The tired narrative that Tennessee fans are the most unreasonable and unrealistic

[Longsufferingvol]

I'm getting so sick of the media coming after Tennessee fans. There's this narrative that we are the worst fans and think too highly of ourselves for a program that has only won 1 national title in the last 50 years.
Look at LSU. They just fired a coach after a win over Florida right after he won a national title there. And he was a Louisiana guy who loved LSU. Just let all that sink in.

We gave Phil a lot of leverage after his national title. We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve.

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable? We support this program through thick and thin and the program has the resources to succeed (money, facilities, tradition, and recruiting), so why is it so unreasonable and bad for us to have expectations? Seriously, why does the media have it out for us?

 

[DaddyChad]

Media is FOS about 99% of the time. It’s not about being right it’s about generating clicks. Pandering to the bandwagon fan bases are the best ways to do that.

 

[DaddyChad]

The same narrative was said about Bama before Saban came there. Same smug bastards in the media.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

I'm getting so sick of the media coming after Tennessee fans. There's this narrative that we are the worst fans and think too highly of ourselves for a program that has only won 1 national title in the last 50 years.
Look at LSU. They just fired a coach after a win over Florida right after he won a national title there. And he was a Louisiana guy who loved LSU. Just let all that sink in.

We gave Phil a lot of leverage after his national title. We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve.

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable? We support this program through thick and thin and the program has the resources to succeed (money, facilities, tradition, and recruiting), so why is it so unreasonable and bad for us to have expectations? Seriously, why does the media have it out for us?

Well, you can understand what causes them to have that perspective, though, right? I mean, if you look at us from the outside.

The coaching search 3.5 years ago was driven in part by us fans demanding an acceptable new coach. Most fan bases have never done that.

And Saturday's pelting of the field was beyond most "throw things on the field" incidents in its duration and volume. I mean, how often do you see the HOME team pull its cheerleaders and band off the field for their safety? Even if you know fans sometimes throw things at other places, this was well beyond the norm for that.

So we've got a reputation. Not a good one. We can live it down, by being less hoodlum-y.

I have no regrets at all about protesting Currie's efforts, particularly Schiano. But the other night was, well, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

 

[JRich]

The American media is nothing more than a propaganda wing available to the highest bidder.

 

[JRich]

Well, you can understand what causes them to have that perspective, though, right? I mean, if you look at us from the outside.

The coaching search 3.5 years ago was driven in part by us fans demanding an acceptable new coach. Most fan bases have never done that.

And Saturday's pelting of the field was beyond most "throw things on the field" incidents in its duration and volume. I mean, how often do you see the HOME team pull its cheerleaders and band off the field for their safety? Even if you know fans sometimes throw things at other places, this was well beyond the norm for that.

So we've got a reputation. Not a good one. We can live it down, by being less hoodlum-y.

I have no regrets at all about protesting Currie's efforts, particularly Schiano. But the other night was, well, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Are you saying that Saturday night was the last straw for the media?

 

[rojas1187]

I'm getting so sick of the media coming after Tennessee fans. There's this narrative that we are the worst fans and think too highly of ourselves for a program that has only won 1 national title in the last 50 years.
Look at LSU. They just fired a coach after a win over Florida right after he won a national title there. And he was a Louisiana guy who loved LSU. Just let all that sink in.

We gave Phil a lot of leverage after his national title. We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve.

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable? We support this program through thick and thin and the program has the resources to succeed (money, facilities, tradition, and recruiting), so why is it so unreasonable and bad for us to have expectations? Seriously, why does the media have it out for us?

Clack O had a lot of serious issues in addition to losing.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

We keep sabotaging ourselves, giving them an easy target.

 

[vegasvolfan]

I'm getting so sick of the media coming after Tennessee fans. There's this narrative that we are the worst fans and think too highly of ourselves for a program that has only won 1 national title in the last 50 years.
Look at LSU. They just fired a coach after a win over Florida right after he won a national title there. And he was a Louisiana guy who loved LSU. Just let all that sink in.

We gave Phil a lot of leverage after his national title. We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve.

