General Sports Talk

Perhaps they could add a four-point shot. That would open the game up and decrease the value of inside baskets. The Globetrotters have been using four-pointers for a few years, and it adds to the entertainment value.

Quote: billryan

Perhaps they could add a four-point shot. That would open the game up and decrease the value of inside baskets. The Globetrotters have been using four-pointers for a few years, and it adds to the entertainment value.
link to original post

How about multiple baskets as each end. A one point basket, a two point basket and a three point basket each at different heights.

Use the 24-second clock.

Score with 15 seconds left and it is three points. Score with under 5 seconds left, and it is only a one pointer. On the one hand, it encourages an uptempo offense, but also rewards defense.

I have been a Stetson Bennett fan since his GOAT days at UGA. After he was drafted by the LA Rams, he went dark for a couple of years for "personal reasons." This year, as a "rookie," he has started two pre-season games and played every offensive snap winning both games and throwing 5 TD's with 2 pic;s. To my knowledge, no other team has relied on their "prized" rookie QB's to that extent or with such success.

On the Rams depth chart, Bennett is behind M. Stafford and J. Garoppolo, who I believe, is an overrated, crappy QB. I am hopeful he, Bennett, continues to shine and becomes a true force in the game.

tuttigym

Quote: billryan

Use the 24-second clock.

Score with 15 seconds left and it is three points. Score with under 5 seconds left, and it is only a one pointer. On the one hand, it encourages an uptempo offense, but also rewards defense.
link to original post

That is really an interesting idea to base the score on the amount of time it took.

Quote: tuttigym

I have been a Stetson Bennett fan since his GOAT days at UGA. After he was drafted by the LA Rams, he went dark for a couple of years for "personal reasons." This year, as a "rookie," he has started two pre-season games and played every offensive snap winning both games and throwing 5 TD's with 2 pic;s. To my knowledge, no other team has relied on their "prized" rookie QB's to that extent or with such success.

On the Rams depth chart, Bennett is behind M. Stafford and J. Garoppolo, who I believe, is an overrated, crappy QB. I am hopeful he, Bennett, continues to shine and becomes a true force in the game.

tuttigym
link to original post

I agree that you have been a very vocal Stetson Bennet fans for many years. Bennett has finally come out of the wilderness and I concede that he is doing very well in the exhibition games. You may indeed have been correct that he has a future in the NFL (and therefore I may have been incorrect that he would never make it.) Good for you.

The fact that he has played every snap in both preseason games is significant. It means the Rams feel they know Stafford and Garropolo very well and are interested in evaluating Bennett. Stafford is close to the end of his career and Garoppolo is indeed a mediocrity. Let's wait and see.

A player named Bob Seymour hit a home run last night. Why it was unusual is it is the first home run hit by a player named Bob in several seasons. Thumbing thruy my baseball card collection, it seems like Robert was a very popular name in baseball pre-1970, and almost all the Roberts went by Bob. Players using Bob were about five percent of the leagues , with two players using Robert and one using Bobby. It's not entirely accurate as Topps insisted on calling Roberto Clemente Bob for many years before using Roberto.
As a kid, I had several friends named Bobby, who are now called Bob or Rob, as Bobby seemed to be the childhood version of Bob.
Somewhere along the way, men started keeping Bobby as they grew, and while there are several players in baseball named Robert, only one uses the nickname Bob.
The 1971 Pirates had five Bobs on their team. That team hasn't made the playoffs in a generation and it's been almost as long since they had a Bob. Quite a co-inky-dink, no?
No player named Robert, Bob or Bobby is in the top 150 Home run leaders. Bobby Abreau and Bobby Bonilla are amongst five Bobby's in the top 300, while Bob Horner is the career leader among Bobs.
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time.
What's it all mean?

Quote: billryan

A...
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time...
link to original post

If my research is correct, Bob Lemon is the only one to manage a team while currently a member of the Hall of Fame as a player. (Yogi was inducted after he was a manager and completely out of the game.)

That will probably never happen again being if you've made the money a HoF player makes in his career you won't be that interested in a relatively low paying job as a manager.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: billryan

A...
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time...
link to original post

If my research is correct, Bob Lemon is the only one to manage a team while currently a member of the Hall of Fame as a player. (Yogi was inducted after he was a manager and completely out of the game.)

That will probably never happen again being if you've made the money a HoF player makes in his career you won't be that interested in a relatively low paying job as a manager.
link to original post

Ted Williams and possibly Frank Robinson? Paul Molitor and Ryne Sandberg.

