Improbable amounts of bad luck

#1
BleedinOrange98

BleedinOrange98

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#1
I've been watching football for a long time, and I haven't seen a football team with more strangely consistent bad bounces, bad calls, missed calls, injury bugs, key players leave, and mental "voodoo" than the Vols have endured. Since 2005, every time I think it can't get any worse and we're at rock bottom, we somehow find some new and innovative way to dig beneath the bedrock.

For whatever reason the universe has decided, the Vols cannot get any positive mojo going for more than a few games. And these strokes of horrible luck always seem to come at the worst moments when it looks like we're just about to turn the corner. Then the black cloud swoops in. Obviously some of that is due to talent pool shrinking and poor coaching but I can think of no other team where rules needed to be changed after-the-fact multiple times b/c we got screwed so hard. What other team has had their coach run out in the middle of the night? I guess the worst part for me is that it mostly seems to be self-destructive.

There have been brief respites along the way, but they're always followed by an even darker hole. On Saturday, every time something weird or bad happened, everyone in my group chats would laugh and say "welp, that's just Tennessee"... we've become synonymous with bad luck. Pruitt looked rattled on Saturday b/c he had no way of coping with the string of inexplicable events that occurred that only a true Vol fan can understand.

Anyway, I think I've had enough. It's pretty clear to me the universe, god, powers that be, whatever does not want the Vols to succeed. I don't know what we did to deserve this but I'm moving on. Time to take a step back yada yada family and friends, "wouldn't wanna be in a foxhole with you", insert cliche here. Got it.

Cheers for the vent
 
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#5
#5
You dont get 10 years of bad luck. It becomes the expected results of a flawed system/process. Assuming that much bad luck just becomes insanity after a while.
 
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#7
#7
overseasorange2 said:
I agree. I have never seen such an unlucky team in all my life. I ve picked my second favorite team to watch now. Tired of waiting. Last time UT was really good I was a middle aged man. Now I qualify for social security. I want to actually enjoy watching a college team in my retirement....
Click to expand...
Which team you pick to watch? After our game I watched Stanford vs Oregon so I could watch some good football. Sad you have to turn it from your life long SEC team to a PAC 12 game to enjoy a game.
 
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#8
#8
1 game is bad luck. 10 years of bad play is bad leadership and decision making from the top down.

Who's been hiring AD's and coaches the past 10 years. There's where your problem is.
 
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#10
#10
It wasn't bad luck or inexplicable events at all. That's just a ridiculous statement. Just look at the turnovers.

1) On the first fumble for TD, the Tight End had two rush from outside, and he blocked down inside on a double team leaving 2 players for the back to block. Another player got beat. We had 7 on 7 and blocked 5. Bad Football 101.
2)** The second turnover was a screen that the QB threw right into the hands of a Florida player that clearly read the screen in the shadow of our own goal post. Bad Football 101.
3) The Pope turnover was because he held it in one hand loosely and away from his body, then knocks it out with his other hand after lowering that shoulder to the defender instead of covering the ball with both hands. Bad Football 101.
4) The fourth turnover was a shotgun snap that the center basically rolled back to the QB. Bad Football 101.
5) The Kickoff turnover was a player in heavy traffic carrying the ball in one hand loosely away from his body. This came straight out of halftime after Pruitt surely told the players to protect the ball after 4 turnovers in a half. By far the worst turnover considering. Bad Football 101.
6) The last interception was forced throw into double coverage. This is the only one that might not have been Bad Football 101 since we were down a bunch late, and Guarantano was trying to make something happen with few options and playing all night on his back.

None of that is the fickle fortune of fate. Its playing bad fundamental football.

