South Carolina Dispatch Archives
...Anticipation for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight...
...Anticipation for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight... I just re-watched Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. It's been three years since Tarantino released a movie. I needed a break from revising stories, and decided to delve into his last read more...
View the BBC's Southern Rock Documentary on Swampland
Swampland has added the BBC's new Southern Rock Documentary to it front page. Go here to view it - Swampland Front Page
Reflections, Progressions & Horizons
"Will all your money buy you forgiveness? Will it keep you from sickness? Will it keep you from cold? Will all your money Keep you from madness?
A Modern Legacy of America's Finest Archivists
A Modern Legacy of America's Finest Archivists A treasure trove of old, obscure American music exists out there. Bits and pieces of lost American culture preserved between the grooves waits for any listener's ear. This
Meet Poet and Poetry Therapist Jerri Chaplin
Jerri Chaplin is a certified poetry therapist and poet. She served as the first poet-in-residence at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston (1996). Her work has been read more...
Happy Holidays From Swampland 2011
Happy Holidays From Swampland "Never be impatient with the ones who love you, It might be yourself that you're hurting."
Upcoming Interview: Preston Lauterbach's Chitlin' Circuit: And The Road To Rock 'N' Roll
The Chitlin' Circut: And The Road To Rock 'N' Roll Memphis writer Preston Lauterbach's first book--The Chitlin Circut: And The Road To Rock 'N' Roll--arrived in the mail on Monday. An upcoming interview with Lauterbach is on the way, but I wanted to write a quick read more...
Swampland's Daily Duo of Reviews For 7/25/11: Ronnie Milsap and Hope Waits
For Monday, we present two Southern artists whose travels around their native region helped to define their diverse and eclectic sensibilities. Ronnie Milsap went from the mountains of North Carolina to Nashville with stops at Atlanta and Memphis in between while Hope Waits read more...
Swampland's Gospel, Funk & Soul Collection
Swampland's Gospel, Funk & Soul Collection It's arguable that one of America's finest contributions to history is music. Deep forms of music culminated from various influences that mold a specific style. In this dispatch, read more...
Girl Power: A Compilation of Swampland's Most Talented Female Artists
Swampland Salutes Southern Women: Volume 1 Today we'd like to salute all the great southern female artists we've covered here at Swampland. We've compiled a list of cornerstone interviews/articles/reviews pertaining to these talented read more...
Summer Merle Haggard Southern Tour Dates
Upcoming Merle Haggard 2011 Southern Tour Dates Country music legend Merle Haggard prepares for his upcoming summer tour. At 74, Haggard still records, tours and writes timeless music. His work casts a long and wide shadow on American music. Over the years, read more...
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Celebrates 10th Anniversary
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Celebrates 10th Anniversary GRAMMY® ALBUM OF THE YEAR FOR 2001 O Brother, Where Art Thou? CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH EXPANDED TWO-CD DELUXE EDITION NEW BONUS DISC INCLUDES read more...
A Memorial Day Tribute: An Early Salute
A Salute To All The Veterans An early salute for the upcoming weekend... In honor of Memorial Day, and all the read more...
Never A Pal Like Mother
Happy Mother's Day 2011 Happy Mother's Day to Everyone! Since it's Mother's Day weekend, I thought I write a dispatch around the great Atlanta label
Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitizer Prize Winning Journalist, To Speak at University of North Alabama
Isabel Wilkerson, the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in the history of journalism, will be speaking at the University of North Alabama (in Florence, Alabama) at 12:30 PM, Thursday, April 14. read more...
Furthur Southern Shows Announced
Southern Furthur Dates Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will bring their band--Furthur--south this summer. The tour begins in June. The southern dates begin in July, which include Raleigh, NC (July 28), Simpsonville, SC (July 29), Saint Augustine, FL (July read more...
Widespread Panic's Sunny Ortiz Calls On His Day Off
Widespread Panic Percussionist Calls From Home Today Widespread Panic's
Friendship, Love & Betrayal in Modern Times
Friendship, Love & Betrayal In Modern Times “You got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend When I was down you just stood there grinning…”
Southern College Football – End of an Era
For generations around our Swampland Footprint, the play-by-play announcer of your favorite university was like a part of the family. Yes, there was a time before ESPN and billion-dollar network deals when not every game was on television. Classic voices like Tennessee’s John read more...
Southern College Football – Can the Big 12 Survive?
The world of college athletics was almost turned upside down last summer when possible conference realignment(s) seemed to be rumored on a daily basis. Would the Big 12 still exist in 2011? Texas and Oklahoma to the Pac-10? Texas or Missouri to the Big Ten? Texas A&M to the SEC? read more...
Like Clockwork, SEC Tops Recruiting
There seems to be a rhythm to each winter over the last few years; an SEC team wins the BCS Championship in January and then the league cleans up in recruiting on the first Wednesday in February. Those two annual events are very intertwined, and we have written for years about how read more...
Arhoolie Records Celebrates 50 Years
Arhoolie Records Celebrates 50 Years Chris Strachwitz, 79, owns Arhoolie Records. The label, founded in 1960, has issued 400 albums, and more than 6500 songs of some of America’s most resonating roots music. Most read more...
Southern College Football – SEC Wins Again
LEAD STORY The numbers are staggering: five national titles in row, a 7-0 record in the 13 BCS Championship Games, and five different schools who have won a national crown during those 13 years.
20 Interviews From The Archive
20 Interviews From Swampland/Mystery and Manners Archive Amid other pressing projects, today I thought I’d construct a dispatch regarding 20 interviews from the Swampland/Mystery And Manners archive. Each artist read more...
Saying Goodbye is Hard
It is with a truly heavy heart that I report the passing of one of Southern Rock's finest guitar players, Tommy Crain. Tommy was a 15-year veteran of The Charlie Daniels Band, having co-written many CDB classics including "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." For read more...
Southern College Football – Bowl Season
LEAD STORY The BCS Championship Game is almost here, and the fans around our Swampland Footprint are very eager to see if Auburn can earn the SEC’s fifth straight national title. It’s quite the
Robert Plant Pays Tribute To Townes Van Zandt
Robert Plant’s Homage To Townes Van Zandt Robert Plant recorded Townes Van Zandt’s “Harm Swift Way” on his new Band of Joy disc. I heard the song today, and I read more...
Merry Christmas From Swampland
Merry Christmas From Swampland Ho, Ho, Ho…I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from Swampland. Thanks for all the support. A Happy New Year to you all! Don’t let the Devil get you down. I’ve included a couple of read more...
Southern College Football – Coaching Carousel
LEAD STORY With bowl season beginning and holidays upon us, the big news in our Footprint is the gigantic transformation of the coaching hierarchy in the state of Florida. Do you realize that one-season ‘veteran’ Jimbo Fisher of Florida State is now the dean of read more...
Southern College Football – Championship Week
LEAD STORY The amazing story of Auburn and Cam Newton will continue Saturday when they meet South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game.
Buffalo Radio Show Tonight: Doug Jones (Blind Willy), Rick Cash (Silver Travis), and Author A. Lawrence Haskins
Tonight at 7 pm/est, the Buffalo Radio Show welcomes A. Lawrence Haskins, a novelist whose book "The Whisper of Serpents" is an astounding crime drama. Lawrence is also the mastermind behind his own multi-media empire which includes online talk shows and much read more...
Southern College Football - Week 13 Themes
It’s rivalry week in our Swampland Footprint. Some teams are looking towards league titles (Auburn, Oklahoma/Oklahoma State, NC State, etc.) while some usual stalwarts are just trying to become bowl eligible (Texas, Georgia, Tennessee). The last weekend of the season is the read more...
Benefit for Buffalo Brings Out Artimus Pyle, Best Upstate SC Bands
Last Saturday was one of those rare and special days. First of all, the weather was amazing, a sunny, warm day for late November. Earlier in the day I had met some new friends, Michael and Sherry Gemme from Maggie Valley, NC for lunch at the legendary Northgate Soda Shop here in read more...
GRITZ Compilation Volume 5 FREE Dowload Ready!
We are proud to present the new Gritz Stone Ground & Southern Compilation Volume Five. A FREE dowload for the readers of GRITZ! This time we have read more...
Southern College Football - Week 12 Themes
LEAD STORY It finally happened. For the first time since joining the SEC in 1992, the South Carolina Gamecocks will represent the East Division in read more...
Southern College Football - Week 11 Themes
LEAD STORY The Cam Newton saga continues to be the story of the week in college football. It seems very likely that his father was involved in seeking money for his son’s commitment. Does read more...
GRITZ Salutes All Veterans Today, With Thanks
Buffalo's Radio Show Tonight Features Tommy Talton, Freddie Vanderford
Join us for THE BUFFALO RADIO SHOW tonightat 7 PM est when our guests will include
Southern College Football - Week 10 Themes
LEAD STORY What an old-fashioned Southern soap opera we have on our hands. I’m sure by now you’ve read (or at least heard about) the ESPN story regarding the recruitment of Auburn read more...
Music Maker's 'Homebrew Hootenanny' (And A Lookback)
Music Maker’s Saturday Homebrew Hootenanny Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit organization, dedicated to assisting neglected southern musicians with daily expenses, instrument acquisition, recording, and read more...
Southern College Football - Week 9 Themes
LEAD STORY So much of the national attention (ESPN) at this point in the college football season goes to just the handful of teams in the BCS chase. Auburn-- as well read more...
Dylan, Petty & Drive By Truckers Participate In ‘Back To Black Friday’
Dylan, Petty & Drive By Truckers Participate In ‘Back To Black Friday’ In support of independent record stores, November 26 stands as ‘Back To Black Friday’. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, The Drive By Truckers, Iron & Wine, U2, read more...
Buffalo's Radio Show Sunday Night Features Barry Lee Harwood, Rickey Godfrey
Hey y'all - please join me for my new internet radio talk show, THE BUFFALO SHOW, this Sunday night at 7 pm est when my guests will be
Southern College Football - Week 8 Themes
LEAD STORY It’s a huge weekend in the Big 12, with conference and national title implications. Top-ranked Oklahoma travels to undefeated Missouri, while read more...
The Buffalo Show Debuts On Blogtalk Radio This Sunday with Barry Lee Harwood, Rickey Godfrey
The Buffalo Show debuts this Sunday, October 24th with a couple of very special guests.
Southern College Football - Week 7 Themes
LEAD STORY With South Carolina’s huge 35-21 victory over Alabama, the SEC’s current streak of four straight National Championships looks to be in read more...
Nobel Peace Prize Campaign For Willie Nelson
Nobel Peace Prize Campaign for Willie Nelson A Nobel Peace Prize Campaign has been launched for Willie Nelson and his FARM AID efforts. For the last 25 years Nelson has assisted the American farmer through FARM AID as well as raised awareness of healthy foods.
Southern College Football - Week 6 Themes
LEAD STORY Florida State and Miami meet Saturday night in South Beach for their usual heated clash. This rivalry has lost a little luster read more...
Rickey Godfrey Releases Hot New CD, Returns to SC for Hometown Shows This Weekend
Our friend Rickey Godfrey has a new CD out called "Nasty Man" and it is just what the doctor ordered. Rickey returns to the rootsy, Suuthern Rock and blues sound of his
Southern College Football - Week 5 Themes
LEAD STORY Alabama and Florida will meet in Tuscaloosa Saturday in a battle of the last two National Champions. It’s been over two years since the Gators lost a regular season SEC game (Ole Miss, September ’08), and it’s been read more...
President Obama Describes Meeting Bob Dylan
President Obama Describes Meeting Bob Dylan On September 17, 2010, President Obama conducted an interview with Jann Wenner for Rolling Stone magazine. It’s an extensive read more...
Southern College Football - Week 4 Themes
LEAD STORY Week 4 will be ‘Definition Saturday’ in our Swampland Footprint, especially in the SEC West. We should begin to see the true identity of many of our teams and what they have the potential to achieve in 2010.
Inside Alabama Politics: Fish Frys, Barbecues, and Chittlin' Suppers
According to my friend Dr. Susan Parker, Alabama politics is not just about politics; it is about food and lots of it. No political rally is complete without a read more...
Southern College Football - Week 3 Themes
LEAD STORY After last season, we wrote how the ACC would look for improvement in 2010. Last year’s campaign was summed as read more...
Soulful Southern Brew: Atlanta's Red Brick Brewery
Soulful Southern Brew: Atlanta’s Red Brick Brewery Yesterday and today I spoke with Red Brick Brewery’s Regional Manager Chris Caban. Yesterday he was driving through Charleston, and today he was having lunch in Columbia, South Carolina. Red Brick distributes read more...
Southern College Football - Week 2 Themes
2010 SEC Season Outlook
The nation’s toughest conference looks primed for another stellar season on the gridiron. Alabama and Florida, the last two National Champions, will aim for a third straight appearance in the SEC title game.
Download the New Gritz Compilation CD Free
The new GRITZ STONE GROUND & SOUTHERN COMPILATION VOLUME 4 is ready for FREE DOWNLOADING! We are extremely pleased to present the September edition featuring an amazing lineup of songs, new read more...
2010 ACC Football Preview
A new era begins in Tallahassee as Jimbo Fisher takes over for Florida State legend Bobby Bowden. The Seminoles should have a powerful offense led by senior read more...
SEC Media Days Attract Huge Attention
The SEC tops the nation when it comes to college football so it should be no surprise that the "Media Days" in July draw so much interest. Media members from all over the country marvel at the three day spectacle that has gridiron fans counting the days until the season read more...
Silver Travis Show Was A Tuckerized Southern Rock Reunion
Silver Travis Michael Buffalo Smith and Guests The Handlebar, Greenville, SC July 23, 2010 It was nothing short of a family reunion. After all, I had worked with the Silver Travis band back in the early 1980’s as read more...
Buffalo and Former Marshall Tucker Members Join Silver Travis CD Party Tonight
Tonight is the big CD Release party for SILVER TRAVIS
Upcoming Benefits and Shows
A very special benefit concert is being held for guitarist Rick Kurtz (Delbert McClinton, many others) on Sunday, August 8, 2010 from 3-8 PM at Moonlight On The Mountain in Birmingham, AL. There will only be 100 tickets sold for the intimate read more...
SEC Continues Its Run of Excellence
The SEC ended another stellar year with another national championship. South Carolina won the school’s first ever national title when they swept UCLA at the College World read more...
The Jam 4 George: The Lost Pictures
We just discovered a bunch of pictures from the 2007 Jam 4 George benefit, and have posted them as the latest page in our Legends of read more...
My Birthday with The DMV
It’s been a couple of crazy days. My birthday yesterday started out really great. I checked my personal Facebook page and there were just so many Happy Birthday messages. Blew my mind. Thanks to everyone for the kind messages. Around read more...
Conference Realignment: Gene Stallings Has A Texas-Sized SEC Vision For A&M
Consider us here at Swampland Sports a bit ahead of our time. In September of 2007, we published an article about realigning southern college conferences so that read more...
Carolina and Tampa Bay Look to Recapture Past Success
With the conclusion of our look at the NFL teams in our Swampland Footprint, we’ll tackle two teams trying to work their way back up to their recent success—Carolina and Tampa Bay. Both squads missed the postseason in 2009, and they each targeted a very specific area of read more...
Swampland's Own Michael Buffalo Smith Featured On ALH Live! Today
Hey gang. I am honored that writer/reporter A. Lawrence Haskins chose to feature a video interview with myself on his ALH Live! website today. Check it out read more...
The Black Keys, Band of Horses, and the Magic of Muscle Shoals
"Soul nirvana" is what one writer calls Muscle Shoals, that area of the Quad Cities in northwest Alabama where such legendary musicians as
NFL Draft Impressions: Rams Get Their Man; Jags Disappoint Their Fans
Did your team improve? Is your fan base excited about the direction of your squad? We will take an in-depth look at the NFL Draft over the next couple of weeks, but wanted to give our read more...
State of South Carolina to Honor Harpist Freddie Vanderford
The following is a press release regarding a Heritage Award to be presented to a dear friend and fellow South Carolina Musician, Freddie Vanderford. I read more...
Celebrate Record Store Day 2010!
Record Store Day 2010 is read more...
Eyesight to the Blind!
Buffalo is back - well, almost. The eye doctor said yesterday that my vision is getting better and better and that I should be back to full capacity within two weeks. Praise the Lord. Meanwhile, I discovered this morning that I can see clearly enough to read more...
Update From Michael Buffalo
Hello to all of the GRITZ readers. The editorial staff at Swampland wants to pass on a message from Michael Buffalo. He wants to inform everyone that complications from recent eye surgery have left him temporarily unable write dispatches or read emails for the read more...
