Negavol or being realistic? Voice your concerns.

#76
#76
OP, I think you are over stressed or need to go to decaf. There are better days ahead. yes, maybe CBJ lost a game or two he should not have, but he should never have beaten USCjr either season. But we lost a lot of games just from lack of talent and/or depth at positions. CBJ is taking care of those issues with recruiting. If you look at every coach they have lost games they should not have lost, it happens. I think time will show CBJ can hold his own with the best in the SEC once he gets the players, which his is doing, and starts having time to build these players up and not have to play them at 17-18 years old.

Dobbs is going to be okay. He will convert some of those long 4th down situations and so he wont. PM is the greatest quarterback ever to play at Neyland and he did not convert them all either. Plus, better receivers running better routes makes a QB look a lot better.

We will beat Fl. You just have to believe. I grew up when Bear Bryant was killing us year after effin year, but eventually we got over the hump and started winning and had our own streak.

I agree we are over hyped. I will be happy with 8 regular season wins and a bowl victory. Now I want more but I am trying not to get over hyped myself. I hope we win them all, but very few teams accomplish that.
 
#78
#78
Gotta cut CBJ some slack on the Vandy loss. I realize some here cant imagine but that Vandy team was better than Tennessee, more experience, more talent. Tennessee had one true freshman QB , Vandy had a sr and a RS Fresh QB, Vandy had a 2nd round WR (should have been a 1st rounder) and best player by far on the field. Tennessee had basically freshmen WR and North was hurt; about even on the OL and RB. Defensively Vandy was very stout. Tennessee could have won the game without a penalty that prevented the big TD but they were outmanned that night. As bad a JD played that night, surprising it was that close.
 
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#79
#79
With the roster we have, I think we should be a 9-win team. It's probably a loss in Tuscaloosa, and I'm guessing we split 2-2 in toss-up games against Oklahoma, Arky, UGA and Mizzou. I don't consider UF or USCe toss-ups. We'll probably be favored and I believe we'll win.
 
#80
#80
chatt-townVOL said:
There has always been this kind of labeling of posters. It seems the "Sunshine Pumper" is overly optimistic, while the "Negavol" is overly pessimistic.

I used to be labeled a pretty aggressive Sunshine Pumper but apparently I've grown pessimistic over time and become labeled as more of a Negavol. At least that's what other posters keep telling me. Personally, I think me and the other posters that have developed this reputation (Fade, KB, etc) are just being realistic. I figure the offseason is a good time for Negavol's or anyone else to voice their concerns, and to hear the opposition for them.

I'll start with mine:

- Butch does everything right off the field, but I'm still very much in wait-and-see mode about his game day skills. He's lost more games he shouldn't have lost than he has won games he shouldn't have won. It's a bit concerning.

- I worry Dobbs is overrated. He's a baller, and honestly he might be one of the best runners for a QB in Tennessee history, but I worry when it's 4th and 15, and we need to thread the needle to the only open window on the field, Dobbs just may not have the skill for it.

- I'm sorry, I just don't believe we're ever going to beat Florida again. It just seems like a different team shows up against Florida than the team that shows up in all the rest of the games. It's a mental game at this point and it seems like our players forget everything they know about football as soon as they see orange and blue.

- I thoroughly believe we need to cool the jets on the over-hype of Team 119. They have massive potential, but we play in the SEC. In the SEC "potential" can turn into "lack of experience" in a heartbeat.

Voice your concerns here.
Click to expand...

i agree with the florida part of your post 100%...they seem to be our kryptonite.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
#81
#81
Aesius said:
My theory is this: Dooley knew he was in over his head from the moment Tennessee lost to Kentucky in 2011--possibly sooner (close losses to UGA and USC that season). He knew the locker room was divided, that the roster had major issues, that he was losing in-state recruits to Vandy, that his QB was a headcase, and that very few of the players respected him.

But he also knew that despite his and the team's shortcomings, the offense would have talent in 2012 and expectations would be high. By hiring Sunseri, who would install a completely different defensive scheme, he would have another excuse in 2012 should the season play out in disappointing fashion.

However, I don't think he was prepared for the team and the defense to be as bad as it actually was. I think he believed he could win 6/7 games at worst, make a bowl and possibly win it, and get a nice 2-3 year extension and a new set of excuses in 2013 (loss of both lines of scrimmage) with lowered expectations once again.

