[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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