Quote: billryan

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: billryan

A...
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time...
link to original post

If my research is correct, Bob Lemon is the only one to manage a team while currently a member of the Hall of Fame as a player. (Yogi was inducted after he was a manager and completely out of the game.)

That will probably never happen again being if you've made the money a HoF player makes in his career you won't be that interested in a relatively low paying job as a manager.
link to original post

Ted Williams and possibly Frank Robinson? Paul Molitor and Ryne Sandberg.
link to original post

You're right! I didn't look close enough. There was something unique about Lemon though, now I can't recall what that was.

Tonight is George Costanza bobblehead night at Yankee Stadium. Costanza was a considerable part of Sienfelds's success, and his Yankee bobblehead is long overdue. In the sort of coincidence that made the show what it was, the Boston starting pitcher's grandfather played George's dead fiancé's father on the show.

What an ugly game so far. The Yankees made three errors in the second inning, with two of the wildest throws I've seen in a bigly game.
The Red Sox had a runner on third, who decided to walk over to the third base coach without calling a timeout and was picked off. Four walks and three errors in two innings. UGLY. Amazingly the Sawx scored only one run.

Quote: billryan

A player named Bob Seymour hit a home run last night. Why it was unusual is it is the first home run hit by a player named Bob in several seasons. Thumbing thruy my baseball card collection, it seems like Robert was a very popular name in baseball pre-1970, and almost all the Roberts went by Bob. Players using Bob were about five percent of the leagues , with two players using Robert and one using Bobby. It's not entirely accurate as Topps insisted on calling Roberto Clemente Bob for many years before using Roberto.
As a kid, I had several friends named Bobby, who are now called Bob or Rob, as Bobby seemed to be the childhood version of Bob.
Somewhere along the way, men started keeping Bobby as they grew, and while there are several players in baseball named Robert, only one uses the nickname Bob.
The 1971 Pirates had five Bobs on their team. That team hasn't made the playoffs in a generation and it's been almost as long since they had a Bob. Quite a co-inky-dink, no?
No player named Robert, Bob or Bobby is in the top 150 Home run leaders. Bobby Abreau and Bobby Bonilla are amongst five Bobby's in the top 300, while Bob Horner is the career leader among Bobs.
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time.
What's it all mean?
link to original post

The Red Sox have a player who was almost named Bob, but the parents chose the similar

Jhostynxon

instead.

His nickname is ‘The Password’.

Here is my attempt at a MLB "All Bobs" team'. For this, I defined "Roberto" to be a different name then "Bob, Bobby, Rob, and Robert"

C: Bob Brenly
1B: Bob Horner
2B: Bobby Grich
3B: Bobby Bonilla
SS: Bobby Wallace
LF: Bobby Veach
CF: Bobby Murcer
RF: Bobby Abreu
DH: Bob Johnson

Starters: Bob Gibson, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Bob Welch, Bob Forsch
Relief Pitchers: Bob Wickman, Bobby Thigpen, Bob Stanley, Bob Veale
Other Pitchers: Bob Ojeda, Bobby Witt, Bob Knepper, Bobby Shantz

Backups
Bob Allison, OF, 1B
Bobby Doerr, 2b
Bob Tolan, CF edit: Bobby Bonds, OF
Bob Elliott, OF, 3B
Bobby Wilson, Backup C
Bob Uecker, 5th String Catcher

Quote: gordonm888

Here is my attempt at a MLB "All Bobs" team'. For this, I defined "Roberto" to be a different name then "Bob, Bobby, Rob, and Robert"

C: Bob Brenly
1B: Bob Horner
2B: Bobby Grich
3B: Bobby Bonilla
SS: Bobby Wallace
LF: Bobby Veach
CF: Bobby Murcer
RF: Bobby Abreu
DH: Bob Johnson

Starters: Bob Gibson, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Bob Welch, Bob Forsch
Relief Pitchers: Bob Wickman, Bobby Thigpen, Bob Stanley, Bob Veale
Other Pitchers: Bob Ojeda, Bobby Witt, Bob Knepper, Bobby Shantz

Backups
Bob Allison, OF, 1B
Bobby Doerr, 2b
Bob Tolan, CF
Bob Elliott, OF, 3B
Bobby Wilson, Backup C
Bob Uecker, 5th String Catcher
link to original post

OK Abreu over Bonds in RF, that's a good call, but Bobby Bonds is going to be on the roster, no?

