Anyone interested in this

[vol_freak]

Hey there vol_freak,

You seem to be the ringleader around these parts; I was wondering if you'd be interested in an interview to help raise awareness about Tennessee football to the Bay Area. I write for a Berkeley-based website (Cal student here), and everyone in the Cal football blogosphere is pretty preoccupied writing up their season previews, so I thought it'd be cool to reach out to the other side. You can open it up to your regular posters too if you'd like, the more input the merrier. I'll either use your responses or the best of the posters' responses in the interview.

Here are the questions I came up with:
First of all, let's clear up some misconceptions about Tennessee students/alumni, namely that you aren't all rednecks. Tell us what your university has contributed to the academic landscape to get rid of those football sneers.

There has long been a contention that SEC fans are more passionate and diehard in support of their teams, especially in contrast to the laid-back Pac-10. Having lived and travelled through the South in my formative years, I know how much you guys care about it, perhaps tooo much. Is this really a good thing, or does it burn you out (especially after a loss to Florida or LSU)?

I enjoy having the Warriors shock the world in May, the Giants and As stumbling to last place in summer, the 49ers and Raiders dancing down the standings. Tennessee has the Titans and the Vols. Would you like more sports, or is that all you need? What do you guys do the rest of the year in Knoxville to keep things hustling and bustling sports-wise?

I assume most of you were at Rocky Top last year. How much do you think the crowd contributed to the demolition of Cal? Or was the team that much better?

Why does UT seem to fall into complacency after certain games? You guys were dominant against us and then nearly got knocked off by Air Force the next week. Your teams have so much talent yet have fallen short ever since '98. Any idea where these lapses stem from? Does the team just get too psyched up after huge victories?

Break down the game for us. Other than the setting, there have been a few noticeable changes. We've lost Marshawn Lynch, a spectator in Neyland, and most of our defensive stars from last year. You lost [WR Robert] Meachem and most of the dynamic receivers that tore up Cal last year, and you won't have Coker available this week. What will be the key changes and matchups that fans on both sides should look out for?

This is all for fun, so it's ok if you want to mock the hippies of our town (I do it all the time). Also feel free to poke fun at yourself a little bit (I used to live in Florida, and it's always funny how SEC football is like War of the Tribes every year and how serious their fans are). It always comes out much nicer when you're the ones mocking yourselves.

Thanks for the help, and hope to hear back!

[justingroves]

I have class till 5. Then I will begin my reply.

[allvol123]

I find some of his questioning absurd.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

With respect to the academic landscape, he might check out the following websites, among others:

The University of Tennessee Space Institute
UT-Battelle (Management Contractor for DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory - New nanotoxicology study delivers promising results
SCW : Features : PROFILE : Mathematics and the environment

[lawgator1]

If its for real, its pretty cool. It could all just be a big goof, however.

On the assumption it is the former, not being a Vols fan I'm unqualified to give an opinion on the UT-specific questions. But allow me to weigh in briefly on the questions of whether SEC fans are truly more energized than PAC 10 fans and whether, if so, that's a good or a bad thing.

The answers are hell yes and hell no.

Only a fan who is embarrassed by the complacenecy of his brethren would ask those questions. That SEC fans are much more "into" their teams is simply undebatable. It is as sure as death and taxes. Maybe more so. No one who has spent any amount of time watching the game can for a second with straight face claim otherwise.

Is it a bad thing? Huh? Every weekend in the SEC 80,000 to 100,000 people jam into the stadiums of Gainesville, Athens, Knoxville, Auburn, Tuscaloosa, etc. They bring with them dollars that go into both the local communities and the schools. A successful football program in the SEC is a license to print money for the academic side of things, too.

Dollars aside, no price tag can be put on the experience as a college freshman going to your first games. The camaraderie, the pride, the just plain good old fashioned fun of being part of group of thousands of fans is something that cannot be explained, only felt.

I actually feel badly for you PAC 10 fans that have no idea what you are missing. Does it hurt when you lose one of these SEC games? Oh, yes, it surely does!! But it also just makes it so much sweeter when you get your revenge later... And in the SEC, you always get your revenge.

[orangeblooded_2]

This VOL fans opinion:

First of all, let's clear up some misconceptions about Tennessee students/alumni, namely that you aren't all rednecks. Tell us what your university has contributed to the academic landscape to get rid of those football sneers.

25,000 students from all across the world, and only 85 of them are there to play football. Does this need any more explaination?

There has long been a contention that SEC fans are more passionate and diehard in support of their teams, especially in contrast to the laid-back Pac-10. Having lived and travelled through the South in my formative years, I know how much you guys care about it, perhaps tooo much. Is this really a good thing, or does it burn you out (especially after a loss to Florida or LSU)?

It doesnt burn this Vol fan out. I will say that the expectations are so high for each years team that people can be blinded by their love and their expectations...only to be disappointed and hurt when the team doesn't live up to them.

I enjoy having the Warriors shock the world in May, the Giants and As stumbling to last place in summer, the 49ers and Raiders dancing down the standings. Tennessee has the Titans and the Vols. Would you like more sports, or is that all you need? What do you guys do the rest of the year in Knoxville to keep things hustling and bustling sports-wise?