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable? We support this program through thick and thin and the program has the resources to succeed (money, facilities, tradition, and recruiting), so why is it so unreasonable and bad for us to have expectations? Seriously, why does the media have it out for us?

"We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve."

I am just answering your question, not being a smart@55. Comments like this that are why we catch that label. Until they stop, we continue to volunteer ourselves for it.

Fulmer had 4 10+ win seasons before that NC and 4 after. 9 10+ win seasons in 17 years is nothing to scoff at especially when his predecessor, Johnny Majors, had 2 in his entire career at Tennessee.

Not to put this on our fans, but our administration is another indication of what's been wrong not just in Knoxville, but in general. Wrong guys at the helm. They fired an HOF coach without a replacement in mind that could do much of anything.

I agree that LSU may be may be end up taking that title and that's one I think we would all invite, but there are a BUNCH of attractive candidates out there today that LSU can get. We shall see how it all unfolds.

 

[Halph66]

Adopt the philosophy that before someone can offend you, you must first value their opinion.

 

[TNnative]

I'm getting so sick of the media coming after Tennessee fans. There's this narrative that we are the worst fans and think too highly of ourselves for a program that has only won 1 national title in the last 50 years.
Look at LSU. They just fired a coach after a win over Florida right after he won a national title there. And he was a Louisiana guy who loved LSU. Just let all that sink in.

We gave Phil a lot of leverage after his national title. We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve.

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable? We support this program through thick and thin and the program has the resources to succeed (money, facilities, tradition, and recruiting), so why is it so unreasonable and bad for us to have expectations? Seriously, why does the media have it out for us?

Because "we" are easy targets. When you review all the things that has happened over the past twenty something years with this football program, and add to it, the fact that Tennessee fans have probably one of the largest social media presences among all college football programs? That is a recipe for getting the media's attention.

We have just enough fans to make noise. They do one thing "well". And that is to make headlines when things go wrong. If we had done some of those type of things back in the 70s, National Lampoon would have made a parody movie with John Belushi. Since he is dead, it would not be as good nowadays. Missed opportunity, I guess.

However, as I listened to some of the call in shows this week, it seems some are actually finding ways to be proud of what happened last Saturday. While I feel Tennesse has, for the most part, a good fan base? There are a few whom I view as...NOT. But the media are waiting with bated breath for the next thing they decide to do. Some of them are getting paid well to write about it. But if you re looking for why it seems the media have it in for us? That is my take on it.

As to how quickly LSU decided to fire Orgeron? Seems insane to me for them to throw out buyout money so quickly after being at the top two years ago. But it is their money to waste. Forgive me if I don't let that sink in. If their next hire destroys every opponent they face in the next five years? Which is doubtful? It might be worth it.

 

[Behr]

Well, you can understand what causes them to have that perspective, though, right? I mean, if you look at us from the outside.

The coaching search 3.5 years ago was driven in part by us fans demanding an acceptable new coach. Most fan bases have never done that.

And Saturday's pelting of the field was beyond most "throw things on the field" incidents in its duration and volume. I mean, how often do you see the HOME team pull its cheerleaders and band off the field for their safety? Even if you know fans sometimes throw things at other places, this was well beyond the norm for that.

So we've got a reputation. Not a good one. We can live it down, by being less hoodlum-y.

I have no regrets at all about protesting Currie's efforts, particularly Schiano. But the other night was, well, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

It was no big deal, evidently this is what it takes for Tennessee to now draw the attention of recruits and you're just a pansie.

 

[brockytop]

I'm getting so sick of the media coming after Tennessee fans. There's this narrative that we are the worst fans and think too highly of ourselves for a program that has only won 1 national title in the last 50 years.
Look at LSU. They just fired a coach after a win over Florida right after he won a national title there. And he was a Louisiana guy who loved LSU. Just let all that sink in.

We gave Phil a lot of leverage after his national title. We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve.

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable? We support this program through thick and thin and the program has the resources to succeed (money, facilities, tradition, and recruiting), so why is it so unreasonable and bad for us to have expectations? Seriously, why does the media have it out for us?

Sports media—like its MSM brethren—is full of wusses and those that are in the business to push personal agendas.

