kevin was one of the first guys that was hired on the staff at Alabama when coach (Nick) Saban got the job and he recruited Hoover High School. I had never met Kevin before, I met him then. He called me one night and asked me if I would be interested in talking to coach Saban and I did. From there, I went to work and at that time Kevin was the defensive coordinator. That first year, we spent a lot of nights together with me trying to help him in any way that I possibly could. I was a young guy and excited about the opportunities, excited about the people I was working with, and I learned a lot. Kevin was very patient with me as a young coach and very instrumental in helping me get going in my career, so I’m very thankful for that opportunity and he’s a good friend of mine.”
On if he knew then that he wanted to be a college head coach and if Kevin Steele helped start him on that path:
“Coach Saban was the head coach and eventually hired me, but Kevin probably recommended me to him. So absolutely, it helped. Growing up, I really wanted to be a high school coach, that’s what I wanted to do, but as I stayed on as a student assistant at Alabama once I finished playing, I had a really good opportunity, played for some really good coaches and stayed there on a great staff. We didn’t have a lot of success that first year, but I learned a lot of ball. It’s probably one of those what-ifs, what if you get an opportunity? I’m thankful for the opportunity I have now.”
On the chemistry of the offensive staff:
“Everybody on our offensive staff is familiar with each other. I’ve known Tyson Helton since 2004 when I was working at Hoover High School. Will Friend and I lived together in college. Brian Niedermeyer worked for me at Georgia, Alabama and here. Chris Weinke I was with at Alabama and I’ve known him for a long time through a mutual friend. David (Johnson) is the one guy that I didn’t really know, but Burton Burns highly recommended him and he came in here and interviewed and did a fantastic job. We have great offensive minds. To be good on offense, you have to be able to execute, that’s the one thing. Defensive football, there’s lot of times over the years where we didn’t exactly get it right, but we had some really good playmakers, some guys that most of them got it right. On offense, it’s hard to have success unless everybody is doing it right, so we have to work to do that. When we’ve done that this year, we’ve had success, so we have to get more consistency to have more success.”
On the safety situation, Micah Abernathy’s availability, and how Theo Jackson and Shawn Shamburger have responded to more reps:
“First of all, Theo and Shamburger, or any player, having an opportunity because somebody is hurt shouldn’t change the way you practice. If you want to be the best that you can possibly be, you need to practice at your best and prepare at your best, so if the opportunity arises, you’re ready instead of waiting around. But, Micah has practiced, he’s got a banged-up ankle and he’ll be ready to play.”
On coaching the offense and what he is looking for from the offense:
“I have confidence in Terry Fair, I have confidence in Charles Kelly. I don’t think that I have to be down there. I knew when we got started, even though Charles and I speak the same language, I wanted to make sure it started off right. That’s the way it was when we first started. I ran all the defensive meetings. I don’t run all of the defensive meetings anymore, so even though a lot of us work together, we haven’t worked together in a couple of years, so you want to make sure that you’re all speaking the same language, defensively, so a lot of it has to do with that. I’ve spent so much time on the defensive side. I coached offense in high school and I think I could go coach the o-line, the quarterbacks, the wide receivers, so, I want to go down there and encourage those guys a little bit.”
On offensive line continuity and the reps that Nathan Niehaus has been getting:
“For one, we’re getting Jerome (Carvin) more reps at center. He’s now our backup center, and he’s taken a lot of reps at right guard, and for Jerome, he has talent, he’s a smart guy, he’s a guy who since he’s been here he’s now played all five positions unfortunately, probably because of a lack of depth in the spring. He’s a guy that, since Brandon (Kennedy) has been out, he had been the third-team center. So, if we had a rack of six, he would take two reps at center each practice, for each period, and with Riley (Locklear) out, we wanted to make sure that he was ready to go at center. We had a couple of guys that were out for one day. Nathan, he’s a guy that, he’s smart, he has a big body, he can bend, he probably needs to develop a little more power, and he will the older he gets. If he gets an opportunity, and he’s played pretty well in the opportunities he’s had, he’s a guy that we believe in and that we think has a chance to contribute for us.”
On players who have developed well that haven’t been mentioned much:
“I see a lot of guys in our program that are really improving. Their practice habits are better and that’s the first way to improve as a player is to become a better practice player. They’re starting to prepare better each week, so I’ve seen a lot of improvement and I think our team has improved every week in all phases. The one thing that we have not improved on is protecting the football. We started off the year protecting the football and then we had one game where we had six turnovers and had a couple others along the way. We’ve got to improve on that and we’ve worked really hard on it. I think we’re improving our tackling on defense and we’re improving our pass rush, so we’ve just got to keep doing that, and that’s what everybody has been focusing on for the last two weeks.”
There are many different paths to success in the ever-changing country music industry—and Jessie Chris is forging her own.
Jessie is making moves WITHOUT a traditional record contract, and it has been really impressive to watch the 21-year-old release new music, headline her own tour and acquire sponsorship deals with brands like Durango Boots. It’s hard not to fall in love with her tremendous talents, sweet personality and kind heart.
In this week’s episode, Jessie shares some great insight from her journey and offers valuable advice for other aspiring artists. Hope you enjoy!
Show Participants:
Jessie Chris
Elaina Smith, host of WWTHW
Videos:
Jessie “Plays It Forward” by covering Kelsea Ballerini’s “Peter Pan,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in 2016.
