The Locker Room

#26
#26
Erik also confirmed something I've suspected for a long time in that players pretty much hear everything said about them in the media. He inferred that it might be time for the players to hear something less negative from CDD because they need something to boost their confidence, especially when you think about other teams almost certainly believing they can beat us when we play them.

Another thing he pointed out was that Tyler was pretty much the only one who was loose before the game and that usually O-linemen and D-linemen were jumping around in anticipation to "kill" someone but ours weren't.
 
#27
#27
I'm never going to be one to tell another fan what they should and shouldn't do. Everybody has their priorities. But I just couldn't quite figure why you'd sit through that slop and freeze your butt off and not at least see if something fluky would happen on the next possession.

It got so much colder when everybody started leaving too lol. They should of stayed out of respect to keep everybody warm.

I was behind the recruits and i had a couple of USCjr fans and they were calling us the worse fanbase in the SEC for leaving. It made me sick to my stomach.
 
#28
#28
Rooting significantly for a sports team to begin with requires a suspension of disbelief: you're investing money and time and a ton of emotional capital in what everybody understands is meaningless action. When you start seeing empty seats, and you start seeing fans give up on a game too early because it's cold and they really ought to be headed home anyway, what you're seeing is the breakdown of that suspension of disbelief. It's a splintering of the thing that makes fandom possible.

I won't leave a Vol game until the Tennessee Waltz. But I can't say I blame anybody for leaving early Saturday night when it's cold and late and they've got to get up for church early 150 miles away and the team hasn't done anything in half a decade to make you think you'll miss anything important. There's a reason why almost all college games used to be played during the day until TV changed everything.
 
#31
#31
i had a couple of USCjr fans and they were calling us the worse fanbase in the SEC for leaving. It made me sick to my stomach.
That's not sickening. It's funny. Crowds in Columbia, SC have perfected the art of sprinting to the parking lot before the game is over.
 
#34
#34
I'm never going to be one to tell another fan what they should and shouldn't do. Everybody has their priorities. But I just couldn't quite figure why you'd sit through that slop and freeze your butt off and not at least see if something fluky would happen on the next possession.

It kind of disgusted me to see people leaving at the start of the 4th qtr. Yeah, we pretty much sucked all night on offense, but we still had time to pull something out of our ass. As it is, they figured that we had gone almost 3 quarters without doing anything, why did they think we would all of a sudden put not one, but two, drives together in one quarter after we had opportunities three other times and only came away with 3 points. In the end, they figured right. I left with 6 minutes to go after the 4th and 1 fail.

When you give the ball to your offense at USC's 18, 2 and 27 yard line and only produce 3 points then nothing else needs to be said.
 
#35
#35
I was there for the game and i can tell you that the crowd was there for pretty much the whole game. this thread is a fail. i dont go to every game, but i always stick it out to the end if im there. against south carolina, the whole crowd was there until about 4 minutes to go in the game, when south carolina had control, we had no timeouts, and they were just running it down our throats. i am always optimistic and i was very happy to see that almost everybody stuck this one out to the end.

i was next to the student section, and i did see several students leaving! that was disappointing

Not so, fans bailed early.
 
#36
#36
I love it when players blame the fans. Fan enthusiasm is a function of how much reason the team gives them to believe. If you don't like the support from a fanbase that's historically been one of the best in sports, look in the mirror. I guess Ainge isn't far enough removed from it to have figured it out yet.


It wasn't quite like that. He was making the point that it's a vicious cycle for the fans and players when things don't go well. He did strongly say that fans shouldn't leave toward the beginning of the fourth quarter of a game still hanging in the balance. tifwiw
 
#37
#37
I love it when players blame the fans. Fan enthusiasm is a function of how much reason the team gives them to believe. If you don't like the support from a fanbase that's historically been one of the best in sports, look in the mirror. I guess Ainge isn't far enough removed from it to have figured it out yet.
Not too sure about that in this case. These players have done nothing to lose fans support. They have been great off the field for the most part, and fought hard last couple of years when almost all breaks went against them. I was at every game before moving out of state, and never left early. That isn't because I am a better fan than anyone else, but because I wait too long for UT football each year to miss a minute of it, as miserable as it may be. Ikd rather watch UT get drilled than watch anything else. Corny, but true.
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#39
#39
I think you're just one of those people that scours the stadium for partially drank beers and then collects stadium cups.

id be rather surprised if i found a beer at all at neyland stadium.
usually to get alcohol in there ya have to take in the airplane bottles or hidden flask
 
#40
#40
You weren't paying attention then. There was a mass exodus very early in the 4th quarter. I know it was cold and we looked anemic, but it was inexplicable how early some people were leaving.

This.

