Happy Hour 01/24: The coolest coach in America?

I don't know how I apparently became so busy over the last couple of days that I didn't post at least a paragraph on the Tennessee basketball coach's Maize n Brew and Rocky Top Talk showed me the way.

And since Dr. Lil Sis' boyfriend is a big Tennessee fan and has been trying to convert me (don't think I haven't noticed, pal), I just can't let this slide by without a comment.

C'mon - how cool is Bruce Pearl? (Okay, he wasn't exactly cool that time he sweated through one of his suits, but he seems to have discovered Degree since then.) How many other coaches in this country can you imagine smothering their torsos in paint and cheering with the students?

I love this. So many coaches look absolutely miserable, just sucking the fun out of their respective games. It's sometimes difficult to imagine these sourpusses being able to inspire any sort of enthusiasm from his players. So when a guy comes around who looks like he's actually having fun doing his job (USC's Pete Carroll also comes to mind), I feel like applauding.

Obviously, hijinks and hilarity don't go that far if a coach isn't winning games. But it's not like Pearl is just some attention-seeking clown who paints up to obscure a struggling team. No, he's revived the men's program in Knoxville.

Sure, I feel a little bit sorry for the poor student basketball manager who Coach Pearl probably asked to help him slather grease paint all over his chest and shoulders. But in the name of spirit and fun (which is supposed to be why we watch these damn sports in the first place), I think that's pretty damn close to awesome.

Am I about to call up Dr. Lil' Sis' boyfriend and sing "Rocky Top"? Hell, no. But I'll definitely hold my hands up in surrender. Your basketball coach is way cooler than either of the two whose games I keep forgetting to watch.