Despite My Best Efforts....I'm Starting to Believe Again. Dammit!

#1
VolInNW

VolInNW

Trapped in PAC 12 Country
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Sep 17, 2017
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#1
OK....I have turned my GAF knob back to the low single digits when it comes to Tennessee football. It has made the games easy to watch, or miss for that matter, with mild disappointment when we lose, and decent levels of happiness with a win.

When Heupel was hired, I was less than blown away. In fact, I turned the GAF knob back a level and figured I'd settle into another slow burn debacle, albeit without Paycheck Phil looking self-satisfied with incompetence and Slingblade McGump murdering the English language with a sneer. I was happy that Heupel seemed to be a mellow guy, well-spoken, and from all accounts honest and ethical.

As the season progressed, I found myself beginning to care again, despite myself. I liked the offense, and was impressed how Heupel and his staff were able to create a spirited team from the Island of Misfit Toys they inherited. The Purdue debacle brough me back down a few notches, and I was convinced we had a good coach, a very decent and solid man, and likely a shot at mediocrity (7-5 or so) for the foreseeable future. I just didn't see Heupel as a recruiter, and it seemed like the University and boosters were thoroughly confused and outclassed in the NIL area.

I do NOT want to put too much stock in a single recruit, but how Nico's recruitment has gone down, and the coordinated effort by all hands to land him here has me actually dialing the knob back up a bit. Heupel has consistently surprised and impressed me, and this has done nothing but continue that. He may be a much better recruiter than I thought. If Nico is in fact the QB the Athletic story was about, then the boosters and AD have quickly figured this system out and are moving forward.

I have hope again. I am starting to believe we can possibly compete with and beat Bama, UF, and other relevant schools in the future. Dammit. Just hope that Cup Check Moment #4,239 isn't headed down the pike at us.
 
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#5
#5
We’ll need to go 9-3 before I’m fully invested again.

That gives CJH the chance to lose to all three big rivals each season. I don’t think that’s asking too much. His recruiting indicates better results. Fingers crossed.
 
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#6
#6
Elhanan said:
We’ll need to go 9-3 before I’m fully invested again.

That gives CJH the chance to lose to all three big rivals each season. I don’t think that’s asking too much. His recruiting indicates better results. Fingers crossed.
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If not for 3 ATROCIOUS calls last year, we'd have won 10 right off the bat.
 
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#12
#12
Nico is the big fish we've been needing for a long long time. A legit 5 star QB changes the perception of a program and he instantly becomes our biggest recruiter. There will be more big fish coming you can bet on that. Top 5 classes might become the new norm for us. We haven't had momentum like this is a long LONG time
 
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#13
#13
dduncan4163 said:
It's okay to believe. The NIL is the best thing that could have happened to us. Our program has deep pockets and we can compete with the TAMUs of the world.
Click to expand...

My ONLY concern there is that this may give the Haslams a way back into power, and their ability to screw up a sports program, college or professional, is, frankly, awe-inspiring.
 
#16
#16
VolInNW said:
OK....I have turned my GAF knob back to the low single digits when it comes to Tennessee football. It has made the games easy to watch, or miss for that matter, with mild disappointment when we lose, and decent levels of happiness with a win.

When Heupel was hired, I was less than blown away. In fact, I turned the GAF knob back a level and figured I'd settle into another slow burn debacle, albeit without Paycheck Phil looking self-satisfied with incompetence and Slingblade McGump murdering the English language with a sneer. I was happy that Heupel seemed to be a mellow guy, well-spoken, and from all accounts honest and ethical.

As the season progressed, I found myself beginning to care again, despite myself. I liked the offense, and was impressed how Heupel and his staff were able to create a spirited team from the Island of Misfit Toys they inherited. The Purdue debacle brough me back down a few notches, and I was convinced we had a good coach, a very decent and solid man, and likely a shot at mediocrity (7-5 or so) for the foreseeable future. I just didn't see Heupel as a recruiter, and it seemed like the University and boosters were thoroughly confused and outclassed in the NIL area.

I do NOT want to put too much stock in a single recruit, but how Nico's recruitment has gone down, and the coordinated effort by all hands to land him here has me actually dialing the knob back up a bit. Heupel has consistently surprised and impressed me, and this has done nothing but continue that. He may be a much better recruiter than I thought. If Nico is in fact the QB the Athletic story was about, then the boosters and AD have quickly figured this system out and are moving forward.

I have hope again. I am starting to believe we can possibly compete with and beat Bama, UF, and other relevant schools in the future. Dammit. Just hope that Cup Check Moment #4,239 isn't headed down the pike at us.
Click to expand...
welcome back... now tear off the knob and stick around.
 
#18
#18
VolInNW said:
OK....I have turned my GAF knob back to the low single digits when it comes to Tennessee football. It has made the games easy to watch, or miss for that matter, with mild disappointment when we lose, and decent levels of happiness with a win.

When Heupel was hired, I was less than blown away. In fact, I turned the GAF knob back a level and figured I'd settle into another slow burn debacle, albeit without Paycheck Phil looking self-satisfied with incompetence and Slingblade McGump murdering the English language with a sneer. I was happy that Heupel seemed to be a mellow guy, well-spoken, and from all accounts honest and ethical.

