Culture eats strategy for breakfast

[VolInNW]

There are two Tennessee teams out there:

1. The Jones Boys. These are upperclassmen recruited by Jones and who bought into the slapshod approach he took to player development and coaching. No effort needed. Just get by and live on catchphrases and next year. These guys are unreachable at this point by and large. Their culture is set

2. The New Guys. These are Freshmen and transfers brought in by Pruitt. They are ready to play but lack experience and/or familiarity with the system and team. They are also susceptible to adopting Team #1s habits and attitudes.

Pruitt would like to clear out #1 but he’d be left with 30-40 players. Not happening. We are going to have to get through the washing of the Jones culture. It’s gonna take time.

This year is going to be very very long.

 

[volsarelife1]

Yeah that doesn't make too much sense.

Care to explain JG, Tim Jordan, Marquez Callaway.

 

[TJSVOLS]

There are two Tennessee teams out there:

1. The Jones Boys. These are upperclassmen recruited by Jones and who bought into the slapshod approach he took to player development and coaching. No effort needed. Just get by and live on catchphrases and next year. These guys are unreachable at this point by and large. Their culture is set

2. The New Guys. These are Freshmen and transfers brought in by Pruitt. They are ready to play but lack experience and/or familiarity with the system and team. They are also susceptible to adopting Team #1s habits and attitudes.

Pruitt would like to clear out #1 but he’d be left with 30-40 players. Not happening. We are going to have to get through the washing of the Jones culture. It’s gonna take time.

This year is going to be very very long.

Drew Richmond is the poster boy.

 

[nash101]

Sad thing is B*tch had to clean out the Dooley stench but he took a big crap with his infallible nonsense. At least we have an actual football man in charge for a change.

 

[hatingbamaisawayoflife]

Juan Jennings has done less than nothing this year also. I would think him on one side MC on other would be STOUT

 

[VolInNW]

Yeah that doesn't make too much sense.

Care to explain JG, Tim Jordan, Marquez Callaway.

True. I’d lump them with #2 as Jones rebels.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Funny, we get this same pep talk after every coaching change

 

[jonnon111]

Why not be optimistic?

 

[VolInNW]

Not a pep talk. I’m not sold on Pruitt. Just recognizing that Jones not only was a bad game day coach, he instilled a culture like nothing I have seen on a major football team.

If Pruitt was Lombardi-esque he might be able to snap the Jones juniors and Seniors into shape. He isnt.

 

[biggestvols]

Same thing everyone said when Jones took over for Dooley. Same thing everyone said when Kiffin took over for Fulmer. Same ole’ song and dance. Truth is we are a horrible team now. I hope Pruit can turn us around. We’ll see.

 

[biggestvols]

Why not be optimistic?

Because we have sucked for a decade and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[VolInNW]

Same thing everyone said when Jones took over for Dooley. Same thing everyone said when Kiffin took over for Fulmer. Same ole’ song and dance. Truth is we are a horrible team now. I hope Pruit can turn us around. We’ll see.

The difference I see is that the post Fulmer and Dooley teams did not have this ingrained lazy culture I see here. Fulmer stopped coaching and developing but left a team that was coachable for Kiffin. Kiffin wasn’t here long enough to develop a culture. Dooley left a team with a decent work ethic just very little key talent due to odd recruiting patterns.

Jones infected the program with PT Barnumitis. Just smile and say some quip and move on. Same way his upperclassmen by and large approach the game. Hit your guy once and move on. If he falls down or stops, great. If not, oh well.

Pruitt may or may not be able to recruit and coach past this. Time will tell. This year will be painful.

 

[dcm3w]

Juan Jennings has done less than nothing this year also. I would think him on one side MC on other would be STOUT

Um you have to get him the ball first.

 

[Jack Burton]

Why not be optimistic?

It’s hard to be excited about your team likely going 0-8 in the SEC two years in a row.

 

[Alex10]

Funny, we get this same pep talk after every coaching change

You shut your mouth and blindly support this drivel!! And if Pruitt fails and this same rhetoric is rehashed for like the upteenth coach in a row you better jump on that as well!

 

[jonnon111]

It’s hard to be excited about your team likely going 0-8 in the SEC two years in a row.

At least be optimistic for the long term. We are in a bad spot at the moment for sure. But we will get better.

 

[Alex10]

Why not be optimistic?

Because that’s why our program is in the dumpster to begin with? If there weren’t a lot of people willing to take this approach there wouldn’t have been butts in the seats for years now and UT admin would have been forced to actually try and put together a decent product. But they don’t have to spend money to make money because so many people don’t demand anything for their money.

 

[VolInNW]

Sadly this may be our last shot for awhile. If Pruitt fails we are so deeply ingrained as a loser program I wonder if we might be stuck there for decades.

 

[Jack Burton]

At least be optimistic for the long term. We are in a bad spot at the moment for sure. But we will get better.

I’m looking for ANYTHING on the field that will make me feel optimistic for the long term. I thought at least the players would show some fire but I don’t even see that.

 

[OnlyGodForgives]

Rough times in Tallahassee so far today.

 

[jonnon111]

I’m looking for ANYTHING on the field that will make me feel optimistic for the long term. I thought at least the players would show some fire but I don’t even see that.

JG looks way better and actually scrambled. Hope he learns to slide.

We are throwing the ball down the field . . . with 1 on 1 coverage and making some plays. But we throwing it down there.

We have 4 capable running backs. That will only get more valuable as the season goes on.

Are those not SOMETHING to be excited about?

 

[Alex10]

I’m looking for ANYTHING on the field that will make me feel optimistic for the long term. I thought at least the players would show some fire but I don’t even see that.

I’m with you man, your like me you actually need to see some sort of tangible improvement somewhere to really have much hope... In all honesty I really do envy those who can just bury their heads in the sand and just pretend all is going to be great without any sort of reason to believe that, I’m not being sarcastic, I really wish that’s how I operated.

 

[Jack Burton]

JG looks way better and actually scrambled. Hope he learns to slide.

We are throwing the ball down the field . . . with 1 on 1 coverage and making some plays. But we throwing it down there.

We have 4 capable running backs. That will only get more valuable as the season goes on.

Are those not SOMETHING to be excited about?

Sure, JG has been a nice surprise but he won’t have time to throw and our line can’t run block either for those RBs. I’m afraid these improvements get washed out against SEC competition.

 

[Alex10]

Sure, JG has been a nice surprise but he won’t have time to throw and our line can’t run block either for those RBs. I’m afraid these improvements get washed out against SEC competition.

I hope I’m wrong big time but I don’t see anything through these first 3 games that makes me believe we will even be competitive with any sec teams this year, maybe vandy but not feeling to great about that either really.

 

[MaxVolnGA]

i don’t think anyone has been more critical of this team than myself. But I don’t get the continued bad mouthing when they ran for over 300 yards. You’re not going to score 60 doing that. Defense pitched a shutout. Vertical passing game showed signs of life.
I know it’s going to be a long year but can you not at least admit the improvement?
One more thing...JG is the man. Get over the KC bull.