Growing up watching UT Football

#26
#26
In my mind I can still hear Mooney calling the games on my grandmothers AM radio. We were poor as mud but listening to those games on Saturday took me to a special place, another world.
I was probably 9 or 10 before I realized we lived in the same town where my gridiron heroes played.

That Ga Tech game was my first Vol football game to attend. A different time. Every man there was in a necktie, and orange attire was rare.
 
#27
#27
We're probably close in age, but I don't recall ever hearing or watching football on TV or radio before college. I only attended a couple of HS games, so my freshman year at UT in 1964 was a real football awakening. I can honestly say I was hooked from the first game in Neyland. 64 was also Doug Dickey's first year at Tennessee; it didn't take long to figure out that Tennessee football had slumped seriously, but we knew that with Dickey it was going to change. Maybe we were just naive, but there was the feeling that football at UT was headed for greater things ... and we weren't wrong.

After the winter quarter of my junior year, I left school and enlisted in the Army ... that's when listening began - few teams were ever on TV and then perhaps one time during the season ... unless you liked Notre Dame, which is one reason for my ND hatred to this day. For two years my younger brother would mail tapes of the radio broadcasts to me while I was stationed overseas; he became a Vol fan well before he showed up on campus.

I returned to UT to see Bill Battle's slide, and graduated before Johnny Majors came home. Through all the ups and downs (and Majors' stagnation), I've never quit being a Vol fan ... although I do watch on TV these days ... my padding ins't what it used to be, so a nice recliner is a lot better than a hard bench. My thought is that last year was very reminiscent of 1964 - the year Doug Dickey put Tennessee football back on track. The big difference is the competition and recruiting rules ... it's gonna take longer this time ... we've got the right coach; we just need some patience to remember Pruitt isn't at fault for the damage the three coaches (and three ADs) preceding him inflicted on Tennessee football.

Are we related? I think I could have written the same thing. I graduated the qtr Johnny came marching home 12/76. We had some fun yrs starting then. Went to ND a year later and agree with you, I will always hate FL with a passion, but ND is close. They'll finish .500 and still be in the top 10.

We're going to be back, may surprise a few this year. Let the fun begin!
 
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#28
#28
Well, I’m 30. Someone figure out our record since 1988. It appears as if we peaked when I was in 5th grade....
 
#29
#29
Let me start by saying that I am 43. A lot of people are very upset about where Tennessee football has gone. I will say one of the things that can be a positive for a kid growing up with football now is it reminds me of the 80s. When Tennessee shut down Bo Jackson, I remember that game. When we beat a Miami team in the sugar bowl that we weren't supposed to be competitive against, it was amazing. If you grew up as a fan watching them win every single week and it never being competitive, it might have gotten boring.These down years allow you to really enjoy the big wins. A lot of fans think everything should be like the 90s. It was great, but it was even more special after enjoying the 80s. Call me crazy, but I look forward to winning games we aren't supposed to. Those are the ones that are really exciting. I think back to being a kid and those games were what really drew me in.
I agree...I remember the UT win vs UGA in 2015, and a dude next to me was literally sobbing with tears of joy when we beat them...all of us probably thinking at the time that we were on the road to relevancy...but a special win, nonetheless.

I go back a bit farther...long enough to remember Holloway, but not old enough to really appreciate him...I really grew up in the mid 70's/early 80's, when we were not good, and coaches were given 5+ years to rebuild...look how long Majors was given to build UT...but once he did, the foundation was set. Coaches aren't given that much time today.
total sec sec standing
1977 Tennessee 4–7 1–5 8th
1978 Tennessee 5–5–1 3–3 T–4th
1979 Tennessee 7–5 3–3 T–5th L Astro-Bluebonnet
1980 Tennessee 5–6 3–3 6th
1981 Tennessee 8–4 3–3 T–4th W Garden State
1982 Tennessee 6–5–1 3–2–1 5th L Peach
1983 Tennessee 9–3 4–2 T–3rd W Citrus
1984 Tennessee 7–4–1 3–3 T–5th L Sun
1985 Tennessee 9–1–2 5–1 1st W Sugar
 
#30
#30
When I was growing up we mainly listened to the Vols, one game a year on TV. Sometimes two when we played a bowl game. Dam I'm old, still Go Vols!

I remember waiting for my dad's alumni letter coming toward the middle of the next week. It was a diagram of the plays shown on a football field. (not technical, just lines showing yardage, etc) This was late forties-early fifties. In early (53-54) spent Saturday afternoons listening to games on "Jackson" radio. Then came the grand birth of our local radio station W.O.R.M. and local broadcast of the VOLS. Long ago but not forgotten. How many of us followers of this thread listened to games and watched them in our imaginations?
 
#31
#31
Well, I’m 30. Someone figure out our record since 1988. It appears as if we peaked when I was in 5th grade....

