Vol464
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- Dec 5, 2012
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I'm starving for a dominant program. Starving lol. The 06 and 07 Tennessee teams are really the only good teams I've been able to see. 2016 had its moments, but it ended up being a steaming pile of dog hockey.NEVER, not one single day that they were here, and that includes the days they were hired. Now, did I support them, absolutely...right up to the point where I could no longer. But, to answer your question, no. This is why I just now joined VolNation, because I'm fully bought into Fulmer and Pruitt; and the last 8 years, I really had nothing good or positive to say about the direction the program was heading.
I now understand you guys that "like to keep it real" a little bit better. If you are young, like Chief, you guys have no idea what a dominate UT program looks like, just like my nephew's. I hate that for them, and for you all. Because some of us has witnessed it, in those days, we NEVER would have said UT was going to lose to anybody. It had nothing to do with "keeping it real".
Yes, a lot of the things that you and Chief and some of the others have said are dead on, you just won't ever hear me say them, especially tripping over myself like some of you, just to shove it down everyone's throats. I understand now, it's just a different generation of fan. I'll give you an example: last year I was working up north with a bunch of Bama fans. They asked me my prediction of the UT-Bama game. Yes, I kept it real in my own head, but I will take an ass kicking before I ever say aloud Bama, or ANYONE, is going to beat us. I prefer to stay silent. Did I think we could beat WV, absolutely...I was wrong. But even if I thought WV would win, I'd never feel proud (like it seems some do) to say it.
I've been reading you guys since Sat. As I said, I now understand better the differences between the ones who have experienced it, and those that haven't. To those in their early 20's, imo, except for 2001, it has been mostly failure after failure, so I can understand the need to push and push our shortcomings, it's all you've ever really seen.
If we ever do turn it around, and you guys get to experience UT as a top 5-7 program, you all will understand where some of us are coming from, if those that come after you are maybe saying the same things, if we fall again.
I am assuming VT's D line players were not as highly ranked coming in out of high school as ours, and they are getting stupid push and penetration on Fl St..... Almost hanging out in the backfield... Good example of what a good coach/staff can do to develop the talent they have...
That 2015 team could have, and probably should have, gone to the playoffs. We were up 17-0 on Oklahoma at half time and I thought, "This is it. This is really it. We're back." And it should have been it, but we went out to find a way to lose in double-overtime. Then I got to watch as Will Grier threw a game-winning touchdown on 4th and 14 to beat us 28-27, being up only 27-21 because our coach said his chart said to go for one when it's 26-14 with under ten minutes left in the fourth quarter. I still remember sinking into my seat and saying, "Wow, this really is it, but in the exact opposite way I thought two weeks ago. This is it as in our program will never really recover."I'm starving for a dominant program. Starving lol. The 06 and 07 Tennessee teams are really the only good teams I've been able to see. 2016 had its moments, but it ended up being a steaming pile of dog hockey.
Also, if Butch was coaching Fl St tonight (ha ha very funny) they would have rolled over and died by now... FL St not giving up and fighting back... they have the no quit, no give up mindset that we don't seem to have ...
said this to a few of my fsu buddies. whew they were pissed. looks like it right now.
I get that. And honestly I don't think JG has to play great every game. He just has to not have costly turnovers and manage the game for us to improve from last year. Which he did in this game so I'm not slamming him. I'm hoping Z06 VolinWV is right that their D is much improved.Played QB. Hard to see everything with so much crap coming at you. He will do even better. Is growing. Pleased with him.
got time. definitely but I dont have faith in him. would have hated the hire if we made itWe'll see. He did a reasonable job making WKU respectable. Didn't get to see enough of his work at Oregon. It's just the first game and he's going up against someone in Fuente who is pretty widely acknowledged to be a very good coach.
Its like I said, Chief...after I saw your age, I understood a little bit better...its really what got me to thinking about it a little bit more. I know you guys are starving for it...I want it so badly for my 3 nephews, to experience what I and their dads did in the mid to late 80's, the 90's, into the early 2000's.I'm starving for a dominant program. Starving lol. The 06 and 07 Tennessee teams are really the only good teams I've been able to see. 2016 had its moments, but it ended up being a steaming pile of dog hockey.