Perfect example is The Nation interview of Greg Sankey the night after TN vs Ole Miss. Neither host was hard hitting, but at least Austin Price questioned Sankey on fake injuries and the evaluation of SEC officials while Chris Low, the supposed “journalist” of the two, stayed away from asking anything that might ruffle the commish’s feathers.

Low was more interested in throwing out softballs regarding Texas and OU joining the league than pressing to get real answers i.e. a controversial night at Neyland. I guess it’s too much to expect a “journalist” to do any actual journalism if it might hinder access to those in positions of power.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Are you saying that Saturday night was the last straw for the media?

No, I meant more that a lot of folks in this country, not just media types, wondered about the Tennessee fan base after we were so vocal through the coaching search in 2018. But they were split between those who thought it was unseemly, and those who appreciated folks standing up for what they felt passionate about. But the biggest group of folks (not counting us Vols) were probably somewhere in between, kinda thinking both might be true, but not sure.

That was the last big "Tennessee Vols" thing in any of their memories, because they don't follow our program on a daily or weekly basis.

And then Saturday night happened, and probably--just guessing here, but probably--a lot of those outside folks who had mixed feelings about the Currie thing, NOW this hoodlum act pushed them into the "Tennessee = thug life" camp.

Didn't change the minds of folks who thought we stood on principle with Currie. Didn't change the minds of the other folks who already thought we were a spoiled, demanding fan base. But probably pushed the biggest group, the group in between those ends, off in the negative direction.

That's more what I meant.

 

[volbound1700]

Auburn and UGA are great examples as well with Gus Malzahn, Tommy Tubberville, Gene Chizik, and Mark Richt.

I would say Auburn has one of the shortest leashes out of any team in the SEC. I am surprised they have done as well as they have as a program.

 

[hog88]

Win football games and it's all good.

 

[Firebirdparts]

So, how exactly are we so unreasonable?

I've said this many times on here already; I'm 55. I've been hearing this stuff of "if you don't hate this team you're not a true vol fan" my whole life. "The problem is all you fans who accept mediocrity and don't hate the team/university/coach". That has not changed.

One thing has improved, I would say, is that over the years of my life Tennessee fans have kinda moved to accept that other teams exist and are trying to play the game. That didn't used to be the case at all. There were many people who said the coach should always be fired if they lost one game, like say to Kentucky, and it didn't matter that Kentucky is actually trying to play or how good they are. If you lose that one, for instance, fire the coach and get all new players, because entitlement is really important. There is an entitlement to always beat Kentucky, for instance. Some fraction of the fans felt entitled to a national championship every year. This is clearly the best way to stay mad, if the goal is to stay mad.

There really hasn't much a choice on that issue. We're so bad that people have had to face that other teams exist are trying to play the game. They are a lot better than we are. We're not entitled to a national championship. All that seems to have been widely accepted. That wasn't the case when I was a boy. I'm serious.

I'm glad it's not my money that they spend trying to excel, I'll say that. A lot of it got wasted.

 

[Behr]

Win football games and it's all good.

 

[bigorangepoppa]

"We kept him for a decade after that despite the fact that he continued underachieve."

I am just answering your question, not being a smart@55. Comments like this that are why we catch that label. Until they stop, we continue to volunteer ourselves for it.

Fulmer had 4 10+ win seasons before that NC and 4 after. 9 10+ win seasons in 17 years is nothing to scoff at especially when his predecessor, Johnny Majors, had 2 in his entire career at Tennessee.

Not to put this on our fans, but our administration is another indication of what's been wrong not just in Knoxville, but in general. Wrong guys at the helm. They fired an HOF coach without a replacement in mind that could do much of anything.

I agree that LSU may be may be end up taking that title and that's one I think we would all invite, but there are a BUNCH of attractive candidates out there today that LSU can get. We shall see how it all unfolds.