Thank you for NOT including Vandy and Memphis among the states football elite. The VOLS and TITANS are plenty for this state.

I assume most of you were at Rocky Top last year. How much do you think the crowd contributed to the demolition of Cal? Or was the team that much better?

Not the crowd as much as the overall atmosphere. Ultra-large stadium, packed to the brim with rabid fans on opening day, coming off of a 5-6 season...we were ready to kick somebodys butt...it just so happens it was CAL.

Why does UT seem to fall into complacency after certain games? You guys were dominant against us and then nearly got knocked off by Air Force the next week. Your teams have so much talent yet have fallen short ever since '98. Any idea where these lapses stem from? Does the team just get too psyched up after huge victories?

Coaching...pure and simple. However, in defense of AF, they have always had a highly potent offense and I take nothing away from them. They damn near kick our butts.

Break down the game for us. Other than the setting, there have been a few noticeable changes. We've lost Marshawn Lynch, a spectator in Neyland, and most of our defensive stars from last year. You lost [WR Robert] Meachem and most of the dynamic receivers that tore up Cal last year, and you won't have Coker available this week. What will be the key changes and matchups that fans on both sides should look out for?

Last year Cal faced off against one of the worst rushing offenses in the history of Tennessee. Coach Fulmer is an old Offensive Lineman and he knows the running game is our bread and butter. Look for UT to set a tone early that we are going to run the ball. This is going to take the pressure off of Ainge and our young WRs.

Defensively, we have "THE CHIEF", John CHavis as DC...Longshore can't make any completions to Jackson if he is on his back.

[droski]

for the life of me i can't figure out what "berkeley based website" he could be talking about. unless he means he writes a blog or something. The only berkeley newspapers are communist rags (with the exception of the daily cal which is just a rag).

[TennNC]

Originally Posted by vol_freak

I enjoy having the Warriors shock the world in May, the Giants and As stumbling to last place in summer, the 49ers and Raiders dancing down the standings. Tennessee has the Titans and the Vols. Would you like more sports, or is that all you need? What do you guys do the rest of the year in Knoxville to keep things hustling and bustling sports-wise?

Thanks to Bruce Pearl, UT is no longer a football-only school. Vol fans now enjoy the winter sports season too. 20,000+ people will pack Thompson-Boling Arena nearly every game to watch a top-10 basketball program this year. And our baseball team, though mediocre many years, also shows up at the CWS from time to time, keeping Vol fans preoccupied during the late Spring/early Summer. UT's new coach could bring some excitement to that program.

As far as pro sports teams, the Titans are still relatively new. Many Tennesseans follow the Colts b/c of Peyton, and though there's no Major League Baseball team in Tennessee, the Braves and Reds draw huge interest in the Volunteer State. From what I've heard, support for the Predators has been disappointing.

In the South, college sports rule, for sure, and are entirely state-based. Pro sports are more regional-based.

[rexvol]

I have no problem being known as a "Football School", actually I love it. Tennessee will never be confused with Yale, so let's focus on our greatest strength, our rich athletic tradition.

[JZVOL]

Yes, every alum is a redneck. Just like I'm sure every Cal grad is a liberal tree-hugging scientologist.

[jakez4ut]

What the hay, i'll play along.

Originally Posted by vol_freak

Hey there vol_freak,

You seem to be the ringleader around these parts; I was wondering if you'd be interested in an interview to help raise awareness about Tennessee football to the Bay Area. I write for a Berkeley-based website (Cal student here), and everyone in the Cal football blogosphere is pretty preoccupied writing up their season previews, so I thought it'd be cool to reach out to the other side. You can open it up to your regular posters too if you'd like, the more input the merrier. I'll either use your responses or the best of the posters' responses in the interview.

Here are the questions I came up with:
First of all, let's clear up some misconceptions about Tennessee students/alumni, namely that you aren't all rednecks. Tell us what your university has contributed to the academic landscape to get rid of those football sneers.

there are probably plenty of reference materials listing specifics in this area, but two things come to mind right off the bat, UT has been well known for it's logistics and transportation department and boasts some of the industry leaders as advisors, proffessors and consultants. Also, UT's forensic science department is, i believe, among academic leaders in this feild as well.

There has long been a contention that SEC fans are more passionate and diehard in support of their teams, especially in contrast to the laid-back Pac-10. Having lived and travelled through the South in my formative years, I know how much you guys care about it, perhaps tooo much. Is this really a good thing, or does it burn you out (especially after a loss to Florida or LSU)?

yes, it is a good thing. with out getting into a long dissertation about why it is this way, the South as a region for a long, long time had no real professional sports outlet. The only thing we had were our universities and their football teams. and given that the population has done nothing but grow in this region, it's passed down generation to generation, much like that of some professional sports teams in their specific regions, a la the New York sports teams, Chicago sports teams etc....those professional teams have the same loyalty regionally as most SEC schools do. We just have a better atmosphere for displaying it, and college students will do wonders for the median age of the fan base, as well as it's "rowdiness". but it's not all that different than what you might find at say a Green Bay Packers game or a Steeler game etc....but it is so much better. Each school boasts some sort of "uniqueness" to add to the tradition and pageantry of a football Saturday in the South. whether it be the Vol Navy, the Grove, Toomer's Corner, Howard's Rock, the Cockaboose, The Swamp etc....that you just can't find anywhere else.

