Josh Smith explains why Tennessee fell apart in 2017

[114VOL]

Simple really.
We had MAC level talent and coaches.

This is simply dumb

 

[KBVol]

Explain what you mean by his "utter disdain for/condescension of the fan base".

While I may not completely agree with some of your other comments, I understand them.I'm not sure I understand that statement.

First example that immediately comes to mind is when he was caught on camera saying “Eff all of em” vs Tennessee Tech when the fans booed his decision to kick a field goal at Tech’s 1 yard line. Some BS comment was given that he directed the comment towards the refs or something, but it was clear what the deal was....he’d already been getting heat all season and the season before about his poor in-game decisions, and when the fans booed him there, his comment was reflexive and immediate.

Second, the countless times he condescendingly chided fans and media alike in his press conferences about how we didn’t understand his offense, how we complained too much about how he won games, about how our expectations were too high and didn’t understand the great job he was doing, about how he had accomplished things with his team that hadn’t been done at Tennessee in 15-20 years and just didn’t appreciate the job he had done.

Hope that helps.

 

[Hacksaw]

I understand people want to believe that we as fans cheering in our seats win and lose games based on our support. Moreover a season being successful or not is based on our fan support.

I explicitly said that I was NOT saying that, because I knew someone would immediately make that accusation. All too predictable. My only point was that players are affected by fan pessimism -- especially when it gets to the point where the coach's firing is inevitable. If you disagree with that, then you're just kidding yourself. It's been demonstrated over and over again in all levels of sport. Josh's words suggest it had an impact last season.

...there was no intent by the institution to do anything but bilk the fans out of more money for a less than stellar product.

All of those involved in the decision-making process have a vested interest in the program's success. Right now everyone thinks Pruitt was a good hire. If he should happen to be a bust, it won't be because the people at the top are only interested in bilking fans out of their money. That's just silly, IMO.

 

[xpsyclonex2002]

I got a feeling this explains a lot of those injuries over the last year or two as well. Kind of like calling in from work sick from having the brown bottle flu. Love these kids just didn't want to play anymore but didn't want to look like a candy ass in front of their teammates. So instead they just claimed injury.

 

[HessHallHeath]

Definitely chemistry problems but those came from Butch's inability to deal with problems...the way he mis- handled the QB situation is just one example...he let issues fester and it killed team chemistry...

Leadership starts at the top. Dobbs and Barnett were natural leaders which masked Butch's inadequacies while they were representing UT. Once they were gone, that left Jennings as our lone leader on this team last year. Once he was lost in the 1st game, it was painfully obvious that this team had no on the field leadership. Say what you want about JJ but he is head and shoulders above any other player I saw on the field last season
He wanted to contribute and probably would have been our best player even with one hand. He's done some questionable things but there's no doubt that he's a VFL, a exceptional athlete, cares about winning, gives his all for Tennessee and perhaps most importantly is a leader on the field and holds teammates accountable. Leadership is underrated and last season we had none on or off the field

 

[m1al]

Sure, Josh with his drunken roommate fight is one to talk.

Wow, think before you post....

A fight with his roommate has ZERO to do with his response to the question he was asked.

IMO, he took the high road and was very subdued in his comments.

 

[TJ1985]

Jones was never going to resign due to money... The point is saying all of this after the fact is weak...Have a pair of nuts and say what think when you are in the moment...Saying all of this after Jones get fired and he is off the team is a big so what

You expect a player to call his coach out midseason? Really?

 

[Iam4utalways]

I understand people want to believe that we as fans cheering in our seats win and lose games based on our support. Moreover a season being successful or not is based on our fan support. Yes, intimidating a young team at Neyland with crowd noise can affect plays here and ther, but the entire season and specifically last USCe's game was not lost due to lack of fan support, IMO that is complete nonsense. Last season was the product of the AD, football staff and team players. The average fan paying very good money week in and week out cheering their hearts out following recruiting throughout the year, wearing orange and getting buried in orange caskets and such had nothing to do with the shiznit show the institution put on the football field last year. Had they hired Shiziano or whatever his name was the same show would have continued on with a different set of monkeys, there was no intent by the institution to do anything but bilk the fans out of more money for a less than stellar product. Hiring Fulmer & CJP PERHAPS changed that, only time will tell but I refuse to have fans own the historically bad performance by last year's team.

A play here or there can make a difference in a game of inches and seconds.

The crowd at 2017 SC was not as loud as the crowd at 2016 Fl 4th qtr or OU in 2015.

There are games that don't garner the respect of the crowd to get loud. It's like, go ahead and beat these scrub teams with less fan support.

Last year they were counting false starts and time outs called by the opposition's offense. I liked that. It seemed to give the crowd a boost even if it didn't help us.

 

[UT Hill Man]

Wow, think before you post....


A fight with his roommate has ZERO to do with his response to the question he was asked.

IMO, he took the high road and was very subdued in his comments.

I do think before I post.

His off season brawl is extremely relevant to the question and his response.

He mentioned Guys like Alvin (Kamara), Cam (Sutton) and (Josh) Dobbs, as being great senior leaders.

He should have admitted he needed to have been a better leader. The big story right after spring practice was his arrest.

Good senior leaders don't embarrass the team like he did. I don't remember Dobbs, Sutton and Kamara getting into trouble like that.

The first place Josh Smith should be looking when reflecting on a disastrous 4-8 season is right in the mirror.

