THE FOUNDER OF THE BUD HUDSON YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE WAS HONORED DURING THURSDAY NIGHT’S FOURTH ANNUAL BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB DINNER FOR A DIFFERENCE. HUDSON’S FAMILY WAS ON HAND FOR THE DINNER. BUD HUDSON FOOTBALL IS CELEBRATING ITS 60^TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR AND IT’S BELIEVED TO BE THE OLDEST RUNNING YOUTH LEAGUE IN THE NATION.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

AUSTIN PEAY FOOTBALL COACH RICK CHRISTOPHEL WAS IN TOWN LAST NIGHT AS PART OF A VISIT BY THE UNIVERSITY. THE GOVERNORS WERE PICKED LAST IN THE O-V-C FOOTBALL PRE SEASON POLL, BUT CHRISTOPHEL FEELS THE RETURNING PLAYERS AND THOSE COMING TO THE GOVERNORS THIS FALL WILL HELP THE PROGRAM BECOME BETTER.  THE GOVERNORS OPEN THE FOOTBALL SEASON AT CINCINNATI SEPTEMBER THIRD.

KENTUCKY COACH JOKER PHILLIPS AND LOUISVILLE COACH CHARLIE STRONG TALKED ABOUT THEIR TEAMS AND THE MATCHUP BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS SEPTEMBER 17^TH DURING THE GOVERNORS CUP LUNCHEON THURSDAY. BOTH TEAMS OPEN THEIR SEASONS SEPTEMBER FIRST, WITH KENTUCKY MEETING WESTERN KENTUCKY AT L-P FIELD IN NASHVILLE, WHILE LOUISVILLE HOSTS MURRAY STATE.

THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS FORMER TENNESSEE QUARTERBACK AND CURRENT U-S CONGRESSMAN FROM NORTH CAROLINA HEATH SHULER HAS TAKEN HIS NAME OUT OF CONSIDERATION TO BE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR AT HIS ALMA MATER. SHULER’S NAME HAD BEEN TOSSED ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO AFTER A KNOXVILLE RADIO STATION REPORTED HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE JOB. HOWEVER, ONE OF SHULER’S AIDES SAID WEDNESDAY HE WILL BE RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION.

NFL

THE TENNESSEE TITANS REPORT TO TRAINING CAMP TODAY, HOWEVER FOR THE SECOND TIME IN AS MANY YEARS RUNNING BACK CHRIS JOHNSON WILL NOT JOIN HIS TEAMMATES.

THE TENNESSEAN REPORTS JOHNSON WANTS A BLOCKBUSTER CONTRACT. JOHNSON—A THREE TIME PRO BOWLER—WILL MAKE 800-THOUSAND DOLLARS THIS SEASON. JOHNSON MADE SIMILAR DEMANDS LAST SEASON AND GOT A MODEST RAISE. JOHNSON’S AGENT WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT THURSDAY.

MEANWHILE, THE TITANS RELEASED QUARTERBACK VINCE YOUNG AND DEFENSIVE TACKLE TONY BROWN ON THURSDAY.

GOLF

A FIELD OF AROUND 60 GOLFERS WILL PLAY IN THE 2011 GARLAND NISSAN CITY AM CHAMPIONSHIPS WHICH BEGIN TODAY AT THE LINKS AT NOVADELL. YOU CAN FOLLOW THE TOURNAMENT WITH REPORTS THIS WEEKEND AT 6:30 THIS EVENING AND 7:50 AM AND 6:30 PM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP.

HOPKINSVILLE’S MITCHELL MOORE FINISHED TIED FOR 7^TH AT THE HOOTERS TOUR STOP AT CROW CREEK IN NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY. MOORE FINISHED THE THREE DAY EVENT AT 210, SIX STROKES BEHIND WINNER AND FORMER MURRAY STATE GOLFER JARED WOLFE WHO WON IN A PLAYOFF. WOLFE FINISHED AT 12 UNDER PAR 204.

PADUCAH’S RUSS COCHRAN IS TIED FOR 22^ND AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF THE SENIOR U-S OPEN AT THE INVERNESS CLUB IN TOLEDO, OHIO. COCHRAN SHOT A ONE UNDER PAR 70, WHICH IS SIX STROKES BEHIND LEADER OLIN BROWNE.

FRANKLIN’S KENNY PERRY FIRED A TWO UNDER 68 AT THE GREENBRIER CLASIC THURSDAY. PERRY TRAILS LEADER TREVOR IMMELMAN BY FOUR STROKES. FELLOW KENTUCKIAN STEVE FLESCH SHOT A ONE OVER 71, WHILE J-B HOLMES FIRED A SIX OVER 76.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES SEASON CAME TO AN END THURSDAY NIGHT, FALLING 4-3 TO OWENSBORO IN THE OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS. THE OILERS AND FULTON OPEN THE BEST OF THREE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES THIS EVENING IN FULTON.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS BEAT OKLAHOMA CITY 13-2 WITH THE SERIES FINALE THIS EVENING.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS LOST FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT NIGHT AT LAKE COUNTY 5-4 AND WILL PLAY THE SERIES FINALE THIS EVENING.