Thomas Rhett is one of country music’s hottest singers…and songwriters.
But he fully admits that he could never finish a song on his own, he needs cowriters – in fact when it comes to his latest album Country Again – Side A Thomas says “None of these songs would have happened if it was just me in a room. I’ve tried to write millions of songs by myself and I always stop at the chorus cause I can’t ever…I don’t trust myself…you know, I don’t trust myself to write a second verse, so all the cowriters on this record made this record what it is.”
So, even with all the love Thomas has for his song cowriters…if he truly wants to relax, he can’t hangout with them. “The majority of the time in my off-time, I choose not to hang out with songwriters…especially when my wife is around. Because we will sneak off to the studio to try to write something. It’s just inevitable.”
That’s right, Thomas knows that he cannot turn off that creative spark, “You know, even if I’m like ‘Hey y’all come over and have some drinks.’ It never just stops at that, we’re probably going to come into the studio and write something.”
But Thomas goes on to say that it might not be the songwriters — it might be a deeper problem in him. Because even when he has non-music industry people over…it still happens, “Even with people that aren’t songwriters, I meet with the same dudes, every Monday night for bible study and a couple of weeks ago we were in here (his studio) and we went through kind of a chapter of a book and then I was like ‘Hey y’all, let’s just put some beats up on the screen and let’s all pass the mic around (laugh)'”
Thomas says it moments like that, that actually spark some really creative ideas, “It’s so funny to be hanging with my friends because some of my best friends in the world – who aren’t songwriters – give me some of the best material to write about.”
Country Again – Side A from Thomas Rhett is available now, and this is the title track, and his current single at country radio…
(This is the second in a three-part series from recent interview with former Power 5 head coach and CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel on SportsTalk radio The Sports Animal, 99.1 FM, 990 AM. Part Two is about Josh Heupel’s system and the rebuilding job he faces.)
In the past 13 years, Tennessee has had eight losing seasons and two winning records in SEC play.
It has lost over 25 players to the transfer portal. It has released four players from the most recent National Letter of Intent signing.
It has had six coaches since 2008 and five athletic directors.
It has been described by more than one coach as a “dumpster fire.’’
Josh Heupel faces a monumental rebuilding job under much greater scrutiny than he faced while leading Central Florida to a 29-9 record in three years.
He has already suspended six players.
He has signed five from the transfer portal and garnered four commitments from three-star prospects.
So he’s he doing?
“Josh has done an excellent job,’’ said CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel.
Heupel learned from his days as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma and developed Drew Lock at Missouri into a second-round NFL draft pick, Neuheisel said.
His system takes advantage of the numbers in the run game and pass game.
“Heupel is aptly named because he likes to go hyper drive,’’ Neuheisel said. “It is going to be fast. Don’t get a hot do at Neyland or you’ll miss a few plays.’’
UT fans got a taste of the warped speed attack during the spring game as the Vols tried to snap the ball with about 30 seconds left on the 40-second play clock.
Neuheisel is confident Heupel will be a productive offense on the field because it’s easier to score points with average talent that stop teams with average defensive talent.
“You can survive offensively with average talent because of your scheme,’’ Neuheisel said. “You watch Army and Navy do it every year. There are lots of ways to create triple options.
“But you can not survive without talent on defense. You’re going to run into teams that even if the X and Os are crazy, somebody will out-athlete you on the field.’’
Neuheisel expects Heupel to run a lot of plays to his side of the field so they can go faster. He also expects few substitutions because then the defense can sub and slow things down.
Neuheisel also expects Heuple to take his fair share of shots downfield.
“Having coached (against Tennessee) at Rocky Top,’’ he said, “I know Volunteer fans love the deep ball.’’
Neuheisel said athletic director Danny White hiring Heupel indicates White will be patient with his coach and the program.
“That’s signaling we can do this the right way,’’ Neuheisel said. “We can put it together and build something sustainable rather than just try to get a quick fix and get to a bowl game this year.
