In honor of George Cafego

[PirateVOL]

Not to mention our own Single Wing

fizzle candy and everything it thinks it stands for!

Go VOLS!

[Black Diamond Vol]

It just means more.

https://twitter.com/chipcirillo/status/1198337791136022529?s=21

[SmokeyJoe]

Which is worse the crowd, or the V?

[BanditVol]

Which is worse the crowd, or the V?

I wonder what percent was ETSU?  That's a good trip for them.   

[EmerilVOL]

It just means more.

https://twitter.com/chipcirillo/status/1198337791136022529?s=21

They told us they did not need UT fans to fill up their stadium the last time we were there! How does that work out for you?

Ticket scalpers outside the stadium: 2 for 10 2 for 10. 
Person walking down street: You want me to pay to watch Vandy play?
Scalper: No we will give you two tickets and $10 to go in and watch at least a quarter!
Person: I would not watch Vandy for less than $30!
Scalper: Here is $40 get a beer too!

[Tnphil]

Back in the late 80's early 90's we were playing at Vandy to wrap up the SECC to go to the Sugar Bowl. Four of us went to the stadium without tickets...we had never had issues getting tickets on the street outside of Dudley for pretty cheap. We got there a hour before kickoff and tickets were going that we could find for $80-$100 per...30 minutes before kickoff they still were way up there...10 minutes before same thing...I told my group they'll go way down after kickoff. After kickoff still going for $75 per. We decided to leave the game had been going on for a good 5 minutes and go watch it on TV. Walking back to the car we came across this scalper wearing coveralls....beard down to his belly with several tickets in his hand. I asked him what he wanted and he said $75 per....I said the game started a good 10 minutes by then and you want that much per ticket??!! He said buddy....what I've made today I can burn these damn tickets I have left and feel good about it. We just kept walking to the car.

[BanditVol]

Back in the late 80's early 90's we were playing at Vandy to wrap up the SECC to go to the Sugar Bowl. Four of us went to the stadium without tickets...we had never had issues getting tickets on the street outside of Dudley for pretty cheap. We got there a hour before kickoff and tickets were going that we could find for $80-$100 per...30 minutes before kickoff they still were way up there...10 minutes before same thing...I told my group they'll go way down after kickoff. After kickoff still going for $75 per. We decided to leave the game had been going on for a good 5 minutes and go watch it on TV. Walking back to the car we came across this scalper wearing coveralls....beard down to his belly with several tickets in his hand. I asked him what he wanted and he said $75 per....I said the game started a good 10 minutes by then and you want that much per ticket??!! He said buddy....what I've made today I can burn these damn tickets I have left and feel good about it. We just kept walking to the car.

That had to be 89, my senior year. Last time we went to the Sugar Bowl, believe it or not.

[Tnphil]

That had to be 89, my senior year. Last time we went to the Sugar Bowl, believe it or not.

We played Virginia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan 1 1991...I had to go look it up because I can't remember what I had for dinner last night. 6 of us were there and we were also there for the UT-Miami game. We were there 4 days for the Miami game and I think I had a total of about 16 hours sleep the whole trip. It took me over a week to get over that party/drink fest after I got home. I learned my lesson and was a much better boy the UT-Virginia trip.

[Creek Walker]

Yes, '89 was the Cotton Bowl win over Arkansas. Those were two fun seasons, '89 and '90. I was just a kid then, cutting my teeth on Tennessee football. If I had a time machine, my first stop would be the falls of '89, '90 and '91 to relive those old UT games.

[VinnieVOL]

Yes, '89 was the Cotton Bowl win over Arkansas. Those were two fun seasons, '89 and '90. I was just a kid then, cutting my teeth on Tennessee football. If I had a time machine, my first stop would be the falls of '89, '90 and '91 to relive those old UT games.

What year was the season opener against Colorado?  For a long time my Dad recorded the games to VHS and that Colorado game was one I watched over and over.  It was a partially dirt field and I thought it was so cool, I would watch and try to reenact the big plays, and there was something so neat to me to watch them get tackled in the dirt.

[Tnphil]

Yes, '89 was the Cotton Bowl win over Arkansas. Those were two fun seasons, '89 and '90. I was just a kid then, cutting my teeth on Tennessee football. If I had a time machine, my first stop would be the falls of '89, '90 and '91 to relive those old UT games.

The same 6 of us were at that Cotton Bowl trip too...Talk about a great game! It was a beautiful day with temps in the 70's. Might be the only time I got a sunburn on New Years day. For several years the 6 of us would make it our annual thing to go to the bowl UT was in. I'd have to go back and count but I think it was 15-16 bowls over the years. We got to the point/age that we said to heck with it and stayed home instead.

[BanditVol]

What year was the season opener against Colorado?  For a long time my Dad recorded the games to VHS and that Colorado game was one I watched over and over.  It was a partially dirt field and I thought it was so cool, I would watch and try to reenact the big plays, and there was something so neat to me to watch them get tackled in the dirt.