Edit: 2)** After reviewing the highlight, Pope's play was slightly different than I first thought. I originally stated "he held it in one hand loosely on the same side of the pursuing defender to the inside of the field." That was incorrect. He has it to the outside arm away from the pursuing defender and toward the sideline, still very loosely and away from his body. The defender never hits the ball. Watching it live it appeared to be fumbled out of his inside hand that is toward the defender. This is because he knocks it out of his outside (left hand) with his inside (right hand) after contact with the defender. Still Bad Football 101.
 
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#12
#12
1uh0hm.jpg
 
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#13
#13
Our games are like watching the old Keystone Cops silent movies. Think of them as comedy and they are easier to watch. Just turn down the color on your set until its black and white. Very funny!
 
#18
#18
I've been watching Tennessee and Florida since about 1990 and it has always been that any ball batted up in the air or fumbled, lands right in the a Florida players hands. They don't even have to try. It literally lands in their lap virtually every single time. They know it and that's why they can have so much confidence against year and year out. Even when they know they suck, they know they're going to beat Tennessee. I'm guessing they made a deal with the devil and he's holding up his end of the bargain.
They used to say the better team creates better luck. I don't believe that with Florida. There's goes beyond statistical and logical sense.
 
#19
#19
basspond said:
I've been watching Tennessee and Florida since about 1990 and it has always been that any ball batted up in the air or fumbled, lands right in the a Florida players hands. They don't even have to try. It literally lands in their lap virtually every single time. They know it and that's why they can have so much confidence against year and year out. Even when they know they suck, they know they're going to beat Tennessee. I'm guessing they made a deal with the devil and he's holding up his end of the bargain.
They used to say the better team creates better luck. I don't believe that with Florida. There's goes beyond statistical and logical sense.
Click to expand...

Not this game. Every turnover was self inflicted. Unblocked player, throw to defender in front of own end zone, zero ball security, terrible snap, zero ball security, and forced throw into double coverage. That's the summary of my prior post. That's all on players on the field doing things that result in turnovers.
 
#20
#20
Well I was taught an old saying “quitting is for quitters”. Just sayin...
GBO. Keep fighting boys. Make them shiteatinmutts earn every yard.
 
#21
#21
I'll add to the inexplicable being easily explained, the onside kick had 4 players going for the ball and no one blocking the only Florida player within 10 yards of the ball. That's not bad luck on the onside kick either. That's terrible execution.
 
#22
#22
Orange_Vol1321 said:
Which team you pick to watch? After our game I watched Stanford vs Oregon so I could watch some good football. Sad you have to turn it from your life long SEC team to a PAC 12 game to enjoy a game.
Click to expand...
I've always passively kept up with Oregon as well. Their fans were nice, even before they beat the hell out of us, they are fun to watch, and their uniforms are cool. Plus they normally play after all the decent SEC games are over.
 
#23
#23
For the longest time, people would say they same things about Kentucky. "So unlucky." Kentucky would find every way to get ahead and lose football games like you would not believe. Highlights like that LSU touchdown in 2002 -- you know, the "Bluegrass Miracle," were commonplace for them. Never would you think to see a more snakebitten team than the Kentucky Wildcats.

But the truth? The truth is that Kentucky lacked depth and to some extent lacked the institutional support and coaching needed to be consistent. More depth than coaching or support though. Some good skill players, some great quarterbacks (hey there, Jared Lorenzen), some good linemen, but not enough to stay in the game. Never enough to finish. There just wasn't enough depth to play through mistakes that would hurt other teams but not finish 'em off.

Not that I'm saying Kentucky's suddenly "all better" now. I'm just using the many years of experience I had watching Kentucky "be Kentucky" on the JP Game of the Week.

Point being, Tennessee wasn't unlucky. They were not talented enough to make consistent plays and lacked depth to compete for four quarters. That has very little to do with Tennessee's luck, and a lot to do with being the smoldering crater of thin depth and chaos it is right now.
 
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#24
#24
Luck has nothing to do with how bad UT is. I see fumbles, penalties, missed assignments, interceptions. Luck determines exactly zero of those things. They are a product of players playing badly.
 
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