Was Majors done wrong?

#76
#76
wmcovol said:
If you have a few drinks, spout off at the party about how little you make, embarrassing your superiors in front of clients or customers, see if you’re not fired the next morning.

JM knew he screwed up & tried to correct things with Bill Johnson the trustee the next day but it was too late.
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That makes as much sense as anything else I've heard.

Whiskey...mighty Risky.


Sorry, I don't have anything that rhymes with Johnnie Walker Red Scotch.
 
#77
#77
Race City Vol said:
This is absolutely correct! He had no one to blame but himself. He was out because of his surgery but saw Fulmers success and got jealous. He didn’t contact Dickey or anyone, just showed up on Monday and declared himself back, totally destroyed the team momentum and chemistry. He let his ego get in the way of the team.
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I’d heard his relationships on The Hill were strained before all of that went down. That he’d pissed off a lot of people
 
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#79
#79
Illinoisvolfan2 said:
Exactly. Let’s dig this up again. After 34 years who gives a crap
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Interestingly, plenty of people. Certainly more entertaining than any news coming out of Spring. There’s strong opinions and many still harboring strong opinions on this, despite the time that has passed. I doubt those with strong opinions on either side or going to change their minds. It’s an unfortunate divide in the Vol family. It’s unfortunate that Majors had rubbed some folks wrong. Also unfortunate that Fulmer was a backstabbing SOB.
 
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#80
#80
Yes, he was done wrong.
Fulmer should have remained a loyal assistant and helped ramp up recruiting to get Coach Majors his 2nd national title at his beloved alma mater.
Then let Fulmer take over.

Having said that, the first big blunder the University made was promoting Bill Battle after Doug Dickey left when they should have hired Johnny from Iowa State.
The Vols would have been right in the middle of the elite programs of the 70's, playing in major bowl games and competing for championships.
Dickey had built a formidable program and Coach Majors would have taken us over the top. What AD Bob Woodruff saw in Bill Battle, I will never understand.
 
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#82
#82
#1fulmerite said:
Came across this video and looking back, wondered if he was done wrong. Seems at that time, most Vol fans wanted Fulmer to take over due to his success earlier in the season.

Not commenting Fulmer versus Majors but, wondering if he was done wrong. Seems many thought Fulmer’s end wasn’t handled well either.
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Don't know. What I can tell you is my father took me and my grandfather to the hall of fame bowl in 93. At the sombrero in Tampa. One of the things I remember most was the 'blue hairs' wearing brand new Pitt hats with Tennessee shirts. Whether he was done wrong or not, I can't say....it's an on going debate here. What I do know is the old hats spoke their minds.
 
#84
#84
Jax_Vol said:
That makes as much sense as anything else I've heard.

Whiskey...mighty Risky.


Sorry, I don't have anything that rhymes with Johnnie Walker Red Scotch.
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One of the more prominent Vol beat writers, maybe the late David Climer of the Tennessean wrote the entire chronological order of the fallout shortly after it happened. UT dignitaries, including Majors, was in Nashville in the summer of ‘92 at a legislative reception hosted by UT. Everyone was having drinks & JM probably had 1 too many & said some things that embarrassed the UT Board including his friend & former teammate, Bill Johnson about his salary being so low. UT was under severe spending limits at the time & the board didn’t feel it would look right giving the FB coach a big raise while everyone else on campus had their salary froze. According to Climer, Johnson spoke with Dickey later that evening about possibly making a change. Fulmer was being contacted by South Carolina as a possible replacement for their coach & neither Dickey or Johnson wanted to lose him.
 
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#85
#85
VOLtaism said:
This may just be me but I remember the offense in those 4 fill in games to be wide open all cylinders versus the standard conservative style. We were all impressed and so the attraction to Fulmer. I never saw that style offense again when Fulmer went back to OC or any of the years after he became head coach which was frustrating. I thought Majos lost the 3 games because he had to come back early after his bypass heart surgery to try and protect his job from the vultures.
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I have noticed the exact same thing and the way we slung the ball all over the field at the bowl game after that ‘92 season!

Seems Majors became known as three and a cloud of dust at the end. Fulmer seemed to be hoping for a turnover or penalty at the end of games to win.
 
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#86
#86
#1fulmerite said:
Came across this video and looking back, wondered if he was done wrong. Seems at that time, most Vol fans wanted Fulmer to take over due to his success earlier in the season.

Not commenting Fulmer versus Majors but, wondering if he was done wrong. Seems many thought Fulmer’s end wasn’t handled well either.
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Yes.

My parents cancelled their season tickets when Major's was fired. My Dad was in his second year at UT when Majors became freshman. All the Majors - Shirley (father) Bill and Bobby - were legends in our household.

They also thought Fulmer was a backstabber and Doug Dickey was a two time traitor. My Dad continued to give to the UT general scholarship fund. His gift was made in my name each year thereafter. He did so without telling me directly. I would receive a thank you letter from UT.
 
#87
#87
#1fulmerite said:
Came across this video and looking back, wondered if he was done wrong. Seems at that time, most Vol fans wanted Fulmer to take over due to his success earlier in the season.

