Why all the Fulmer hate?

#151
#151
My theory on the Fulmer "hate" goes back to his final season. You had people (myself included) clamoring for his firing and were very adamant and over the top about it. We felt it was time then and I still believe it was. What we all failed to realize at the time was our AD had absolutely no solid plan in place to replace him once he was fired. We all believed that after Fulmer, Tennessee would hire a top notch coach to keep us at the level we were accustomed to being.

We were dead wrong.

With the way our AD not only mishandled Fulmer's firing but also completely botched the coaching hires that have since followed, it makes letting Fulmer go look like a bad decision and outright foolish.

It makes those calling for his firing look wrong.
People don't like being wrong.
They will try to avoid accepting being wrong by focusing completely on the negatives of Fulmer and shooting holes into any positives mentioned. This comes across as blind hate to some people when actually it's just a matter of people refusing to admit maybe they were just wrong at the time.

Looking back in hindsight and having the knowledge of how our AD would handle the aftermath of the firing, anyone who argues we are better off now than we would have been had we just stuck with Fulmer is either in denial or just plain old stupid.
 
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#152
#152
TN_Transplant said:
And I can understand a little of that, but that doesn't negate the fact that Majors had a drinking problem and was on a downward spiral.

Just look at his record at Pitt after he left Tennessee.

So, I guess my question is then, did they stop pulling for Tennessee after Majors left? Did they stop going to and watching games? Did they throw away their Vols gear?

Or did they enjoy the Decade of Dominance?
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You're not that informed, are you? There was no downward spiral in 1992. We had just won two out of the last 3 SEC titles.

Decade of Dominance??? You're as delusional about Fulmer has he is about himself.

That next decade wasn't too good, was it?
 
#153
#153
Snapper58 said:
And don't forget Taj Boyd who KIFFIN told he couldn't play for him and did a little playing at Clemson. (Maybe this was the start to the Clemson connection??????)
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Just stop. We had the no. 1 class in 2000. How did that work out? We had top ten classes almost every year of the last decade and we continued to slide into mediocrity.

A faction of our fan base is a microcosm of a a dumbed down America, where yes, a good ole boy narcissist named Phillip Fulmer could be POTUS
 
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#154
#154
carpbc said:
A few of the old timers who were upset when Majors was fired blamed it on Fulmer, and say hay Fulmer "stabbed Majors in the back." And, they are now saying that Fulmer stabbed Currie in the back in order to steal the AD position from him. However, neither of these stories are true... not even close.

1). Johnny Majors had heart problems and had to have surgery. Fuller was promoted to ACTING head coach. When Majors returned he went in to see AD Dickie and told him that he was ready to return, but wanted a raise. Dickie told him that The UTAD was under a salary freeze and he could not offer him a raise at that time. Majors cussed Dickey out and told him that if he wasn't getting a raise he was going to quit. Dickie said, "I accept your resignation." That was the end of Coach Johnny Majors career at the University of Tennessee, and ACTING Head Coach Phillip Fulmer had the "Acting" taken off the title and was promoted to Head Coach. Everyone knows that Majors had other personal issues that were probably involved in Dickie's decision to accept Major's oral "resignation" as he did, but that is water under the bridge and there is no need to bring that up again.

2) After a number of successful years of coaching at UT including SECC's, bowl wins, and even a Natty, Fulmer had a tough year in 2008. Haslam told Mike Hamilton that he would pay Fulmer's buyout if he would fire him mid-season, and the rest is history. There are a few unfounded (undocumented) rumors that Fulmer contacted coaching candidates to warn them away, but they are all rumors... so do with rumors what you will. However, evidence has shown that Fulmer, since his firing, has always been very supportive of everything Big Orange. He has assisted the University of Tennessee in every way they have asked him.

