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Calhouns — and sister restaurants, like Copper Cellar, etc. — have endorsed Blackburn for AD.

http://tenntruth.com/2017/01/10/tennessee-restaurant-makes-endorsement-for-new-ad/

Are they owned by the same person or group?

Edit...having actually read it... :naughty:, they are.  So obviously the owner wants this, whoever that is.  It's in their interest.  Restaruants do very well after a Vol win, so they are assuming Blackburn will build a winning program.

Or it could be that the owner/CEO is just a big Vol fan.

I do have a couple quibbles....one, Hart is not IMO "much maligned".  There is a significant and vocal portion of the fan base that doesn't care for him.  I don't think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I don't have any big issues with him.  He took football and basketball men's programs that were reeling and an AD that was in the red and has at least restored balance.

UT Football is not great, but it's at least respectable and if nothing else the foundation is laid for the next guy.  Barnes seems to be turning the basketball program around.  Lady Vols are an issue, but Pat is hard impossible to replace.

Quibble no. 2..."sorry Clemson fans, Swinney is going to Alabama".  Horse manure.  I thought the same until last night, but I honestly don't see why he would leave.  I know that bammer is his home, but my guess is that Clemson would match any salary increase bammer might offer.

Of course, satan has to leave before that can happen, which might be a pretty long way off.  Bottom line....this author tries to make it sound like Dabo to bammer is a done deal, and it's not.

I'd rather know who Best Italian endorses.   :naughty:

Mike Chase is a really solid guy.  Does a lot for UT and for the Knoxville community and all of East Tennessee.  He gets it. 

Dunno about their endorsement, but I'd endorse a half-dozen garlic knots and a couple slices of supreme pizza right about now.  :nod:

What's your take on Calhoun's taking this bold step? Does Chase know something we don't re: the direction this AD "search" is headed, or is he just tired of the dragging of the feet?

JMO but I think Mike Chase is like the rest of Vol Nation in wondering why DePietro is not discussing this and keeping everything related to operating the UT system like a state secret that cannot be publicly addressed. Chancellor search was kept under wraps until state laws required release of information before they could get on campus. Everything related to campus is considered secret information likely on advise of UT lawyers. Well that is a lawsuit so we cannot talk about it. Well federal privacy laws say we cannot even acknowledge it. Why is every search and action related to our publicly funded university a state secret that UT officials cannot address. UT essentially fired Hart months ago, but let him retire so he got money. Chancellor Cheek retired because of his handling of the Title IX suits (and no one can tell me any different). Hart and Cheek cost this University $millions and bad publicity even though it was out of their control so someone had to take the blame. Except Hart did himself in the the Lady Vols name change IMO. So Hart went in and slashed the staff and put his men in place to replenish the coffers. IMO Tennessee athletics has more money than reported, but uses accounting to prove the coffers are empty. You can use those same accounting tricks to show a huge balance or a huge deficit depending on the story you want to put out.

I do not want anyone coming on here and saying I am wrong and telling me I do not know what I am talking about. If I am wrong, tell me why I am wrong with evidence. Otherwise these are my opinions. If you work for UT or have contacts that will not let you speak then say so. Frankly I am tired of UT keeping everything secret and then having their mouthpieces go on media and message boards to claim everyone is wrong. Tell me why my opinion is so wrong. If you say in your opinion I am wrong, I can accept that. I worked for 30 years with companies that supported large government agencies so I know how government bureaucracy works. You have a public release to satisfy the masses and a private one that you work to implement. UT is no different. So no, I do not really believe everything statement that the UT releases is the entire unvarnished truth. It is the truth they want the public to believe and they have proof to prove it according to their lawyers.

SO IMO big money and some at UT do not like Blackburn simply because they know they cannot control him. And that scares them to think they do not have a puppet they can control like Hart. They paid Hart a lot of money to take the heat from fans IMO. Someone convince me I my opinion is off-base.

You keep saying we can't tell you your opinion is wrong.  You are correct sir, I cannot.

The reason being, I read through that entire rambling mess, and actually have no idea what your opinion is.   :dielaughing:

No offense...I really just have no idea what you are trying to say.   :confused:

My sister in law is high up in Chase's organization, so I have had the opportunity to talk with him several times in "relaxed" settings.  I won't say we are close friends - that's not the case - but we do talk when we see each other. 

My take:

Mike is a UT "fan" first and foremost.  Like most of us, he appears to want good people in positions of responsibility, and especially if they are good and qualified people with close UT ties. 

From a business standpoint, when UT does well in sports, it helps he AND the rest of the businesses in the Knoxville area.  People spend more money when UT sports are going well.  That's just proved fact.  It makes sense to have good leadership in place. 

Chase isn't just a talker.  He puts a lot of his own personal and Copper Cellar Corporation money in to supporting UT and UT athletics.  He's just like all of the supporters are - they want to see their support dollars being maximized by the University and the UTAD.  That's not happening right now.   

I'm big supporter of Blackburn, but I'm really surprised to see this fanbase, who usually can't agree on anything, unify behind him like this.  I thought many would again want to go for the "big splash" hire- Jurich, Alleva, etc.

Blackburn seems like the "easy" choice- but also the right choice.  Which is why I halfway expect our administration not to give him a second glance. :frown:

Politics, rich people and state universities. Not a good combination. We should be happy that UT isn't in Nashville. You should see all what goes on with the University of South Carolina in Columbia.