“Let’s make sure we put things together that for the long haul and the Rocky Top nation can enjoy football the way they remember it.’’
Chelsea Seggern – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Lady Vol senior Chelsea Seggern has been named to the 2021 SEC Softball Community Service Team, the league office announced Wednesday.
The Community Service Team highlights student-athletes from each school that give back to their community in superior service efforts.
Seggern is a silver medallion recipient with over 175 hours of community service during her time on Rocky Top. The Thrall, Texas, native has spent hours visiting and spending time with children at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Her volunteering at the hospital has included spending time with kids during treatment, but also helping nurses clean and sanitize rooms and providing them with any resources they need.
She has also served as a mentor for the Vols HELP (healthy eating, living and playing) program at Pond Gap Elementary School, while also being involved with the annual Voloween, community holiday meal and Martin Luther King Jr. Day March.
Seggern is majoring in kinesiology with a minor in biological sciences. She has been named a 2017 and 2018 Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete, landed on the 2016-17 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and has been on multiple SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll listings.
In 2019, Seggern was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District 3 Team and to the SEC Community Service Team. She was also named a Chancellor’s Honors Award winner for Extraordinary Academic Achievement.
The fourth-ranked Tennessee Baseball team is anticipating a weekend filled with excitement and sold out crowds at Lindsey Nelson Stadium as the Vols take on top-ranked Arkansas for their final SEC home series of the season.
The series kicks off on Friday with Shirseys on the Seats, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Every seat in the grandstands will include a shirsey featuring either a throwback VFL t-shirt jersey design or the fan-favorite Cream Vols t-shirt jersey. Friday’s pre-game festivities will also feature a Pig Roast and pulled pork sandwich giveaway. The first 350 fans in attendance will receive a voucher for a pulled pork sandwich, while supplies last. Also on Friday night, Vol Nation won’t have to travel to Omaha to see a VFL known for his arm throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
All Vol fans are encouraged to take part in the first-ever Checker LNS for Saturday’s noon game by wearing the color that corresponds with their ticket location and section. CLICK HERE to visit CheckerLNS.com and find out what color to wear by entering your seating section.
Merchandise will be available to purchase at the ballpark for fans needing a different color. Fans who are not sure of their ticket location prior to arrival are encouraged to pack a white and orange t-shirt option. For will call tickets, please call the Tennessee Ticket Office at 865-656-1200 to determine your seating location and corresponding color prior to arrival.
For Sunday’s series finale, pregame ceremonies honoring eight senior Vols are set to begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. Fans are asked to arrive early to help celebrate and honor the careers of these incredible seniors who have helped return Tennessee baseball to national prominence.
Fifty fans will be delighted as they enter Sunday’s game and receive a voucher for a free lemonade from the rebranded stand, affectionately called Tony’s Lemonade Stand, which will feature lemonade made with fresh lemons and inspired by Head Coach Tony Vitello‘s very own lemonade stand which briefly launched in 2018. Sunday’s Kids’ Day activities include: free ice cream scoops for the first 75 kids ages 12 and under, Color Me Pennants and make your own Orange and White Bracelet, all while supplies last.
A food truck will be located inside of Lindsey Nelson Stadium behind the third-base Patios on Saturday and Sunday for fans to enjoy additional food options and local Knoxville eats.
This weekend’s series against the Razorbacks is sold out.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball legend Tamika Catchings will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. She is part of the nine-member 2020 class that will finally be enshrined after festivities were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catchings follows in the footsteps of her head coach at Tennessee, the late Pat Summitt, who was the first and only other person associated with the Lady Vol program to be welcomed to that hall back in 2000.
The 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement, which will take place at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, will be televised live on ESPN from 5:30-8 p.m. ET on Saturday. The show will be hosted by Ahmad Rashad and feature a special performance by multi-Grammy award-winning artist Ne-Yo.
On Friday, the Class of 2020 press conference will be televised live on NBA TV from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. Host Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated will facilitate a conversation with each inductee (or a representative for those honored posthumously) in the Class of 2020.