When Worley threw the 2nd pick, everyone took off, the USC fans sitting in front of me were making comments wondering where everyone was going
 
#41
#41
This is really not the chicken or the egg problem. The fans leave early because we are sick of watching our confused choking staff and lethargic players getting blasted out of our own stadium. If the Vanderbilt fans would just stay in the stadium they would've won 2 or 3 SEC championships, NOT. Just more excuses for sucking! They are young, they are hurt, no depth, the fans leave the stadium to soon, bla bla bla.

WIN SOME DAMN GAMES OR GET OUT OF TOWN!! (P.S. I like Wilcox)
 
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#42
#42
This is really not the chicken or the egg problem. The fans leave early because we are sick of watching our confused choking staff and lethargic players getting blasted out of our own stadium. If the Vanderbilt fans would just stay in the stadium they would've won 2 or 3 SEC championships, NOT. Just more excuses for sucking! They are young, they are hurt, no depth, the fans leave the stadium to soon, bla bla bla.

WIN SOME DAMN GAMES OR GET OUT OF TOWN!! (P.S. I like Wilcox)

Some people go to games to see the Vols. Period. You go to the games under the conditions that the Vols will win. If they don't, you leave and pitch a hissy fit like a little girl and proclaim that you won't go to another game. This is the fundamental reason that the fan card gets broken out so often. There really is such a thing as a "better" fan.
 
#43
#43
Dooley is something like 0-20 in winning a game where the Vols trail at halftime. I'm sure fans who left early figured it wasn't much of a risk, and yes, they started streaming out after Worley threw that goal line INT early in the 3rd. I would have loved to have been wrong, but I knew the team would pack it in then.

People have a right to leave whenever they want, for whatever reason they deem appropriate, and it doesn't make them any less of a fan.
 
#44
#44
This.

When Worley threw the 2nd pick, everyone took off, the USC fans sitting in front of me were making comments wondering where everyone was going

The guy next to me said " Man I hope none of the Gamecock fans start walking around or Worley is liable to start throwing balls into the stands."
 
#45
#45
People have a right to leave whenever they want, for whatever reason they deem appropriate, and it doesn't make them any less of a fan.

Nobody is pulling the true fan card here. Just saying it seemed to be maybe a possession or two early to start thinking about bailing.
 
#46
#46
I hope the program turnaround takes shape in earnest late in a game when we're behind. Half the stadium is empty, the other half are either getting ready to leave or are the other team's fans. All of a sudden all hell breaks loose, the team starts to click, and it's a comeback win that makes everyone who left kick themselves all the way home.

My freshman year (95) I sold tapes and CDs in the stands after halftime to make some extra laundry money (band students on financial aid had the opportunity to do this). I don't remember which game it was, but while standing on the ramps next to the Alumni Gym one of our RBs took off and scored. The stadium shook so hard it felt like an earthquake and I had to grab a handrail to steady myself. I didn't sign up to sell the next year so I wouldn't miss something else like that happening.

Even in bitter defeat, there could be glimmers of hope that emerge. I'd rather be in the stands watching on the offhand something like that does happen with me only finding out about it on the radio or here after the game.
 
#47
#47
Nobody is pulling the true fan card here. Just saying it seemed to be maybe a possession or two early to start thinking about bailing.

Several posters have pulled it in this thread, and it really is counterproductive. The team needs all the fans, especially the ones who take the time and spend the cash to go to the games. It's a shame that people leave so early and seem to enjoy it so little, but that's their right. The enthusiasm will improve when the team does, and I hope that's soon for both!
 
#48
#48
Dooley is something like 0-20 in winning a game where the Vols trail at halftime. I'm sure fans who left early figured it wasn't much of a risk, and yes, they started streaming out after Worley threw that goal line INT early in the 3rd. I would have loved to have been wrong, but I knew the team would pack it in then.

People have a right to leave whenever they want, for whatever reason they deem appropriate, and it doesn't make them any less of a fan.

Dooley has only coached 21 games for the Vols. He isn't 1-20. Please explain.
 
#49
#49
Watching the Locker Room right now with Erik Ainge on it and he made a pretty good point. When you're down by two scores with 13 minutes left in the game and half the stadium is full, how do you expect to succeed. You've got a team filled with freshman and sophomores and they look up to see that the fans have given up on them how do you expect them to perform?

maybe they will stay when we play in the second half
 
#50
#50
Dooley has only coached 21 games for the Vols. He isn't 1-20. Please explain.

The Vols have never come back to win a game where they trailed at halftime since Dooley has been coach. After last night, they're 0-21 in second half comebacks in the Dooley era. I'm pretty sure that is correct. If I'm wrong, I apologize.
 
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