OneManGang
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The loudest venue I've ever been to was Stokely Athletics Center on 4 March 1977. This list includes rock concerts, football games, Boomsday and an Army live-fire demo.
It was my sophomore year on The Hill and the 11th Ranked Volunteers under Ray Mears were facing off against #2 Kentucky and the hated Joe B. Hall. The Vols featured four guys who went on to the NBA: Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld, Reggie Johnson and Terry Crosby. The crowd was stoked, I had scored a date with a beautiful girl and the stage was set. Everyone who was anyone was there, even Big John Tate in a black leather three-piece suit and a huge black bullrider hat.
Then came half time.
In those days the Band came to big games about 100 strong, in full uniforms complete with caps and birds and would march out and surround the court playing basically the football pregame before forming a "T" for the team to run through.
Now they returned to courtside and the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome home Johnny Majors as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers!
I have no idea what the band played as Majors strolled out to mid-court because the ovation was so loud it must have registered on the Richter Scale. And it went on for about 5 minutes. My ears rang for days.
Eventually things calmed down a bit and Johnny said a few appropriate words (whether he included "Pursue!" is lost to time) and then exited again to thunderous cheering.
Oh, and Tennessee spanked that Blue Butt 89-87.
Godspeed, Coach, and thanks for the memories!
It was my sophomore year on The Hill and the 11th Ranked Volunteers under Ray Mears were facing off against #2 Kentucky and the hated Joe B. Hall. The Vols featured four guys who went on to the NBA: Bernard King, Ernie Grunfeld, Reggie Johnson and Terry Crosby. The crowd was stoked, I had scored a date with a beautiful girl and the stage was set. Everyone who was anyone was there, even Big John Tate in a black leather three-piece suit and a huge black bullrider hat.
Then came half time.
In those days the Band came to big games about 100 strong, in full uniforms complete with caps and birds and would march out and surround the court playing basically the football pregame before forming a "T" for the team to run through.
Now they returned to courtside and the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen! Please welcome home Johnny Majors as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers!
I have no idea what the band played as Majors strolled out to mid-court because the ovation was so loud it must have registered on the Richter Scale. And it went on for about 5 minutes. My ears rang for days.
Eventually things calmed down a bit and Johnny said a few appropriate words (whether he included "Pursue!" is lost to time) and then exited again to thunderous cheering.
Oh, and Tennessee spanked that Blue Butt 89-87.
Godspeed, Coach, and thanks for the memories!
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