What is up with the UT fanbase?

[BeecherVol]

Penalty accepted.

And You received 2 likes from me for your disappointment.

:hi:

You will bounce back. Im sure of it.

 

[Tin Man]

the horse has already been beaten to mush by now lol its incredible really :ermm:

The bones are dust. The only ones who believe there still is a horse are the ones flailing the soil where they think the horse once laid.

 

[MWAVolfan]

I get on here and on the facebook group and it seems like half the fanbase has forgotten what UT football is all about. These are the people who say you are embarrassing if you say anything critical about Jones or the team. I've also seen them rationalize the lack of results with "The SEC is tough" and "Most teams would be happy with an 9-4 record". Have we been in the wilderness so long that people have forgotten that UT is one of the greatest football programs of all time? UT football has won 6 national titles and is at or near the top in a number of categories lncluding bowl appearances and victories and we are only 2nd to Alabama in SEC championships. What's my point? A 9-4 season with losses to Vandy and USCjr would have been seen as very mediocre a decade ago. So why is it ok now? Why are people irrationally defending it? In my opinion, it's a cause for concern. Do we really want to become content with just being mediocre?

A decade ago it got Fulmer fired and was an utter disaster. Unthinkable

 

[QuickSmurf]

Another if we aren't pissed off, being rude, obnoxious etc we are settling for mediocre seasons and have no pride.

 

[Volview]

All fan bases are basically the same...and they really haven't changed that much over the years.
If UT was about to play for it's 2nd NC in two years, UT's fan base would basically act just like Bama's fan base.

 

[Catbone]

Hey VFJ, I have a honest question. You used to be a staunch Butch defender and at some point you flipped. I'm curious to know what was the deciding factor for you - SC or Vandy loss? Something else? Again, honest question, no bait here.

Trying to figure out the same thing fade.

 

[Tin Man]

All fan bases are basically the same...and they really haven't changed that much over the years.
If UT was about to play for it's 2nd NC in two years, UT's fan base would basically act just like Bama's fan base.

Liking Tennessee's fans to Bammers is a Cardinal sin. Unless descent into Hell is your ambition for the hereafter, just don't do it.

 

[JACK8254]

I get on here and on the facebook group and it seems like half the fanbase has forgotten what UT football is all about. These are the people who say you are embarrassing if you say anything critical about Jones or the team. I've also seen them rationalize the lack of results with "The SEC is tough" and "Most teams would be happy with an 9-4 record". Have we been in the wilderness so long that people have forgotten that UT is one of the greatest football programs of all time? UT football has won 6 national titles and is at or near the top in a number of categories lncluding bowl appearances and victories and we are only 2nd to Alabama in SEC championships. What's my point? A 9-4 season with losses to Vandy and USCjr would have been seen as very mediocre a decade ago. So why is it ok now? Why are people irrationally defending it? In my opinion, it's a cause for concern. Do we really want to become content with just being mediocre?[/QUOTReality check= we have won 2 NC s. and nothing since 1998 . Kids today were not even alive when we last won big. All SEC schools minis a couple now have big stadiums and pay coaches a lot. Winning is NOT a birthright at UT> Get real.

 

[Burger]

It's not that we want him to fail. We all want him to succed. We just know we're declining as of this year in performance and recruiting. It's not if he gets fired anymore, it's when he gets fired.
With the game day blunders, the off the field blunders, and hiring blunders, Jones has proven he will never be successful here unless we lower our expectations. Last year was his peak, and the only way to go now is down.

 

[CABVOL]

I get on here and on the facebook group and it seems like half the fanbase has forgotten what UT football is all about. These are the people who say you are embarrassing if you say anything critical about Jones or the team. I've also seen them rationalize the lack of results with "The SEC is tough" and "Most teams would be happy with an 9-4 record". Have we been in the wilderness so long that people have forgotten that UT is one of the greatest football programs of all time? UT football has won 6 national titles and is at or near the top in a number of categories lncluding bowl appearances and victories and we are only 2nd to Alabama in SEC championships. What's my point? A 9-4 season with losses to Vandy and USCjr would have been seen as very mediocre a decade ago. So why is it ok now? Why are people irrationally defending it? In my opinion, it's a cause for concern. Do we really want to become content with just being mediocre?

Legion of Miserables

- Coach Majors

 

[Buster1972]

Should say, "It is claimed."

Claiming the '67 NC is a relatively new thing.

So in the 1967 season UT finished 9th in the final AP poll after a bowl loss to Oklahoma. What poll would have awarded UT the #1 ranking? And I am assuming they did it before the bowls. It must have been one of those years where 12 different teams claimed the championship based on the ridiculous number of polls and their "national champions". Thank God they ended that madness with the start of the BCS era and set up a system to award only one champion.

