‘Vols back’ headline ‘misleading’

To Sports: As I approached my plastic-wrapped, raindrop-spotted Sunday (Sept. 1) paper, I could see BOLD TYPE headlines from afar. “A new war in Syria?” I thought. An overnight cure for cancer, perhaps? No! In half-page, bold headlines the urgent news screamed that the Large Orange was BACK!

Now after going through the motions with a glorified junior college squad, one that likely would struggle with Baylor, McCallie or Pisgah High … this team was back. You’d have thought the Vols had just won the seventh game of the Kentucky Derby. A misleading headline that teemed with sensationalism. A meager 45 points in a glorified scrimmage constitutes this sort of front-page print?

Tell me: When UT visits Oregon next week and is introduced to the Quack Attack’s version of Duck Dynasty, will that warrent a front-halfpage blow-up? Are the Vols still back with a probable loss? I expect more from this superior newspaper and in particular its excellent and well-informed staff.

Whose decision was it not to cover the last month of Lookouts home games? The paper and the city should be grateful to have professional baseball in this community, albeit a horrible team. What happens if the Vols, Dawgs and Mocs turn horrid halfway through their campaigns? Do they suddenly become a three-paragraph “Staff Report” story?

Jimm Champion