Archive for the ‘Tennessee Home for the Visually Offensive’ Category

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» Updated: 27 March 2009 -- 4:25pm

Apparently, Gillispie's firing became official about 5 minutes after I posted this.  At least I was a little bit ahead of the curve...

» Updated: 27 March 2009 -- 4:42pm

Now, as his comment below points out, HSH has discovered an even more interesting development: perhaps Billy Donovan is going to Kentucky.

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Well, friends and neighbors, it’s not like it is unexpected, but it appears that Billy Gillispie is out at Kentucky.  This comes from WHAS TV in Louisville.  Seemingly in response to this report, the Kentucky athletic department issued a public statement which—paraphrased—amounts to their complete refusal to make a public statement.  It read,  "UK mens basketball coach Billy Gillispie has not been fired. There have been no meetings between Gillispie and UK officials today and there is no scheduled press conference tomorrow."

I think a simple “no comment” would have sufficed.

Either way, this does seriously change the dynamic in the SEC East.  Hooper over at RTT has an interesting article on why this prospect scares him as a fan of SEC and Tennessee basketball.  The uncertainty at Kentucky will definitely add confusion to recruiting, but what if Kentucky actually gets a “good” coach?  With rumors flying about as to who will replace Gillispie, it stands to reason that Kentucky Mitch Barnhart will be trying to save his neck by getting a coach who is a little better fit for the Wildcats this time around than was Billy Clyde.  According to the guys at Team Speed Kills, however, that new coach will not be Billy Donovan (or will it?).

In the meantime, I suppose we will all be guessing…

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="I suppose we will have to wait awhile for the next album"][/caption]

I share Hooper’s concerns, over the Gillispie departure—namely that fans are getting a little unreasonable in their expectations when it comes to basketball coaches.  On the other hand, I think it is fair to say that the expectations at Kentucky have always bordered on the absurd.  Just look at how Tubby Smith was treated.  Still, I do agree that on the whole SEC basketball fans have become a little more hysterical and a lot less reasonable over the past few years.  I wonder if this is tied more to the growing belief among many that the SEC can and should dominate every sport every year, or owes simply to the heightened expectations that seem to attend every possible aspect of major sports these days.  In the modern era it is all about “What have you done for me lately?”

On a more self-serving level, however, I am a bit fearful that Kentucky and Mitch Barnhart might actually get this hire “right.”  The reason I fear this is that, under Bruce Pearl, Tennessee has taken major steps toward re-establishing itself as a perennial basketball force in the SEC and beyond.  I would be the proverbial ostrich with my head in the sand if I were to ignore the fact that much of this has occurred in a time when the SEC’s biggest traditional power—the once feared Kentucky Wildcats—have been less than formidable. Thus, a new face in Lexington could serve to squelch some of the gains accomplished under Pearl—especially in the area of recruiting the veritable treasure trove of high school talent in Kentucky.  Still, I feel pretty strongly that Bruce Almighty can hold his own.

But given all of the ridiculous fan expectations that Hooper pointed to, can Tennessee hold on to Pearl?

As HSH documented earlier this week, the 2008-09 Tennessee BasketVols were somewhat of a mixed bag.  Some would say they were a disappointment.  I think that is a little unfair and shortsighted.  I personally believe that the 2008-09 squad represents a continuing work in progress on several levels.  First, the team was full of freshmen and sophomores who will only get better as they continue to benefit from Pearl’s coaching and guidance.  Second, from a big picture perspective, it seems that Pearl is still laying a foundation at Tennessee for a program that can perpetually compete at the highest level.  I imagine that, if asked, Pearl would admit that there are a few more steps to be taken in that process.  Thus, while this season may not have been all that Tennessee fans hoped for, it was hardly a bust.  After all, it was not all that long ago that Tennessee was so dismal that it was not even under consideration for a bid to the NIT.

Still, there were a number of loud and noisy fans who called Pearl’s abilities into question this season.  It was that same type of fan that escalated the situation at Kentucky such that Gillispie more or less had to go.  Seriously, who would want to coach in such a poison environment.  In many ways this resembles the tenor of the conversation surround the departure of Phillip Fulmer. In Gillispie’s defense, however, he only took over at Kentucky 2 years ago.  Then again, it is Kentucky we are talking about.