Buffalo Roaming: Gritzfest, Aaron Kelly and Swampdawamp
It's clear but cold here in Nashville today, and I have been having a relaxing day here at the Hotel Preston. Mark and Gig told me it is a great place and now I know. The beds are amazingly comfortable and the staff are all just real nice folks. I took a lunch meeting read more...
The Road to Gritzfest: Buffalo Roaming Again
Well it looks like ol' Buffalo will be roaming once again a little later this evening. As y'all know by now, we have the big Gritzfest II coming to Bama on Friday, and as you also most likely know, I am still not up to par with my vision following last week's laser read more...
Jimmy Hall Added to GRITZFEST LIneup
We are happy to announce the addition of Jimmy Hall to the lineup for GRITZFEST II, to be held at Crossroads Music Hall in Huntsville, Alabama on Friday evening, February 26th beginning at 7:30 PM. The concert will benefit GRITZ Charities, with portions of proceeds going to read more...
GRITZ Presents All New Volume II Free Compilation Download
The second "Gritz Stone Ground & Southern" compilation is now available! The FREE album download features another
ACC Teams See Mixed Recruiting Success
We wrote a month ago about last year’s mediocre season for ACC football and how the conference would look for improvement in 2010.
SEC Continues to Rule the Recruiting World
National Signing Day has passed, and once again the teams of the SEC were dominant in the rankings. The conference that has won the last four National Championships (with three different schools) continually pulls in the top classes, and that's what it takes to compete in America's read more...
National Signing Day: Christmas Morning for Southern Football Fans
It’s finally here- a virtual holiday in our Swampland Footprint.
Buffalo's Top Ten List For The Week of January 29, 2010
Howdy guys. Well it's Friday and we are under a winter storm warning so I have assembled a playlist that i feel will warm up anyone's cold day. Check 'em out. 1. Lady
Sunday Southern Rock Videos
Here are a few videos for your Sunday spotlighting some of the artists featured on our free Stone Ground & Southern Compilation. Check 'em out and if you haven't yet downloaded your free album,
Thoughts On The Stone Ground Compilation and an Amanda Martin Video
Happy Thursday! I'll bet I'm he first one to say that to you, huh? Just a quick note to say that our debut digital Compilation is doing really well and we are very pleased that so many of you are digging the music. If you have yet to experience the bombastic read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia Still Searching for New Defensive Coordinator
Bud Foster, John Chavis, and Kirby Smart. That looks like a list of top defensive coordinators in our Swampland footprint, but it also the candidates who have turned down the chance to work for Mark Richt this offseason.
ACC Daily Fever: League Looks for Improvement in 2010
2009 was a rather forgettable season for ACC football. It started with the Virginia Tech's ten-point loss in the Georgia Dome to Alabama and ended with Georgia Tech's ten-point loss to Iowa in the Orange Bowl.
Download The New GRITZ Digital Compilation FREE
It's quite a special day in the Swampland. Today we begin our monthly series of digital music compilations. and every month we will be offering you the GRITZ reader a FREE download of new music from many of the artists you read about here in GRITZ. The first read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Bama Win Keeps SEC on Top
The SEC captured a fourth straight National Title Thursday night with Alabama’s 37-21 win over Texas in the BCS Championship Game.
ACC Daily Fever: Johnson Not Sitting Still at Georgia Tech
Despite winning the ACC, Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson is not sitting still in trying to build the Yellow Jackets into a consistent winner. The Tech offense has been read more...
Buffalo's Weekend Rant: The Good Ol’ Days
Okay, I have officially become my father. It seems there’s not a day that passes that I don’t at least once make a comment about “the good ol’ days” and how things “weren’t that way in my day.” It seems like only read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Alabama Playing for National Title and Conference Pride
Alabama has played their way back to the national forefront over the last two years, and they will try to cap that run with a victory over Texas in tonight's BCS Championship Game. If the
In Spartanburg, SC We're All About The Beacon
We Spartans have known about it since childhood, but now thanks to a cool TV show and You Tube, you can see what all the excitement is about. The World Famous Beacon Drive-In. Buffalo says "Check it out." Keep moving! It is fine to pass in line! Keep read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Flops in Second Straight Postseason
"Dance with the one that brung you” was a favorite expression of legendary University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal. When applying that phrase to read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Meyer Faces Tough Choices Between Florida and Family
Some important decisions are now at hand for Urban Meyer and the Florida athletic department. After the Gators destroyed an overmatched Cincinnati team (dealing with read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Bowden Wins Career Finale in the Gator Bowl
It was just supposed to go this way. Florida State overcame a halftime deficit with a convincing second-half performance to win Bobby Bowden’s last game in front of a read more...
Looking Back at 2009
On the last day of 2009, I thought it only made sense to recount the ten most imortant events of the year from the GRITZ perspective. 1. The Allman Brothers Band read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Meyer Saga Leaves Doubt Around UF Program
What a roller coaster of a week it’s been for Florida Gator fans. The wishy-washy Urban Meyer drama has left a cloud of uncertainty over the program read more...
ACC Daily Fever: League Starts Postseason Slowly
We knew the ACC would be out to gain some respect during Bowl season, and so far the results have been pretty mediocre. North Carolina dropped a tough game in Charlotte, and Boston College fell to USC as expected in the Emerald Bowl.
Merry Christmas
Mystery And Manners Christmas Dispatch Ho Ho Ho Folks, Merry Christmas! I'd like read more...
2009 Top 20 New Music Releases
Top 20 Mystery And Manners 2009 Music Releases I hate to split hairs, and even begin to rank music but read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Saban Not Worried about Facing Former Assistants in Title Game
The media has raised the question recently whether or not Texas assistants Will Muschamp and Major Applewhite, who served under Nick Saban at LSU and Alabama respectively, give the Longhorns any advantage with their familiarity of the Tide coach as they prepare for the BCS Title read more...
ACC Daily Fever: UNC's Houston Looks to Star at Home in Bowl Game
North Carolina fans (and the players) may have wanted to go a little further from Chapel Hill than Charlotte for the postseason. But after an 0-3 start in league play, read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Gator Fans not feeling the Sugar Bowl after SEC Title Loss
It currently looks like Florida fans are not very fired up for the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati. As we approach Christmas, the Gators are read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Miami offense faces challenge without Fox
Miami received some bad news during their preparation for the Champs Sports Bowl against Wisconsin. Left tackle Jason Fox, who has started 47 games (third most in read more...
A Little Help From My Friends: A Big Thank You
I would like to say a public “thank you” to those who helped us out during the past few months. Some donated items for an auction to help with medical bills and equipment, while others made cash and in kind donations to help both GRITZ and the ol’ Buffalo himself. read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Brooks receives accolade for another solid season at Kentucky
The website collegefootballnews.com had a very interesting choice for their conference Coach of the Year- Rich Brooks of Kentucky.
ACC Daily Fever: Bowden Bowl Plan is a Proven Winner
As Florida State prepares for the Gator Bowl against West Virginia, there is a ton change happening in Tallahassee. Bobby Bowden will be coaching his last game, and then Jimbo Fisher and his (somewhat) new staff will take over and hit the recruiting trail.
The Life of Buffalo: A Brief Explaination
Greetings Fellow Travelers I wanted to take just a moment to explain what has been going on this week. Our usual postings have been somewhat thrown off track due to personal events in the life
SEC Daily Fever: Vols Sign Simms Youngest Son
Many teams in the conference added a junior college prospect or two yesterday, and one of the more interesting names to sign was quarterback Matt Simms at Tennessee. Besides the fact that he is the son of Phil Simms, this signing is interesting because his older brother (Chris read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Korn Still Practicing with Clemson Despite Transfer Plans
Dabo Swinney has a unique situation on his hands as he prepares his Clemson club for the Music City Bowl against Kentucky. Willy Korn, a former star at Byrnes read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Meyer's December Shows the Roller Coaster of Being an SEC Boss
From the outside looking in, things appear pretty sunny for Urban Meyer at the University of Florida. He is 56-10 in five seasons in Gainesville, has won two League and two National Titles, had an undefeated regular season this year, and has another Top 10 recruiting class on the read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Recruting Must Improve to Compete with the Top Conferences
The AP All-American teams (first, second, and third) were released this week, and the ACC had six players make the one of the squads. League champ Georgia Tech had two read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Spurrier Extended at South Carolina
it may not seem like a big deal that South Carolina added an extra year to Steve Spurrier's contract this week, but it shows the USC administration is sticking with the program. After some late season fizzles the last few years, it would be easy to jump right back into the coaching read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Foster a Fixture at Virginia Tech
It has become an annual December news item at Virginia Tech—other top programs are interested in defensive coordinator Bud Foster. With him on Frank Beamer's staff since 1987 and the coordinator since 1995, most Hokies fans probably were not too worried about losing the read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Ingram Wins Bama's First Heisman
There aren’t many “firsts” left with the University of Alabama’s football history, especially now that Mark Ingram became the Tide’s only Heisman Trophy read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Conference Mediocrity to Blame For Spiller's Heisman Snub
The Heisman vote is in - the ACC's quality of play isn't up to par. Not all from ACC country agree. With Clemson star C.J. Spiller not being invited to the Award ceremony, South Carolina columnist Bart Wright questioned the whole Heisman process. He also wonders why true read more...
The Best Releases of 2009
Well, it’s time once again to run down the GRITZ Best Albums of 2009. It wasn’t easy. There was a lot of good music this year, but we narrowed it down to our twenty best. Let us know what you think.
SEC Daily Fever: Kiffin denies any wrongdoing
In one year on the job at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin has become a lightning rod for the national and regional media. His brash attitude and recruiting prowess has rubbed some writers and some other coaches the wrong way.
ACC Daily Fever: Fisher Building his own staff at FSU
Jimbo Fisher will take over for Bobby Bowden following the Gator Bowl, but the new coach has already been making a statement in Tallahassee. Earlier this week, he read more...
The GRITZ Top Ten for Friday, December 11, 2009
1. “Monday Morning Meltdown” Gov’t Mule From their new (and red hot) release. Just one of Warren Haynes’ amazing new compositions. Got Mule? 2. “Tougher read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Alabama Proves That It Takes Money To Make Money
Last January, Swampland answered the national media criticism of escalating coach’s salaries by saying “SEC Coaching Dollars Make Sense”. read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Unique Regional Rivalry Finally Takes Place in Atlanta
The matchup of Virginia Tech and Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl has become a very popular ticket in that part of our Swampland Footprint. The last time these two read more...
Shannon Runquist Returns Home To Display Paintings
Shannon Runquist's Work On Display at Anderson Fine Art Afternoon All, I’d like to write up a little something regarding painter read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Playing For League Pride
In last year’s Orange Bowl, Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati 20-7 which gave the ACC its first BCS Bowl win since Florida State won it all in 1999. Georgia Tech will read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Kiffin Must Replace Some Top Recruiters
A constant theme on Tribal Fever has been the importance of recruiting, and how all of the top teams in the conference recruit at the highest level.
ACC Daily Fever: Gator Bowl To Host Bowden Finale
We wrote last week that the Gator Bowl wanted to match up Florida State (in Bobby Bowden's last game) and West Virginia (his former read more...
SEC Daily Fever: All-League Squad Looks Like NFL Draft Primer
The SEC is considered the big dog conference in college football right now, especially with Alabama aiming to win the league’s fourth straight National Title. With
SEC Daily Fever: Alabama Domintates Florida in SEC Title Rematch
Alabama rode a physical offense and a swarming defense to the SEC crown as they defeated the defending league and national champion Florida Gators 32-13.
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Beats Clemson in a Thriller
It may not have been the most watched game on Saturday, but the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville was the most exciting. Georgia Tech answered a Clemson read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Championship Game Becomes the "Southern" Super Bowl
It’s finally here. #1 vs. #2. Florida vs. Alabama- 24 wins and no losses. Winner goes to the BCS Title Game, while the loser heads reluctantly to the Sugar Bowl.
ACC Daily Fever: Title Game Needs Buzz, Audience
The buzz around Atlanta (and the nation) is at a fever pitch for the SEC Title game. Big 12 Country (along with very interested fans at TCU and Cincinnati) can't wait to see if Texas can finish off Nebraska or if the Huskers can pull the upset.
SEC Daily Fever: Richt Fires Martinez, Other Defensive Assistants
About ten days ago, we wrote how Georgia fans wanted some changes in Mark Richt's staff after a frustrating season.
ACC Daily Fever: Gator Bowl Decision Looms for League and Bobby Bowden
There is a current debate brewing over the pecking order of ACC bowl-eligible teams and where they may head for the postseason. The most interesting scenario read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Florida Dealing with Distraction before Big Game
Florida was dealt a self-imposed blow this week in their quest to repeat as SEC and national Champions. All-American defensive end Carlos Dunlap
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson's Spiller is the Focus for Georgia Tech
We have written quite a bit the season on the spread running attack of Georgia Tech. It should help Clemson defenders that the ACC Title clash will be the second time this season in which they will see Paul Johnson's unique offense.
ACC Daily Fever: Bobby Bowden Retires
It has finally happened. A day that has been debated seemingly all decade arrived this week with the news that Florida State's read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Could Florida and Alabama Play Twice?
It’s time to address the question on the minds of many college football fans- if Texas loses in the Big 12 Championship Game and the SEC Game is a close one, could we see a Florida-Alabama rematch in the BCS Title Game?
SEC Daily Fever: Thrilling Weekend Shows League's Strength
The SEC saved its best for the last week of regular season play. There were a number of exciting games where the conference showed its power and depth.
ACC Daily Fever: Tough Weekend for League's Reputation
Last weekend saw a doomsday scenario play out for the league in its three battles against the SEC. #1 Florida was expected to beat Florida read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Bama Barely Escapes in Thrilling Iron Bowl
Much like Texas on Thursday night, Alabama got a scare from their in-state rival but also remained unbeaten with a 26-21 last-minute win.
The GRITZ Top Ten for Friday, November 27, 2009
Every Friday GRITZ brings you our “Top Ten,” a playlist of songs past and present that we have been listening too here in the office - songs you just can’t live without. Check ‘em out and please leave a comment. 1. Amos Moses
ACC Daily Fever: Big Weekend for the League- In and Out of Conference Play
It's going to be a heated-rivalry Saturday for the ACC- with big games in conference and some in-state clashes out of league. We wrote earlier in the week about how
ACC Daily Fever: Clashes with SEC Rivals Could Boost League's Rep
The ACC has a chance to improve its national perception this weekend with three games against the SEC. And at first glance, the matchups look very favorable for the conference to go 2-1 in those rivalry contests.
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia and Mark Richt Could be Staring at 6-6
Many around our Footprint (and the country) believe Les Miles is having the toughest week amongst SEC coaches, but you could argue that it's even worse for Georgia's Mark Richt right read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Wild Sequence Ends with LSU Gaffe, Ole Miss Win
The ending of the LSU-Ole Miss game had fans all over the country glued to their TVs, and scratching their heads as well. The Tigers missed both chances to tie the game on a two-point conversion with 1:17 left, but then recovered an onside kick to keep their hopes read more...
ACC Daily Fever: UNC Defense Dominating In November
After North Carolina's crushing 30-27 loss to Florida State in late October, frustration was high in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels had blown a 24-6 secong half lead and had read more...
The GRITZ Top Ten for Friday, November 20, 2009
Every Friday GRITZ brings you our “Top Ten,” a playlist of songs past and present that you just can’t live without. Check ‘em out and please leave a comment. 1. “Ramblin”
SEC Daily Fever: Ole Miss Looks To Continue Late Season Surge Against LSU
The top two teams in the conference have been pretty clear for a while, and the rematch in Atlanta is already set for Florida and Alabama. But who's next? LSU has seeimngly been that third squad all year with their only two losses coming against the Gators and Tide. One team read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson's Offense Sparks Winning Streak
Clemson is on the verge of their first Atlantic Division crown as they prepare to host Virginia on Saturday. After starting 2-3, Dabo Swinney’s bunch has won five in a row with the offense leading the way.
