Here is a thought.
If you are a star player interested in national exposure, TV, highlight videos, etc. Where would you choose to play brtween Oregon or UT.
UT brings:
* east coast time slot
* major media exposure
* relationship with ESPN
* SEC Football
* games week in and week out that affect the national championship picture and rankings
* huge rivalries
* rabid fans
* playing in packed stadiums that seat 100K +/-
Some of this could probably be combined. I was just typing while I thought of things.
Oregon while I am sure is a wonderful school with much to offer brings:
* much less exposure (sorry wheaton and will5 but your time zone kills you)
* a conference dominated year in and out by 1 team
* less passionate fans (as a whole)
Dont think for a moment that this has not been drilled into BBs head by this staff.
just my 2 cents
Amen.
I have another thing to add.. This is from an "outsider" kind of, because I do not currently live in Tennessee, so I'm not around "all things UT" all of the time.
The energy in Knoxville is electric. Generally people in the south are SO much more laid back and friendly. The south is a lot more "family oriented" it feels like too. Family REALLY matters, and that's big to me.
If I am a big time football player I definitely want to go to a place where the fanbase is on board 100%. This is in all sports. Never have I seen a University (and a city) support their sports like I do at Tennessee. There is so much passion here, and that's great. Bruce Pearl paints his chest with his players and cheers on the women's basketball team. That was special. Pat Summit does her cheerleading fiasco before a game. Lane Kiffin shoots free throws at a UT men's game. TBA is ELECTRIC at every home game now, and that's just basketball. I have not seen a school really come close to supporting a University's athletics like Tennessee (maybe a place like Clemson- they are pretty avid sports fans, but their clubs are never really great...and then Florida is good too, but they just want to win. They don't cheer because it's in their blood)
People live football here to the max. Heck, I'm a student at another school and I have not lived in Tennessee for years but I still stay connected. I cannot wait to go to the Orange and White game with my dad this spring to see the Vols play (I'm also going in honor of my mother who went to UT and recently passed away this January at 52). That's the thing though, that is what Tennessee is. It is going to watch the Vol Walk and sing Rocky Top until you are horse. It's the memories of being around 107,000 people dressed in orange and all hyped up to see Eric Berry put a hit on somebody. It's special.
I listened to a certain somebody's radio show who had Nu'keese Richardson (I won't name names), and that really came across to me. He talked about how it was a family atmosphere and he felt really close with everybody, and that he felt he could bring his family around the team and have fun (I think that was him, I believe). He said Tennessee was ON HIS HEART. That is what Knoxville does to you. Tennessee isn't going to be a springboard to the NFL for Nu'keese. It is a once and a lifetime experience. It will be the best 4 years of his life. Nu'keese seems to have a good head on his shoulders and knows what he is talking about. I really hope that the UT coaches are pushing how passionate this fan base and the University of Tennessee is about pushing this football team to be its best and win championships.
I really wish I could just grab Bryce Brown by his collar and shake him up and say this. I hope UT has done enough to wake this kid up to the PASSION that is the University of Tennessee.
Sorry, this was a long post, but I had to say it.