Talking Points 10/26

What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:

1

Filling airtime in Knoxville must be difficult these days.

Why else would Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley on Monday compare his young, inexperienced team’s struggles to that of the German forces during the Allies’ invasion of Normandy during World War II?

Dooley spent two minutes during his weekly media appearance describing the confusion caused by the surprise landing of the Americans at Omaha Beach on D-Day and the Germans’ slow reaction in the absence of their leader, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

“Right now we’re like the Germans in World War II,” Dooley said. “Here comes the boats, they’re coming. You have the binoculars, and it’s like, ‘Oh, my God, the invasion is coming.’ ”

As the Associated Press reporter Beth Rucker wrote: “Dooley may not have intended to anger anyone, but comparisons drawn between sports and military battles or disasters usually offends someone.”

We’ll be waiting for the fallout.

2

Who’s going to win the NBA title this season?

If you are going with the odds posted by Keith Glantz and Russell Culver, it’s the Miami Heat at 8-to-5.

The Heat were followed by the Lakers (5-2), Celtics (9-1), Magic (12-1) and Thunder (15-1). The Blazers came in at 30-1.

The longest of longshots: Timberwolves at 500-1.

3

Headline funny from our friends at FARK.com from Sunday’s NFL action:

“It looks like Jay Cutler has finally settled on a favorite receiver.”