OneManGang
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- Sep 7, 2004
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A distinguished colleague of mine emailed me to ask my opinion of the current situation regarding Our Beloved Vols.
This is more or less what I wrote back:
One of the things I try to do in my "Tennessee vs The Maxims" columns is to call it right down the middle. Praise what is praiseworthy and point out that which is not.
I can't say for sure, but I think the UTAD is VERY concerned about appearing to be a coaching "merry-go-round" what with FOUR (Fulmer, Kiffin, Dooley, Jones) football coaches and four (Pearl, Martin, Tyndall, Barnes) basketball coaches in the last decade.
So let's tale a gander at where UT Sports were just ten years ago:
In 2007:
Philip Fulmer led the football team to a 10-4 record with appearances in the SECCG (lost to LSU) and the Outback Bowl (beat Wisconsin) and ended up ranked 12th in nation
Bruce Pearl led the BasketVols to a 24-6 record and lost in the Sweet 16 to Ohio State.
The Volettes under Pat Summit went 34-3 and won the NC.
And fans still b*tched. I can recall any number of posts about "upper-level mediocrity" or "Jimmy, when we gowin' get a cowitch?" or "Fulmer needs to go" and other hogwash.
The b*tching fans got exactly what they wanted.
And now they b*tch about that.
Ad infinitum ...[/FONT]
This is more or less what I wrote back:
One of the things I try to do in my "Tennessee vs The Maxims" columns is to call it right down the middle. Praise what is praiseworthy and point out that which is not.
I can't say for sure, but I think the UTAD is VERY concerned about appearing to be a coaching "merry-go-round" what with FOUR (Fulmer, Kiffin, Dooley, Jones) football coaches and four (Pearl, Martin, Tyndall, Barnes) basketball coaches in the last decade.
So let's tale a gander at where UT Sports were just ten years ago:
In 2007:
Philip Fulmer led the football team to a 10-4 record with appearances in the SECCG (lost to LSU) and the Outback Bowl (beat Wisconsin) and ended up ranked 12th in nation
Bruce Pearl led the BasketVols to a 24-6 record and lost in the Sweet 16 to Ohio State.
The Volettes under Pat Summit went 34-3 and won the NC.
And fans still b*tched. I can recall any number of posts about "upper-level mediocrity" or "Jimmy, when we gowin' get a cowitch?" or "Fulmer needs to go" and other hogwash.
The b*tching fans got exactly what they wanted.
And now they b*tch about that.
Ad infinitum ...[/FONT]