Curt Schilling On Tennessee

[stevenrich2003]

He can go kick rocks.

 

[NEO]

You can be as arrogant as you want if you walk the walk like Ali did in his fights. But if you bat flip etc and then bomb out in the post season people will mock you. This team unfortunately didn’t live up to expectations so they gave people the ability to talk.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm 56 years old and baseball in general is (jmo) BORING. Up until CTV arrived I never watched the bassvols. The guys on this team made this game exciting! They put butts in the seats and gave ESPN a ratings bump compared to previous super regionals. CTV and this team has brought young fans back to the game by making it cool to watch this team. GBO

One thing basebal is not is boring.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Who is Curt Schilling?

He's a hall of fame caliber big league baseball player.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I'm old enough to recall a certain UT All American linebacker calling the Ole Miss Rebels "a bunch of mules" when asked by a reporter if the Rebs had the horses to beat UT that year, who were ranked #2 or 3 in the nation. That Ole Miss team had a certain HOF quarterback who is the father of Peyton And Eli. And they put the comment about mules on their bulletin board.

Final score - Ole Miss 38, TN 0.

Like it or not, everything Schilling said is correct.

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

He's a hall of fame caliber big league baseball player.

@youcancallmeAl Sam I Am is also a MLP...perhaps not hall of fame but still.

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

I'm old enough to recall a certain UT All American linebacker calling the Ole Miss Rebels "a bunch of mules" when asked by a reporter if the Rebs had the horses to beat UT that year, who were ranked #2 or 3 in the nation. That Ole Miss team had a certain HOF quarterback who is the father of Peyton And Eli. And they put the comment about mules on their bulletin board.

Final score - Ole Miss 38, TN 0.

Like it or not, everything Schilling said is correct.

@youcancallmeAl I actually listened to the game on a car radio. Practically ran the battery down. Steve Kiner, Jack (Hacksaw) Reynolds and Jackie Walker were the best linebacking crew (in my opinion) ever assembled. You picked a good game/team for comparison as that football team was a very good Tennessee team.

But in all fairness to Steve Kiner, he was (a young man un-schooled in PR) badgered into his comments by and aggressive reporter setting up a pseudo strawman, in order to get a headline. I'm sure Steve regretted the comments. But if my memory serves me correctly, his comments, although brazen, were pretty spot on. Ole Miss had not performed that well...at that point.

But the point we are all missing is Coach Vitello, other staff members and all of our players...to my knowledge...have never said a disparaging word about any team. Period!

Every college baseball team has a homerun ritual. Notre Dames' was all players assembled to meet the hero, they jumped in the air and screamed boom together, a practice condoned by the NCAA.

 

[UTFanHades]

I'm old enough to recall a certain UT All American linebacker calling the Ole Miss Rebels "a bunch of mules" when asked by a reporter if the Rebs had the horses to beat UT that year, who were ranked #2 or 3 in the nation. That Ole Miss team had a certain HOF quarterback who is the father of Peyton And Eli. And they put the comment about mules on their bulletin board.

Final score - Ole Miss 38, TN 0.

Like it or not, everything Schilling said is correct.

I get it but you never see people throw out instances of a team talking smack and running over others even though it probably happens more than the opposite. Are we forgetting that ND had a player who said UT should be a little scared of them? I guess that bulletin board material didn’t pan out?

 

[hillbilly]

I believe Schilling is right and that it when comes to the playoffs you have to play your best (clean and no mistakes).

 

[nashvillepanther]

He's a hall of fame caliber big league baseball player.

I've chuckled quite hard at the posters in this thread mocking him. He is an all-time great who consistently performed under pressure for years and years. He knows baseball, lol.

 

[Sam I Am]

@youcancallmeAl Sam I Am is also a MLP...perhaps not hall of fame but still.

Yeah, I think he missed my sarcasm. My point was, and is, why would we care what Curt or anyone else says about us? I actually like Curt.

Oh, and if you did not like us this year......just wait for the next two years !! We are not going anywhere.

 

[VollyParton]

I know what this guy is saying, but he's got this team wrong. I don't know if every Vitello team is going to be this way, this out-there, but for this team, they use showboating to up their game and build team unity. It's a tool in their tool belt. They are bonded in such an unusual way for a bunch of arrogant college guys - and none of it is out of meanness. It's a process, and they're getting there. Meanwhile, if UT baseball becomes synonymous with laying a huge orange egg on the big stage, then that's who we are for now, but they're (and we're) having a lot of fun, and getting to some big stages. Haters love to hate us, so the haters are having fun, too. Go Vols, toss that bat

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I get it but you never see people throw out instances of a team talking smack and running over others even though it probably happens more than the opposite.

Good point. To my recollection, our team didn't actually talk smack before running over others. But they sure talked smack on the field during the games. And they ran over everyone except ND all year long. As a Tennessee fan, I didn't mind it. But I would have been livid if I had been a fan of the other team watching Drew flip a bat 20' in the air and scream at the pitcher as he rounded the bases.

Are we forgetting that ND had a player who said UT should be a little scared of them? I guess that bulletin board material didn’t pan out?

Another good point. He got away with that one. Just like we got away with a lot during the season. But Schilling isn't saying payback for disrespecting your opponent is ubiquitous, he's saying that sooner or later it will catch up to you.

