IknoxvolsI
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This placed would've crashed for days in September '96. Those were dark days.
It was so much worse living in Memphis.
The city was always fiercely proud of Tiger Basketball but Tiger Football was derisively referred to as Tiger High.
The area's esteem and pride in the Tigers has improved tenfold since then.
At the time it was so incredibly obnoxious hearing all the 'local tiger fans' come out of the wood work for a week.
A few things I would add:
1) John Chavis's promotion from defensive line coach to DC would have been VERY unpopular on VN in 1995 after Larry Marmie's departure. Sports Talk with Mike Keith was filled with callers wanting Mike DuBose who was Alabama's defensive line coach at the time. I think VN would have clamored for him as well. Chavis would have remained mostly unpopular until after the Georgia game in 1998, although the Citrus Bowl win over Ohio St would have won him some converts.
2) Lovie Smith was our DB coach in 1993 and 1994 and would also have been eviscerated on VN. Our secondary was atrocious in '94.
3) The scandals we went through in the mid-90's would have made Fulmer's job more difficult in an age where everyone had the internet. The Amber Benson phone card theft and massive use by over half the team would have been a bigger deal. Obviously, Peyton Manning's mooning of Jamie Whited in '96 would have been a bigger deal as well.
4) I can't imagine what VN would have looked like on November 9th, 1996. Nothing since then compares to that kind of an upset when we were thought to have been a National Championship contender.
5) The Recruiting Forum would have ALWAYS been a fun place to be from 1994 to 1999... There was never a reason to have been negative about what we were pulling in. Even Catbone and Wylo would have been Sunshine Pumpers over there.
Majors' Gay Street quarterbacks comment would have stirred it up.
The jaw that was broken by a player in the HPER building.
Doug Dickey's Shaklee scandal would have been epic.
The Kinko's Faxgate.
The mentally challenged young lady that was taken advantage of and the infamous meeting at Shoney's that followed.
Gun shots at Alumni Gym.
Long Distance McCullough.
Randy Sanders versus Jeff Francis.
The open mic picking up the Cotton Bowl f-bombs.
Rutgers.
Losing to one of the 3 Stooges every year through 1984.
11 and 9 game winless streaks versus Bama.
The blocked FG and 6-9 loss to Bama in 1990.
The Reggie Cobb suspension.
Jamal Lewis not getting snaps as a freshman.
Manning's happy feet.
Coach Ford at Arkansas saying "I hope he tears up a knee" getting picked up by the open mic.
So many lost opportunities lost in the pre-internet days for posters to be all stupid and whut not.
Heh, He-Made-It, awesome. Really creative idea, and I'm loving reading the installments. Please do keep going! In many ways, you're nailing the VN community.
Just one caveat: you are tying yourself into pretzel knots, trying to describe and imagine the evolution of a Sunshine vs Nega theme in the community. I think maybe you're linking it too strongly to Fulmer vs Majors. You might be better off cutting bait on that and just using this guideline: Sunshines favor whoever is in charge, and all the players, even irrationally. While Negas care primarily about themselves and whether they get bragging rights for Monday morning at work, and will turn on any coach or player who gets in their way. Hehe, cynical, but try it out, see if it doesn't by-golly work for you.
Thanks again, great idea!
The 98 Arkansas Official Game Tread would have been epic.
I think a young Catbone in 1997 would have posted something like this:
"If we can't beat Florida with Peyton Manning at QB, how are we going to beat them with Tee Martin? Not to mention our defense loses Leonard Little, Terry Fair, Bill Duff and Tori Noel! Let's face reality, we aren't ever winning a National Championship with this staff."
I wonder if he would be willing to be our OL coach?
You are forgetting that after that 95 loss to Florida, the whole Vol Nation would have demanded newly appointed DC Chief's head on a platter. Hell, even before the internet Chief caught a lot of heat after that game. 62 points. I remember that game well. That second half is one of my darkest memories as a Vol fan.