 

[vol81]

How in the heck can anyone say what Butch's peak will be until after his tenure is over?
That just boggles my mind. In 1998 we were not supposed to compete for an SEC title much less a NC. Then we had a couple bad injuries on top of that. But what happened.
In 1999 and 2001 we were supposed to win it all and didnt even win the SEC.
I know its cliche, but you people need to remember.....IT IS WHY THEY PLAY THE GAMES......Try and find some joy in following the VOLS and keep the crying, whining, and soothsayin stuff to those around you that are willing to listen.........oh wait, maybe that's why you do it here cause nobody will listen in person!!

 

[Burger]

Some of us aren't OK with mediocrity. We believe in exceptionalism. We believe that we aren't average, and we think big. If we think 8-9 wins is OK, then we will only get 8-9 wins. We want to win.

 

[508mikey]

Yes I was. As to if he was: no internet BS, usually limited to radio or day after newspaper that reported news not editorial commentary by the writer. (what was TV ?)

All of which makes the coaches life much tougher these days -- How did you all cope with a Vandy loss ?

 

[vol81]

Some of us aren't OK with mediocrity. We believe in exceptionalism. We believe that we aren't average, and we think big. If we think 8-9 wins is OK, then we will only get 8-9 wins. We want to win.

And the rest of us don't?!?! The whining, complaining, and know-it-all soothsaying on here does absolutely nothing to further your stated goals; in fact, it does the opposite. Negativity breeds negativity.
Exceptionalism in anything requires doing all the little things right, all the time, with pride, effort, intelligence and determination. And in sports, you need a little luck.
I think Butch needs to continue to grow as a coach, but he certainly has the drive and work ethic for his program to be exceptional.
We are in the best place we have been in about a decade. 2017 is a big year. Try and enjoy it Volnation.......

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

NegaVols just sometimes need to be reminded how bad TN got because they chased off Fulmer. Butch came into a mess and you can't wave a magic wand to fix it.

He apparently can't spend countless man hours, sign 4 recruiting classes, hire a million dollar a year defensive coordinator, and fix it either.

 

[ConantheVolbarian]

It is pretty damn ridiculous how some people on here are hoping for our head coach's failure this next year. Yeah, how great that would be to set our program back 3-4 years. If National Championships are y'all's only idea of success then we've been mediocre since '99. 3 straight bowl wins is pretty damn good if you ask me.

I dont want Butch to fail. I want him to succeed because he is the guy in the drivers seat like it or not. I'm just saying he hasnt lived up to expectations yet and has consistently lost games he should have won. Every season has been one step forward and two steps back.

 

[fatal1]

The main problem with Butch is he thinks he does no wrong. He believes his philosophy will work in the SEC when in reality, it came back to haunt him. It might have worked in the Big East but the SEC is a whole different ball game where you have faster and more talented players at each position. You're hired to be a HC at a big time program like Tennessee where expectations are high to make necessary decisions to help your team become better whether it's hiring better coordinators, firing coordinators, changing up the offense/defense.

As of right now, we've seen no hints or indication that Butch will go after a proven OC instead of being "loyal" to his buddies and giving them a chance. Your job is basically on the line! Go out there and hire coaches who know what they're doing. Just hand them the keys and let them do their job and run the offense. Butch doesn't have to be a control freak in order to win. The SEC isn't about making friends, it's about winning.

You're right OP, Tennessee is one of the best football programs in the country with a rich tradition of winning. We have a great supportive fanbase who dedicates their lives to watching Tennessee play football in Neyland Stadium every year. Our expectations now have dropped tremendously. Losing to Vandy & South Carolina wasn't acceptable back in the day but it's like it's no big deal now. If some of our fans are happy with 9-4 seasons and getting to a bowl game every year, that's their preference. It doesn't mean that the rest of us should accept mediocrity.

I appreciate everything Butch has done to get our program back at a respectable level but we've seen all we needed to see that he's not the guy to lead us into the future. After Dooley was fired, he was exactly what we needed at the time but those days are over with now. 2017-2018 season will make or break his future here at Tennessee. If Butch hasn't learned from his mistakes by now then he never will.

to all of you wanting butch fired name me a coach out there that can get the talent he does.is Louisviles coach he losing games that cost them championships.is it the ex Houston coach he also loses games that cost them.name me one coach that can come in here and beat bama on a consistant basis.i know butch isn't perfect but who can do a better job.

 

[BeecherVol]

"Butch! Butch! he's our man, if he can't do it, nobody can!"

