Question for fans who were alive during the 90's run...

#1
Brave Volunteer

Brave Volunteer

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#1
Are any of you like me in that you are reflecting back on that decade now and saying "damn I wish would've realized and appreciated just how fragile this all is"? Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed every single moment of that ride and became drunken on Tennessee's success in the 90's. However I dont think it ever crossed my mind, not one time, that there would come a day where we would not be at least a relevant factor in the SEC. I always assumed being a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC and a top 10-15 team nationally would just be an annual thing. A foregone conclusion. I always thought our program was too big to fail. Boy was I naive! I never appreciated what a rare and fragile flower that time period was and how lucky I was to be alive to experience it. I'm 49 now and I have to be honest, I'm really starting to doubt if I will live long enough to see it happen again.
 
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#2
#2
I was much younger and to put it kindly "less mature", so I remember instead of enjoying the ride I constantly was upset because we never beat Florida. I remember in 1997 instead of being happy we finally won the East, I was mad at the end of the Arkansas game because we messed around and didn't destroy them. I was obviously very happy we won it all in 1998, but I also remember being furious that we didn't win it again in 1999 and how wasted that season was. I remember going 8-4 was like the worst thing ever in 2002. And of course 2005; which at the time was like "this has to be the bottom of the barrel, it CANNOT ever get worse than this!"

I never would have thought in the 1990s that we'd be here today. But at the same time I compare it to my Cubs winning it in 2016. Seeing them do it as an older person let me appreciate it more, and instead of being really upset that they didn't win 2 or 3 more I realize how hard it is to actually win it all and how you can't take it for granted.
 
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#3
#3
VolsSportsFan said:
I was much younger and to put it kindly "less mature", so I remember instead of enjoying the ride I constantly was upset because we never beat Florida. I remember in 1997 instead of being happy we finally won the East, I was mad at the end of the Arkansas game because we messed around and didn't destroy them. I was obviously very happy we won it all in 1998, but I also remember being furious that we didn't win it again in 1999 and how wasted that season was. I remember going 8-4 was like the worst thing ever in 2002. And of course 2005; which at the time was like "this has to be the bottom of the barrel, it CANNOT ever get worse than this!"

I never would have thought in the 1990s that we'd be here today. But at the same time I compare it to my Cubs winning it in 2016. Seeing them do it as an older person let me appreciate it more, and instead of being really upset that they didn't win 2 or 3 more I realize how hard it is to actually win it all and how you can't take it for granted.
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I just remember how mad I was at losing to Florida in 99 almost solely because Sanders refused to put a tight end on Alex Brown. We still haven't blocked him!
 
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#8
#8
Brave Volunteer said:
I just remember how mad I was at losing to Florida in 99 almost solely because Sanders refused to put a tight end on Alex Brown. We still haven't blocked him!
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Lol, yeah that one still does make me mad. I remember everyone and their brother was asking why Sanders refused to put a tight end to help and the announcers on CBS were baffled. Brown himself even mocked the coaches, on his fifth sack he got up and started counting on his hand. I screamed at the TV "EVEN BROWN IS TELLING YOU DOUBLE HIM!"
 
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#9
#9
Brave Volunteer said:
Are any of you like me in that you are reflecting back on that decade now and saying "damn I wish would've realized and appreciated just how fragile this all is"? Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed every single moment of that ride and became drunken on Tennessee's success in the 90's. However I dont think it ever crossed my mind, not one time, that there would come a day where we would not be at least a relevant factor in the SEC. I always assumed being a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC and a top 10-15 team nationally would just be an annual thing. A foregone conclusion. I always thought our program was too big to fail. Boy was I naive! I never appreciated what a rare and fragile flower that time period was and how lucky I was to be alive to experience it. I'm 49 now and I have to be honest, I'm really starting to doubt if I will live long enough to see it happen again.
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"Too Big To Fail" . That's what SEARS Thought.
 
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#11
#11
Boone&Crockett said:
I think those of us who lived thru the glory years are the most affected by this slide. We still think we can get back to where we were and Im not so sure it will happen. Its hard to watch a TN football game without getting emotionally invested in it but dang, its not worth the effort anymore.
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I can guarantee you I won't waste next Saturday .
 
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#12
#12
Brave Volunteer said:
Are any of you like me in that you are reflecting back on that decade now and saying "damn I wish would've realized and appreciated just how fragile this all is"? Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed every single moment of that ride and became drunken on Tennessee's success in the 90's. However I dont think it ever crossed my mind, not one time, that there would come a day where we would not be at least a relevant factor in the SEC. I always assumed being a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC and a top 10-15 team nationally would just be an annual thing. A foregone conclusion. I always thought our program was too big to fail. Boy was I naive! I never appreciated what a rare and fragile flower that time period was and how lucky I was to be alive to experience it. I'm 49 now and I have to be honest, I'm really starting to doubt if I will live long enough to see it happen again.
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I’ve been going to games since late 70s so I appreciated the run from 89-07. I think the problem now is our program will get some traction then have another setback. Like a car stuck in mud with the tires spinning

The game isn’t the same as it was in the 90s and our rivals got their crap together but Tennessee will be back
 
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#13
#13
I went to school during Battles last two years and Majors first two years. So that set the expectation bar really low. Even as we improved a notch during the mid to late 80s, I never expected a run like the 90s and still consider it the exception, not the norm. I kinda see us as a 7-5 to 9-3 type program with an occasional dud season and occasional 10-11 win season. But we are underachieving to even that modest standard, the past 10 years.
 
