Then I’m walking in Memphis
Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

• “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn

Well, it seems that Bruce Pearl will be staying in Knoxville for the foreseeable future, which is good.  The question, however, remains: What are we to make of this “Memphis Incident”?

For starters, I am greatly relieved that Bruce Almighty will still be wearing orange next season.  That is the good news, not that there is necessarily some “bad” news, but keeping Pearl on the sidelines in Knoxville is definitely very good.

That said, what exactly are we to take away from the brief and furious flirtation (so brief and furious that I never even got a chance to comment before it ended) with the notion that Coach Pearl might bolt to the Pyramid City to take the reins as head coach of the Memphis Tigers?  The real answer is probably “nothing.”  Still there are a few thoughts that jump out to me—random observations, I suppose—which seem relevant, if less than timely.

Bruce Pearl is Happy at Tennessee…

It seems to me that Bruce Pearl sent two messages yesterday.  The first is a very positive one, namely that he is happy as coach of the Tennessee Volunteers and has no desire to leave behind what he has begun.  Bruce Pearl likes it here.

Why do I say that?  Well first of all is the obvious: he is staying here.  More importantly, however, is the what he said in his public statement last night.  To me, it makes it clear that Pearl is truly happy to be at Tennessee.

I truly love my job, and I want it to be clear that I’m not interested in any other job.  There’s no place in the country I’d rather be than the University of Tennessee.  My children are happy here in the Knoxville community—one is in high school, one is in middle school and two are currently attending the university.

My staff and I are building a consistent top-25 program and I’m honored and privileged to serve the greatest fans in the country. Tennessee has all the resources necessary to win championships, from our recently upgraded facilities to our ability to schedule.

It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!

• Bruce Pearl commenting on rumors of him leaving Tennessee | UT Sports.com

Now in the era of sports double-talk and lip service (See Bobby Petrino at any point in his career), it is rarely advisable to take public professions of loyalty at face value.  I understand that.  Still, there are different degrees of lip service and there are different types of coaches.  Pearl’s statement was anything but tepid—it was largely unequivocal and pointed.  In other words, he could have simply said “I’m staying,” and left the other assurances out of the discussion; he didn’t.

Second of all, for reasons unknown to me (considering I have never met Pearl), I trust the man.  Maybe that owes to the side of him that exudes infectious enthusiasm about everything to which he is tied; maybe it is because of his well documented history of loyalty at Iowa and Wisconsin-Green Bay; maybe it is because he is a con man and I’m snowed.  Regardless of the reasons, Pearl is unique in my mind because I do believe that he is both loyal and trustworthy as a coach.  My gut tells me that if he was not happy and was considering a move, while he might not come out and say it, he would similarly not effervesce about how much he loves it at Tennessee.

Furthermore, if he had wanted to leave, it would have been hard to argue with his decision given the suggestion that Memphis was prepared to offer up to $ 3.25 million a year (approximately $ 1.25 million more per year than his new contract is reported to provide).

Thus, I believe him when he says that he never intended to leave, and that he truly loves coaching the BasketVols.  If he truly wanted to leave, he would have.

Yeah, yeah, I know—I’ve obviously been drinking the Kool Aid…

…But he may not be Happy with Tennessee

The second message I got—and mind you I am seriously reading some tea leaves here—is that while Bruce Pearl may be happy at Tennessee, he may not be all that happy with Tennessee, and by that I mean happy with the fans and the larger Big Orange family.  I completely agree with some of the points raised in Joel’s assessment of the “nightmare scenario” of Pearl bolting to Memphis.  Pearl is stuck in a situation where, at best, he is likely to always be second fiddle to the football program, despite the fact that he has elevated the program to a new level in only a few short years.  Furthermore, despite having brought success beyond that which Tennessee has known at any point in the modern era, Pearl still had to deal with vocal detractors this year and found himself defending the program.

I think that Pearl was terribly frustrated with his squad this year and their inconsistent performances on the court.  I also think he probably did more than anyone outside the program could possibly understand to try to rectify the situation.  Still, in the end, Pearl has indicated that he was disappointed in the way the season played out.  The harsh reality for those Tennessee fans critical of Pearl is that—despite the fact that the BasketVols may not have lived up to the pre-season hype—their 2008-09 winning percentages of 62.5 % in the SEC and 61.7% overall were better than the Vols have done in 31 of the last 46 seasons (1962-63 through 2008-09).  What’s more, Pearl knows this too.

Thus, I think Pearl’s willingness to let Orange Nation swing in the breeze for a few hours amounts to him sending a tiny note something to the effect of “A little gratitude would be appreciated…”

A small note from Bruce Pearl

This little indirect reminder, probably did more to remind Tennessee fans of exactly how far the program has come under Pearl than anything else.  The great thing about it for Pearl, is that he neither started it nor fueled it.  Thereby avoiding “the Jerry Green Syndrome.”

Note to self, be a little nicer to those that bring you success…

Money and Rumormongers Talk; Speed Kills

At the end of the day, the here-and-there nature of all the chatter which had Pearl going to Memphis within 24 hours now appears to have been just that: chatter and rumors.  Still, Smiling Mike Hamilton’s quick decision to get the matter tied up quickly in the form of a nice new contract for Pearl, probably is what led to Tennessee scoring a huge win in the cross-state rivalry, and led to Memphis regaining its status as a program scorned.

In the end, it was the promise of an extension and a raise that iced the deal.  Regardless of whether it’s right or wrong to be paying basketball coaches that much money, the fact is that everyone likes getting a raise.  Obviously, Bruce Pearl is not immune to this.  That is hardly an unpardonable fault.

Furthermore, given the way the debate of yesterday seemed to play out across the internet in real time only further goes to show that internet hysteria is viral.  In a matter of one “traditional” news cycle the situation played out something like this:

• The “Bruce Pearl is Walking in Memphis” Saga: Blow by Blow
  • Calipari leaves for Kentucky, leading Memphis fans to bouts of heavy drinking;
  • Pearl is rumored to be on the list for Memphis;
  • Pearl becomes the top candidate for Memphis;
  • Memphis is reported to have made a huge offer;
  • Memphis denies making a huge offer … yet;
  • Business is good a Bruce Pearl’s ex-wife’s hair salon;
  • Tennessee denies Pearl being approached;
  • Tennessee says Pearl is not leaving;
  • Pearl denies having anything to deny (well, not really, but I am sure he would have);
  • Hamilton meets with Pearl;
  • Pearl and Hamilton share martinis; and
  • Memphis fans go back to heavy drinking on Beale Street;

That, is how things work in the internet age once the old rumor mill gets cranked up.  In the end, it worked out okay for Tennessee because Smiling Mike was quick to act and keep Pearl from taking that walk in Memphis.

Lesson learned, duly noted…

For now,, all the Tennessee faithful can breathe a sigh of relief.  For now all is good in Knoxville.  For now, Memphis still hates Tennessee.

I guess it is now safe to say that Smiling Mike and Bruce Pearl just re-wrote the song…

Put on my blue suede shoes Big Orange Blazer
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W.C. Handy—won’t you look down over me
Yeah I got a first class ticket
But I’m as blue Orange as a boy can be

	Marc Cohn – Walking in Memphis
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Works for me (with apologies to Marc Cohn)…

– So it goes…

About the Author:  "Lawvol" -- I'm just a guy living in North Carolina who has an unnatural fascination with the color orange. Just because I'm a Tennessee alum and die-hard Volunteer fan doesn't mean that I can't poke a little fun at the Big Orange and anybody else for that matter. Feel free to complain all you want. >> Read more from this author

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