Recently, cbssports.com put out a map showcasing the best college football programs in every state. The state of Tennessee, which forever would have been colored Big Orange, was instead shaded Memphis Tigers Blue. College football writer Barrett Sallee provided a two-part explanation for how this came to be:

2. Robot Fast-Food Chefs: Hype or a Sign of Industry Change? - Friday, May 4, 2018

BOSTON (AP) – Robots can't yet bake a souffle or fold a burrito, but they can cook up vegetables and grains and spout them into a bowl – and are doing just that at a new fast casual restaurant in Boston.

3. Vrabel Will Face Vastly Improved AFC South - Friday, February 2, 2018

In case you haven’t noticed, the stakes have been raised considerably in the AFC South for 2018.

While new Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel is busy trying to put a staff together, the group he assembles will have to hit the ground running just to keep up in a division that suddenly looks much improved from past seasons.

4. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some Who Died in 2017 - Monday, January 1, 2018

They made music that inspired legions of fans. Rock 'n' roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Gregg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

5. House Passes Massive Tax Package; Senate to Vote Next - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Gleeful Republicans on Tuesday muscled the most sweeping rewrite of the nation's tax laws in more than three decades through the House. House Speaker Paul Ryan dismissed criticism of the widely unpopular package and insisted "results are what's going to make this popular."

6. Tennessee’s Hot Seat Finds a New Office - Friday, December 1, 2017

Tennessee football isn’t what it used to be. Nor is the attraction of being UT’s football coach.

It became more and more apparent this week as first-year UT athletics director John Currie tried to hire his first football coach as an AD.

7. House Backs $4T Budget, Faces Challenges on Trump Tax Plan - Friday, October 27, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans powered a $4 trillion budget through the House on Thursday by a razor-thin margin, a close vote underscoring the difficulties that lie ahead in delivering President Donald Trump's promise to cut taxes.

8. Memphis Hustle to Debut Nov. 4, Have 23 Home Games - Monday, August 28, 2017

The Grizzlies’ minor league team, the Memphis Hustle, will begin play in the NBA G League on Nov. 4 and have 23 home games.

The season starts with a weekend back-to-back, Nov. 4 and 5 to tip-off action at Landers Center in Southaven. The Hustle will make its franchise debut on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, before returning to action the following night against the Salt Lake City Stars at 5 p.m.

9. Looks Like Another 8-4 Season for Tennessee - Friday, August 25, 2017

Oops. I goofed last year. So did lots of other people who thought Tennessee’s football team would win the SEC East Division and go to the league championship game for the first time since 2007.

10. Memphis Football Profile Growing, Norvell Says - Wednesday, March 22, 2017

The biggest brand on the 2017 University of Memphis football schedule is UCLA. The Bruins come to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16. And as a name brand, it’s an opportunity for the Tigers with recruits.

11. Packard's Playbook Helps Women Thrive in Corporate 'Jungle Gym' - Saturday, February 18, 2017

Susan Packard’s premise is straightforward: Business is a team sport. Winning doesn’t just happen, but requires everything any team sport would – preparation, strategy, spirit, competitiveness, composure, focus, creativity and, yes, gamesmanship.

12. Temple Sweeps Tigers; Ferguson and Miller Honored - Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Just consider all the things that can be done in about 10 minutes: You could jog a very leisurely mile. Or run two miles and be huffing and puffing. You could dance the Minute Waltz – over and over. You could watch Tom Brady run the two-minute drill – like five times. Or in the case of the University of Memphis basketball team on Sunday, Feb. 12 vs. Temple at FedExForum, you could go 10:55 of game clock without scoring one point. And when you do that, you get the result you expect: You lose, in this instance by a score of 74-62.

13. Trump: Allow Those Into US Who 'Want to Love Our Country' - Tuesday, February 7, 2017

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AP) – President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to allow into the United States people who "want to love our country," defending his immigration and refugee restrictions as he made his first visit to the headquarters Monday for U.S. Central Command.

14. JT Returns and Mr. Clean Channels Magic Mike - Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Buzz is building around this year’s Super Bowl ads, which will feature Justin Timberlake, political controversy, Mr. Clean as Magic Mike, and the first-ever live ad.

