danandrews
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2016
- Messages
- 3
- Likes
- 15
Hello everyone, My name is Dan Andrews and this year I am the media torch bearer for what has become a more modified and dignified "Honor General Neyland Day"
"Honor General Neyland Day" began informally in 2014.
New UT football tradition takes fans to Neyland's grave | WBIR.com
Many lessons were learned. While the fans went to the grave of General Neyland with good intentions, (including myself) many veterans, community members and fans thought the idea of going to General Neyland's grave to ask for "good vibes for the season" was disrespectful, as one person wrote on a message board "Fans should not be tailgating at a National Cemetery!"
In 2015, under my guidance, the tradition changed from going to the grave to ask for victories, to going to the grave to honor General Neyland and to show respect to the entire cemetery and the soldiers who fought for our country.
A lot of thought went into this new tradition. Interestingly as a sports/government reporter, I witnessed one of Coach Jones, greatest speeches! It was given two years ago at the downtown Rotary Club. Coach Jones became livid when he saw a reporter ask the players on media day, "what do you think about when you hear Coach Jones talk about what an honor it is to uphold the traditions and play at University of Tennessee?" So Coach Jones watched as a couple of players made idiots of themselves. They were singing "Rocky Top" and dancing like morons.
So Butch let them do their thing. Then he had all the video put together, gathered the team in the media room ran the video, and he just launched into the team. "What the hell is this? Right now, someone explains to me the history of the checkbox?" Nobody knew! So the Coach became livid and told the players, "you don't have a darn clue, just how hollow the ground is that you walk on! That is going to change!"
Butch then had the team study the history of the Vols. I became so inspired that night, I went page by page on the UTK Sports website and found errors and passed the information along to then Sports Information Director Jeremy Stanton."
So the "Honor General Neyland Day" is run by the media for two reasons.
1) We get new reporters all the time. Sadly, most new reporters are straight out of college. While they are impressed with the crowd at Neyland, few to none, even know General Neyland is a real General.
Amazingly many people think it is an honorary title he got from the State Guard or honorary National Guard. So by this being a media run event, it becomes our way to protect the honor and tradition of just how great it is for a journalist to be allowed to step on the sidelines of the most hallowed grounds in all of the sports!
2) If UTK ever wants to change the name of Neyland Stadium, it would be awkward.
The ceremony.
Two roses go on top of the Grave of General Neyland. One in each direction. The first by a reporter with experience the second by a rookie reporter.
Next,
Reading of the Maxim's.
Read all 38 Maxims and know them coming in (bringing a list on paper is fine. Don't try to Google it at the last minute.)
For this, a rookie reporter starts out the Maxims.
.
Media coverage. Same rules that apply to coverage of military ceremony on Memorial Day apply on "Honor Neyland Day."
Everybody is encouraged to come! People are also invited to bring flowers. The goal is to place one rose on each military gravesite. This is our way of showing the world that General Neyland, even after his death, is still so honored, that he can lead an army of people to show respect for our veterans.
Honor, respect, tradition. After the 4pm memorial and off the sacred grounds of the Veteran's gravesite, same rules that apply during Memorial Day apply here. Wednesday 4pm. The tradition always occurs 4pm, the night before the first home game.
Directions to Neyland's Grave
General Robert Neyland is buried at the Knoxville National Cemetery at 939 Tyson Street in Knoxville, just north of Downtown Knoxville off Broadway Street.
Brigadier General Robert Reese Neyland and his wife Ada are interred in Section X, Grave 16A.
When entering the cemetery, General Neyland's grave is the eighth headstone to the left/south of the entrance gate. It is on the first row of headstones closest to the iron fence along Tyson Street.
"Honor General Neyland Day" began informally in 2014.
New UT football tradition takes fans to Neyland's grave | WBIR.com
Many lessons were learned. While the fans went to the grave of General Neyland with good intentions, (including myself) many veterans, community members and fans thought the idea of going to General Neyland's grave to ask for "good vibes for the season" was disrespectful, as one person wrote on a message board "Fans should not be tailgating at a National Cemetery!"
In 2015, under my guidance, the tradition changed from going to the grave to ask for victories, to going to the grave to honor General Neyland and to show respect to the entire cemetery and the soldiers who fought for our country.
A lot of thought went into this new tradition. Interestingly as a sports/government reporter, I witnessed one of Coach Jones, greatest speeches! It was given two years ago at the downtown Rotary Club. Coach Jones became livid when he saw a reporter ask the players on media day, "what do you think about when you hear Coach Jones talk about what an honor it is to uphold the traditions and play at University of Tennessee?" So Coach Jones watched as a couple of players made idiots of themselves. They were singing "Rocky Top" and dancing like morons.
So Butch let them do their thing. Then he had all the video put together, gathered the team in the media room ran the video, and he just launched into the team. "What the hell is this? Right now, someone explains to me the history of the checkbox?" Nobody knew! So the Coach became livid and told the players, "you don't have a darn clue, just how hollow the ground is that you walk on! That is going to change!"
Butch then had the team study the history of the Vols. I became so inspired that night, I went page by page on the UTK Sports website and found errors and passed the information along to then Sports Information Director Jeremy Stanton."
So the "Honor General Neyland Day" is run by the media for two reasons.
1) We get new reporters all the time. Sadly, most new reporters are straight out of college. While they are impressed with the crowd at Neyland, few to none, even know General Neyland is a real General.
Amazingly many people think it is an honorary title he got from the State Guard or honorary National Guard. So by this being a media run event, it becomes our way to protect the honor and tradition of just how great it is for a journalist to be allowed to step on the sidelines of the most hallowed grounds in all of the sports!
2) If UTK ever wants to change the name of Neyland Stadium, it would be awkward.
The ceremony.
Two roses go on top of the Grave of General Neyland. One in each direction. The first by a reporter with experience the second by a rookie reporter.
Next,
Reading of the Maxim's.
Read all 38 Maxims and know them coming in (bringing a list on paper is fine. Don't try to Google it at the last minute.)
For this, a rookie reporter starts out the Maxims.
.
Media coverage. Same rules that apply to coverage of military ceremony on Memorial Day apply on "Honor Neyland Day."
Everybody is encouraged to come! People are also invited to bring flowers. The goal is to place one rose on each military gravesite. This is our way of showing the world that General Neyland, even after his death, is still so honored, that he can lead an army of people to show respect for our veterans.
Honor, respect, tradition. After the 4pm memorial and off the sacred grounds of the Veteran's gravesite, same rules that apply during Memorial Day apply here. Wednesday 4pm. The tradition always occurs 4pm, the night before the first home game.
Directions to Neyland's Grave
General Robert Neyland is buried at the Knoxville National Cemetery at 939 Tyson Street in Knoxville, just north of Downtown Knoxville off Broadway Street.
Brigadier General Robert Reese Neyland and his wife Ada are interred in Section X, Grave 16A.
When entering the cemetery, General Neyland's grave is the eighth headstone to the left/south of the entrance gate. It is on the first row of headstones closest to the iron fence along Tyson Street.
