ESPN's Travis Haney says....

#26
#26
87Vol said:
Strong finish? What world does Haney live in?

Going by Rivals ratings, with the exception of North, we lost every single, 4 star or better, kid we had a shot at down the stretch.

That doesn't exactly equate to finishing strong !
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Well we did flip Dobbs he ain't exactly chopped liver! That was a new addition to our recruiting board that Dools wasn't after.
 
#28
#28
87Vol said:
Strong finish? What world does Haney live in?

Going by Rivals ratings, with the exception of North, we lost every single, 4 star or better, kid we had a shot at down the stretch.

That doesn't exactly equate to finishing strong !
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We didn't even remotely have a shot at any other those 4 stars before CBJ. He only had 6-8 weeks to work this class. I wouldn't necessarily call it a strong finish but it is a solid class that fills needs. Plus, if Bell doesn't pull his "I love Tennessee" crap and then stab CBJ in the back, the class is top 15-16 and everybody, including negative dudes like you (well maybe not you) is stoked and singing from the rafters.
 
#29
#29
Great article. Remember, we're starting behind on the '14 class too. Should be a great class, but several schools have been after these guys for a while now. Also, Butch won't have a product on the field to sell for a while. He'll have to go off potential and personality until then. There's a lot more ground to make up, but I like this staff's blue collar work ethic. I expect big things in '14
 
#30
#30
87Vol said:
Strong finish? What world does Haney live in?

Going by Rivals ratings, with the exception of North, we lost every single, 4 star or better, kid we had a shot at down the stretch.

That doesn't exactly equate to finishing strong !
Click to expand...

seriously? we had 7weeks to lock down our recruiting class...to even be a hat on the table with a 5star player we lost out on is saying something...just wait til next year when butch jones can show what he can do with our players and coaching against big schools in the SEC!!....that being said even if we had signed 20 5star players people would still find something to b*tch about!
 
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#32
#32
KBVol said:
What, do you work for an Oregon volunteer fire department or something cause you sure as $&@" don't strike me as a Vol fan in Oregon.... don't know where Haney went to school but that article was pretty balanced, not the hit job that you apparently wanted.
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I'm a vol fan and some consider me a sunshine pumper because I'm a lot more positive about the future. With that being said... take the orange glasses off and read it again.

If this was written about Arkansas and posted here noting that an Arkansas grad wrote it, we would be calling him a definite homer.

Honest and Great read though but still very visible homer. I like it!
 
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#33
#33
volinSmyrna said:
Can't lose something you never had. We were so far behind, we couldn't catch up in the 31 days we had. Next class will tell the tale. We need some success on the field and a bowl game to get the ball rolling.
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OK. That may well be, however you also can't say we finished strong either, which was the point of the original post.

We did not finish strong, because we did not get anyone really highly rated besides North down the stretch. (going by Rivals ratings) We mostly struck out and whiffed down the stretch, and that is the problem.

I did not expect Jones to really set the world on fire in this class, due to time limitations. However I did expect him to do slightly better than he did. I expected at least 1 or 2 more of the highly rated kids we were targeting to pick us. At the bare minimum, he should have had Bell. It's very troubling that he couldn't talk Bell into coming, even given the short time frame, considering Bell and many in his family were already Vol fans.

Jones has no excuses from this point forward however. If he can't pull a Top 10 or even Top 5 class next year, then he is not the kind of coach we need, PERIOD!!!
 
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#34
#34
"I think there's a sense of urgency," he said. "We need to attack the recruiting process for 2014 like we did this past year. I think we'll like our work at the end of the day. Who wouldn't want to come to Tennessee? That's the way we look at it now."

We've had devoted coaches at Tennessee, but I'm not sure that we've had anybody like Jones in a long time. After taking a beating, he'll be phased for all of about two minutes, and then he'll be right back at it full tilt boogie. He is a recruiting and coaching dynamo, and he will not stop. I hope he doesn't burn himself out because if he can go the distance, good things are going to happen.
 
#35
#35
87Vol said:
OK. That may well be, however you also can't say we finished strong either, which was the point of the original post.

We did not finish strong, because we did not get anyone really highly rated besides North down the stretch. (going by Rivals ratings) We mostly struck out and whiffed down the stretch, and that is the problem.