3) And most recent, Fulmer was accused of messing up John Currie's coaching search in order to get him fired... so Fulmer could replace Currie as AD. Again, there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support those accusations. The evidence does, however, support the fact that Currie and Haslam were big buddies with Greg Schiano, and that there was no real search going on for a football coach apart from Schiano... until the fan base protest caused the Chancellor to refuse to sign the MOU to end that deal. No, Fulmer did not stab Currie in the back, the fan base rose up and put an end to that deal. Then Currie and Haslam went into panic mode and started jetting all over the country making offers to Gundy, Brohm, Doeren, Leach, and putting out feelers to others. But it was Currie going to Los Angles aboard a Kansas State booster's jet to meet with Leach without the Chancellor's knowledge that got him fired. Fulmer had nothing to do with that, but the Fulmer haters grasp at that straw to spew their hate and division anyway.

After Fulmer was hired as AD, he has not bad-mouthed anyone. He simply went to work quietly and found us the best coach who would answer the call to come to UT to clean up the ashes of the dumpster fire left by Mike Hamilton, Dave Hart, John Currie, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, and yes, to some degree, by Phillip Fulmer himself during those last couple of years as head coach. I do not put all the blame on Fulmer, because he did not have the support of Haslam and Mike Hamilton to turn things around. They would not give him the $$$ to hire assistants and good coordinators after Cut left. But, Fulmer did make a couple of bad hires and would not fire them, and he made a few bad coaching decisions that lost some games. So, yes, as AD he is helping clean up a huge mess that he was in at least a small way responsible for, and I appreciate that.

So, to answer the OP's question, haters are gonna hate... so go ahead and hate away. But I think there is enough hate in the world already, so why not look at the big picture and try to see that things are not always as they seem... and that rumors are not always true... and neither are "Grumors."
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Selective memory here with very little accuracy
 
#156
#156
114VOL said:
13-31
13-34
3-41
3-30

Those are losses in our biggest games during the 2002 season. Just two years removed from the nation's no. 1 signing class and a preseason no. 5 ranking.

Make no mistake, Fulmer was a good coach for part of the 90s, but after that 2001 SECCG, a slide to mediocrity started. He shares partly in the blame for why we are in our current condition

It's not hate to point out FACTS about his tenure.
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How did he contribute to Kiffin leaving (or the hiring of Kiffin for that matter)?

How did he contribute to the hiring of Dooley?

How did he contribute to the hiring of Butch?

What were the scores of our loses this season? How did he contribute to that?

I get it. He didn't win 15 National championships. Your expectations weren't met.

But is that any reason to hate what he accomplished? Who has accomplished more for Tennessee since he left?
 
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#157
#157
Snapper58 said:
[twitter]<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Interesting info here: No SEC school has produced more elite NFL talent this century than Tennessee: <a href="https://t.co/cIPSz0amjn">https://t.co/cIPSz0amjn</a></p>&mdash; SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelWBratton/status/883055602200711168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
[/twitter]

I guess that CPF had nothing to do with this???????
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Had a lot to do with it which solidifies the idea that he was not a great coach. Good? yes
 
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#158
#158
TN_Transplant said:
How did he contribute to Kiffin leaving (or the hiring of Kiffin for that matter)?

How did he contribute to the hiring of Dooley?

How did he contribute to the hiring of Butch?

What were the scores of our loses this season? How did he contribute to that?

I get it. He didn't win 15 National championships. Your expectations weren't met.

But is that any reason to hate what he accomplished? Who has accomplished more for Tennessee since he left?
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I don't hate anyone. I never said anything about Kiffin or Butch.
 
#159
#159
114VOL said:
Just stop. We had the no. 1 class in 2000. How did that work out? We had top ten classes almost every year of the last decade and we continued to slide into mediocrity.

A faction of our fan base is a microcosm of a a dumbed down America, where yes, a good ole boy narcissist named Phillip Fulmer could be POTUS
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But you have still not answered why you hate him.

Come on, be honest let it out and tell the truth.
 
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#161
#161
Jaws said:
I was just getting accustomed to Fulmer as the lovable, big teddy bear of a guy, getting some due respect and love as a former national title winning coach, as he quietly faded into the twilight, occasionally showing up for some awards and standing ovations.

And then, poof, that vision, gone. Fulmer is back as a power-player, mover and shaker, pushing buttons and pulling levers at the highest levels of the athletic department. Gone is the sweet innocence of retirement, and back is at least a hint of a conniving, manipulative man who may smile to your face only to shove a knife through your back as soon as you turn away.