The guy was a snake. He had no intention of building Tennessee back into a winning program. He wanted to do just enough to make bowl games every couple of years and hold the program hostage while he padded his bank account and lorded his "CEO" status over everyone in the football facility.

I think the most telling thing about Dooley was how he talked about Alabama and LSU. Like they were these invincible giants that Tennessee had no chance of beating. With Butch, you can tell that it eats him up that Tennessee isn't on that level yet, but Dooley knew that he couldn't in a million years elevate the program back to elite status, so he went into those games expecting a beating and it showed in his press conferences.
Click to expand...

On. The. Money.
 
#83
#83
oldsmokey67 said:
i agree with the florida part of your post 100%...they seem to be our kryptonite.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
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When we beat UF this year it is going to be doubly sweet. The NeGators will have a field day with their new coach. I am hoping for a real tail spin when we win that will last for years.
 
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#84
#84
Volview said:
When we beat UF this year it is going to be doubly sweet. The NeGators will have a field day with their new coach. I am hoping for a real tail spin when we win that will last for years.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I'm hoping for a decade if not more of Florida stinking it up. Never will I wish success to the swamp crocs.
 
#85
#85
Yankee_Vol said:
3. This year is as good as any. The past is the past. On paper, we are finally more talented overall than FL (IMO).
Click to expand...

We're not, Daj posted that UF is still more talented than UT, but that it's MUCH closer this year than last year, almost even.

It'll come down to how well CBJ can coach. This is the first year we'll be seeing him under a complete team.
 
#86
#86
2013 uga at home ut is at the 50 ITS 4TH AND 2. Butch rolls the dice and runs a fake fullback dive. Sweep to left neal runs 30 yards for first down puts uga on there heels then calls jet sweep to pig who really scores but rule it a fumble game over he calls a aggressive game great coach puts his faith in our D and arron murray drives down the field to score unlucky break with a half ass qb in worley with no talent what so ever is able to hang with uga two years in a row now uga was preseason top ten both years...then beats a better south carolina team two years in a row now with the talent ut has ...... just sit back and watch somthing amazimg the next few years jones is a proven winner a hell of a recruiter and the best coach we have had in years
 
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#87
#87
chatt-townVOL said:
There has always been this kind of labeling of posters. It seems the "Sunshine Pumper" is overly optimistic, while the "Negavol" is overly pessimistic.

I used to be labeled a pretty aggressive Sunshine Pumper but apparently I've grown pessimistic over time and become labeled as more of a Negavol. At least that's what other posters keep telling me. Personally, I think me and the other posters that have developed this reputation (Fade, KB, etc) are just being realistic. I figure the offseason is a good time for Negavol's or anyone else to voice their concerns, and to hear the opposition for them.

I'll start with mine:

- Butch does everything right off the field, but I'm still very much in wait-and-see mode about his game day skills. He's lost more games he shouldn't have lost than he has won games he shouldn't have won. It's a bit concerning.

- I worry Dobbs is overrated. He's a baller, and honestly he might be one of the best runners for a QB in Tennessee history, but I worry when it's 4th and 15, and we need to thread the needle to the only open window on the field, Dobbs just may not have the skill for it.

- I'm sorry, I just don't believe we're ever going to beat Florida again. It just seems like a different team shows up against Florida than the team that shows up in all the rest of the games. It's a mental game at this point and it seems like our players forget everything they know about football as soon as they see orange and blue.

- I thoroughly believe we need to cool the jets on the over-hype of Team 119. They have massive potential, but we play in the SEC. In the SEC "potential" can turn into "lack of experience" in a heartbeat.

Voice your concerns here.
Click to expand...

Chatt town...we have more in common than just the city we live in. I too have at times been called sunshine, but more recently have been called nega. For me, it's just that I've voiced my shock at how a guy like butch can do everything right until he needs to make a gutsy call in a game...and then he's just horrifically conservative. People bash the heck out of me saying wait till he has his players ect. Truth is you're either afraid to take chances or not. Urban took his third string QB late in the season and rolled the hell out of the dice, and that ended up working out OK.
 
#88
#88
I wonder why we need another of these threads.

I also wonder why people are so worried about what others think about them.

