OldTimer’s Dugout - Off Topic Thread

#142,177
#142,177
taylorvol said:
Super VFLs = played their entire D1 careers at TN and earned a degree. Examples: Kirby Connell, Trey Lipscomb, Zander Sechrist, etc.

VFLs = played their entire D1 careers at TN until they were drafted by MLB. Examples: Drew Gilbert, Aaron Combs, Drew Beam, Jared Dickey, Christian Moore, Jordan Beck, Cal Stark, etc. NOTE: should they complete their degrees at UT, they are migrated to Super VFLs.

Honorary VFLs = completed their undergraduate degrees elsewhere but received Graduate degree or graduate coursework at UT: Example Griffin Merritt
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If Kirby and Zander were first round talents you best believe they would’ve left for MLB. Nothing would have prevented them from getting their degree. Trey was forced to wait behind a very good Jake Rucker at 3B and then shined in his one lone season as the starter, otherwise Trey would have left for MLB early. I don’t think it’s fair to prop those guys on a higher pedestal whenever their situations weren’t like the other guys you mentioned.
 
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#142,180
#142,180
VolPack22 said:
I view a VFL as someone that started and finished their career at Tennessee. The only exception to the rule for me is Dalton Knecht being a SEC POY, would have been National POY and gotten to a Final 4 any other year, plus he was not highly recruited out of high school and had to go to a smaller school. If he had his choice I’m sure he would have been at Tennessee his entire career. You have to do something extraordinary like winning SEC POY and be one of the top vote getters for National POY for me to give someone VFL status as a one year player.
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DK was special for ONE season. I view him as a great contributor in his one year here but when I think of Basketball VFL I'm going Bernie,Ernie,Lofton,C.J. Black and others who spent their entire college years here. If some consider DK a VFL ,cool but it doesn't fit the criteria I believe is needed. It's not like he was the first ever Tennessee basketball player to win SEC POY. Hell Grant won back to back ..
 
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#142,181
#142,181
VolPack22 said:
If Kirby and Zander were first round talents you best believe they would’ve left for MLB. Nothing would have prevented them from getting their degree. Trey was forced to wait behind a very good Jake Rucker at 3B and then shined in his one lone season as the starter, otherwise Trey would have left for MLB early. I don’t think it’s fair to prop those guys on a higher pedestal whenever their situations weren’t like the other guys you mentioned.
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Actually I agree with @taylorvol . There's different levels to the VFL status .
 
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#142,182
#142,182
knoxvol52 said:
The VFL discussion going on in a different thread is interesting. Shouldn't a VFL be a player who committed to Tennessee and stayed their whole entire Collegiate Career here ? These one year mercenaries that we're bringing in every year in all Major Sports and hanging out for one season shouldn't be considered a VFL. Even though they are great players and helped the teams immediately win how does that 6 months worth of loyalty turn into a four year career here.
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I don't think of "VFL" as a conferred title, but as a choice by the individual.

I'm sure we've had 4-year grads who didn't have a good experience at UT, don't support UT, and cheer for some other team in their adulthood.

But there are many more who consider themselves VFLs by conversion. We probably have VFLs who played for another school but sent their kids to Tennessee, and now prefer to consider themselves Vols and lifelong members of the UT family.


Now, that said, we probably do need some kind of cleansing ritual for those requesting conversion from Florida, ...or ESPN.

🕯️⚰️🕳️📿🚿 > 🍊
 
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#142,183
#142,183
BruisedOrange said:
View attachment 750912I'd have to taste 'em to know what to pair them with, depending on the dry rub's flavor.

But I DO know that if I dumped those two blobs of starch my belly'd have room for twice as many ribs and more drink-of-choice!
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Don't forget the paper towel roll you'll need after a meal like that.
 
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#142,184
#142,184
BruisedOrange said:
I don't think of "VFL" as a conferred title, but as a choice by the individual.

I'm sure we've had 4-year grads who didn't have a good experience at UT, don't support UT, and cheer for some other team in their adulthood.

But there are many more who consider themselves VFLs by conversion. We probably have VFLs who played for another school but sent their kids to Tennessee, and now prefer to consider themselves Vols and lifelong members of the UT family.


Now, that said, we probably do need some kind of cleansing ritual for those requesting conversion from Florida, ...or ESPN.

🕯️⚰️🕳️📿🚿 > 🍊
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Do you consider Dane Bradshaw a VFL? I know of a few that says no... Not referring to myself either.
 
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#142,185
#142,185
A VFL, in my view, plays for and finishes with the Vols. Once he becomes a Vol, he remains a Vol and is thus a VFL. And if he plays pro ball, he plays and represents as a former Vol, boosting our brand and recruiting. A player who transfers to Tennessee chooses Tennessee, and if he finishes here (whether using all of his eligibility or leaving early for pro ball), he is a VFL just like the others. A player who transfers out is not a VFL. Let him be like Burns "a former Vol." It's a contradiction for a Vol for life to have become by his own choosing something (non-pro) other than a Vol.

So I say Hendon Hooker and Bru McCoy, Liam Doyle and Andrew Fischer, and Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier are all VLFs.

Chase Burns was one of my faves. And I was so excited to see him and the whole team play in person one weekend (Supers 2023). An unforgetable experience. But Burns gave up his VFL status when he chose another college team over the Vols after that season. Anything else is a contradiction in terms. I don't "hate" the guy. The only thing I really hated was Burns ruining my favorite Vols baseball gif 😂, which was Burns' throat slash from game 3 of that super regional. Burns' MLB debut did bring it all up again for me (and I guess for a lot of people), but I didn't and don't hate him. I just didn't really feel like rooting for him. I felt pretty much indifferent. So I went about my day and cheered for VFLs CMo and Crochet. I do hate Wake. Hating Wake has been great fun, watching them lose two years in a row in the post season.