I'm 32, and I was in 6th grade in 1998. Became a fan in 1996, and from then till about 2005 the thought of Tennessee not being a dominant force in college football was unfathomable to me. I remember the 2002 season, going 8-5 and being sick to my stomach that we were so bad. Most of us now would be ecstatic with 8-5 and would see it as Pruitt turning the corner.

Yeah, I'd say we peaked in those years.
 
#32
#32
Let me start by saying that I am 43. A lot of people are very upset about where Tennessee football has gone. I will say one of the things that can be a positive for a kid growing up with football now is it reminds me of the 80s. When Tennessee shut down Bo Jackson, I remember that game. When we beat a Miami team in the sugar bowl that we weren't supposed to be competitive against, it was amazing. If you grew up as a fan watching them win every single week and it never being competitive, it might have gotten boring.These down years allow you to really enjoy the big wins. A lot of fans think everything should be like the 90s. It was great, but it was even more special after enjoying the 80s. Call me crazy, but I look forward to winning games we aren't supposed to. Those are the ones that are really exciting. I think back to being a kid and those games were what really drew me in.

Thanks for the nostalgia lookback. I'm almost 60 and the names that leap to mind for me are the names of some of my childhood heroes...Willie Gault, Jamie Rotella, Haskel Stanback, Roland James, Hacksaw Reynolds, Jackie Walker, Jimmy Streater, Reggie White, Dale Carter, Dale Jones, Condredge Holloway and so many others. I often wonder if our current coaches encourage our players to watch some of those games/highlights, especially the games nobody expected us to win...and when the rules were a bit different. Several games would be must-watch, of course.

Footnote: for some reason, I associate white shoes/cleats with the best years of our boys when I was a wild-eyed kid. May have been the Majors years. I can still see Roland James and Willie Gault flying down the field wearing white cleats and leaving everybody behind. Made them look even faster than they were.
 
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#33
#33
I'm about the same age. Everything goes in cycles with UT football. I don't think we are doing anything different now than we have historically, and I don't think our AD is any more or less of a dumpster fire than during previous losing cycles.

Alabama is our gauge. When it comes to Alabama, there is no period of time where we went back and forth with them year after year. Instead, it always goes in cycles. We've lost the last 12 in a row ('07- '18). We won the previous 10 out of 12 ('06 - 95') and of those 10, 7 were in a row. Bama was 8-0-1 the previous 9 games ('94 - '86). UT was 4-0 before that ('85-'82). Bama won the previous 11 ('81-'71). We won the 4 before that ('70-67'). Bama was 5-0-1 from '64-'61. We were 5-0-1 from '60 - '55. We were 4-0-2 from '53-'48. And so on.
 
#34
#34
I'm about the same age. Everything goes in cycles with UT football. I don't think we are doing anything different now than we have historically, and I don't think our AD is any more or less of a dumpster fire than during previous losing cycles.

Alabama is our gauge. When it comes to Alabama, there is no period of time where we went back and forth with them year after year. Instead, it always goes in cycles. We've lost the last 12 in a row ('07- '18). We won the previous 10 out of 12 ('06 - 95') and of those 10, 7 were in a row. Bama was 8-0-1 the previous 9 games ('94 - '86). UT was 4-0 before that ('85-'82). Bama won the previous 11 ('81-'71). We won the 4 before that ('70-67'). Bama was 5-0-1 from '64-'61. We were 5-0-1 from '60 - '55. We were 4-0-2 from '53-'48. And so on.

Yes, very cyclical. After we won the 1970 game vs. Bama (4th in a row), the series was tied 24 wins each with several ties.
 
#35
#35
I was hooked after the 1959 Tenn/LSU game won by the VOLS.14 to 13 at Shields Watkins. Bill majors stopped Billy Cannon on a 2 PT. Play to seal the win. A lot of up and downs over the past 60 years but I've always stood by my team. I live a rock throw from the Ga./ Al. lines so it's been a bit to endure
these last 10 or so years.
I was also at that game. The interception for a TD by a believe Jim Cartwright was also a thing of beauty.
 
#36
#36
John Ward was so much better than the TV announcers, but usually he was a little behind on the TD because he did like "he's at the 5, the 4 ...". He'd have been right on with Dewey Warren though ... without a doubt our slowest QB ... and still my favorite.
One of his teammates said Dewey was so slow, you could see the grass growing, under his feet.
 
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#37
#37
I was hooked after the 1959 Tenn/LSU game won by the VOLS.14 to 13 at Shields Watkins. Bill majors stopped Billy Cannon on a 2 PT. Play to seal the win. A lot of up and downs over the past 60 years but I've always stood by my team. I live a rock throw from the Ga./ Al. lines so it's been a bit to endure
these last 10 or so years.

Stopped the "Go Team" and scored on the "Chinese Bandits" (for some reason, can't remember the other "team")
 
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#38
#38
Never saw that clip. Same memories here, though was listening from Cocke County with Granddaddy. I think one reason I never was as over the moon as some for John Ward, is that I considered Mooney the gold standard.

