So by now we've all heard the audio of the blubbering Georgia fan...

[Creek Walker]

...crying over UGA's loss to Clemson and demanding that Mark Richt be fired.

It got me to thinking about how many teams in the SEC (and all of college football for that matter, but it's more prevalent in the SEC) are absolutely spoiled and should walk a mile in Tennessee's shoes.

And THAT got me to thinking about the people who warned that if Tennessee fired Phillip Fulmer, they might wish they had him back.

Obviously, those doomsayers were correct about Fulmer, but for the wrong reasons. I'm convinced that Tennessee's demise wasn't due to not having Fulmer. Firing him was warranted. If anything, UT waited too long to do something that no one really wanted to do. Tennessee's demise is much more about Mike Hamilton's ego and his desire to find a bargain-bin coach so he could brag about saving money rather than pulling the trigger on a big-dollar hire.

With that said, I was one of those fans whose appetite for wins was insatiable. I think I've said this before, but I first wanted Fulmer to be replaced after the '97 Orange Bowl. Seeing an undisciplined Tennessee team lose yet another game largely because the other team out-coached our team grated on me, and the images of Tennessee players throwing grass and horseplaying on the sideline, obviously enjoying themselves while their team was being boatraced on the field, are still fresh on my mind.

I think I was right in '97. I think it was obvious even then that Fulmer was not a great coach. I think he was the best recruiter Tennessee has ever had, and I think he was one of the best motivators Tennessee has ever had, but I don't think he was a great coach and that's why I think that so many times when a game came down to a grudge match between two evenly matched teams, Tennessee wound up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. In fact, I think you can speculate that if guys like Mike Dubose and Jim Donnan weren't coaching in the SEC in the '90s, Tennessee's "decade of dominance" wouldn't have been hardly as dominant.

But if I had my way, Tennessee would've fired Fulmer in 1997 because he couldn't win "the big game," and we wouldn't have won a national championship. Aren't we fans fickle sometimes?  As we've found out the past 5 seasons, winning national titles and even SEC titles isn't everything. Being relevant and believing you have a chance to beat your biggest rivals is. Sure, there's no one who can do less with more than Mark Richt. But I don't think there's a Tennessee fan anywhere who wouldn't trade the Vols' success over the past 5 years for Georgia's in a heartbeat.

[VinnieVOL]

Tennessee's demise is much more about Mike Hamilton's ego and his desire to find a bargain-bin coach so he could brag about saving money rather than pulling the trigger on a big-dollar hire.

And interestingly, I think this was due in large part to the success of Bruce Pearl.  Mike saw that going the unknown, cheap rout could work and work big.  And being a money man he just couldn't resist.  I don't know how he couldn't see that big time college football at a big time program is very different than hiring a bball coach, but hindsight you know.

The timing of the coaching search after Kiffin left was also terrible and made things even more complicated, obviously.

[Creek Walker]

And interestingly, I think this was due in large part to the success of Bruce Pearl.  Mike saw that going the unknown, cheap rout could work and work big.  And being a money man he just couldn't resist.  I don't know how he couldn't see that big time college football at a big time program is very different than hiring a bball coach, but hindsight you know.

The timing of the coaching search after Kiffin left was also terrible and made things even more complicated, obviously.

Agree.

[VinnieVOL]

Agree.

btw, just listened to the crying UGA fan.  While funny, like you it's a little too familiar. 

[droner]

I went to You Tube, found it and listened to it.

Some points:

1. Good grief. (Pun not intended.)
2. That's why I don't listen to sports talk radio. The internet is bad enough, I'm certainly not going to listen to the nuts.
3. Some (many) people take sports much too seriously. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the blubberer didn't even go to UGA, maybe not even college at all.
4. I've said for some time now that you should have to pass a test before being allowed to speak on TV or radio.
5. Good grief. (Pun not intended. That audio was actually bad grief.)

[VinnieVOL]

I went to You Tube, found it and listened to it.

Some points:

1 Good grief. (Pun not intended.)
2. That's why I don't listen to sports talk radio. The internet is bad enough, I'm certainly not going to listen to the nuts.
3. Some (many) people take sports much too seriously. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the blubberer didn't even go to UGA, maybe not even college at all.
4. I've said for some time now that you should have to pass a test before being allowed to speak on TV or radio.
5. Good grief. (Pun not intended. That audio was actually bad grief.)

I've cried over TN football, I'm not afraid to admit it.  The Memphis loss in '96 and Peyton's senior year loss to Florida are the times that come to mind.  Of course, I didn't call in and do it for everyone to hear.

[TheRealOrange]

I've cried over TN football, I'm not afraid to admit it.  The Memphis loss in '96 and Peyton's senior year loss to Florida are the times that come to mind.  Of course, I didn't call in and do it for everyone to hear.

I have been EXTREMELY angry at some losses, and before I attended UT I thought some losses were pretty funny (North Texas State in 1975), but I can't say I have ever cried over a Vols loss.

[VinnieVOL]

I have been EXTREMELY angry at some losses, and before I attended UT I thought some losses were pretty funny (North Texas State in 1975), but I can't say I have ever cried over a Vols loss.

Probably had something to do with my age and era of TN football in which I grew up.  

[TheRealOrange]

Probably had something to do with my age and era of TN in which I grew up. 

That's what I was thinking about your post after I responded.  I didn't become a "real" Vols fan until I started college there.  If I had been a big fan as a youngster, that may have made a big difference.      That caller was clearly a full grown (physically, anyway) adult.   

[BanditVol]

Wow...and you say I'm longwinded.   

And THAT got me to thinking about the people who warned that if Tennessee fired Phillip Fulmer, they might wish they had him back.

There may have been some saying this.  My opinion, which I may not even have exrpessed coherently at the time, was that a coaching change is fraught with risk and LITERALLY does not work the majority of the time.  Following a major figure at a successful program, is EVEN HARDER.  It's almost never been accomplished. 

Therefore, like him or not, even while acknowledging he had slipped a bit, the best thing for UT football IMO was for Fulmer to continue for a few more years.  Had he done so, and say, continued recruiting like he did in 2007 (and not 2008), bringing in players like Tajh Boyd, we might have had a few more mediocre years and Phil back in the SECC, possibly even winning the thing sometime in the last 2-3 years.

After which, he realizes he has passed Neyland and finally wises up and rides into the sunset.

That was the best case scenario for me.  I thought the downside of a coaching change was far worse and more likely than the alternate.  I take no joy in being right in my hunch.  Zero.

But you know what?  We play WKU Saturday and they might just give us a game.  And that's all I really care about now.  The damage is long since done.  It's not going to improve our current team talking about it.

[BanditVol]

I have never in my entire life even been close to crying over a sporting event, and can't even imagine doing so.   

OTOH, Pirate can confirm that I do sometimes cuss profusly over the course of a game.   

[VinnieVOL]

I have never in my entire life even been close to crying over a sporting event, and can't even imagine doing so.   

OTOH, Pirate can confirm that I do sometimes cuss profusly over the course of a game.   

Everyone is different. 

[BanditVol]

Everyone is different. 

Different ways of expressing passion for football, true.  And TINWWT