Danielson: TN least ready to win tight games

[KBVol]

I think he's right about the fans. Wrong about the players. I'm unsure about the coaches.

Just look at all the whining and moaning on this site over the summer. All the I'll believe when I see it talk about Florida. All the running away from expectations.

Tennessee fans are not ready to power their team through a close game. Especially Florida as others have mentioned. Our only hope is to blow them out September 24. Because I know if the game is close, the negative energy from the Tennessee fans will cause the players to choke.

Complete BS! You don't think the fans were there vs Oklahoma to "power their team through a close game"?? Complete crap. Even the Sooners said it was the loudest environment they'd ever played in. The atmosphere was crazy and the fans more than held up their end of the bargain. It was the players and coaches who fell short.

Same thing applies to 2014 at home vs Florida when we checkered Neyland fit the first time. It wasn't, not will it ever be this fanbase's fault for the outcome of the game one way or the other.

 

[BruisedOrange]

How exactly do fans impact tight games?

By getting nervous and quiet in those critical moments, sitting on our hands and muttering "uh-oh" instead of getting loud and confident. That doubt--multiplied by 90,000 and focused squarely on the team--only reinforces what the players are trying to dismiss from their minds.

One thing Danielson does know is the mental and attitudinal aspects of the game. He was an NFL QB. He played for a Detroit team which had some good years talent-wise, but always had to get over the hump against some tough divisional rivals--the Packers, Vikings, and Bears.

He finished his career with the Browns during those late-80s heartbreak years, getting into the post-season, then losing last minute shockers to Elway and the Broncos. (remember "The Fumble"?)

Say what you will, but I think Danielson understands better than most the challenge for a team to prove to itself (and its fans) that it can finally succeed where it hasn't.

And as much as I want to see us blow out Florida, Georgia, et.al., if we get to Atlanta and have playoff hopes, our players will need to have proven that they can finish close games.

 

[KBVol]

Crowd noise can hinder an offense from communicating properly. Also it can encourage a defense and it's possible a crowd of 100,000 can trigger an extra adrenaline surge where a diving player can hit the QB's foot and get the sack, rather than just diving at his feet over and over. Get fired up and make a play,

An experienced offense will not be impacted by crowd noise, but who wouldn't get pumped over the crowd going bananas to see a great defensive stop. Maybe it is just another day at the office.

Crowd noise is away to measure the passion of a fan base and that could sway a recruit's decision of which program to join.

1% here or there is all we need. So why down play the possible impact.

And how was the crowd noise last year vs Oklahoma? How about Florida the year before or Georgia the year before that? All those losses the fans' fault?

At the end of the day, it's about how the coaches and players execute on the field, not what the fans are doing in the stands or at home on their couches.

 

[Iam4utalways]

If what you are saying is true then we have a completely inept coaching staff. Can't communicate because of crowd noise? Good grief dude.

No it was another player that told him to go in, but CBJ is where the buck stops. And yes crowd noise can impact communication and execution. Should crowd noise matter? No. But it does. How much? A penalty here, a time out there, not much until it does.

Against Florida it cost us 5 yards and a time out.

Of corse if the player had been coached to pay attention to the game and not to just run out there because some other buster says to, then maybe we could have ran another play to line up in the middle of the field to make the FG attempt easier. He had the distance and kicked it straight, too bad the goal posts aren't as wide as the hash marks.

 

[billford]

I really think you may have a point when it comes to UF. If that game is close at the end, our collective memories of 11 years of heartbreak may make it hard to over come that hurdle in a close game. May need to win comfortably in order to pull that one out.

You guys may be right. I'm thinking its going to be a 3 - 7 point game. In our favor.

 

[Crazy Ivan]

Screw Gary Danielson and his buddy Verne.

Well, to be fair, he did say he believes UT will win the East which must mean he doesn't think we will be involved in too many nailbiters.

As far as Mizzou possibly edging us out for the East? I want some of what Gary is smoking.

 

[Iam4utalways]

And how was the crowd noise last year vs Oklahoma? How about Florida the year before or Georgia the year before that? All those losses the fans' fault?

At the end of the day, it's about how the coaches and players execute on the field, not what the fans are doing in the stands or at home on their couches.

I was at the OK game and our crowd was electric and I don't remember them having an issue with the noise. But I have seen teams have trouble executing simple audibles and personnel changes due to crowd noise. Unfortunately, at times it was our Vols that fell victim to the crowd noise. Should crowd noise be a factor on the field? No. Is it? Yes at times it is a factor. To cause a false start or make them burn a time out, that is crowd noise impacting the game. In the end it may not matter to a hill of beans, but any little bit could matter.

