Rucker: Open Door Policy Benefits Vols, Fans

#1
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GoBigOrangeVols

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#1
Great read from Wes Rucker. Probably his best ever.

Rucker: Open-door policy benefits Vols basketball, fans

If you want to know how Barnes and his staff took a roster full of mid-tier prospects and turned them into one of the nation’s best teams, you just have to watch them practice.

Few in media want to admit this, but I will: If I knew as much about these sports as the men coaching them, I’d be coaching them and making a lot more money. But I wouldn’t know how to coach these teams. I wouldn’t know how to manage that much testosterone and that many egos in one locker room. I wouldn't even begin to know how to conform to every ridiculous NCAA rule.

I know more than enough to tell you what makes this Tennessee team better than the sum of its parts, though. It’s the way this team competes every second of every day. It’s the way all the players — from the stars to the walk-ons — are treated the same and held to the same standard.
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#2
#2
Thanks for posting...REALLY good read. Excited for basketball season. Know this isn't football forum, but shows the value of having the right guy and letting him do his thing. There were plenty who said Barnes was just taking a soft landing into retirement by taking the UT job. That's clearly not the case, and I couldn't be more proud of what he's doing at UT!!! So glad we have him.
 
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#3
#3
GoBigOrangeVols said:
Great read from Wes Rucker. Probably his best ever.

Rucker: Open-door policy benefits Vols basketball, fans
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This makes it official for me: Rucker is hands-down the best beat writer covering the Vols. Hooker used to be very good but has lost some of his edge and isn't nearly as talented a writer as Rucker. Patrick Brown is good but seems to not be as close to the program as he once was.

Rucker is a great writer whose nose is in the program. Sometimes, but not always, he writes about the things that I want to read about. He could write for SI or any sports-reporting outlet that traffics in written words.
 
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#4
#4
DenmarkVol said:
This makes it official for me: Rucker is hands-down the best beat writer covering the Vols. Hooker used to be very good but has lost some of his edge and isn't nearly as talented a writer as Rucker. Patrick Brown is good but seems to not be as close to the program as he once was.

Rucker is a great writer whose nose is in the program. Sometimes, but not always, he writes about the things that I want to read about. He could write for SI or any sports-reporting outlet that traffics in written words.
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Rucker has matured and his writing and coverage is starting to reflect that.
 
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#5
#5
Must admit I was skeptical about Barnes the first couple of years, however, as far as coaching he is the real deal. I can't imagine any coach I would rather have leading our basketball program. He's a breath of fresh air in a sport filled with cheaters and liars. Looking forward to a special season!
 
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#6
#6
gotta like what's happening in Vol basketball, no doubt, but Coach Barnes has still got to continually pull in more talent, like Burns, to take this program to a NCAA championship team...his contract extension runs through '24 and I'll be pulling for him to get us there...it should be another great year, though, and,

GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#7
#7
Pardon a pet peeve.

As many switched from newspapers to the internet for their sports fix, a new kind of journalist emerged. The kind that never had a curmudgeon for an editor that wouldn't tolerate excessive wordiness. With only so many column inches available, you made 'em count.

I agree that Rucker does some good work. I linked to this same story earlier within another thread.

But as one of those crusty curmudgeons who was once a sports writer and editor, I chafe when I read a story overflowing with superfluous fluff to the detriment of quality content and great wordsmithing.

Rucker and other writers with unlimited space to fill would benefit by expelling all hot air before hitting the first key.
 
#8
#8
musolfmj said:
Pardon a pet peeve.

As many switched from newspapers to the internet for their sports fix, a new kind of journalist emerged. The kind that never had a curmudgeon for an editor that wouldn't tolerate excessive wordiness. With only so many column inches available, you made 'em count.

I agree that Rucker does some good work. I linked to this same story earlier within another thread.

But as one of those crusty curmudgeons who was once a sports writer and editor, I chafe when I read a story overflowing with superfluous fluff to the detriment of quality content and great wordsmithing.

Rucker and other writers with unlimited space to fill would benefit by expelling all hot air before hitting the first key.
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As a former sports writer and editor I enjoy reading Rucker but back in the newspaper day, I would have made him pair down this article's wordiness to fit the page and column space allocated.
See what I did there?👍
 
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#10
#10
If there's an open door policy, have to wonder why they wait til October to give any info at all. The slim pickins is what leads to all the personality clashes in the off season, hence hurt feelings and disappearances. JMO
 
#13
#13
VEKZY said:
After reading it a couple times I think he is referring to personality clashes within the bball forum and Ziti leaving.
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I know he hasn't posted for a while, but did Ziti just quit us? Too bad, if true.
 
#15
#15
Does anyone happen to know if Coach Barnes has open practices to fans? One of my favorite perks of the Pearl years was open practices. I probably got to see over 50 of them during his time here.
 
#16
#16
bag12day said:
As a former sports writer and editor I enjoy reading Rucker but back in the newspaper day, I would have made him pair down this article's wordiness to fit the page and column space allocated.
See what I did there?👍
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Misused the word pair when you should have used pare?
 
#17
#17
Pepe said:
Misused the word pair when you should have used pare?
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LOL You can't answer a question with a question unless you are my wife or Mom, both of whom have elevated that to art. Yeah I realized it and never cared enough to change it after musolfmj ( the poster I was poking) liked my humor.
And the accent over the E in Pepe' is where? Step up yo game stinky! GBO!
 
#18
#18
bag12day said:
LOL You can't answer a question with a question unless you are my wife or Mom, both of whom have elevated that to art. Yeah I realized it and never cared enough to change it after musolfmj ( the poster I was poking) liked my humor.
And the accent over the E in Pepe' is where? Step up yo game stinky! GBO!
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So you're one of those that can dish it out but can't take it?
 
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#20
#20
Pepe said:
So you're one of those that can dish it out but can't take it?
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Was gonna send a PM but... I was gonna add Ive been without Power from the Hurricane and cutting trees since Thursday, little sleep, no way to get to my business but managed to get the generator going for a few hours and watch my Vols pull off a turning point win. Feel very fortunate to not be in the same place as the poor folks in the panhandle so if my blue font "dish it AND take it" meter was broke its with some reason.
 
#21
#21
yall need to read Ubben at the athletic and then tell me if you still think Rucker is a great writer smh
 
#22
#22
Yeah, not to rain on everyone's parade, but just because this article is sweet and fluffy, it doesn't mean it's some journalistic masterpiece. Rucker has a long way to go to get to the decent tier imo. Give me some real critical analysis, then we can talk.
 
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