Missouri Article Archives
Tennessee Williams: 27 Wagons Full of Cotton
Tennessee Williams: 27 Wagons Full of Cotton By James Calemine Born in Columbus, Mississippi, on March 26, 1911, Thomas (Tennessee) Williams wrote plays, short stories, novels and poetry. Some of his characters rank as the most memorable in read more...
Swampland's Top 25 Albums of 2011
As March fades and the first quarter of 2012 comes to a close, Swampland has used this moment to look back on 2011 putting together our list of last year's best music releases from the South. Although we've named 25 records on our Top 25 Albums of 2011, each one serves as read more...
The GRITZ Stone Ground & Southern Compilation Home Page
Welcome to the official information page for the GRITZ Stone Ground and Southern Music Compilation Series. We hope you will enjoy these free downloads, visit the band websites and order their albums. Please be sure to give us your read more...
Expanding The NCAA Tournament Would Further Erode An Already Suffering Sport
It’s Championship week in college basketball, and it’s a thrilling time to watch teams from smaller conferences earn their way into the Big Dance. While few believe that the regular season is what it used to be (especially when compared to college football), the read more...
Super Bowl XLIV Will Be Special for the South
The world’s biggest sporting contest is upon us, and the Southern storylines could not be more prevalent. With the Saints and the Colts meeting in the Super Bowl,
SEC, Big 12, & ACC Bowl Primer: Post-January 1 Edition
SEC 01/01 –.Auburn vs. Northwestern - Outback Bowl (11 am EST – ESPN) 01/01 – LSU vs. Penn State - Independence Bowl (1 pm EST – read more...
SEC, Big 12, & ACC Bowl Primer: Pre-January 1 Edition
SEC 12/27 – Kentucky vs. Clemson - Music City Bowl (8:30pm EST – read more...
Weekly Fever Review #5: The ACC Still Not Progressing Quickly Enough
As we head into October, we've learned quite a few things about this current college football season. SEC - This conference remains on top, not only for our Footprint, but also nationally. There are still 3 SEC teams in the top 5, and there are two teams read more...
Weekly Fever Review #4: NYC Bowl Hypocrisy, Etc.
It's going to be a briefer than normal weekly fever. We will take a look at some key games coming up and how they affect our teams and conferences as a whole, but first let's start with a subject that really has us a bit miffed.
Weekly SPF Rating #3: Teams in Turmoil
We warned about a difficult season in SPF land, but we didn't think the wheels would come off so fast for certain teams. The good news is with a few of our top teams. The Colts and Saints sit at 3-0 and look like potential Super Bowl contenders. The Falcons, the read more...
Weekly SPF Rating #2: The Desperation Factor
We already warned everyone that 2009 looked like a down year for our SPF teams across the board. It could be worse than we imagined after one of our better read more...
Weekly Fever Review #3: The South "Officially" Becomes the Home of College Football
We would be remiss if we didn't start our Weekly Fever with some big news - the College Football Hall of Fame will relocate from South Bend, Indiana (home of Notre Dame) to Atlanta by read more...
Weekly SPF Rating #1: 2009 Could Be A Long Year For Our Pro Teams
Yes, it is only the first week of the NFL season, but there are signs that it could be a seriously down year for our 13 SPF teams. It starts with the core of our group of teams - the eight squads that make up the NFC South and AFC South. In the past, these two read more...
Weekly Fever Review: College Football's Week Two - Big 12/ACC Struggles, etc
Now that week two of the college football season is behind us, we've learned a little more about our teams and what the season might have in store.
Weekly Fever Review: Reflections on College Football's Week One
We thought we'd provide a few thoughts after the first week of the college football season just before tonight's Clemson - Georgia Tech game. In the months that pass between each football season, certain things are put under the microscope by the media and the fans. Here read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook
Sometimes, a picture truly is worth a thousand words... Welcome to the GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook. This will be an ongoing, often updated, collection of classic and new Southern Rock photographs, many of which have never before read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 16
Volunteer Jam: Toy Caldwell, Dobie Gray; Henry Paul; Jimmy Hall.
The True Era of Southern Rock 1969-1979
by Michael Buffalo Smith The definitive Southern Rock era began in 1969. In Macon, Georgia. Phil Walden, who had previously been known for his work with r&b acts like read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Two
THE RANTS: Toy Caldwell and George McCorlkle's pre-Toy Factory, pre-Marshall Tucker band. read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Four
Mark Emerick (Commander Cody) jams with Dickey Betts & Great Southern.
