Watching the game last night ...

#26
#26
I'm excited about Rick Barnes and the direction we're headed, but the Bruce Pearl era was just special. I've never seen a fanbase and coach connect the way Bruce connected with the fans in Knoxville. The excitement and atmosphere were electric. I hope we can regain that someday.
 
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#28
#28
Pearl and Butch are (almost) identical coaching twins. A lot of hype, emotion, energy, and very good recruiters but average at best in game situations. IMO

The difference being that Pearl would actually give you a real answer unlike Jones, who never deviates from his "message".
 
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#29
#29
I don't think OP ever "devalued" Pearl's time here. Just said that he didn't look good last night. I agree. Obviously, I did not want Pearl to go. But something is different about his coaching now. Whether it's different assistants, players, or he is different, his team was not disciplined. Did not look like a team that he put out at UT.

Bingo. This is exactly what I was saying. Last night was like a poor person's version of his Tennessee teams.
 
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#30
#30
I'll always be grateful to CBP for the good times he brought us, but dang if CRB didn't coach circles around him last night.

Extremely impressive what CRB is doing.
 
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#31
#31
Shirtless was a bit much and made him look cartoonish and made TN look foolish. He could have kept his shirt on.

When he lied, lied in an attempt to cover up the lies, and even attempted to get others to lie as well... in my book that's a chronic liar.

He took off his shirt and painted himself up one time for a Lady Vols basketball game along with some of his players. You act like that's some kind of travesty. He and Pat were good friends. She returned the favor for one of the men's games and dressed up like a cheerleader. Big freakin' deal. Yet, you go overboard acting like he took his shirt off all the time. Project much? Yes, yes you do.

And a chronic liar is someone who shows a pattern of lying over a long period of time. He was covering his ass because he f'd up initially with a stupid lie to try to get out of something that wouldn't have been that big of a deal. Louisville is running a whore house on the side and UNC is giving out diplomas like toilet paper and Pearl got a show cause over a bbq and trying to get people to cover it up. Yet, it continues to bother you. It's been over 6 years. Let it go.
 
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#32
#32
It is interesting to see Bruce Pearl coaching another team. He presents a goofy picture being as animated as he is and sweating as much as he does. It gives us an idea of how opposing fan bases saw him when he was coaching here.
 
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#33
#33
He took off his shirt and painted himself up one time for a Lady Vols basketball game along with some of his players. You act like that's some kind of travesty. He and Pat were good friends. She returned the favor for one of the men's games and dressed up like a cheerleader. Big freakin' deal. Yet, you go overboard acting like he took his shirt off all the time. Project much? Yes, yes you do.

And a chronic liar is someone who shows a pattern of lying over a long period of time. He was covering his ass because he f'd up initially with a stupid lie to try to get out of something that wouldn't have been that big of a deal. Louisville is running a whore house on the side and UNC is giving out diplomas like toilet paper and Pearl got a show cause over a bbq and trying to get people to cover it up. Yet, it continues to bother you. It's been over 6 years. Let it go.

You exaggerate and overreact. Did I say taking off his shirt was a "travesty"? No. Did I say he "took his shirt off all the time"? No.

Pearl also lied about Brian Williams' failed drug tests. He lied to his employer as well as the NCAA. And attempting to have a recruit and his family lie in order to cover up his lies is a clear indication that there is a serious lack of character with the person who is supposed to lead these young men. I expect that somebody being paid millions of dollars to do a job should to be loyal to his employer as well as to the fan base. They should be able to behave ethically.

As far as "letting it go" because it's been 6 years (but only 3 since there was a ridiculous petition begging to bring him back was being circulated)? I didn't start the thread. I'm responding to it. Go read the OP. If opinions expressed on message boards offend you then maybe you should stay off of them, Snowflake.
 
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#34
#34
Pearl was great--he made UT basketball relevant. When you have guys who can knock down threes consistently, you can be good. I didn't have a problem with him taking off his shirt--he didn't it to support the women's team and PS. Don't make too much of it. Pearl got into trouble because he got too ambitious and started cutting corners. A lot of coaches cut corners, but unfortunately he got caught. They weren't big violations--look at Louisville--but he handled it poorly. He's a good coach.
 
#36
#36
It is interesting to see Bruce Pearl coaching another team. He presents a goofy picture being as animated as he is and sweating as much as he does. It gives us an idea of how opposing fan bases saw him when he was coaching here.