Personally, IMHO.. realistic expectations are for sports writers and people who set the lines for vegas.

Fans... short for Fanatic.. by definition believe in their team when no one else in the country does. They go into every game thinking "There is a chance". And they do not give up hope until the clock hits ZERO..

Of course that is just me, and the way I was raised. Everyone has opinions, and they are all different.

The true "Negavols" are the people who I never see make a single positive post about anything. The people that have been so beat down with guilt over supporting the Fulmer Firing. The guy who has given us our only truly successful run in the past 40-50 years going back to Dickey. And seeing what that decision to support Hamilton, The Bane of our beloved university over Fulmer, someone who truly bleeds orange and one of the very few loyal people left in the coaching world. Has done to our school and football team has done. I.E. (Made us the laughing stock of the NCAA)

And that guilt drives them into having such a jaded outlook that they think we can't and won't ever make it back to those glory years that Fulmer gave us. So they refuse to even let themselves have ANY amount of hope that it will ever happen or come close to happening.

Just let the guilt go. We forgive you. There is no way you could have known at the time how bad it would turn out to be. And you were blinded by Hamilton's campaign of lies about complacency and the football world passing him by.

And rather then facing that guilt.. dealing with it and moving on. Their stubbornness keeps them trying to convince themselves to this day that it was the truth. But their subconscious knows better and it manifests into the Negavol.

/dropsthemic
 
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#89
#89
ImportedVoL said:
I wonder why we need another of these threads.

I also wonder why people are so worried about what others think about them.

Personally, IMHO.. realistic expectations are for sports writers and people who set the lines for vegas.

Fans... short for Fanatic.. by definition believe in their team when no one else in the country does. They go into every game thinking "There is a chance". And they do not give up hope until the clock hits ZERO..

Of course that is just me, and the way I was raised. Everyone has opinions, and they are all different.

The true "Negavols" are the people who I never see make a single positive post about anything. The people that have been so beat down with guilt over supporting the Fulmer Firing. The guy who has given us our only truly successful run in the past 40-50 years going back to Dickey. And seeing what that decision to support Hamilton, The Bane of our beloved university over Fulmer, someone who truly bleeds orange and one of the very few loyal people left in the coaching world. Has done to our school and football team has done. I.E. (Made us the laughing stock of the NCAA)

And that guilt drives them into having such a jaded outlook that they think we can't and won't ever make it back to those glory years that Fulmer gave us. So they refuse to even let themselves have ANY amount of hope that it will ever happen or come close to happening.

Just let the guilt go. We forgive you. There is no way you could have known at the time how bad it would turn out to be. And you were blinded by Hamilton's campaign of lies about complacency and the football world passing him by.

And rather then facing that guilt.. dealing with it and moving on. Their stubbornness keeps them trying to convince themselves to this day that it was the truth. But their subconscious knows better and it manifests into the Negavol.

/dropsthemic
Click to expand...

Was hearing you...then Fulmer swallowed you up.
 

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#90
#90
I would say the sunshine pumpers have been out IN FORCE for the last six+ months as there have been about 100 threads effectively asking what sort of celebration Vol fans should have in the next year or two after we win the national title. It's nice to have a good recruiting class or two--but we've not done, or won, a freakin' SEC game yet, much less a national title. So a little realism--somewhere between absurd optimism and fatalism--might be prudent.
 
#91
#91
armchair said:
I would say the sunshine pumpers have been out IN FORCE for the last six+ months as there have been about 100 threads effectively asking what sort of celebration Vol fans should have in the next year or two after we win the national title. It's nice to have a good recruiting class or two--but we've not done, or won, a freakin' SEC game yet, much less a national title. So a little realism--somewhere between absurd optimism and fatalism--might be prudent.
Click to expand...

Never seen one thread like that...exaggerate much?
 
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#92
#92
chatt-townVOL said:
There has always been this kind of labeling of posters. It seems the "Sunshine Pumper" is overly optimistic, while the "Negavol" is overly pessimistic.

I used to be labeled a pretty aggressive Sunshine Pumper but apparently I've grown pessimistic over time and become labeled as more of a Negavol. At least that's what other posters keep telling me. Personally, I think me and the other posters that have developed this reputation (Fade, KB, etc) are just being realistic. I figure the offseason is a good time for Negavol's or anyone else to voice their concerns, and to hear the opposition for them.