 

[Behr]

Watermelon vegetable
Cadillac car,
Negavols ain't as dumb as y'all thank we is.

 

[TNnative]

to all of you wanting butch fired name me a coach out there that can get the talent he does.is Louisviles coach he losing games that cost them championships.is it the ex Houston coach he also loses games that cost them.name me one coach that can come in here and beat bama on a consistant basis.i know butch isn't perfect but who can do a better job.

Right now? I would hope if Butch got fired, somehow outta the blue, Petersen would be available. But that ship has sailed.

 

[AM64]

I get what you're saying. 13 SEC titles is only second to Bama. Jones will get his time. He seems very stubborn, make players fit his system instead of adjust it to fit the players. It's his ship though and he can go down with it , or keep it afloat.

As far as the fanbase is concerned they're all over the map. Some are just fine with mediocrity. Some want titles now, and with Bama in the way probably not going to happen. Firing a coach and restarting is scary too in it's own right. If you do it you have to get the next hire right or we're going to be down a very long time.

What concerns me is if Butch was really shopping himself around then he's not all in.. If your coach is not all in then things usually get messy..

When you look at the SEC HCs other than Saban, only Sumlin, Freeze, and Mullin have been in their positions longer than Jones (Sumlin and Freeze by a single year). A couple of previous coaches retired, but more were forced out - doubtless because they weren't winning it all. That brings up a couple of questions.

Did the SEC's perceived poorer performance vs other conferences stem from coaches with too little time on the job? The time needed to establish a roster with depth and a stable stable of assistants and coordinators.

Were the previous coaches forced out because fan bases were comparing their teams to AL, and were dissatisfied with the comparisons - and for seven of those teams almost one guaranteed yearly loss and no real chance of an SEC or a national championship?

And one further question. How many of you started out perfect in any endeavor you attempted - a job, a hobby, a sport? If you claim you were perfect at a hobby, playing a musical instrument, or a sport and never required practice or experience to make you better - never looked back and realized how inept you may have started; then I suppose you have the right to start the rock flinging, but more likely you are simply a liar.

 

[Cartervol]

When you look at the SEC HCs other than Saban, only Sumlin, Freeze, and Mullin have been in their positions longer than Jones (Sumlin and Freeze by a single year). A couple of previous coaches retired, but more were forced out - doubtless because they weren't winning it all. That brings up a couple of questions.

Did the SEC's perceived poorer performance vs other conferences stem from coaches with too little time on the job? The time needed to establish a roster with depth and a stable stable of assistants and coordinators.

Were the previous coaches forced out because fan bases were comparing their teams to AL, and were dissatisfied with the comparisons - and for seven of those teams almost one guaranteed yearly loss and no real chance of an SEC or a national championship?

And one further question. How many of you started out perfect in any endeavor you attempted - a job, a hobby, a sport? If you claim you were perfect at a hobby, playing a musical instrument, or a sport and never required practice or experience to make you better - never looked back and realized how inept you may have started; then I suppose you have the right to start the rock flinging, but more likely you are simply a liar.

I don't think i threw any rocks or shade Jones's way with my comments.

 

[Cartervol]

When you look at the SEC HCs other than Saban, only Sumlin, Freeze, and Mullin have been in their positions longer than Jones (Sumlin and Freeze by a single year). A couple of previous coaches retired, but more were forced out - doubtless because they weren't winning it all. That brings up a couple of questions.

Did the SEC's perceived poorer performance vs other conferences stem from coaches with too little time on the job? The time needed to establish a roster with depth and a stable stable of assistants and coordinators.

Were the previous coaches forced out because fan bases were comparing their teams to AL, and were dissatisfied with the comparisons - and for seven of those teams almost one guaranteed yearly loss and no real chance of an SEC or a national championship?

And one further question. How many of you started out perfect in any endeavor you attempted - a job, a hobby, a sport? If you claim you were perfect at a hobby, playing a musical instrument, or a sport and never required practice or experience to make you better - never looked back and realized how inept you may have started; then I suppose you have the right to start the rock flinging, but more likely you are simply a liar.

Bama is the benchmark for this conference. They're the team you have to go through..

As far as the SEC versus other conference's it's the QB play, it's subpar in this league. I expect that to change over the next few years. The SEC as a whole still out recruits all the other conferences year end and year out. Talent wise it's still the best..QB not so much..

 

[AM64]

I don't think i threw any rocks or shade Jones's way with my comments.

Sorry, I didn't intend to imply that. The response wasn't really so much disagreement as my thoughts sparked by what you (and others) wrote.