Randy Smith: A Father's Influence

My grandson Coleman Oscar Smith is four years old and will turn five in February. He has been to several UTC home football games at Finley Stadium but he has yet to go to a game at a huge stadium. His first opportunity comes this Friday as Coleman, his dad and I will journey to Jacksonville to witness the Tennessee Volunteers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Taxslayer Bowl. It's no surprise that his first bowl game will involve the Tennessee Volunteers. In the south, young men usually follow their father's guidance when it comes to their favorite college football teams. My son Davey was two years old when I joined the Vol Network in 1984, and began a thirty year stint with the Vols. Davey is now involved in a "split household".  His wife Alison comes from a family of die-hard Georgia fans but because he has a pair of sons, they will very likely follow their dad and become Vol fans.
 
My daughter Christi is married to a Clemson Tiger fan who owns season tickets, a great parking and tailgating space and is a member of Clemson's "IPTAY" club. While Christi is also a big Tennessee fan, I am totally resigned to the fact that their two daughters will be loyal to "Howard's Rock" and be Clemson fans. I am totally okay with that, because remember..... kids in the south most of the time follow their fathers.
 
I can tell you I know that following your father is an accurate assumption. My father was a huge Tennessee fan and I grew up liking the Vols myself, because he did. He never was able to take me to a Tennessee football game but when I was a senior in high school, he did take me to a game at Vanderbilt and I watched the Commodores battle to a 0-0 tie with Louisville. To this day, that is still the worst football game I have ever seen on any level. I'm very happy that one game didn't turn me against football or all sports for that matter. I saw my first Tennessee game a few years later when Bill Battle was the head coach and I remain loyal to the Big Orange today. I also apologize to no one for my allegiance to the Vols, even though I am a proud alumnus of Middle Tennessee State University. I imagine it's the same principle when folks hear that my favorite baseball team wears pinstripes and plays in New York City. (Yankees) The Yankees and the Vols have always been a real passion for me and will stay that way the rest of my life. 
 
But, getting back to the Taxslayer Bowl on Friday, I hope that Coleman has a good time and enjoys the game. He will wear his Tennessee orange like his dad and his grandfather. He will stand and sing "Rocky Top" at the top of his lungs (trust me...he knows all the words) and I hope his experience is a good one. I must also remember that he is only four years old, and will likely lose interest after at least three trips to the concession stand. By the end of the first quarter, he will lose interest in the game and will not care a whit who is winning, and that's okay. He will be ready for his daily afternoon nap at halftime, and chances are, we will leave the stadium before the game ends.
 
It is still about going to your first bowl game with you dad and grandad. I hope he will remember that day for as long as he is on this earth; I know I will.   

 

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