[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 48 (Thursday, March 17, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3784-H3785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING THE BEARDEN HIGH SCHOOL LADY BULLDOGS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for 5 minutes.
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Bearden
High School Lady Bulldogs basketball team for winning their first
Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association title in program
history. Bearden won the Class 4A State championship game on March 12,
defeating the Farragut Lady Admirals 52-34.
Both teams reached the State tournament after a season's worth of
perseverance and teamwork. The Lady Bulldogs compiled 36 wins during
the regular season while the Lady Admirals won 39 games. In the State
tournament, Bearden and Farragut sailed through the quarterfinals and
semifinals to set up a clash with each other in the championship game.
It was the fifth time these two teams met during the season.
This was a historic matchup, Madam Speaker. Neither Bearden nor
Farragut had appeared in a girls' State championship game before that.
It also marked the first time two Knox County schools competed against
each other in the State championship game. Regardless of the winner of
this game, Knox County would have its first girls' basketball State
championship team since the Austin-East Roadrunners won it all in 2007.
As a Bearden High School alumnus, I am excited that my Lady Bulldogs
were victorious in the championship, but I represent both these
communities in Congress. The Lady Admirals should be proud of what they
achieved this year, and I am happy to recognize Farragut for an
incredibly successful season. Both squads did an excellent job
representing east Tennessee in the State tournament. Congratulations to
the girls and their coaches. Go, Bulldogs.
Congratulating University of Tennessee's Basketball Programs
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the University of
Tennessee's basketball programs on making their respective 2022 NCAA
tournaments. By punching their tickets to the big dance, both the men's
and women's teams built on UT athletics' long history of college
basketball success.
The University of Tennessee is the only school to qualify for every
women's NCAA tournament. The women's program is making its 40th
straight--40th straight, Madam Speaker--NCAA tournament appearance
after winning 23 contests during the regular season. Competing as the
number four seed in the Wichita region, the Lady Volunteers won't need
to travel far for their first game of the tournament. Thompson-Boling
Arena will host it in Knoxville. This venue will be the first for this
year's competition, which is where the Lady Volunteers will take on the
Buffalo Bulls on March 19.
On the men's side, the Volunteers defeated the Texas A&M Aggies last
Saturday to win the 2022 Southeastern Conference tournament
championship. It is not in my notes, but I do want to note, since
Representative Barr might be watching this, we also defeated Kentucky
very handily also. This is the fifth tournament championship in program
history and the first since 1979. The team earned the number three seed
in the South Region for its regular season performance and faces the
Longwood Lancers in the first round this afternoon in Indianapolis,
Indiana.
I wish the best of luck to the Lady Volunteers head coach Kellie
Harper and the Volunteers men's head coach Rick Barnes, all their
players, coaches, and support staff as they compete in this year's
NCAA's basketball tournament. I was also an alumnus of the University
of Tennessee, and I still have 4 years of eligibility left in
basketball. Go Vols.
Buddy's Bar-B-Q Celebrates 50 Years
Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of Buddy's Bar-b-q, a local favorite in east Tennessee, and one of my
local favorites as well. My mama and daddy and I always used to eat
there after church on Sundays. It was always delicious. I ate there
with my best friend Chris Heagerty last week, and it was still
delicious, and it was very price conscious, I will say. It is not too
expensive.
Buddy and LaMuriel Smothers dreamed of opening a restaurant that
served quality, homestyle barbecue with classic southern hospitality.
In 1972, they made that dream a reality by opening the first Buddy's
Bar-b-q in Knoxville. It quickly became a hit. Crowds packed into the
restaurant to enjoy LaMuriel's delicious recipes, which are still on
the menu today, and listen to the wonderful bluegrass bands that played
on Friday nights. I remember a band called Knoxville Grass used to play
there, and I would sing a little bit of the tunes here, but I don't
want to run everybody off or be called out.
Ten years later, of course, Buddy's Bar-b-q was featured at the 1982
World's Fair in Knoxville, where I worked at the always very loud and
impressive video expo. After appearing at the fair, though, the word
spread far and wide that Buddy's Bar-b-q was outstanding. The
restaurant became a barbecue staple in Tennessee, a reputation that it
has maintained for the past 40 years.
Complementing the outstanding food at Buddy's Bar-b-q are the
restaurant's charitable efforts in our community. The restaurant
launched Buddy's Race for the Cure to honor Buddy after he died of
cancer in 1992 and supports Alzheimer's Tennessee in honor of LaMuriel.
It also hosts Mission Mondays and supports local schools, regional
nonprofits, and the University of Tennessee. Additionally, Buddy's Bar-
b-q will provide catering and support for the Congressional Medal of
Honor Society's annual gathering to honor all the living Medal of Honor
recipients. This event is again being held in Knoxville this year for
the second time, and Buddy's will provide classic southern hospitality.
I congratulate the entire Smothers family; my good friends Anthony
and Lisa Edwards, Mark and Jaime Lemoncelli; and everyone involved in
making Buddy's Bar-b-q a wonderful success these past 50 years. It is
good. If you all ever get to Knoxville, please stop in.
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