SEC Daily Fever: Chizik's First Year Shows Promise
Auburn suffered a tough loss to Georgia last weekend to fall to 7-4, but even the heavy crtics of Gene Chizik’s hiring would have to admit it's been a good first season. The Tigers will take this Sataurday off as they prepare for the Iron Bowl. And speaking of Alabama,
ACC Daily Fever: Florida Governor (and Ann Bowden) Voice Support for Bobby Bowden
As the debate continues on the future of Florida State's Bobby Bowden, the long-time coach received support recently from a well-known FSU graduate- read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Florida's Defense Leading the Way in 2009
While Tim Tebow gets all of the national attention, SEC fans know why the Gators have maanaged to stay undefeated once again this year-- their stellar defense. The Florida read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson's Spiller Making Late Heisman Push
As Clemson pushes towards their first Atlantic Division crown, star playmaker C.J. Spiller is making a strong case for Heisman consideration. In a season where there appears to be no clear cut favorite for the always-controversial award, Spiller has a a decent shot
ACC Daily Fever: FSU Gets Much Needed Victory
Things looked bleak last week for a Florida State squad that needed a win at Wake Forest to keep their bowl hopes alive. The Demon Deacons had beaten the 'Noles three read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Brooks Making History At Kentucky
With their win over Vanderbilt last Saturday, Kentucky became bowl eligible for the fourth straight season. The Wildcats went to three straight bowl games in the read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Ole Miss' McCluster Has Record Day Against Distracted Vols
Wonder if Ole Miss would increase the speed limit on campus from 18 (Archie Manning's retired number) to 22 after Saturday? #22 Dexter McCluster had a monster read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Butch Davis Stays Unbeaten Against His Former School
When North Carolina blew a 24-6 second-half against Florida State and dropped to 0-3 in the conference, there were some questions around Chapel Hill about which direction the program was going.
The GRITZ Top Ten for Friday, November 13, 2009
Every Friday GRITZ brings you our “Top Ten,” a playlist of songs past and present that you just can’t live without. Check ‘em out and please leave a comment. 1. Save The Planet Dixie Tabernacle From the
SEC Daily Fever: Kiffin Must Be Decisive In Dealing With Player Arrest Incident
For Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, this week was supposed to be about continuing the Vols current momentum (on the field as well as recruiting) and winning the "Coach O" game in Oxford. Instead, he's dealing with his first 'crisis management' experience as three UT freshmen read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Bowden Needs Wake Victory To Secure Bowl Bid, Quell Fan Unrest
At 4-5, Florida State is staring at the distinct possibility of not making a Bowl game if they cannot beat Wake Forest in Winston-Salem on Saturday. The Demon read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia And Mark Richt Desperate For An Auburn Win
Georgia fans are feeling a little nervous these days. The Bulldogs have already been blown out by two rivals, Tennessee and Florida, and they will face two more in Auburn and Georgia Tech over the next three games.
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson Cannot Overlook NC State
Clemson has won four in a row, and the offense has averaged over 40 points a game during their streak. The Tigers can wrap up their first ACC Title Game berth with read more...
Video of the Day: Darius Rucker, CMA New Artist of the Year
Former Hootie and The Blowfish front man and fellow South Carolinian Darius Rucker has a brand new music video out today and we have it for you right here. The song is called "History in the Making." By the way, Darius was voted New Artist of the Year during last read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Spurrier Says He's Staying At South Carolina For The Long Term
As South Carolina and head coach Steve Spurrier prepare to host #1 Florida on Saturday, this game is a reminder to Gamecock fans of what their coach built at his alma mater and what has not happened in Columbia.
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech's Low BCS Status Is A Casualty Of A Weak ACC
With Georgia Tech in the Top Ten and only having one loss, ACC fans would like to think that the Yellow Jackets have an outside shot at the BCS Title Game with a few breaks.
ACC Daily Fever: Florida State Loses Ponder For The Year
Florida State suffered a devastating blow this week with the news that quarterback Christian Ponder is out for the rest read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Officiating Issues Creates Negative Vibes For Top League
It’s the story that won’t go away- another week, another game where bad officiating dominates the league conversation. The SEC read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Alabama Beats LSU, Wins West
Alabama won a physical 24-15 battle against LSU on Saturday, and they now have cemented the highly-anticipated SEC Championship Game rematch with Florida. The Tide read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Survives Wake Forest Scare
What a decision. Trailing 27-24 in overtime against Wake Forest, Paul Johnson had his Yellow Jackets go for it on 4th and inches from the five-yard line.
Swampland Search Engine and Links
Dear Y'all, I have had many people asking me about our site search engine, and I want to assure you all that it is being worked on. We are aware of the issues with the searches and the bad links and our webmaster is working to resolve the issues as soon as possible. We are read more...
SEC Daily Fever: LSU-Alabama Is The National Game Of The Week
The eyes of the college football world will be on Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon when #9 LSU meets #3 Alabama. This game has conference and national read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson Will Control ACC Atlantic With A Win Against FSU
Clemson could virtually wrap up the ACC's Atlantic Divsion with a home win against Florida State on Saturday night. That seemed improbable when the Tigers dropped to 2-3 on the season after their crushing defeat at Maryland.
SEC Daily Fever: Meyer looks bad after Spikes debacle
Many fans around the league are asking the question this week: what kind of program is Urban Meyer running in Gainesville? While many have questioned Meyer’s recruiting read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Virginia Tech tries to avoid third straight loss
In a season where the ACC has looked very vulnerable against non-BCS foes, Virginia Tech will have a tough contest tonight when they visit East Carolina (
Gritz Fan Page On Facebook to Offer Special Surprises
The Gritz Fan Page at Facebook is up and running. I hope you will all take the time to
ACC Daily Fever: Andrews leaves an amazing legacy at FSU
As expected, longtime Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of this season. And what a read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia's Richt looks to right ship in Athens
While much of the attention following the Florida-Georgia game has been on Brandon Spikes eye-gouging of Washaun Ealey, the reality for the Bulldogs is that they have the feel of a program that has slipped a notch from past seasons.
The Top Ten Instrumentals of The Southern Rock Era
This list might be very different if one were to count the instrumental jams at the end of “Free Bird,” “Green Grass and High Tides” and “Highway Song.” But alas, we are listing only full instrumental tracks. Also note that their are
SEC Daily Fever: Seemingly Insufficient Punishment For Spikes Sparks Controversy
Is a half-game suspension at home against Vanderbilt really a punishment? That’s what many are wondering after Urban Meyer read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Duke Improving Under Cutcliffe
Coming into the season, Virginia Tech looked like the clear favorite in the Coastal Division, with Georgia Tech and Miami also having a shot. The Yellow Jackets have read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Surges Towards Elite Status
As much of the league struggles for respectability, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets continue to look impressive. On a night where Paul Johnson’s club did read more...
SEC Daily Fever: "Cocktail Party" Remains A Great Southern tradition
It's more than just a football game. Whether it's golf tournaments, concerts, or just a long weekend with friends, the Georgia-Florida game has become a can't miss event for both fan bases and for read more...
ACC Daily Fever: North Carolina Revives Season With Improbable Win
Nobody wins in Blacksburg, right? Especially not teams that enter late October without a conference victory. However, North Carolina changed both of those last night with a shocking 20-17 win at read more...
Where The Wild Puppies Are
It's been quite a magical day here in the land of the Buffalo. First, I opened the front door this morning to find a downright adorable, and quite lost, puppy staring up at me on my front porch. He looked a lot like the old movie star dog Benji, only thinner. He appeared to read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Ole Miss Looks To Finish Strong
As Ole Miss prepares to travel to Auburn this Saturday, Houston Nutt's team will look to build the same second half of the season momentum that they did in 2008.
ACC Daily Fever: Jacory Harris Struggles, Matures
After starting the season with over 650 yards passing and five touchdowns in the two wins against Florida State and Georgia Tech, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris read more...
Video of the Day: Dickey Betts & Great Southern in Greenville, SC
Some video footage from Dickey Betts & Great Southern at The Handlebar in Greenville, SC on October 21, 2009. What a show! Keep it Real. Keep it Southern! Buffalo
ACC Daily Fever: Two North Carolina Teams Hurting The Conference
In a fairly disappointing season for the ACC, two programs falling way below expectation have been North Carolina and NC State.
SEC Daily Fever: Tebow Shuns The Media
An interesting scenario happened after the Florida win at Mississippi State; Tim Tebow did not meet with the media.
Dickey Betts & Great Southern Rip It Up in Greenville
Dickey Betts and Great Southern brought it all back home to Greenville's Handlebar on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 with a show that had a read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Bama Hangs On Against Tennessee
We have used the term "survive and advance" several times during league play, and that's just what Alabama (barely) did with their 12-10 victory over read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson Shakes Up The ACC With Its OT Win At Miami
Dabo Swinney got the biggest win of his young career on Saturday as Clemson defeated Miami in a 40-37 overtime thriller.
SEC Daily Fever: LSU needs Auburn win to stay on league's top shelf
Most in the local and national media are already looking towards December for the highly- anticipated Florida-Alabama matchup in Atlanta, but one team who has the talent to throw a wrench in that scenario is LSU.
ACC Daily Fever: FSU Gets A Much Needed Victory, But Bowden Still Under Scrutiny
It looked like the Florida State season was about to spiral out of control last night, as the Seminoles trailed 24-6 at North Carolina early in the third quarter. But read more...
ACC Daily Fever: FSU and UNC Are Both Desperate For A Win Tonight
It's pretty amazing that here in late October, the North Carolina-Florida State clash will feature two teams searching for their first league win. But that is read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Nutt Back In Spotlight As Ole Miss Prepares For Arkansas
When the 2009 season kicked off, Ole Miss looked to be a contender in the West while the Arkansas was supposed to play the role of spoiler - but roles could be reveresed after this Saturday's game.
ACC Daily Fever: Shannon Keeps Miami Focused
With Georgia Tech’s big win over Virginia Tech last Saturday, the biggest beneficiary may have been the Miami Hurricanes. The Coastal Division is now a read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Kiffin And Saban Build Their Programs Using Past NFL Perspective
As Tennessee and Alabama prepare for their annual October clash, the Vols seem to be a couple of recruiting classes behind the Tide in building a roster to compete for a league title.
ACC Daily Fever: Will Clemson Ever Become A Dominant ACC Force?
Clemson made a statement last Saturday with their resounding 38-3 win over Wake Forest. It showed that they have the talent to be a heavy player in the ACC and could be a serious contender for the Atlantic Division title.
SEC Daily Fever: League Refs Under Scrutiny After Missed Calls
It seems to happen every week- fans gripe about the refs. While part of that is just fans being fans, this season has seen an especially high number of questionable calls around the SEC.
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Enters National Picture With Win Over Virginia Tech
The Coastal Division just got very interesting after Georgia Tech’s 28-23 win over #4 Virginia Tech on Saturday.
SEC Daily Fever: Florida Squeaks By Arkansas, Drops to #2 in AP
We wrote on Friday that Florida could be in for a classic trap game against Arkansas, and that’s what it turned out to be.
SEC Daily Fever: Should Florida be on Upset Alert?
Is this the one? Even though the Florida Gators have won two of the last three National Titles, they lost a surprising game in the middle of both of those seasons. Urban read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Tech battle will decide Coastal Division
The Coastal Division could get very interesting on Saturday if Georgia Tech can beat favored Virginia Tech at home in Atlanta. That result would net a three-way tie read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Can LSU Still Challenge For the West Crown?
We wrote earlier this week that it’s beginning to look more and more like a Florida-Alabama rematch in the SEC Title Game.
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson-Wake Forest Winner Could Become Atlantic Favorite
The Atlantic Division is wide open at the midway point, and an important game in deciding that half of the conference will take place Saturday when Wake Forest read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Snead and Ole Miss Are Struggling
Along with Georgia, one of the most frustrated fan bases in the league at the halfway point has to be that of Ole Miss. Their record will not look that bad after read more...
ACC Daily Fever: NC State's Tom O'Brien Needs To Beat Former Team
It’s been a year full of frustration in the ACC, and one team that has showed a surprising lack of progress is NC State.
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia Coaching Staff Under Fire
There is some extra heat radiating from Athens these days, as Mark Richt tries to regroup his Bulldogs after being blown out by Tennessee. AJC columnist Mark Bradley called Georgia’s 45-19 loss in Knoxville “
ACC Daily Fever: The Coastal Division Shaped By Battle of Tech Schools
It seems to be a weekly theme around the ACC; league coaches trying to prepare for Georgia Tech’s vaunted running attack.
SEC Daily Fever: Florida and Alabama On Path For Title Rematch
Tim Tebow did start and play against LSU Saturday night, but it was the Gator defense that dominated the game and propelled Florida to a 13-3 road victory in Death Valley.
ACC Daily Fever: Embattled Bowden Sees FSU Fall To 0-3 In League Play
We wrote before the weekend about the concern for Florida State having to prepare for Georgia Tech’s running offense amid the Bobby Bowden read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Will LSU's Running Game Beat Florida?
Prime time national television audience, Baton Rouge, #1 vs. #4; this one should be fun. That’s the scenario as Florida travels to LSU amid questions read more...
ACC Daily Fever: FSU Prepares for Georgia Tech Amid Bowden Debate
It’s been quite a week in Tallahassee. With everyone voicing an opinion on the future of Bobby Bowden, there have been more than enough read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Gator Bowl Dumps The ACC For The SEC
It’s been a tough year for the national image of the ACC and their quest to be perceived with the big boys of college football. Ever since the opening week (N.C. State lost to South Carolina, Virginia to William & Mary, Duke to Richmond, Maryland to Cal, and Wake Forest read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Arkansas Has Much To Prove Against Auburn
Arkansas came into the season with the goal of at least being a factor in the SEC West, if not more. Already at 0-2 in league play, the Hogs begin a stretch this Saturday read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Bowden Saga Engulfs The Sunshine State
The drama of the Bobby Bowden saga at Florida State continues to be the story of week. The
ACC Daily Fever: Miami Looks Like a BCS-Level Team
While Florida State is battling inconsistency and coaching upheaval, their Sunshine State rival Miami is experiencing resurgence.
ACC Daily Fever: Against His Wishes, This Will Be Bobby Bowden's Final Season at FSU
It might not be "official" yet, but 2009 will be Bobby Bowden's last season a Florida State's head coach.
SEC Daily Fever: LSU's Tight Win Sets Up SEC Mega-Clash
It may not have been the most well played game, but what a finish we all got to see in Athens Saturday. LSU led Georgia 6-0 after three quarters, read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Miami-OU History Reminds Hurricanes Of Past Glory
Most of the attention for Saturday night’s Miami-Oklahoma matchup has been on the quarterbacks. Sam Bradford will not play for the Sooners, and Jacory Harris will try to bounce back from last week’s tough outing against Virginia Tech.
ACC Daily Fever: Georgia Tech Carries the ACC Flag into Starkville
Georgia Tech has a chance to do the conference proud Saturday when they travel to Starkville to meet an improving Mississippi State squad. One aspect working in read more...
Topic for Final Week of the Pat Conroy Contest: Place in Southern Writing
In William Faulkner's masterpiece Absalom, Absalom!, Canadian Shreve McCannon who is Quentin Compson's roommate at read more...
Discussion: Essays From Third Topic in Pat Conroy Contest (Relationships)
Thanks to each of these entries from our second week of the Pat Conroy contest in which winners will receive a 1st Edition copy of Conroy's South of Broad. (
ACC Daily Fever: Florida State Should Focus on Saving Its Conference Season
The question this week in the ACC is - which Florida State team will show up at Boston College? Two games ago, the Noles dismantled a quality BYU squad on the read more...
Buffalo's Top Ten List For The Week of September 29th, 2009
1. Kris Kristofferson Closer to the Bone (CD) I wear this one like a warm winter coat. To me, it is what music is all about - great songs, no frills, read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Can Hokies Still Emerge As BCS Contender?
With Virginia Tech’s big win over Miami, the Hokies and their fans are still thinking about a shot at the national title. With a neutral field loss against read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Is Bama the league's top dog?
Florida still has the #1 spot in the national polls, but many believe Alabama is staking a claim as the best team in the read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Another rough weekend
The negative theme continued Saturday for the ACC as Florida State lost to South Florida, while
Marshall Tucker's New Relase Includes Rare Winterland 1973 Show
One of our favorite bands has just released the ultimate collection of their finest early tracks. The Essential Marshall Tucker Band is a three-disc, budget priced, limited edition set that includes all of the best loved tunes from their early days, as well as a never read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Miami at Virginia Tech Is This Weekend's Biggest Game
The anticipation in Blacksburg is reaching a fever pitch. It is not lost on us here that it has been quite a while since an in conference ACC matchup is the game of the week.
SEC Daily Fever: Gamecocks Embrace the Spotlight While the Rebels Wither
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. South Carolina played a physical game led by their relentless defense and took down #4 Ole Miss 16-10, Thursday night in Columbia in a classic SEC headknocker.
SEC Daily Fever: Rebels-Gamecocks Ready To Prove It in Primetime
It should be a great Thursday night national television matchup between Ole Miss and South Carolina, two teams that have a lot to prove.
ACC Daily Fever: Clemson Can Make ACC Proud on Saturday
Lost in the shadow of the ACC's biggest weekend game that pits Virginia Tech against visiting Miami, Clemson finds itself preparing for a tough home game against TCU.