I'll start with mine:

- Butch does everything right off the field, but I'm still very much in wait-and-see mode about his game day skills. He's lost more games he shouldn't have lost than he has won games he shouldn't have won. It's a bit concerning.

- I worry Dobbs is overrated. He's a baller, and honestly he might be one of the best runners for a QB in Tennessee history, but I worry when it's 4th and 15, and we need to thread the needle to the only open window on the field, Dobbs just may not have the skill for it.

- I'm sorry, I just don't believe we're ever going to beat Florida again. It just seems like a different team shows up against Florida than the team that shows up in all the rest of the games. It's a mental game at this point and it seems like our players forget everything they know about football as soon as they see orange and blue.

- I thoroughly believe we need to cool the jets on the over-hype of Team 119. They have massive potential, but we play in the SEC. In the SEC "potential" can turn into "lack of experience" in a heartbeat.

Voice your concerns here.
Click to expand...

First point is fair and I'm in the same boat. Second point, I feel like Dobbs has proven he is NOT overrated in my eyes at least - especially in crunch time as you mentioned. Watch the SC game again, skip to the 4th. 3rd point, I'm there with you on Florida but to say we will never beat them again is just not true. I feel like the odds are forever stacked against us, even if we're a 10-2 team and they're a 6-6 team, however we WILL beat them again.

Last but not least, people are always going to beat the hype drum in the off season. What else is there to do? Instructing folks to cool it will never result in them cooling it. Just keep to your own expectations and hope we exceed them. Most people believe this COULD be the year UT resurges, but next year is in fact the year we SHOULD kick some @ss.
 
#93
#93
I started classifying chatt town vol a negavol after reading his threads after we lose.

Maybe you were drunk. Who knows. One loss never means everything is horrible.

I am a realist. I understand we will lose games, even ones we should win.

As long as the team is fighting and we are recruiting well I'm willing to give Butch until next year to make his statement.

I hope Butch works out.
 
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#94
#94
chattavol420 said:
Chatt town...we have more in common than just the city we live in. I too have at times been called sunshine, but more recently have been called nega. For me, it's just that I've voiced my shock at how a guy like butch can do everything right until he needs to make a gutsy call in a game...and then he's just horrifically conservative. People bash the heck out of me saying wait till he has his players ect. Truth is you're either afraid to take chances or not. Urban took his third string QB late in the season and rolled the hell out of the dice, and that ended up working out OK.
Click to expand...

If Urban rolled the QB dice, it was behind a stable, consistent, experienced Offensive Line, of which kind Butch simply was not blessed with in 2014 for various reasons. I'm trusting Mike DeBord and Barnett's group will have the OL ready come LP Field.
 
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#95
#95
Ok, my real concerns? Honestly? Here they are, these are the things that sit in the back of my mind and concern me about the Tennessee program:

1. Is Butch really here for life? When he starts winning championships with the Vols (and he will), and all the programs with open head coaching positions are trying to woo him away (and they will), particularly those in the Mid-West...Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania...will he stick tight here? I honestly think he will, but you never know until you know. I want him to retire in Knoxville in the year 2040 or so, right up beside General Neyland as the most successful and beloved head coaches in Tennessee history. But will he stick?

2. When success comes, and it's coming soon, how good will Butch & Co. be at keeping the players grounded, focused, workmanlike? An air of entitlement and/or complacency can settle in to even the best programs, if the coaches aren't watching for it, and if they don't have good player-leaders helping them keep it away. Can our coaches and players handle success as well as they've been handling adversity since Butch arrived?

I'm not worried about today. Today will work itself out. The future is incredibly bright, you have to be blind not to see that. No, I'm worried more about what comes after we start hitting jackpots.

You asked what concerns I have about the team and program? That's them.

I guess this makes me a sunshine-pumping negavol.
 
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#98
#98
butchna said:
Never seen one thread like that...exaggerate much?
Click to expand...

This UT team is the start of the 1st back to back to back NC ever, and they will rename the NC trophy as the "Jones" award.
 
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#100
#100
chatt-townVOL said:
There has always been this kind of labeling of posters. It seems the "Sunshine Pumper" is overly optimistic, while the "Negavol" is overly pessimistic.

