Vols Own This State

#1
Jacksonvol

Jacksonvol

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#1
I rarely post anything here on VN, but have been a member for many, decades. I'm one of those OLD guys who's been an "orange blood" for longer than I, or perhaps you, can imagine. As a kid (very young kid) I still remember a little of the '51 National Championship season and the excitement of our community. I have 2 perfectly spotless TN licenses plates (they were the only ones ever that had an orange background and white numerals and they were in the shape of the state - one for the front and one for the back). There was obviously no TV, but every Sat. (no night games because there were no lights for the stadium) the radio was going full blast. I was so grateful to be in Tempe to see the '98 NC. All of this gives you an idea of how old I really am and how "dyed in the wool" I am. However, I've "lived and died" with the great victories and heart-wrenching defeats throughout all of these years. Today, I couldn't be more proud of the entire athletic program than I am because we OWN this State - absolutely OWN it. Great players - Great coaches - the greatest athletic director in the U.S.- and the absolutely greatest fans on the Planet. Facts: Obviously we have the greatest football team by a mile; we have the greatest basketball teams (men's and women's) by a mile; we have the greatest baseball team (eat your heart out Vandy, lil brother) by a mile; the greatest tennis team; and on and on through the other sports. Nobody in TN can touch the Vols in any way. So, I probably won't have that many more years, but, hopefully, when the "time's up", I'll be "leaving with a broad smile on my face" if we will have taken Omaha once or twice; win multiple NC's in football and (MW)basketball and keep our coaches and AD. What a great feeling for this old "relic" to realize how super things are and how they're going to get better and better. So, maybe I won't have to wait until I'm 100 to see all of these things happen. But if it takes that long, I'll just wait around.

By the way, went into a bookstore and was thumbing through a number of books when one caught my eye - "Greatest Moments in Vanderbilt Football". Picked it up and started to thumb through it and suddenly realized that it was 200 pages of blank paper.
 
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#2
#2
Jacksonvol said:
By the way, went into a bookstore and was thumbing through a number of books when one caught my eye - "Greatest Moments in Vanderbilt Football". Picked it up and started to thumb through it and suddenly realized that it was 200 pages of blank paper.
Click to expand...

200w.gif
 
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#3
#3
Jacksonvol said:
By the way, went into a bookstore and was thumbing through a number of books when one caught my eye - "Greatest Moments in Vanderbilt Football". Picked it up and started to thumb through it and suddenly realized that it was 200 pages of blank paper.
Click to expand...

I figured it would be 3 pages detailing their 3 wins against Butch Jones.
 
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#6
#6
Jacksonvol said:
By the way, went into a bookstore and was thumbing through a number of books when one caught my eye - "Greatest Moments in Vanderbilt Football". Picked it up and started to thumb through it and suddenly realized that it was 200 pages of blank paper.
Click to expand...

ftsandersvol said:
I figured it would be 3 pages detailing their 3 wins against Butch Jones.
Click to expand...

It must have been an antique bookstore. Such a book would be almost a hundred years out of print.
 
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#8
#8
Jacksonvol said:
I rarely post anything here on VN, but have been a member for many, decades. I'm one of those OLD guys who's been an "orange blood" for longer than I, or perhaps you, can imagine. As a kid (very young kid) I still remember a little of the '51 National Championship season and the excitement of our community. I have 2 perfectly spotless TN licenses plates (they were the only ones ever that had an orange background and white numerals and they were in the shape of the state - one for the front and one for the back). There was obviously no TV, but every Sat. (no night games because there were no lights for the stadium) the radio was going full blast. I was so grateful to be in Tempe to see the '98 NC. All of this gives you an idea of how old I really am and how "dyed in the wool" I am. However, I've "lived and died" with the great victories and heart-wrenching defeats throughout all of these years. Today, I couldn't be more proud of the entire athletic program than I am because we OWN this State - absolutely OWN it. Great players - Great coaches - the greatest athletic director in the U.S.- and the absolutely greatest fans on the Planet. Facts: Obviously we have the greatest football team by a mile; we have the greatest basketball teams (men's and women's) by a mile; we have the greatest baseball team (eat your heart out Vandy, lil brother) by a mile; the greatest tennis team; and on and on through the other sports. Nobody in TN can touch the Vols in any way. So, I probably won't have that many more years, but, hopefully, when the "time's up", I'll be "leaving with a broad smile on my face" if we will have taken Omaha once or twice; win multiple NC's in football and (MW)basketball and keep our coaches and AD. What a great feeling for this old "relic" to realize how super things are and how they're going to get better and better. So, maybe I won't have to wait until I'm 100 to see all of these things happen. But if it takes that long, I'll just wait around.