The only former Vol I have ever hated is To'o To'o and he fully deserves it for seeking and receiving special permission (it wasn't even legal, but it was OK for Bama :rolleyes:) to transfer intra conference to our hated rival Bama. But that sort of worked itself out on the third Saturday of October, 2022. I got to see Toot literally get pushed around all day in Neyland, and end up literally crying to his mama. Good times.

I do have special affection for players who started and played their entire career at Tennessee. But it doesn't make them more a VFL than the ones who chose the Vols as a transfer. It does make them special to fans and most fans.
 
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#142,186
#142,186
W.TN.Orange Blood said:
Don't forget the paper towel roll you'll need after a meal like that.
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My first time eating at Dreamland, when the lady came to the table with that stacked plate of sauced ribs, and then plopped down that roll of paper towels... I knew I was experiencing fine dining in Alabama.
 
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#142,187
#142,187
Orange. said:
A VFL, in my view, plays for and finishes with the Vols. Once he becomes a Vol, he remains a Vol and is thus a VFL. And if he plays pro ball, he plays and represents as a former Vol, boosting our brand and recruiting. A player who transfers to Tennessee chooses Tennessee, and if he finishes here, he is a VFL just like the others. A player who transfers out is not a VFL. Let him be like Burns a former Vols. It's a contradiction for a Vol for life to have become by his own choosing something (non-pro) other than a Vol.

So I say Hendon Hooker and Bru McCoy, Liam Doyle and Andrew Fischer, and Dalton Knecht and Chaz Lanier are all VLFs.

Chase Burns was one of my faves. And I was so excited to see him and the whole team play in person one weekend (Supers 2023). An unforgetable experience. But Burns gave up his VFL status when he chose another college team over the Vols after that season. Anything else is a contradiction in terms. I don't "hate" the guy. The only thing I really hated was Burns ruining my favorite Vols baseball gif 😂, which was Burns' throat slash from game 3 of that super regional. Burns' MLB debut did bring it all up again for me (and I guess for a lot of people), but I didn't and don't hate him. I just didn't really feel like rooting for him. I felt pretty much indifferent. So I went about my day and cheered for VFLs CMo and Crochet. I do hate Wake. Hating Wake has been great fun, watching them lose two years in a row in the post season.

The only former Vol I have ever hated is To'o To'o and he fully deserves it for seeking and receiving special permission (it wasn't even legal, but it was OK for Bama :rolleyes:) to transfer intra conference to our hated rival Bama. But that sort of worked itself out on the third Saturday of October, 2022. I got to see Toot literally get pushed around all day in Neyland, and end up literally crying to his mama. Good times.

I do have special affection for players who started and played their entire career at Tennessee. But it doesn't make them more a VFL that the ones who chose the Vols as a transfer. It does make them special to fans and most fans.
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Everyone can have different views on the VFL status. We all aren't going to agree and none of us are going to be wrong either. It is ,what it is ..
 
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#142,188
#142,188
BruisedOrange said:
My first time eating at Dreamland, when the lady came to the table with that stacked plate of sauced ribs, and then plopped down that roll of paper towels... I knew I was experiencing fine dining in Alabama.
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I've heard about that place ever since the 1980s when the Vols were playing Alabama.
The announcers on TV were saying how the players would go to Dreamland and chow
down on a big plate of BBQ ribs. I've been wanting to go there ever since. I still do.
 
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#142,189
#142,189
knoxvol52 said:
Actually I agree with @taylorvol . There's different levels to the VFL status .
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You missed my point, if those guys were first round talents like the other guys they definitely would’ve jumped have left early. Their situations aren’t like the others and can’t be compared. You’re either a Vol For Life or you aren’t. Getting drafted in the 1st round shouldn’t diminish that. Does anyone view Eric Berry any less as a VFL all because he only played 3 years then got drafted 5th overall?
 
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#142,193
#142,193
knoxvol52 said:
Everyone can have different views on the VFL status. We all aren't going to agree and none of us are going to be wrong either. It is ,what it is ..
Click to expand...
Yeah. The main thing, anyway, is from the player's perspective. If he always identifies as a Vol and reps the Vols, whether in a pro league or just in coming back to Knoxville and cheering on our new guys, that's what being a VFL is all about. Being a VFL for them is continuing to be part of the on-going living, breathing tradition, and trying to enjoy and contribute to that in whatever way they can. That is good for them, good for the young players, and great for the fans.
 
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#142,194
#142,194
Orange. said:
Yeah. The main thing, anyway, is from the player's perspective. If he always identifies as a Vol and reps the Vols, whether in a pro league or just coming back to Knoxville and cheering on our new guys, that's what being a VFL is all about. Being a VFL for them is continuing to part of the on-going tradition and trying to contribute to that in whatever way they can. That is good for them, good for the young players, and great for the fans.
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I don’t think Chase Burns will be getting any invites to watch a game at LNS anytime soon so that marks him off the list 🤣
 
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#142,196
#142,196
BruisedOrange said:
My first time eating at Dreamland, when the lady came to the table with that stacked plate of sauced ribs, and then plopped down that roll of paper towels... I knew I was experiencing fine dining in Alabama.
Click to expand...
I stopped somewhere coming back from Florida on vacation to get lunch. And it was a BBQ place. The waitress who takes the order at the counter would holler back to the workers to include a towel for people to wipe our faces with. 🤣
 
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