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: gordonm888

Here is my attempt at a MLB "All Bobs" team'. For this, I defined "Roberto" to be a different name then "Bob, Bobby, Rob, and Robert"

C: Bob Brenly
1B: Bob Horner
2B: Bobby Grich
3B: Bobby Bonilla
SS: Bobby Wallace
LF: Bobby Veach
CF: Bobby Murcer
RF: Bobby Abreu
DH: Bob Johnson

Starters: Bob Gibson, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Bob Welch, Bob Forsch
Relief Pitchers: Bob Wickman, Bobby Thigpen, Bob Stanley, Bob Veale
Other Pitchers: Bob Ojeda, Bobby Witt, Bob Knepper, Bobby Shantz

Backups
Bob Allison, OF, 1B
Bobby Doerr, 2b
Bob Tolan, CF
Bob Elliott, OF, 3B
Bobby Wilson, Backup C
Bob Uecker, 5th String Catcher
link to original post

OK Abreu over Bonds in RF, that's a good call, but Bobby Bonds is going to be on the roster, no?
link to original post

OMG, I had him on my list and it was an oversight to leave him off the team/. I have to at least put him in as a backup in place of Tolan. I'll change my above post. Thanks for the comment

Quote: gordonm888

\

Backups
Bob Allison, OF, 1B
Bobby Doerr, 2b
Bob Tolan, CF edit: Bobby Bonds, OF
Bob Elliott, OF, 3B
Bobby Wilson, Backup C
Bob Uecker, 5th String Catcher
link to original post

Bob Uecker gets no respect.

.
I was thinking about the geniuses who invented baseball, basketball and football - it's something that is rarely discussed

in searching I was surprised to find that what I always believed that Abner Doubleday invented baseball is now considered a myth

from Google:

"AI Overview

No single person invented baseball; it evolved from British games like rounders and cricket. While the 1907 Mills Commission wrongly attributed the invention to Abner Doubleday, the true development of modern baseball is credited to Alexander Cartwright and the New York Knickerbockers for establishing formal rules, including the diamond-shaped infield, in 1845.

The Doubleday Myth

False Origins:

The claim that Civil War General Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839 was a myth promoted by the Mills Commission.

Debunked:

This story was based on dubious evidence, specifically a letter from a mining engineer named Abner Graves, and Doubleday himself never claimed to have invented the game.

Evolution from British Games:

Baseball evolved from earlier British games, particularly rounders and cricket, which were brought to America by colonists.
Knickerbocker Rules:

Alexander Cartwright and the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club developed a comprehensive set of rules in 1845 that formed the basis of modern baseball.

Key Contributions:

Cartwright's rules introduced important features like a diamond-shaped infield, foul lines, and the three-strike rule, while also eliminating the dangerous practice of throwing the ball at runners. "

until now I never knew who invented football

from Google:

"AI Overview

"Walter Camp is known as the "Father of American Football" because he invented the modern game of American football in the late 19th century by creating rules that transformed rugby into the sport we know today, including the line of scrimmage, the use of downs, and a points system. He played a pivotal role in the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) and introduced fundamental aspects like the numerical scale for scores and having eleven players per side. "

.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: billryan

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: billryan

A...
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time...
link to original post

If my research is correct, Bob Lemon is the only one to manage a team while currently a member of the Hall of Fame as a player. (Yogi was inducted after he was a manager and completely out of the game.)

That will probably never happen again being if you've made the money a HoF player makes in his career you won't be that interested in a relatively low paying job as a manager.
link to original post

Ted Williams and possibly Frank Robinson? Paul Molitor and Ryne Sandberg.
link to original post

You're right! I didn't look close enough. There was something unique about Lemon though, now I can't recall what that was.
link to original post

Maybe it was that Bob Lemon was a very capable hitter. I seem to remember that he hit 28 home runs in his career.

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: billryan

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: billryan

A...
Three Bobs- Feller, Gibson, and Lemon are among the greatest pitchers of all time...
link to original post

If my research is correct, Bob Lemon is the only one to manage a team while currently a member of the Hall of Fame as a player. (Yogi was inducted after he was a manager and completely out of the game.)

