Who's gonna fill their shoes?

#1

Brave Volunteer

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#1
You know, thinking about the passing of John Ward and Pat Summit, along with so many others who made Tennessee athletics so great, and realizing Johnny Majors is really up there in age, Phillip Fulmer isn't getting any younger, etc. It made me reflect on just how lucky we've been to have had all these iconic legends to be a part of our storied athletic program. It also made me start thinking about the future of our program, wondering who's going to step up and carve their own place in Vol history? It's always great to look at the past and honor those who've come before and made this place as great as it has been. However at some point we HAVE to start focusing on the future and making sure the generations who come after ours have great stories to tell and iconic figures to look up to. Otherwise I'm afraid all the great work these giants of our program did is going to be lost. I don't know why I decided to post this and I guess I don't really have a point, it's just something on my mind.
 
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#5
#5
Well, Rick Barnes is doing his part so far.

One has to wonder if Tee Martin might be part of the future equation.

How awesome would it be if Candace Parker retired from the WNBA one day, decided to get into coaching, and came back to Knoxville for it?

Casey Clausen is coaching at the high school level now. Might he step up to the college ranks?

The future is always bright, when you have a storied past. What we have to do at this moment is work in the present, so that we can get back to feeding the former through the latter.

[you might need Venn diagrams to sort that out, but I promise, it works]

Go Vols!
 
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#6
#6
Well, Rick Barnes is doing his part so far.

One has to wonder if Tee Martin might be part of the future equation.

How awesome would it be if Candace Parker retired from the WNBA one day, decided to get into coaching, and came back to Knoxville for it?

Casey Clausen is coaching at the high school level now. Might he step up to the college ranks?

The future is always bright, when you have a storied past. What we have to do at this moment is work in the present, so that we can get back to feeding the former through the latter.

[you might need Venn diagrams to sort that out, but promise me, it works]

Go Vols!

I don't think Barnes will stay long enough
 
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#10
#10
Well, Rick Barnes is doing his part so far.

One has to wonder if Tee Martin might be part of the future equation.

How awesome would it be if Candace Parker retired from the WNBA one day, decided to get into coaching, and came back to Knoxville for it?

Casey Clausen is coaching at the high school level now. Might he step up to the college ranks?

The future is always bright, when you have a storied past. What we have to do at this moment is work in the present, so that we can get back to feeding the former through the latter.

[you might need Venn diagrams to sort that out, but I promise, it works]

Go Vols!
For some reason, I don't think Tee will ever have a position at Tennessee.
 
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#13
#13
You don't fill the shoes of John Ward or Pat Summit. You put those shoes in a museum, and we all buy tickets to see them every now and again.
 
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#15
#15
LOL I was honestly thinking of that song when I made the thread. He's of course singing about country music legends, but the song definitely applies to this.

Absolutely!

Somebody that is good at that sort of thing should change the words and make it work for UT legends.
 
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#17
#17
Rick Barnes will take a spot for basketball if he puts in about three more years and keeps us in the tournament and top 20.

Payton is already there and continues to contribute.

Tee may get his chance if Pruitt fails. I feel Pruitt is going to do well though it may take some time.

Holly isn’t doing so well but with the recent recruits has a chance to return us to the top. If she can she will have a spot. I can’t figure out how she has done so poorly, when she was so well prepared. It is unlikely we will ever be what we were when Pat had it rolling. WB is just more competitive these days.
 
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#18
#18
UT has plenty of people to carry on the Legacy. One that I wish would stroll back to Knoxville is Kara Lawson. She would do wonders with the Lady Vols.
 
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#19
#19
UT has plenty of people to carry on the Legacy. One that I wish would stroll back to Knoxville is Kara Lawson. She would do wonders with the Lady Vols.

That is the problem. We don't need someone to carry on. We need the next person to carry us to new heights.

John Ward truly believed (or hoped) his successor would make most of us move on from him. It seems the only ones who have are the ones who are too young to have experienced a John Ward called game. When you replace a great, you find someone with the drive and the potential to be better, not someone you know and hope will carry on the legacy.

If you want your kids to be a part of Tennessee, teach them how to suck up. Seems that is a good way to get somewhere on Rocky Top.
 
#20
#20
No one

You don’t fill the shoes of the greats, you make your own pair that can’t be filled by anyone else. Or you slink away and are forgotten.
 
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#21
#21
For some reason, I don't think Tee will ever have a position at Tennessee.
I think that was true until PF became AD. If Pruitt has the success many of us think he can produce Tee could get shut out here as long as he wants to stay.
 
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#22
#22
UT has plenty of people to carry on the Legacy. One that I wish would stroll back to Knoxville is Kara Lawson. She would do wonders with the Lady Vols.

It would be totally awesome to get Kara back to Knoxville with the team. Great thought, Peaygolf.
 
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#23
#23
John and Pat are at Neyland level. Sure comparisons can be made,but the amount of success that it would take to be a rival, would justify them to stand alone as a Vol great, no need for a comparison to be made.
 
#25
#25
Like many of you our tradition was to kill the tv sound and turn the radio on. John Ward/Bill Anderson, their commentary were almost like a comedy duo, one played the straight man the other brought the punchline with timing. They could literally paint a picture in your mind with descriptive language...their vocabulary in the game was pure professionalism. I doubt you can find that kind of discipline to prepare the way they prepared, that kind of delivery, that kind of command of descriptive word choice someone like John had as a background in journalism even if it were attempted.
 
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