I liked the resuscitated, affable Fulmer, not the “in charge of the entire UT athletics” Fulmer.
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Blue font?
 
#162
#162
TN_Transplant said:
But you have still not answered why you hate him.

Come on, be honest let it out and tell the truth.
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I don't hate him. I am only pointing out facts to those like you who are less than informed on the matter.

I was a 4 year letterman here at the UTK. I've spent more time with Fulmer in one day than most here combined in their lifetime. I care for the University first and foremost.

Grow up and stop acting like a child on this matter. The skepticism Fulmer garners from many fans and former players is well earned.

There's good reasons why no one of any significance wanted him to coach their team after he was fired here
 
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#163
#163
114VOL said:
I don't hate him. I am only pointing out facts to those like you who are less than informed on the matter.

I was a 4 year letterman here at the UTK. I've spent more time with Fulmer in one day than most here combined in their lifetime. I care for the University first and foremost.

Grow up and stop acting like a child on this matter. The skepticism Fulmer garners from many fans and former players is well earned.

There's good reasons why no one of any significance wanted him to coach their team after he was fired here
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My beef with PF is about losses.

Is your beef more of a personal matter?
 
#165
#165
Iam4utalways said:
My beef with PF is about losses.

Is your beef more of a personal matter?
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NO. Actually like being around him, although I don't care too much for the obvious narcissism that seems to seep into his being far too often. Didn't like the initial part of the press conference where he started by referring to his family
 
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#166
#166
114VOL said:
NO. Actually like being around him, although I don't care too much for the obvious narcissism that seems to seep into his being far too often. Didn't like the initial part of the press conference where he started by referring to his family
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He gave my dad a dirty look one time. Although my dad was rude to him. I still don't like it. Even if my dad deserved it. My only encounter with PF.

Was he HC while you were there?
 
#167
#167
Iam4utalways said:
He gave my dad a dirty look one time. Although my dad was rude to him. I still don't like it. Even if my dad deserved it. My only encounter with PF.

Was he HC while you were there?
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No. Offensive line coach. Definitely one of the best position coaches at that time. My last year was '86
 
#168
#168
114VOL said:
No. Offensive line coach. Definitely one of the best position coaches at that time. My last year was '86
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I watched the Sugar Bowl at a family friend's house. Their son had Star Wars going at halftime. He knew it word for word. Even had decent impressions for all the parts. That's not how I watch Vol football.

You need to tell them on "The Hill" to stop all this lollygaging and get us back to winning Championships.
 
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#172
#172
114VOL said:
No. Offensive line coach. Definitely one of the best position coaches at that time. My last year was '86
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Right on! That Sugar Bowl is one of my greatest Vol memories, also had a drink with Johnny and Jimmy the night before, they were both 3 sheets. LOL
 
#173
#173
114 Vol, I don't know what has cause all this negativity of Coach Fulmer, but I can say with certainty that you are in the minority of the past Lettermen that feel that this is not a great choice in the AD position and are confident that Coach Fulmer will do a great job.
 
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#174
#174
Snapper58 said:
114 Vol, I don't know what has cause all this negativity of Coach Fulmer, but I can say with certainty that you are in the minority of the past Lettermen that feel that this is not a great choice in the AD position and are confident that Coach Fulmer will do a great job.
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You might try actually reading my posts. I never said I didn't think Coach Fulmer wasn't a good choice for AD. I am though, not as confident as some that he will do a great job. I am not a blind loyalist. I will take a wait and see approach as to his performance as AD. I am a bit skeptical because he has no executive organizational experience
 
#175
#175
114VOL said:
You might try actually reading my posts. I never said I didn't think Coach Fulmer wasn't a good choice for AD. I am though, not as confident as some that he will do a great job. I am not a blind loyalist. I will take a wait and see approach as to his performance as AD. I am a bit skeptical because he has no executive organizational experience
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that's always a 'safe' bet, keeps you from getting egg on your face.
 
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