I don’t want to wish the summer away, but I have recently found myself looking ahead. Now is about the time that my excitement for college football really ramps up. When I was growing up, my family didn’t vacation at the beach. We’d make the trip to Knoxville several times each fall for near-weekly reunions with orange-clad family up in the higher rows of the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium. We’d enjoy Big Orange Touchdown Franks, clap until our hands hurt and usually come away celebrating a win (this was during the 1990s).
Since the 1950s, bluetick coonhound Smokey has been a mainstay on the sidelines of UT sporting events and draws his own large crowds in public. And the last two mascots — Smokey X and Smokey XI — came from Davis Branch Blueticks in Shelbyville. I got to make the trip to the former horse farm to take photos for this month’s feature that begins on page 12. I told everyone that I met celebrities that day, and my own dog, golden retriever mix Tanner, was particularly impressed, thoroughly investigating each new smell on me.
Speaking of iconic, we also explored world-famous Hatch Show Print and its signature Music City style that has signaled for many aspiring musicians, “I’ve made it.” See page 30.
While we’re reminiscing, Antsy McClain is back with another nostalgic dispatch on summer pastimes. Read his thoughts on lightning bugs beginning on page 10.
There’s much to discover in this edition of The Tennessee Magazine. Check out our winning poets and artists, and don’t forget to fill out your ballot for the Best of Tennessee Readers’ Choice Awards, which is due at the end of the month.
Thanks for reading,
Chris Kirk
Editor, The Tennessee Magazine
