I'm confused by some Vol fans' loyalties

#51
#51
Fijivol72 said:
I would flame you if I spoke gibberish. This will rank up there as the dumbest post of the week, assuming that the fan can work a crossword puzzle. Just say I don't like CBJ, he doesn't deserve a raise. At least you may be wrong but us fans could understand your point of view.
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Gibberish or does someone have a reading comprehension problem?

Regardless, had you read my post you would have observed that I believe he's doing a good job.

I guess reading some posts it appears our fan base since the end times of the Fulmer era really get wrapped around the axle about being loyal to the coach rather than the program. Sometimes they are inclusive, other times mutually exclusive.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is a difference in "loyalty" and "support." Loyalty knows no bounds. Support can have an expiration date. I wished our fans sometimes knew the difference.

Going through the final years of Fulmer it would have been nice had folks known the difference. We even watched it in Dooley's era.

Anyway, I like philosophical debates and what better place to have one than an internet forum on sports where everything is in the opinion realm anyway.
 
#54
#54
Ten_Titans said:
What about the generation too dumb to know the difference between the words "gratitude" and "gratification"?
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this is what makes me hate every part of your post you make, you have that vandy attitude towards your vols teammates.. i laugh at realist who only look at the w/loss record..you laugh at everyone.
 
#58
#58
TacomaJPP said:
What does it mean to be a loyal college football fan. Better yet, what is a VFL? What exactly is a VFL loyal to?

Is a VFL loyal to the university, the athletic director, the players, the coach, the program?

Everyone will have their own definition and opinion. That's fine. What confuses me is how some fans seem to put their loyalty to a coach, rather than the program. Coaches come and go. Coaches get paid. Being a coach is a job. Coaches can be motivated by many factors and swayed by many other factors. Coaches are men and can disappoint.

I've watched "VFLs" vehemently defend some of our recent coaches (Fulmer in the end, Dooley until the end, CBJ getting a raise). Do I think they have ill intentions? No. Maybe just misguided loyalties.

I want to see the program succeeded. That means young men succeed and grow. That means coaches succeed and grow. Some players won't, neither will some coaches. As fans we should support them, but our loyalty should belong to the long-term health of the program. It will make us better fans and help us make decisions that are steeped in logic and strategy and less in emotion and reaction.

As a disclaimer, I like CBJ and think he's got us on the right track, I just get really confused by people putting coaches (and not just giving CBJ a raise for instance) ahead of the program.

Flame away.
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Many on here were VFL's before the term came into being...whatever.
It wasn't a little money thrown Butch's and staff's way for making a bowl that bothered me. It was the contract extension I didn't agree with. Too early for that (Kentucky did it and didn't win another game). Plus Butch and boys get a bonus for making a bowl anyway. It's in their contracts. :hi::hi:

GO VOLS!
 
#59
#59
It's all about the relentless pursuit of continuous improvement. We work Iike heck everyday because brick by brick OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE
 
#61
#61
I'm pushing 61 years old and I've been a Tennessee fan for 50 years.

My dad was a Vandy grad and he dreamed of me going to Vandy but that was never going to happen as sad as that was for him.

I bleed Tennessee Orange and I always will.

I support Tennessee, whatever coaches or players are on the hill at the time I support them.

I call myself a VFL because that's where my heart will always be.

I couldn't care less if anyone else says I'm not a VFL because my Tennessee Orange blood and love of Tennessee says I damn sure am!

I do support our coaches, especially our best recruiters, getting a raise and maybe a 1 year extention.

If we don't pay them well then we'll damn sure lose our coaches and best recruiters and that will lose us top recruits that we MUST have in order to slowly climb back up the mountain to always be back in the top 10 where we all know we belong with our traditions.

#BrickbyBrick...VFL...GBO!!!
 
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#63
#63
TacomaJPP said:
. . . .I guess reading some posts it appears our fan base since the end times of the Fulmer era really get wrapped around the axle about being loyal to the coach rather than the program. Sometimes they are inclusive, other times mutually exclusive.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is a difference in "loyalty" and "support." Loyalty knows no bounds. Support can have an expiration date. I wished our fans sometimes knew the difference. . . .
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Just because someone doesn't agree with you, doesn't mean their loyalty is misguided.

At the time, I was quite upset about the dismissal of CPF. I thought it was a bad move FOR THE PROGRAM. It was my opinion that terminating a man that had showed such dedication, loyalty and SUCCESS deserved a longer rope. I thought - at the time - firing him was short sided and cast our program in a poor light.

Was I wrong? Maybe, but that doesn't mean my loyalties were misguided. It means I had a different opinion than some others. Some of the concerns I had turned out to be very real. Others did not.
 
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#65
#65
Whether one likes it or not, the head football coach is the leader of the football program. Supporting him, the players and the university is what a fan does. Constantly critizing the coach and voicing one's anticipation of the coach's failure in a public forum, especially during the season, is not being a true fan.

Constantly complaining and criticizing players and coaches is harmful. Is that the purpose of being a fan?
 
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#66
#66
I'm a VFL regardless of what UTpj says...

