Basketball Game Watching

We're working with Bailey's to set a few basketball game watching parties for the Vols and Lady Vols. If you're interested in helping out -- and we REALLY could use the help, email Rachel or Stephen.

In addition to the Dec. 2 Lady Vols v. GWU game we're attending here in DC, here are the games we're looking at for get togethers. Most are Saturday games. If you can help out, please email Rachel or Stephen.

• Jan. 3, Lady Vols v. Rutgers at 2pm
• Jan. 17, Vols v. South Carolina at 6pm
• Jan. 24, Vols v. Memphis at 3:30pm
• Jan. 31, Vols v. Florida at 9pm
• Feb. 8, Lady Vols v. Florida at 2pm
• Feb. 14, Vols v. Vanderbilt at 3pm
• Feb. 22, Lady Vols v. Mississippi State, 3pm

We'll send emails out prior to games to confirm everything. If you have suggestions for other games that would be of interest and are willing to help out, email Rachel or Stephen.

Vols to Blaze over UAB: Sept. 13

OK, so if we ignore the second half of that first game, the season it's going too bad, and it's going to get better this weekend. The Vols have had a by week to regroup and plan to set fire to the UAB Blazers this weekend.

Please join us at Bailey's for all the fun. The bar has even come up with Tennessee specials like Touchdown Tea and the Alumni Club. We'll be raffling off orange prizes, too.

Hope to see you all there! If you have questions, comments or general ponderings about football, feel free to post them here or email watchvols@utdcalumni.com.

The 2008 season is upon us!

Can you hear Rocky Top starting to play as the excitement builds for the 2008 Vol football season?! We'll be watching games together again this year at Bailey's. Details available to the left. The season schedule will be posted here and updated as times are released. In the meantime, keep these things in mind:

1. At every game watching party, the chapter holds a raffle. Tickets are $1 each, and there are freebies for buying multiples. We give away all sorts of UT gear -- where else are you going to find this stuff in DC!? All proceeds benefit the local chapter. We're a volunteer organization, no pun intended, and our only financial support comes from these raffles, so if you enjoy watching football with your fellow Vols, ante up for a few tickets.

2. The chapter board supports the game watching parties by organizing and overseeing the weekly games, but it's always nice to have new faces get involved at the parties. It's a simple, yet valuable way to support the chapter and take some of the load off our dedicated board.

If you'd like to help, have a raffle item to donate or have questions or comments, please e-mail watchvol@utdcalumni.com.

Outback Bowl and Big Orange Tailgate Tour

The Vols are heading to the Outback Bowl, and our chapter has the opportunity to purchase tickets. The turn around is EXTREMELY QUICK in order to get the tickets ordered and in YOUR HANDS by the game. Orders must be place no later than 3PM on Friday, December 7.

DATE

• Outback Bowl in Tampa , FL, on Jan. 1, 2008, at 11:00 a.m.
• Big Orange Tailgate Tour (BOTT) will be at the stadium at 10:30 a.m.
• Pep Rally to be scheduled on December 31, 2007
• UTNAA is planning a New Year’s Eve Official Event – more information later on this event.

COST

• The cost of the package will be $90 ($65 for the game ticket and $25 for the BOTT ticket).
• The chapter has to make one group payment for the tickets and BOTT, so all orders must be placed through the chapter. With such a quick turnaround, online orders are preferred.

You will be asked to submit the names of each person you are purchasing tickets for. Please don't leave the information blank. If you have any questions, please e-mail Michael. To buy your tickets, click on the link below.



For information about travel arrangements in conjunction with the UTNAA, please go to: http://doddsathletictours.com/tennessee

What a season!

The Vols fell to LSU in the SEC Championship. Who knows what that means for the bowl picture, but we'll keep and eye out and let everyone know as soon as we do. Depending on the timing, we'll try to have a game watching party for the bowl game. We'll send out details closer to bowl season. In the meantime, thanks so much to everyone who came out and joined us this season at Bailey's, and especially, to everyone who supported the chapter by participating in the raffle.

If you have any comments about this season's game watching parties, you're welcome to leave a comment here or e-mail Rachel. Your feedback is important to the Board when making decisions about where to host events, so let us know what you think.

SEC Championship: Saturday, December 1

After a weird, wild, and wacky season in the SEC East, last Saturday's 4-OT victory against the Kentucky Wildcats came down to the wire. However, Smokey prevailed to beat his long-time rival, and the Vols will travel to Atlanta to meet the LSU Tigers. Although Tennessee beat Arkansas, who defeated LSU on Saturday, don't expect this game to be easy.

