Respecting Phillip Fulmer

[RDU VOL#14]

You know I rarely post on this board, I'm sure there are people opening this thread saying "who the hell is this guy?" and "why should I care what he says?" and all that. I usually just enjoy casually getting everyone's two cents on the current state of our athletics and especially Football and occasionally posting. As we all know right now, our season from a championship perspective is over, there are 6 games remaining, we can't win the division and the idea of playing in Shreveport or Memphis or Nashville is very real and very tough to swallow. There are many to blame for our current record, but ultimately it falls on Coach Fulmer. It seems many of us have our own ideas or solutions to the multitude of problems w/ this year's team. Many solutions usually begin and end w/ firing Coach Fulmer. That's fine, I'm not going to sit here and give my thoughts on why he should stay or go. That's not the point I'm trying to make

What I will do is ask why so many of you feel the need to trash the guy personally?We all are in a position to question coaching decisions, from schemes to situational decisions, but I do think that the fat jokes, moving van jokes and for sale signs stuff is way over the top. This is not some coach that has been here for 3-5 years failed to make progress and now it's time to make a change. I totally understand the desire to make a change, but to ridicule a person and make that person a butt of a joke that has devoted the last 30 some odd years of his life to OUR program is pathetic. I'm willing to bet Coach has done more for this University than anybody on this board has ever or will ever come close to doing. It very well may be time for a change, sometimes starting fresh can help provide some much needed energy to a down program. I'm not arguing against it. I guess I'm challenging some of you to stop bashing the guy personally. It is truly embarrassing the way some of you conduct yourself on here. It's as if he has never done anything for our school and we just need to kick him to the curb. He doesn't deserve that from any UT fan. If he is no longer our head coach at the end of the year or even the end of tomorrow, he deserves to leave and be treated w/ respect, not the garbage that a lot of people on here have been spewing lately.

I know this is long so I will quit, so please proceed to rip me apart now. Except spare me any Johnny Majors and "here we go" stuff.

[GAVol]

It's an anonymous message internet board. A keyboard and a monitor have a funny way of creating courage and depleting class.

[BigPapaVol]

I'm not courageous but the strong opinions have been with me and coming out of me for a very, very long time.

[Rasputin_Vol]

That money grab that he particpated in this summer with Sexton and Hamilton is one reason. Totally underserved and out of line with his market value or based on his recent record against top competition. Not to mention 9 years running with nothing of significance placed in the trophy case, his distant and hands off approach with the fans (compared with Pearl), and lack of discipline or player developement are all reasons for the animosity.

[RICK0380]

Originally Posted by GAVol

It's an anonymous message internet board. A keyboard and a monitor have a funny way of creating courage and depleting class.

my picture is right here. I support Fulmer 100% and will be at game Saturday and will be at vol walk so here is anyones chance to break my keyboard courage.

[VolDad]

Originally Posted by RICK0380

my picture is right here. I support Fulmer 100% and will be at game Saturday and will be at vol walk so here is anyones chance to break my keyboard courage.

Why???

[PandamoniumReigns]

Well Put RDU#14.
Well Put.

I am one for Fulmer to resign and a change to happen at Tenn. . . But he still deserves to leave with dignity.....as long as he doesn't fully cross the "line"

[VolunteerHillbilly]

I'm not going to rip you RDU, but I don't see how Fulmer can make statements about 95% of the fanbase not understanding football because they did not play the game and then expect the respect of those same fans. I try not to pile on the nastiness and stick to the numbers-based arguments but the guy does not seem willing to accept personal responsibility for what has happened and sometimes it gets under my skin to the point that I cannot help myself. I wish he would just quit. Now.

[I40VOL]

have some respect for the university and resign

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by VolunteerHillbilly

I'm not going to rip you RDU, but I don't see how Fulmer can make statements about 95% of the fanbase not understanding football because they did not play the game and then expect the respect of those same fans. I try not to pile on the nastiness and stick to the numbers-based arguments but the guy does not seem willing to accept personal responsibility for what has happened and sometimes it gets under my skin to the point that I cannot help myself. I wish he would just quit. Several years ago when it was appropriate.

fyp

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by VolunteerHillbilly

I don't see how Fulmer can make statements about 95% of the fanbase not understanding football because they did not play the game and then expect the respect of those same fans.

I agree. I think the vast majority of fans have no clue when it comes to X's and O's, but they can all read a scoreboard which in the end is all that matters.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by GAVol

I agree. I think the vast majority of fans have no clue when it comes to X's and O's, but they can all read a scoreboard which in the end is all that matters.

for those who understand Xs and Os, it's even worse.

[vol1981]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

for those who understand Xs and Os, it's even worse.

I've often wondered how successful high school coaches
feel while watching this mess (Vol play).

[VOLup2uous]

Originally Posted by RDU VOL#14

You know I rarely post on this board, I'm sure there are people opening this thread saying "who the hell is this guy?" and "why should I care what he says?" and all that. I usually just enjoy casually getting everyone's two cents on the current state of our athletics and especially Football and occasionally posting. As we all know right now, our season from a championship perspective is over, there are 6 games remaining, we can't win the division and the idea of playing in Shreveport or Memphis or Nashville is very real and very tough to swallow. There are many to blame for our current record, but ultimately it falls on Coach Fulmer. It seems many of us have our own ideas or solutions to the multitude of problems w/ this year's team. Many solutions usually begin and end w/ firing Coach Fulmer. That's fine, I'm not going to sit here and give my thoughts on why he should stay or go. That's not the point I'm trying to make

What I will do is ask why so many of you feel the need to trash the guy personally?We all are in a position to question coaching decisions, from schemes to situational decisions, but I do think that the fat jokes, moving van jokes and for sale signs stuff is way over the top. This is not some coach that has been here for 3-5 years failed to make progress and now it's time to make a change. I totally understand the desire to make a change, but to ridicule a person and make that person a butt of a joke that has devoted the last 30 some odd years of his life to OUR program is pathetic. I'm willing to bet Coach has done more for this University than anybody on this board has ever or will ever come close to doing. It very well may be time for a change, sometimes starting fresh can help provide some much needed energy to a down program. I'm not arguing against it. I guess I'm challenging some of you to stop bashing the guy personally. It is truly embarrassing the way some of you conduct yourself on here. It's as if he has never done anything for our school and we just need to kick him to the curb. He doesn't deserve that from any UT fan. If he is no longer our head coach at the end of the year or even the end of tomorrow, he deserves to leave and be treated w/ respect, not the garbage that a lot of people on here have been spewing lately.

I know this is long so I will quit, so please proceed to rip me apart now. Except spare me any Johnny Majors and "here we go" stuff.

What he said. CPF needs to go, but let him do it with some Tennessee class. Let's hope he resigns to save embarrassment to himself, fans, and the university.

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

for those who understand Xs and Os, it's even worse.

I agree. The scoreboard just makes you feel bad. The X's and O's remove hope.