Tennessee Volunteers v. UAB Blazers immediate post-game ramblings
Commence the 15-minute immediate post-game mostly incoherent and questionable-impression-filled ramblings.
Hot HOt HOT! There were three med-evacs in Section GG alone. I feel like I've been on a broken rotisserie for a long cycle. Well done, burnt and crispy on one side, rare on the other. I'm saying it was hot. And it was hot. Have I made my point yet? If not, hot.
Tee Martin, wooooo! It was great to see Tee Martin at midfield before the game as this week's living legend or whatever they're calling it. Clips of the '98 season, Tee's infectious smile, it was great. And bonus points for his kids' haircut. I only got a glance, but it looked like a Mohawk with spiraly embellishments cut into close-cropped hair on either side. Or maybe it was the rotisserie.
I don't know who it was, but somebody on defense popped a UAB running back really good on their first play. The guy actually kept going, but it sure looked and seemed like a statement hit.
Speaking of statements, Arian Foster made his on his first carry, busting out his favorite off-tackle play, angling out of bounds, and ending up yards down field.
BREAKING NEWS -- South Carolina just fumbled into the end zone on what could have tied the game. Steve Spurrier is not happy. Neither am I. We are both currently the same color to boot.
Now, back to the ramblings.
We ought to see if we can just get this into the playbook. Our kicker kept kicking off to the 2 or 3 yard line in the corner, our gunners would beat their men down the field and get blocked in the back for it. It seemed like UAB started a full handful of drives inside their own ten yard line.
Have you ever seen a running back use a hand to maintain balance and continue a run? Well some UAB dude did that with his head. Points for style.
Fulmer was 90% rage and 10% bad knees as he tried to catch up to Jonathan Crompton at the end of the half to bark at him for failing to get off a play with two seconds left in the first half. Rage is fast!
Credit this to hooper, but what's up with the in-game music? Pre-game included Livin' on a Prayer. Huh? Fine song, but let's just say that this song was not seleted by the team's motivational guru. I didn't recognize most of the rest of the songs accompanying video highlights during timeouts, but most of them would not be out of place on a Brahm's Anthology. So sleepy.
And finally, did anyone hear Will Overstreet's post-game three-minute radio screed? Woo, wow, and whoa. The essence: Booing your own players is a shameful, despicable practice. I heard this after Luke Stocker dropped his third pass, two of which looked like they could have been touchdowns, and when Crompton missed a wide open Brandon Warren on one play and then, on the very next play, missed him again in favor of throwing to Lucas Taylor deep in double coverage. Even worse than the booing, though, was the applause accompanying Stocker's exit from the game. I'm with Will. Don't do that.
Bottom line: our defense may be better than we think. We've got problems on offense. This should have been an opportunity for Tennessee to join the ranks of the truly elite teams with a 60 or 70 point game. UAB's defense was ranked 117th. We got 35 points against them. Based on that and on last year's score against Florida, my early prediction is 70-10. But maybe that's the heat exhaustion talking. Maybe not.
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23 comments
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Comments
Good to see you made it home safely. It was a great time, for sure!
I missed the Overstreet tirade, but I concur wholeheartedly. On a related note, there is a lot of bitterness in UT’s fan base. We have to be really careful where that bitterness gets aimed. Turning on our own players isn’t the answer to anything.
by Hooper on Sep 13, 2008 7:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
thanks to Will
i don’t know if Will Oversreet checks out RTT (he seems like a smart guy, so probably does), i would like to say thanks. my grandmother met him at the practice facility in ’99 or ’00. she still speaks fondly of him, “being such a nice young man.” thankyou, Will, for making my granny smile!
whoshotwhointhewhatnow?
by thetennesseethumper on Sep 13, 2008 7:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Our defense could possibly maybe keep us in the game for 2 or 3 quarters against Florida
But I still think UT loses by at least three touchdowns. Still, I’ll be at the game next Saturday hoping I’m wrong if anyone wants to grab a pre-game beer.
"Florida didnt win their first SEC title until 1991 and now they think they invented football."
-Ron Zook
by rustytanton on Sep 13, 2008 8:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
SEC
UT does not look good this year. Painful but true. I don’t think we have a QB. I have followed the VOLS since I was little, which has been a long long time. Win, lose or draw, I love Tennessee. I root for the VOLS always, but lately I have lost the pride in wearing the orange. Sure hope we get better.
ONE observation… the new offense needs time to get settled. Normally a new offense takes a while with recruitment of players that fit the style. BUT, aren’t the best OC’s able to adapt the O to the players?
by okievol on Sep 13, 2008 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
UCLA 27 UT 24
UCLA 0 BYU 59
UT 35 UAB 3
USC 35 OSU 3
HUH????
by okievol on Sep 13, 2008 11:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
How empty was the student section?
It sounded pretty quiet in there.
And I’m with you on the dread…contemplating losing half our conference slate at least.
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I will give my shirt for Tennessee today.
by Holly Anderson on Sep 14, 2008 2:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It was like an afternoon in the park listening to the orchestra
Including the student section. Attendance was light all around. I don’t know how many of those were med-evacs, but . . . .
Go Vols!
by Joel on Sep 14, 2008 7:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder how much was the heat
and how much was “we’re not PAYING to watch UAB”, at least as far as the student section goes. I don’t know that I’d’ve shelled out for this game, were I a poor undergrad with conference play still to come.
________________________________
I will give my shirt for Tennessee today.
by Holly Anderson on Sep 14, 2008 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The students have been really upset over the whole thing.
It’s been a little hard to sympathize when their best argument amounted to, “This cuts into my beer money!”, but it definitely had an effect either way. They’ll show up for the conference game, but they might take it easy on the noncon games like UAB.
by Hooper on Sep 14, 2008 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know this argument is months old,
but I still think it’s silly to charge. They can’t be making enough to offset too much, in the grand scheme of things.
