Jan. 5, 2012
Quick Slant is an array of brief insights and occasionally opinionated overviews of collegiate athletics in general and the Vanderbilt Commodores in particular.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Ron Higgins, one of the leading college football writers in the nation and former President of the Football Writers Association, noted in his Liberty Bowl article that “60 percent of the crowd of 57,103” was dressed in black and gold. The importance of that huge turnout in Memphis should not be minimized; it should get that “Vandy won’t travel” monkey off our backs with future bowl committees. The huge turnout was not lost on James Franklin, who noted that the Liberty Bowl was the first game this year where the team felt the electricity generated by Vanderbilt fans and it was deeply appreciated.
It was great to have former long-time Vanderbilt athletic administrator Brad Bates back in Memorial Gym Monday night. He was with his Miami Redhawk basketball team; Brad has been Miami’s Director of Athletics since 2003. He had previously been a Commodore for 17 years and is one of the best people in college athletics.
A limited number of single game tickets for our Thursday, Feb. 9 women’s basketball game with Tennessee go on sale to the general public next week. These tickets are $25 and are located in the third balcony.
The United States Bowling Congress is selecting Team USA this week in Las Vegas. The field includes any amateur in the country; it is not a collegiate event. So it is interesting that seven of the 80 women competing have Vanderbilt connections as current members of the Commodore team, a former member and even one of next fall’s incoming freshmen.