I used to be labeled a pretty aggressive Sunshine Pumper but apparently I've grown pessimistic over time and become labeled as more of a Negavol. At least that's what other posters keep telling me. Personally, I think me and the other posters that have developed this reputation (Fade, KB, etc) are just being realistic. I figure the offseason is a good time for Negavol's or anyone else to voice their concerns, and to hear the opposition for them.

I'll start with mine:

- Butch does everything right off the field, but I'm still very much in wait-and-see mode about his game day skills. He's lost more games he shouldn't have lost than he has won games he shouldn't have won. It's a bit concerning.

- I worry Dobbs is overrated. He's a baller, and honestly he might be one of the best runners for a QB in Tennessee history, but I worry when it's 4th and 15, and we need to thread the needle to the only open window on the field, Dobbs just may not have the skill for it.

- I'm sorry, I just don't believe we're ever going to beat Florida again. It just seems like a different team shows up against Florida than the team that shows up in all the rest of the games. It's a mental game at this point and it seems like our players forget everything they know about football as soon as they see orange and blue.

- I thoroughly believe we need to cool the jets on the over-hype of Team 119. They have massive potential, but we play in the SEC. In the SEC "potential" can turn into "lack of experience" in a heartbeat.

Voice your concerns here.
Click to expand...
for the most part i think i agree with a lot of this. i'll only say that i do think that a lot of the concerns you and i share, really are related to what's unknown--there won't be a ton of injuries in 2015, did certain players or units actually develop, will the youth infusion continue to pay off...the hype is a bet on those answers being "yes". which if that is the answer, we don't have a lot to worry about....these guys COULD be really good....with that.....

for butch, i'll only say he hasn't exactly had the greatest cupboard to work with up to this point. i lean toward him being a little more conservative than he'd like just b/c of personnel. i would expect, if not this year, then definitely the next couple of years, for him to get in to more of what he's about offensively. the inexperienced depth at qb, lack of depth at RB, O line developing and inconsistency we've had at WR will likely dictate what direction he goes this year. bottom line, we can't afford major injuries at QB or RB, and WR's have to step up to potential. as they prove what they can/will or can't/won't do, the in game coaching will evolve, or not.

i have the same concern on Dobbs. but forget about 4th and 15, it's 3rd and 7 that concerns me. but again, he's not had a full year under his belt...getting all the 1st team reps, just being "the guy". i'm very interested to see how this has all paid off for him when the season gets going. and whether or not another year of development for the O line helps him our or not.

i share the frustration on UF. but i do believe the only people more pissed off about that than us fans, are the players and staff. i expect them to play with their hair on fire in Gainesville this year. if we don't beat them this year, then i may be in the "never" camp with you. but i honestly will be very disappointed if we don't pull out a W this year.

i agree on team 119 hype. i see why they're getting it, and can see scenarios where they could live up to it. i really do. but the reality is, we have true freshmen backing up Dobbs (how man hits do you think this staff wants this guy to take?), no one of note behind Hurd and Kamara, and O Line that has the worst single year of play in TN history under their belt, and WR's that have next level potential, but haven't been able to stay healthy or live up to the hype so far. Bottom line for the offense....it looks good on paper. it really does. i'm so close to believing the hype....

as for the defense, i'm really trusting that the interior will get shored up with Tuttle and McKenzie. i think we're set at DE. i have to believe that with the athletes we have, and have coming in, at LB, that the LB's won't be an issue for too terribly long. and we could have one of the best back end defense we've had in quite some time. by the end of the season, i could see the defense being the unit that carries the team.

Special teams i think is a little bit of a question mark too. but i would expect that to get better as well.

all in all, i think we're good enough again this year to show improvement. i think we end a losing streak or two. and we go bowling again with probably an 8-4 regular season. i don't see SEC champs or play offs in our immediate future like some would have us believe.

not too bad relative to what we've experienced the last 5-6 years, and would give us the opportunity to win 9. and i do believe that the best is yet to come with Butch and teams 120 and 121 and beyond.

let's face it...if we go 8-4 and that includes beating UF and say UGA, would that be all bad? heck no. so we lose to Bama, OU, ARK and someone else...Mizzou for arguments sake. Beat ARK or Mizzou and we go 9-3, i'm throwing a party. anything less than 8-4 would be disappointing to me.

GBO.
 
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