That will probably never happen again being if you've made the money a HoF player makes in his career you won't be that interested in a relatively low paying job as a manager.
link to original post

Ted Williams and possibly Frank Robinson? Paul Molitor and Ryne Sandberg.
link to original post

You're right! I didn't look close enough. There was something unique about Lemon though, now I can't recall what that was.
link to original post

Maybe it was that Bob Lemon was a very capable hitter. I seem to remember that he hit 28 home runs in his career.
link to original post

Bob Lemon had 37 career homers

he also batted .232 lifetime which is very high for a pitcher - close to the MLB average which is about .245 - pitcher's average about .175

he batted .321 one year and .286 in another year which is outstanding for a pitcher and very good for any player


https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lemonbo01.shtml

.

Quote: lilredrooster

.
I was thinking about the geniuses who invented baseball, basketball and football - it's something that is rarely discussed

in searching I was surprised to find that what I always believed that Abner Doubleday invented baseball is now considered a myth

from Google:

"AI Overview

No single person invented baseball; it evolved from British games like rounders and cricket. While the 1907 Mills Commission wrongly attributed the invention to Abner Doubleday, the true development of modern baseball is credited to Alexander Cartwright and the New York Knickerbockers for establishing formal rules, including the diamond-shaped infield, in 1845.

The Doubleday Myth

False Origins:

The claim that Civil War General Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839 was a myth promoted by the Mills Commission.

Debunked:

This story was based on dubious evidence, specifically a letter from a mining engineer named Abner Graves, and Doubleday himself never claimed to have invented the game.

Evolution from British Games:

Baseball evolved from earlier British games, particularly rounders and cricket, which were brought to America by colonists.
Knickerbocker Rules:

Alexander Cartwright and the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club developed a comprehensive set of rules in 1845 that formed the basis of modern baseball.

Key Contributions:

Cartwright's rules introduced important features like a diamond-shaped infield, foul lines, and the three-strike rule, while also eliminating the dangerous practice of throwing the ball at runners. "

until now I never knew who invented football

from Google:

"AI Overview

"Walter Camp is known as the "Father of American Football" because he invented the modern game of American football in the late 19th century by creating rules that transformed rugby into the sport we know today, including the line of scrimmage, the use of downs, and a points system. He played a pivotal role in the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) and introduced fundamental aspects like the numerical scale for scores and having eleven players per side. "

.
link to original post

There used to be a historic plaque on a building at 34th and 2nd Avenue claiming it was the approximate position of home playe for the first baseball game, conducted by Alexander Cartright. The three story building was demolished and the plaque was not replaced on the new building. I'm not sure if it was because the game was disproven or if the upscale residents didn't want the gawkers.

.
the linked story is about some of college football's "freaks" - a word used to describe their incredible athleticism despite their enormous size (some of them)

this is from the link about A'Mauri Washington from Oregon, a defensive tackle:

"The 6-3, 338-pound Washington is of the caliber of elite D-linemen head coach Dan Lanning saw while in the SEC. His numbers made me do a triple-take when the staff sent them over. To be that massive and clock 20.89 mph and vertical jump 36 inches is mind-blowing. Washington squatted 755 pounds, bench pressed 475 and power cleaned 385."


I wonder what it feels like to have 755 pounds on your back_____?________I don't think I really want to find out ______________(-:/


https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6522767/2025/08/04/college-football-freaks-list-ohio-state-jeremiah-smith/

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Saturday at 9am will be Lee Corso's last College Gameday. Most people only know of him from College Gameday which he has done weekly since 1987 with Kirk Herbstreit. He was a very good college coach for a long time at Indiana and Navy. As a player he was a roommate of Burt Reynolds when they both played football at Florida State.

He did he first College Gameday Headgear selection at Oho State in 1996. His last game on Saturday will also be at Ohio State. Will he pick Brutus for both his first and last show or will Saturday ne Bevo's day?

Lee Corso is 90 years old and finally retiring.

Quote: DRich

Saturday at 9am will be Lee Corso's last College Gameday. Most people only know of him from College Gameday which he has done weekly since 1987 with Kirk Herbstreit. He was a very good college coach for a long time at Indiana and Navy. As a player he was a roommate of Burt Reynolds when they both played football at Florida State.

He did he first College Gameday Headgear selection at Oho State in 1996. His last game on Saturday will also be at Ohio State. Will he pick Brutus for both his first and last show or will Saturday ne Bevo's day?

Lee Corso is 90 years old and finally retiring.
link to original post

An amazing career I hope he enjoys his retirement.

Quote: lilredrooster

.
...
I wonder what it feels like to have 755 pounds on your back_____?________I don't think I really want to find out ______________(-:/
link to original post

I've had 2/3 that, and it's as scary as you think. The weirdest part of the feeling is in your feet. They are immobilized and feel like they've been cemented to the floor.

