Dump Bama

[VolunteerNut]

Until something has been done for the first time, no one's done it. There's always a trailblazer.

Our goal is a return to dominance, right? This is where it happens. TSIO against Bama, plus the Florida and Georgia games. This is how we get back to the top.

Not by running away.

82, you are one of the best posters on this board and we seem to share like opinions and views. I always enjoy your posts, What kills me is our fan base wants to run away from competition instead of correcting the problem and taking it head on. I guess some won't be happy until we move to conf USA.

 

[TNnative]

Let's be the ones who make him retire.

From what? Golf?

 

[sjt18]

All of that is a bunch of bull.

For Tennessee, playing them isn’t about fairness or balance or any of that other hooey that I’m not going to debate.

Playing Alabama is about the fact that you hate them, they hate you, and your season ain’t the same without playing one another.

Talk about a bunch of "bull"...

 

[VolunteerNut]

From what? Golf?

I've heard Vandy is looking for fans or maybe you might want to put on the crimson. A defeatist attitude is not what our fan base needs. Reminds me of a general in world war II that when the Germans demanded his battalion surrender his reply was"Nuts". We need that same resolve. JMHO!

 

[sjt18]

Eliminating the UT/Gump annual game does nothing to create equity.

Right. UGA playing Auburn who on average will not field as good of a team as Bama... or UF playing LSU who likewise has never been as consistently good as Bama... doesn't create any inequity at all, right?

On the flip side, TAM gets an advantage in playing USCe every year. When Bama eventually fades, that advantage will matter to the rest of the West.

Nowhere have I denied that UT is responsible for its own competitiveness. But this allegiance to "tradition" above all else... is stupid. Traditions come into being because they make sense... and all of them at some point will no longer make sense though people hang onto them due to some emotional attachment. This isn't the college football of 50 years ago. Those are great memories... but they aren't the current reality.

 

[Dudleys87]

For some, yes. Others just think permanent cross division opponents are goofy. If they rotate everyone in a 9 game schedule, we’ll see everybody every 2-3 years anyway.

Getting better only happens when you play talent. I’d rather have some sort of measuring stick than a bunch of teams we already know we could beat.

We’re not Clemson.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

82, you are one of the best posters on this board and we seem to share like opinions and views. I always enjoy your posts, What kills me is our fan base wants to run away from competition instead of correcting the problem and taking it head on. I guess some won't be happy until we move to conf USA.

Yah, man.

I do honestly believe, though, that what we see on these boards is badly skewed by the incredible number of trolls from other fan bases pretending to be Vols fans. There are dozens or scores of them. And they're all just gonna be the most mealy-mouthed, self-defeating "Vols" they can be. They're what make this place such a sewer of negativity.

Don't get me wrong, there are some true Vols fans who are real Eeyores. But, if you take away the trolls, I'm betting they're a small minority. We Tennessee fans are generally far better than that. I mean, we're the Volunteer state for a reason; it's in our DNA. We're fighters.

Go Vols!

p.s. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Illinoisvolfan2]

Speaking of Bama, did anyone see the CBS preseason all SEC team picks? They have Henry T as a 1st team LB. All 3 LBs were Bama.
It will tell volumes about our previous coaching staff if this actually happens.

 

[TNnative]

I've heard Vandy is looking for fans or maybe you might want to put on the crimson. A defeatist attitude is not what our fan base needs. Reminds me of a general in world war II that when the Germans demanded his battalion surrender his reply was"Nuts". We need that same resolve. JMHO!

Relax, nutjob. I was just replying to another nutjob suggesting we will retire Saban. But if you are going to invoke Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, by Damn, use his name.

As to Vandy or Bama logo's? No Thanks. Due to Duluth Trading, my closet is getting a bit overloaded. And if Vandy wants fans? WalMart may have some on sale.

 

[CardsNVols]

Since 2008, Tennessee is 5-31 vs Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU, and Texas A&M.

I used those schools because they are the other perceived power schools in the league.

That's the point. TN f***ing sucks. Why on earth are they even still playing Bama every year.

I could understand the point if this was just a 3-5 year blip, but it ain't. TN is working on 2 decades of garbage while Bama is working on a 20-year dynasty. The programs are not equal anymore, which was one of the biggest determinants of the initial cross-division rivalries.