Pat Conroy Contest Week 3: Relationships in Southern Writing
The Pat Conroy Contest enters week three on September 23. There are some great posts on the
Discussion: Essays From Second Topic in Pat Conroy Contest (Family)
Thanks to each of these entries from our second week of the Pat Conroy contest in which winners will receive a 1st Edition copy of Conroy's South of Broad. (
Discussion: Essays From First Topic in Pat Conroy Contest (Fate)
Thanks to each of these entries from our first week of the Pat Conroy contest in which winners will receive a 1st Edition copy of Conroy's South of Broad. (
ACC Daily Fever: The ACC's Best Team in 2009 Could Be Determined on Saturday
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. One of the most important games in the conference season will take place Saturday in Blacksburg when Miami travels to meet Virginia Tech.
SEC Daily Fever: It's Offense vs Defense When Arkansas faces Alabama
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. One of the more interesting storylines this Saturday will be seeing
SEC Daily Fever: Verbal Jabs Between Meyer and Kiffin Escalate
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. New Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin may have gotten the first word in between him and Urban Meyer when he boldly (or stupidly depending on your point of view) announced read more...
ACC Daily Fever: UNC Program Improves Under the Radar
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. While Miami has been the best story of the early ACC year, the only other undefeated team in the league (and ranked all season) is Butch Davis’ read more...
A Mermaid in the Eye Doctor's Office?
There aren’t many things that really spook me anymore. I have gone into the light and been allowed to come back. After that, almost anything can just be shrugged off, ya know? So when I learned
SEC Daily Fever: New Coaches Show Early Promise
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. The story of the early SEC season continues to be the impact of the new coaches. We already knew the strength of the top teams in the league (Florida, read more...
ACC Daily Fever: FSU and Virginia Tech Get Huge Wins for the Conference
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. While the lower teams in the conference have had some terrible losses early, two of the league stalwarts, Florida State and Virginia Tech, had big time wins on read more...
Buffalo's Top Ten List For The Week of September 19th, 2009
1. Swampdawamp Rock This Country (CD) The singer has one of the most unusual voices since Jim Dandy, and the band just plain rocks, read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Meyer Looks To Make Statement Against Kiffin
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. The national media has had this game circled since Lane Kiffin's hiring press conference earlier this year. Kiffin and Tennessee will travel to the Swamp this read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Canes Looking Like A National Power Again
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. What a difference a year makes and what a difference the Miami coaching changes made in their convincing 33-17 victory over Georgia Tech.
Bruce Springsteen Rips It Up In Greenville
Bruce Springsteen, who will celebrate his 60th birthday next week, on September 23, blew the roof off of the Bi-Lo Center here in Greenville last night, September 16, 2009, in what was one of, if not the, finest shows I have ever seen.
ACC Daily Fever: Is Miami's Defense Ready For Prime Time?
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. A year ago, Miami simply not ready for Georgia Tech’s running attack. The Jackets totaled 472 yards on the ground on the way to a 41-23 victory. read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Hogs-Dawgs Could Be The SEC Game of The Weekend
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. One of the more interesting matchups of the weekend has to be Georgia traveling to Arkansas. (Give Mark Richt credit - his tough schedule has kept his team on read more...
Buffalo's Recording History (So Far)
I received a nice e-mail the other day from a lady in Alabama who said some very nice things about Gritz and my writing. She said she had been following my career since 1999, and that she was equally into my music. She asked if I could send her a complete discography and also tell read more...
Pat Conroy Contest Topic #2: The Significance of Family in Southern Writing
"You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain't going to have any blood stick to you" says the barn-burning father Ab Snopes to his ten year old son Sarty shortly before Ab burns yet another barn and Sarty turns his back on his father and runs away into the dark read more...
Family In Southern Lit and the Pat Conroy Book Contest
Greetings, I’d like to direct everyone’s attention to a contest Swampland, our Writers of the South Facebook group, and Doubleday Books are running to win a read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Chizik Tries To "Manage" Auburn Fans' Expectations
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Auburn fans have had more than a little frustration with their offense over the last few seasons.
ACC Daily Fever: FSU's Players Call Closed Door Meeting
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. It doesn’t affect their ACC title hopes, but the BYU contest in Provo Saturday could become Florida State’s most important game of the season.
SEC Daily Fever: Kiffin Continues Tennessee's Recruiting Gains
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Saturday was a tough day for Lane Kiffin and the Vols.
ACC Daily Fever: Miami Works Long Hours To Stop Tech's Running Game
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. We wrote last week about how tough it would be for Clemson
ACC Daily Fever: Almost Competitive Conference?
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. The Week 1 storyline for the ACC was tough defeats and narrow escapes against supposedly ‘inferior’ opponents.
SEC Daily Fever: UGA and South Carolina Deliver Early Season Drama
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. What a game between Georgia and South Carolina. With their recent history, we all expected a low scoring, defensive affair.
9/11: Never Forget
I watched a special on National Geographic channel night before last that recounted the events of 9/11/01. All of the horror of that day came back as I sat on the sofa, my eyes welling up with tears. I am of a mind that we should never ever forget the families and lives lost that read more...
ACC Weekend Fever: Clemson Rally Against Tech Shows Heart, Falls Short
ACC Weekend Fever Previews Top Stories for the Upcoming Weekend Although it was still a 30-27 road loss, Clemson has to be encouraged
SEC Weekend Fever: Mullen vs. Chizik
SEC Weekend Fever Previews Top Stories for the Upcoming Weekend Auburn hosts Mississippi State in 2009's first meeting between SEC rookie coaches. Quite a lot has changed in a year for both squads.
Pat Conroy Has Always Been a Favorite Writer of Mine
It’s no secret how much I love reading. I guess that holds true for any writer. It sure does for me. Now, one of my favorite writers is fellow South Carolinian Pat read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Short Week Has Swinney Understandably Nervous About Tonight's Game
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Paul Johnson’s spread running attack had quite the effect on the league a year ago.
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia & South Carolina Ready Defenses For A Tight Game
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier are both offensive-minded coaches, but it looks like they have to rely on their defenses to win early in 2009.
One Day at The Eye Doctor
At ten minutes past nine this morning my eye doctor turned to his nurse and said, “Well, the world didn’t end.” It took me a minute to understand his statement. It was nine minutes past nine o’clock on 9-9-09. He had heard somewhere that the world was going read more...
Week One Essay Topic: Destiny and Fate in the Novels of Pat Conroy
Prince Hamlet declares in the final act of Shakespeare's play "There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will." The Irish novelist Frank Harris says "There is a destiny that shapes our ends...." The debate over fate versus free will has raged read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Gut Check time for Georgia
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. After dropping the opener at Oklahoma State, it is a huge week for Georgia as they try to avoid an 0-2 start when they battle South Carolina Saturday.
ACC Daily Fever: Miami's Jacory Harris Provides Hope For ACC
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. What a game. For a week that saw the league struggle mightily, the Florida State-Miami thriller was a nice sign of the ACC’s potential.
SEC Daily Fever: Solid Debuts For New Coaches Makes Conference Even Deeper
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. With the exception of the Georgia loss, it was a pretty solid start for the SEC. The biggest story had to be the debut of the three new coaches.
ACC Daily Fever: Miami-FSU Barely Salvages An Opening Week Full of Bad Losses
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. You know it was a bad week when columnists are already calling you the “
Pat Conroy Sweepstakes : Win Copy of South of Broad
Beginning on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, Swampland.com in conjunction with our Writers of the South Facebook Group and Nan A. read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Spurrier Lets Defense Rule Over Wolfpack
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. It wasn’t pretty, but South Carolina relied on their defense for a hard fought read more...
ACC Daily Fever: N.C. State's Loss Gets 2009 ACC Football Off To Poor Start
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. This one will sting awhile. North Carolina State was in a great position to move the program forward, but instead flopped on national television with
SEC Daily Fever: Tide Duo cleared to play in Opener
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Although the NCAA did find a violation in the Alabama case involving receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram,
ACC Daily Fever: All Eyes on Raleigh Tonight
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. What an opportunity tonight's game presents for North read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Miami's Brutal Opening Month May Affect Shannon's Future
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. In a recent interview,
SEC Daily Fever: Auburn Opener Provides Dilemma for Vince Dooley
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. An interesting scenario presents itself for SEC legend Vince Dooley in the Auburn-Louisiana Tech opener.
ACC Daily Fever: Hokies Must Improve on Offense
$(document).ready(function() { $('p > a[href*=swampland]').after(''); $('p > read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Bama Locks Up Saban For Another 3 Years
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. A contract extension for Nick Saban, whose megadeal already runs through 2014?
ACC Daily Fever: Cutcliffe Inspires Hope at Duke
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. When you talk postseason in Durham, most Duke fans automatically think March Madness.
ACC Daily Fever: 2009 Is a Make or Break Year for Al Groh at UVA
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Can Virginia get back to the days of George Welsh when the Cavaliers were a consistently solid team in the ‘90s? One man who will try and help that read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Vols' Brown cleared by the NCAA
$(document).ready(function() { $('p > a[href*=swampland]').after(''); $('p > read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Will Gamecock Trash Talk Motivate an Improving NC State?
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. The 2009 campaign will be huge for N.C. State’s Tom O’Brien, who has gone 11-14 in his first two years in Raleigh after eight straight winning seasons at read more...
ACC Daily Fever: FSU's Offense Continues to Raise Concerns
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. It seems that Bobby Bowden is not too happy with his read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Latest On Julio Jones and Alabama
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. It's the story that just won't go away in Alabama.
No Holds Barred: Blackjack Mulligan
Of all the wrestlers I have seen step into the squared circle, none was more exciting than the “man in black,” the Texas giant known as Blackjack Mulligan.
ACC Daily Fever: Two More QBs to leave the "U"
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. An interesting story broke today in Coral Gables as two more quarterbacks read more...
SEC Daily Fever: How will Kiffin's offense fare in Year 1?
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. As expected, Tennessee has named senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton the read more...
SEC Daily Fever: The Gamecock Spotlight Shines on Garcia in South Carolina
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know It’s nothing new for Steve Spurrier to seem upset with the play of his quarterbacks.
ACC Daily Fever: Will The Injury Bug Derail Virginia Tech's Season?
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. It’s been a tough preseason camp for Virginia Tech, especially at the running back position.
SEC Daily Fever: SEC Media Policy Upsets the Press
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know A huge debate is about to happen regarding the direction of the league’s media coverage.
ACC Daily Fever: Biletnikoff List Shows Unfortunate Lack of ACC Playmakers
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know Although it’s good news for Jacoby Ford, it’s not so good news for the conference.
Darius Rucker Was Country, Even Before He Was a Hootie Rock Star
In some ways it blows my ever lovin mind that Darius Rucker of Hootie & The Blowfish currently has the number one single on the country charts. In many other ways it doesn’t surprise me at all.
SEC Daily Fever: Eligibility of Prized Vol Recruit Under NCAA Scrutiny
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know The highly-publicized recruitment of Tennessee’s Bryce Brown has taken an interesting turn a few weeks before the top running back is set to make read more...
ACC Daily Fever: Another Florida Coaching Legend Passes Over Tebow
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know This will get them talking in the Sunshine State.
ACC Daily Fever: Ticket Sales Say That UNC Is More Than Just Basketball
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know What a difference a top coach can make. Butch Davis has awakened the North Carolina football fan base as
SEC Daily Fever: Tough Break for Improving Vandy
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know Vanderbilt’s defense suffered a major blow with
SEC Daily Fever: Tough Injury for the Razorbacks
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. The Arkansas defense has suffered a major loss with the news that
ACC Daily Fever: New Starter for Clemson
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Clemson will have a new signal caller for their opener as Dabo Swinney has named
A Virtual Gravesite Tour of Skynyrd, The Allmans and Marshall Tucker
The past few years have held quite a bit of sadness for lovers of Southern Rock. There have been so many deaths in our extended family. But one fact remains. We will always remember our late brothers and sisters. Always. In keeping with that thought, we are pleased read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Auburn Names QB Starter
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Chris Todd was recently named the starting quarterback at Auburn, and he
ACC Daily Fever: GA Tech Loses Backup QB
ACC Daily Fever is the top ACC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Georgia Tech suffered a blow to their depth over the weekend when
Toby Keith's Controversial New Video, See It Here
Toby Keith has never been one to hold back on his feelings. Now he has a new song and video that are already stirring up controversy. Imagine that. I'll leave the commenting up to you, our readers. Let us know what you think! Meanwhile... Keep it Real. Keep it read more...
Lost Classics: The Lightnin' West Band
Back in 1981, there was no iTunes, no MP3’s, not even a compact disc. This was a year before MTV, and several years before a band could record an album in their garage on their computer with Pro Tools, send it off to Disc Makers and get 1000 copies for less than a buck a read more...
More Legends Added to Photo Scrapbook
Howdy y'all. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. It's time once again to add another page to our ongoing Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook. No theme this time, read more...
Pat Conroy, Cassandra King, and Rick Bragg In Birmingham
I could not wait to pass on this exciting information from Alabama Booksmith . Pat Conroy is coming to
The Marshall Tucker Band: The Lost Interviews; Chuck McCorkle
On June 29, 2007, founding Marshall Tucker Band member George McCorkle died. To those of us who read more...
Buffalo's Top Ten List For The Week of August 4, 2009
Here’s a new feature for GRITZ, Buffalo’s Top Ten list. Every week I will run down the ten albums, books, movies, TV shows -whatever- that have me excited. My hope is that by sharing these obsessions with you, maybe you'll find something new that you like that maybe you read more...
In Defense of Steve Spurrier: How The Ole Ball Coach's Honest Humility Might Help Carolina
Is the SEC seeing a new side of Steve Spurrier in the wake of what seemed to be an uncharacteristic performance at this year's SEC Media Days? His current situation hinges around a piece Swampland Sports wrote last February
Buffalo's Top Ten List For The Week of July 27, 2009
Here’s a new feature for GRITZ, Buffalo’s Top Ten list. Every week I will run down the ten albums, books, movies, TV shows -whatever- that have me excited. My hope is that by sharing these obsessions with you, maybe you'll find something new that you like that maybe you read more...
Summer Tour Notes Volume 5: Music Maker Relief Foundation
Mystery And Manners' Summer Tour Notes Number 5: Music Maker My friend
I Remember The Moon
It was forty years ago today that man first walked on the moon, and I remember it like it was yesterday. How sad and ironic that the man whom I watched report the whole thing, Walter Cronkite, would read more...
Can the Big 12 or the ACC catch the SEC?
With every football season, the conversation around the nation leads to the inevitable question- who is the best conference? Many fans answer the same every year (their favorite) while others look a little more objectively. I found it interesting a couple of weeks ago when separate read more...
Candy Coburn, The Mule and Cool Magazines
It was a banner day here as far as the US Mail goes. I came home from seeing the new Harry Potter movie (okay, you can all just stop laughing now read more...
Orrin Hatch's Folly: Senator, College Football Is About Conferences, Not Teams
After concluding Senate hearings about the BCS, Senator Orrin Hatch wrote an op-ed piece that appeared on ESPN.com. Here's a selection of that article: During the June 7 read more...
Classic Allman, Skynyrd and More Added To Legends Scrapbook
Greetings from South Carolina! Today I am happy to present yet another page of historic Southern Rock photographs in our ongoing Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook. Great old pictures of Gregg and Duane Allman, Toy and Tommy Caldwell, Ronnie Van Zant, Bonnie Bramlett read more...
Q & A with Don Chambers (On The Way To Macon)
An Interview with Athens Musician Don Chambers I just got off the phone with Athens musician Don Chambers. Don is driving to Macon this afternoon read more...
The Shocking Loss of Steve McNair
So there I was in Nashville- relaxing by the water with friends on the 4th of July like most of us like to do. Then I heard something that made the festive holiday mood fade quickly; “Steve McNair had been shot”. Could this really be, or maybe it was just bad read more...
Random Thoughts For The Holiday Weekend
I just received a call from my son Ben who is vacationing down at Kiwi Island. Seems he and his wife Austin were out for breakfast when he noticed a super tall gentleman in line close to them ordering up some vittles. Ben turned to Austin and said, “Man, that guy looks like read more...
Legends of Southern Rock Guitar Contest Winners Announced
Mama always said “All good things must come to an end,” and with that we wrap up our Legends of Southern Rock Guitar Contest. Our Grand Prize Winner is Darlene Stevens of Goldsboro, North Carolina. Darlene wins our brand new Dean Playmate guitar with read more...
The New Adventures of Old Buffalo
PART ONE: SUNDAY MORNING COMIN’ DOWN “On the Sunday morning sidewalk, Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned. 'Cos there's something in a Sunday, Makes a body feel alone.” - Kris read more...
Everything You Always Wanted To Knowe About Marshall Tucker Band (But Were Afraid to Ask)
As promised, we have just posted our new Marshall Tucker Band: Six Degrees of Swampland feature. Besides some cool MTB videos, this page acts as an index page for every read more...