 

[BigOrangePaddy]

Thoughts on Curt Schilling’s comments?

Curt Schilling Has a Message For the Hugely Disappointing Tennessee Baseball Team

He just wants views. It's a ridiculous statement. Frank Anderson getting suspended is what cost us that series. Every team is going to give #1 their best... especially in super.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

@youcancallmeAl I actually listened to the game on a car radio. Practically ran the battery down. Steve Kiner, Jack (Hacksaw) Reynolds and Jackie Walker were the best linebacking crew (in my opinion) ever assembled. You picked a good game/team for comparison as that football team was a very good Tennessee team.

But in all fairness to Steve Kiner, he was (a young man un-schooled in PR) badgered into his comments by and aggressive reporter setting up a pseudo strawman, in order to get a headline. I'm sure Steve regretted the comments. But if my memory serves me correctly, his comments, although brazen, were pretty spot on. Ole Miss had not performed that well...at that point.

But the point we are all missing is Coach Vitello, other staff members and all of our players...to my knowledge...have never said a disparaging word about any team. Period!

Every college baseball team has a homerun ritual. Notre Dames' was all players assembled to meet the hero, they jumped in the air and screamed boom together, a practice condoned by the NCAA.

I wouldn't doubt what you say about Kiner and the reporter. That's a good example of why some coaches never let their players talk to the press. And you're right, neither our coaches or players talk smack before a game or after a game. But what goes on during the game is what Schilling is talking about. Bat flips 20' into the air, birds being thrown at opponents as we round the bases, etc. Schilling is saying that publicly and blatantly in-your-face disrespect of your opponent (edit) steels their resolve to pay you back.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

He just wants views. It's a ridiculous statement. Frank Anderson getting suspended is what cost us that series. Every team is going to give #1 their best... especially in super.

What cost us the series is Game 1 when ND came to play immediately and we didn’t.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Yeah, I think he missed my sarcasm. My point was, and is, why would we care what Curt or anyone else says about us? I actually like Curt.

Oh, and if you did not like us this year......just wait for the next two years !! We are not going anywhere.

Yeah, Sam, I didn't miss your sarcasm. My response was sarcastic. I didn't know you were a MLpitcher, but even if I had my response would have been the same. Schilling is as qulaified as anyone and more than just about anyone to speak his mind about all this. From my point of view, I don't really care if UT players flip bats 20' in the air after a home run or run the bases with middle fingers in the air. I'm a fan of theirs no matter - almost - what they do. It doesn't give me the vapors or cause me to slip into virtue signaling mode. But I understand what Schilling is saying: Why give opponents double and triple the incentive to beat you? One, day, it will catch up to you. You may not agree, but it is a legitimate point of view. I happen to agree with him based on my experiences in life.

As for your predictions for the next two years, remember this team was picked about 25-30th before the season began.

 

[JCP201]

What is with all these people lecturing? This is the first time people have been making comments on baseball performance in this area (I live in Georgia) just because I wore a VOLS shirt. They obviously caught attention. Tennessee was fire and exciting. I hope they continue to play with that kind of passion. It was so much fun.

 

[VolPack22]

So Taking a risk in Business isn't allowed? Appx 75% of Business Ventures end in failure....

Not whenever you put ALL of your career earnings into it. I don’t have an issue starting a business but at least be smart enough to put some money back in case it doesn’t work out.

 

[Putbacks]

If Tennessee was not itself, who would you want the players emulate? Missouri? Want to be Missouri baseball? Is there any assurance that we would have made Omaha if we hadn’t flipped birds and bats?

No matter how great Shilling was at the game, he is not the once-and-for-all of this matter. He has never walked a college baseball coach’s cleats.

 

[VolPack22]

I get not taking business advice from him. He does however have 3 World Series championship rings. I'd at least consider his opinion.

Wasn’t it Curt Schilling himself that had many conflicts with teammates and management over the entirety of his career? Not a lot of people liked the guy but he performed well. Being good at your job and being liked do not have to go hand in hand.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

There is no scientific correlation to sportsmanship and performance.

So you are a lady UCONN fan? It has won for them, but they win because they have had the best players money can buy before it became legal. I have much more respect for players/teams who win but also show that they have respect for the game, the team the University, and the team they are beating. I am not very impressed with players who have the " look at me" attitude.

 

[txbo]

Wasn’t it Curt Schilling himself that had many conflicts with teammates and management over the entirety of his career? Not a lot of people liked the guy but he performed well. Being good at your job and being liked do not have to go hand in hand.

Being liked by your teammate is a whole other issue.
The guy has won it all 3 times at the highest level of baseball. I'd consider his advice.

 

[BigOrangePaddy]

What cost us the series is Game 1 when ND came to play immediately and we didn’t.

Yes, but trotting out Burns in the 7th when his fastballs were starting to sail high in the 6th hurt us too.

Also, there should be no excuse for a coach to get himself suspended in our most important series of the year.

ND has some sneaky good pitchers and elite fielding plus baserunning. Will be interesting to see how they fair in the CWS.

 

[Frankie53182]

If ND or anyone for that matter needed UT to help motivate them for an win or go home series... then they werent going to win 2 out of 3.