 

[hog88]

Right. UGA playing Auburn who on average will not field as good of a team as Bama... or UF playing LSU who likewise has never been as consistently good as Bama... doesn't create any inequity at all, right?

On the flip side, TAM gets an advantage in playing USCe every year. When Bama eventually fades, that advantage will matter to the rest of the West.

Nowhere have I denied that UT is responsible for its own competitiveness. But this allegiance to "tradition" above all else... is stupid. Traditions come into being because they make sense... and all of them at some point will no longer make sense though people hang onto them due to some emotional attachment. This isn't the college football of 50 years ago. Those are great memories... but they aren't the current reality.

Life isn’t fair we just need to get better.

 

[VolunteerNut]

From what? Golf?

Yah, man.

I do honestly believe, though, that what we see on these boards is badly skewed by the incredible number of trolls from other fan bases pretending to be Vols fans. There are dozens or scores of them. And they're all just gonna be the most mealy-mouthed, self-defeating "Vols" they can be. They're what make this place such a sewer of negativity.

Don't get me wrong, there are some true Vols fans who are real Eeyores. But, if you take away the trolls, I'm betting they're a small minority. We Tennessee fans are generally far better than that. I mean, we're the Volunteer state for a reason; it's in our DNA. We're fighters.

Go Vols!

p.s. Thanks for the kind words.

That's a valid point. Trolls are a problem and a sad problem at that. Blows my mind that other fan bases would come on here to spew their trash and try and divide our fan base and the only conclusion is they're scared. They knew what we were and what we can be again. I'm proud to be a Volunteer and if anyone wants to ask about our resolve just ask Texas about at a little place called the Alamo. You are spot on and as fighters growing up when I would lose a fight the next time I saw them I'd either lose again our fight them till I took the fight out of them. This let's give up attitude kills me. Not in my DNA.

 

[VolunteerNut]

Relax, nutjob. I was just replying to another nutjob suggesting we will retire Saban. But if you are going to invoke Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, by Damn, use his name.

As to Vandy or Bama logo's? No Thanks. Due to Duluth Trading, my closet is getting a bit overloaded. And if Vandy wants fans? WalMart may have some on sale.

First off the personal attacks of calling me a nutjob is unwarranted and as far as calling 82 a nutjob is super uncalled for. One of the best posters on the board. And the reason I didn't name him was irrelevant because I made a point. Now don't insinuate my lack of military knowledge having served in the 101st at Campbell 3rd Bat Attack and you left out his full name which was Gen. Anthony Clement McAuliffe"Old Crock", and I could have placed Nuts in because he was forever more known for the comment. He was a legend at Campbell,

The Walmart comment was funny and I'll give you that.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

That's a valid point. Trolls are a problem and a sad problem at that. Blows my mind that other fan bases would come on here to spew their trash and try and divide our fan base and the only conclusion is they're scared. They knew what we were and what we can be again. I'm proud to be a Volunteer and if anyone wants to ask about our resolve just ask Texas about at a little place called the Alamo. You are spot on and as fighters growing up when I would lose a fight the next time I saw them I'd either lose again our fight them till I took the fight out of them. This let's give up attitude kills me. Not in my DNA.

Saturdays Down South website has some pretty sh^tty trolls as well....

 

[OrangeTsar]

Gotta be a Bama fan…..

 

[DuckInAPen]

I would normally agree with you but that tradition has not gotten TN anywhere near a SEC title, little lone a SEC Championship or playoff berth in the last 16 years. Which coach since Fulmer has been a Tier one capable coach like Saban, Fisher or Smart, that came here due to our long lasting traditions with existing rivals and beat them consistently? Which Recruiting class brought Tennessee back to relevancy on the field since Fulmer?

My contention is not that our tradition is by itself a sufficient condition for success, but that it supports all three things that you identified above as conditions for success:

1) Our fan support and donor base and the money they generate exist because of our tradition (it's been a long time since there's been a bandwagon for anybody to jump on).

2) Though we haven't recruited at a championship level, we've recruited at a level much higher than is justified by our recent on-field success and the caliber of our coaching, and that's because of our tradition.

