Good morning folks. I went to see Danny Wuerffel speak last night. I also got the honor of sitting next to the great Baby Sister. What a man? I say again, what a man!?!?!? Ya’ll know full well I’m a sinner, and no saint like him. I look at him, and listen to him, just being around him, I caught myself wishing that I could be half, no make that a tenth, of the genuinely good person that he is. As I wished that, it kinda brought me to a realization, and gave me some inspiration, to offer all of ya’ll who were offended my most humble and contrite apology for the things I've said here this week.

I am not tryin to make any excuses here. Just maybe some things ya’ll should know about me that might help ya’ll understand. I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. My dad was a blue collar worker, who couldn’t work cause he was battling cancer for most of my childhood. It got so bad sometimes that my parents were on and off food stamps when they couldn’t find extended family to help them out. I was also a white kid growing up in an area that was 90% minorities, which only made it harder. Before I had a driver’s license I had a Glock pointed at my head by a neighborhood punk. Football was one of my few outlets growing up. I was all-state in Maryland, and all metropolitan in the DC area (not bragging that means I might have made second team all county in Florida). I played for a psychotic ex NFL defensive linemen 26 year old coach, who at the time was a real role model to me. We won a lot of games while he chain smoked Newports on the sidelines, but I once saw him kick a teammates tooth out. Looking back I have no idea how he got away with such antics, but at my HS there were three shooting just in my junior year, so I guess they had bigger issues to deal with. A lot of the guys I played football with are now dead or in jail. I was lucky enough, that I had sense enough, to join the Army right out of HS. I wanted to serve my country, but I also thought it couldn’t be any worse than PG County Md. In the Army I was assigned to the 75^th Ranger Regiment. That is IMO the premiere light infantry unit in the world, and the culture there is exactly what you’d expect of such an outfit. Most all the leaders there were hardened combat veterans. My first night there I was forced to crawl bear chested up and down an asphalt hill for 16 hours until my entire upper body was bleeding and covered in scrapes, bruises, blisters, and strawberries. That was the normal thing ya did to the new guy. I loved the Ranger Regiment, absolutely loved it, and was pretty successful and respected there. I learned a lot of great things about life there and met some of the finest men I’ve ever known, but it was also an ultra macho hard outfit, and it reinforced many of the things I learned growin up. That a man had to be hard, tough, salty, and when necessary mean and aggressive if he wanted to succeed and more importantly survive in this world.

Like I said that paragraph wasnt meant to be an excuse, nor do I want ya’ll to pity me. I don’t need any sympathy. At the end of the day I truly believe I have been very blessed in many ways in life. I know for a fact plenty of people, like the kids Danny works with, who so desperately need our help right now, have grown up in much tougher situations than I endured. Also like I mentioned the other day my lil brother has dodged AK rounds most every day for the past two years, so I know plenty of people, heck some posters on this board probably, have been through much tougher days in the military. I just thought I’d share this stuff in hopes that you’d understand. To me calling an often injured football player a pussy is quite normal; it is what he is where I came from. However after further thought I realize that calling him that was wrong, and why many of you were outrageously offended. You had a right to be. 

 I came to realize how wrong I was last night. I was inspired by two incredible people that ya’ll know, Danny Wuerffel, and Baby Sis. Like I say I was trained that a man is hard, mean if necessary. But Danny Wuerffel is most definitely a man’s man, tough stuff, yet he exudes kindness, compassion, and love. He is a perfect example of everything a Christian is truly supposed to be. Baby Sis also is clearly a genuinely caring person, and she was really friendly to me last night. It was a real pleasure and honor to meet her. She is every bit the class A person in person that she comes off to be on the VS. I was somewhat surprised she treated me like this even after I’d said some things that I’ve come to realize were straight up cruel, and that rightfully offended people she considers her good friends. Sis returned my mean spirited tenor here the past couple days with kindness. Her and Danny reminded me something I guess deep down in my heart of hearts I already knew, that the kind and gentle man can be every bit as strong, and in many places in life, such as VS maybe, he is in fact the better man than mean hard ass type. 

So to Mud, Albert, Lyn, ReVolver, FLVOL. To Kevin Simon, his Dad, and Jesse Mahelona. To all the folks here on VS that I offended in anyway or put in an odd situation, I’m truly sorry. If some of ya’ll don’t ever want to talk to me again, that’s cool I understand, but FLVOL, Lyn, ReVolver, I want all three of you to know I still like and respect all three of you. Here’s to hopin that the Gator and Vols play a great sportsmanlike game tomorrow night, and may the more deserving team win. Good luck to the Vols, may they bring their best game, and finally GOOOOOOOO GATORS!!!!!

 Sincerely, your friend (well I hope I still have some friends here), Jim

If anyone's still reading- I’m gonna try real hard to stop by the VS tailgate tomorrow. I have several tailgates to hit on gamedays, but ya'll deserve an opportunity to hit me, or tell me to #badword# off if you still need to. It’s cool. I’ll understand. Sis already hit me once for ya’ll, as nice as she is, she does have a helluva right cross!!!