He really does. I remember the game at UF when he completely sweated through his suit. Again, it just seems more sad or pathetic now that his teams are bad or maybe, as you point out, it's because he's not coaching UT anymore.
 
#38
#38
You exaggerate and overreact. Did I say taking off his shirt was a "travesty"? No. Did I say he "took his shirt off all the time"? No.

Pearl also lied about Brian Williams' failed drug tests. He lied to his employer as well as the NCAA. And attempting to have a recruit and his family lie in order to cover up his lies is a clear indication that there is a serious lack of character with the person who is supposed to lead these young men. I expect that somebody being paid millions of dollars to do a job should to be loyal to his employer as well as to the fan base. They should be able to behave ethically.

As far as "letting it go" because it's been 6 years (but only 3 since there was a ridiculous petition begging to bring him back was being circulated)? I didn't start the thread. I'm responding to it. Go read the OP. If opinions expressed on message boards offend you then maybe you should stay off of them, Snowflake.

Sad!
 
#39
#39
Pearl and Butch are (almost) identical coaching twins. A lot of hype, emotion, energy, and very good recruiters but average at best in game situations. IMO

I disagree, how many top ten ranked teams did Bruce beat while he was here, Memphis, Florida, Kansas and there were more Butch hasn't come close to Bruce in big games won.
 
#40
#40
I honestly don't understand how anyone could speak a bad word about BRuce Pearl... He was an amazing figure for the mens basketball program... Anyone who thinks a coach taking a team to an elite eight and minutes away from a final four and in the sweet sixteen multiple years and the exposure he has given this program a bad thing.... Smh completely BS.... If it is your way of getting behind our new coach fine but find a different way... Sorry for the grammar issues had to type fast.
 
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#41
#41
We got Butch in his prime, at his most polarizing, hungriest, top of his game at recruiting to his strengths. I really enjoyed it, especially the way he brought good press to the BB program, a number 1 ranking and an elite 8 appearance. But, Rick Barnes is the better coach over the long run and Bruce Pearl will never be what he was at UT, ever again.
 
#42
#42
Pearl and Butch are (almost) identical coaching twins. A lot of hype, emotion, energy, and very good recruiters but average at best in game situations. IMO

Uh, no.

Pearl didn't inherit a roster of all stars and he won immediately.

I swear. Where do people come up with this crap?
 
#43
#43
He also lied about Brian Williams' failed drug test. He lied to his bosses. He tried to get a recruit to lie to cover up his lie. He also sat Maymon on the bench and played Steven ****ing Pearl instead. I'm glad he won many games, but I believe that many coaches could do the same thing at UT. TN was (and is) a great situation for a better than average coach.

Just win baby, I don't care how you do it
 
#44
#44
Correct. AU gave UT trouble late with the press, which was common in his early UT tenure. Jacking up 3's was the benchmark of his earl success as well, just so happened that our guys hit them, even Childress.
He had Chris Lofton his first 3 years
, and those guys aren't common. I agree that what we saw last night wasn't too different from what we saw at UT, but better chemistry and he had a much better staff, obviously. As for the other stuff, I always thought he was more style/antics over substance (when at UT), kinda like a certain football coach. I always thought Pearl was embarrassing at times, I just didn't care because we were having fun and winning games.

Speaking of Lofton, did anyone happen to catch Dane Bradshaw's comment the other night? I believe it may have been the Ark-Mizzou game and Ark was trailing big at the half. The play by play guy asked Bradshaw how he handled trying to comeback from a big halftime deficit and Bradshaw said "Well, it was pretty simple for me; I just passed the ball to Chris Lofton."

I have been very impressed with Bradshaw as an analyst, both on SEC Now and as a sideline analyst. He knows his stuff.
 
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#47
#47
Pearl inherited Jajuan Smith, Cj Watson, Chris Lofton, and Major Wingate..that's a talented team

That was winning like 14 games and he took them to a 2 seed in the tourney.

Jujuan Smith was a baller but let's not forget he was a walk on.

Pearl was awesome during his tenure as our head coach. Can't stand when people try to take a crap on what he did here.
 
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#48
#48
Rick Barnes did well at Texas 20 years ago.

Not sure why UT can't have 2 good basketball coaches.
They don't need to be compared.
 

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