I call myself a Vol, so therefore, I can be a Vol for Life
 
#67
#67
TacomaJPP said:
What does it mean to be a loyal college football fan. Better yet, what is a VFL? What exactly is a VFL loyal to?

Is a VFL loyal to the university, the athletic director, the players, the coach, the program?

Everyone will have their own definition and opinion. That's fine. What confuses me is how some fans seem to put their loyalty to a coach, rather than the program. Coaches come and go. Coaches get paid. Being a coach is a job. Coaches can be motivated by many factors and swayed by many other factors. Coaches are men and can disappoint.

I've watched "VFLs" vehemently defend some of our recent coaches (Fulmer in the end, Dooley until the end, CBJ getting a raise). Do I think they have ill intentions? No. Maybe just misguided loyalties.

I want to see the program succeeded. That means young men succeed and grow. That means coaches succeed and grow. Some players won't, neither will some coaches. As fans we should support them, but our loyalty should belong to the long-term health of the program. It will make us better fans and help us make decisions that are steeped in logic and strategy and less in emotion and reaction.

As a disclaimer, I like CBJ and think he's got us on the right track, I just get really confused by people putting coaches (and not just giving CBJ a raise for instance) ahead of the program.

Flame away.
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I don't think you are really "confused" just opinnionated. VFL means a committment to UT. It doesn't mean we will all have the same opinnion on every issue.
 
#68
#68
VolStrom said:
I don't think VFL applies to the instant gratitude generation. They don't have the patience for it.
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Instant gratitude? So my generation is instantly thankful? I think you meant instant gratification.

As a 27 year old I think you can take your comment and shove it.
 
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#72
#72
Outside of being a donor and season ticket holder, my UT diploma makes me a Vol for Life. I love my University & will always support it.
 
#74
#74
TacomaJPP said:
Flame away.
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Well I think the man love for Fulmer has finally died down, but the defense of that incompetent boob was beyond
belief.

Likewise to a degree for Dooley, but I just think a lot of people, including me, wanted him to be successful, but
I had no idea what was going on inside the program or with recruiting until he was gone.

Now we've got a guy that is totally transparent, who communicates clearly with the team and the fan
base, and where you can see tangible improvement, not to mention the outstanding job he's doing on the
recruiting trail. Its OK to be critical of Butch for the playcalling or game management, that doesn't mean
you're not a devoted fan. I'd be more worried about people who were always blowing sunshine up our
arse, like some did with the guy from Winchester.
 
#75
#75
I dont know if VFL was meant for players or not. I'm OK if its a player thing. Here's what I know.... I spent six year of my life and money at UT and they were gracious enough to give me two degrees for my trouble. That makes me a Tennessee Volunteer whether they like it or not.

I was blessed and spoiled to have been at Tennessee during what was probably the best period of time in the history of the program, so I, in fact have actually seen with my own eyes what great football looks like and sounds like in Neyland Stadium.

The truth is I dont know if Tennessee will ever get back there. Maybe Butch Jones is the guy that does it, maybe he isnt. I know he can talk a big game and recruits seem to be buying it, so he can have a token raise if he wants one.

As far as where loyalties lie, my loyalty is to the Orange and White and the Orange and White ONLY. My loyalty is not to Butch Jones, my loyalty is not to any player, my loyalty is not to "third down for what" and my loyalty is not to Smokey Grey :) My loyalty is to the collective entity called UT football.

My somewhat cynical view is that coach Jones may care a great deal about UT football, but he gets PAID to care about it. However deep his loyalty is to UT, I have to keep in mind that he was once "all in" for two other universities no matter how many times he claims this is his "dream job". Comparing his loyalty to say that of Phil Fulmer is not even possible for reasons I should not have to explain. What I do know for sure is that no matter how good CBJ is, he will not be the last coach of the UT football team.

I take the same view of players no matter how great they were on the field. I always have to remember that players (especially the great ones) go play football at the school that gives them the best shot at the NFL. Thats what the college game is, its a stepping stone to the professional football league. Unless you or your family hail from Tennessee, I doubt you played football for UT because you didnt ever want to play for any other team no matter what. You played for Tennessee because of the national exposure, or because you thought the coaches gave you the best chance to shine or because the team was winning or because you filled a specific need that you could not fill at another school. Thats all totally fine, but my loyalty is to the Orange and White. As a coach or a player, you are temporary. A page in the book of UT football history. I will remember you fondly, but I have to focus on the next week, the next season, the next conference title. Butch Jones may be the coach of another school one day, but I'll always be a Volunteer.

I want my TEAM to win. Period. That is my greatest desire, that glory be brought to my Alma mater. But at a bare minimum I ask that you as a coach/player/administrator dont continually embarrass my university and by extension embarrass me. On balance, many of the events of the last seven years have done just that. The fact that I am still calling myself a Volunteer proves my loyalty to the University.

I dont get paid dime to hold a candle for UT, in fact I had to pay dearly for the privilege. I do it because I am a Volunteer. I cant just choose to root for another team. I am all in. That's all I ask for in return even though I know those people are only temporary. What is permanent is the Orange and White. You cant really be loyal to anything else.
 
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