It looks like the SEC is just having one big pity party.

The idea being had we stood by him, there’s almost no doubt in a lot of fans minds that we’d have a final 4, and quite possibly a NC, under our belt by now. Pearl did nothing but love the university and city, and I’ll always pull for him when the Vols aren’t involved. 🤷‍♂️

And this is what I’m talking about. You call it “idea”, I call it almost pure fantasy. The easy part of this said fantasy is you can’t prove it and never will be able to, so it’s easy to just go on pure emotion and pretend it was definitely going to happen.

What the Pearl huggers are conveniently forgetting in their revisionist history is that prior to the EE run the same type people were grumbling that Pearl had peaked and that he wasn’t a great postseason coach. Going into that NCAAT we had been skull dragged by UK in the SECT. The year before we were one and done and lost an SECT Championship Miss St kept trying to hand to us on a silver platter. His 2008 team is one of the best UT teams ever yet got destroyed by Louisville in the S16.

I’d argue that he’s had 2 rather miracle runs in the NCAAT and otherwise underperforms. It’s fun to pretend he’d have us a FF/NC by now but it’s fantasy.
 
And this is what I’m talking about. You call it “idea”, I call it almost pure fantasy. The easy part of this said fantasy is you can’t prove it and never will be able to, so it’s easy to just go on pure emotion and pretend it was definitely going to happen.

What the Pearl huggers are conveniently forgetting in their revisionist history is that prior to the EE run the same type people were grumbling that Pearl had peaked and that he wasn’t a great postseason coach. Going into that NCAAT we had been skull dragged by UK in the SECT. The year before we were one and done and lost an SECT Championship Miss St kept trying to hand to us on a silver platter. His 2008 team is one of the best UT teams ever yet got destroyed by Louisville in the S16.

I’d argue that he’s had 2 rather miracle runs in the NCAAT and otherwise underperforms. It’s fun to pretend he’d have us a FF/NC by now but it’s fantasy.
I can’t prove he would’ve, just like you can’t prove he wouldn't have due to the subjective nature of this type of conjecture. What Pearl did for the university and program extends far beyond the product on the court and post-season hardware. He took Tennessee from being a doormat SEC program with little to no fan support, and built them into an annual contender with blue chip talent. He elevated the program from nothing and without his contributions, Barnes likely never even considers this job in the first place.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dr H Lecter
The upsets keep coming. It ain't called March madness for nothing. I think you safely call March madness, Little People time.
 
I can’t prove he would’ve, just like you can’t prove he wouldn't have due to the subjective nature of this type of conjecture. What Pearl did for the university and program extends far beyond the product on the court and post-season hardware. He took Tennessee from being a doormat SEC program with little to no fan support, and built them into an annual contender with blue chip talent. He elevated the program from nothing and without his contributions, Barnes likely never even considers this job in the first place.

And now you're changing the narrative, nobody ever said he didn't elevate the program. But you posted and the jump to "he would have lead us to FFs and a NC" is a major, major leap. You switched from talking about postseason success to program building.

Also you sleep during the Jerry Green years or something? Those don't count now? That certainly wasn't doormat and that was 4 years before he got here.

You guys take the hero worship WAY too far.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolFreakJosh
ACC could have 4 Sweet 16 teams:

UNC, Duke, NC State, and Clemson

I would say they were a better league
I don't think they are a better league, I believe the ACC is better prepared for the NCAA tournament type play and officiating. Gonzaga comes from a weak conference but Gonzaga goes out and plays a tough non conference schedule to prepare. I know they are still without a NC but they have not missed a tournament since 1999 2 runner ups and 2 final fours 6 E8s and 14 S16s.
I think we make our first FF this year because of the OCC schedule and the other obvious reasons.
 
ACC could have 4 Sweet 16 teams:

UNC, Duke, NC State, and Clemson

I would say they were a better league

In the tourney it has always been about (1) the matchups, (2) who is hot at a given time and (3) who wants it more.

I think the regular season is a better prediction of how good the teams really are.
 
I don't think they are a better league, I believe the ACC is better prepared for the NCAA tournament type play and officiating. Gonzaga comes from a weak conference but Gonzaga goes out and plays a tough non conference schedule to prepare. I know they are still without a NC but they have not missed a tournament since 1999 2 runner ups and 2 final fours 6 E8s and 14 S16s.
I think we make our first FF this year because of the OCC schedule and the other obvious reasons.

Gonzaga is an elite program with an elite coach. That is why they win in the Tournament.

The ACC has multiple elite programs, more than SEC IMO.

Even going off regular season. UNC beat Tennessee bad, Clemson won at Alabama, NC State almost beat Tennessee, etc. They are a good league.
 
Gonzaga is an elite program with an elite coach. That is why they win in the Tournament.

The ACC has multiple elite programs, more than SEC IMO.

Even going off regular season. UNC beat Tennessee bad, Clemson won at Alabama, NC State almost beat Tennessee, etc. They are a good league.

Nope. TN was destroying UNC in the second half and possibly pulls off the win AT CHAPEL HILL had Knecht not gotten injured.
 
I can’t prove he would’ve, just like you can’t prove he wouldn't have due to the subjective nature of this type of conjecture. What Pearl did for the university and program extends far beyond the product on the court and post-season hardware. He took Tennessee from being a doormat SEC program with little to no fan support, and built them into an annual contender with blue chip talent. He elevated the program from nothing and without his contributions, Barnes likely never even considers this job in the first place.
Some of this isn't true. We we at a lower point basketball wise, but Pearl had an all SEC backcourt when he got the job
 
Gonzaga is an elite program with an elite coach. That is why they win in the Tournament.

The ACC has multiple elite programs, more than SEC IMO.

Even going off regular season. UNC beat Tennessee bad, Clemson won at Alabama, NC State almost beat Tennessee, etc. They are a good league.
When did an 8 point loss on the road become being beat bad?
 
I can’t prove he would’ve, just like you can’t prove he wouldn't have due to the subjective nature of this type of conjecture. What Pearl did for the university and program extends far beyond the product on the court and post-season hardware. He took Tennessee from being a doormat SEC program with little to no fan support, and built them into an annual contender with blue chip talent. He elevated the program from nothing and without his contributions, Barnes likely never even considers this job in the first place.
Yes, no Pearl no Barnes. Everyone forgets the black curtains that were used to hide the upper decks of the basketball arena and the difficulty of maintaining the concessions due to low fan turnout. He was the carnival barker that the program needed at the time, and he filled the arena quickly. His early teams were very entertaining. The last few tears he hurt the program, would have been better if he had left for another job.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BernardKingGOAT

VN Store



Back
Top