Randy Smith: My Christmas Wish List

  • Thursday, December 22, 2022
  • Randy Smith
Randy Smith
Randy Smith
Each Christmas I write a wish list to give Santa a few ideas for folks in the sports world. Here is my list for 2022.

I would like for Santa to deliver an Orange Bowl victory for Josh Heupel and his Volunteers. What this team achieved this fall is nothing short of unbelievable. To be 10-2 for the season and be ranked at the top of the College Football Playoff Poll after starting the season 8-0, should assure Vol fans he's the guy for the job.

I wish that Joe Milton gets the job done as Tennessee's starting quarterback for the Orange Bowl.
He's an amazing athlete and deserves success.

I wish that UTC would bring back baseball. Forty-two years without the world's greatest game is too long.

I wish that Gary Rankin would have the kind of success at Boyd Buchanan that he did at Riverdale and at Alcoa. He's a great coach and an even greater man.

I wish that Coach Rick Barnes would finally win a national championship. He's been a tremendous coach and all he needs to solidify his legacy is a national title. Of course his Volunteer squad has never won a natty either.
I wish the city of Chattanooga would upgrade their youth sports facilities. It's been a long, long time since any major improvements were made.

I wish that UTC sports would return to the glory days when football and men's and women's basketball ranked at the top of the Southern Conference.

As a matter of fact, I also wish the Mocs would leave the SoCon and find a bigger and better home.

While I am a huge supporter of select baseball and softball, I wish the area rec leagues would have more kids playing, so the critics will stop saying, "Select teams are killing the rec leagues."

I also wish that parents of average or below average players would recognize the fact that their kid is never going to make it to the big leagues. That would help the rec leagues considerably.

I wish for continued success for UTC football coach Rusty Wright. He's a great coach and a wonderful guy.

I wish the number of sports officials would grow so there would be no more shortages.

I wish the City and County governments would work together on the proposed new stadium for the Lookouts. The plan needs a lot of work and to get things done, both sides need to work side by side.

I wish the NIL deal had never been introduced to college athletes. The intentions were good but it's ruining amateur athletics. Now with high school athletes getting approved for their own name, image and likeness deals, things could be getting worse.

I wish I could really get into soccer. But right now to me, it's boring....always has been and always will be. I've tried to watch it but my attention span won't allow me to watch longer than a few minutes. Usually when I "dis" soccer I get plenty of emails from soccer fans voicing their displeasure with me. I expect it once again.

I wish all three local television stations would take covering local sports more seriously. It's nothing like it was just a few years ago.

I wish the Atlanta Braves would be good enough to win another World Series.

And....I wish that each and every one of you will have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a blessed New Year!

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Randy Smith can be reached at rsmithsports@epbfi.com
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