This year’s distinguished class includes honorees from the North American committee, Women’s Committee and International Committee. To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2020 includes: 18-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, 15-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan, 15-time NBA All-Star and nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Kevin Garnett, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton, two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens and long-time FIBA executive Patrick Baumann.
“The Class of 2020 is undoubtedly one of the most historic of all time and the talent and social influence of these nine honorees is beyond measure,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “In 2020, the basketball community has suffered the unimaginable loss of iconic figures Commissioner David Stern and Kobe Bryant, as well as the game itself due to COVID-19. We have also banded together like never before in appreciation of the game and those who have made it the uniting force it is today. Today we thank the Class of 2020 for all they have done for the game of basketball and we look forward to celebrating them at Enshrinement.”
Catchings, who played for the Lady Vols from 1997-2001, is one of only two UT players to earn WBCA All-America accolades all four years of her career and was a four-time All-SEC recipient, including three times as a first-team honoree.
The 6-1 forward from Duncanville, Texas, was a two-time All-Final Four recipient; the 2001 ESPY Awards Women’s Basketball Player of the Year; the 2000 Associated Press, WBCA, Naismith and U.S. Basketball Writers of America Player of the Year and the 1998 U.S. Basketball Writers of America and SEC Freshman of the Year. Catchings also was a three-time SEC All-Tournament Team member, and two-time NCAA All-Regional Tournament honoree and two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Catchings played a key role as Tennessee went 39-0 and won an NCAA title in 1998 and also helped the Lady Vols place second in 2000. Additionally, she was instrumental in the Big Orange winning four SEC regular season championships and three tournament crowns.
In Lady Vol history, Catchings remains fourth in all-time scoring with 2,113 points and is sixth with 1,004 career rebounds. She is one of only two UT players to record 2,000 points and 1,000 caroms. Catchings continues to rank third in steals (311), fourth in career field goals (760) and free throws (471), and ninth in blocked shots (136). She also is tied for most games played in a season with 39.
Catchings played 15 seasons with the Indiana Fever, was named the 2011 WNBA MVP and led that franchise to the 2012 WNBA Championship, earning Finals MVP honors. Catchings was a 10-time WNBA All-Star, a 12-time All-WNBA Team selection, a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and the 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year. She still holds the league’s all-time steals career mark and is employed by the Fever as vice president of basketball operations and general manager.
Also a member of the 2020 induction class into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, which will be enshrined in August, Catchings won four consecutive Olympic gold medals with Team USA from 2002-2016, tying for the most golds ever won in women’s basketball by an American woman and setting records for most Olympics participated in and most golds won by a Lady Vol.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – First-year Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel and his Volunteers will make their debut in a nationally televised SEC Network primetime game on Thursday, Sept. 2, against Bowling Green in Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET.
The contest was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 4.
“Any time you consider moving football games to a weekday—which is rare—you want to be sensitive to out-of-town fans who have to make plans to travel to Knoxville,” Tennessee Director of Athletics Danny White said. “In this case, the Labor Day holiday and four-month lead time should help in that regard. Sliding our opener to this Thursday primetime window gave us a wonderful opportunity for our football student-athletes to kick off their season in the national spotlight.
“This should be a fun way to begin celebrating 100 years of Neyland Stadium while also beginning an exciting new era of Tennessee football under Josh Heupel. I cannot wait to feel the electricity as the Vols come bursting through that T on Thursday night.”
The 2021 opener commences the centennial celebration of Neyland Stadium, which opened in 1921. Tennessee and Bowling Green are meeting for just the second time. The Vols began the 2015 season with a 59-30 neutral-site win over the Falcons in Nashville.
Heupel takes the reins of the Volunteers as one of college football’s winningest head coaches over the past three seasons. He produced a 28-8 overall record at UCF, a 2018 American Athletic Conference championship and three bowl appearances, including a New Year’s Six Fiesta Bowl berth in January 2019.
