2008 retrospective relegated to the archives

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jul 28, 2009 8:00 AM EDT in Tennessee Volunteer Football

Every summer my wife and kids head up to Minnesota to spend a couple of weeks with the grandparents. I generally use the extra time to upgrade the drive charts or do some other bloggy projects. I also often end up watching some movies or shows that I'd wanted to see but hadn't had the time for earlier. So on Sunday, after finishing all of the 2008 retrospective posts, I watched Hancock.

For those of you who haven't seen it (yeah, I may have been the only one), it's basically about an everyday sort of superhero with public relations problem. As part of the process of rehabbing his image, he voluntarily goes to prison for the collateral havoc his rescues have created. In prison, he attends group therapy sessions, but through several quick scenes, it becomes obvious that his participation in such sessions most often consisted of him saying, "Pass." He did end up "sharing," by saying, "Name's Hanock, and I drink and stuff."

Where am I going with this? Well, group therapy's not for everyone. To be honest, I don't much care for it myself. On one hand, everyone would certainly like to forget the 2008 season and just get on with 2009 already.

On the other, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. There are other benefits of poking around at a corpse as well, including determining the cause of death and gaining fresh perspective. For instance, I'd forgotten how much Trooper Taylor wanted to be our offensive coordinator. How would the season have played out if he was given the job? Why didn't Fulmer really even consider him? Was it because of the failed Randy Sanders Experiment? How much was Fulmer influenced by the memory of the crowd chanting "Fire Sanders" in front of his wife and kids toward the end of 2005? And we'll rediscover today or tomorrow that elite QB recruit Josh Nunes was turned off Tennessee at least in part because of the boos aimed at Jonathan Crompton last year. I wonder, to what degree are fans responsible for their team's successes and failure?

I don't know the answer to that, and a full autopsy won't completely answer it, either. But it may provide some clues, and it may lead to some other self-discovery as well.

But inquests are nasty, stinky things, and I can't blame anyone for simply saying, "Pass." So, the remainder of the 2008 retrospective series will be published over the rest of the week for any who might interested, but they will bypass the front page and go straight to the archives for those who'd rather not be reminded. I always wondered why this was an option, and now I know. Yay once again for the SB Nation tech team!

Anyway, two new ones went up today:

Hi, my name's 2008, and I sucked and stuff last year.

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Sodoam and Gomorrah ?

After buying almost everthing in the off-season from the VOL MALL and getting my #8 customize jersey with DURHAM on the back I was ready for a Great year of football. What could possibly go wrong . Because we had digested everthing that should go right and limited everthing that could go bad. And then the VOICE of the football god’s spoke ! FULMER all we need is 10 wins ! Seemed ok, not to bad, we can do that. And the Fall clock stared clicking a little to fast and before you knew it the football GOD"S spoke again.FULMER we need 8 wins. Now my jersey sat in the bottom of the dresser covered by some beach t-shirts and a lot of pain. The UT flags were at half-mass and the haters were everwhere even in our home camp. Now there is one golden rule in which I refer to : Never agrue with a indot ! They will bring you down to there level and then beat you with experience ! FOOTBALL GOD : FULMER you need 1 more win or the whole fire and brim-stone thingy or pillar of salt you can pick ! The jersey is at the top for this year and the flags ready to go up. So I’ll be some were in a corner praying ! : )

Phil,GO VOLS !!!

by bulldurham on Jul 28, 2009 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

#8 w/ Durham

I bet that felt a little awkward somewhere around the Wyoming game. :-D

by David Hooper on Jul 29, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Dude, thanks for the group therapy ref.

You are doing good stuff, Joel.

It’s just killer-painful to look back. But it may help one of my other bros.

I think I’ll join you when you cross on over to the other side (Doors reference intentional). Peace out (fer this series anyway).

by memphispete on Jul 29, 2009 7:15 AM EDT reply actions

If it's any consolation

I’m sure I’m in the distinct minority here. Part of the reason I love blogging so much is that it creates a record. I started the 2006 recap late and never finished, and it just doesn’t any sense whatsoever to do it now. I postponed this one way too long, but didn’t want to regret not finishing it. Thus the publishing on the backwall in the dark. It’s there, but no one has to see it.

;-)

Rocky Top Talk

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jul 29, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions