ESPN reports that Pearl probably will be fired
let's hope this hurts his team's concentration:
All these dark clouds can't be good for morale. Exhibit A: Gator Bowl 2011.
Every team is different. OSU fired Earle Bruce before the 1987 game and they pulled off a huge upset in Ann Arbor. Sometimes the team lays down. Sometimes it rallies around the fallen coach.
This is true. However, we know that Tennessee has been falling apart in the late season. Morale can't be good already and this will probably make it worse. Of course, I'm a Michigan fan, so it's easy for me to say that.
Purdue.
I see this as a strategic move by Tennessee to get the players to rally around Pearl for a tournament run. It reminds of of Ohio State announcing before the Michigan game that Earl Bruce would be fired at the end of the season. It worked then, and I hope it doesn't work now.
It's just like the time Bo fired our basketball coach right before the 1989 tournament and...
...uh-oh.
But that's almost the point. He was fired BEFORE the tournament and replaced. Precisely because it would have been bad to have him coach the tournament while a lame duck.
Well Bo fired Frieder because he wasn't about to put up with the shit about him going to ASU.
My point is simply that by that point (the 89 tournament) the coach wasn't undermined -- by the threat of beign fired or leaving for ASU. The new coach -- Fischer -- was totally stable. Pearl -- and the players -- if this report was legitimate, would not have that level of stability.
Well now that I think about it, Fischer was interm coach so I suppose the analogy works better than I first though.
No arguments, other than just to say that I think Frieder royally pissed off Bo with his announcement, and that's why he fired him.
Tennessee isn't going to go on a Cinderella run. Their athletic program has been in trouble for years and this story continues the trend. They might beat Michigan; it's entirely within the realm of possible outcomes of the game, but they don't have the offensive guns to hang with Duke.
So what your saying is this year the Tennessee AD will start a meme that is tragically misinterpreted by generations of later fans, alumni and students?
Yes.
and thus the term "Michigan Man" was created
All that I see is a post from an SEC blogger saying he thinks Pearls days are numbered. All opinion no facts.
I hope to see a similar post with the name Tressel in it, sooner rather than later
Mgoblog user Dlash15 reports that Tressel probably will be fired.
This is incredible investigative reporting, keep this going and you should have a long career at the Freep.
Would this make it easier, or more likely that the NCAA will slap the "Show Cause" label on his ass? If so, with Pearl already having been fired, would that still set a "Show Cause" precedent for the Tressel situation?
With the possible exception of middle linebacker Zack Novak, I tend to think the effects of motivation and distraction are overblown in sports. It is likely that the better team will win, regardless of the coach's job security. I just hope Michigan is the better team.
I've seen kids ask to be taken out because they are demoralized.
I've seen kids ask for the ball because they are pumped up.
Big difference in performance if they are motivated or distracted.
Stuff like this an either be a distraction or a rallying point for the Vols. I guess we may be about to see how much they like their coach.
It looks like he was just fired, per Chris Low.
But it doesn't look good
Man, where else can he rock that fly orange suit?
go go either way....lets hope they implode against Michigan.