3) Our hiring decisions have indeed been disastrous, and it remains to be seen what Heupel can or can't do, but I submit that he has much more promise than any head coach we've had since Kiffin, and it's because of our tradition that, despite the pending NCAA investigation and our frequent losing seasons, we weren't relegated to hiring a coach with much less experience and potential.

Our tradition isn't why we've been losing, and we'll lose even more abysmally if we abandon it.

 

[MWAVolfan]

In 1992 for some reason I imagined it was gonna be us vs Bama every year in the SECCG. Worried it would take away from the appeal and mystic of the third Saturday in October.
I couldn’t have been more wrong, never faced them once in the 29 years.

The laws of physics and the universe will not allow Tennessee and Alabama to be good at the same time.

 

[nlovu]

Nick Saban will eventually give it up, he is 69 years old. Many of you guys don’t remember how many times it took for bama to get the right guy as head coach before they hired Saban. When Saban retires they will return to being very beatable.

Having a superconference may persuade Dabo to take the Bama job after Saban. Or, it may do the opposite and persuade him to stay in an easier league.

 

[DERELICK_MY_VOLS]

Well…..

Since Saban came to Alabama Florida has 1 win and a 7 game losing streak since that win. That one win was in 2007 which was Saban’s second season at Bama. That was the Tebow, Harvin, Hernandez roster Gators.

Since Saban came to Alabama Georgia has one win going all the way back to 2007 Saban’s first season at Bama. Since that game they are 0-6 against Saban. That win had Stafford at QB and Moreno at RB.

It would be a thing of beauty to see Florida and Georgia get beat year after year after year by Alabama. They could finally get a taste of adding that automatic loss to their season before it starts.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

My contention is not that our tradition is by itself a sufficient condition for success, but that it supports all three things that you identified above as conditions for success:

1) Our fan support and donor base and the money they generate exist because of our tradition (it's been a long time since there's been a bandwagon for anybody to jump on).

2) Though we haven't recruited at a championship level, we've recruited at a level much higher than is justified by our recent on-field success and the caliber of our coaching, and that's because of our tradition.

3) Our hiring decisions have indeed been disastrous, and it remains to be seen what Heupel can or can't do, but I submit that he has much more promise than any head coach we've had since Kiffin, and it's because of our tradition that, despite the pending NCAA investigation and our frequent losing seasons, we weren't relegated to hiring a coach with much less experience and potential.

Our tradition isn't why we've been losing, and we'll lose even more abysmally if we abandon it.

Good points, thank you for explaining in detail. If the SEC moves to 16 teams which seems very likely, I do not think it is feasible to have a yearly traditonal rival unless they are in same division. But who knows how they pull this off.

 

[DuckInAPen]

Good points, thank you for explaining in detail. If the SEC moves to 16 teams which seems very likely, I do not think it is feasible to have a yearly traditonal rival unless they are in same division. But who knows how they pull this off.

My hope (based on nothing but my own preference) is that the greater part of the SEC of my youth would be grouped together in a new eastern division, preserving all our current rivalries, restoring the rivalry with Auburn, and leaving out only Ole Miss. If the conference is divided into pods, however, I fear we'll lose more of these games that I look forward to watching every year (both for the historical significance of the rivalries and the way the games reconnect me cyclically with my own past).

 

[DiderotsGhost]

No way we're dumping Bama. They are moving to the East.

The only thing that will change is now all of our SEC East rivals will also have to play Bama annually.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

Life isn’t fair we just need to get better.

. How long does getting better take ? Alot of us on here might not have that long on this earth to wait

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

No way we're dumping Bama. They are moving to the East.

The only thing that will change is now all of our SEC Eas rivals will also have to play Bama annually.

. The new division alignment is far from being finalized.

 

[BigOrangeAl 1979]

Well…..

Since Saban came to Alabama Florida has 1 win and a 7 game losing streak since that win. That one win was in 2007 which was Saban’s second season at Bama. That was the Tebow, Harvin, Hernandez roster Gators.

Since Saban came to Alabama Georgia has one win going all the way back to 2007 Saban’s first season at Bama. Since that game they are 0-6 against Saban. That win had Stafford at QB and Moreno at RB.

It would be a thing of beauty to see Florida and Georgia get beat year after year after year by Alabama. They could finally get a taste of adding that automatic loss to their season before it starts.

And we are about to lose 15 in a row to them…..