As the season progressed, I found myself beginning to care again, despite myself. I liked the offense, and was impressed how Heupel and his staff were able to create a spirited team from the Island of Misfit Toys they inherited. The Purdue debacle brough me back down a few notches, and I was convinced we had a good coach, a very decent and solid man, and likely a shot at mediocrity (7-5 or so) for the foreseeable future. I just didn't see Heupel as a recruiter, and it seemed like the University and boosters were thoroughly confused and outclassed in the NIL area.

I do NOT want to put too much stock in a single recruit, but how Nico's recruitment has gone down, and the coordinated effort by all hands to land him here has me actually dialing the knob back up a bit. Heupel has consistently surprised and impressed me, and this has done nothing but continue that. He may be a much better recruiter than I thought. If Nico is in fact the QB the Athletic story was about, then the boosters and AD have quickly figured this system out and are moving forward.

I have hope again. I am starting to believe we can possibly compete with and beat Bama, UF, and other relevant schools in the future. Dammit. Just hope that Cup Check Moment #4,239 isn't headed down the pike at us.
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Good post... other than the Purdue part. I'm not entirely sure how getting hosed on that TD falls on Heupel. Purdue's team was the product of a 5 year building effort by a pretty good HC... someone I wanted to see at UT. So not all that surprising that he would field a competitive team... against those Misfit Toys. He chose and developed his guys.
 
#19
#19
dduncan4163 said:
Nico is the big fish we've been needing for a long long time. A legit 5 star QB changes the perception of a program and he instantly becomes our biggest recruiter. There will be more big fish coming you can bet on that. Top 5 classes might become the new norm for us. We haven't had momentum like this is a long LONG time
Click to expand...
Remains to be seen if he can perform to a 5 star rating in this league. As you pointed out, he might be a pied piper like Peyton and bring along some other really good players. We really need him to have the intangibles great qbs possess. Guys like Manning and Clausen were strong leaders who were intense competitors. What drives Nico? Does he get spoiled by the money? Does he come across as a team first or me first type? Gonna take more than a strong arm to take this program to being competitive with bama and uga.
 
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#20
#20
CAVPUT said:
Remains to be seen if he can perform to a 5 star rating in this league. As you pointed out, he might be a pied piper like Peyton and bring along some other really good players. We really need him to have the intangibles great qbs possess. Guys like Manning and Clausen were strong leaders who were intense competitors. What drives Nico? Does he get spoiled by the money? Does he come across as a team first or me first type? Gonna take more than a strong arm to take this program to being competitive with bama and uga.
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Best post of the thread award!
 
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#22
#22
The Nico news is fantastic. Let's hope we can hang on to that commitment until he's signed on the dotted line.
Would not be surprised to see other bigger nil offers come into play.
 
#24
#24
CAVPUT said:
Remains to be seen if he can perform to a 5 star rating in this league. As you pointed out, he might be a pied piper like Peyton and bring along some other really good players. We really need him to have the intangibles great qbs possess. Guys like Manning and Clausen were strong leaders who were intense competitors. What drives Nico? Does he get spoiled by the money? Does he come across as a team first or me first type? Gonna take more than a strong arm to take this program to being competitive with bama and uga.
Click to expand...
The answer to that question is that this coaching staff wanted him very, very much.

This crew will not screw around with the culture they've established already. Character and player-coach relationships are the true foundation of this program, and what differentiates us from the BamaGawjaFlordas of the SEC.
 
#25
#25
VolInNW said:
OK....I have turned my GAF knob back to the low single digits when it comes to Tennessee football. It has made the games easy to watch, or miss for that matter, with mild disappointment when we lose, and decent levels of happiness with a win.

When Heupel was hired, I was less than blown away. In fact, I turned the GAF knob back a level and figured I'd settle into another slow burn debacle, albeit without Paycheck Phil looking self-satisfied with incompetence and Slingblade McGump murdering the English language with a sneer. I was happy that Heupel seemed to be a mellow guy, well-spoken, and from all accounts honest and ethical.

As the season progressed, I found myself beginning to care again, despite myself. I liked the offense, and was impressed how Heupel and his staff were able to create a spirited team from the Island of Misfit Toys they inherited. The Purdue debacle brough me back down a few notches, and I was convinced we had a good coach, a very decent and solid man, and likely a shot at mediocrity (7-5 or so) for the foreseeable future. I just didn't see Heupel as a recruiter, and it seemed like the University and boosters were thoroughly confused and outclassed in the NIL area.

I do NOT want to put too much stock in a single recruit, but how Nico's recruitment has gone down, and the coordinated effort by all hands to land him here has me actually dialing the knob back up a bit. Heupel has consistently surprised and impressed me, and this has done nothing but continue that. He may be a much better recruiter than I thought. If Nico is in fact the QB the Athletic story was about, then the boosters and AD have quickly figured this system out and are moving forward.

I have hope again. I am starting to believe we can possibly compete with and beat Bama, UF, and other relevant schools in the future. Dammit. Just hope that Cup Check Moment #4,239 isn't headed down the pike at us.
Click to expand...

Oh bless your heart, Karen.

pop-art-illustration-drama-queen-t-shirt-print-portrait-crying-girl-94658340.jpg
 
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