New Marshall Tucker Band Feature Coming This Weekend to Swampland
Hi Gang. TGIF. Well, I have been working all day on a new page for Swampland, and I am still not finished. I hope to launch it tomorrow. Six Degrees of Swampland: The Marshall Tucker Band will be a complete index to every article, review, video and read more...
Advice to Mark Sanford: Never Put it in an Email and Never Lie to Your Staff
Unless you have been in the jungles of Borneo for the last four days, you know that
Buffalo Roaming To Winters Brothers Summer Jam
Greetings! Scott, Steve and I have arrived here in Nashville, and are anticipating the pre-jam get together at the Winters Farm tonight. The jam is tomorrow. Should be a stellar final jam. Lots of friends have already checked in with us. More soon... Keep it Real. read more...
Rene Gray Memorial Will Be a Private Family Only Service
Sarah Renee Gray, 48, of Inman, died Monday, June 15, 2009, at her home. Born March 21, 1961, in St. Louis, MO, she was the daughter of the late Gary Gene and Jean Ann Norris. She was the wife of Doug Gray of Marshall Tucker. Surviving in addition to her husband are two read more...
Jackson Crossing Releases One of The Year's Finest Albums
A few years ago I was blown away by a band out of my hometown of Spartanburg, SC called Sevenmoore. The band featured some of Sparkle City’s finest players, including two founding members of
A Death in The Marshall Tucker Band Family; Rene Gray Has Died
I am deeply saddened to report that Rene Gray, wife of Marshall Tucker Band lead singer Doug Gray, died this morning, June 15th, at their home in Inman, SC. Funeral read more...
Greenville, SC and The Legend of Esquerita
The city I live in, Greenville, South Carolina, has produced some major music movers and shakers over the years. Gram Parsons formed one of his first bands here.
New Marshall Tucker Band Website is Smokin'
Calling all "Tuckerheads," the all new Marshall Tucker Band website is now online at marshalltucker.com, and read more...
Back Home in Spartanburg with Silver Travis
I first met The Silver Travis Band in 1980, and soon became their sound man and “road manager.” The band include Mike Satterfield on drums, Joey Parrish on bass, Randall Calvert, an especially hot guitarist reminiscent of Toy himself, Bill Johnson on guitar and read more...
Southern Baseball Leads the Way Again
On the eve of the College World Series and Major League Draft, we thought we should take a look at some of the top baseball prospects in our Swampland read more...
Allman Brothers, Bonnie Bramlett and More Posted On New Legends Scrapbook Page
Hey gang! More new Southern Rock photos have been posted in the Legends Scrapbook. Allmans, Tucker, Bonnie Bramlett and much more. Check it out here! Keep read more...
Baseball, Southern Rock and Brad "The Animal" Lesley
Last week, The Greenville Drive minor league baseball club welcomed one of their own home, in a way. Of course, back in the early ‘90’s, our Greenville, SC ball team were The Greenville Braves. In 2005, the Braves moved to Rome, Georgia. John Smoltz of the read more...
New Scrapbook Photos of Winters Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Toy & Tommy Caldwell
Page Ten of our Legend of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook is now posted, and it's a doozey. Good ol' photos of The Charlie Daniels Band, The Winters Brothers Band and The read more...
Joe Bennett, The Sparkletones, "Black Slacks," Elvis Presley and Joe's Grateful Dead Connection
Joe Bennett was a hometown hero in Spartanuburg, SC many years before The Marshall Tucker Band was read more...
Skynyrd On Stage 1974 Added To Legends Scrapbook
The Scrapbook just keeps getting bigger! Check out page nine, with some never before seen Lynyrd Skynyrd concert shots from 1974. Here's the read more...
More Marshall Tucker Racing Memories
Not too long ago I wrote a dispatch about my old friend George McCorkle of
The Summer of '75 Was a Good One
Sometimes the whole concept of time just confounds me. When I am waiting for something in the mail, it takes forever. Same with time leading up to something I love, like the upcoming Music For Meds Benefit and the
Some Toy Caldwell Watermelon Boogie For Your Holiday Weekend
A happy Holiday weekend to all. I hope everyone is having a "good 'un." I thought y'all might enjoy some good music from my old buddy Toy Caldwell and his post-
Jimmy Hall, Artimus Pyle, And Other Southern Rockers Band Together For Dixie Tabernacle
There has been an abundance of “all star” Southern Rock groups over the past few years. Some of them stay the course, while others fall by the wayside, often due to scheduling conflicts. Well, there’s one band that I sincerely hope keeps it together to record an read more...
Win a Dean Guitar Signed by Legends of Southern Rock
Hi Guys. It's time for the much talked about, long awaited Legends of Southern Rock Contest, brought to you by Swampland and the Facebook Groups
FSU Booster Suggests ACC Divisional Realignment
The Orlando Sentinel recently reported that the president of the Seminole Boosters, Inc has written a plea to his school to ask that the
Random Notes, Hoopee Jam, Boxmasters and Such
Greetings, Sports Fans. I was hoping to have our new Boxmasters interview ready for you today, but it turned out to be quite an opus. Still transcribing. But man oh man, is it a good one. I had the opportunity read more...
Parcells Formula Works Again in Miami
Retirement and South Florida mix very well for many of us, but not for Bill Parcells. He left the comforts of retired life to return to football and resuscitate the fading Dolphins, who had been such a successful franchise for many years. Coming off a 1-15 debacle in 2007, the read more...
Everything I Know in Life I Learned From Star Trek
Space, the final frontier..... Those words echo deep down inside my psyche, reverberating over and over again, like the memory of an old lover or a particularly good concert. They wrap around my cerebral cortex, sharing space with the 1977 Marshall Tucker Band Homecoming read more...
Texans Need to Break Through the Wall of Mediocrity
The pressure will be coming from the top for the Houston Texans to have their first winning season and first postseason appearance in their eighth year in the NFL. Dom Capers, who read more...
2009 Season Represents a Change in Philosophy for the Cowboys
We must start out by saying that our thoughts and prayers here at Swampland are with the Dallas Cowboys family after the horrific collapse of their read more...
Bengals Have Glimpse of Hope with Stellar Draft
Marvin Lewis is entering his seventh season as the Bengals head coach, and 2009 could very well be his make-or-break season to get the culture of losing changed in Cincinnati.
Panthers Making Every Effort to Win Now
It all seemed to be falling into place for John Fox’s club last season. Coming off a losing 2007 campaign where Jake Delhomme only played three games, Carolina rediscovered their physical running game identity in 2008 and won the NFC South. At 12-4 and the #2 seed in the NFC, read more...
Back Home From Nashville and My Head is Still Rockin'
Back from Nashville, after the absolute longest, hardest ride of my life. Yep, it’s true. The six-hour drive took over eight hours, thanks to yet another traffic jam in Knoxville, a truck wreck, and road construction near Asheville. What can you do? At least I read more...
Falcons Future Looks Bright with Dimitroff in Charge
To borrow a line from Robert Randolph, the Atlanta Falcons are now a team that is definitely “going in the right direction". Just two years ago, this organization was in turmoil. Their franchise quarterback, Michael Vick, was arrested on federal charges and consequently read more...
How I Ended Up In Kentucky On My Way Down To Nashville
Well, I got up early today, and even though my back was still ailing me and it was raining outside, I chose to seize the day. I made a few calls, checked e-mail, packed up the Honda, and turned the ignition key. The sound coming from under my hood was not a good one. Long story read more...
Swampland's NFL Draft Impressions
How did your team do? That’s the question that NFL fans are trying to answer following this weekend’s annual NFL Draft. We will take an in-depth look at each team in our read more...
The Road to Nashville: A Side Trip To Portland To See Lee Bogan
After a few delays I hit the road this morning for my drive to Nashville. I love Nashville. In fact, I love middle Tennessee. The weather couldn’t have been better for the drive. That made it really palatable when I came upon the hour-and-ten-minute traffic read more...
Buffalo Roaming Once Again
Happy Sunday, guys. Well, I am getting packed and ready and to head out to Nashville for a few days. I have a full schedule of meetings and greetings and stuff, and will be reporting in nightly right here at GRITZ.NET. I hope you guys will check ot out. Also, stay read more...
Just another Saturday in the life of Michael Buffalo Smith
This morning the weather was phenomenal. Low 80’s, the birds were singing outside. My Jack Russells were in the back yard tooling about. The oldest one, Taz rarely barks any more, but the younger girl, Tessa, makes up for it. Non stop barking. I had to get read more...
NFL Teams Draft Their Identity This Weekend
Well it's finally here-Xmas in April for football fans. The ultimate convergence of pro and college football happens today with the annual NFL Draft. This is a day of hope for every fan base, and it's also the day(s) that NFL executives decide on the identity of their respective read more...
Should NFL Teams Lean Towards Drafting Local College Favorites?
A theme that seems to arise every season in our Swampland footprint is the choice of NFL teams to draft a local college favorite. Most professional organizations will deny that this decision ever enters their thinking, and that they always select the next best player on their Draft read more...
Indie Record Store Day: Horizon Records Still Rocks
I just got back home from a visit to Horizon Records, my favorite home tome indie record store. They were having one of their big sales in honor of Independent Record Store day today, with a tent set up outside and great read more...
Back To Where it All Began: The Southern Rock Era
I have pretty much decided that the whole "Southern Rock" thing began in 1969. Sure, there were many rock and rollers and rockabillys that lead up to this new genre at the time. Not to mention all the country, blues and gospel players that served as influences on read more...
A New (Media) Day Dawning for the SEC
We ran across this video recently, and we thought we'd put it up for everyone to view. It ran at the end of Raycom Sports final SEC game during this past SEC basketball tournament in Tampa. We all know about the SEC's new ESPN deal
Old Friends On The Edge
There’s a lot to be said for old friends. I’m taking about real friends. People you always felt comfortable around. People you never borrowed money from. I had lunch today with a couple of old true friends. Both of them were a part of one of my first ever read more...
Buffalo Roaming: Down to Athens for the Tommy Talton CD Release Party
We had been looking forward to this little road trip for quite some time. Tommy Talton and his band were having a CD release party at The Melting Point in Athens, Georgia, and it was sure to read more...
Dave Cantonwine Talks About Eric Quincy Tate, Remembers Bandmates Donnie McCormick and Bear Sauls
Eric Quincy Tate was one of the greatest Southern Rock bands of all time, but they just never got the recognition they so richly deserved. The Texas based band was compared by many to fellow
Allman Month Continues, Buffalo Roaming Saturday
I'm packing up for another trip down to Rome, Georgia tomorrow morning. Tomorrow night is our Benefit for the Kerry Creasy Family, and we are all looking forward to playing read more...
Another Friend Has Died: Chuck McCorkle, Brother of The Late George McCorkle
A dear old friend of GRITZ has died. Chuck McCorkle, brother of Marshall Tucker Band founding member
Join Our Southern Rock Group On Facebook
I am very happy to announce our new "Legends of Southern Rock" group on Facebook. If you are a Facebook member, just follow the Legends link above and join us. We have one discussion already read more...
Allman Brothers, Mule, Betts: Great Southern Rock On Demand on The Tube
I was sitting around chillin’ after a long day of writing, paperwork and a nice long walk in the park. Remote in hand, I was channel surfing like a mad man, and getting kinda frustrated that there are a million and one channels and nothing worth watching. Then I remembered the read more...
Mickey Rourke and The Nature Boy: Pro Wrestling and The Oscars
I am more excited than usual about this year’s Oscars, for several reasons, but the primary reason is the one movie that just blew me out of the water lately. That movie was
Just Thinkin' 'Bout Carolina College Football On a Tuesday Evening
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, us Southern boys love our music, but we also love our sports. Whether it be NASCAR, pro rasslin’, baseball, round ball, or our number one, you guessed it, football. Now, as for the Buffalo, he has been read more...
SEC vs ACC: Clemson and South Carolina Try to Make the Palmetto State Relevant
In continuing our look at the states with both ACC and SEC teams, we move to the Palmetto State, where a ton of changes occurred in the offseason.
SEC vs ACC: Georgia and Georgia Tech Battle for Peach State Supremacy
With recruiting classes signed and spring practices approaching, it’s a good time to look at states in the Swampland Footprint that share SEC and ACC teams. We’re going to start in the Peach State, where a long time
Notes from The Dashboard of My Pickup Truck
Greetings, fellow babies. Well, it's Wednesday, so that means one thing - Lost comes on tonight! Yeah, I am hooked. Ever since a friend loaned me the DVDs of seasons 1-3, then I watched Season 4, and now I am actually caught up. Strange, and I like it. Hey, read more...
The Clock is Ticking for Spurrier at South Carolina
As we continue to take a post-Signing Day look at the coaches and programs in our Swampland Footprint, it’s an interesting time to examine the state of the South Carolina program under Steve Spurrier. An SEC legend as a player and coach at Florida, Spurrier has not yet read more...
In Defense of Lane Kiffin: The SEC "Family Feud" with Urban Meyer
There is no other conference more proud of itself than the SEC. SEC fans from rival teams hate each other with a passion bordering on the pathological, but when success arrives, it is embraced not just for the winning team but for the conference at large.
SEC Dominance - From the Field to Recruiting (And It Isn't Stopping Soon)
The reaction to Signing Day is always interesting as every coach in America is thrilled with their class while fans have mixed reactions to their school’s ranking and new players. Everyone that followed Wednesday's coverage saw plenty of ESPN's favorite big-market teams read more...
Xmas in February for Southern College Football Fans (SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big East)
It’s finally here! National Signing Day is upon us, and this is the time where quality programs establish themselves for the upcoming years. The welcoming of a new recruiting class energizes fans and provides coaches with the opportunity to show that their school will be-or read more...
Mack Brown and the Longhorns Must Judiciously Draw Talent from their Texas Base
Water is wet, the sky is blue, and the University of Texas is working on another top-notch recruiting class. The Longhorns Mine Their State's Natural Talent Base Most BCS schools try to comb their region (if not the read more...
Super Bowl Sunday Reflections
There’s cold beer in the fridge and Bruce Springsteen’s new album is wafting through the air. Only four more hours until kickoff, and the excitement is mounting. Not only am I stoked to see The E-Street Band at halftime and the always fun commercials, but I hope to
UNC's Butch Davis Challenges the ACC to Rival the SEC
With the rapid approach of National Signing Day, we’ve focused recently on the critical lifeblood known as recruiting. One of the new players that has emerged in read more...
Marshall Tucker Band Adds New Guitarist, Releases New Album
Big news for fans of The Marshall Tucker Band. Doug Gray's multi-talented nephew, Clay Cook, is leaving the band to tour with Zac Brown. He will appear Tuesday evening on the read more...
To Stewart Mandel, We Say, "SEC Coaching Dollars Make Sense"
Chalk SI.com's Stewart Mandel as the latest member of the national media that just doesn’t understand the culture of the SEC football landscape. Mandel's latest involves
Lane Kiffin is Already Making an Impact on the SEC (and Paul Finebaum)
A few weeks ago, I wrote how I thought Tennessee and Lane Kiffin were going to be a great fit for each other. There was quite a bit of criticism for a major power in the SEC choosing a read more...
In Defense of Auburn & Gene Chizik (With Apologies to Tubs, Turner Gill and Charles Barkley)
Let's just start this TF Dispatch with the moment of controversy courtesy of Auburn's own bombthrower, Charles Barkley:
Get Your GRITZ On Your Google Homepage
Greetings, fellow babies. I am pleased as punch to announce that you can now receive my Dispatches right on your Google or Yahoo homepage. How cool is that? All you have to do is click on the
SIlver Travis Releases a Southern Masterpiece
Sure, the guys in The Silver Travis Band have been my friends for over 25 years, but even if I had never met them, I would still be just as excited about their new album release. Take The High Road is a masterpiece in my opinion. It's all Southern, all good, with a pickup read more...
Marshall Tucker, Bonnie Bramlett and Grinderswitch in England, 1976: Hear it Now!
Back in 1976 the South took a tour of England when The Marshall Tucker Band packed up the plantation and set sail for Great Britain with
From The GRITZ Vaults: Life as a Roadie with Red Dog Campbell and Moon Mullins
I am happy to say that GRITZ is now into our eleventh year online, and over the course of the years we have managed to accumulate a vast data base of in depth interviews from all of the biggest names in Southern Rock and more. WIth our new “From The read more...
Buffalo and The Blustery Day
"Happy "Winds-day", Piglet." - Pooh, Winnie The Pooh & The Blustery Day We had our very own "Winds-day" here at the GRITZ office yesterday. At times it felt like we were in the middle of a "tor-nady," read more...