The 25 Best Album Covers of Southern Rock
by Michael Buffalo Smith I am really excited about the recent comeback of vinyl records. I mean, not only is the old analog sound richer and warmer, but the big LP jackets were always a treat in and of themselves, from the liner notes and photos to the inserts. (Our read more...
Recruiting Never Ends in the South
When it comes to college football, just ‘Google’ the phrase “recruiting is the lifeblood” and you’ll see a ton of results. The fact that quality recruiting is the number one key for long-term success in the big-time world of college football has never read more...
Power Rankings: College Football Tradition By State
by Patrick Snow With the football season fast approaching, we thought it was time to take a State-by-State look at the schools and traditions that make up the religion that is college football in our Swampland footprint. Gold read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 11): The Stretch Run Begins!
We know quite a bit about our SPF teams by now. The only thing left to determine is which teams are playoff bound and which teams have Super Bowl potential. At least half of our 13 teams will be at home and that number could continue to rise. We can also call at read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 10): Ranking the Coaching Trees
1. Tennessee Titans - The Titans remain a fantastic SPF story. Their way of winning - brute force, matched by a will not to lose - has them as the NFL's only undefeated team for yet another week.
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 9): Shakeups At The Top!
1. Tennessee Titans - Like the #1 college team working each week to hold their place at the top, the Titans have methodically marched through their undefeated season. This isn't a big play team. It doesn't have to be. They attack opponents read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 8): Halfway Home
1. Dallas Cowboys - They pulled off a critical victory against the Bucs last Sunday. It was ugly, but that's how it goes sometimes. A win is a win. The Cowboys can't afford to be worried about style points right now. They continue to read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 7): Hanging Hammers
1. Dallas Cowboys - Let's hear a few words of wisdom from one of Swampland Sports all time coaching greats, Jimmy Johnson: Show me one player who doesn’t need a hammer hanging over him. I don’t think there’s ever been, or read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 6): Tennessee Reigns!
1. Tennessee Titans - The last undefeated team in the NFL has to get the top spot for at least one week this season. They have become Tennessee's team as the Vols in Knoxville have struggled to maintain their own identity. 2. Dallas read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 5): Identities Found, Lost
Identities. This is the "Team Identity" Poll after all. We are far enough into the season to get a sense of where teams are. Some have done an amazing job. Others are teetering, losing their connection to their fans and read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 4): Adjustments
The NFL vs College. It's a distinction that has begun to blur. The two games have been getting closer and closer over the past ten years. Scholarship reductions are one of the main reasons combined with increased TV exposure for all schools. Watching Vandy read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 3): Who Are You?
In any season, there is a moment where teams begin to show who they are. After three games, our SPF teams are showing just that. 1. Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys took care of business on Sunday night against the Packers. The Cowboys as a read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 2): Consistency, Both Good and Bad
1. Dallas Cowboys - Our recent SPF review of Jeff Pearlman's book on the Cowboys of the 1990's called Boys Will Be Boys shows how this latest era in Cowboys history might possibly be even read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 1): Overcoming Adversity
Starting last Thursday, the NFL season began another year which means that SPF is back with our weekly "Team Identity" Poll. To recap, SPF rates teams not on how good they are, but how well they relate to the fans in the Footprint. Pro sports isn't as read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Six (Final Installment)
17. Bonnie Bramlett’s Run On Roseanne (1991) Bonnie (Then called Bonnie Sheridan) shows up as a waitress in a diner and a friend of Roseanne in both the third and read more...
GRITZ Presents: Buffalo Roaming
BUFFALO ROAMING
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Five
by Michael Buffalo Smith And we continue.... 28. “Stompin’ Room Only” Released (2003) The “Holy Grail” for Marshall Tucker Band fans, read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Four
by Michael Buffalo Smith 39. Jammin’ for Danny Joe Brown - (July 18, 1999) An all star concert headed up by Riff West to raise money for
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Three
59. “Freebird” The Movie Premiers (1996) Drawn mostly from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1976 show at Knebworth Fair in England. the movie also included footage from a few read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Two
79. Cameron Crowe Puts The Allmans On the Cover of the Rolling Stone (December 6, 1973) Cameron Crowe went on the road with The Allman Brothers at the age of 15, and read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part One
by Michael Buffalo Smith 100. “Pony Boy” Hand bone (1973) Dickey Betts brought country music sensibility into
Ten Great DVD's For Southern Rockers
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Almost Famous (2000) The semi-autobiographical story of read more...
The Greatest Songwriters of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Dickey read more...