Season opener 1990.  I had just graduated, was the first Vol game I saw on TV after graduation, and was just the beginning of having lots of games on TV.  Was the start of my increased interest in the Vols.  At the time it was really cool to see the stadium on national TV right after I had graduated. I had been present at all the televised games in school, so was probably the first Neyland game I watched since UCLA 1985.

[10EC]

UCLA 1985.

The hottest game I have ever watched in person... including multiple games attended in the swamp.

[Tnphil]

The hottest game I have ever watched in person... including multiple games attended in the swamp.

Was there too...That's during the time we'd had season tickets for several years....IIRC it was 95-96 degrees at kickoff? Fights were breaking out around us due to tempers because of the heat...Some were caused by a few folks putting up umbrella's to shield the sun.

[Creek Walker]

What year was the season opener against Colorado?  For a long time my Dad recorded the games to VHS and that Colorado game was one I watched over and over.  It was a partially dirt field and I thought it was so cool, I would watch and try to reenact the big plays, and there was something so neat to me to watch them get tackled in the dirt.

What might have been. Colorado goes on to win the national championship that year and we blew it against them. It was a tie that felt like a loss. And just one month later, an identical situation against a Top 5 Auburn team. That '90 team was probably talented enough to go undefeated against what was arguably the toughest schedule in the country. Instead we wound up 6-2-2 going into the Sugar Bowl.

Now if a Tennessee team talented enough to go undefeated finished with two losses and two ties, I'd be livid. Back then even the losses were fun. To be a kid again... That Sugar Bowl game was the one I watched over and over. I wore out that VHS cassette. The MNF crew of Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf called that game on ABC and I can still recite most of their commentary if I watch the game on YouTube.

[Black Diamond Vol]

What might have been. Colorado goes on to win the national championship that year and we blew it against them. It was a tie that felt like a loss. And just one month later, an identical situation against a Top 5 Auburn team. That '90 team was probably talented enough to go undefeated against what was arguably the toughest schedule in the country. Instead we wound up 6-2-2 going into the Sugar Bowl.

Now if a Tennessee team talented enough to go undefeated finished with two losses and two ties, I'd be livid. Back then even the losses were fun. To be a kid again... That Sugar Bowl game was the one I watched over and over. I wore out that VHS cassette. The MNF crew of Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf called that game on ABC and I can still recite most of their commentary if I watch the game on YouTube.

Take nothing away from Tony Thompson, who was great. But what if Chuck Webb doesn't get hurt in the 2nd game that year? I think we almost certainly beat AU, Bammer, and ND, and are in the NC picture at season's end. Due to the bowl structure at the time, we probably still would've played UVa in the Sugar. So it would've come down to a beauty contest between UT, Colorado, and GT.

[BanditVol]

Take nothing away from Tony Thompson, who was great. But what if Chuck Webb doesn't get hurt in the 2nd game that year? I think we almost certainly beat AU, Bammer, and ND, and are in the NC picture at season's end. Due to the bowl structure at the time, we probably still would've played UVa in the Sugar. So it would've come down to a beauty contest between UT, Colorado, and GT.

We would have won that.  Colorado had a tie and a loss, and Ga Tech is, well, Ga Tech. 

[PirateVOL]

We would have won that.  Colorado had a tie and a loss, and Ga Tech is, well, Ga Tech. 

It was freaking hot in the Big A for the Colorado game

[BanditVol]

What might have been. Colorado goes on to win the national championship that year and we blew it against them. It was a tie that felt like a loss. And just one month later, an identical situation against a Top 5 Auburn team. That '90 team was probably talented enough to go undefeated against what was arguably the toughest schedule in the country. Instead we wound up 6-2-2 going into the Sugar Bowl.

Now if a Tennessee team talented enough to go undefeated finished with two losses and two ties, I'd be livid. Back then even the losses were fun. To be a kid again... That Sugar Bowl game was the one I watched over and over. I wore out that VHS cassette. The MNF crew of Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf called that game on ABC and I can still recite most of their commentary if I watch the game on YouTube.

That season says more about Majors ability to underachieve than anything.  The following year, Carl Pickens was the offensive rookie of the year and Dale Carter defensive rookie of the year in the NFL.  I don't think any other team has ever accomplished that.  The worst game that season was the loss to bammer. We were top 10, maybe top 5, they were 3-3 and unranked, and somehow we lost by getting a FG blocked in the last minute or two that rolled down to our end of the field just right into field goal range for them and we lost.  I had a friend named Anthony Mason who was a walk on that year, and he said at one point Carl Pickens threw his helmet 10-15 yards on the sideline in frustration with Majors, who would not open up the offense because "it was bama".  That was a season of lost potential for sure, but at least we got close.