Heupel’s up-tempo offenses have established a track record of success. The Knights ranked in the FBS top five in total offense in each of his three seasons, and they were top 10 in points per game all three years as well. In both seasons as Missouri offensive coordinator from 2016-17, Heupel’s unit led the Southeastern Conference in total offense and ranked in the top 15 nationally.
Season tickets for the 100th year of Neyland Stadium and the start of the Heupel era are on sale now at AllVols.com. Season tickets start as low as $300, with the Vol Pass and payment plan options offered. Fans can experience the Neyland Stadium 3D map to select tickets based on preference. Fans with questions related to seats, views and options can utilize the live “CHAT” feature on AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4 Tennessee scored in each of the first six innings to build a big lead but had to stave off a late rally in a 10-8 win over Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols lead 9-0 entering the eighth inning but some bad luck and uncharacteristic defensive miscues resulted in the Golden Eagles scoring eight unearned runs over the final two innings to make things uncomfortable for the home team. Kirby Connell was able to end the game by getting Gavin Johns to fly out to center field with the tying run on first base.
Tennessee had 10 different players record a hit as it finished with 16 total hits on the night, marking the fifth straight game UT has finished with double-digit base knocks.
Liam Spence had another solid night from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI to run his on-base streak to 49 consecutive games played. Jake Rucker (2-for-3, run, RBI), Evan Russell (2-for-3, 2B, run, RBI), Jordan Beck (3-for-5, 2B, run, RBI) and Jackson Greer (2-for-5) all finished with multiple hits on the night.
Sophomore right hander Mark McLaughlin made his fourth start of the year, and aside from a single to start the game, was perfect through three scoreless innings while racking up four strikeouts.
After McLaughlin held the Golden Eagles off the board in the top of the first, the Vols jumped all over Tennessee Tech starter Steven Medrano for four runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning.
Spence singled to lead off the inning and scored the game’s first run on an RBI single by Rucker. Drew Gilbert (groundout), Russell (double) and Beck (single) also drove in runs during the inning.
Tennessee went on to score a one run in each of the next five innings and entered the eighth with a huge lead after Jorel Ortega hit his first-career home run to make it 9-0 in the sixth inning.
The Golden Eagles (18-22) made things interesting with six runs in the top of the eighth to cut their deficit to three. After UT added another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, TTU scored two more runs in the ninth to cut the Vols’ lead to just two before having their rally fall short with a long flyout to center field to end the game.
The Big Orange used a plethora of arms out of the bullpen as eight different relief pitchers saw action. Freshman lefty Zander Sechrist picked up his second win after retiring the side in order in the fifth.
The Vols (38-11 // 17-7 SEC) now turn their sights towards a massive series against No. 1 Arkansas this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
NOTABLE
SPENCE’S STREAKS: Liam Spence extended a pair of impressive streaks with his performance on Tuesday night. The senior shortstop has now reached base in 49 consecutive games played, which is the longest current streak in college baseball. He also extended his hit streak to 10 straight games with two hits on the night.
PILING UP HITS: After cranking out 16 hits on Tuesday, Tennessee has now recorded 10 or more base hits in five straight games and seven of its last nine contests. This weekend’s series against the Razorbacks will feature two of the top hitting teams in the SEC.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced its annual softball postseason awards Tuesday, with the Lady Vols taking home five honors, including Cailin Hannon who was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Tennessee’s Ashley Rogers and Kiki Milloy earned First Team All-SEC accolades, while Ashley Morgan was tabbed Second Team All-SEC. Milloy was also selected to the SEC Newcomer Team, which is being awarded for the first time.
Rogers is having another stellar year in the circle for UT and is one of the top pitchers nationally. She ranks fifth in the nation and is tied for the SEC lead in victories with 23, leads the conference and is fifth nationally in strikeouts at 253 and has a conference-best seven shutouts to rank 15th overall in the nation.
Rogers has been named the SEC Pitcher of the Week three times this season, becoming the first Lady Vol to win the weekly honor three times in a single season since 2018. This is the second first team selection in Rogers’ career.