Ole Miss and LSU Cruise; Alabama and South Carolina Snooze
Overall it’s been a pretty good bowl season for the SEC, going 5-2 with Florida left to play in the National Title Game. The highlights include Mississippi and Houston Nutt getting a
All You Need is Love: Happy New Year from GRITZ
As we move into the new year, I am filled with HOPE and OPTIMISM that I have not felt in several years. Yes, I voted for Obama. Yes, I feel he is our best hope for positive change. And yes, I pray that I am right. With that hope tucked snugly into my heart, and a big read more...
Lane Kiffin fits the Vols and the SEC
Tribal Fever did a great job of presenting the challenge that is coaching in the 21st century SEC. I wanted to focus on the Tennessee job where Phil read more...
A Stroke of the Brush: The Paintings of Shannon Runquist
The Paintings of Shannon Runquist 12/28/08 Born in Savannah, Georgia, during 1970,
Friends of Swampland Severely Burned in House Fire
Some friends of Swampland are in need of your thoughts and prayers this Christmas day. Thirteen-year-old Connor McKemey of Rock Hill, SC, and his mother read more...
Swampland's Legends of Southern Rock
Hey gang, check out our Swampland Legends of Southern Rock Series. We are always adding new bands and updating the existing pages, which chronicle the histories of these awesome bands and link to various articles and interviews within GRITZ. Phone the neighbors, wake the read more...
The Best Releases of 2008
We are happy to present what we feel are the very best album releases of the past year. Please let us know what you think. Buffalo
SEC and Big 12 Championship Game Reax
The college football regular season ended by giving us the matchup that made the most sense--the SEC Champion vs. the Big 12 Champion. The BCS title game should be a high-scoring, exciting affair and one that all of the fans in our Swampland footprint will appreciate. Florida will read more...
Saturday's Slate: Conference Championships
Here we are, after a week off due to technical difficulties, to find ourselves on the verge of crowning some conference champions and setting up the BCS Title teams. It has been a long and exciting year. Luckily for us, today's games have the potential to live up to the read more...
Mystery And Manners' Top 25 Releases of 2008
Mystery And Manners’ Top 25 2008 Releases 12/5/08 Here’s a list (in no specific rank or order) of Mystery And Manners’ top 25 releases of 2008. The category includes new releases, DVDs, books, re-issues and relevant CDs that read more...
Swampland Footprint National Title: Big 12 vs. SEC
So it’s Oklahoma that gets the chance to represent the Big 12 South in Kansas City, and they will probably get a shot at the National title with a victory. Of read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1. It has finally happened. For the first time since 1982, the Vanderbilt Commodores will be eligible to go to a bowl. Vandy rode D.J. Moore read more...
Time to Cowboy Up
Yeeee hah! Legacy Recordings celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Finals Rodeo with an absolutely killer boxed set of cowboy songs, old and new. This one really brought back memories of my old Roy Rogers guitar, playing in the back yard with my little black read more...
Saturday's Slate: SEC vs. Big 12 South Looking Good!
After a season of many a wild ride, a little clarity emerged from last week's games. The SEC has their championship game set. The Big 12 is now down to three (maybe four) potential BCS participants. The rest of our TF conferences have a ways to go, but none of read more...
Silver Travis Set to Release Second Album
I am really stoked about the upcoming sophomore release by the Silver Travis Band. I have been listening to all the various takes for well over a year, and it has shaped up to be one fantastic record. The old boys from Spartanburg, SC even managed to bring two original members read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1. After all of the Nick Saban drama last week in Baton Rouge, we finally got a close game from a SEC marquee matchup. Alabama and LSU staged a very hard-fought battle, but as we’ve written about so much this season in the SEC, the quarterback play was the difference. Alabama read more...
Buffalo Interviewed By Canadian Author
We are proud as a peacock that fellow author and journalist Ziana Bethune of Canada asked us for an exclusive interview after we met on Facebook. Ziana did a bang up job, and I wish to personally thank her for the cyber ink. She asked a lot of questuins I had not been asked read more...
Saturday's Slate: The November Home Stretch Begins!
College football remains the Footprint's most compelling and spectacular sport. The 2008 season has delivered us yet again a roller coaster ride of sporting goodness. The stakes have been high all season. So far, at least two key programs (Tennessee and read more...
End of an Era in Knoxville and the SEC
The Dean of SEC football coaches, Phillip Fulmer, announced on Monday that he would agree with the University of Tennessee’s decision for him no to return for the 2009 season. It was one of the
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1. Wow – what an instant classic in the Lonestar State. Texas Tech pulled off an amazing upset of #1 Texas with one second to go and sent their raucous fans read more...
Saturday's Slate: Top Games in Each Conference Will Decide Champions
Georgia and Florida in Jacksonville The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has more at stake than ever – read more...
Buffalo's Soap Box: The Economy, The Election and Stealing Music
I'm stepping back up onto my reinforced industrial strength Soap Box. You have been warned. Something has to be done. No matter who becomes the president in a few days, there is a huge task ahead. The economy has never been so bad, at least in my life time. It seems read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1) The biggest difference between teams in the SEC this season is simply quarterback play. Alabama, Georgia, and Florida came into the season with experienced/quality signal callers, and they have been the class of the league. Lack of experience or just poor play at quarterback has read more...
KO'ing Kudzu in Carolina
After my October 17th feature on Alabama filmmaker Max Shores, I decided read more...
Saturday's Slate: A Bit of Relative Calm Before the Storm
Although you can't take a week off in college football, this week seems like a palate cleanser before some of the biggest homestretch games are played. November will feature great game after great game and next week's
Thirty One Years Ago Tonight: Remembering Ronnie Van Zant and Co.
Every year at this time, my mind goes back to The Greenville Memorial Auditorium, 1977. It was 31 years ago tonight. As I type, it is 7:30 PM, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so excited at the age of 20 to be attending a concert by one of my favorite rock bands. I was read more...
Saturday's Slate: BCS Busters vs. Disciplined Talent
Last week was a lesson in symmetry. Many teams met on the field that looked like mirror images. Something had to give, and it did. 3 of the top 5 teams lost giving the nation a new number one, Texas, who beat Oklahoma in what was probably a top 10 of all time Red read more...
Breaking News: Tommy Bowden Steps Down as Clemson Head Coach
October 13, 2008 Talk about the end of an era. Just an hour ago, Clemson University Head Coach Tommy Bowden announced that he is stepping down from the position he has held for the past ten years.
Pro Wrestling in The Seventies: Ox Baker
I am really excited about our brand new, ongoing series No Holds Barred. The series will look at the stars and memories of the hey day of pro wrestling in the south, especially here in the Mid Atlantic area. I will be profiling many of the stars of the sport during the read more...
Spinning Darius Rucker's Hootie New Country Album
There was a bar here in Greenville for a number of years called Al's Pumphouse, and they always had some good music going on. Everything from Toy Caldwell to Tinsley Ellis, a 12-year old Derek Trucks and an up an coming band out of Columbia called Hootie and The Blowfish, who would read more...
Saturday's Slate: Symmetry Saturday
We've already been treated to upsets throughout the Tribal Fever landscape, but let's not forget that upsets require a precondition of disparity between teams, etiher real or imagined. This Saturday's games are of a different sort. It seems across the board that all read more...
One Magic Night at The Bowery with Alabama, Summer of 1975
The summer of 1975 was a good one for me. I turned 18 on June 24th. I had just finished eleventh grade, and I was ready for a great summer leading into my senior year. I remember buying a lot of great records that year,
Pro Wrestling in the South Back in the Day
I was on the phone with a friend last week, just catching up on this and that, when my buddy posed a question. “Did you ever get into pro rasslin’?” Now, for the record, I spell it
Saturday's Slate: Picking Up The Pieces
Last week had USC losing on Thursday which appeared to set up big things for Georgia and Florida. Then, both stumbled last week, but both have a chance to redeem their season. This shapes up to be another great season filled with surprises as another team with destiny read more...
Buffalo is a Grandfather
It has been quite an exciting 24 hours. I’ll just jump straight to the point. For the first time ever, the Buffalo is a Grandfather. I know girls, you can’t believe I am old enough to be a Grandfather. I apologize for destroying the fantasy.
Buffalo's Lost Weekend: Toy Caldwell Still Rules
Apologies for skipping a day posting. I have been battling a nasty case of food poisoning the entire weekend, and am just now getting over it. I'll be back tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy this great video from my old friend Toy Caldwell. Keep it Real. Keep it read more...
Saturday's Slate: Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead!
Of course, this means that the two perennial pretenders that stand in our way, Ohio State and USC, have both lost and neither appear to have the right kinds of games left to springboard back into the national title hunt. That should mean that the national championship game read more...
Special Edition of Magazine Features Great Southern Rock Articles
Heads up, Southern Rock fans. There’s a magazine out on the stands right now that you are going to want. It’s called Guitar Legends, and the issue is called “The Complete History
Legendary Carolina Blues Man Nappy Brown, Dead at 78
Back during the 80's and 90's, I must have seen Nappy Brown play his show a dozen times, always backed by some of our best local musicians, many of them friends of mine. He was a hell of a performer, and I enjoyed meeting and talking with him almost as much as I enjoyed watching him read more...
GRITZ News Items: Americana Rocks, Shaver, Hayes Carll, FAME and Skynyrd
LEVON HELM NAMED AMERICANA ARTIST OF THE YEAR The 7th Annual Americana Music Honors and Awards show took place on Thursday (Sept. 18) in Nashville at the Mother Church of Country Music, The Ryman Auditorium. Wish I could have been there. It’s read more...
Buffalo Roaming: Back Home to Spartanburg with My Buddy Tom
Monday was a Spartanburg kind of day. My friend Tom Whitten, originally of Boston, currently working out of Cleveland, flew down for a day and a half visit, and we made a serious day of it. You could say it was a “Marshall Tucker Band Day.”
Former Marshall Tucker Band Bassist and Guitarist Operate New Recording Studio
People are always asking me, have you seen Tim Lawter and Rusty Milner? Well, now I can say "Yes, and they are both doing really well." I drove over to beautiful downtown Inman, SC last week to meet with long time Marshall Tucker Band bassist Tim Lawter in the newly read more...
Rebel Plays "In Your Face" Southern Rock
I have just heard the future of Heavy Southern Rock, and it goes by the name Rebel. This four-man band, based in and around Anderson, SC, read more...
Buffalo Set To Roam to Rome: Random Notes on College Football and Sugarland
Well, tomorrow will find the Buffalo roaming once again. This time Jill and I are heading back tio The High Lonesone Saloon in Rome, Georgia, where I will once again be wearing two hats. Not only will I read more...
New Candy Coburn Video Pays Tribute to George McCorkle
Up and coming country music sensation Candy Coburn has released a new music video of her version of "Fire On The Mountain," and the great thing about it is that it is a duet with the late
The SEC Upgrades To College Football 2.0
The nation at large now sees what the Footprint has long known - SEC Football is dominant and truly in its own league. Despite the hue and cry against it, the BCS has allowed sports fans to see top teams, by and large, go against each other on the field. Since read more...
Rhythm Pigs Pass Through Town
My Labor Day weekend kicked off with a bang. I got a call from my old buddy Timmy Fodrey telling me that his band The Rhythm Pigs would be playing in my town of Greenville, SC on Friday night. Now normally, I end up seeing or read more...
Gamecocks Destruction of Wolfpack Serves Notice to Clemson and the ACC
Last night was the glorious kick off to the 2008 college football season. Teams from almost every conference had games allowing us some very early previews of what might be coming in the weeks ahead. Everyone now knows about the
The Very Best of The Marshall Tucker Band
I will never forget the first time I heard the music of The Marshall Tucker Band. Not only were they a blend of every kind of music I loved, from blues to country rock to jazz, they were from my read more...
Friday Afternoon with Edwin McCain
August 15, 2008 The Bohemian Cafe in Greenville, SC is just a couple of miles from my house. It is in the same building with Horizon Records, and they are always having good music in there. read more...
The Kids are Alright
It has been a summer to remember, to be sure. Lots of good music, movies and fun. But the most important thing that took place this summer in my life involved my two children, Ben and Hannah. Well, technically, they are my step-children, but since I have been a part of their lives read more...
A Humorous Comparison of College Football Between the South and the North
As our beloved college football season nears, we at Tribal Fever thought everyone should read this comparison between college football in the South versus our Northern counterparts. (This has been making the rounds via email so many of you might have already seen it - read more...
Barbeque is Not a Verb: A Musical Tribute To Southern BBQ
There's nothing us Southerners like more than barbeque. Football comes close, as does Southern Rock, NASCAR, professional wrestling and cold beer, but when all is said and done, the pork will always rise to the top. Well, some guys from read more...
Random Notes: Beijing, Bernie Mac and New Music
Well the Summer Olympics are underway in Beijing, and I watched a good bit of the opening ceremony last night on the boob tube. While some of it bored me to tears, I must admit that the show was filled with grandeur and color, especially during the march of the nations, with various read more...
Widespread Induction & Where The Buffalo Roam
Mystery And Manners’ Newsworthy Stories of The Day 8/6/08 …Widespread Induction & Where The Buffalo Roam…
Buffalo Roaming: Day Four, Cooper's Party
What a great weekend. Sunday morning, I woke up and went downstairs for one of those great made to order omelets at the Hilton. The lady there is one helluva cook, and my grits were damn near perfect too. I sucked back four cups of coffee. It wasn’t
Buffalo Roaming: Day One, Down By The Lazy River in Bamalama
Well, after seven hours of driving, two torrential storms and one near death experience, I find myself in the comfort of a beautiful two story home on the Elk River (which feeds into the Tennessee River down the road a ways as a matter of fact), sitting comfotably read more...
Buffalo Roaming to Alabama
Well, the Buffalomobile is all gassed up (only $49 at Wal-Mart) and I am ready to head out on my big Alabama adventure tomorrow morning. It's going to be a long hot drive, to be sure, but I am sure it will be a large time. Tomorrow I get to meet fellow Swamplander read more...
Ten More Defining Moments in Southern Rock History
Did any of you see Gregg Allman in the movie Rush? He played a drug dealing king pin, and a pretty spooky character. That movie disturbed me more that ten Stephen King flicks, because it was so real. That's why Gregg's role in the movie made our list of
Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend, Mickie Wofford
I just received some sad news. An old friend and former band mate of mine, Michael "Mickie" Wofford, died on July 24th.. Mickie, who lived in Landrum, SC, was 44. I have nothing but happy memories of Mickie. When I met him, he was playing in a local read more...
Still More of The Defining Moments in Southern Rock History
Hi guys. My apologies for the two days of down time. We experienced a problem with our DSL internet service that virtually crippled the GRITZ offices for almost two days. We are happy to come back kicking with the
An Ongoing Journey To the Heart of Southern Culture
A Sunday Service On Southern Culture 7/20/08 “The artist penetrates the concrete world in order to find at read more...
Listen to The GRITZ Radio Hour Online This Weekend
A couple of weeks ago, we announced the debut of The GRITZ Radio Hour on the Mighty Field of Vision Internet Radio Station. Unfortunately, there were some major problems with the server and the broadcast was not fully aired. The good news is, it is all repaired now, and our read more...
Dave Muse Leaves Marshall Tucker, New Horn Man Hired
I spoke to Doug Gray of The Marshall Tucker Band today (and in a true "Two-fer Tuesday, I also spoke with
Is 8 Wins The SEC's New Over/Under For Coaching Success?
An interesting debate was sparked last week when the University of Tennessee announced it had extended Coach Phillip Fulmer’s contract: What is an read more...
More of The Defining Moments in Southern Rock History
Here we go again, folks. It's the second installment in our 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock History. From The Allman Brothers' first cover story in Rolling Stone, to the deaths of Tommy Caldwell, read more...
Buffalo Interviewed for Carolina Magazine
Last week I found myself with the tables turned, as I was interviewed by a new magazine out of South Carolina called Carolina Faces. SInce they don't yet have their website up, and since the editor was kind enough to send me a file of the finished piece, I thought I'd read more...
Southern Rock's Most Defining Moments
You've all heard of "going the extra mile" for your art, right? Well, fellow babies, The Buffalo has been doing that for a few days now, assembling a list of The 100 Defining Moments in Southern read more...
GRITZ Radio Hour Premieres Online
Hey guys. As an experiment of sorts, we are presenting a pilot episode of The GRITZ Radio Hour, a two hour program of music hosted by yours truly, and airing over the Mighty Field of Vision internet radio station, now read more...
Jackson Crossing Album Update
The following item was sent in by my friend Tom Clarke over at Hittin' The Note regarding some of our friends down the road in Spartanburg, SC. -Buff ••• The debut album by Jackson Crossing, the band that read more...