Come to Bailey's this Saturday at 4PM to celebrate our trip to the SEC Championship and to cheer the team to victory. A BCS Bowl bid is on the line. See you there!

As always, we've got cool stuff to raffle off. Where else can you get a Vol Nutcracker? All proceeds go to the chapter to help offset chapter costs and reduce costs for paid alumni events.

Two more games to go!

The Vols are getting ready to take on their last two opponents of the season. Can they take the last two steps needed to get us back to the SEC Championship game? Join us at Bailey's to find out!

Kick off for Vandy is Saturday, November 17 at 2PM and the game is only available on PPV.

We will not be having an official game watching party for Kentucky since it's Thanksgiving weekend, but the game will be on at Bailey's, plus you can catch it on CBS: November 24 at 1:30PM.

Should the boys win out, watch for information about a game watching party for the SEC Championship game on Saturday, December 1.

East meets West

The Tennessee Vols lead the SEC East and face a match up with the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday! Kickoff is at 12:30PM, and as always, we'll be gathering at Bailey's in Crystal City to cheer on the mighty Vols. For those of you who haven't yet made it to a football watching party, be sure to come on out because we've got some great raffle prizes to be won! It proves to be an amazing day of college football with other folks whose blood runs orange!

Homecoming 2007: Smokey's Bayou Bash

Because of a scheduling conflict between the networks, the University and Game Plan, the November 3 Homecoming Game will NOT be televised.

The game is being broadcast on Vol Network radio stations and online via live streaming audio. Click here for information on how to listen online. (Gotta love technology!)

Click here to get live stats during the game.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4PM.

UT vs. South Carolina

The Vols were put to work Sunday to try and recoup from the drowning by the Tide on Saturday. Click here for the story. The good news? We haven't lost to Vandy ... yet.

This weekend, Fulmer meets his nemisis as Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks come to Knoxville. The Vols and the Cocks are coming off of losses to Bama and Vandy, so they're both looking for redemption.

Kick off is at 7:45PM, and we'll be at Bailey's as usual to cheer on the team. As always we'll have raffle prizes to give away.

Ever wonder what we use the raffle money for? Since we get asked every weekend while we're selling tickets, here's the answer. Well, one example is the Oct. 24 happy hour with SC, UGA and UF. The chapter chipped in to pay for a couple of kegs, so there's FREE beer at the happy hour. What else? Satellite feeds for games, Web site and PayPal fees, scholarship donation to UT, reduced costs for events ... it ALL goes right back into the chapter. We don't charge dues to join, and entrance fees to events only cover our costs for that event. The raffle supplements the cost of events and covers other costs we incur for the entire year. None of people who run the chapter or plan events are paid for their time. It's all volunteer.

So next time someone ask you, "Would you like to participate in the raffle?" Tell them YES! Besides where else in DC can you find cool stuff like a Vol Rubiks Cube or orange fuzzy slippers!?

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail Rachel.

It's Bama week!

Remember that episode of Saved By the Bell when the "Zac Attack" traveled to Knoxville to watch the Tennessee Volunteers defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide? Okay, you're right... it didn't happen, but it sure would make for a great episode! Be sure to join your fellow Vol fans this coming Saturday at Bailey's in Crystal City for one of the greatest games of the season. Many football enthusiasts know this famous weekend as "the Third Saturday in October," but diehard Vol fans know it as the great natural phenomena when the "Tide" subsides and realizes that the BIG ORANGE is a force to be reckoned with!

Kickoff is at 12:30pm, so be sure to get there early to get prime seating. The game is the Lincoln Financial game of the week, so you probably won’t see it on local TV. We've got some great raffle prizes for this game, so be sure to buy a few tickets! And, as always... GO VOLS!!

In a nutshell:

Where: Bailey's in Crystal City (2010-A Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202)
When: 12:30pm kickoff
Why: Why not? Besides the game won’t be televised locally.
Who: Fellow UT alums from ALL campuses, and anyone else whose blood runs orange
What: Only one of the greatest games of the season!

Another bulldog to bully down the field!

After a victory over Uga last weekend, Smokey and the Vols head to Starkville to take on another bulldog from the SEC. Bully and the MSU Bulldogs host our Volunteers this Saturday at 2:30 ET. The game will only be available on pay-per-view, but as always, we’ll have the game on complete with Rocky Top at every touchdown. Come join us at Bailey's to cheer them on to Victory! We’ll be raffling off great UT paraphernalia — hats, T-shirts, pennants. Hope to see you there!

