I hate goodbyes. I don't like closure. And moving on is sometimes hard to swallow.
But I didn't want to leave my position with Vanderbilt Athletics without thanking Commodore fans for making the last eight years of my life an incredible experience. Thank you.
I was lucky enough to have a job that gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the Commodores--something most fans would trade for in a heartbeat. I always tried to remember that thought each day, so I documented as much as I could for you guys, especially during tournament trips.
Nothing meant more to me than seeing a positive fan reaction to one of our initiatives. While I didn't get everything right, I fought hard to do as much as I could for you. Yes, I crashed and burned at times, but feel like there were several victories for the betterment of the program.
The best part of my job? Working with Vanderbilt's tremendous student-athletes and interacting with passionate fans who have stood by the program even when it was tough. Your dedication is unrivaled.
I won't be a stranger, either. I have accepted a position at Vanderbilt's Peabody College and still plan to be a regular at Commodore events to cheer on the best kids in collegiate sports. And who knows, maybe Frank the Dancin' Dog will do a reunion tour.
If you see me, please say hello (and not goodbye).
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I'd like to also include some of my favorite memories -- in no particular order -- since joining athletics in the fall of 2003:
**Victory in Knoxville. Cutler to Bennett. Everyone knows what that moment meant.
**The 2008 football team breaking the 26-year bowl drought with a win over Boston College on a freezing night "on the banks of the Cumberland River" (as Joe Fisher called it). Grown men crying after the final whistle said it all.
**90,000+ Georgia fans silenced in Sanford Stadium after Bryant Hahnfeldt's game-winning field goal. As I walked to the locker room, the only sound I could hear were 100 rowdy Commodores celebrating with Coach Johnson.
**ESPN GameDay coming to Vanderbilt. What a special day it was to see the Commodore community unite in front of a national viewing audience.
**Getting to be in the football war room the night before National Signing Day this year to see Coach Franklin and his staff seal the deal on their first recruiting class. It was such a rush; felt like a scene out of a movie.
**Sitting in Arco Arena when Derrick Byars popped his jersey in front of the VU section after the Dores' double-overtime win against Washington State. That was an "elite" team in my opinion.
**Watching the Commodores rally past NC State in a local sports grille. It was standing room only and everyone in the place was hugging after the miraculous comeback in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Matt Freije took over in the final minutes and Mario Moore hit Corey Smith on a backdoor pass that had us jumping up and down.
**Shan Foster's 42-point game on senior night, a performance I'll never witness again in my lifetime. I have to watch the clip over and over again to know it really happened.
**Being at Virginia as the baseball team captured their first ever regional championship in 2004. Hats off to Coach Corbin, D.J. and the rest of the staff for making Vanderbilt one of the top names in households across the country.
**Waiting at Hawkins Field for an hour after the Commodores' win over LSU to find out if VU had clinched the 2007 SEC regular season championship. Several hundred fans hung around, too, just to be a part of the moment.
**Hearing the Black and Gold chant rock Hawkins Field past midnight at the 2007 Regional with fans lined up on every floor of the 25th Avenue garage just to catch a glimpse of the action. Still gives me goose bumps.
**More: MBB topples No. 1 Florida and their 17-game win streak; Three WBB SEC Tournament titles (Duluth trip sticks out to me); MBB's 40-point win over Kentucky (Neltner's winning); Shea Robin and Jason Cunningham star in VU's four-run rally in the bottom of the 10th in the 2007 SEC Baseball Tournament semifinals; Foster's last-second putback vs. Tennessee; Mario's 30-footer at the buzzer against Oregon; Balcomb's first victory over UT; David Price and Casey Weathers fan 22 in VU's 11-inning regional classic vs. Austin Peay; Connor Harrell steals a homer and squeezes in the winning run in Louisville Regional.
The list could go on and on. I know I've left out a bunch of moments, but I think you get the point. I was blessed to work for the Commodores during a very special period in school history.
If you'd like to keep in touch with me, I'll still have my Twitter account @BarcaBlog.
I'll leave you with a few of my trademark videos of the day.
