A voice of reason....
So consider this my disclaimer...I am a wolverine since birth, some of my greatest memories are of me and family (grandfather alum) at some of the greatest UM games ever (Orange Bowl 2000, UM vs Nuts 100th game, UM vs PSU last second win, as well as numerous hockey and bball games ....and so on)..But it just so happens i am in my senior year at the REAL UT, home of the Vols. It seems that everyone is having a pretty good time with our young firecracker of a coach we got down here, and i couldnt be happier!!!! It's about damn time somebody grew some balls around here and awoke this monster...Take the stupid comments and make a nice collage or something cuz thats about all their good for....What you seem to be missing is the assembly of some of the finest coaches and recruiters in college football, with proven track records, which single handedly stole 5 star Janzen Jackson from LSU,as well as Nu'keese and Teague from UF, not to mention 4-5 star Darren Myles. Guaranteed KIffin will win more than three games his debut season, (i love RR..i promise) despite our QB situation, our D will be sick nasty along with a stable of running backs. And if the Vols and Wolves played on a neutral field, Eric Berry would have three picks and two touchdowns in a violent 21-20 slug fest..best DB in college since Woodson and should have won the Thorpe as a Soph..(fuckin Jenkins? what a joke)
Both teams are on their way....UT vs UM Nat Title 2011?
February 10th, 2009 at 3:04 PM ^
Have fun without a quarterback or any semblance of a passing game!
J/k.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
manning is not walking through that door.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:13 PM ^
Let's see, Kiffin publicly calls out Florida and falsely accuses Urban Meyer of committing recruiting violations, then is forced to apologize, then self-reports 2 recruiting violations of his own. And you couldn't be happier?
February 10th, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
You all still seem to be missing the point, those violations were minor, such as using a fog machine and little stuff like that....bottom line is, yeah, he's tryin to stir things up with everybody. He didn't come here to make friends. But he's young and passionate and sometimes wreckless and i would rather hear that all day than listen to Phil(god love em) mumble the same shit over and over and getting outcoached constantly...but if you think for one second that he isnt going to fix this program into the powerhouse it once was...lust stay tuned and save this post for the fridge. You also seem to forget about Orgeron, Monte, and last years national recruiter of the year....and we have Eric Berry.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^
When I want a coach to "stir things up with everybody," I want him to become passionate about beating OSU. I want him fired up about restoring the shine on the Michigan football program. I want him proclaiming that Michigan football will never bow to an opponent, nor shy away from one.
When I want a coach to "stir things up," I do NOT want him making false recruiting violation accusations. And I do NOT want him reprimanded by the conference.
I hate to say it, but Tressel nailed this when he was hired. He stirred things up by saying that OSU would beat Michigan the next season. That's how you fire up a fan base, not by fabricating charges against a school coming off its second national championship in three years.
Maybe Kiffin has the right idea, but his execution has been terrible. Recruiting violations have to be investigated and carry serious consequences if proven. Mere puffery, on the other hand, is to be expected. And Tennessee fans are so blinded that they cannot see the difference.
ADDENDUM: I would have been embarrassed if, just months after being hired, RR had falsely accured OSU of a recruiting violation, only to be reprimanded by the Big Ten.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:14 PM ^
Why could this possibly have been titled "A voice of reason?" It was a voice of homerism, nothing else. Crowing about your new coaches antics and recruiting prowess. Yeah, really bringing us back to earth with that one.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:56 PM ^
I was expecting this post to go something like:
"Forcier and DRob are freshman....no protection...still have defensive problems...if Martin gets injured...
...my obvious pessimism regarding the football team is a clear sign of both my objectivity and intelligence....rooting for your team is stupid. i cut myself and listen to emo"
February 10th, 2009 at 3:41 PM ^
Timmmaay ... I'm with you on this one
February 10th, 2009 at 3:35 PM ^
I also agree that this appears to be a coaching staff full of some of the biggest assholes ever known to coaching. And it's not clear whether Kiffin will be successful running a team and keeping all these egos in check. But there's no question that they will recruit at a high level.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:49 PM ^
and a little other recruiting of interest...the reason Oku decommitted from vols is due to one Lane Kiffin being in the home of a Mr. Bryce Brown, rivals #1 playr and MVP of the Army All americn game, dont be surprised for Bryce to end up in Orange....why doesnt mich go for Oku? Seems like he'd be a good fit..and the vols QB situation is a thousand times better than Threet and Sheridan last year, there is SOME talent at least...although i will say Denard vs. Tate is gonna be one of the more exciting QB stories to watch
February 10th, 2009 at 3:45 PM ^
Texas uses only a slightly uglier shade of orange than the Vols. Both are beasty.
February 10th, 2009 at 3:53 PM ^
That color comes from a naturally growing flower that was there when the FIRST UT was founded in 1794....cool eh?
February 11th, 2009 at 9:43 AM ^
This was a gimme, but it still made me laugh.