"Mooney????" Sorry I guess I will need to approach your posts with one eye closed.---- Mooney??? God!!!
 
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#40
#40
I do think that losing makes you appreciate winning more. How excited can the bandwagon Bama fans really be to win anymore? More like they expect to win and can only be pissed-off when they lose.


This dynasty stuff is such a challenge. Just count your blessings you never have to deal with such a burden.
 
#41
#41
I would rather underappreciate winning than have to lose.
I hear ya I’m 34, been following my Vols since I was about 16 ( got a late start because I didn’t grow up in a household that cared much about watching sports.) anyway I’ve had my fill of losing, can we be good again already? I’ve really never gotten to enjoy the glory days I’ve heard so much about. When I first started watching we were pretty good, then decent, then very mediocre, then just straight garbage aside from a mediocre year thrown in every once in a while. I’ll certainly appreciate the winning more since we’ve been through all this, but I mean, we gotta start winning some for it to be appreciated... I’m ready to appreciate damnit!!:)
 
#42
#42
This dynasty stuff is such a challenge. Just count your blessings you never have to deal with such a burden.
This dynasty stuff is such a challenge. Just count your blessings you never have to deal with such a burden.

I'd bet the biggest "challenge" for a Bammer is whether to tea-bag another dude with fellow Bammer fans cheering him on, poison an Oak Tree, or sucker-punch another dude in a bar and run away.
 
#43
#43
John Ward’s “It’s Football Time in Tennessee” is honestly what first drew me in as a small kid in the early 90s (even before I went to any games). Anytime we played football, whether in the living room after we moved all the furniture out of the way, or outside, I remember my brothers, my friends, and myself always screaming it’s football time in Tennessee before kickoff. It would hype us up!! Then I heard it on the radio before the Tennessee games right as the players ran out of the T, and I just remember thinking I want to be a part of that.
 
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#44
#44
I'm 64 and grew up in South Knoxville. Earliest game I remember listening to on the radio, we beat Ga Tech 6-3 if memory serves. Started selling line-ups outside the stadium (thanks to having a KNS paper route) when I was 11 or 12, and from there weaseled my way into the stadium selling "cold DRINKS".
 
#45
#45
I can't wait to get back to the point where teams go into the game knowing they're in for a war. We have the right guy to get us there.
 
#46
#46
This dynasty stuff is such a challenge. Just count your blessings you never have to deal with such a burden.
Did yall consider us a rival from 95 to 2006? History repeats, 3rd Saturday doesn't stay one sided much longer than 10 years.
 
#47
#47
Tenn. native, started watching the Vols in '68 and been a lifer fan, got to meet Bobby Scott, Coach Dickey and even got kicking lessons from Karl Kremser (who had a rough Orange Bowl), loved
hearing John Ward calling the game and his extra points and field goals : .............."and it's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD", my dear late Uncle and namesake was an avid fan and season ticket holder- died of a heart-attack while walking up to the stadium for a game-what a way for a Vol fan to go
 
#48
#48
I was hooked after the 1959 Tenn/LSU game won by the VOLS.14 to 13 at Shields Watkins. Bill majors stopped Billy Cannon on a 2 PT. Play to seal the win. A lot of up and downs over the past 60 years but I've always stood by my team. I live a rock throw from the Ga./ Al. lines so it's been a bit to endure
these last 10 or so years.
Was a 17 year old at Tn Tech and was at a Tech game...Everyone was listening to the game on their radios...Just at the time Majors stopped Canon, the team playing Tech scored, and the stadium roared...On the following Mon. During a required assembly, the Tech president gave everyone a dressing down for that....Will never forget that...
 
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#49
#49
Let me start by saying that I am 43. A lot of people are very upset about where Tennessee football has gone. I will say one of the things that can be a positive for a kid growing up with football now is it reminds me of the 80s. When Tennessee shut down Bo Jackson, I remember that game. When we beat a Miami team in the sugar bowl that we weren't supposed to be competitive against, it was amazing. If you grew up as a fan watching them win every single week and it never being competitive, it might have gotten boring.These down years allow you to really enjoy the big wins. A lot of fans think everything should be like the 90s. It was great, but it was even more special after enjoying the 80s. Call me crazy, but I look forward to winning games we aren't supposed to. Those are the ones that are really exciting. I think back to being a kid and those games were what really drew me in.
I'm old enough to remember nearly the entire 80s. My first game was 1981 (t think?) and they narrowly beat Wichita State, 23-21. Seems like it was 1982 when they started to break out - they snapped an 11-game losing streak against Bammer. Remember listening to it on the radio. My favorite game from the TV set was, of course, the 1986 Sugar Bowl, and my favorite live action was the 1989 Auburn game. Good times.
 
#50
#50
1965 Vols won me over.

My first game in Neyland was against Ole Miss in 1968 when they had a soph QB named Manning. Wonder what ever happened to him?
 

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