BHAMVOLFAN
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Letter From Mike Hamilton
Dear Friends,
This morning I have been reflecting on the success of the 2004 Tennessee football team. As many of you know, we are extremely excited about playing for the SEC Championship this Saturday night in Atlanta against the Auburn Tigers. I expect our team to represent themselves, our university and our fans very well. I am very hopeful that a great number of you will be there to celebrate with us.
Mike Hamilton
Just a few short months ago, media members met in Birmingham, Alabama to prepare for the 2004 season and to vote on not only pre-season honors, but also on whom they felt would win the championship. Of the almost 100 members present, not a single member of the media cast a vote for the University of Tennessee to win the SEC Championship in 2004. Much of this had to do with the fact that we were, if not the youngest, one of the two or three youngest teams in the SEC with only 13 seniors. In addition, there were question marks at several positions and we were replacing a four-year starter, Casey Clausen, at quarterback.
As you know, what has happened since then has been extremely encouraging and gratifying and a testament to the will of our coaching staff and the execution of our players. This team entered the season with two freshmen quarterbacks being named starters just two short weeks before the opening kickoff. The season has played out with significant contributors Kevin Simon, James Banks, Antwan Stewart, J.T. Mapu and Marvin Mitchell all unavailable on the defensive side of the ball. In addition, our offensive line has been a patchwork effort throughout the season as we have had numerous injuries, which has prevented our offensive line from remaining intact as a unit throughout the season. All-America candidate Michael Munoz has been hampered throughout the year with nagging injuries and is now out with a shoulder injury. Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge went down to injuries in consecutive weeks. In the second quarter of the Notre Dame alone, we had 12 injuries. Through all th! is adversity, the team has risen to the challenge and now sits on the doorstep of achieving something very significant.
Third string quarterback Rick Clausen has led this team admirably over the past two weeks and was named SEC Player of the Week for his performance this past weekend. Jesse Mahelona, Gerald Riggs, Cedric Houston, Jason Allen, Kevin Burnett, Bret Smith, Robert Meachem, Parys Haralson and many others have made significant contributions in victories over the course of the season. In addition to freshmen Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer, significant contributions by other freshmen have occurred throughout the year. Touchdowns by David Holbert, Robert Meachem and Chris Brown along with interceptions by Jonathan Hefney and other members of our very youthful team bode well for Tennessee football as we look to the future.
Many of you know by now that our bowl destination will be either New Orleans for the Nokia Sugar Bowl on January 3, 2005 to play either the ACC or Big East champion, or Dallas for the SBC Cotton Bowl on January 1, 2005 to most likely play Texas or Texas A&M. The University of Tennessee would have 16,000 tickets to the Sugar Bowl and an initial allotment of 12,000 tickets to the Cotton Bowl with the opportunity to purchase additional tickets based upon fan demand. It is extremely important that we have your support as fans in the stands at the bowl site. It means a great deal to our players as they prepare for the game to look up into the stands and gaze upon a sea of orange there to support them on foreign turf. Last year, fans overwhelmingly responded to our Peach Bowl appearance by purchasing 23,000 tickets in just the first 72 hours. I hope you will respond accordingly to this bowl appearance. I would encourage you to buy your tickets through the University of Tenne! ssee as that is the means by which we gain recognition from the bowl itself. Tickets sold by the institution make a difference as it relates to potential future bowl bids.
Finally, as it relates to football, I want to thank you again for unbelievable support in Neyland Stadium this fall as well as for the thousands of you who have joined us on the road at Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. I hope to see many of you in Atlanta this weekend and to see even more of you on the road in New Orleans or Dallas over the New Year holiday. Thank you again for being the best fans in America.
Best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful holiday season.
Expect to win!
Go Vols!
Mike Hamilton
Men's Athletic Director
This illegitimate unedjurcated bammer vol endorses this letter. BVF
Dear Friends,
This morning I have been reflecting on the success of the 2004 Tennessee football team. As many of you know, we are extremely excited about playing for the SEC Championship this Saturday night in Atlanta against the Auburn Tigers. I expect our team to represent themselves, our university and our fans very well. I am very hopeful that a great number of you will be there to celebrate with us.
Mike Hamilton
Just a few short months ago, media members met in Birmingham, Alabama to prepare for the 2004 season and to vote on not only pre-season honors, but also on whom they felt would win the championship. Of the almost 100 members present, not a single member of the media cast a vote for the University of Tennessee to win the SEC Championship in 2004. Much of this had to do with the fact that we were, if not the youngest, one of the two or three youngest teams in the SEC with only 13 seniors. In addition, there were question marks at several positions and we were replacing a four-year starter, Casey Clausen, at quarterback.
As you know, what has happened since then has been extremely encouraging and gratifying and a testament to the will of our coaching staff and the execution of our players. This team entered the season with two freshmen quarterbacks being named starters just two short weeks before the opening kickoff. The season has played out with significant contributors Kevin Simon, James Banks, Antwan Stewart, J.T. Mapu and Marvin Mitchell all unavailable on the defensive side of the ball. In addition, our offensive line has been a patchwork effort throughout the season as we have had numerous injuries, which has prevented our offensive line from remaining intact as a unit throughout the season. All-America candidate Michael Munoz has been hampered throughout the year with nagging injuries and is now out with a shoulder injury. Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge went down to injuries in consecutive weeks. In the second quarter of the Notre Dame alone, we had 12 injuries. Through all th! is adversity, the team has risen to the challenge and now sits on the doorstep of achieving something very significant.
Third string quarterback Rick Clausen has led this team admirably over the past two weeks and was named SEC Player of the Week for his performance this past weekend. Jesse Mahelona, Gerald Riggs, Cedric Houston, Jason Allen, Kevin Burnett, Bret Smith, Robert Meachem, Parys Haralson and many others have made significant contributions in victories over the course of the season. In addition to freshmen Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer, significant contributions by other freshmen have occurred throughout the year. Touchdowns by David Holbert, Robert Meachem and Chris Brown along with interceptions by Jonathan Hefney and other members of our very youthful team bode well for Tennessee football as we look to the future.
Many of you know by now that our bowl destination will be either New Orleans for the Nokia Sugar Bowl on January 3, 2005 to play either the ACC or Big East champion, or Dallas for the SBC Cotton Bowl on January 1, 2005 to most likely play Texas or Texas A&M. The University of Tennessee would have 16,000 tickets to the Sugar Bowl and an initial allotment of 12,000 tickets to the Cotton Bowl with the opportunity to purchase additional tickets based upon fan demand. It is extremely important that we have your support as fans in the stands at the bowl site. It means a great deal to our players as they prepare for the game to look up into the stands and gaze upon a sea of orange there to support them on foreign turf. Last year, fans overwhelmingly responded to our Peach Bowl appearance by purchasing 23,000 tickets in just the first 72 hours. I hope you will respond accordingly to this bowl appearance. I would encourage you to buy your tickets through the University of Tenne! ssee as that is the means by which we gain recognition from the bowl itself. Tickets sold by the institution make a difference as it relates to potential future bowl bids.
Finally, as it relates to football, I want to thank you again for unbelievable support in Neyland Stadium this fall as well as for the thousands of you who have joined us on the road at Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. I hope to see many of you in Atlanta this weekend and to see even more of you on the road in New Orleans or Dallas over the New Year holiday. Thank you again for being the best fans in America.
Best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful holiday season.
Expect to win!
Go Vols!
Mike Hamilton
Men's Athletic Director
This illegitimate unedjurcated bammer vol endorses this letter. BVF
