Jake, they really are doing it (accepting mediocrity), and it is because (in a lot of cases) they never lived or were too young to, or just can't remember when fans expected Tennessee to win EVERY game. When our boys didn't win, it was heartbreaking and we all hurt.
I don't know if is they don't care or just have no frame of reference, but when we have a loss, especially in a game we should have won, it would do my heart good to see more people actually upset about that.
I also get that we now live in a society of participation trophies and moral victories, but this old school guy here just hasn't accepted that way of thinking.
i'm old enough to remember. but i'm also smart enough to know what this program has been thru the past 8 years and where we are today is light years from where we were after the 2012. rudderless, captainless ship, w/no direction or hope.
i think this has nothing to do with participation trophies or new vs. old school.
this has everything to do with having the ability to understand where we are today has nothing to do with what happened 20 years ago, and 20 years ago is not the measuring stick this group of Volunteers should be measured against, at least as it relates to a single season.
in other words, it does no good to say that because we won 10 games every year in the late 90's i'm not going to accept NOT winning 10 games now.
with no regard or respect for how we happened to get where we are now.
we sucked out loud for a pretty good stint over the last decade.
you don't go from a perennial 5-7 team to play off contender in a year or two (spare me the jim mclewain comparison, FL wasn't a perennial 5-7 team, and they didn't have 5-7 talent).
i will still contend that with what CBJ had to work with when he set foot on campus, to what they are today, should not go unnoticed or unacknowledged.
we are though, now to that point where it is reasonable to expect a 10 win season...a legit shot at beating FL and Bama again....this team is now that good. it looks like this program is in full on rebuilding mode.
it's completely realistic to believe, expect, want.....whatever you want to put in here....that we can beat FL, can beat AL and can win 10+ games....
and that if we don't, that all that hurt you talk about is now real again. it was real again in 15.
it does not , however, mean that it's time to reboot the whole program again if we lose those games and only win 9 in 2016.
and that doesn't mean i'm accepting mediocrity. that's a ludicrous statement.
for those of you out there that "aren't going to accept mediocrity"...then you need to put your money where your mouth is....because as fans, the only thing you can do to "not accept mediocrity" is some form of the following, but not limited to:
1. cancel your dish network subscription
2. don't buy any TN gear
3. Cancel ESPN and SEC Network
4. Don't even think about buying season tickets or single game tickets.
5. don't donate to the VASF.
6. contribute in no way to anything that positively impacts the athletic or football programs financially.
and if enough of you start doing this, then you're officially "not accepting mediocrity".
coming on VN and just stating "i'm not going to accept mediocrity", well, just doesn't really matter.
i'm happy with 8-4. not because it's the "new standard" at ut. but because when you go 5-7 for frickin 4 years in a row, it feels good not to suck out loud.:thumbsup:
