Vol Fan Story: Perenially "Burnt Orange"

by Rodger Castleberry
(Signal Mountain, Tennessee)

Sad to say, but I witnessed each and every one of these featured games. As a probably monthly viewer of "The House of Animals," I love the way you wove this thread.

Now, with Dooley, and the hopes we in the Orange Nation have for next year, and beyond, let's toss in "Over? Was it over when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor?"

Losing to Oklahoma was terribly painful, as I watched in horror as "Sure Foot Kremser" blew the biggest in his career.

Curiously, the one I most remember was one I heard via Radio, that heart-wrenching loss by a rebounding Dickey-coached team - to Alabama in the '66 game.

Over the years I, too, have been guilty of mayhem and stood guilty as charged as a berserker during these past 59 Years with the Volunteers. But my highights were: kicking a 220V wall heater off its mounts and into the basement of my humble abode as I watched Tennessee make mistake after mistake and nearly lose to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl; listening to Tennessee unable to stop Auburn's running game (c.1973) and throwing my kindling hatchet through 3 rungs of a wooden ladder hanging in the garage; and

Last, but certainly not least, was a "kinda- sorta" memory of my first experience with the nascent (1968) Volunteer Navy event, wherein I think I "watched" Tennessee win over Bama 10-9. Embarassingly, I was one of several in the Fleet "interviewed" by CBS, or ABC before kickoff. When the mike was stuck in my face for my comment, all I could manage was, "Go Big Orange!" At least I have been told by witnesses that was my illuminating and inspiring comment. I had known "Jack" all too well that day and the day before as we motored up the Tennessee River from Chattanooga in a rented houseboat.