Is Tennessee Athletics Trending Upward or Downward?

Well whattayaknow. Despite what too often feels like a long slow slide into an unfamiliar mediocrity, Tennessee is still fourth in the SEC in the revenue sports, according to one formulation by Mr. SEC. They also say, though, that we're on our way down rather than up, which has to be wrong because I want it to be.

What do y'all think? Derek Dooley's got the football program finally headed in the right direction, right? But basketball has taken a crippling nose dive this season, and the way back from that can't really be mapped out until we learn the extent of the sanctions in a few weeks. But on balance, we're climbing instead of slipping, right? Right? RIGHT?!

Who loves meetings? VolQuest has an interesting behind-the-scenes-at-football-staff-meetings piece with lotso quotes from Dooley and his staff about what appears to be a very healthy meeting culture. A quote from WR coach Charlie Baggett:

I think he encourages dialogue and he wants ideas and everybody can have their two cents and then he makes the decision on it," said defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who like Dooley hails from a football family and owns a keen understanding of the game. "At the end of the day whatever he decides, we're 100 percent behind and that's how the programs have to be run. But it's not one of those things where he never lets anybody speak. People are free to express their opinion and you just better have a reason. You don't just sit there and talk for the sake of talking.

We've all been in meetings where talking for the sake of talking and just trying to make it look like you're actually earning your paycheck is the predominant theme, right? Tell us your favorite meetings story below. We know you have them.

Ugh. From Inside Tennessee: "For those keeping score at home: Pearl's 2005 returnees boasted 90 more career games, 151 more career starts and 1,095 more career points than Martin's 2011 returnees."

Woo for butts in seats. The Lady Vols once again lead the NCAA in home attendance for women's basketball. That makes it eight straight seasons and 14 of the last 15.

Unwoo for strikes at plates. Tennessee struck out 14 times in a 6-3 loss to Belmont, which is apparently a brand new way to lose for this year's UT baseball team.