Not having followed high school football in a bit, I was curious what those of you who are in know think about how TN football is perceived now that Butch has had a few years to get us back on track and (hopefully) re-establish some relationships that got tarnished under Dooley.
Now that Butch has rebuilt Tennessee from a punching bag to a contender, Tennessee may still be hated by other fan bases, but now they are telling fewer jokes. They know they will have to eat them later.
Is there ill will at MUS with Tim Hart's commitment or is that just part of the process?
Jack Nicholson said it best when he played the Joker in the 80s BATMAN movie; "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." For one, I am hoping Tennessee develops inroads into Memphis. There are years programs from there have quality players, and the Hart situation sets it back slightly. However, Butch has to make tough choices in deciding on who to offer, who to sign and who to cut loose. That is going to cause some ill will, but if the program is successful, that will mostly be short term.
How do we get these Memphis kids to go to UT vs. Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State, etc?
It's tough, because if you are in Memphis, you know better than us in East Tennessee that all those schools you mentioned are much closer to Memphis than Knoxville. Had football recruiting been an issue when the University was founded, someone would have undoubtedly placed the campus centrally, either north or south of the Nashville area. Butch promised to own the state of Tennessee when he was hired, and I am one fan that does not want him to forget it. So one of the assistants should focus on Memphis, having different promotions that keeps the power T visible in W Tennessee, and any other opportunity to excite HS students in that end of the state about the Tennessee brand should be considered. Tennessee is a national brand, but it is also the statewide brand. Not the blue tigers or the commode hos. And having a neutral site game in Memphis, even if the opponent is not Memphis would help. But I bet the blue tigers don't want that.