When Tennessee was relevant, and part of the story -- moving up and down the Top 10 back in the 90s (and even the early 00s), every Saturday was big time. You'd watch future opponents, check out other big matchups, root for teams ahead of you to be upset, root for games to be closer, others to be blowouts, so the voters would move you up and someone else down. All that sort of thing. Tennessee being basically irrelevant does take a lot of energy out of the equation. Doesn't pay for us to get too hyped. UT has not earned 10 wins in a decade. I used to never miss kickoff. In the last five, six years, I started missing a number of them. Not by much, but hell, when you know you're not going to be competitive, what's the rush?
In addition, the fact that Alabama is enjoying what will probably go down as its most historic streak of success in history also takes a lot of the joy out of it. I hate Alabama. I hate everything about it. I would sooner root for Roman Reigns than I would Alabama -- and I will never root for Roman Reigns. But back to hating on Alabama -- knowing Alabama is *ALWAYS* winning and *ALWAYS* going to Atlanta and *ALWAYS* in the damn playoff just ... it's just boring. Dull as rocks. There's no real controversy. No excitement. Just more of the same. Everyone has their time, I just wish to hell Alabama's time hadn't come during my prime football years. For God's sake.
BUT. That said, there's even more to it. The general overpromotion and marketing of college football by ESPN has also taken a LOT of the joy out of the sport. When Gameday was more genuine, more hardcore, an hour shorter, and dare I say it, a little more Southern, the show often felt like must see TV. Some of that was Tennessee being in the equation. But some of it was also just the general attitude and tone of the show. I suppose someone in their marketing department would bore me to death with explanations about market demographics and advertising. I don't care. They can sellout to the mainstream all they way, their show is a lame ghost of its former self. It was a thousand times better when it was just three guys talking football -- before the overproduced theme songs and the vanilla attitude and revolving door desk and Katy freaking Perry wasting my time on game picks.
Sigh. Which, you know, if Tennessee was 4-0, I guess I'd be okay with just about anything so. Maybe it really does just come down to Tennessee being a big ol' bag of suck for the last ten years.