By the way, went into a bookstore and was thumbing through a number of books when one caught my eye - "Greatest Moments in Vanderbilt Football". Picked it up and started to thumb through it and suddenly realized that it was 200 pages of blank paper.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this-great post. Any chance you can share some of those memories of the ‘51 team and the great General Neyland for those of us born after? Also-would appreciate any other memories from ‘60’s-‘80’s you’d like to share. Good shout out to Vols Tennis and also loved the Vandy shade.
 
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#11
#11
UTFanHades said:
Thanks for this-great post. Any chance you can share some of those memories of the ‘51 team and the great General Neyland for those of us born after? Also-would appreciate any other memories from ‘60’s-‘80’s you’d like to share. Good shout out to Vols Tennis and also loved the Vandy shade.
Click to expand...
As I mentioned in the post, for a 10 year old, those orange and white '51 license plates were the top. My dad had a country store so I saw them on the front and rear of vehicles all the time. I was the "gas pumper". When I finally had a chance to buy a set in the 90's I bought them for 60 bucks at my wife's insistence. After the 98 NC the newspaper had 3 for sale. The cheapest was $3,000. They hang on my wall, and I will only part with them when I "check out". Also, Dickey coming in and rebuilding the team after the late 50's and early 69's slide was great. However, when he left for Fla., I was finished with him. I had season tickets for a number of years and my wife, a friend and his wife always spent the wk, end in K'ville. Great memories of great times.
 
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#13
#13
Jacksonvol said:
I rarely post anything here on VN, but have been a member for many, decades. I'm one of those OLD guys who's been an "orange blood" for longer than I, or perhaps you, can imagine. As a kid (very young kid) I still remember a little of the '51 National Championship season and the excitement of our community. I have 2 perfectly spotless TN licenses plates (they were the only ones ever that had an orange background and white numerals and they were in the shape of the state - one for the front and one for the back). There was obviously no TV, but every Sat. (no night games because there were no lights for the stadium) the radio was going full blast. I was so grateful to be in Tempe to see the '98 NC. All of this gives you an idea of how old I really am and how "dyed in the wool" I am. However, I've "lived and died" with the great victories and heart-wrenching defeats throughout all of these years. Today, I couldn't be more proud of the entire athletic program than I am because we OWN this State - absolutely OWN it. Great players - Great coaches - the greatest athletic director in the U.S.- and the absolutely greatest fans on the Planet. Facts: Obviously we have the greatest football team by a mile; we have the greatest basketball teams (men's and women's) by a mile; we have the greatest baseball team (eat your heart out Vandy, lil brother) by a mile; the greatest tennis team; and on and on through the other sports. Nobody in TN can touch the Vols in any way. So, I probably won't have that many more years, but, hopefully, when the "time's up", I'll be "leaving with a broad smile on my face" if we will have taken Omaha once or twice; win multiple NC's in football and (MW)basketball and keep our coaches and AD. What a great feeling for this old "relic" to realize how super things are and how they're going to get better and better. So, maybe I won't have to wait until I'm 100 to see all of these things happen. But if it takes that long, I'll just wait around.

By the way, went into a bookstore and was thumbing through a number of books when one caught my eye - "Greatest Moments in Vanderbilt Football". Picked it up and started to thumb through it and suddenly realized that it was 200 pages of blank paper.
Click to expand...

Great memories, Jacksonvol! I might have been able to take a few steps in late 1951; born in the spring. Regarding that Vandy book, it had to have been soft bound.
 
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#17
#17
Thank you sir! The wider perception breeds gratitude for our current plot in a week that has been tough for recruiting.

What do a maggot and an Alabama fan have in common? They can both live off of a dead bear for 20 years.

Here is to the next 20 years.
 
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