 

[Crazy Ivan]

He was answering a question, so I'll pose the same to you and everyone here insulting that pick. Who is the dark horse to win the East this year? Pundits are split between UT, UGA, and UF so you can't pick one of them and have it still be a "dark horse". So do you pick Vandy, UK, SCAR, or Mizzou?

Pundits aren't that split as UT is the overwhelming odds on favorite, so UGA or UF could either be darkhorses.

IMO, if the other 4 could be considered darkhorses, it would be to somehow finish 3rd rather than 4th-7th.

 

[KBVol]

I was at the OK game and our crowd was electric and I don't remember them having an issue with the noise. But I have seen teams have trouble executing simple audibles and personnel changes due to crowd noise. Unfortunately, at times it was our Vols that fell victim to the crowd noise. Should crowd noise be a factor on the field? No. Is it? Yes at times it is a factor. To cause a false start or make them burn a time out, that is crowd noise impacting the game. In the end it may not matter to a hill of beans, but any little bit could matter.

If our players actually fell victim to our home crowd noise, that's 100% on the players and coaches

It certainly isn't on our fans who showed up ready 1000% to cheer on and do everything they could to support and encourage our team. The idea that our fans aren't an overwhelmingly net positive for the team or is somehow "not ready to win" is utterly asinine.

 

[The Crimson Cried]

Dude I really stretch myself to see others' viewpoints, but Missouri to win the East is just lunacy at its finest. The only thing I can think of is that he just wanted to make a splash statement. There is absolutely no logical basis for it. Really makes me question how much legitimate research he does about the teams whose games he calls.

 

[UT-Rex]

How does a tn fan train to make sure the team wins in tight games?

I am serious....

How the hell Gary do I need to prepare?

I think he means this:

seeing that BG converts only 3/3 4th down conversions on your team in the first game of the season, you train yourself to know the Coord will resolve it; so that OU converts only 1/2, in that by the time the FL game roles around you're sufficiently prepared to know that by no possible way could FL ever actually convert 5/5 with the final one being 4th and 14 for a game winning TD with 1:26 remaining (after FL's twice being down x 13, not to mention the repeated TO's).

There's obviously no evidence for even slight fan hesitancy in these type big games lately, in his opinion.

A 6-game win streak + Stoop does make me a bit more confident going in to this season.

 

[Other_Guy]

Danielson is a good analyst but Mizzu will suck.

 

[Iam4utalways]

If our players actually fell victim to our home crowd noise, that's 100% on the players and coaches

It certainly isn't on our fans who showed up ready 1000% to cheer on and do everything they could to support and encourage our team. The idea that our fans aren't an overwhelmingly net positive for the team or is somehow "not ready to win" is utterly asinine.

My bad I was referring to an away game that our players seemed unprepared for crowd noise. That is on CBJ.

So what's the purpose of crowd noise? If not to disrupt their offense and encourage our defense.

 

[WildTurkey]

Pretty sure in the interview Danielson said he thinks UT gets to Atlanta. He just said he thinks there's a mental hump the Vols have to get over to get there. Not a stretch.

As for Mizzou, he picked them as a darkhorse, under the radar team that could surprise. Good defense and improved QB play - again not a stretch.

Methinks the folks ranting ITT did not bother to read the article.

 

[NeverWe'llSever]

This coming from the guy who doesn't even believe in momentum. The guy is a good analyst but he knows it and wants to make sure you and everyone else knows it, too.

 

[08Vol]

If what you are saying is true then we have a completely inept coaching staff. Can't communicate because of crowd noise? Good grief dude.

Just a reminder of how that game ended. 1st down to Kamara at the UF 44 with 50 seconds and 1 timeout, clock stops to set the chains. 11 seconds run off the clock before it is snapped at 39 seconds. 1st down Dobbs is pressured and tries to run it, gets stripped and tackled inbounds at the 36 with 29 seconds. Officials stop the clock to set the ball where it was fumbled then it starts running again. UT thinks Dobbs was out of bounds so no sense of urgency. 2nd & 2 snap at 16 seconds, low pass to Wolf for 4 yards, clock is stopped at 10 sec to set chains for 1st down. Ruled inbounds so clock starts when chains are set. Clock runs 7 seconds before the snap and spike. During that time a player ran onto the field after everyone was set causing the penalty.

So in the final 47 seconds before the kick this team moved 12 yards forward, then 5 back. There was no sense of urgency at all. They were more concerned with getting a 1st down than moving the ball downfield to set up the field goal. You can blame the players but personally I think it is the coach's job to have his offense ready to run a competent 2 minute drill. 31 seconds, that is how long there was between the ball being set and the snap on 3 plays. That is unacceptable.

 

[peppervol]

I didn't know our fans immaturity cost us a 2 TD lead vs Oklahoma and Arky......wow

It didn't. That cluster---- was a great part of CBJ's maturation process, painful as it was to watch....

