Recruiting Football Talk VIII

[UTProf]

Thanks for letting us know. Much better news than I expected to hear.

I won’t lie. When they put him back on the ventilator after trying to convince me not to do it and telling me that “this time he won’t be coming home” I lost all hope. My brain said I was going to keep fighting because that’s just who I am but my heart said this is and was absolutely shattered. I only went back instead of hiding because the priest had called and in the back of my mind was “this man might be burying him, the least I can do is go and meet him.”

 

[DD4ME]

It’s just been hectic and an emotional and exhausting roller coaster ride. OH has been off the ventilator for a few days now. Pretty much as soon as they said he wouldn’t improve and I had the priest do the anointing of the sick (last rites), he came off the vent the next afternoon and started talking. The priest called it a miracle and it’s hard to disagree considering I was being pressured to DNR before the vent and then to pull him off it once it happened. The next few days after that were hellacious for him though because he still had every tube known to medicine hooked up to him and he couldn’t pass a swallow test so no food or drink. He has been incredibly weak but the sepsis and pneumonia are gone.

He still hasn’t passed a swallow test but they’re okaying thickened drinks and food. He is stable enough for laser surgery which they’re going to do today to get rid of the kidney stone that caused the infection to start with. This shouldn’t be too traumatic of a surgery but he’s still very fragile.

They are talking about sending him home in a few days but I am worried about his ability to walk and swallow. If he is still aspirating (and they told me he is), I don’t understand why they’re sending him home. My big fear right now is that they’re sending him home too soon. He is stable but not exactly well and with sepsis the year after is dangerous.

That said his spirits are high and he is on cloud nine after finally getting some food and drink. I’m headed back to the hospital in a few.

I’m so grateful for everyone’s support and I honestly don’t think I could’ve gotten through some of this without you all. It’s the loneliest feeling in the world when you’re being pressured to give up on your other half or any loved one and a staff of experts is telling you the best thing is the opposite of what your heart says but for whatever reason I’ve seen OH come back too many times and be such a medical oddity. He could get a splinter and some weird thing would turn it into a life or death battle or get hit by a trebuchet and shake it off. It’s the damndest thing I’ve ever seen or heard of.

Please keep thinking of us and praying. His surgery is supposed to be around 3pm.

Continued prayers.

 

[tnvols72]

 

[DD4ME]

I actually feel it should say -
"How it feels to read VN posts after Tennessee loses a game."

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Crazy that George MacIntyre fell all the way to 17th after being a 5 star.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Just for some perspective.

Tennessee Basketball has existed for 116 seasons. From 1908-09 to 2024-25 (now).

In that time this program has produced 8 25 win seasons (including post season wins).

5 of those teams were coached by Rick Barnes.

So 3 years in 116 seasons did a Tennessee team finish with 25 wins or better that weren't coached by Rick Barnes.

This year we're sitting at 20 with 6 regular season games left. This team when they play up to their potential can beat anyone else in the country. It's completely normal as a fan to be annoyed after a loss, especially when the team underperforms during the game...but some of the takes I've read lately are absolute idiotic.

20-5 and every loss was a Quad 1 loss and only 1 of those came at TBA

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Just for some perspective.

Tennessee Basketball has existed for 116 seasons. From 1908-09 to 2024-25 (now).

In that time this program has produced 8 25 win seasons (including post season wins).

5 of those teams were coached by Rick Barnes.

So 3 years in 116 seasons did a Tennessee team finish with 25 wins or better that weren't coached by Rick Barnes.

This year we're sitting at 20 with 6 regular season games left. This team when they play up to their potential can beat anyone else in the country. It's completely normal as a fan to be annoyed after a loss, especially when the team underperforms during the game...but some of the takes I've read lately are absolute idiotic.

20-5 and every loss was a Quad 1 loss and only 1 of those came at TBA

Can only imagine the folks when we have a team that gets an 8 seed in the tournament.

We're being spoiled with basketball right now.

 

[Weezer]

I'm not disagreeing with you because I don't know, but do other teams have the same number of contributors as we do? Seems like from my limited experience paying attention to it, other teams have more players scoring points in an average game than we do.

That's more about quality of recruiting, not quantity. Rick Barnes' teams are known for their defense.