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#14
#14
Brave Volunteer said:
I just remember how mad I was at losing to Florida in 99 almost solely because Sanders refused to put a tight end on Alex Brown. We still haven't blocked him!
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Was at Alabama for first game in 'Loser for 30-40 years. Tee absolutely dismantled those goobs. Was a blast.
 
#15
#15
sechamp2012 said:
Yep I remember one year we didn't win 10 games and one of my friends was saying, I'm not standing for 8 or 9 wins.......... to much of this and we need to move on.
Oh, to be drunkenly rich in victories again.
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"High class mediocrity" was the term I remember some fans using to describe us, post 2001. Lol!
 
#17
#17
I'm tired of thinking, next year, wait 'til next year. I don't look back at what was though. Although, there was this one Florida game. There is a whole generation of football fans, that have never seen Tennessee be relevant. I hope there's not a second.
 
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#18
#18
feathersax said:
And here we are today, VOL fans...perspective can be a butt-kicker.:rolleyes:
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This reminds me when I was a Patriots fan in the 70’s. But 25 years was the cap on stinking . Just when I think we have the Jimmy and Joe’s to compete w an upward trajectory then those 2 pick 6’s happened
 
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#19
#19
Brave Volunteer said:
Are any of you like me in that you are reflecting back on that decade now and saying "damn I wish would've realized and appreciated just how fragile this all is"? Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed every single moment of that ride and became drunken on Tennessee's success in the 90's. However I dont think it ever crossed my mind, not one time, that there would come a day where we would not be at least a relevant factor in the SEC. I always assumed being a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC and a top 10-15 team nationally would just be an annual thing. A foregone conclusion. I always thought our program was too big to fail. Boy was I naive! I never appreciated what a rare and fragile flower that time period was and how lucky I was to be alive to experience it. I'm 49 now and I have to be honest, I'm really starting to doubt if I will live long enough to see it happen again.
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I'm older than you, and even during some rough patches in the decades well before the 90's, I never thought I'd see the day UT would become a walk-over team . . . much less become so for almost a 15 year period. Moreover, I never thought I'd see Neyland turn into a rusted out, downtrodden shell of a stadium. Hopefully, the UT administration finally realizes their cash cow has gone out to pasture.
 
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#20
#20
A good question and I took a few minutes to reflect on its answer . At the risk of sounding "holier than thou" I can honestly say I can look back on those days with appreciation for the relationships and friendships (most which I still have) instead of the program success we enjoyed! And today I have truly learned how to watch a Vol game, enjoying the strategy (or lack of) and gamesmanship without getting so emotionally involved that I somehow feel less of a man if my team loses. Looking back on the 90's I am convicted of the immaturity I displayed toward my family after a Tennessee loss (granted it was far less back then) and would acted like a jerk for days because I somehow thought the Vols success/failure elevated or deflated my standing in life. Now when I see people acting that way its so embarrassing I simply have to look away. Sports is a very real dichotomy of society. It reflects who we are and what our values look like. The success of our football program has been a fun ride. Of course we'll get back on top again someday. Just like it's always been. Unfortunately my grandchildren may be the ones to experience it. This is why I want people to enjoy our men's basketball teams success and appreciate the type of man that runs our program. That just doesn't happen everyday.
 
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#22
#22
Brave Volunteer said:
Are any of you like me in that you are reflecting back on that decade now and saying "damn I wish would've realized and appreciated just how fragile this all is"? Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed every single moment of that ride and became drunken on Tennessee's success in the 90's. However I dont think it ever crossed my mind, not one time, that there would come a day where we would not be at least a relevant factor in the SEC. I always assumed being a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC and a top 10-15 team nationally would just be an annual thing. A foregone conclusion. I always thought our program was too big to fail. Boy was I naive! I never appreciated what a rare and fragile flower that time period was and how lucky I was to be alive to experience it. I'm 49 now and I have to be honest, I'm really starting to doubt if I will live long enough to see it happen again.
Click to expand...
We got Hamilton’d!
 
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#23
#23
Brave Volunteer said:
Are any of you like me in that you are reflecting back on that decade now and saying "damn I wish would've realized and appreciated just how fragile this all is"? Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed every single moment of that ride and became drunken on Tennessee's success in the 90's. However I dont think it ever crossed my mind, not one time, that there would come a day where we would not be at least a relevant factor in the SEC. I always assumed being a top 3 or 4 team in the SEC and a top 10-15 team nationally would just be an annual thing. A foregone conclusion. I always thought our program was too big to fail. Boy was I naive! I never appreciated what a rare and fragile flower that time period was and how lucky I was to be alive to experience it. I'm 49 now and I have to be honest, I'm really starting to doubt if I will live long enough to see it happen again.
Click to expand...
Yep. I used to complain continuously about how we could never ever beat FL. Didnt fully appreciate how ununusally lucky we were to routinely have double digit win seasons. Was unhappy about repeated Citrus Bowl invitations (remember Spurriers snide remark about spelling Citrus with UT?). Now would love to go to Citrus every yr.
 
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