 

[DougVol]

I think he's right about the fans. Wrong about the players. I'm unsure about the coaches.

Just look at all the whining and moaning on this site over the summer. All the I'll believe when I see it talk about Florida. All the running away from expectations.

Tennessee fans are not ready to power their team through a close game. Especially Florida as others have mentioned. Our only hope is to blow them out September 24. Because I know if the game is close, the negative energy from the Tennessee fans will cause the players to choke.

On the other hand of crazy, C Cowherd put us in the final four. It's gonna be a crazy year, politics included.

 

[08Vol]

Dude I really stretch myself to see others' viewpoints, but Missouri to win the East is just lunacy at its finest. The only thing I can think of is that he just wanted to make a splash statement. There is absolutely no logical basis for it. Really makes me question how much legitimate research he does about the teams whose games he calls.

He was asked for a dark horse pick, so no UT (the favorite) or UF (the defending champion) or UGA (the most talented team). When sports writers make their dark horse pick it is a "well if 20 things go exactly right then yea, they could pull it off" kind of pick. There was no right answer when his options were Mizzou, UK, Vandy, and SCAR

 

[Tin Man]

I interpret damn's take on Tennessee to be attributable to the depths to which the program sunk under Hamilton's ill-advised tenure as Director of Men's Athletics. Mismanagement and the financial consequences of it limited options for UTK's new AD. [To this day, I lament that Joan Cronan didn't want the job.]

By the end of Dooley's stint, Tennessee HC was not a desirable job for the top shelf among the ranks (derailed program, distressed department finances, despondent fan base...). Hart made a smart hire with Butch Jones. He truly wanted the job and burns with desire to build a long term legacy of success at Tennessee. However, Jones and his original core staff had never coached at the P5 level.

So, ******mit, um, Gary Danielson opines that
1. Butch may have done a good job restocking the program and rebuilding brick by brick the Volunteers' connection to history, pride, and mojo, but, other than owning SoCar and last year's home win over UGA, his teams have yet to demonstrate their ability to go toe-to-toe with top-tier SEC teams. Fair or not, dropping 3 games last season in which the Vols had leads into the 3rd quarter is at his feet. The other new-to-the-P5 SEC coach managed to win 10 games with a flawed team. Yep. damn's got enough ammo to wear down any objection to the "least ready" label he's pinning on Butch.
2. After Kiffin and Dooley, the Volunteers were bereft of just about everything. The team Butch inherited had to relearn and rebuild. Each year's team has shown improvement, but, again, Team 119's 3 key losses point to the assertion that the program is "least ready" to win the close ones. It is upon Team 120 to prove this wrong.
3. After the double-you-tee-eff of Kiffin, Tennessee fans were driven to despair during Dooley's stewardship (Doubt me? 11/26/11 loss to UK. How did you feel?). Tennessee resorted to an invitation to preview your seats appeal to stop the hemorrhaging of season ticket holders prior to the 2013 season. Though we've returned to fill the seats and boost the TV ratings, our connection the the Vols winning tradition is still tenuous. How many on VN expect losses to UF, Bama, another SEC opponent, and/or the Hokies this season? Yeah, damn has plenty of nits to pick in wearing down objection to his labeling us "least ready."

All that said, may Danielson pull a hammy climbing the stairs and fall embarrassingly on live national TV. May Verne be overhead chuckling at this.

Go Vols!

 

[Skullbone]

Every time I read his name I can't help but think of The Karate Kid. Daniel Son. Anyways, everybody knows Daniel Son is not a Tennessee fan. I think he might cry on tv if we beat Bama and Georgia.

 

[508mikey]

What about Missouri fans ? Did you notice the half empty stadium for Pinkels finale ?

 

[Remy]

If our players actually fell victim to our home crowd noise, that's 100% on the players and coaches

It certainly isn't on our fans who showed up ready 1000% to cheer on and do everything they could to support and encourage our team. The idea that our fans aren't an overwhelmingly net positive for the team or is somehow "not ready to win" is utterly asinine.

Agreed KB in total. Danielson must have gotten a burr under his saddle for somebody at UT, for a professional commentator to come out with that kind of comment is spectacularly dumb UNLESS you are trying to insult the fan base. I personally think that's what he was trying to do and he was successful at it. What motivated it? I have no clue but it was extremely insulting.

 

[bigsteve13]

Incredibly stupid. Missouri will be trash and everyone seems to forget we pulled out two close games at the end of last season (UGA, Mizzou)

 

[photovol]

It didn't. That cluster---- was a great part of CBJ's maturation process, painful as it was to watch....

Butch was learning on the job last year, but received journeyman's pay

How much did Butch learn last year, might be the better question, no?