Not commenting Fulmer versus Majors but, wondering if he was done wrong. Seems many thought Fulmer’s end wasn’t handled well either.
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yes and no...

He did himself in mostly with his insecurity and alcoholism. HOWEVER he was severely underpaid at the end of his career and had a legitimate beef with Dickey and the board about it
 
#88
#88
Savannahbayvol said:
As one of the few in this forum that actually saw Johnny play I have all the respect in the world for what he did for the University as a player and coach. BUT he was an arrogant egomaniac who in the end was hoisted on his own petard by his hubris and complete unawareness of his tenous situation after losing 7 in a row to Alabama including at least 3 games where he had equal or superior talent.

If you are the HC at Tennessee and lose 7 in a row to the Tide you don't go out and call your bosses out in public. He left Dickey and the Johnsons(Joe and Bill) no choice but to let him go. I have criticized Fulmer in the past but the only way he knifed Johnny in the back was by beating Florida and UGA with the same team Johnny lost to Arkansas, USC and Alabama with. Ironically Johnny and Bill Johnson were teammates on the undefeated 56 team. I dont think Bill was working behind the scenes to screw over his old teammate.

My understanding was Johnny was off the sauce during this time. There is some speculation that the heart medication he was taking affected his behavior.

Paul Hornung didn't deserve the Heisman in 56 but far and away the best player that year, and maybe all time, was Jim Brown of Syracuse who was denied the trophy since he was black.
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I say he had a legit gripe at being like the 6th-7th highest paid SEC HC and not having extensions while winning or competing for SEC titles in 5 of 7 years
 
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#89
#89
#1fulmerite said:
This explains so much-if it’s related to coming back too early. Had never thought of or about that.

I remember hearing a story where Majors flipped over Joe Johnson’s desk.

Do you think Fulmer intentionally sabotaged Majors in those three losses? I would not think so but was young and not involved at that time.
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You can't look at any of those losses and blame the OC or say it was tanked.....South Carolina and Arky were both ill-timed flukes more than anything....Bama was the best team in the country and we almost beat them
 
#90
#90
Jax_Vol said:
That makes as much sense as anything else I've heard.

Whiskey...mighty Risky.


Sorry, I don't have anything that rhymes with Johnnie Walker Red Scotch.
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His death knell was a combo of the upset fluke losses to SC and Arky, his health issues, and his alcoholism which was more evident not at the party, but calling board members at 2am one random night ranting about his salary... Majors was correct in what he was saying but the drink made him do dumb things
 
#91
#91
#1fulmerite said:
I have noticed the exact same thing and the way we slung the ball all over the field at the bowl game after that ‘92 season!

Seems Majors became known as three and a cloud of dust at the end. Fulmer seemed to be hoping for a turnover or penalty at the end of games to win.
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We weren't 3 yards and a cloud of dust anytime after 1988, we utilized some elite RBs but we were slinging the ball everywhere
 
#92
#92
The question I ask myself was Johnny gonna win a Natty at Tennessee.I think he would have.As for his drinking,he proved that he was more than capable of handling his booze...at least better than Kiffen handled himself with coeds late night running around Knoxville.
 
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#95
#95
I remember the salary freezes around 2010 and tuition increases and, people complaining about all of the buyouts. The university was and has been quick to point out moneys from donors are different that state funding. Sounds like Joe Johnson wanted him gone too.
 
#96
#96
Rickyvol77 said:
We weren't 3 yards and a cloud of dust anytime after 1988, we utilized some elite RBs but we were slinging the ball everywhere
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People say that but Tennessee got the nickname “Wide Receiver U” during his tenure. He had about 3 or 4 straight #1 draft picks at Wr also. You don’t get that running a 3 yards & cloud of dust offense.
 
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#97
#97
By today's standards CJM would have been fired after year 3 or year 4 but different times back then.

You've got your HC having a quintuple bypass surgery two weeks before the season opener. Is that hard to imagine how many phone calls and questions that Dickey had to respond to after that news was released? If or when or will CJM be back and if not who would replace him.

Not hard to imagine calls of encouragement made to Fulmer and calls of congratulations to Fulmer after those great Ws over Georgia and Florida.

Think what you want but I believe too much was made of the phone calls between Johnson, Dickey and Fulmer.

No one thought Majors would be back in September, no one. Lots of questions on whether he was healthy enough to be back that early.


Season in Question for Majors After Heart Bypass Operation

Aug. 26, 1992 12 AM PT


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football Coach Johnny Majors underwent heart bypass surgery Tuesday, less than two weeks before the Volunteers open the season at home against Southwestern Louisiana.

Majors, the dean of Southeastern Conference coaches, came through the 3 1/2-hour operation well, but the length of his recovery is unknown, according to University of Tennessee Medical Center officials.

“You know he is a very competitive, intense guy. You might find eight gorillas that could hold him away,” medical director Dr. Charles Mercer said. “But it’s too soon to say when that will happen.”

Majors, 57, received five arterial grafts during the operation. Initial tests suggested his “overall heart muscle function is still very good,” said Mercer, a cardiologist.

Majors is in critical but stable condition, which is considered normal after such surgery. Mercer said he probably will be hospitalized seven to 10 days.
 
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