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I will give my shirt for Tennessee today.
by Holly Anderson on Sep 14, 2008 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah.
I try to stay out of it, mostly. There’s no real good answer to be had.
The real hook is that any unsold student tickets revert to the open market. That pretty well quashed any no-show revolts the students had in mind. There’s no way they buy up the tickets just to leave a blank spot in protest. They’ll show.
by Hooper on Sep 14, 2008 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
First
I was unaware that students USED to get tickets for free.
Second
While visiting Knoxville my mother told me that the students HAVE to pay $90 for a ticket? Is this correct? What the hell is that about? I went to UTSPORTS.com a while ago and saw the new digs (Locker Room, walkways, tunnels etc.)
Well, I guess I know where the money is going, or went.
Collegiate football not to mention collegiate sports in general was the essence of amateur competition and a meshing of a university and the community. Though “amateur” has a negative ring to it, I feel that IT is what makes the game of college football that much better than pro football. The culmination of the community co-mingling with the student body of a university.
The student body of the university is getting the shaft on behalf of business.
For shame.
" HOT DOG EATING, POKER AND BASS FISHING ARE NOT SPORTS. TIME FOR ESPN TO EVALUATE ITSELF. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Sep 15, 2008 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
For students, season tickets are $90. Single game tickets are $15.
The students had never had to pay for tickets before this year, but that tradition finally fell victim to the arms race that is college football spending. I ran through the numbers (very, very roughly) when the news broke out, and it is one of those deals where there is no right answer. The athletic department has actually consistently reduced their expenditures over the last several years, but you can only play that game for so long. If you look down the road a bit, you’ll see that it doesn’t get much better; the future of the head coaching salary alone is going to be troublesome. If, as some people propose, we fire Fulmer, his buyout and the price of the next coach will be astronomical. If we don’t fire him, his imminent raises will simply add to the squeeze.
I’m not taking sides on the matter, but I do want to say that there is no easy answer, and I do respect the suits for at least looking through all their alternatives and doing everything they can to trim costs.
by Hooper on Sep 15, 2008 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with you that this is a touchy topic, Hooper. Its one of those things where you feel like you will be taking inbound fire no matter which side of the fence you are on.
First this is all quick calculator work, but If the lost 3833 in attendence were indeed students who chose not to attend to make a statement about the new policy then its hard to blame them for choosing not to attend. I don’t know how long its been since you were at school but it’s tough to go through any school, including UT, without getting the feeling that every single organization on campus is trying to get another dime from you. Ridiculous Textbook prices (think I spent an average of $400-500 per semester up to a year ago). Absurdlly Expensive Student Parking which may or may not be avaiable (180-200 dollars a semester), Expensive meal plans, etc etct. You just get the feeling that there is this never ending line of UT reps that are there ready to relieve you of some more money. “And now, Seniors and Juniors, we’ve decided that we will charge you for something that was once included in your actifvities fee.” I can see where they are coming from. For some students (and I think more nowday’s with the lottery scholarships in place) that 15 bucks is a big deal more so than for the students who are fortunate enough to have hold of Dad’s credit card. (However, for a lot, if not most of the students, the 15 bucks is soley, like you said, a hit to their booze budget.)
But on the other side you have the Athletic Department who is responsible for funding all those other sports who don’t generate any revenue. If those 3833 students had shown up and paid their 15 bucks per ticket that’s $57,000. Six or seven home games and you can see where the Department was giving up some serious dough by not charging more the tickets.
Tough issue either way. I think that one way to help the attendence issue however, is to make the students decide earlier whether or not they are going to go to the game. That way the Department has more time to get the tickets out there to the public in time for the game. In the past its been two or three weeks prior. Maybe its time to do it even earlier…. And for some reason, can’t put my finger on it though, I don’t believe it will be a problem for this week.
Someday we'll look back on this and plow into a parked car.
by MeytonPanning on Sep 15, 2008 1:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Listening to the discussion during lunch . . .
. . . I think it’s largely a matter of timing. It’s not like the football program is absolutely flourishing right now. Call it absolute truth or mere perception, but give a customer something they perceive to be failing to live up to expectations and ask them to pay more for it? Recipe for rampant discontent.
Go Vols!
by Joel on Sep 15, 2008 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yep
see current airline situation.
pay more – less service. self service kiosks = lack of service.
baggage fee?
costs $2 for a coke, juice or water on domestic route?
" HOT DOG EATING, POKER AND BASS FISHING ARE NOT SPORTS. TIME FOR ESPN TO EVALUATE ITSELF. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Sep 15, 2008 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am actually working on my PhD at UT at the moment.
I’m not on campus this semester, but I was during the last semester and had the agony pleasure of sitting in the middle of the ticket price trench war. I think I’ll work up a post on the details, just to get them out in the open. It’s beginning to seem like a good idea.
by Hooper on Sep 15, 2008 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But then you know how some of those kids feel when I say that there is some cheerful person at every corner of UT just waiting to take your money.
Someday we'll look back on this and plow into a parked car.
by MeytonPanning on Sep 15, 2008 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thanks hoop & joel
" HOT DOG EATING, POKER AND BASS FISHING ARE NOT SPORTS. TIME FOR ESPN TO EVALUATE ITSELF. "
by LOUtheMETandNATSfan on Sep 15, 2008 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry for bringing this up again
[hides]
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I will give my shirt for Tennessee today.
by Holly Anderson on Sep 16, 2008 6:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Not a problem.
It’s definitely an issue worth talking about; I just had some scorching experiences with it on campus, so I tend to get skittish until I know how everyone else is going to react. I’m not one for fanning flames if I don’t have to.
by Hooper on Sep 16, 2008 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

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