I have said this before on here, but Fulmer was fortunate to be the coach at Tennessee when most every other team in the SEC was going through the same feeble coaching rotation that Tennessee has been in. He benefited from poor coaching hires by Florida, Alabama, LSU, and he had the alsorans of the conference in Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, any other team you want to include. It was only after the other teams in the conference started to take their football coaching hires seriously that Fulmer's ability shown through. Spurrier embarrassed Fulmer when he coached Duke and soundly whipped Tennessee, Saban to LSU, Richt to Georgia, Stallings to Alabama, even Tuberville at Auburn. That's not to mention how poor his record was in bowl games for the most part. I was a Fulmer fan longer than I should have been, and even when he was brought in as the "interim" AD, I supported it, until he showed he was still living in the past, and then got an extension as the AD. Fouled his legacy badly.

 

[volbound1700]

I have said this before on here, but Fulmer was fortunate to be the coach at Tennessee when most every other team in the SEC was going through the same feeble coaching rotation that Tennessee has been in. He benefited from poor coaching hires by Florida, Alabama, LSU, and he had the alsorans of the conference in Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, any other team you want to include. It was only after the other teams in the conference started to take their football coaching hires seriously that Fulmer's ability shown through. Spurrier embarrassed Fulmer when he coached Duke and soundly whipped Tennessee, Saban to LSU, Richt to Georgia, Stallings to Alabama, even Tuberville at Auburn. That's not to mention how poor his record was in bowl games for the most part. I was a Fulmer fan longer than I should have been, and even when he was brought in as the "interim" AD, I supported it, until he showed he was still living in the past, and then got an extension as the AD. Fouled his legacy badly.

Fulmer worked well when he had both David Cutcliffe and John Chavis. Whenever the three headed monster wasn't together, things started to unravel.

When Cutcliffe returned in 2016 and 2017, we started trending back up again only to fall off hard once he left. Interestingly, had 2008 gone better, I think Dave Clawson might have turned around our offense.

The game started to leave Chavis behind in the 2010s. This is why he struggled at Arkansas and LSU later. We would have started to have issues on defenses in the 2010s had Fulmer stayed but may have figured out how to have great offenses with Clawson.

If only Arian Foster had not fumbled at UCLA, things may have been totally different. (Fulmer was always a great recruiter but mediocre gameday coach).

 

[LadyinOrange]

Adopt the philosophy that before someone can offend you, you must first value their opinion.

Post of the Week

 

[UTblood4life]

It's a Vols thing....they just don't understand

 

[UTblood4life]

Fulmer worked well when he had both David Cutcliffe and John Chavis. Whenever the three headed monster wasn't together, things started to unravel.

When Cutcliffe returned in 2016 and 2017, we started trending back up again only to fall off hard once he left. Interestingly, had 2008 gone better, I think Dave Clawson might have turned around our offense.

The game started to leave Chavis behind in the 2010s. This is why he struggled at Arkansas and LSU later. We would have started to have issues on defenses in the 2010s had Fulmer stayed but may have figured out how to have great offenses with Clawson.

If only Arian Foster had not fumbled at UCLA, things may have been totally different. (Fulmer was always a great recruiter but mediocre gameday coach).

2008 oh boy...loss to Wyoming and a good D wasted
I wonder how Stephen's and Coleman are doing

 

[TennesseeTarheel]

Adopt the philosophy that before someone can offend you, you must first value their opinion.

What are the chances of someone posting an image of my one tattoo?

 

[VolArmy74]

I have said this before on here, but Fulmer was fortunate to be the coach at Tennessee when most every other team in the SEC was going through the same feeble coaching rotation that Tennessee has been in. He benefited from poor coaching hires by Florida, Alabama, LSU, and he had the alsorans of the conference in Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, any other team you want to include. It was only after the other teams in the conference started to take their football coaching hires seriously that Fulmer's ability shown through. Spurrier embarrassed Fulmer when he coached Duke and soundly whipped Tennessee, Saban to LSU, Richt to Georgia, Stallings to Alabama, even Tuberville at Auburn. That's not to mention how poor his record was in bowl games for the most part. I was a Fulmer fan longer than I should have been, and even when he was brought in as the "interim" AD, I supported it, until he showed he was still living in the past, and then got an extension as the AD. Fouled his legacy badly.

Fulmer didn't benefit from any poor coaching hire at Florida. He went out in 2002 and flopped all over himself vs Ron Zook. We clung on too long and it suck the program. Bad hires kept us underwater since.