Earning her first pair All-SEC honors, Milloy was named to the first team and newcomer team after finishing the regular season hitting .382 with 36 RBI, an SEC leading 36 stolen bases and a team-best 47 runs scored.
Her 36 stolen bases are the most by a Lady Vol since Raven Chavanne stole 41 in 2013.
Morgan picked up second team accolades this season, marking her second All-SEC honor after being named to the All-Freshman Team in 2018. The Douglasville, Georgia, native closed out the season leading UT in batting average at .394.
The first baseman led Tennessee in batting average in SEC play, hitting .400. She also led the Lady Vols in league play with 15 RBIs, 26 hits and six doubles.
Hannon, a graduate student from Franklin, Tennessee, was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She is just the fourth Lady Vol to be named the league’s scholar-athlete, joining Lindsay Schutzler (2007), Lillian Hammond (2009) and Ellen Renfroe (2014).
The left fielder graduated from UT in May 2020 with her bachelor’s in audiology/speech pathology. However, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, she was granted an extra year of eligibility and returned to Tennessee to pursue a clinical doctorate in audiology, while playing one more season for the Tennessee softball program.
Hannon currently has a 4.0 GPA in her doctoral program.
The All-SEC teams consist of 28 total student-athletes, along with a 14-member All-Newcomer Team, a 12-member All-Freshman team and an 11-member All-Defensive Team.
Tennessee, the No. 7 seed in the SEC Softball Tournament, will play Wednesday against 10th-seeded Texas A&M.
Gary Allan has set the date when fans can expect his new album, Ruthless to be available – June 25th.
It’s been a long wait for his fans, since his last album, Set You Free, came out in 2013. Gary says, “This is a montage of everything I have done since my last album.”
Ruthless track listing:
1. “Temptation” (Written by Nicolle Galyon, Chase McGill and Jon Nite) 2. “Waste Of A Whiskey Drink” (Written by Josh Kear, Michael Hardy and Mark Holman)
3. “Till It Felt Like You”* (Written by Kyle Jacobs, Joe Leathers and Matt Warren)
4. “Slide” (Written by Ross Ellis, Alex Kline and Michael Whitworth)
5. “Pretty Damn Close”* (Written by Gary Allan, Sarah Buxton, Rodney Clawson and Matt Warren)
6. “High As I’ve Ever Been”* (Written by Matt Warren, James Slater and Skip Black)
7. “What I Can’t Talk About”* (Written by Jim Beavers, Lindsay Rimes and Matt Rogers)
8. “SEX” (Written by Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally and Matt Jenkins)
9. “Trouble Knows Trouble” (Written by Steve Bogard, Jason Sever and John Edwards)
10. “Ruthless” (Written by Hillary Lindsey, busbee and Ryan Hurd)
11. “Unfiltered”** (Written by Blair Daly, Brad Warren and Brett Warren)
12. “Little Glass Of Wine”* (Written by Jesse Winchester)
13. “The Hard Way”* (Written by Matt Warren and Carey Ott)
Produced by Mark Wright and Tony Brown
*Produced by Gary Allan and Greg Droman
**Produced by Jay Joyce
Talking about the songs on Ruthless, Gary shares, “It’s what I love. I remain influenced by the ‘90s — as well as by the ‘80s.”
Gary definitely record his fair share of tracks for the album before he got it down to the 13 that made the project, “Twenty-six tracks were cut for this album. Then I went back to the studio and recorded three or four more tracks. Then I returned for two more. From each of these many sessions, I stripped out the cool stuff that I wanted on the record.”
“Temptation” is the lead track for Ruthless that is out now…
Gary Allan also previously released the music video for “Waste of a Whiskey Drink”…
Ruthless from Gary Allan – available June 25. Pre-order HERE.
Did you catch Dierks Bentley‘s recent trip to the TV show The Doctors?
Dierks stopped by for a chat about how music is an important part of his life, and how important it is to help the people who work to support the entertainment industry.