The Greatest Instrumentalists of The Southern Rock Era
INSTRUMENTALISTS (OTHER THAN GUITAR/KEYS/DRUM KIT) by Michael Buffalo Smith
The Greatest Keyboard Players of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Chuck Leavell Take one look at the Georgia boy’s
The Greatest Bass Players of the Southern Rock Era
1. Tommy Caldwell - According to all of the members of The Marshall Tucker read more...
Great Southern Record Producers
"There are three kinds of record producers. The first kind is the documentarian -- someone like Leonard Chess, who goes into a bar on the South Side of Chicago, sees Muddy Waters with a six-piece combo, then pulls him into the studio the next day and says, read more...
The Greatest Drummers of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Jakson Spires of Blackfoot In my opinion,
Top 25 Songs of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd As if there was any doubt read more...
The Greatest Vocalists of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith
GRITZ Southern Rock Lists
SWAMPLAND'S SOUTHERN ROCK LISTS
Southern Sporting "Events"
by Patrick Snow As I attended a Kentucky Derby function this past Saturday, it was never more evident that Southerners must throw a pretty good party. We are probably more known
Gritz Legends of Southern Rock
A handful of bands from the Southern Rock Era have earned the title of "Legend." These are the bands that defined the genre and set the bar for all other bands in their wake. These are the few, the originals, the Legends of Southern read more...
The BCS: A Friend to the SEC (and the Rest of the Footprint)
We at Tribal Fever find it odd that it would be the SEC who would call for a playoff system. We wonder how the SEC can be so blind to the fact that the BCS has been great for that conference. For those that love the idea of a playoff, we will list the reasons why most read more...
Snowman's 2008 Draft Wrap Up
The annual NFL Draft is now over, and the critics will have a field day with opinions on who did well and who faltered with their choices. I thought I would take a look at the Draft from the collegiate view and see who from our region will have the biggest impact on their new read more...
SPF's 2008 NFL Draft Awards
Although the NFL Draft still have rounds 3-7 to go, we at SPF think it is time to hand out some awards. Except in very rare cases, team's drafts are defined by their day one picks, and we learned a lot about how the SPF slate of teams are approaching the coming season - for read more...
Record Stores of the Swampland Footprint
ALABAMA CD Cellar Anniston AL Oz Music Tuscaloosa AL ARKANSAS
The Top Ten Albums of Southern Rock According to...
On the heels of my own Top Twenty Five Southern Rock albums, we asked a few of our friends to share their own lists of Favorite Southern Rock albums, and we got a few real surprises, but one fact read more...
SEC: Conference King Once Again
By Patrick Snow It’s an argument that will never end-whose Conference is better? Fans will debate this topic vociferously every season, and the answer always tends to lie close to your address. I’m not sure that the Bowl games are the best way to evaluate read more...
Goodbye, Babylon: A Patchwork Quilt of American Music
GOODBYE, BABYLON A Patchwork Quilt of American Music By James Calemine
Coaching Carousel
By Patrick Snow The end of the college football season always brings with it unfulfilled goals which translates into coaching changes. There has been quite a bit of movement in our region. Some of the firings were inevitable while others showed us just how unrealistic read more...
The Great Southern Sportswriters Series
Writing and storytelling have always been deeply ingrained in Southern culture. The people that combined that art with the Swampland Footprint's passion for sports make the whole experience more special and unique. Swampland Sports is proud to offer this series of read more...
Enjoy the Season
By Patrick Snow Another college football season--another initial release of the BCS standings. This annual ritual seems to send everyone running to call a local talk show to scream about a Playoff system and how the middle letter should be removed from read more...
The State of Baseball in the South
By Patrick Snow (editor's note: Swampland Sports considers the following teams to be part of the Footprint: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, read more...
A Modest Proposal: Southern College Conference Realignment
Now that Swampland Sports has launched Tribal Fever (TF), our dispatch dedicated to college sports in the South, we figured it was time to do weigh in on the current state of college football conferences. The college football conference landscape in the read more...
SPF 2007 Team Previews
As promised, we have our 2007 Team Previews! Since fans can go to numerous places to read about rosters, statistics, etc, we at Southern Pro Football want to focus our 2007 previews on the teams and their connection to their area of the South. We will examine read more...
John Hartford Memorial
Where Does an Old Time River Man Go? John Hartford Remembered By Derek Halsey December 2001 In the cool autumn air the sounds of the riverboats were everywhere. There is nothing like the whistle of a ship like the Delta read more...