This from Ron Bliss...

[THE OLD PRO]

of TricitiesSports.com

"Tennessee is 4-3 right now and, despite expected flak from the anti-Phillip Fulmer crowd, if he can win the next four he is probably safe at least for this year. Fulmer's buy-out would be $4.65 million and with no one who could come in and do any better, Mike Hamilton is not likely to make a move unless things fall apart and the big money people demand a change.

Fulmer has built bridges through the years and is easy to like. He is honest, a family man and his recruiting has been solid and that is the foundation of any program. With the volatility in college football right now, things change from week-to-week. Not one name I've heard as possible replacements for Fulmer promises to be an improvement. And unless you can greatly improve things, you don't change for change's sake. You only change if someone is clearly better and there are few out there right now who could top Fulmer, who is still among the top coaches in winning percentage by a coach with 10 or more years."

Which, for some reason, raised this question in my mind. "How long has it been since Tennessee fans at least had confidence that the football VOLS would be competitive against any football team they played"?

 

[9296potsguy]

LOL@ "if he can win the next four"

 

[cd12]

nothing new here.....some say he is safe at 6-6..........

 

[timmy]

[/FONT][/I][/SIZE]Which, for some reason, raised this question in my mind. "How long has it been since Tennessee fans at least had confidence that the football VOLS would be competitive against any football team they played"?
[/SIZE]

I've been confident that we can beat anyone at anytime until this season after the Florida game.

 

[Godfatha]

Speaking of being a family man...why must the man hide behind his family? I am so sick of this excuse being given. The man isn't paid to be a family man, he is paid to win football games. We don't pay good money to go to ballgames to see him give Vicky or his kids hugs.

How do he know there aren't people out there better? He must not be looking hard enough. Many coaches out there are doing more with less talent. This team is out of the top 25 with top 10 talent. This Tricities.com writer sounds like a Phil homer to me.

 

[TennesseeT]

I've been confident that we can beat anyone at anytime until this season after the Florida game.

I'm a little more stubborn. I actually believed that this team was going to win out and maybe even win the SECCG. Oh how I forgot that over and over again this team and staff do not know how to grab an opportunity when it is there. Now we are back on familiar ground hoping UF loses so we can have a chance.

 

[timmy]

I'm a little more stubborn. I actually believed that this team was going to win out and maybe even win the SECCG. Oh how I forgot that over and over again this team and staff do not know how to grab an opportunity when it is there. Now we are back on familiar ground hoping UF loses so we can have a chance.

I thought we were going to make it to the SECCG too, but I knew that we would have to get a lucky break or two. I knew we wouldn't make it because we are a dominant team.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Wasn't Bliss calling for Fulmer's head a couple of months ago? or maybe I have him confused with someone else? I saw his article earlier today, and here is the problem with his argument as I see it...

I start with a belief in the premise, which was well stated by Urban Meyer shortly after winning the BCSCG, that in college football if you are not improving you are falling behind. There is no safe holding pattern. Therefore, I reject the argument that we should stick with Phil and Co. because we are in a cozy 70-something winning percentage zone with mid-tier bowl appearances more-or-less assured for the time being, along with an occasional shot at Atlanta whenever the Gators and Dawgs both have rebuilding years at the same time and LSU or Auburn are not on the schedule. This team is not improving. Yes, individual players get better during their time on the Hill but we are not seeing the ship rise and we have not seen it rise for a good while now. This team is stagnant and as stated before if you are not improving you are falling behind. There are no guarantees in change but it's fairly apparent based on several years of recent history that the Vols are not going to improve while Phil is hfc.

 

[turn3]

I've been confident that we can beat anyone at anytime until this season after the Florida game.

I haven't felt that we could beat anyone at anytime in several years. I use to go to/watch games knowing we would win. Now days it doesn't matter who we're playing I just hope we don't lose. Sorry, I'm a bit of a pessimist.

Do todays players respect him? I saw a player (can't remember who) turn his back and walk away as Phil was jawing at him.

Todays players were in elementary school when we won the championship in 98. Do you think many of them even care about that championship?

 

[I40VOL]

I've been confident that we can beat anyone at anytime until this season after the Florida game.

i have not felt like that since Manning's sophmore-senior year...and when Charles McRae and antone davis could tell the opposing defence where we were running the ball and still be able to do it

 

[allvol]

i have not felt like that since Manning's sophmore-senior year...and when Charles McRae and antone davis could tell the opposing defence where we were running the ball and still be able to do it

Agreed, I think that the 1995 squad may have been the best team that Fulmer's ever had.

 

[Agent Orange]

I think Mr. Bliss completely misses the point on what a new coaching staff would do for this team. I think that each coach on our current staff has put together a good game plan at some point and they have x's and o's knowledge, but what they don't have is the respect of the players. I think they truly are lacking in two categories (motivation and player evaluation). That's what a new coaching staff with a fresh attitude could do for the team.

 

[superdave1984]

Wasn't it just a few years ago that Fulmer and Chavis were being considered for NFL jobs? And we all screamed NO. Hmm........what if......

 

[jakez4ut]

Wasn't it just a few years ago that Fulmer and Chavis were being considered for NFL jobs? And we all screamed NO. Hmm........what if......

Chavis and FUlmer had been rumored to be coord or position coaches in the NFL, but no serious talks and/or offers were ever put on the table i believe.

and if memory serves, those rumors are now over a decade old, though i think Chavis has had some talks about other coord positions since then, nothing serious has come CPF's way in quite some time, and i think that's more a function of no one thinking he'd "leave" TN, than anything else.