In another record-breaking year, with ad costs exceeding last year’s $5 million per 30-second spot, big brands are, once again, putting it all on the line. Some will score big and others will be nursing a multimillion-dollar headache Monday morning. Here’s what we know so far.

15. Recruiting Reforms Could Bring End to Signing Day Circus - Monday, January 30, 2017

The first Wednesday of February in college football has become a celebration of hat-picking suspense and hopeful speculation. Schools use national signing day to excite their fans, market the program and impress future recruits with a flashy welcome.

16. Final 4 is Proof NFL Teams Must Have Elite QBs - Friday, January 20, 2017

Now that the NFL playoffs are down to four teams remaining, it is easy to point out the common thread among them: Elite play at the quarterback position.

Whether it is Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers – all of whom have won Super Bowls – or Matt Ryan, who was selected as an All Pro this season and could win the MVP Award, the Patriots, Steelers, Packers and Falcons have a game-changer calling the signals.

17. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some of Those Who Died in 2016 - Monday, January 2, 2017

Death claimed transcendent political figures in 2016, including Cuba's revolutionary leader and Thailand's longtime king, but also took away royals of a different sort: kings of pop music, from Prince and David Bowie to George Michael.

18. Can Alan Zucker Do for Titans’ Marcus Mariota What He’s Done for Mannings & Taylor Swift? - Friday, August 19, 2016

As an NFL quarterback, Sunday is show time for Marcus Mariota. That’s when he suits up and does everything in his power to help the Tennessee Titans win football games.

But a recent Sunday morning was a different kind of show time. Mariota spent four hours on the opposite side of the Cumberland River from Nissan Stadium on a commercial shoot. A camera crew captured footage of him jogging in downtown Nashville and posing in front of various landmarks.

19. Born to Play Football, Paxton Lynch Just Changing Leagues - Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The player can’t tell you how it all started, not really. Neither can the player’s first coach and probably not the player’s dad.

No, to get to the root of things you turn to mom. Because mom will remember the details. And so as the countdown to the Thursday, April 28, NFL Draft turns from days to hours – experts of one stripe or another projecting how high former University of Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch will be taken – it’s good to step back for a moment.

20. Last Word: Pastner's Georgia Tech Post-Season, Who Filed and Greensward Invitations - Friday, April 8, 2016

Not so fast with the off-season. There is a Memphis post-season after all.

And the Grizz found it Thursday like a light at the end of a long-tunnel where a lot of people slipped and fell and can’t get up.
The light was Houston flaming out at home to Phoenix without the Grizzlies having to make a basket.
It’s all about the math. Stay in school, young people.

21. The Audible: Still Peyton Manning’s Best Weapon - Friday, March 11, 2016

It was, of course, the closing of Peyton Manning’s recent retirement speech that provided the sound bite and made the headlines.

Quoting 2 Timothy 4:7, Manning said: “I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” He then added: “Well, I have fought the good fight. I’ve finished my football race and after 18 years, it’s time. God bless all of you and God bless football.”

22. Lynch at NFL Combine, UT Troubles, Memphis Carries Senior Day - Monday, February 29, 2016

Paxton Lynch went through all the drills – physical and mental – at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and, brace yourself for this deep insight, but the “experts” feel confident that his pro career will land somewhere between Tom Brady and Tim Tebow.

23. A Bit More Super - Friday, February 5, 2016

CARE ABOUT THE GAME. I’m a homer. I can’t watch a sporting event for the beauty of the game, the spirit of the competition, the skill displayed on both sides. I want somebody’s butt kicked and for good reason.

24. Matriculating Down the Field Of History to Super Bowl 50 - Friday, January 29, 2016

For sports fans of my generation, there is something very personal about the Super Bowl. My earliest television sports memory is from Super Bowl I, which wasn’t even originally called the Super Bowl and retroactively introduced me to Roman numerals.

25. It’s Time for Manning to Call it a Career - Saturday, January 16, 2016

No amount of film study has prepared Peyton Manning for this. He enters the NFL postseason uncertain about his football future. After 18 years as a pro and at the age of 39, his body is breaking down and his skills are slipping. Passes he once made with ease now wobble and sail off target.

