Question for you old timers

#76
#76
Mose Phillip's Watch said:
Do you think Tn would have keep Bill Battle as head coach if Johnny Majors wasn't so successful at Pitt ? His record wasn't that bad

Just a little before my time
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i


NOPE... it impacted what the replacement plan was, but not whether one would be needed. Good man, bad coach, at least for our job. Even at that he was a better replacement for Dickey than the path we followed after firing CPF. He did not embarrass the program in ways those guys have. i am HOPEFUL that our new guy can dig us out of the hole we are now in., but it is a deep hole with an undefined bottom till the NCAA stuff is over. They can make the sides of the hole more like a deep U than a shallow V if it goes badly.
 
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#77
#77
the program was slipping as many have said above, and I remember rumblings about BB when the big wins were no more
and the quantity of wins were getting lower - and I remember the Moving Van hint sent to his home
 
#78
#78
greenbacknative said:
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Dang John, these look square to me...
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And Those don't look like official helmets from the 70's, either. Toy ?
 
#80
#80
Mose Phillip's Watch said:
He sold his company for $100,000,000
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WOW; he was certainly well connected! Selling Sports Equipment; as I recall?? HOW do you jump into that business and make it worth 100Mil? CONNECTIONS. IOW Politics as usual. "It isn't what you know, but who you know." Anyways, Old Bill didn't get all that $$$$ himself.
 
#81
#81
ArdentVol said:
which call are you referring to
only thing i can remember was going down to field in press box elevator and we heard a huge roar
when we entered the press box, bama writers were in pissy mood
then i got out and looked at scoreboard and watch stevd b's dad hand out those damn cigars
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I was referring to the previous post about the 4th down on the 19 call---BB going for it . The bama game post was in response to that original post.
 
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#82
#82
thanks
dont remember georgia game
the bama game was one of my most miserable experience as sportwriter working in alabama
life became easier when i moved on to and e ACC beat and "worked" as a golf writer --- PGA stops were a blast in those days

@JohnWardForever
 
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#84
#84
wmcovol said:
Record wise, you are correct. Battle, thou, took over a Mercedes and turn it into a Kia. Majors took over a Kia and turned it into a Lexus (not a Mercedes but damn good)

Battle high moments ended by year 3. Majors didn’t really start until year 5 (1982 win over Bama)
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I guess. You could always count on winning a big game you didn't have circled as a W and also losing (or tieing) a game the Vols had no business not winning. I remember the odd years being really good and the even years being very mediocre throughout Majors regime.

Starting in 1982 (to be fair), 6-5-1, 9-3, 7-4-1, 9-1-2, 7-5, 10-2-1, 5-6, 11-1, 9-2-2 (which was an underachieving 1990), 9-3.
 
#85
#85
jim pique said:
Woodridge was an opionated,bigot who loved his old number7a little too much.Kicked am29 year.old.javelin thrower named Bill Skinner off the track team because he wouldn 't shave his mustache.Also tried to run off a IT running back because the girl he was dating,Woodruff thought she was white.He ran the show back then.
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Explain Condredge Holloway then.
 
#86
#86
I was a freshman in 1970, Battle's first year. Just seemed too young for the job. As to his money, he founded the first college licensing company around 1980 or 81, and sold it to IMG in the mid 2000's.

Re the 1972 AL game mentioned above, with under 3 minutes to go we were ahead 10-3 when AL scored. Learned from a former AL player that the players were pissed when Bear went for the tie. They kicked off to us, Holloway fumbles inside the 20, AL scores on next play. Final 17-10.
 
#87
#87
ArdentVol said:
thanks
dont remember georgia game
the bama game was one of my most miserable experience as sportwriter working in alabama
life became easier when i moved on to and e ACC beat and "worked" as a golf writer --- PGA stops were a blast in those days

@JohnWardForever
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Congrats on the Sportswriting Career! I used to read everything I could back then, subscribed to SI, the Chat Times & Mobile Press. There were some decent writers back then.
 
#88
#88
TNREADER said:
I was a freshman in 1970, Battle's first year. Just seemed too young for the job. As to his money, he founded the first college licensing company around 1980 or 81, and sold it to IMG in the mid 2000's.

Re the 1972 AL game mentioned above, with under 3 minutes to go we were ahead 10-3 when AL scored. Learned from a former AL player that the players were pissed when Bear went for the tie. They kicked off to us, Holloway fumbles inside the 20, AL scores on next play. Final 17-10.
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Those lucky bastards.
 
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#89
#89
JohnWardForever said:
Congrats on the Sportswriting Career! I used to read everything I could back then, subscribed to SI, the Chat Times & Mobile Press. There were some decent writers back then.
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impossible tostick with it and raise a family-- shifted to reporting and editing around 1980
best day of 2000s was when when i got out of journalism
grew up reading tom siler and marvin west
 
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#91
#91
Mose Phillip's Watch said:
Do you think Tn would have keep Bill Battle as head coach if Johnny Majors wasn't so successful at Pitt ? His record wasn't that bad

Just a little before my time
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lot of people wanted Majors instead of Battle and Majors would have kept going with the success Dickey had built. It was not so much what JM did at Pitt, he was wanted and it was obvious the program was in a free fall. Majors got a program in worse shape than any coach hired since then. We will see over the next few years if that remains true because things are not good right now. Heupel may have a worse program than JTM had. JMO
 
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#99
#99
LWSVOL said:
lot of people wanted Majors instead of Battle and Majors would have kept going with the success Dickey had built. It was not so much what JM did at Pitt, he was wanted and it was obvious the program was in a free fall. Majors got a program in worse shape than any coach hired since then. We will see over the next few years if that remains true because things are not good right now. Heupel may have a worse program than JTM had. JMO
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Depth wise; Maybe. But there is some top talent on this Tennessee team. Could be interesting.
 
#100
#100
TNREADER said:
I was a freshman in 1970, Battle's first year. Just seemed too young for the job. As to his money, he founded the first college licensing company around 1980 or 81, and sold it to IMG in the mid 2000's.

Re the 1972 AL game mentioned above, with under 3 minutes to go we were ahead 10-3 when AL scored. Learned from a former AL player that the players were pissed when Bear went for the tie. They kicked off to us, Holloway fumbles inside the 20, AL scores on next play. Final 17-10.
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dont remind me i am an old-timer
 
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