Edwin McCain Digs Deep into His Soul On New Release
Edwin McCain is back with a new album, and it may well be his finest work yet. There's a good reason for that. He has wanted to do an r&b record his whole life.
Buffalo's Soap Box: What I Believe
The sound you just heard was the sound of boards creaking as I stepped up onto my soap box. I just can’t hold back any longer. I have to rant a little. Please bear with me, do not adjust your set, and we will return to our regularly scheduled programming immediately following read more...
The Cities That Gave Us Southern Rock
I find it interesting just how many of our greatest Southern Rockers come from the same cities. Especially our number one city for Southern Rock, Jacksonville, Florida. Check out our list of the Top Ten read more...
GAC Contest, Vote for The Southern Boys Band
Greetings from South Carolina. I just heard about this contest that our friend
New Documentary Project Will Present the Definitive History of Country Music
I just got the word that Shout! Factory Records and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are planning to produce a multi-part original series of specials on the history of country music for television and DVD. The partners will seek worldwide broadcast read more...
Justin The Nick of Time... The 2nd Generation of Marshall Tucker McCorkle
I am happier than a redneck on a fishing bank with a cooler full of beer and a ten pound catfish on the end of my line to present an interview with Justin McCorkle, son of my friend, the late George read more...
Watch and Listen: Ten Great DVD's for Southern Rockers
Man oh man do I love movies. I guess movies are my second favorite entertainment besides music. Well, truth be told, books rank right up at the top of that list as well. But when you combine music and movies, look out, you have my attention. For my new list, I wanted to read more...
It's All About The Song: The Greatest Songwriters of The Southern Rock Era
I am probably going to get some other opinions on this one. We're happy to present our list of The Ten Best Songwriters of The Southern Rock Era. Check out the list and let us know what you read more...
With Leadership In Flux, the BCS Proves Its Worth to the Big East
Tribal Fever will never stop its defense of the greatest sport in our Footprint - college football. How a sport that has record ratings and revenue would ever be under scrutiny is beyond us, but we believe the heart of that line of criticism lies in its "limited" read more...
Wash Boards and Chicken Coups: The Ten Best Instrumentalists of Southern Rock
Let me begin by wishing everybody a GREAT weekend. Only one week until the big annual Winters Brothers Band Summer Jam. See you there! Our latest Top Ten list runs down the
Duke Over Notre Dame: College Sports Are Still The King Down South
Since the SEC just wrapped up its meetings down in Destin, Tribal Fever thought it would be a good time to check in. College sports are the glory of The Footprint, and the rest of the nation is taking notice. The significance of yesterday's news that Notre Dame's AD read more...
Random Notes: Bo Diddley, MTV Awards, Boxmasters, Winters Jam
Well, summer has made it to South Carolina, and it's hotter than Angelina Jolie in a sweat lodge. But I ain't complainin’ none. I am pretty tired of the cold.
Henry Paul's Marshall Tucker Band Memories: GRITZ Guest Blog
We are very pleased to bring you the latest in our continuing series of Guest Blogs, this one written by The Outlaws own Henry Paul. Henry recalls his early love of The Marshall Tucker Band and the men behind the group. Check out
A Trip to The Keys: Southern Rock's Greatest Keyboard Players
And the lists just keep on coming... This time we run down the Greatest Keyboard Players of the Southern Rock Era. They're all here, the Hammond B-3, the piano - from Chuck Leavell to Taz read more...
Four Strings and An Attitude: Southern Rock's Best Bass Players
How about another Southern Rock List? This time we run down the Ten Greatest Bass Guitar Players of The Southern Rock read more...
The Top 25 Songs of The Southern Rock Era
And the lists just keep on a comin.' Our latest addition to our Southern Rock Lists is our accounting of the 25 Greatest read more...
Last Night's Southern Rock Jam Was a Blast
Last night was great fun. Me and some of my Southern Rock pals played a show for the Relay for Life event for The American Cancer Society. The show was on the football field at Greer High School in between Greenville and Spartanburg, SC.
South Dominates College Baseball
by Patrick Snow There is one more week of college baseball before the conference tournaments, and the teams in our Swampland footprint are looking very strong. I had the pleasure this past weekend to attend a great 3-game series between Vanderbilt and Georgia. The Bulldogs read more...
New GRITZ List: Top Vocalists of the Southern Rock Era
"Way down in Alabama/Shoutin' Bamalama..." What a rocking song. What a great singer. I never get tired of listening to Jimmy Hall. Never. Which is why he landed in the top spot in our list of
Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland Movie Looks Great
Growing up in Spartanbrg, SC, I was always running into people who were under the misconception that guitar legend Hank Garland was dead. The truth was, Hank had been read more...
New Features, Capricorn Records, Southern Rock Lists
We are happy to add a couple of new ongoing features here at GRITZ. The first is our Tribute to Capricorn Records Page, which features links to all of the articles and interviews related to the Southern read more...
SEC Football Update, Memphis Style!
Ron Higgins was on fire over the weekend. He's one of the best writers about SEC football newspaper writers outside of Tony Barnhart. (For those of you just finding out about Ron, please
The Legends of Southern Rock, a Guide
Greetings from Carolina. We are happy to present our new index page for our Legends of Southern Rock series. From here, you can always surf over to your favorite Southern Rock band's Swampland read more...
Between Texas and Hawaii
It's been a busy week here in the land of GRITZ and SWAMPLAND... We are very happy to share the latest feature in our Legends of Southern Rock series, that "lil' ol' band from Texas," ZZ Top.
Why Swampland Sports Loves the BCS
Despite winning back to back national titles in football, the SEC susre seems to hate the BCS. Lately, this hatred has been reaching a new level. It all started when University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams announced a proposal for
For The Record: Haunting the Local Indie Record Stores
To me there is nothing more fun than spending a few hours thumbing through LPs and CDs at a used record store. I have always loved doing it, searching for buried treasure and riding the old nostalgia train. Back during the seventies and eighties I made a lot of trips read more...
Rick Godfrey Returning to Upstate South Carolina
Former Garfeel Ruff guitarist Rick Godfrey returns to Upstate South Carolina this weekend to perform at a benefit for read more...
Why I Love Bonnie Bramlett
I remember reading about Delaney and Bonnie a lot back in high school, during those days when I was constantly read more...
Charlie Daniels' GRITZ Guest Blog; Memories of Toy Caldwell
We are happy to present our second Guest Blog, this one written by our good buddy the legendary Godfather of Southern Rock himself, Charlie Daniels. Charlie writes about his dear old friend Toy read more...
Jackson Crossing and Other Great Bands of Spartanburg, SC
My old hometown of Spartanburg, SC is turning into the new Athens, with an array of great new bands all over town. In the coming weeks we will look into several of them, including Southern rockers Silver Travis, The Southern Boys (actually from Tennessee, but
Vintage GRITZ Articles Unearthed; Hatchet, Skynyrd, Tucker, Ricky Skaggs and More
It's time once again to add a few more Vintage Gritz articles to the archives, and I hope you'll check 'em out for a "blast from the past." Added today is one of our first interviews from 1999 with
Snowflakes: What Are SEC Football Critics Going To Do Now?
With spring football in full gear, it’s never too early to look ahead to the upcoming season. We at Swampland have focused many times on the ongoing theme of the SEC “arms race” in America’s toughest conference schedule to navigate. With Florida and LSU read more...
Football Film "Leatherheads" Brings Hollywood to Carolina
There’s been quite a lot of anticipation here in Greenville, SC over the past few months. I mean, everywhere you go you run into someone who was either an extra in Leatherheads, or helped with something or another on the set. And then there are
More Back Home Memories of Marshall Tucker
I woke up at three in the morning last night thinking about The Marshall Tucker Band. No, I don’t make it a habit of losing sleep reminiscing over the glory days of Southern read more...
Season Summary: Carolina Panthers
Quick Summary: The Carolina Panthers entered the 2007 season as a Super Bowl contender. They started out strong, but the team could not overcome the loss of QB
Just What is GRITZ ?
This year GRITZ celebrates our tenth year online. Over the past decade we have gone through a lot of changes, and enjoyed the contributions of a lot of great writers, photographers and artists. A little over a year ago, GRITZ became a part of Swampland Media, and went from being a read more...
Snowflakes: Why SEC Hoops is No Longer Just Kentucky
With Mississippi and Florida both dropping first round games in the conference tournament, the SEC contingent for the Big Dance seems to be set at five (TN, UK, VU, Ark., MSU). While there’s an outside chance the Rebels could get an at-large berth, the rest of the weekend will read more...
Snowflakes: Small Conference Hoops Does the Footprint Proud
It’s the most exciting time of the year for many of the smaller schools around our region. Their conferences tournaments have become an extension of the NCAA Tourney as winning the automatic bid fulfills their dream of having a shot at the big boys. Many pundits feel it would read more...
Racing Drag and Dirt Track with The Marshall Tucker Band
During the early ‘70’s you could find a dirt track racer running the round track at Greenville Pickens Speedway on Saturday nights emblazoned with the sponsor name - The Marshall Tucker read more...
Midnight in the Garden of Good Southern Rock: Late Night Tea & TV
I love it when things like this happen. I was sitting up late tonight writing, as I often do. Beside me a nice hot cup of ralaxation tea that tasted as good as it smelled. My wife had brewed it up for me before she headed off to bed. She's good that way. What would I do read more...
GRITZ Movie Reviews: The Other Boleyn Girl, Semi Pro
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL After watching the first season of The Tudors on HBO last year, I was locked and loaded for this one. The read more...
Snowflakes: ACC Hoops
* Mike Krzyzewski got his 800th career win Saturday in a game that Duke trailed most of the way. The obvious question becomes: Can he get to 902-the record number of victories set by his read more...
When Nantucket Ruled The Earth
I was talking to my friend Dewayne “aka: Rebyll” this afternoon when the conversation shifted to his first live concert experience. It was Molly Hatchet and Nantucket. This got me to read more...
GRITZ Movie Reviews: Vantage Point; Definitely Maybe; Roscoe Jenkins
VANTAGE POINT The President of the United States is shot during an anti-terrorist summit in Spain, and we get to relive the event read more...
My 2008 Oscar Predictions
The 80th Academy Awards comes to the boob tube this Sunday night, February 24, 2008. Those of you who read GRITZ on a regular basis know that the only thing that even comes close to my love of music are movies and books. This may be the first year I have actually seen all of read more...
Snowflakes: Small Conference Hoops
We often focus on teams that reach the dream of an NCAA tournament or special players who make the NBA, but sometimes it’s just about playing for the love of the game. That thought takes us to tiny Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. The Blue Hose
The Love Box
I have a little ceramic box that sits on my dresser in the bed room. It’s red and has a multi-color lid with the word “Love” on top in very sixities-style lettering. It’s a cool box that Jill gave me for Valentine’s day some ten years ago.
Snowflakes: ACC Hoops
* What a game in Chapel Hill on Sunday. Still without star point guard Ty Lawson, North Carolina rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half and finally put away Clemson in double overtime, 103-93. Tyler Hansbrough may have wrapped up the National Player of the Year in read more...
Weekend Notes and Tom Dowd On Ronnie Van Zant
I really hope everyone is enjoying the new look of GRITZ, as well as our “Mothership” Swampland.com. The powers that be have worked really hard for months on the redesign, and I for one am very pleased with the results. I hope you feel the same. We at read more...
Snowflakes: SEC Hoops
* The Kentucky Wildcats finally look to be playing the kind of winning ball that Big Blue fans expect. It took a while to adjust to new coach Billy Gillispie (and his gameday practices), but now the ‘Cats are sitting only one game behind SEC East leader Tennessee. In a recent read more...
Snowflakes: Smaller Conference Hoops
One mid-major club that higher seeded teams will not want to see in the Big Dance is Davidson from the Southern Conference. The Wildcats are perfect 13-0 in league play
South Carolina Designates "Nappy Brown Day" February 15th
The State of South Carolina will honor Rhythm & Blues pioneer Nappy Brown with an official state proclamation declaring February 15, 2008 as "Nappy Brown Day" throughout the state. Nappy will visit Chapin High School in Chapin, SC to receive the proclamation and will read more...
Snowflakes: ACC Hoops
* The best rivalry in college hoops takes place Wednesday night when #2 ranked Duke invades Chapel Hill to battle #3 North Carolina. This game is always a barnburner on Tobacco Road, and the winner will have sole possession of first place in the conference. The biggest story read more...
Like a Rolling Stone
I simply could not believe my luck. I was at Barnes and Noble, drinking a cup of coffee and reading various periodicals and surfing the web via the WI-FI. When I was leaving, I strolled past the sale tables at the front of the store and happened to glance down to see read more...
Cold Beer, Tom Petty & Superbowl Sunday
Greetings fellow babies. It's Superbowl Sunday and I am chilling on the sofa with a cold brewskie waiting to see New England and New York play, wishing it was my Panthers... I am really looking forward to Tom Petty performing at the halftime show. I was talking to James read more...
Snowflakes: SEC Hoops
by Patrick Snow * Someone forgot to tell 2-time National Champion Florida that they were supposed to struggle this season. After winning their second NCAA title in a row, the Gators lost the top six players off their depth chart and lost their coach for a day or two. read more...
Snowflakes: ACC Hoops
by Patrick Snow * As Duke put the finishing touches on their 93-84 victory at Maryland Sunday night, it became increasingly clear that the ACC will be a two-horse race this season. Duke and North Carolina are definitely the class of the league and are probably the only two read more...
Toy Caldwell Article Added to Swampland Archives
I was going through my files today and ran across an article I wrote back in 1999 about Toy Caldwell. Parts of the article were published in Hittin The Note magazine as well as in read more...
Video is Uniquely George McCorkle
On January 29th it will be seven months. Seven months since we lost one of Southern Rock's true greats. A man I was lucky enough to call my friend. A man I was lucky enough to share stages with and read more...
The Best of All Possible Worlds or Is There Balm in Gilead?
I live in the boonies, the hinterlands of Northern Alabama. For years, I made do with erratic reception from local television stations, and then one day satellite TV and DSL changed my life. This week, thanks to a relatively new channel called
Garfeel Ruff Guitarist Ready to Return to Southern Rock Roots
I was talking to my old friend Ricky Godfrey on the telephone yesterday. Rick is living in Nashville, but he still returns home to Greenville, SC very often to play gigs. Rick was telling me that after many years as a succesful beach music guitarist and singer, he is read more...
1981: Marshall Tucker Conquers New York, Video Blog
In 1981 The Marshall Tucker Band played Madison Square Garden in New York City. While they were in the Big Apple, they appeared on several radio and TV shows promoting the album Dedicated, a read more...
My Favorite Southern Rock Song?
I was talking to one of my pals down Florida way the other day when the conversation shifted to great Southern Rock songs.We started reliving the first time we heard this song or that song, and how much particular songs meant to us.
Six Degrees of Separation
In the south we not only claim kin we also claim friends. I have learned that behind every new acquaintance there lies the possibility of finding an old friend—not to mention discovering a new one. Such was the case this week when I was working on a feature about read more...
How I Gave Up on Going to the Moon and Became a Writer Instead
Oddly enough, I would have never even dreamed of becoming a writer during my days in grade school and high school. I really wanted to work for NASA, or be a rock star, or both. But I did create my own music magazines and comic books as far back as tenth grade. My first real thoughts read more...
Happy New Year : Farewell to 2007
Happy New Year to all of our readers, and once again, allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support of GRITZ and our mother ship, SWAMPLAND.COM.
GRITZ Best Albums of The Year
Lots of great music rocked my world in 2007. Here are my choices for the 15 best of the best. Feel free to log on and comment. Let me know if you agree or disagree. read more...
Merry Christmas from GRITZ
Greetings from South Carolina... Since I have received so many e-mails and calls, I thought I would post this. I know many of you have already gotten word that I have been suffering some serious health problems which sent me into the hospital over Thanksgiving read more...
Growing Up in Spartanburg with The Marshall Tucker Band
My association with The Marshall Tucker Band has been in the words of Robert Hunter, “a long, strange trip.” It has also been a trip I wouldn’t have missed for the read more...
Brothers of the Southland Advance CD Download Available Now
The Brothers of the Southland with Bo Bice CD is now available for a limited time as an advance download of the CD. The Download is available exclusively thru www.SouthernAlliance.org
Video: "Painting Her Toenails," Michael Buffalo Smith
One of my songs that seems to be going over well these days is called "Painting Her Toenails." It's just a simple tune inspired by seeing my wife doing her nails one night. The following performance features my pal Donnie Winters from The Winters Brothers Band. We played read more...
Picture of the Day: Buffalo and T. Graham Brown
Gritz man Michael Buffalo Smith hangs out with country r&b legend T. Graham Brown at the Angelus event in Tampa, Florida.