And the sentiment is on-point, too - no matter the rationale, that color is an abomination. I actually don't mind Texas' unis, though.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:05 PM ^
Oh good gawd! Ellipses exist to denote an intentional removal of words, not to make one incredibly long run-on rant about how UT Rulez!!!111 Oh yeah, this also feels like the typical troll post (less 2 hours before first diary, an off-topic rant about another team, the ubiquitous "I'm a REAL fan because of family, here are some well-known games I remember, etc.")
Okay, with that out of my system, I'll agree with you that Kiffin had a decent first year of recruiting, though I'd be careful about touting his coaching acumen or how this recruiting haul will translate to success on the football field. He went 5-15 over two years in arguably the worst division in the NFL, then was fired by Al Davis because, get this, Kiffin was too big of a jerk. Along the way, Kiffin failed to distinguish himself much as an offensive guru, even though her inherited teams with some semblance of talent on both sides of the ball.
He then arrives in Rocky Top and within about 1 month manages to piss off both Steve Spurrier and a two-time NCAA champion in Urban Meyer, both times making false accusations of recruiting violations that he must then retract. Sure, I am a big fan of the new guy trying to be passionate and galvanize a down fanbase, but you need to not look like an idiot in the process. Kiffin seems like another Weiss in the waiting (with a more attractive wife); a capable recruiter with some NFL cache, but one who never distinguished himself as a head coach (and I know that Weiss was never a HC in the NFL, but it's not like Kiffin's brief tenure was memorable either) and who may wind up burning too many bridges.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:22 PM ^
Kiffin went into the SEC with the swagger of a big time head coach and went out and hired a bunch of hired gun recruiters and starting kicking mud in the face of the more established coaches. IMO, there is only two ways this situation can turn out for UT; either it's going to be another USC-esque dynasty in a few years or it's going to be a colossal failure and cripple the UT program for a few more years. I just don't see any middle ground between Kiffin's ego and the passion of the dedicated UT fans.
Also, Kiffin has made some quick enemies and pissed off some other schools and then he goes and gets these coaches, more known for their recruiting than their coaching, so I would make sure that there wasn't even a hint of wrongdoing with my program if I was Lane K. Oops, too late for that. Fulmer turned in Bama and they haven't forgotten and people like Les Miles, Nick Saban, and Urban Meyer probably don't like being called out by some guy who's entire career has been created from riding the coattails of his fathe and Pete Carroll. If you can name of significant thing Kiffin has done as a coach, then I'll retract that part, but getting credit for being the coordinator of an offense loaded with 5 star talent in a otherwise weak conference is not a great accomplishment.
I'm sorry my friend, but I fear this one is going to end badly for UT. BTW, Eric Berry is an awesome player and I would suspect he bolts after this year for the NFL.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:31 PM ^
I agree with your overall assessment of Kiffin. I know people always point to Pete Carroll as an example of NFL has-been becoming college football god, but the guy went 33-31 in the pros and made it to the playoffs twice, going 1-2. Sure, those aren't amazing numbers, but most people would kill to even have that type of success (looking at you M-named Lions coaches). Plus, he's been involved in CFB or NFL coaching since 1978, or 3 years after Kiffin was born. The guy also stepped into a very enviable position at USC, which was a sleeping giant that just needed someone to stop convincing supremely athletic kids to choose schools other than the sun-drenched, warm, state-of-the-art, apparently NCAA-violations resistant, coed-filled one right in front of them. Kiffin doesn't have many of those luxuries at UT, and I'd be surprised if he lasted more than a few years before (a) getting fired, or (b) leaving for the NFL or another job.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:26 PM ^
to answer the one salient question I think we all have:
Why would a board full of Michigan fans care about the future fortunes of the Tennessee football program?
Granted, those of us who follow college football in general may be interested, in a detached sort of way, as to the goings on at other major programs. And we have a place on MGoBlog for commentary about other programs: on the MGoBoard, with the letters 'OT' in the title. But this post doesn't seem to me like disinterested analysis of the vagaries of other programs; it seems designed to incite in us a certain passion and excitement about Kiffin's future dynasty. Well, if you're excited, I'm happy for you, but if you're looking for someone else here to get excited with you, I've got bad news -- no one here cares.
Also, I beseech you, before you graduate from the "real UT," please learn the distinction between "your" and "you're," and fix the tag on the top of the post.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:38 PM ^
Burn. Word.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:15 PM ^
+1 for grammar policing. I promise to share your vigilance on this problem
February 10th, 2009 at 6:18 PM ^
actually, this post was in response to all the kiffin bashing i was reading because i am on this site all the time, and this is a blog, not an english paper. And i would be careful comparing LK to Weis, alot of people are making that comparison with RR as well
February 10th, 2009 at 6:54 PM ^
First off, I think you are a troll. But more importantly, who has made the comparison with Rich Rodriguez besides you? Go back to the UT board.
Voice of reason = FAIL
Why? Because you think fake UT will be in the NC game in 2011. Who's going to throw the ball in that game? Tell me.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:46 PM ^
As for comparing him to Pete, Pete's players actually like him, when did you ever hear player's going to bat for Lane?
Now, NO ONE likes the guy, outside of the UT folks.