 

[greazy1722]

Ive said this a million times on this site when u have guys like Jennings and other players getting in trouble, not going to class, and Butch letting them get away with all the crap led to killing the moral on the team. That's why I say don't bring Jennings back because he was the primary cancer on team in my opinion. Butch actually expected Jennings to be a leader of the team when he stayed getting in trouble. I don't know this personally but as a former athlete I can tell you that those guys don't care for Jennings. This is just my opinion..

 

[JMSqb11]

I do think before I post.

His off season brawl is extremely relevant to the question and his response.

He mentioned Guys like Alvin (Kamara), Cam (Sutton) and (Josh) Dobbs, as being great senior leaders.

He should have admitted he needed to have been a better leader. The big story right after spring practice was his arrest.

Good senior leaders don't embarrass the team like he did. I don't remember Dobbs, Sutton and Kamara getting into trouble like that.

The first place Josh Smith should be looking when reflecting on a disastrous 4-8 season is right in the mirror.

So Josh getting assaulted by his drunken roommate is somehow bad judgement on Josh Smith?

 

[UT Hill Man]

So Josh getting assaulted by his drunken roommate is somehow bad judgement on Josh Smith?

You're living in complete denial. Josh sent the roommate to the hospital with kicks to the head, while the dude was lying on the ground.

Did Josh hurt his foot? Is that the assault you're talking about?

Why are a lot of people defending a guy who was arguably a wasted scholarship?

 

[05_never_again]

Simple really.
We had MAC level talent and coaches.

MAC-level talent? What team were you watching?

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Ive said this a million times on this site when u have guys like Jennings and other players getting in trouble, not going to class, and Butch letting them get away with all the crap led to killing the moral on the team. That's why I say don't bring Jennings back because he was the primary cancer on team in my opinion. Butch actually expected Jennings to be a leader of the team when he stayed getting in trouble. I don't know this personally but as a former athlete I can tell you that those guys don't care for Jennings. This is just my opinion..

Let's be honest. The reason why you don't want Jennings back is because you don't want any other playmakers at WR who might get credit for anything other than your relative. You take any and every opportunity to throw the other WR on the team under the bus. It's a really bad look.

 

[djohnnyg]

It's simple. Losing makes everything stink...and everything in the program look bad. If we had won. ..any incidents would have been overlooked or greatly lessened in importance. I know it sounds elementary or simplistic but winning really does cure everything.

 

[Iam4utalways]

Let's be honest. The reason why you don't want Jennings back is because you don't want any other playmakers at WR who might get credit for anything other than your relative. You take any and every opportunity to throw the other WR on the team under the bus. It's a really bad look.

It would benefit Brandon if JJ played next year. Having a quality receiver playing on the other side or even the same side would open up things for him. Unless JJ was an even bigger distraction

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

It would benefit Brandon if JJ played next year. Having a quality receiver playing on the other side or even the same side would open up things for him. Unless JJ was an even bigger distruaction

I agree with you completely, I'm just not sure if 1722 does.

We've had several relatives of players over the years. They all take up for their loved ones, as they should. However, this guy is the only one I've seen yet who consistently throws the other players at the position under the bus.

 

[Iam4utalways]

I agree with you completely, I'm just not sure if 1722 does.

We've had several relatives of players over the years. They all take up for their loved ones, as they should. However, this guy is the only one I've seen yet who consistently throws the other players at the position under the bus.

I don't want to be thown under the bus either.

 

[Orangedogsrule]

It was interesting how the article mentioned Smith was on a "bulk-focused" workout program with UT as opposed to one that met his needs.

I interpreted this as basically saying that Smith, and every other player, had the same workout regimen as everyone else regardless of position, skillset, etc. I'm not a weightlifting guru but isn't this the exact opposite of how that's supposed to go? Wouldn't it be smarter for WR's to have a different workout than OL's and DL's? And how the f*** did that happen with an extremely experienced former NFL S&C coach? Could this also be why we had so many injuries the past 2 seasons?

Maybe I interpreted that the wrong way. If anyone can clear that up that'd be cool.

Josh came from CAK here in Knoxville, and he was small. So much so, many on here considered him a wasted roster space even though he had set (or was close to setting, I forget) a few high school receiving records.

His whole training table/weight room protocol was designed to bulk him up for SEC play. Otherwise, he'd a been moiderized.😲

 

[dono]

One thing to say for the 2017 season...It will always make for a thread in the off season. Like BBQ and uniforms.

 

[Fijivol72]

Josh came from CAK here in Knoxville, and he was small. So much so, many on here considered him a wasted roster space even though he had set (or was close to setting, I forget) a few high school receiving records.

His whole training table/weight room protocol was designed to bulk him up for SEC play. Otherwise, he'd a been moiderized.😲

He was as brittle as p-nut brittle. He was a wasted scholarship. He was on ir about 80% of his career. Certainly no leader by anyones definition.

 

[Smokey X]

I agree with you completely, I'm just not sure if 1722 does.

We've had several relatives of players over the years. They all take up for their loved ones, as they should. However, this guy is the only one I've seen yet who consistently throws the other players at the position under the bus.

except for mama Hurd throwing AK under the bus...that prediction panned out well for her

 

[BreatheUT]

I agree with you completely, I'm just not sure if 1722 does.

We've had several relatives of players over the years. They all take up for their loved ones, as they should. However, this guy is the only one I've seen yet who consistently throws the other players at the position under the bus.

Thanks for shining a light on the player hating posters because their relative is on the team and wants him to have uncompetitive playing time.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

except for mama Hurd throwing AK under the bus...that prediction panned out well for her

I remember she said something on Twitter, but I don't think she ever posted anything here. I may be wrong, but I don't remember her ever coming on VN.