How about a Vol Navy riverboat casino for Neyland Entertainment District? | Adams
My recent column on a Big Orange hotel in the future Neyland Entertainment District proved to be very humbling. My readers came up with better ideas than I did.
That will motivate me to spend more than 10 minutes on a column. Thanks.
Tommy writes: Yes by all means----The John Adams---Hmmmm, Wellll? All the good places you have assigned already.
By chance did you hold anything back? I know. Let the readers pick your place of honor. That'll bring out enough hotel secret places to fill many columns, and for you, no doubt, the perfect honorarium.
Come on folks, everything is on the table from the name of the joint to coasters on the bar. The John Adams' Knoxville's GOAT Sports Writer (sorry all restrooms taken) Gallery. John, you are just the best.
My response: I'm way too modest to expect any recognition. However, if enough folks believe I should be honored, I would settle for a storage room, which also might contain the old wax statue of Peyton Manning. Whatever happened to that?
Robert writes: Upgrades for the new Entertainment/hotel venue—I suggest a John Shumaker walk-in closet featuring Butch Jones inspirational slogans in the Presidential Suite; a user-friendly Donnie Tyndall business center with Champagne Room and virtual classroom; a McDonalds featuring the Cornbread McMuffin (no condiments-bologna, lots of "lettuce"); a Dooley shower stall/Fulmer walk-in safety tub with Hullco window overlook of the Jerry Green "roll out the balls and outscore the other team" exhibit.
My response: I was remiss in not mentioning former UT president John Shumaker, one of the great con artists in school history. He toured the world on the university’s tab. But he didn’t have to travel to spend money.
Among his purchases to make the UT president’s home more suitable for entertaining: A $7,000 Persian rug and a $4,882 gas grill.
Those are must-haves for any university president.
Colorado Mark writes: Your article on the NED is guaranteed to get your readers going, hopefully not to Meridian, Miss., though. OK, I'll bite, but just this one, a riverboat casino down on the Tennessee River below the NED, just like in good ole Tunica Miss, complete with "gambling and showgirls" and a Harley Store. And why no Helton room?
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ADAMS: Readers pick most annoying sports figure. Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James or Steve Spurrier?
My response: I admittedly overlooked UT’s greatest baseball player and an eventual inductee into Cooperstown. That’s why I requested suggestions from readers - just to make sure no bases were uncovered.
If I had never been to a riverboat casino, I would second your nomination. But my first riverboat casino venture soured me on the idea.
I still can see the smoke hanging from the ceiling in the Bettendorf, Iowa, casino. I scanned the room for “beautiful people” and came up empty.
My only more depressing casino experience was watching not-so-well-heeled New Yorkers step off a bus one by one in Atlantic City. About the same time, I looked across the street and saw some deranged soul dressed in rugby attire physically assaulting a newspaper coin-operated container.
Wayne writes: Your articles so negative. You need someone to council you .
My response: What? You want someone on the city council to visit me at home?
The word you were searching for is "counsel." I've had plenty of counseling and have done some counseling myself. As an experienced counselor, I recommend "spell check" for you.
Mike writes: With the ACC ready to fracture, the SEC contentious debate over 8 games or 9 games becomes moot if the SEC can coax four (4) ACC schools to join the club: Florida State, Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech.
RESULT: 20 SEC Teams. Monster conference to rival the NFL.
My response: I don’t think either the SEC or Big Ten is done with expansion. Eventually, I believe there will be two powerhouse conferences that are split into divisions, very similar to the NFL.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Readers offer Neyland Entertainment District ideas
