Why is Volnation Football Forum so Quiet?

[American_PitVol]

Quite what?

 

[BeardedVol]

make me wander if florida gators or geoergia bulldogs are posting in here with negativy and making us post less?

 

[Brave Volunteer]

low expectations due to first year new staff/the loss of talent through the portal
COVID uncertainty
NCAA sanction uncertainty
12 years of mediocrity

Take your pick.

 

[vegasvolfan]

I been reading/posting on Volnation for many years, but I’ve never seen the football forum so quite, only 3 weeks from the season opener?
Probably can’t blame it on Covid or politics,
But it’s more likely that many Vols fans are still in shock over what’s happened over the past 9 months.
I’m trying to get excited, but it’s difficult, especially after the Pruitt cheating debacle and Tennessee awaiting NCAA penalties.
Still
Go Vols

I think people would rather just wait as opposed to start the 101st QB battle thread LOL

 

[TennesseeJet]

Here is why it is quiet:
Our Vols can't get good coaches or recruits, and............................ we are adding Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.
What are the bright spots?

 

[Carp]

It's been quite for quiet some time.

I have no quarrel with you, I just wanted to quickly quote this post because the quality of it is quite hard to quantify.

 

[Carp]

Come on, just quit now.

She needs to quite while she's ahead.

 

[VAVol85]

I used to read five times as much content here as I do now, and would comment easily 10x as much.

The state of the program wears you down, sure, and that's gotta be part of it. But the much larger part, for me, is the negativity of big parts of this community. The inexcusably large number of trolls and denigrators of our program. They've pushed me back from the place to an extent. I even take week- or month-long breaks now, which I never did in the first few years on board.

And that's a pity, because there are some great folks here. I miss hearing from a lot of them, so I know they're doing the same.

Go Vols!

The “Ignore” button works great. I enjoy reading opinions from other fans even if they gripe more than I would. But, I don’t feel obliged to listen to the rants of obvious trolls.

 

[solivols]

You become apathetic after 15+ years of mediocrity and underachieving. Each year I find myself caring less and less. I’ll watch the games for sure but being in the know on every little detail of the program just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

 

[TnVol!]

Volnation is far from quiet and quite dynamic.

 

[TnVol!]

Now be quite.

 

[99gator]

make me wander if florida gators or geoergia bulldogs are posting in here with negativy and making us post less?

Speaking for myself, I am not close to as negative as a lot of posters on the board.

Things are what they are right now and it’s not trolling to say so.

What should expectations be coming into 2021 with a new coach, coming off a 3-7 season, with uncertainty across the board up and down the roster including QB?

I think people will get plenty excited as soon as the team gives them a reason to be.

Just look at the fan response during this Tennessee baseball season.

If the team gives people something, fans will give twice as much back and this board will be plenty busy

 

[RTE]

I been reading/posting on Volnation for many years, but I’ve never seen the football forum so quite, only 3 weeks from the season opener?
Probably can’t blame it on Covid or politics,
But it’s more likely that many Vols fans are still in shock over what’s happened over the past 9 months.
I’m trying to get excited, but it’s difficult, especially after the Pruitt cheating debacle and Tennessee awaiting NCAA penalties.
Still
Go Vols

I think we have just analyzed and speculated this to death, and until the QB is announced or a RB breaks out or a defensive monster playmaker emerges, we've pretty much covered it! But when we get within a week of game day, watch out!

 

[golfballs]

Hate to be that guy but.....

^ Quiet

Quite what?

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

low expectations due to first year new staff/the loss of talent through the portal
COVID uncertainty
NCAA sanction uncertainty
12 years of mediocrity

Take your pick.

None of the above! There are plenty of people are excited, personally I am more excited that I have been in a while. I think the program itself is in better hands from the AD to the Coach. Neyland is gonna be rocking!!!!! GBO!!!!!

 

[1974Vol]

Win 7 or 8 games and knock off any of the following: Georgia, Florida, or Bama and this place will blow up! Having years where we continue to set all time losing records (that's bad when the program is125+ years old) lose to the traditional doormats of the league and don't go to bowl games and yeah it does take some of the enthusiasm away. If this 2021 team went 7-5 and beat say Florida, got a low-level bowl and won that I think I would be about as giddy as I was coming out of the Superdome in January of 1986. Just sayin’

 

[ptcarter]

Here is why it is quiet:
Our Vols can't get good coaches or recruits, and............................ we are adding Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.
What are the bright spots?

We haven't had good coaching, but we actually might have a sleeper in that department. Battered Vol Syndrome says "no way" though.
Depending on the way the SEC parses out the schedule with OK and TX onboarding, it might end up being a positive. Over a few beers the other night, a buddy explained the "Pod" system. Gotta say, as a season ticket holder, the 9 game SEC schedule will weed out some powder puff games (hate it that those small schools aren't going to get their payday, but honestly - with a 400 mile R/T to Neyland in back - those tickets on many occasions have just dried up and blown away in the drawer at home). Rotating in Schools that once were in a different division is going to bring some variety to Neyland, and I'm all for that. AND... I don't mind if Bama ends up in a different pod (a few years ago I'd have thought "blashemey"). I'll pull against them no matter what Pod they land in.