26. Rotten to the Core: Titans Fail to Develop Talent - Saturday, December 19, 2015

As the Tennessee Titans sink toward the end of another lackluster season, they head into the off-season with still more holes to fill for 2016.

Some of that, of course, is inevitable with any team as an NFL roster. Even on the best teams can have a 20 percent roster turnover in the off-season due to injuries, free agency and new draft picks coming on board.

27. Painful thought: Will the Titans ever be good again? - Saturday, November 21, 2015

As the Tennessee Titans head down the backstretch of another unproductive season, it might be time to ponder a scary question: Will the Titans ever be good again?

How much longer will they be an NFL’s bottom feeder, swimming the same muddy waters as the Raiders, Browns, Lions and Jaguars?

28. ‘Deflategate’ Ruling Bounces Commish - Thursday, September 24, 2015

Court’s in recess and there goes the judge! In New England, the Patriots again start the season as the Tom Brady Bunch. In New York, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has crow for breakfast. Case closed!

29. The Joy of Tony Allen; Inflategate Worse Than Deflategate - Friday, May 8, 2015

Wading in with a few quick takes …

If I had the money and the inclination to open up a bar on Beale Street, the name is set: One-Eyed Charlie.

Mike Conley’s masked-man performance in Game 2 as the Grizzlies defeated Golden State to even their Western Conference playoff series at 1-1 now stands atop the list of true grit-n-grind moments. And for the record, playing point guard with a broken face > than pitching with a bloody sock.

30. Even Rob Lowe Knows Seahawks Made Wrong Call - Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Before Super Bowl 49, all the talk was about New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady and what they did or didn’t know in regards to “Deflategate.”

31. Facebook Launching Trending Super Bowl for the Big Game - Thursday, January 29, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) – As Facebook's latest step into sports, the social media giant is launching Trending Super Bowl – a real-time hub for content from Sunday's game between the Patriots and Seahawks.

32. New Laws OK Wine Shipments, Ban Tiger Selfies - Thursday, January 1, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – New state laws taking effect Thursday give livestock in California more living room, approve direct-to-consumer wine shipments in Massachusetts and levy the ultimate punishment on wannabe teen drivers in Nevada by denying them licenses if they skip too much school.

33. Three Tigers Selected for East-West Shrine Game - Saturday, December 6, 2014

University of Memphis safety Fritz Etienne, cornerback Bobby McCain and defensive end Martin Ifedi have accepted invitations to play in the 90th East-West Shrine Game. The game will be played Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be televised by the NFL Network.

34. Three Tigers Selected for East-West Shrine Game - Friday, December 5, 2014

University of Memphis safety Fritz Etienne, cornerback Bobby McCain and defensive end Martin Ifedi have accepted invitations to play in the 90th East-West Shrine Game. The game will be played Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and will be televised by the NFL Network.

35. Health Law Concerns for Cancer Centers - Thursday, March 20, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – Cancer patients relieved that they can get insurance coverage because of the new health care law may be disappointed to learn that some the nation's best cancer hospitals are off-limits.

36. Twitter Tunes in to TV Partnerships Ahead of IPO - Tuesday, October 8, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – People don't just watch TV anymore; they talk about it on Twitter. From the comfort of couches, they share reactions to touchdowns and nail-biting season finales – and advertisers and networks are taking note.

37. Wealthy Business Executives Eye Political Races - Tuesday, September 17, 2013

CHICAGO (AP) – He has never been elected to anything, not even "student council in high school," as he boasts. He has little patience for schmoozing. In dealing with people, he admits to being "pretty blunt" - more suited to running a large private equity firm, which Bruce Rauner did successfully for 30 years, than seeking votes for governor, which he intends to do in Illinois next year.

38. GOP-Led House Seeks to Punish IRS With Budget Cuts - Wednesday, July 10, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The GOP-controlled House unveiled slashing cuts to the budget of the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday, punishing the beleaguered agency after it targeted tea party groups and other nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status.