Faith may be able to move mountains, but building a top class University of Chattanooga that will fill Finley Stadium with roaring fans may be a tougher job. With area blood running orange, it’s unlikely football fans will ask for a transfusion to change to the UTC Mocs support unit.

The mother school at Knoxville has a world class college football team. They have the resources, the reputation and the program to attract the ardor of fans and money.

Mocs’ coaches face an uphill battle in the shadow of UT. And fans follow a winner—one who plays the likes of Florida, Alabama and Georgia for national recognition.

The Mocs against lesser known teams can’t generate the enthusiasm. Neither can they attract the talent.

Finley Stadium is a first class facility, one that deserves use and rows of cheering fans. It’s unlikely the Mocs alone anytime soon can do this.

There is another way.

Soccer draws worldwide fans, and is spreading to America and the Tennessee Valley.

Look at any grammar or high school and you’re likely to see youngsters, male and female, playing soccer. And the stands will be filled with cheering parents, aunts and uncles, grandfathers and grandfathers.

Finley Stadium could be used for matches and possibly attract national play much as the excellently run and well attended tournaments are.

Already at UTC are some world class soccer plays, mostly from foreign countries. They go home on break to play in the sport they love.

UTC could field a top class soccer team. Coupled with local school competition, the stadium could be filled.

If you want faith to move mountains, consider a professional Chattanooga Soccer Team playing at Finley. The

city is unlikely to get a professional football or basketball team any time soon.

But a pro soccer team is not beyond the imagination.

It’s one game where you don’t have to seven-foot tall, don’t have to weigh 300 pounds, don’t have to muscle a hit over the centerfield wall. You just have to have athletic skills and heart.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars have many useful projects it supports. None is better than the National Home in Michigan. It is an orphanage, run for the children of veterans.

At a recent meeting of VFW Post 4848, Paul Woolwine told members what it was like where he grew up—at the National Home. He had nothing but praise, said it gave him a sense of belonging, taught him the values he needed and gave him a "family" with a kinship among other veterans’ children. He had a good education, learned discipline and the importance of work.

There was a time when there were many orphanages. It became a familiar home where they new each other and had a sense of belonging.

Some dogooders came up with foster homes where a child was transferred from one family of strangers to another. They couldn’t become too attached to any house or people before they were moved to another foster home.

The idea was supposed to give them a family feeling, But it would take all the resources of the government to ascertain the scruples of each home. Another example of bureaucracy in action.

When Republican candidates moved away from the extreme right toward the center, they won a majority in Congress. When BILL CLINTON moved away from the extreme left toward the center, he stole GOP thunder and his popularity soared. Now PAT BUCHANAN is an example of the worst extremism in the Republican Party. It’s amazing Old Prune Face gets so much attention, but the party would be better off without him. And his comments on World War II are an insult to any veteran, any American. The party is better off without him. Lookout, Reform party.

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Can you imagine SILKA HARRIS as a wheel on the TVA board, or as chairperson. She used to do the cosmetics shopping for TIPPER GORE. At least, she has as much credentials as RAVING CRAVEN CROWELL.

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A lot of folks with the GOP wish TRENT LOCK would consider bolting the party. Trent is an embarrassment when he shoots from the hip and puts his mouth in gear before his brain is operating. Now he’s trying to get the Republican Party branded as trying to start an arms race and a nuclear war.

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A top elected official was asked what he thought of Chattanooga Police JIMMIE DOTSON. He said, "I never saw so many stars on a cap since GEORGE PATTON." But one police officer said the chief was the reason he returned to the force, that he had brought integrity to the top echelon of the department.

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A lot of Vietnam veterans especially are upset that ABC asked HANOI JANE FONDA to host a program saluting 100 years of great women.

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And seldom has worse taste been shown by TV news than ABC’s attack "interview" on PETE ROSE at the World Series honor of the Team of the Century.

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Someone needs to taste the menu at the Hamilton House rest home. Elderly folks there sometimes enjoy a scrumptious breakfast of a small bowl of corn flakes or a lunch of one hot dog and peanut butter. It’s said to be shutting down, but people still get hungry in the meantime.

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It seems if Iowa will be in position to select our future presidents. On the basis of one "straw vote" candidates such as LAMAR ALEXANDER are eliminated. Democracy in action?

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It seems most anything is for sale for enough money. Naming the Lookouts ball park in honor of BellSouth goes a little too far for commercialism. Maybe next step will be to name the aquarium the Chicken of the Sea fish tank—for a price.

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