Pruitt brought a better staff and has seen the best competition on the field and recruiting trail. I'd take Pruitt over Taggart any day. it's not even close.I don't think I'd have been stoked, but I imagine I would have felt similar to how I felt about Pruitt: "Meh. We'll see. At least it's not Kevin Steele."
I'm one of the more "seasoned" posters on this board. I sold cokes in Neyland as a teenager in the 70's primarily to get in the gates. I've been a fan since I knew what football was.NEVER, not one single day that they were here, and that includes the days they were hired. Now, did I support them, absolutely...right up to the point where I could no longer. But, to answer your question, no. This is why I just now joined VolNation, because I'm fully bought into Fulmer and Pruitt; and the last 8 years, I really had nothing good or positive to say about the direction the program was heading.
I now understand you guys that "like to keep it real" a little bit better. If you are young, like Chief, you guys have no idea what a dominate UT program looks like, just like my nephew's. I hate that for them, and for you all. Because some of us has witnessed it, in those days, we NEVER would have said UT was going to lose to anybody. It had nothing to do with "keeping it real".
Yes, a lot of the things that you and Chief and some of the others have said are dead on, you just won't ever hear me say them, especially tripping over myself like some of you, just to shove it down everyone's throats. I understand now, it's just a different generation of fan. I'll give you an example: last year I was working up north with a bunch of Bama fans. They asked me my prediction of the UT-Bama game. Yes, I kept it real in my own head, but I will take an ass kicking before I ever say aloud Bama, or ANYONE, is going to beat us. I prefer to stay silent. Did I think we could beat WV, absolutely...I was wrong. But even if I thought WV would win, I'd never feel proud (like it seems some do) to say it.
I've been reading you guys since Sat. As I said, I now understand better the differences between the ones who have experienced it, and those that haven't. To those in their early 20's, imo, except for 2001, it has been mostly failure after failure, so I can understand the need to push and push our shortcomings, it's all you've ever really seen.
If we ever do turn it around, and you guys get to experience UT as a top 5-7 program, you all will understand where some of us are coming from, if those that come after you are maybe saying the same things, if we fall again.
I'm one of the more "seasoned" posters on this board. I sold cokes in Neyland as a teenager in the 70's primarily to get in the gates. I've been a fan since I knew what football was.
Having said that, I know some people . Some people that give very large sums of money to the program. Part of my cynicism is because I'm privy to some of the stuff that goes on behind closed doors. While I love Coach Fulmer and completely support him the university doesn't really have the fans interest at heart when it comes to decisions. We are where we are because of a couple of things. Back in the early 2000's a decision was made to place the athletic department underneath the UTK chancellor thereby losing it's autonomy. What this did was change the goal of the UTAD from winning to a cash cow. This combined with the new revenue sources made the common ticket buying fan less relavent. We as fans have less influence over our program than ever before. That's why we have been shopping at the dollar general store for our coaches because it was cheaper to pay a coach for four years then his buyout than spend the major money on a huge hire. Now, I agree that other factors have made it hard for us to hire a nationally prominent coach and the longer we go as an irrelevant program the harder it goes. I think Phil would have liked to have hired an established power five head coach but he was behind the eightball. That is not an indictment of Jeremy Pruitt. It says more about the state of our program. The coup that took place last fall while was good but it was one battle in the war. Lots of powerful people with lots of money are vying for control, I'm sure you know who I'm referring to somewhat. That's why I'm very skeptical of anything that the university does. The university has continuously taken advantage of fan loyalty and quite frankly, they're out of free passes from me.
Coach Pruitt may be the best coach we've had since Neyland himself, I don't know. I think Phil will give him everything within his power to make that happen. But, it is a huge undertaking that many would fail at. We better hope and pray that he's a world beater because some in power over there would love to see him fail to advance their own agenda. Thus, this is why I said "i'm not sure he's ready for a job this big". Nothing to do with his ability as a coach. I've seen nothing from him that says he can't do the job but after seeing the lack of players on this roster, his task is even bigger than I thought.
I applaud you and others for your steadfast support. Please don't crucify mean for taking a wait and see approach.