Kicking Off the Season

The dog days of August are almost over. High School football kicked off across Tennessee last Friday and the Titans wrapped up the preseason in New Orleans yesterday, going a perfect 3-0 as the offense showed significant improvement in limited reps through games one and three. The final 53-man roster cuts are due Tuesday by 3 p.m. This Saturday, at last, the Vols and Dores get things underway on the gridiron as football will finally be in full swing. Good luck to all wives across America. We will see you in mid-February.

Tennessee enters the 2024 campaign with expectations that mirror yesteryear. Is this program finally back? All signs point to yes. Head Coach Josh Heupel has fostered a culture of consistent winning that reminds Vol Nation of the Phil Fulmer days. Redshirt Freshman QB phenom, Nico Iamaleava, now fully takes the reins in Rocky Top as UT hopes to take another step towards the newly minted 12-team playoff. 

Tennessee enters the season ranked 15th in the nation while welcoming in the fake UT, Texas, alongside Red River Rival, Oklahoma, who add even more depth to an already stacked conference. If Iamaleava pans out to be the 5-star stud Knoxville anticipates him to be in his first season as starter, the Vols should be able to etch out a 10-2 record which would place them right into contention for an at-large bid in the expanded playoff format. Heupel’s team starts things off this Saturday at home against FCS opponent UT-Chattanooga at 11:45 a.m. If UT takes care of business, they will have their first major test of the season the following Saturday in Charlotte versus #24 NC State.

Here in Nashville, Vanderbilt is looking to calm the treacherous storm they endured in 2023. A record of 2-10 and no wins in the SEC has Coach Clark Lea squarely on the hot seat heading into season four of his tenure. A measly nine victories over three seasons and a win percentage of .250 isn’t going to cut it in America’s top conference. We all understand that academic standards are far more rigorous for Vandy football than most teams. However, when Notre Dame is constantly a top 15 program and the formerly lowly Northwestern produces a winning program every other season, Vanderbilt fans deserve better. 

During the offseason, the Commodores got a makeover with 22 transfers enrolling at Vandy. They will need at least half of them to have an immediate impact, and I mean a major immediate impact, if they wish to be competitive in 2024. New look Vanderbilt Stadium will get their first dose of Dores football this Saturday versus Virginia Tech. A tough test? Absolutely! Lea and company will have to stir up some early season magic to start 1-0. That would unequivocally give the program a boost and make a 3-0 start within grasp. The schedule hardly gets easier from there, though. If Vandy gets to 6-6 and bowl eligibility, Clark Lea should be in contention for national coach of the year. MILES HARRINGTON

🪧 Very Demure, Very Mindful “So I think these probably encroach too much on our First Amendment rights for too little gain,” wrote Betsy Phillips in the Scene this morning. “But you know, f*ck it.”

Like Phillips, a number of Nashvillians have deemed a slew of “public safety” bills recently whipped up by Mayor O’Connell as a righteous response to the neo-Nazi demonstrations downtown. “I have worked with the Department of Law and Metro Council to introduce four pieces of legislation that boost public safety while simultaneously protecting First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and speak,” O’Connell announced in a press release on Friday. "Political tensions are high, and this legislation will help us discourage behavior that can spark violence.” The legislation, that has yet to be filed, will establish: 

• An ordinance to buffer zones to maintain public safety around public buildings and parking lots.
• An adjustment to our mask-wearing ordinance.
• An ordinance prohibiting the placement of distracting signs over a highway.
• An ordinance prohibiting the distribution of handbills on private property before sunrise or after sunset.

“We can protect both speech and spaces,” the mayor assured locals on X. But Nashvillians weren’t so sure. The comment section was quickly flooded with claims that O’Connell—who appears to be enjoying a Brat Summer— came back from the DNC with marching orders. “All it takes to be a good liberal is the ability to be an unapologetic and willful hypocrite,” wrote one commenter. “So they come to our city, get round the clock police protection, yell slurs at our kids and beat our citizens and you respond with taking away OUR rights?” responded another.

Neo-Nazis aside, O’Connell’s concerns seem to be in lockstep with Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz’s past sentiments regarding the American election process: “There's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy.” MEGAN PODSIEDLIK

🏘️ The HOA Can’t Hold You Down Speaking of the First Amendment, Councilmember Erin Evans sent out a timely reminder about campaign signs in her District 12 Dispatch. “The ‘Tennessee Freedom of Speech Act’ allows for signs to be placed sixty (60) days before the first day voting for an election until the first day after voting ends for such election,” she wrote. “HOAs can regulate things like size, quantity, and placement,” she continued. “I hope that provides clarification in advance of election season being in full swing.” MEGAN PODSIEDLIK

🏛️ Council Committee Changes On Friday, Vice Mayor Henderson shared the changes she’s made to the ‘24-’25 Metro standing committee rosters. Among the new committee chairs are Clay Capp, who will replace Sheri Weiner as the Charter Revision chair; Brenda Gadd, who will replace Joy Styles as the Arts, Parks, Libraries, & Entertainment chair; Jeff Preptit, who will succeed Sandra Sepulveda as the Rules, Confirmations, & Public Elections chair; Olivia Hill, who will succeed Russ Bradford as Government Operations & Regulations chair, and Quinn Evans Segall, who will take the place of Sean Parker as the Ad Hoc East Bank Committee chair.  

"I am grateful to those members who have agreed to retain or accept a leadership role for the coming year,” Henderson said in a transition memo to the council. The newly appointed chairs will oversee their first meeting on September 3rd and must select their vice chair by September 16th. The full roster of assignments is available here. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK

DEVELOPMENT

• Renderings revealed for overhaul of downtown's Morris Memorial building (NBJ)
• Family-owned Somali cafe and restaurant expands in Nashville (NBJ)
• Retail building eyed for Wedgewood-Houston (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide and yearly festival guide.

TONIGHT

🪕 Bronwyn Keith-Hynes @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info

🎸 Timbo & Lonesome Country @ Jane's Hideaway, 8p, Info

🎸 Open Mic Mondays @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Free, Info

🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info

💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 8p, Free, Info

🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

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