1. Ah yes, the memories... even if cats creep me out. (no tears please)
2. A couple of my closest friends reminisce about the good times...
3. I wish I knew what these WWF superstars claim to know...
4. Finally, if you're ever having a bad day, this tune will do the trick. Frank's go-to song:
Men's Basketball: Commodores value Taylor's defense (Tennessean)
"Sometimes people tend to focus on offensive productivity," Kevin Stallings said. "Just like John (Jenkins) bails us out on offense, Jeff bails us out on defense because of his athleticism and defensive tenacity. I don't think there's ever a situation where we have had to overcome him."
Men's Basketball: Vanderbilt at Georgia game preview (Tennessean)
"(Festus) is the one that has taken charge of his free throws and gotten better at those," Stallings said. "Obviously, the improvement from last year is remarkable."
Men's Basketball: Dores travel south seeking sweep (InsideVandy)
Donny Turnbaugh is blogging on his trip to the 2011 SEC Women's Swimming Championships this week.
SONG OF THE DAY
Paul Simon and Spud Webb would have schooled Sidney Deane and Billy Hoyle in a pickup game. Also, love the cameos by Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, John Madden, Mickey Mantle and more.
Four new videos have been posted to our VUcommodores' YouTube page including Kevin Harlan calling John Jenkins a 'flamethrower' in the Kentucky game and Brad Tinsley hitting the game winner against Alabama. Enjoy and share.
More teams that impressed us: Vanderbilt "The Commodores don't like to do anything easy. In a span of three days, Vandy clipped Alabama and Kentucky at home, both coming down to the final possessions. Alabama coach Anthony Grant and Kentucky coach John Calipari looked exasperated at one point -- and that's what Memorial Magic will do to coaches."
Teams that should be in: Vanderbilt [18-6 (6-4), RPI: 15, SOS: 11] "After Thursday night's thrilling home win over Alabama, the Commodores' at-large chances were already looking strong. After Saturday's win over Kentucky, those chances are such that it would take a massive February collapse for Kevin Stallings' team to miss the tournament. The one thing Vanderbilt really needed was a marquee win, and as far as the RPI is concerned, it's hard to do much better than beating Kentucky. Provided the Dores don't pile up too many egregious slip-ups the rest of the way -- Saturday's game at Auburn could be particularly dangerous and damaging -- they'll have no problem getting to the Big Dance."
Should be in: Vanderbilt [18-6, 6-4; RPI: 17, SOS: 13]
"The 'Dores got a hard-earned home sweep of Alabama and Kentucky by identical 81-77 scores to slip into second place in the East. If they can hold onto that spot, they'll get a first-round bye in the SEC tournament, which would be a nice bonus. It won't be easy, though. Four of the last six are away from Memorial Gym and the two home games are Tennessee and Florida."
GW: North Carolina (N), Saint Mary's, Kentucky
BL: Arkansas
No. 18 Kentucky at No. 23 Vanderbilt - 12 p.m. CT, Memorial Gym TV: CBS (Kevin Harlan and Bill Raftery) Radio: 97.1 RQQ (Joe Fisher and Tim Thompson), VUcommodores.com Follow the action live online - click here
SATURDAY'S SEC SCHEDULE live scores
No. 18 Kentucky at No. 23 Vanderbilt, 12 p.m. CT, CBS
LSU at Arkansas, 12:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Ole Miss at Alabama, 3 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Georgia at South Carolina, 3 p.m. CT, SEC Network
Tennessee at No. 17 Florida, 5 p.m. CT, ESPN
Mississippi State at Auburn, 6 p.m. CT, FSN
SEC STANDINGSview East
Florida 8-2
Vanderbilt 5-4
Georgia 5-4 Tennessee 5-4
Kentucky 5-4
South Carolina 4-5 West
Alabama 7-2
Mississippi State 5-4
Ole Miss 4-5
Arkansas 4-6
LSU 2-7
Auburn 1-8
"The next month really is a time for us to start working on our program and our players here," Franklin said. "I'm excited because it gives me the opportunity to get to know the guys that are already on our roster ... We had our first morning workout (Wednesday) from 5:45 to 6:45, and it was like chaos. They responded really well to it. Now, we're breaking up offense and defense, putting our playbooks together, and getting organized for spring ball. It's really the specific, hands-on football development, and making sure everyone understands the message I want."
"The thing that we've hung our hats on all year is our ability to defend, and we had a tough time [Thursday] defensively," Alabama coach Anthony Grant said. "Vanderbilt did a great job."
