I was there... on February 7th, 2006.

Bruce Pearl's Vols were on their way to a 22-8 record, and a first place finish in the SEC's Eastern Division, something that has become a common occurrence now.

But back then, Tennessee fans were still in a state of bliss.  A team which had spent four mediocre years under Buzz Peterson, was suddenly in the national rankings.

I start writing this blog entry at 6:30am.  My 4 month old daughter Emily has decided that she doesn't want to sleep anymore, so I sit here with my laptop computer as she grabs plastic thingys that are within reach.

I'm sure that many Vols fans had trouble sleeping as well...

Last night Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts lost Super Bowl XLIV to the New Orleans Saints 31-17.  Manning played well in defeat, but not to the high level we have grown to expect. 

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I'm hoping that 2010 goes as well for the fearless predictions as 2009 did.

Last year I finished 12-2 in this category... the only games I missed were UCLA @ Tennessee and Tennessee @ Kentucky.  I was on a roll.

First up,  in 2010... it's Super Bowl XLIV.  I'll start with some unbeatable analysis.  Actually, I'm not sure that is correct.

Former Vols star Tee Martin broke the news on his facebook page late Wednesday night.

"NSD is a wrap and it's time for change. I will be headed to Kentucky very soon,  joining the staff there. It's SEC time!!

To start... I love the NFL.  I'm actually more of a fan of the league than of a specific team (but I do root for the Cowboys, have since I was a little kid).

The National Football League is the most popular professional sports league in the United States.  The Super Bowl will be watched by about a billion people worldwide.

So why is their all-star game, the Pro Bowl, so unwatchable?

I have the game on here in the 6 Sports office... and I really could care less. 

Today we stopped by Hendrick Motorsports, the most dominant organization in NASCAR.

Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the Sprint Cup point standings last season, which is obviously good. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr., now in his 3rd year at Hendrick, knows the pressure is on his 88 team.  His crew chief, Lance McGrew, told me that this is a "make or break year" for Earnhardt.

Knoxville native Trevor Bayne might be only 18 years old (he turns 19 next month), but he is already handling his professional life like a seasoned pro. 

Bayne will run a full schedule on the Nationwide Series circuit for Michael Waltrip this season, after racing in about a third of those events one year ago.

He spoke with reporters this morning, and certainly did not sound like your normal teenager.  More than a few NASCAR followers have said that Bayne is a star in the making in this sport.

On a personal note, Bayne told me that he is heading back to Knox

Day three of the NASCAR Media Tour is underway... the big draw this afternoon is a trip to Hendrick Motorsports.  That means Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will head to the microphone.

This will be Earnhardt's third year at Hendrick... he has exactly one victory on the Sprint Cup circuit during this run.  Not what Rich Hendrick expected when he let Kyle Busch leave in order to pick up NASCAR's most popular driver.

Day two of the NASCAR Media Tour in the books.  We had the opportunity to tour the not-yet-completed NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is opening in May here in Charlotte.

It's hard to believe that NASCAR has been in existence for more than 60 years, but there has been no place to showcase the history of this sport.

There is still a lot of work to do in that uptown Charlotte location, but I feel I can safely say...

Elliott Sadler and Carl Edwards have something in common, other than the fact that both drive Fords in the Sprint Cup series.

Both drivers are about to become Dad's for the first time.

This could pose a serious issue.  What if the baby is born on race day?  Obviously they have thought about this, and have contingency plans in place.

Some advice from a father of two?  Even if it is the Daytona 500, you do NOT miss the birth of your child.  You could win the Great American Race, but forever have that abscence hanging over your head.

Hopefull