It’s been a long election season but Thursday will mark the end of the county election at least.

With the party primaries in February now, there is a six-month final election season locally instead of the three-month window in the “old” days when the primaries were in May.

An “off year” election does not pack the same punch and excitement as when the sheriff’s office and county mayor seats are up for grabs. Still a lot is riding on this election.

There is considerable interest in the county School Board contests.

I think I have said before I was pleased to see so many candidates, 20, throw their hats in the ring for county School Board although quite a few have been non-committal on a lot of the issues.

That’s probably the voters’ fault more than the candidate’s fault.

The candidates know they might lose if they speak their mind.

Sometimes we don’t like to hear the truth.

Dad and daughter ready 

for school to start

“Let’s pretend”

Those are the favorite words from my 6-year-old daughter right now.

That usually means Daddy will have to act out a part that involves physical pain or making a male action figure talk.

Lauren has gotten a little bored this summer and is ready to go back to school.

I might be sitting in the school parking lot at 4 a.m. waiting on the doors to open this morning.

A touch of football fever

With all of UT’s great basketball recruits, I had a hard time talking football this summer.

All I wanted to do was talk hoops.

But now I am ready for football finally.

I’ll even suffer through ESPN’s constant reporting on the Brett Favre saga just to get some football news.

Here are my predictions for the football season.

Tennessee will finally throw the ball more than five yards down the field but I don’t know what their record will be.

The Alcoa Tornadoes will be so good this year they will beat Maryville and beat somebody 70-0 even with their third string in most of the game.

Brett Favre will retire at the end of the year. I think.

tommy.millsaps@advocateand democrat.com |337-7101