Regardless, the guy has shown no class, and the UT program will not be respected.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:22 PM ^
Dont remember saying anything about Pete, but we have a lot of respect to earn back, as do the wolves. You think Lane gives a rats ass if people like him outside this program?!?
February 10th, 2009 at 4:47 PM ^
get off our board.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:25 PM ^
This is a board for UM fans correct? Did i say anything bashing the wolves? Go ahead and post anything u like on any UT board...no problem
February 10th, 2009 at 6:56 PM ^
"Did i say anything bashing the wolves? "
Last time I checked Michigan was not the wolves.
February 10th, 2009 at 4:50 PM ^
Get your ass back from vacation, STAT!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:02 PM ^
here is that their defense should be good, and its really hard to imagine any offensive coach in the SEC outcoaching Monte Kiffin. That's the good Kiffin.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:37 PM ^
"the vols QB situation is a thousand times better than Threet and Sheridan last year, there is SOME talent at least"
C'mon, where did you see a thousand times better? Even Sheridan had 1 game better than all 3 of the UT qb's that saw the field. Living in Tenn. I watched a few Vols games. Not the ones on pay Per view, thats a joke in itself.
But I would pass on all 3 of those kids for Threet! Period. You better hope Kifin doesn't put all his eggs in one basket for the #1 QB next year, or it might be a LONG 4 years.
How can you be excited for a coach that let the likes of Boyd walk out the door? Hell, sent him out the door?
FWIW, Eric Berry should be the second defensive player to win the heisman. That is if Tennessee can be respectable for one of the next 2 years. The kid is ALMOST as good as Woodson, ALMOST.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:44 PM ^
I agree with you on.
The University of TEXAS v.s. The University of Michigan in the NC game in 2011.
February 10th, 2009 at 5:47 PM ^
and so is this kid
February 10th, 2009 at 6:37 PM ^
wow, such insight
February 10th, 2009 at 8:47 PM ^
There was a noticeable lack of both insight and reason in your post
February 10th, 2009 at 11:45 PM ^
What exactly is the point of this post and how does it relate to Michigan?
February 10th, 2009 at 6:34 PM ^
you are entitled to your opinion, but don't be a bitch just because Janoris Jenkins is better than Eric Berry.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:41 PM ^
who the hell is janoris jenkins....i was obviously talking bout malcolm
February 10th, 2009 at 6:52 PM ^
I take back that statement, but you will know Janoris because your QB will get very well acquainted with him the next few years.
February 11th, 2009 at 1:31 AM ^
you guys really ripped into this poor guy... was the post really that bad?!
anyways in regards to your post volz, the ncaa has enough a-hole coaches we dont need another. I really hope Kiff takes it down a notch because I really have nothing against UT (better them than FL or Bama) but if he's gonna turn into another urban meyer style d-bag the I wish him nothing but the worst.
February 11th, 2009 at 7:06 AM ^
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-tennessee-recruiting…
In the SEC, you'd have hold a recruit's mother hostage on Signing Day to get in trouble with the conference. But if I was a Vols fan, I wouldn't be too comfortable with the mouth on Kiffin when it comes to recruiting violations.
Recruiting is a shady, shady, business, and no other conference has embraced the seedy side like the SEC. But coaches from every conference understand their process looks bad under a microscope, and thus keep their mouths shut.
Kiffin doesn't seem to get that. He's reveling in it. The Florida comment wasn't contextualized as a jab; it was a boast to his new recruits that he had outplayed Meyer. And now he comes out with this 39-of-40 crap. This is a man who doesn't realize it's not a joke.
The NCAA is a lot like OSHA. They're both tasked with a massive oversight and way undermanned. So enforcement gets selective; they wait until a publicized violation. Once in awhile they choose someone to make an example of. And that one guy is seldom the biggest offender; he's just the one blabbing about how everyone else does it, whining that he has to keep up with competition, blaming the system. Hell, the guy's usually right. But OSHA's gotta hang somebody, so if you're a violator with a big mouth, you might as well have shown up with a noose around your neck.
If I'm a Vols fan, that scares me. The NCAA is hands-off an Ohio State or Alabama while they're bringin the national dollars, but those schools at least have to give the NCAA some cover to keep the dirty going. If Kiffin doesn't learn to keep his trap shut and at least pay lip service to the recruiting rules, he just might talk himself and his program onto the gibbet.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:01 PM ^
Your argument sounds so familiar....life-long coach retires after years of sub-standard play, young coach causing off-season controversy, good recruiting class, fan base torn between old way of life and new regime......no QB, a team that should have a strong defense with a sure fire first round pick in the next year or two, no real offense to speak of.....where have I heard this argument????????????? Oh yeah, we all made the same irrational posts last year. Good fucking luck in a conference a helluva lot harder than the B10. You may win more than three games, but not a lot more.
February 12th, 2009 at 10:00 AM ^
Tennessee is not likely to reach the SEC Title by 2011, let alone a national title. Michigan however, has a chance by 2011 to win a Big Ten title, but a national title berth is unlikely. I can honestly say that neither of these teams will make a national title game in the next five years.
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