 

[Weezer]

I'm sorry, but DK needs to suck it up. Just go out there and play the game. Make your millions for playing a game. Whether it's in L.A. or Charlotte, doesn't matter, just play the damn game. Stop being emotional about almost getting traded. Players get traded all the time. It's just part of the business.

 

[Smokey123]

I'm sorry, but DK needs to suck it up. Just go out there and play the game. Make your millions for playing a game. Whether it's in L.A. or Charlotte, doesn't matter, just play the damn game. Stop being emotional about almost getting traded. Players get traded all the time. It's just part of the business.

I think people are looking too much into it. Players that aren’t suited up always just seem bored and dissociated, look at Luka the games he was on the bench. Players that get traded always sit out the first couple games so it’s not abnormal. He essentially got traded twice in a 3 day span, and now theyre in a limbo with Hornets wanting it to still go through.

 

[Rishvol]

I think people are looking too much into it. Players that aren’t suited up always just seem bored and dissociated, look at Luka the games he was on the bench. Players that get traded always sit out the first couple games so it’s not abnormal. He essentially got traded twice in a 3 day span, and now theyre in a limbo with Hornets wanting it to still go through.

So can he play while they figure this out?

 

[Smokey123]

So can he play while they figure this out?

They say he’s expected to play tonight

 

[JCVol00]

Well said

 

[screenthis]

Well said

But, is is true? Are we paying more than anyone else in the country?

 

[drvenner]

Did you hear about the man who fell into an upholstery machine?

Apparently, he was hurt pretty badly, but now
he's fully recovered.

 

[drvenner]

Well said

What big 3 is mediocre?

 

[Weezer]

But, is is true? Are we paying more than anyone else in the country?

I doubt he cares if it's true. It fits the narrative he chooses to believe.

 

[Weezer]

What big 3 is mediocre?

Depends on your definition of mediocre.

 

[Weezer]

What big 3 is mediocre?

Also, it's meaty okra.

 

[Adam2014]

Well said

I have been critical of Barnes in the past, but the product he is producing is not mediocre. Most teams don't waltz into Rupp arena and come away with a win. This basketball team will likely receive a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament unless things really fall off the rails. How is that mediocre?

We can talk about the performance in the NCAA tournament. It is not good. However, there is no guarantee that any coach we hire will automatically be better than Rick has.

 

[VolGee4]

Well said

You can’t be upset at being 20-5. It’s a total picture. The prices will adjust with supply and demand. When people stop buying, then prices will adjust. It’s simple economics.

Edit: Also, if they keep paying because of "loyalty," it also means that they enjoy the product and it means so much to them that it is money well spent.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

I mean it really came down to a few things that couldn't be predicted.

Aidoo and Carr both hitting the portal when staff had every intention of them being here and then JP having a season ending injury.

Long term I get why you tell JP to take his time...he's been here 2 full seasons and you'll 100% be able to use this year as a RS. So him being full health with 3 years to play is what you want. At this point that's best case scenario and I think he'll be a force for us if we get him full health for 3 years.

Carr who knows, I will say with his size and length he'd be a more dynamic option for defending and scoring in some of these matchups where Chaz and Gainey haven't been able to get it going. But he chose to quit on his team and the staff and that's not something they expected to happen.

Even with all that said...I don't know why they didn't fill the 2 scholarship spots they had free. If nothing else give yourself 10 more fouls.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

What big 3 is mediocre?

Exactly.

We're top 5 in men's basketball, there are 364 teams. How TF is top 1% mediocre?
Lady Vols are 15th, there are 362 teams. How TF is top 5% mediocre?
Football we finished 9th, there are 134 teams. How TF is top 8% mediocre?

Baseball is coming off winning the Natty and Softball just reached the Super Regional.


I get the fans don't want to pay for a mediocre product...but damn, when things are good we seem to be delusional. There's a ton of great teams that aren't winning championships we have them in 3 different sports right now, this is the best era of UT sports EVER.

 

[Cosmo Kramer]

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

I think people are looking too much into it. Players that aren’t suited up always just seem bored and dissociated, look at Luka the games he was on the bench. Players that get traded always sit out the first couple games so it’s not abnormal. He essentially got traded twice in a 3 day span, and now theyre in a limbo with Hornets wanting it to still go through.

I think he was sitting there like "how invested should I get?"