One of the great things about watching the Orange and White game is the lack of pressure associated with covering it.

It's not the 3rd Saturday in October. Heck, it's not even the 3rd Saturday in April.

My pregame takes:

*Another beautiful day to watch football. Sunny skies, 70 degrees, light breeze, relaxed vibe.

*Chatted with General Neyland's son Bob, Jr and the General's grandson Blake before the game. I've communicated with Blake a few times via email and was impressed with both men. It was an honor to have some time to talk with them.

Coaches love to speak in simple, worn out phrases.

I think they're called cliches, but I wouldn't know because I've never used one.

So, I'm approaching our Spring football coverage one-practice-at-a-time, when Coach Dooley stuns me with something I haven't heard since high school. I am serious.

I'll keep this one short, simple, and not so sweet. 

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger deserves to be suspended. 

I am not sure how you quantify his alleged trangressions into a number of games-- but let's start with five and move forward, certainly not back.

To clarify, Roethlisberger hasn't been charged with a crime. But he's been accused twice of sexual assault, and no one seems to be disputing much of the sordid information that's been released regarding the second one.

I attended a small social gathering tonight-- and was told that baseball is a boring sport with no action. I hear that complaint often, and I couldn't disagree more.

Baseball is simply-- the best sport-- ever.

College football has history, and it is special for other reasons, mostly because it makes places like Lincoln and South Bend and Knoxville the center of the sports universe each Saturday from August through November.

But nothing comes close to baseball.

Look, I'd be a total hypocrite to totally slam the Tiger commericial. After all, I work in television and my income depends on well, advertising-- some of which I don't agree with.  Also, as I write this, I am wearing a pair of Nikes, which I don't intend to take off and throw away. 

Away from practice, Derek Dooley is a man of few words with the media.

But it takes only a few questions after practice to know where Dooley stands on the Vols quarterback issue.

This could be the second biggest day in Tennessee sports history.

Sure, it's open for debate-- that's what makes sports so much fun, but there is no disputing that the outcome of today's Midwest Region final in St. Louis could carve a whole new identity for UT athletics.

Bruce Pearl believes he can make history Friday. So do his players. The Vols took the court for practice at The Ed (Edward Jones Dome) on Thursday and Pearl let his players shoot, and then shoot more, and then shoot more. After practice, Pearl said the Vols ability shooting the ball on Friday will have more to do with how they handle Ohio State's defense than it does with the sightlines inside the dome. 

Arrived here at sunset. The St. Louis Arch-- a symbol of westward expansion and the building of a nation-- could be symbolic for the Vols this weekend too. The Gateway to the Final Four?  It will take a near perfect game against Ohio St. Friday night, but bigger upsets have already happened. Case in point, top-seed Kansas isn't here-- victims in a loss to 9th seed Northern Iowa.

I think of my Irish-born grandmother often. She and her sister came to America as teenagers in the 1920s, leaving behind two parents and a younger sister in County Roscommon, Ireland.

Despite living in America for most of her 77 years, Angela never lost her Irish accent. And despite never once returning to Ireland-- she often told stories of growing up there, and in many ways remained Irish to the core.

My wife and I have visited Ireland twice-- and on both occassions we reconnected with family members that have been generous and warm with their welcomes.