I think Tennessee Football is killing me

#51
#51
I remember the 1998 season. It was a great year, turned 18 and just finished up high school and started college at good ole Pellissippi State. I remember back then wanting to watch the defense more then the offense as you could almost see the opponents piss their pants everytime we lined up against them. Our D-line and LB's were scary good. The one play that stands out to me (of course other then the NC game) is when we were losing to Arkansas late in the game and the QB dropped back (instead of kneeling), lost his footing and put the ball on the ground. We scooped it up and ran it in for the TD!
 
#52
#52
#55
#55
In 1997 there were folks in their 40's who had never seen a championship. If you saw 1998, consider yourself blessed. It may not happen again in your lifetime.
 
#56
#56
manfromtn said:
I remember a 4 year span in which we tied Vandy, lost to Vandy, and then lost to Kentucky in consecutive years. I remember losing to Rutgers on Homecoming. However, I also remember beating Bama in 1982, the '85 Sugar Bowl, '90 UF, '95 Bama, the Stoerner fumble, 1998 UF, the Fiesta bowl, 2001 UF, going to the SECCG 3 out of 5 years, etc. What you have to learn is its never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems in the world of college football.
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I was right there with you.... Tony Robinson, Condredge Holloway, Cobb-Webb running game, my my... we will come back soon :yes:
 
#58
#58
TennesseeOrange said:
I was at the 98 NC game. I'll never forget that experience, it was surreal. National Championships are rare, and to see the joy it brought my dad and uncles was priceless.
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Best thing about being at that game, besides winning the NC, was the women of ASU. Tempe sure is blessed.
 
#59
#59
HitHardVols said:
Where is the good news ? I want Lenord Little football back.... Grandpa , tell me bout the good OL' days .
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While Little was a great player let’s not place him on a pedestal or point to him as a goal to achieve. His past is checkered to say the least.
While I believe in giving someone an opportunity to change their life it’s obvious Little showed disregard for how dangerous drinking and driving was after his first deadly incident as he repeated the same scenario a couple of years later. Thankfully no one died on the second offence. Little was very fortunate he survived and was allowed to play in the NFL and earn millions. How soon we forget
 
#68
#68
Oh yes I remember some great times in Vols history with the Vols constantly Top 10 in the nation and usually Top 5. :rock:

The first game I remember watching on tv as a kid with my dad was against Bama...Vols lost 11-10...in 1966.

The first game I attended was against Georgia Tech who was still in the SEC...played in Knoxville...in freakin' 1967 !!!

Vols won 24 -13.

I also remember in 1969...the Vols touting a perfect 7-0 record...3rd in the nation...marching into Jackson, Mississippi with Vol fans wearing buttons that said "Archie Who ?" and getting BLOWN OUT by Peyton's dad Archie Manning and Ole Miss...38-0 !!!!!!:eek:hmy:

I've witnessed PLENTY of 9...10 and 11 win seasons...yep...I miss those kind of seasons.

Yep...feeling old right about now !! :loco:
 
#69
#69
I grew up in an Ole Miss house in Nashville, but I always watched Tennessee football and kept track of how well they were playing.

As a youngster, I gathered everything that I knew about UT through my step father's SEC knowledge (which was STRONG) and my family's input. I had UT connections throughout my father's side of the family, and they would talk about how I should love UT, not Ole Miss. My grandma even gave me a UT ball that I would play with when I was very young. Throughout my childhood I would watch every SEC game that was televised almost every Saturday (unless I was on a family trip to Oxford). Even as a child I could appreciate how great Tennessee was and the respect that the orange and white commanded. Looking back, I remember the announcers always seemed more excited to announce a Tennessee game.

I went to the Ole Miss game in Neyland in 96 (or 97), and was blown away by the atmosphere, how much better UT was than Ole Miss, Peyton Manning. I knew that it was a special program.

I was 12 when Tennessee won the national championship, and I remember the papers and news on the TV and the buzz around Nashville at that time. It was something really cool to witness.

In my middle school and high school days I still paid attention to Tennessee (because I love SEC football) and the NCAA football video games always had UT ranked high so I was used to either playing with them or against them in the game. I knew that UT was a powerhouse, I knew that they were always a threat to whatever team they played, whenever they played.

I'd say that 2005 was really the first year that I thought Tennessee was in a lot of trouble, but my step dad, ever the SEC historian, reminded me that EVERYONE goes through a tough year or two. I didn't think that I had ever seen Tennessee play so poorly though.

My first semester in Knoxville was in 06, and I lived through the Florida and LSU close losses. I knew that we were still a very good team though.

The 07 SEC East Championship year was probably the last "good" year. Albeit, somewhat arguable that the team was REALLY that good in 07. At least not as talented as the late 90s-early 2000s squads. However, I could still say that Tennessee went to the SEC Championship game again and was looking strong.

The 08 debacle and Kiffin fiasco started to chip away at my confidence that Tennessee's return to dominance was right around the corner.

I always believed everyone that said Tennessee was "on the rise" and that "we're in a UT dark age, but football is cyclical." The further removed from those golden years that we get, though, the less and less I actually believe that it will be that easy for Tennessee to where were we once were again.

Not to say that I'm a NegaVol or anything like that, because I certainly do love the Vols. I hope that we win out and destroy every team that we play from here until eternity. I just think that in recent years I've become more appreciative of what we actually had and how hard it is to build a team so complete and solid.

I'm not depressed about the state of Tennessee football. I want us to be great again, and I think that we can do it. I just think that I understand what I was witnessing in my younger days a little better, and have a much greater appreciation for the Tennessee teams that were out there in the late 90s and early-mid 2000s.
 
#71
#71
My first game was 1982 versus Kentucky. We won, maybe 28-7 or 35-7? Fitting, because I was 7 years old.

Remember the '85 Sugar Vols, the whole next day all we did at school was watch a recording of that game over and over.

I was lucky enough to be at UT from '93-'97, some good years. Remember seeing Peyton, George Kidd, Terry Fair, Tori Noel and others around campus.

I miss the good memories, haven't been many of those lately.
 
#73
#73
LawVol13 said:
It was a special time, my friend. I'll never forget being at the '98 Arkansas game when I was 11. Incredible.
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This. I was 13 in the 98 season and I had always watched and followed but this game, along with many others that year, solidified my spot as a V4L.

I will never fotget that season as long as I live.
 
#74
#74
General Jack said:
My first game was 1982 versus Kentucky. We won, maybe 28-7 or 35-7? Fitting, because I was 7 years old.

Remember the '85 Sugar Vols, the whole next day all we did at school was watch a recording of that game over and over.

I was lucky enough to be at UT from '93-'97, some good years. Remember seeing Peyton, George Kidd, Terry Fair, Tori Noel and others around campus.

I miss the good memories, haven't been many of those lately.
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I extended my stay thru 98 but it was a great time to be at UT
 
#75
#75
utvolpj said:
I extended my stay thru 98 but it was a great time to be at UT
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Yes, we were lucky. I was working in Memphis by 1998 but made it back for the florida game thank God. Do you remember after the 1985 Sugar Bowl, watching the game the next day? You were still at Cedar Bluff then, right?
 
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