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It was beyond ridiculous that they stopped playing. What should be one of the most exciting games on our calendar every year was taken away due to a (you know what) measuring contest on Pastners part.
Thrilled it's back. Lets hunt.
According to MemphisCanes, UM requested an annual football series in order to agree to an annual basketball series. Tennessee declined. Tifwiw.
I have no desire to play Tennessee, Pastner told hosts Josh Ward and Will West on WNML-AM 990. I dont think it does us any good. Im just being honest with you. For us, its a game that, I dont know why we play it, but we play it because the athletic director wants me to play it and hes my boss and what he says goes.
Reached later, Pastner said he hasnt hidden from his feelings, which he said are rooted in recruiting and arent personal. To Pastner, its simple: He doesnt consider Knoxville a fertile recruiting ground, so why give Tennessee exposure in Memphis, a place where the Vols actively recruit players.
Thats not exactly an even swap.
Pastner didnt want us down there and saw no benefit in playing it.
Doubt youll see us play them in football for 3 straight years to coincide with this series.
Oh yeah, forgot about all that.
I knew Pastner didn't want it played. He was following Calipari's view.
I always said that UT shouldn't play football if Memphis didn't want to play basketball. But with the way schedules have changed in the last few years, it will be difficult to schedule Memphis in football anyway. Because they aren't a P5 school, we can't really schedule any type of home and home.
From what I've heard, Memphis gave up the demand for the football series to get the first game in Memphis next year. The Grizzlies (who lease FedExForum to the Tigers) are really upset about the pathetic attendance (and schedule) that Memphis Tiger basketball has played the last 4 years. There are provisions in the Tigers lease that give the Grizzlies the ability to boot the Tigers from FEF (that's the real reason Tubby was fired).