Men's Basketball: Dores prepare to enact revenge against UK (InsideVandy)
Men's Basketball: 3 points on Alabama-Vandy (Huntsville Times)
Men's Basketball: 'Memorial Magic' could magnify road woes (UKathletics.com)
"I'm so proud of how much the team has learned," Melanie Balcomb said. "I kept thinking back to Kentucky when they made the same run and we fell apart. Our body language was just terrific and didn't change. I think we know and have the confidence that we've been looking for. We have an identity now and we are stronger."
"I think it's a wonderful honor and I think that I'm lucky. I tell my wife, Jean, that I feel special now. Now somebody else has made some kind of deduction about me," said Smith.
Men's Basketball: Taylor talks team and family (InsideVandy.com)
"It is great to get a little respect from the media and different people associated with college baseball," third baseman Jason Esposito said. "But you want to be No. 1, not fourth or fifth. That is what our sights are set on."
Stallings' opening statement...
"We're hoping to get more healthy. Lance Goulbourne has been suffering from an ankle injury and has not been very effective recently. We're hopeful of being able to get him some rest and healthier by game time on Thursday.
"We felt good about how we played on Saturday against South Carolina. We've got a very difficult week this week with the first place team coming in on Thursday. So, we're just going to do all we can this week to prepare and play an obviously very good Alabama team."
On doing TV interviews during media timeouts... "That was something that was brought up at the league meetings that I think ESPN had the desire to do. We were encouraged as a group to be willing participants, so we agreed that we would be. There are some coaches that love to see themselves on camera, but in general, I don't think it's something coaches would prefer to do. But we agreed to it, so that's what we got. It's a little bit of a run-off of the things that the NBA is doing. It was just a concept that might make our game more enjoyable for people that were watching it on television.
On John Jenkins' season...
"He's really a remarkable, remarkable player, in my opinion. He's not the fastest guy, and certainly not the highest jumping guy, but he knows how to play. He knows how to use screens, he knows how to get himself open. He's got more game off the dribble than I think people tend to think, and he can make a variety of shots. I think one thing that helps him is that he's got a great shot fake. When he lifts up, first of all, you have to respect it because he's such a great shooter. If he gets you out of position, then he can draw a foul or get around you. For a guy that's not the most athletic guy in the world, he really maximizes the skill set that he has. He's been incredibly consistent and very, very valuable."
On the recruitment of Festus Ezeli...
"We saw him playing AAU basketball the summer prior to the fall he enrolled at Vanderbilt. He made several recruiting visits and there were other schools that were very interested in him; very high-level schools like Florida, Ohio State, Connecticut, Boston College. He basically came, enjoyed the visit, and liked the guys that were here. He essentially came on the condition that we redshirt him. He was going to go to a prep school and as he put it back then 'to learn how to be on a team.' We convinced him that he could learn how to be on a team here. So then, he agreed to come, but only on the condition that we redshirt him, and so that's what we did."
On Ezeli's progression since coming to Vanderbilt... "His progress has been really incredible. He was very raw; the work ethic that you have to have to succeed at this level was completely new to him. He had trouble getting through an individual workout when he first got here. He's turned into one of our best workers. He's got a great spirit. He's extremely coachable and he really cares about not letting his teammates down. He gives you his best effort every day and as a coach that's all you can ask."
Places to be this week... Thursday, Nashville: "Alabama is 7-1 in the SEC. I did not expect to be writing that sentence at any point this season, but expectations or not, there it is. The Crimson Tide have a handful of easy games left on their schedule -- thanks SEC West! -- but two real road tests stand out. The last (and perhaps most crucial) comes March 1 at Florida. The first is Thursday night, when the Tide takes its impressive, physical defense to Vandy's always tough Memorial Gym."
SHOULD BE IN Vanderbilt (16-6, 4-4; RPI: 19, SOS: 19)
"Dear refs, John Jenkins doesn't airball threes. Now that we got that out of the way, Vandy is far from in the barn as far as the NCAAs but also has excellent opportunities to move up. The 'Dores still get Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky all at home (plus a trip to Lexington late in the season). The fun starts this week with league leader Alabama coming to Nashville before the Wildcats come calling."
GW: North Carolina (N), Saint Mary's
BL: Arkansas
Week's Top Matchups: 6. Alabama at Vanderbilt, Thursday "I never would have figured that Alabama would be involved in any game to watch this season, but the Crimson Tide sit atop the SEC and really could make a statement with a win in Nashville."