As for recruiting, Heupel already has a reputation of being an ex QB that develops QB's. Major obstacle is getting the NCAA stuff as a "known" so other schools can't use it to sabotage the process. That done, a few unexpected wins, and it'll be a good draw again.

At the end of the Dooley Era, I thought the bar was at the lowest spot. Along came Jones, and at the end of his era, it seemed lower. Then Pruitt and now we are transitioning between his Era and the new coach. I wonder.. is this the lowest the bar will get? It CAN get lower as the last 3 coaches have shown. It wouldn't surprise me if Heupel tanked as a Power 5 coach. I'm quiet battered as are most of us.

 

[BigOrangeFanatic]

Everyone is tired of hiring and firing a coach every 3 or 4 years and continuing to suck at football.

That's where I am anyway.

 

[JohnWardForever]

Lots of distractions this year; totally unrelated to football. Really pisses me off.

 

[IluvdoubleD's]

Culture Change.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Webster defines it well - ATROPHY: A wasting away or progressive decline

Our program and fan base are in a state of atrophy and until we are all fed a good sized helping of the nourishment that is winning, it's likely to remain as such.

I think it is a board problem, not a general fan base problem. We can get a pretty good read based on attendance the first few games. We have in fact lost a lot of the more loyal fans due to age/health. Those that signed on in the Dickey and Majors years and hung on through some tough times and applied discretion more than freedom of speech rights. The greatest generation and those of us that respected them and wanted to emulate them. Lots of HS programs suffer similar trends for the same reasons. You don’t have to be a sunshine pumper to simply not pump the alternatives. I guess many don’t want to wade through the freedom to find the news and trends and don’t want to expend energy challenging the Nuevo fans of the most recent generations declaring themselves fans. These boards are for sure only options for information and less appealing now than a few years back. Even some painful years.

 

[volinthenorth]

Ok, but before I go...it's 'veins', not 'vains'...lol.

Don't leave...don't be a quieter.

 

[Volaholic320]

I used to read five times as much content here as I do now, and would comment easily 10x as much.

The state of the program wears you down, sure, and that's gotta be part of it. But the much larger part, for me, is the negativity of big parts of this community. The inexcusably large number of trolls and denigrators of our program. They've pushed me back from the place to an extent. I even take week- or month-long breaks now, which I never did in the first few years on board.

And that's a pity, because there are some great folks here. I miss hearing from a lot of them, so I know they're doing the same.

Go Vols!

For me, im just waiting. I've heard the sames stories every year about this coach, this recruit etc... the reporters adking the same questions every year. Ill just wait until we play.

 

[jim pique]

Thinking about the number of name brand coaches who didn't want to come here because of the situation,who the hell here wants them here anywho?If they just want to waltz in to a perfect situation,get top money and noteriaty(spelling),vols do not want them at all.Heupel came here to coach and help Tennessee back to where we wish to be.All the best of fortune to Coach and his assistants here,and the hell to Mullet head and the other posers.GBO

 

[volsknx]

I used to read five times as much content here as I do now, and would comment easily 10x as much.

The state of the program wears you down, sure, and that's gotta be part of it. But the much larger part, for me, is the negativity of big parts of this community. The inexcusably large number of trolls and denigrators of our program. They've pushed me back from the place to an extent. I even take week- or month-long breaks now, which I never did in the first few years on board.

And that's a pity, because there are some great folks here. I miss hearing from a lot of them, so I know they're doing the same.

Go Vols!

I agree 100% JP. As the poster below my comment alludes to what you stated in your first sentence, the state of the program with the W/L record has a lot if not the majority to do with it. Only if Fulmer had not let the program go down or down to the level it did, we probably would not be in this situation. Just need to ignore the trolls and denigrators.

I think the increased negativity mostly has to do with our W-L record the last 10 years. When that gets better, so will people's moods.

I agree 100% with your statement! It seems as though everyone has figured out that even though they vent their frustration, it won't help anything so, they just don't become as involved.

Winning cure all, but, I for one want to wish JH the best of luck and thank him for stepping into a real mess at UT, one that name brand coaches avoided like the plague

Again, I agree 100%! If we were winning 10/11 games a year, there would be more people interested and thus that interest would be included in Volnation. Additionally, I think it would decrease the negativity tremendously. As I stated in another post several months ago, just as with Dooley, we got what we could with a coach. Who else would have taken this job?

low expectations due to first year new staff/the loss of talent through the portal
COVID uncertainty
NCAA sanction uncertainty
12 years of mediocrity

Take your pick.

Yeah, this hits the nail on the head.

Here is why it is quiet:
Our Vols can't get good coaches or recruits, and............................ we are adding Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC.
What are the bright spots?

Same as with the above poster I quoted. And, to add in what you just said, adding those two are going to make it more difficult not only for us but everybody else. It will just hit us harder because we are so down now!

Volnation is far from quiet and quite dynamic.

Honestly, in the last week, I have seen more threads started than I have since Pruitt and Fulmer was fired. But, not a lot of conversation in those threads compared to when Fulmer was fired as head coach.

Everyone is tired of hiring and firing a coach every 3 or 4 years and continuing to suck at football.

That's where I am anyway.

Me too!