What makes this guy's squat more impressive is he's 6'3". I've seen guys who are about 5'3" and 6 feet across do lifts like that and they of course have an advantage, but when you're tall that's a long way down and a long way back up.

The Yankees just had a 41 minute half inning where they say 77 pitches. It's the longest half inning since YES started broadcasting in the mid-1990s.

A couple of interesting football games tonight on ESPN.
Boise State vs South Florida
Nebraska vs Cincinnati

I am still traveling but will make time to watch these two games.

.
the would be heaviest NFL player in history, Desmond Watson, may not get a chance to play

he was signed and showed up weighing a whopping 464 pounds

he lost 25-30 pounds but the Bucs said it wasn't enough and they cut him

they will take another look if he loses some more weight within a couple of weeks

.


https://apnews.com/article/watson-buccaneers-9757ef6742f9e1023df792d9da4f71a4

.

Quote: lilredrooster

.
the would be heaviest NFL player in history, Desmond Watson, may not get a chance to play

he was signed and showed up weighing a whopping 464 pounds

he lost 25-30 pounds but the Bucs said it wasn't enough and they cut him

they will take another look if he loses some more weight within a couple of weeks

.


https://apnews.com/article/watson-buccaneers-9757ef6742f9e1023df792d9da4f71a4

.
link to original post

They signed him, but then wouldn't even let him on the practice field. Piss poor management strikes again.

Great joy in Knoxville TN! Tennessee won its opener decisively and Alabama lost to Florida St decisively. For just a short moment, life is sweet.

Quote: gordonm888

Great joy in Knoxville TN! Tennessee won its opener decisively and Alabama lost to Florida St decisively. For just a short moment, life is sweet.
link to original post

Gordon, do you live in Knoxville? If so, I may bother you with some questions. My wife has mentioned Knoxville as a place she may consider retiring and I don't know too much about Knoxville. My sister went to UT, but that was 40 years ago so her knowledge is a little dated. I know they don't have a state income tax but that is about the limit of my knowledge. No state tax is an important consideration for me in retirement.

That Texas-Ohio State game was a sloppy mess for the first half and not very exciting of a game. Both QB's looked as inexperienced as they are. I would say that Sayin had a very mediocre game and Arch was below average and looked rather confused most of the game.

It was nice to see Alabama lose too although I predict both they and Texas will be in the college football playoff despite starting the year with a loss.

If Ohio State and Penn State stay undefeated until November 1st they will be playing a #1 vs #2 game again.

Quote: DRich

Quote: gordonm888

Great joy in Knoxville TN! Tennessee won its opener decisively and Alabama lost to Florida St decisively. For just a short moment, life is sweet.
link to original post

Gordon, do you live in Knoxville? If so, I may bother you with some questions. My wife has mentioned Knoxville as a place she may consider retiring and I don't know too much about Knoxville. My sister went to UT, but that was 40 years ago so her knowledge is a little dated. I know they don't have a state income tax but that is about the limit of my knowledge. No state tax is an important consideration for me in retirement.
link to original post

Yes, Knoxville is my home, has been for most of 40 years. No state income tax, housing prices are relatively low and property taxes are low. Sales tax of 9.5% (including food) is the major revenue for state. State government is solvent. Scenic if you like the color green and has an unusual combination of hills and rivers. It is humid and peak summer months can be uncomfortable outside - but not as bad as Florida. It is a very popular retirement area for people from the midwestern states but recently Calif and NY have been sending us there refugees as well. Lakes and boating. A National Park and Wilderness areas for hiking and recreation. Decent culture, restaurants and services. A major university and government research laboratories means that there are educated people. Health care is good with three major hospital systems. Two major interstates intersect in Knoxville so it's easy to travel to other places.

It's about 2 hours to Hard Rock Casino in Bristol, TN and 2 1/2 hours to Harrahs-Cherokee. About 6-7 hours to SC beach communities (Myrtle Beach, Hilton head, Charleston). Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville are popular tourist destinations and are about 1 to 1.5 hours away.

My pet peeve is the recent 15% state tax on wine, liquor and beer -on top of the 9.5% sales tax. I don't drink that much, but hey that's pretty high.

Feel free to PM me with specific questions.