Enter to Win, Marshall Tucker Band Live 1977 DVD!!
There's still time for you to win a copy of the new DVD/CD package The Carolina Dreams Tour by The Marshall Tucker Band! Just register, comment and win. Click here for the read more...
TF Rivalry Week Preview
Rivalry games define college football. More than bowl games or even conference championships, a win against your rival means bragging rights for a year. That is why this weekend's game can often be the hardest to call. A team with a losing record can suddenly make read more...
Win Marshall Tucker's New Live in 1977 DVD/CD FREE!
The Marshall Tucker Band was at their peak in the summer of 1977, and now you can relive the magic of the original lineup of Toy and Tommy Caldwell, George McCorkle, Paul Riddle, Doug Gray and Jerry Eubanks on a fabulous live DVD that comes complete with a 2-CD set of the same read more...
The Cowboy Diaries: Part One
by Michael Buffalo Smith GRITZ went into the studio with Cowboy for the recording of their all new album, their first in 36 years. In part one of our journal, we meet all of the original members of Cowboy, and hear music that is sure to turn the Southern music world on it's read more...
TF Saturday Preview: The Year of Transition Nears An End
The wild year continues. In many ways this was just a sign of the transition college football around the Footprint has experienced. In some ways, it shouldn't be as surprising as it has been. Nick Saban's arrival lit a fire under everyone. The ante was read more...
Picture Of The Day: Jam 4 George
Cooking onstage during the recent Jam 4 George Memorial Concert are George's son Justin McCorkle, founding Marshall Tucker Band member Jerry Eubanks, current MTB bassist Pat Ellwood and Mark Emerick from The Commander Cody Band. (Photo by Mandy Merck)
New Marshall Tucker Band 1977 DVD is On The Way
A three-CD set of the Marshall Tucker Band collection entitled Carolina Dreams Tour '77 that features the group's original lineup in concert is due out December 4th on the Shout! Factory read more...
TF Saturday Preview: Everything's Still To Be Decided
Patrick Snow has it right. This year's season of college football has shown that it is one of the most compelling sports to follow as a fan, especially in the Footprint.
Still More Scenes from The Jam 4 George!!
If a picture is truly worth a thousand words, how much are a thousand pictures worth? Due to popular demand, we happily present "Still More Scenes from The Jam 4 George." All Photos by Mandy Merck, City of Spartanburg gal and J4G Planning Committee read more...
More Scenes from The Jam 4 George!
The photographs just keep coming into the GRITZ offices! Here are some more great scenes from The Jam 4 George. Photos contributed by Mark Coburn, Rebyll, Ms. Rebyll and Buffalo.
Jam 4 George Brings Out The Best of Southern Rockers and Fans
Wofford College weren’t the only ones having a homecoming in Spartanburg, SC last Saturday, November 3. Barnett Park downtown was ground zero for one of the finest gatherings of Southern Rock fans and musicians this writer has witnessed in quite some time. Everyone was there read more...
Picture of the Day: Jam 4 George
Buffalo is seen here with founding Marshall Tucker Band member, flute and sax player Jerry Eubanks, moments before the finale jam at The Jam for George McCorkle on Saturday, November 3, 2007. A complete review with loads of photos will be posted here by late Tuesday read more...
Tribal Fever's Weekend Observations
1. That enormous exhale coming from the Oxford, Mississippi area would be the sigh of relief of Ole Miss Coach Ed Orgeron. His Rebels had to hold on for dear life to beat Northwestern State 38-31 on Saturday. The non-Division 1 Demons went into the game with a 2-3 record in the read more...
TF Saturday Preview: Pole, er.. Bowl Position
If you aren't a Florida or Georgia fan, this weekend might be a good one to spend with the kids. This is a pretty thin weekend for good games in the Footprint. That's why Athlon's college football preview spends most of its time previewing games outside our read more...
One of My Heroes, Porter Wagoner Has Lung Cancer
October 24, 2007 I was really taken aback to hear Country Music Hall of Famer Porter Wagoner has been diagnosed with lung cancer. To me, Porter is one of the last of the true country music superstars. He hangs right in the same category as Merle Haggard, read more...
Win Free Tickets To Jam 4 George
Here's your chance to win a pair of tickets to the Jam for George memorial concert in Spartanburg, SC. We have a few pairs of tickets to give away. All you have to do is comment below and tell us why you want to be at the big event or your memories of George read more...
TF's Saturday Preview: Act Like You've Been There Before!
It's the old saying when a player celebrates a little too much - act like you've been there before. This rules seems to also hold true to some of our Footprint's winning neophytes. When programs are new to winning, they don't know how to handle themselves. That's read more...
It Was 30 Years Ago Today: Last Flight of The Free Bird
I only saw Lynyrd Skynyrd, the original Lynyrd Skynyrd, in concert one time. It was October 19, 1977, and sadly, it was to be the very last concert for Ronnie Van Zant. I was backstage the read more...
George McCorkle To Be Honored by Memorial Concert November 3rd
Spartanburg, SC - George McCorkle, an original member of The Marshall Tucker Band, will be memorialized read more...
Rockin' On The Top of The Mountain
Our primary goal of the trip, besides handing out the videos, was to shoot the camel on top of the mountain. Carl Weaver’s pet camel, Akbar, that is. Carl wanted Dave Peck to shoot video of the camel for a new logo he is working on. Since we read more...
Dick, a Duck and a Decoy : Part One
Shootin’ The Camel on the Top of the Mountain Part One The primary goal for the weekend was to shoot the camel on the top of the mountain. Well, that, and to hand deliver finished read more...
TF's Saturday Preview: The History Behind SEC Dominance
Tribal Fever would like to start this weekend's festivities by directing everyone to a fantastic series on ESPN.com about the SEC. Which leads us to this week's focus - the historical read more...
A Pearl in the Heart of South Carolina
Down the road from me in Bishopville, South Carolina, there lives a man named Pearl. Pearl Fryar, a sixty-six year old African American who literally defines the term “self made man.”
Tribal Fever's Weekend Slate (10/6/2007)
Let's start with this week's College Football Preview from Athlon. Swampland's own Patrick Snow hosts each week. (Read Patrick's new column on the state of baseball in read more...
Upset Saturday, or not?
Patrick Snow mentioned in his last column that he was looking ahead to next week's games. Based on yesterday's game result, so were too many top 25 teams in the Footprint. TF Upsets read more...
People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs 1913-1938
Tompkins Square Releases Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs This Week 9/29/07 This week Tompkins Square released this
Swampland welcomes Tribal Fever!
It was only a matter of time before Swampland Sports starting covering the colleges in earnest. Today marks the start of Tribal Fever, Swampland.com's dispatch dedicated to college sports in the South. We have new features up including Patrick Snow's latest read more...
Jam for George McCorkle Shaping Up to Be a Must See Event
The Jam for George Concert is scheduled for Saturday, November 3, 2007 beginning at 1 PM at Barnett Park in downtown Spartanburg, SC. I attended another meeting of the planning group last night, and the show is shaping up to be the must see event of the year. The musical read more...
Southern Rock News: Get Your GRITZ Via RSS Feed
I am really happy to announce that GRITZ is now available in Really Simple Syndication. (RSS) That is, you can get updates and links to my latest blogs right on your Google, Bloglines or Yahoo home page. Just click on the RSS icon located above my latest blog on the front page of read more...
Swampland Sports Thursday Links
Just a few quick hits here on Thursday.... Snowman's Latest Column Patrick Snow's new column is up. As a Vol himself, it pains him that he's calling out Phil Fulmer read more...
The Shadow And the Truth
9/19/07 ...THE SHADOW AND THE TRUTH... It's important to realize how blurred the fine line between reality and illusion co-exist. At read more...
J4G: The Jam for George (McCorkle) Set for November 3rd
SPARTANBURG, SC - The highly anticipated Jam for George: A Concert Honoring The Memory of George McCorkle, will take place in beautiful Barnett Park in George's hometown of Spartanburg, SC on Saturday, November 3, 2007, beginning at 1 PM. The list of performers is being read more...
Picture of the Day: George McCorkle and Doug Gray
Our friend, the late great George McCorkle was reunited with singer Doug Gray of The Marshall Tucker Band just months before George's passing. George wrote several of the songs on the new MTB record. Plans are being made right now for a George McCorkle Memorial Concert in late read more...
Former Marshall Tucker Band Drummer Suffers Heart Attack
SPARTANBURG, SC - Former Marshall Tucker Band drummer David "Ace" Allen was admitted to the hospital yesterday following a heart attack. He is scheduled for a quadruple bipass surgery on the morning of Wednesday, August 22. Stay tuned to GRITZ for updates on Ace's read more...
Billy Bobbin' in Myrtle Beach
Thursday morning I got up early and made my way to the beach. I was bound and determined to get in a beach walk, so at 8 am I was virtually alone on the sand, walking in the surf and feeling the cool breeze blow through my hair. I found myself walking with my eyes closed. It read more...
Metal Band Covers Southern Rock Tune
Hair-metal band Poison has released a full album of cover tunes, including songs made famous by The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, KISS, Tom Petty, Grand Funk, Jim Croce, Alice Cooper, and The Sweet, all produced by famed producer, Don Was. The album is entitled read more...
CD and DVD releases for week of July 31, 2007
New Releases 10 Mile Crossing 10 Mile Crossing (Smith Entertainment) Chris Duarte read more...
Back to Macon with The Tommy Talton Band
I’ve been down to Macon, Georgia several times over the past few months, and every time I visit I feel the spirit of Duane Allman wash over me like a spiritual cleansing. This time, I felt it stronger than ever as I watched from the front row while Tommy Talton played his read more...
Thursday Night with Paul Thorn and Something Heavy
I knew going in that it was going to be a busy, busy weekend. What I also knew was that it would be one of the most music filled, wonderful weekends I’d experienced in quite some time. I was right all the way around. On Thursday evening I made my way over to The read more...
Upcoming Shows, Vintage Interviews Posted
It's been a busy few weeks around here for the ol' Gritzman, and things are just getting busier. I like it that way. Next week I will be returning to Macon, Georgia to report on The Tommy Talton read more...
In The Studio: New Southern Rock & Country Releases On The Way
TOMMY TALTON says that he and SCOTT BOYER have been writing new material for a COWBOY reunion album which will begin recording in September. Talton has also been in the studio recording for a new BONNIE BRAMLETT read more...
Funeral for a Friend
It was slightly overcast in Spartanburg, SC this morning and a bit cooler than it has been. Well, at least until about halfway through the graveside service, when hundreds of cardboard church fans came out and my sweat soaked black blazer was peeled off and tossed over my shoulder. read more...
McCorkle Memorial in Nashville, Funeral to Be Held in Spartanburg
A memorial service and visitation for George McCorkle will be held on Sunday July 1, 2007 from 4:00-8:00PM.at Carthage United Methodist Church (Church George Attended) 608 N. Main Street, Carthage, TN.This will be a service for George's Friends, read more...
George McCorkle Dead at 60
George McCorkle of the original Marshall Tucker Band died this morning, Friday, June 29th at 11:30 in a Nashville Hospital. He was 60. He had entered the hospital two weeks ago following an accident, and examination revealed terminal cancer. George was a founding read more...
Makin' it Back to Macon
The original plan was to go down to Macon a couple of days early and hang out with my friends Dave and Peggy Peck, prior to the Saturday benefit concert for Sid Yoakim. Halfway to Macon on Thursday I received a call informing me that the benefit show had been rescheduled for August. read more...
Guitarist McCorkle Remains Critical, Spartanburg Newspaper Features Article
Marshall Tucker Band guitarist George McCorkle remains in critical condition in a Nashville hospital with terminal cancer. An article read more...
Fire On The Mountain
6/25/07 read more...
George McCorkle Fighting Cancer
We have received some very sad news here at GRITZ. Our long time friend George McCorkle, a founding member of The Marshall Tucker Band, is in the hospital fighting cancer. We at GRITZ and SWAMPLAND are keeping George and his family in our thoughts and prayers. Below is read more...
GRITZ Continues to Grow, Tommy Talton Interview Next Week
Greetings! Well, GRITZ is now back, bigger and better, thanks to some hard work from the Swampland team. You may have notced that the old site address, www.gritz.net will now take you straight to the new GRITZ site within the Swampland domain. Check out the first of our new ads, read more...
Buffalo Returns, Brings Along Some Ol' Honk
In case anyone is wondering, the ol' Buffalo has been down for the count for a while lately, which explains my lack of blogging. (Now there's a sentence I would have never used even two years ago, LOL) I had to have the old gallbladder removed, and it has been a bit of a read more...
Volunteer Jam DVD: The Holy Grail of Southern Rock
If there’s one single most defining event in the history of Southern Rock, it has to be the Volunteer Jam, especially the original Jams back in 1974 and 1975 and beyond. I’ll never forget my sheer joy upon discovering a bonus record inside the sleeve of
ZZ Top Cancels Euro Tour, Dusty Hill Has Surgery
May 16, 2007 HOUSTON - ZZ Top has canceled its European tour so Dusty Hill can undergo treatment for a benign growth in his inner ear that's affecting his hearing. Dr. Shawn Nasseri, a California read more...
Ornette Coleman Wins Pulitzer
4/16/07 Born on March 9, 1930, in Fort Worth, Texas, Ornette Coleman won a Pulitzer Prize today for his latest CD, Sound Grammar. Coleman stands as an innovator in jazz music with a musical influence steeped in R & B. His first recording took place in 1958.
Cormac McCarthy Wins Pulitzer Prize
4/16/07 Tennessee writer Cormac McCarthy won a Pulitzer Prize today for his heart-rending novel The Road. Congratulations to this great southern scribe. James Calemine
Swampland's Buffalo Featured in Easyriders Magazine
Swampland.com's own Michael Buffalo Smith is featured in a four-page article in the May 2007 European edition of Easyriders magazine. The famous biker read more...
New Carter Family Documentary Released
3/25/07 A new hour long documentary on the Carter Family--Will The Circle Be Unbroken--highlights the career of the legendary country group.
Road Trip to Beaufort, SC, Sports Fans!
Recently, we decided to take off, pretty much on a whim, and set sail for the shore. Jill and I had visited before, but it would be nice to take a leisurely drive and visit. I didn’t realize just how much that town has to offer until we took this unexpected road trip, read more...
South Carolina Radio and TV Pioneer Honored
BMI Award-winning songwriter Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith received the Honorary Life Membership Award from the South Carolina Broadcasters Association at their annual Winter Convention held recently in Columbia, S.C. BMI was on hand to present Smith with a Gold Record in read more...
James Brown's Body Closer to Burial
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The six adult children of singer James Brown have agreed with his partner, Tomi Rae Hynie, on where the entertainer will be buried. Hynie's attorney, Robert Rosen, said the resting place is being kept confidential at the request of Brown's children. read more...
Loretta Lynn To Receive Doctorate
Loretta Lynn will receive a honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of Music in March. Lynn will get an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Boston school on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry durign her performance on "Grand Ole Opry Live" on GAC: Great read more...
Fat Possum Reissues Townes Van Zandt
2/5/07 Fat Possum records will be re-releasing vital Townes Van Zandt albums on May 1, 2007. The albums include For the Sake of the Song, Our Mother The Mountain, Townes Van Zandt, Delta Momma Blues, Flyin' Shoes, and read more...
B.B. King Released From Texas Hospital
1/27/07 On Thursday night, blues legend B.B. King was admitted to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston for unknown reasons, but officials reported he was in good condition on Friday. King, 81, was scheduled to perform at the Grand Opera House on Thursday when read more...
...Possum On The Road...
1/1/07 Texas born, country legend George "The Possum" Jones prepares to go out on the road in 2007. Rehearsals begin in early January for the tour commencing in February. Jones has released 1,000 album titles (including compilations) that feature over 1,000 songs. read more...
Loretta Lynn Announces Early 2007 Tour Dates
1/1/07 After shattering her shoulder last year, the 71 year-old Loretta Lynn is ready to hit the road. Scheduled stops on Lynn's early 2007 (through March) tour include Huntsville, Owensboro, Burgettstown, Hamlin, Kansas City, Wichita, Winter Haven, and Council Bluffs. More read more...
James Brown RIP
The "Godfather of Soul" dies at age 73 ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and read more...
Killer On The Loose...Jerry Lee Lewis Tours...
12/11/06 On September 26, 2006, Last Man Standing, Jerry Lee Lewis' latest CD hit the stores. The collection features musical appearances by Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, Willie read more...
Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jam Returns, CDB To Perform with Symphony Orchestra
After a few summers without a Jam, the famous Charlie Daniels Band Volunteer Jam returns in the summer of 2007. So far, the line up includes The CDB, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Outlaws. Yes sir! The first show will be May 31st in Denver… In recognition of the read more...