I did not expect Jones to really set the world on fire in this class, due to time limitations. However I did expect him to do slightly better than he did. I expected at least 1 or 2 more of the highly rated kids we were targeting to pick us. At the bare minimum, he should have had Bell. It's very troubling that he couldn't talk Bell into coming, even given the short time frame, considering Bell and many in his family were already Vol fans.

Jones has no excuses from this point forward however. If he can't pull a Top 10 or even Top 5 class next year, then he is not the kind of coach we need, PERIOD!!!
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They took a recruiting class in the 40s somewhere to top-20 in three weeks of recruiting time (and that top-20s was without filling 6 open spots because they refuse to sign anyone who they don't think will be competitive). To the honest, objective fan, that's closing strong.

I understand that you had expectations. You listed many of them. However, in the most objective way to look at things, this staff did well and finished strong.
 
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#36
#36
87Vol said:
OK. That may well be, however you also can't say we finished strong either, which was the point of the original post.

We did not finish strong, because we did not get anyone really highly rated besides North down the stretch. (going by Rivals ratings) We mostly struck out and whiffed down the stretch, and that is the problem.

I did not expect Jones to really set the world on fire in this class, due to time limitations. However I did expect him to do slightly better than he did. I expected at least 1 or 2 more of the highly rated kids we were targeting to pick us. At the bare minimum, he should have had Bell. It's very troubling that he couldn't talk Bell into coming, even given the short time frame, considering Bell and many in his family were already Vol fans.

Jones has no excuses from this point forward however. If he can't pull a Top 10 or even Top 5 class next year, then he is not the kind of coach we need, PERIOD!!!
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Bell's own father said UT was out of it before Jones even got here. You fault Jones for not landing him? He wasn't coming here, just used us a little.

Top 5 is a little bit of a stretch. I expect a great class next year though.
 
#37
#37
I like the test he did on Hobbs. Young man seems to be a student of the game and will benefit the other QB's by pushing them for the starting job (with film study and fundamentals included of course).
 
#38
#38
87Vol said:
We did not finish strong, because we did not get anyone really highly rated besides North down the stretch. (going by Rivals ratings) We mostly struck out and whiffed down the stretch, and that is the problem.
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So flipping the #8 PS QB in the nation and the #10 recruit in the state of Georgia is just trash.

Hell, keeping Carr away from Bama is a significant accomplishment that can't be undersold.



In the end, getting Dobbs could have been far more important than Bell. 1 QB >>>>>> 1 Defensive player in 1-1 importance.

Yeah, it would have been nice to have both but don't cut your nose to spite your face here. CBJ did a great job with Dobbs.
 
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#40
#40
A lot of feel goodism in that story. It is nice, but feel goodism does not win the recruiting wars, as we witnessed. Don't start the party until you close the deal and get the kids signature on paper.
 
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#41
#41
Bray#1Vol said:
seriously? we had 7weeks to lock down our recruiting class...to even be a hat on the table with a 5star player we lost out on is saying something...just wait til next year when butch jones can show what he can do with our players and coaching against big schools in the SEC!!....that being said even if we had signed 20 5star players people would still find something to b*tch about!
Click to expand...

Just asking but WHY would you even respond to that stuff????
 
#42
#42
87Vol said:
Strong finish? What world does Haney live in?

Going by Rivals ratings, with the exception of North, we lost every single, 4 star or better, kid we had a shot at down the stretch.

That doesn't exactly equate to finishing strong !
Click to expand...

Dobbs.
 
#44
#44
<rant mode *on*>

Ya' know...I've been watching much of the dialog since NSD, and I finally came to the conclusion that among UT fan base are a bunch of spoiled brats. You will stomp your feet and hold your breath and demand that you are given a top 5 class and a fresh shiny NC trophy. News flash, you ain't that special, you have no rights, and your expectations are irrelevant and overblown. Deal with it.

Guess what else...our home and our team are a bit tarnished. Deal with that too. Demanding that our new coach jump through flaming hoops and please you with his recruiting super-heroics or be summarily fired...is incredibly stupid. A few years of stable competence might not win the SEC, but it will help mend our program. And whether or not CBJ has it in himself to win top 5 classes and the SECCG, remains to be seen. I think it is very clear to anybody who is not a temper tantrum throwing child, that this man has the strengths that we need right now. If after 3 or 4 years we're idling along at 8 or 9 wins...maybe...maybe...we should consider trying again. However, unless you are assured of getting Bear Bryant back from the grave, I'd be real careful even then.

