The Importance of Rick Barnes to Millennial Vols Fans

[zaqhhh]

As Vols fans, we all share a sense of pride and understanding of the tradition of the program. However, those of us who are under 25 have significantly less understanding of that sense than many others.

Of our three most popular sports (Football, MBB, WBB), Football has been traditionally elite until the late 2000s, WBB was the best ever with the coach who put the sport on the map until about 2010, MBB while not as prestigious had it's moments.

My first full football season to watch was Dooley's first year.

My first full WBB season was the year after the National title season.

My first full MBB season was Cuonzo's first year.

From my perspective, we have had the worst Football and Women's Basketball streak in our history and that is all I and many younger fans have known.

Men's Basketball had been marginally better, but under Coach Barnes many younger Vols fans are getting their first true taste of what the Tennessee Tradition truly is.

Thank you Coach Barnes for all that you have done. Many will give you credit for what you did for basketball, but for many of us you are the first light in the darkest of chapters. Here is to the future!

Go Vols!!!!

 

[tn4elvis]

As Vols fans, we all share a sense of pride and understanding of the tradition of the program. However, those of us who are under 25 have significantly less understanding of that sense than many others.

Of our three most popular sports (Football, MBB, WBB), Football has been traditionally elite until the late 2000s, WBB was the best ever with the coach who put the sport on the map until about 2010, MBB while not as prestigious had it's moments.

My first full football season to watch was Dooley's first year.

My first full WBB season was the year after the National title season.

My first full MBB season was Cuonzo's first year.

From my perspective, we have had the worst Football and Women's Basketball streak in our history and that is all I and many younger fans have known.

Men's Basketball had been marginally better, but under Coach Barnes many younger Vols fans are getting their first true taste of what the Tennessee Tradition truly is.

Thank you Coach Barnes for all that you have done. Many will give you credit for what you did for basketball, but for many of us you are the first light in the darkest of chapters. Here is to the future!

Go Vols!!!!

Great post.I feel really bad for the under 25s because you have really never seen the realTennessee. I am afraid we are going to lose a generation of young Vol fans.Nice to see young people like you paying homage to our great history. Have faith we will right the ship in all three sports.

 

[ukvols]

As Vols fans, we all share a sense of pride and understanding of the tradition of the program. However, those of us who are under 25 have significantly less understanding of that sense than many others.

Of our three most popular sports (Football, MBB, WBB), Football has been traditionally elite until the late 2000s, WBB was the best ever with the coach who put the sport on the map until about 2010, MBB while not as prestigious had it's moments.

My first full football season to watch was Dooley's first year.

My first full WBB season was the year after the National title season.

My first full MBB season was Cuonzo's first year.

From my perspective, we have had the worst Football and Women's Basketball streak in our history and that is all I and many younger fans have known.

Men's Basketball had been marginally better, but under Coach Barnes many younger Vols fans are getting their first true taste of what the Tennessee Tradition truly is.

Thank you Coach Barnes for all that you have done. Many will give you credit for what you did for basketball, but for many of us you are the first light in the darkest of chapters. Here is to the future!

Go Vols!!!!

You took it slow and gradually added one sport at a time.
First WBB season after the last national title was 2008-09.
Dooley's first football season was Fall 2010.
Cuonzo's first MBB season was 2011-12.

Your point is very true. This is a young Vol's first taste of winning at a very high level. I hadn't thought of that, but you're right.

 

[General Jack]

Good thread OP. Some friends and I have lamented our children asking whether Tennessee has ever been good. Quite shocking compared to what I grew up with; we won national championships in track, tennis, swimming, women's basketball and football by the time I was 23.

Its about time we're good at something again.

 

[zaqhhh]

You took it slow and gradually added one sport at a time.
First WBB season after the last national title was 2008-09.
Dooley's first football season was Fall 2010.
Cuonzo's first MBB season was 2011-12.

Your point is very true. This is a young Vol's first taste of winning at a very high level. I hadn't thought of that, but you're right.

I remember a good deal of Bruce's last season as well, but yeah I think it was 2010 or theirabouts. Been a rough ride, but glad to see the winds change in at least one sport.

 

[BowlBrother85]

As Vols fans, we all share a sense of pride and understanding of the tradition of the program. However, those of us who are under 25 have significantly less understanding of that sense than many others.

Of our three most popular sports (Football, MBB, WBB), Football has been traditionally elite until the late 2000s, WBB was the best ever with the coach who put the sport on the map until about 2010, MBB while not as prestigious had it's moments.

My first full football season to watch was Dooley's first year.

My first full WBB season was the year after the National title season.

My first full MBB season was Cuonzo's first year.

From my perspective, we have had the worst Football and Women's Basketball streak in our history and that is all I and many younger fans have known.

Men's Basketball had been marginally better, but under Coach Barnes many younger Vols fans are getting their first true taste of what the Tennessee Tradition truly is.

Thank you Coach Barnes for all that you have done. Many will give you credit for what you did for basketball, but for many of us you are the first light in the darkest of chapters. Here is to the future!

Go Vols!!!!

It's funny how things work at Tennessee. Football and men's basketball are never both good at the same time but they are also rarely both bad at the same time. 1975-1983 very good at basketball but not very good at football. 1985-2001 very good at football but bad to mediocre at basketball. 2006-the present very good at basketball but horrible at football. It's been either one or the other that was good... never both.