In case you missed it, Florida came away with their second conference loss on Saturday. It was a beautiful sight to behold!

What a turn around!

We all know who's top dog in the SEC, and Smokey and the boys drove the point home with a convincing win over UGA! Now, we just have to hope that the Vols win out for the season. Never hurts for UGA to beat Florida, too!

Vols in the NFL

Found this article online. Since our boys aren't doing so hot on the field so far, perhaps we can take heart in our fellow alumni who are tearing up the NFL: click here.

Who's your all-time favorite Vol?

Tennessee vs. ASU: First meeting ever!

The Vols take on Arkansas State this weekend with hopes of get back to .500 for the season. The loss to Florida was devastating for fans, but here's hoping for redemption this weekend! The game is only available via pay-per-view, and Bailey's will have it for us as usual, so come on out and join us.

Tennessee vs. Arkansas State
7PM on PPV

For the game preview, click here.

For Fulmer's comments on last week's game, click here.

Fulmer on the loss against Florida: “I’ll spend a little bit of time on Florida, but as I told our football team, its time to move on, learn from it and move on."

Are you ready to move on? Tell us what you think.

Tennessee vs. Florida

After an impressive win over Southern Miss, the Vols are headed to Florida for what always turns out to be the most pivotal game of the year. Kickoff is at 3:30PM on CBS. We'll be at Bailey's to watch the game, and since we're expecting a huge crowd (150 people last year!), we'd like to ask everyone to RSVP if at all possible to help us give the bar an estimate on attendance: http://utvsuf.eventbrite.com.

We've got lots of new stuff for this week's raffle, so be sure you bring a couple of extra dollars to buy tickets. About the raffle: Tickets are $1 each, and you get a free one for every 5 you buy. All of the money goes to support the DC chapter. We do not receive funding from UTNAA, nor are we able to charge dues, so the raffles are the only way we have to raise money for the year. Our expenses include things like website domain registration and hosting, game watching parties, happy hours, freshman picnic, flag football/softball teams league dues. If you have any questions, please e-mail treasurer@utdcalumni.com for more information.

It's a good idea to get to Bailey's earlier than usual to get a good seat. There were some comments about the UT vs. Southern Miss game not being on enough screens, so we're calling Bailey's to make sure there won't be a bad seat in the house this weekend. If you have any comments about game watching parties, the raffle or Bailey's -- good or bad, please let us know. You can leave a comment here or you can e-mail admin@utdcalumni.com. We want to make game watching as fun for everyone as possible, and so does Bailey's.

Vols vs. Southern Miss

And they're off ... So the Vols aren't off to the hot start we hoped, but they have a chance to redeem themselves this weekend against Southern Miss.

The game starts at 7PM and is only available on pay-per-view, but have no fear, we'll be at Bailey's with plenty of seats, big screens, sound and even Rocky Top when the Big Orange scores.

An RSVP isn't required, but it is appreciated, so we can give the bar a heads up before the game. You can let us know if you're coming at http://utvssomiss.eventbrite.com.

We've got new items, bought this past weekend in Knoxville, so don't forget the raffle!

Hope to see you there!

watching in b'more

A group in B'more has arranged for a game watching location up there. Here's the information. Feel free to pass it along to others that might benefit.

Portside Tavern
2821 O'Donnell Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
410 522 7678 (p)
www.portsidetavern.com
They are going to do $2 Miller Lites & 1/2 price burgers.

For more information, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baltimorevols/

first game of the season: ut vs. cal

We'll be at Bailey's this Saturday for the game. If you plan to attend, it would be helpful if you'd RSVP, so we can give the bar a heads up as to how many people we're expecting. It's not required by any means, but it is appreciated. You can RSVP at http://utvscal.eventbrite.com.

So what are your thoughts on the game? Here's a write up from SEC Game of the Week:

Tennessee at California 8:00 PM ABC Saturday, September 1st

Why to watch : The only game of the opening weekend featuring Top 25 teams is a rematch of last year's 35-18 Tennessee win that was even worse than the score indicated. If there's such a thing as a must-win situation in Week One, this is it for Cal, who despite blowing out Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl, is still looking for national respect, at least from the SEC folk. Even without RB Marshawn Lynch, the Bear offense will again be prolific behind big junior QB Nate Longshore and one of the most dangerous receiving corps in America. After excelling as a spare part for years, 5'8" Justin Forsett gets a grand stage to show that he's not too small to carry the load in the running game. Cal won't be the only team with something to prove in Berkeley as Tennessee has to start showing it's Tennessee again. Without an SEC title since 1998 and with barely a hint of any noise in the national title race since winning it all almost a decade ago, the natives are getting restless. The Vols are light on star power in 2007, which is why plenty of first-year players will contribute and QB Erik Ainge is being counted on to have the best season of his up-and-down college career.