<rant mode *off*>
 
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#45
#45
def fluff piece...but keep in mind, CBJ has a track record of winning. So i'm willing to give him a chance to win.

and this is coming from a negateer.
 
#46
#46
jlovevols said:
Great article. Remember, we're starting behind on the '14 class too. Should be a great class, but several schools have been after these guys for a while now. Also, Butch won't have a product on the field to sell for a while. He'll have to go off potential and personality until then. There's a lot more ground to make up, but I like this staff's blue collar work ethic. I expect big things in '14
Click to expand...

Another excuse for failure. The problem with UT and our fan base is that failure is expected. There is a difference in a man like Saban who sets expectations and demands them, and the leadership and fans here at UT. Excusing failure is enabling it and will likely get you more of the same.

I hate Bama with a passion due to the era I grew up in, but I do admire how they set goals and expectations for their program. That is how Saban restored the program there so quickly. Jones and the fans need to set expectations high and expect it to happen. If that does not happen then we hired the wrong guy. Not like that has happened before.
 
#47
#47
onevol74 said:
Another excuse for failure. The problem with UT and our fan base is that failure is expected. There is a difference in a man like Saban who sets expectations and demands them, and the leadership and fans here at UT. Excusing failure is enabling it and will likely get you more of the same.

I hate Bama with a passion due to the era I grew up in, but I do admire how they set goals and expectations for their program. That is how Saban restored the program there so quickly. Jones and the fans need to set expectations high and expect it to happen. If that does not happen then we hired the wrong guy. Not like that has happened before.
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Design and build us a faster-than-light spaceship there, pard. You seem to be one of those that sets their goals and expects results without excuse.

While setting your goal of success for faster-than-light space travel, go ahead and ignore those pesky little constraints that may get in the way:

Like the currently known laws of physics...

No excuses. Let nothing get in the way or you're a failure.

Let us know how that works out for you. I'll buy the first ticket.

:hi:
 
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#48
#48
Orange_Crush said:
Design and build us a faster-than-light spaceship there, pard. You seem to be one of those that sets their goals and expects results without excuse.

While setting your goal of success for faster-than-light space travel, go ahead and ignore those pesky little constraints that may get in the way:

Like the currently known laws of physics...

No excuses. Let nothing get in the way or you're a failure.

Let us know how that works out for you. I'll buy the first ticket.

:hi:
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You definitely went apples to oranges on that comment, Crush.

We want to go to mars...its happening. Maybe not tomorrow but it is happening within the next couple decades...set goal, achieve goal.

...back to football, I agree that we should set the bar high and make no excuses until we achieve it. Mediocrity being permissible breeds more mediocrity. Play to win, expect to win, correct mistakes along the way.
 
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#49
#49
onevol74 said:
Another excuse for failure. The problem with UT and our fan base is that failure is expected. There is a difference in a man like Saban who sets expectations and demands them, and the leadership and fans here at UT. Excusing failure is enabling it and will likely get you more of the same.

I hate Bama with a passion due to the era I grew up in, but I do admire how they set goals and expectations for their program. That is how Saban restored the program there so quickly. Jones and the fans need to set expectations high and expect it to happen. If that does not happen then we hired the wrong guy. Not like that has happened before.
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Not sure where you've been, but I don't know of a fan base that has higher (or unrealistic) expectations than Tennessee. It's pretty obvious on these boards too.

You can't ignore the past few years though, obviously no one is trying to "enable" failure but our play/coaching the past few years is most certainly a factor.
 
#50
#50
Wolfeman_Vol said:
You definitely went apples to oranges on that comment, Crush.

We want to go to mars...its happening. Maybe not tomorrow but it is happening within the next couple decades...set goal, achieve goal.

...back to football, I agree that we should set the bar high and make no excuses until we achieve it. Mediocrity being permissible breeds more mediocrity. Play to win, expect to win, correct mistakes along the way.
Click to expand...

My point was that there are always extenuating circumstances to every situation. To blindly set goals without considering the things that can or will affect its outcome is asinine.

There are outside circumstances that will effect a coach's rebuilding job and timeline. There are outside circumstances that have to be considered pertaining to the goal of faster-than-light travel.

Apples to apples from that perspective.

Going to mars would be nice. Setting a date for tomorrow would be unrealistic, no matter the expectations of a certain few. The reason for this is due to circumstances, not excuses.

There are differences between causative circumstances and excuses.

:hi:
 
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