Quote: gordonm888

It's about 2 hours to Hard Rock Casino in Bristol, TN and 2 1/2 hours to Harrahs-Cherokee. About 6-7 hours to SC beach communities (Myrtle Beach, Hilton head, Charleston). Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville are popular tourist destinations and are about 1 to 1.5 hours away.

One of my requirements is a decent airport. It looks like the Knoxville airport is a pretty good feeder airport to most of the major midwest and eastern hubs. I realize living in a small city I won't get many direct flights but as long as I can get most places with only one stop I am content with that. Obviously, in retirement I won't be travelling monthly but I would still expect to be flying four or five times a year.

Lee Corso went out picking OSU and Florida St.

Quote: DRich

Quote: gordonm888

It's about 2 hours to Hard Rock Casino in Bristol, TN and 2 1/2 hours to Harrahs-Cherokee. About 6-7 hours to SC beach communities (Myrtle Beach, Hilton head, Charleston). Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville are popular tourist destinations and are about 1 to 1.5 hours away.

One of my requirements is a decent airport. It looks like the Knoxville airport is a pretty good feeder airport to most of the major midwest and eastern hubs. I realize living in a small city I won't get many direct flights but as long as I can get most places with only one stop I am content with that. Obviously, in retirement I won't be travelling monthly but I would still expect to be flying four or five times a year.
link to original post

Oak Ridge has the National Lab, a nuclear weapons plant and other major government facilities and the staff are flying everywhere all the time on government money. Hence, a thriving airport with 12 busy gates; they are currently constructing a 5-level parking garage next to the current 3-level garage.

Old joke: "When you go to Heaven, you have to change planes in Atlanta."

Quote: gordonm888

Quote: DRich

Quote: gordonm888

Great joy in Knoxville TN! Tennessee won its opener decisively and Alabama lost to Florida St decisively. For just a short moment, life is sweet.
link to original post

Gordon, do you live in Knoxville? If so, I may bother you with some questions. My wife has mentioned Knoxville as a place she may consider retiring and I don't know too much about Knoxville. My sister went to UT, but that was 40 years ago so her knowledge is a little dated. I know they don't have a state income tax but that is about the limit of my knowledge. No state tax is an important consideration for me in retirement.
link to original post

Yes, Knoxville is my home, has been for most of 40 years. No state income tax, housing prices are relatively low and property taxes are low. Sales tax of 9.5% (including food) is the major revenue for state. State government is solvent. Scenic if you like the color green and has an unusual combination of hills and rivers. It is humid and peak summer months can be uncomfortable outside - but not as bad as Florida. It is a very popular retirement area for people from the midwestern states but recently Calif and NY have been sending us there refugees as well. Lakes and boating. A National Park and Wilderness areas for hiking and recreation. Decent culture, restaurants and services. A major university and government research laboratories means that there are educated people. Health care is good with three major hospital systems. Two major interstates intersect in Knoxville so it's easy to travel to other places.

It's about 2 hours to Hard Rock Casino in Bristol, TN and 2 1/2 hours to Harrahs-Cherokee. About 6-7 hours to SC beach communities (Myrtle Beach, Hilton head, Charleston). Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville are popular tourist destinations and are about 1 to 1.5 hours away.

My pet peeve is the recent 15% state tax on wine, liquor and beer -on top of the 9.5% sales tax. I don't drink that much, but hey that's pretty high.

Feel free to PM me with specific questions.
link to original post

Went to Knoxville in 2017 for the eclipse-rented a car and drove to Sweetwater. I liked the area and the city, but I was only there a few days. Scenic, and a lot like New England in that regard. Being from NE, I was not used to having one town here and another over there, and nothing but highway in between for 10s of miles.

How does Knoxville compare to Memphis as a place to settle down? I've been to both, but was drunk for most of my time in Memphis (long story).

Since this is a sports thread, BC Football layed the smackdown on Fordham yesterday, We'll see if Bill O'Brien can improve upon his 7-6 record of last year. I am also shedding not a single tear that some of the favorites lost yesterday.

Of all the cities I've been to, Memphis is by far my least favorite. There is a darkness in that city. Chattanooga was lovely, but I've never been there in the summer, so I'm not qualified to comment on its climate. It's a wonderful place to visit.
A city I expected little from but that greatly impressed me was Tulsa, Oklahoma, although living in Tornado Alley isn't how I want to spend my retirement.

I am looking forward to the Miami Notre Dame game tonight. I believe Notre Dame is a small road favorite. I would like to see Miami win but so far almost every team I have rooted for has lost.