Why Tennessee might win: Cal can score, but can it stop a quality SEC opponent from going up and down the field? This is the Bears' first game without defensive stars Brandon Mebane, Desmond Bishop, and Daymeion Hughes, something that won't be lost on Ainge as he begins implementing UT's new no-huddle offense. Cal is green at corner and suspect up front, which means lots of time for Ainge and enough running room for Arian Foster to keep the Bear offense in hibernation. This is still Tennessee, and there are still plenty of NFL caliber athletes, even if they're not household names quite yet.

Why Cal might win: Last September, Tennessee had the dynamite receivers and Cal had the secondary that was still in diapers. This year, the roles are reversed. The Vols' first test with three new starters in the defensive backfield comes against the quartet of Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins, Robert Jordan, and tight end Craig Stevens, which combined for 168 receptions in 2006. Tennessee is also very soft in the middle, so look for Alex Mack to create space for Forsett and James Montgomery, while displaying why he's one of the nation's premier centers.

Who to watch: Last September, then-freshman CB Syd'Quan Thompson became the poster boy for Cal's loss to UT, getting burned repeatedly by Robert Meachem and Jayson Swain. Today, he's one of the emotional leaders of the defense, who'll be on a mission to shut down a Volunteer receiving corps that's a far cry from last year's group. Also worth within will be the matchup of Tennessee's Britton Colquitt and Cal's DeSean Jackson, the SEC's best punter and the nation's premier punt returner, respectively.

What will happen: After getting embarrassed and knocked down a peg a year ago, Cal will get revenge on Tennessee in one of the biggest wins of the Jeff Tedford era. The Vols will get their yards, making heavy use of TEs Chris Smith and Brad Cottam, but it won't be enough with the Bear offense clicking. Jackson will crank out a highlight reel play that'll ignite the home crowd and earn him some early Heisman attention in a thrilling, game that'll be as good as advertised.

Not that anyone is betting, but ...
CFN Prediction: California 30 … Tennessee 24 ... Line: California -5.5

how will phil and the vols do this year?

Tell us what your predictions are for the season.

come watch the vols play every week with the dc alumni

Bailey's Pub & Grille - Crystal City
2010-A Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202
METRO: Crystal City Station on the Yellow and Blue lines
(703) 416-0452
Click here to download their menu.

Bailey's is located on the corner of Crystal Drive and 20th Street South, above McCormick & Schmick's. For a map and driving directions, click here. Crystal City Metro Station is 2 blocks away on 18th Street between Clark Place and Jefferson Davis Hwy. For a map, click here.

*** PARKING ***
There is a garage in the building, and parking is FREE on nights and weekends!

We'll be watching games in the bar area. We've worked closely with the management to make sure we have plenty of seating, TVs and sound. The bar area does allow smoking, but as always, we ask you to be courteous of your neighbors. If smoke is bothering someone, please step over to the bar for a moment. Bailey's has a special ventilation system that really helps clean the air, and there is a non-smoking section in their dining room. We can ask for the game to be turned on in there, but there is no sound.

If you bring children or guests who are underage, please make sure you are in the bar no later than 9PM. We're always glad to have families and visiting students join us. You will NOT be asked to leave as long as your in the bar by 9PM, but Bailey's does start carding after 9PM. PLEASE NOTE: Anyone caught drinking underage or giving alcohol to an underage person will be dealt with by Bailey's according to Virginia's ABC laws and banned from all future game watching parties.

Raffles: From bobblehead Smokey dolls and singing key chains to football tickets and autographed footballs, we'll raffle off just about anything! All proceeds benefit the Chapter. Tickets are sold at half time, and the winners are drawn at the end of the 3rd quarter. You must be present to win, and each person can only win ONCE PER GAME.

If you or your business would like to donate items to the raffles, we're glad to have them. Not using your tickets to the game? Don't let them go to waste. Let us raffle them off! Please e-mail tnalumni@gmail.com. We'll gladly thank you in the Chapter announcements and put a link to your business on the Chapter Web site.