SEC STANDINGSview East Florida 7-2
Tennessee 5-3
Georgia 5-4
Vanderbilt 4-4
Kentucky 4-4
South Carolina 4-4
West Alabama 7-1
Mississippi State 4-4
Arkansas 4-5
Ole Miss 3-5
LSU 2-6
Auburn 1-8
South Carolina at No. 23 Vanderbilt - 12:47 p.m. CT, Memorial Gym TV: SEC Network, ESPN3.com (Dave Baker and Will Perdue) Radio: 97.1 RQQ, VUcommodores.com Follow the action live online - click here
"I don't know if it could've went any better really," James Franklin said. "We filled a lot of our needs, especially at the quarterback position and on the offensive line, defensive back, defensive line. Really did some good things, and I think we got faster, which is something we really wanted to do."
"In the last 48 hours, it was exciting," Franklin said. "We got on a roll the other night and the commitments were coming, and the commitments kept coming. The coaches were flying around, yelling, screaming. As we all know, a lot of times you work hard but you don't always see the dividends."
"As proud as I am with what we have done this year, we've still got a long way to go,'' Franklin admitted. "I think every time you set a goal and have an expectation and you reach that goal, now you have to set a new goal, a new standard, a new expectation.
"If you don't want to be a competitor, this isn't the place for you. We are going to have the most competitive environment on this campus -- academically and athletically. If you're afraid of competition, don't come to Vanderbilt," Franklin said. "They understand that. Just like I told them next year I am going to recruit somebody to beat them out."
"I had to do what was best for me," Thourogood said. "That's what all of the coaches wanted, so I did what I had to do.
"At first, (Coach Beatty) was telling me that it would be a good school for me. But in the end, he said whatever is best for me. Him saying that meant a lot to me. I sat back and prayed about it and thought about it a lot. And at the end of the day, (prayers) told me to go to Vanderbilt."
Cape Coral Daily: Jimmy Stewart headed to Vanderbilt
"Vanderbilt offered me, I sat down, prayed about it and talked to my parents," Townsend said. "It's the (Southeastern Conference), it's close to home, it's a top-notch education."
St. Petersburg Times: Josh Grady makes decision based on facts
" ... at the end of the day, you have to understand that this is not a four- to five-year commitment," Grady said. "At the end of the day it's a 40- to 50-year commitment."
"They have a very good academic background, a great coaching staff that wants to turn the program around, and the players are motivated," Franklin said. "They've got the right mindset to win, and I feel like it's a great group of guys who are a lot like me. We're going to work hard to get on top."
"I just felt it was the place for me," Hart said. "I met the new coach (James Franklin) two weeks ago, and I think he'll bring a lot of energy to the program. He said they were going to change the culture and that he still wanted me bad. The staff has great energy. They are a bunch of young guys who have great energy and they want to win. I definitely wanted to be a part of that.
"I'm excited to come in to a program and try to turn them around and get things going," Seymour said. "I made up my mind Wednesday and called up the coaches and told them. An opportunity to play in the SEC is something you just can't pass up."
"I fell in love with the city and it was where I was born," Valedon said. "It is the perfect place to live. It's the SEC and you can't beat that. Plus the academics are unparalleled."
Armwood quarterback Josh Grady answers media questions after announcing his decision to attend Vanderbilt. (Photo: Bill Ward/TBO.com)
Note: We'll have complete coverage of football national signing day starting at 7 a.m. CT Wednesday on VUcommodores.com. We'll post player bios with videos, quotes, photos and more on our NSD Central page. Also, follow @VandyFootball on Twitter to get instant notification for each signee when the NLIs come in.
I was lucky enough to have a job that gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the Commodores--something most fans would trade for in a heartbeat. I always tried to remember that thought each day, so I documented as much as I could for you guys, especially during tournament trips.
**Victory in Knoxville. Cutler to Bennett. Everyone knows what that moment meant.
**Sitting in Arco Arena when Derrick Byars popped his jersey in front of the VU section after the Dores' double-overtime win against Washington State. That was an "elite" team in my opinion.
**Waiting at Hawkins Field for an hour after the Commodores' win over LSU to find out if VU had clinched the 2007 SEC regular season championship. Several hundred fans hung around, too, just to be a part of the moment.