and no, it never burns us out. we look forward to it every year. when we say football is like religion down here, we mean it. it's a topic 365 days a year, and we're perfectly happy with that. In other sports in other regions, the game is just that, a game. down here, whether you at the stadium or watching at home, the whole day is considered "an event".

and it doesn't hurt that every single one of us on this board have friends, good friends, or relatives that are alumni or fans of one or more of our rivals. Braggin' Rights are big, and having to wait 365 for revenges is tough. Die Hard doesn't come close to accurate description when your best friend is a Bama fan and you've lost 11 in a row to them (as i had to suffer thru with my best friend when i was a kid).

I enjoy having the Warriors shock the world in May, the Giants and As stumbling to last place in summer, the 49ers and Raiders dancing down the standings. Tennessee has the Titans and the Vols. Would you like more sports, or is that all you need? What do you guys do the rest of the year in Knoxville to keep things hustling and bustling sports-wise?

Well, for most of us, we would tell you TN is the #1 thing in our sports world, but as you peruse everyone's posts, we all have other interests, be it Baseball, Nascar, NFL, etc...and we all have allegiances to other teams in the professional ranks that bide our time just fine until college football rolls around. And there is some regional aspects to that as well. you'll probably find a lot of Braves and Reds fans, a lot of Redskins, Saints, Cowboys fans.....but the reality is, it's a hodge podge of different professional sports fans...we got one on here from Oregon that claims allegiance to like 12 different teams (sorry Milo).

I assume most of you were at Rocky Top last year. How much do you think the crowd contributed to the demolition of Cal? Or was the team that much better?

combination of both. the speed and physicality of our team vs. the bears was no accident. but i do fully agree that the atmosphere that they encountered was overwhelming and didn't help their cause.

Why does UT seem to fall into complacency after certain games? You guys were dominant against us and then nearly got knocked off by Air Force the next week. Your teams have so much talent yet have fallen short ever since '98. Any idea where these lapses stem from? Does the team just get too psyched up after huge victories?

good question. this has been debated over and over again on this board. the reality: it's hard to get up for every game. It's easy to get up for GA, FL, Bama, SC....all conf. rivals that can beat you on any given Saturday. You go in to a game against an AF or Duke or whatever, expecting to get a W. the reality of that situation, you get that kind of team's best shot. if you are not ready, look out. it happens to everyone at some point, remember the AZ game last season Cal?

Break down the game for us. Other than the setting, there have been a few noticeable changes. We've lost Marshawn Lynch, a spectator in Neyland, and most of our defensive stars from last year. You lost [WR Robert] Meachem and most of the dynamic receivers that tore up Cal last year, and you won't have Coker available this week. What will be the key changes and matchups that fans on both sides should look out for?

this game won't be a run away for either team. i dont' think either defense will be able to completely stop the other's offense. our secondary against your WR's is a key matchup, as will be your front 7 against our O line and RB's. I look for TN to be very physical, establish a solid running game and play a little keep away from your offense. Goal being to beat up on them for 3 quarters and put it away in the 4th. I look for Cal to test our DB's early and often. If we get sloppy with the ball and give Cal extra possessions , it could be a long day. in the end, I like TN in a much closer game than last year, and a higher scoring affair. I think our defense does just enough, and we get some very good production from the RB's. If we don't turn the ball over, i like our chances just fine.

[j_thrill]

Originally Posted by vol_freak

I enjoy having the Warriors shock the world in May, the Giants and As stumbling to last place in summer, the 49ers and Raiders dancing down the standings. Tennessee has the Titans and the Vols. Would you like more sports, or is that all you need? What do you guys do the rest of the year in Knoxville to keep things hustling and bustling sports-wise?

I assume most of you were at Rocky Top last year. How much do you think the crowd contributed to the demolition of Cal? Or was the team that much better?

Bruce Pearl has not only brought attention to UT basketball in the state of Tennessee, but the program is getting considerable national attention as well. Until this year, I have never looked forward to Tennessee football and basketball.

Don't overlook the fact that the '06 team had a HUGE chip on its shoulder following an embarrassing '05 campaign. Couple that with the always-raucous Neyland faithful and the resulting snowball of momentum would have been more than any team in Cal's position could have handled.

The fact that Cal is the team with a chip on its shoulder this year is the only thing that worries me about Saturday's game.

[allvol123]

Originally Posted by jakez4ut

Also, UT's phorensic science department is, i believe, among academic leaders in this feild as well.

Jake you really aren't helping the cause with things like "phorensic".

[jakez4ut]

Originally Posted by allvol123

Jake you really aren't helping the cause with things like "phorensic".

maybe that's why i got the L&T degree.........

[allvol123]

Ha! Me too, when were you there?