I worry that the increasing pressure being placed on Pearl by suddenly fanatical Tennessee basketball fans (which only a few years ago would have seemed like an oxymoron) paired with a smart hire by Kentucky (which given Gillispie’s situation also seemed oxymoronic a few years ago) could put Coach Pearl in a difficult position not on the basketball floor, but with his own fanbase.

This is, of course, all doom-and-gloom speculation…

In the meantime, we will all have to wait and see what, in fact, does happen at Kentucky.  I for one will miss Gillispie, mainly because it was really easy to make fun of a guy with a name like “Billy Clyde.”  I doubt that a lot of Kentucky fans will miss him all that much.

Still, Kentucky fans need to be careful, you can scare away quality coaches who simply are unwilling to put up with a borderline-psychotic fan base where they eat their own on a regular basis.  That is a quick way to whittle the pool of available coaches down to the point that you really find yourself in the same situation you just left.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Preach on, Sister!"][/caption]

On second thought, speaking as a Tennessee fan, maybe that is a good thing…

-- So it goes…

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Image(s) Courtesy of: SmashSouthSports

According to Basilio and  GVX, Lane Kiffin has named former-Vol Inquoris "Inky" Johnson as a graduate assistant.  Johnson was a key member of the Vols' defensive backfield prior to his career ending injury in 2006.  Johnson will be coaching the defensive backs. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="317" caption="Inky Johnson in 2006"][/caption] It was also announced that Kiffin has named Leonidas of Sparta as the Vols new Kicking and Hurling of Sharp Objects Coach.**

[singlepic id=907 w=320 h=240 float=center]

(click to enlarge)

As you can see from the press conference, Leonidas is pumped!

Hmm... wonder how long I can keep this Sparta thing going?

-- So it goes …

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Image Courtesy of: UTVol.com

** Disclaimer:  As if it were not completely obvious, the discussion of Leonidas of Sparta is a humorous depiction (a/k/a "Fark") and is a complete fabrication of the mind of the author (e.g. it is complete bullshit).  Some parts of this post do not reflect the views of the University of Tennessee.  Furthermore, neither the author of this post nor this blog are in anyway affiliated with the University of Tennessee, and all discussion of adding a "Hurling of Sharp Objects" coach is intended solely as humor.  So please don't have your lawyers send me a bunch of nasty letters...

Well, I do believe that the whole "Kiffin-Gate" thing is getting a little out of hand now, not that I am really all that surprised.  I still stand by my comments of the other day, that while the Blackjack General may have been wrong about the rule, his comments have had the desired effect.

Take for instance the fact that Gregg Doyel (who attended Florida, is known for loving to tick people off, looks remarkably like Anthony Edwards from ER, and apparently cannot spell either of his names correctly) who probably could have given damn about the Tennessee Volunteers at this point in time, is ventilating at full tilt.  This has led Doyel to conclude, among other things, that:   1) Kiffin should be fired immediately; 2)  Tennessee fans are "stupid people" (especially VASF donors); and 3) Kiffin is an "idiot," "bufoon," and "dumb."  Doyel also concludes that, as the opposite of "Urban" Meyer everyone should refer to Tennessee's head coach as "Rural" Kiffin.  That has to be one of the dumbest plays on words I've heard in a while.  Others, have been more complimentary, including  Bruce Feldman and the guys at PTI.

[caption id="attachment_2869" align="alignright" width="319" caption="What, John Adams supporting the Vols?"][/caption]

At any rate, it seems that this thing refuses to die.  Which, considering it is keeping Tennessee in the public eye and on the lips of every sports commentator across the country, is probably a good thing.  Oh, and for the record, it hasn't seemed to hurt prospects with recruits out there, such as Joe Montana's son, Nick.  As an aside, I found the thoughts of some of the "common fans" of Southern Cal's take on all of this enlightening -- they think it is great and have, almost uniformly, nice things to say about Kiffin.  I am also beginning to make me wonder if hell has frozen over considering that the KNS' John Adams has actually been saying nice things about the Tennessee Football Program lately.

Not to be outdone, and in the hopes of spreading the venom even farther -- sticking with my "This is Sparta" theme -- here's my little addition to the whole thing:

[singlepic id=906 w=320 h=240 float=center]

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater! (click to enlarge)

Oh, and feel free to copy this and spread it to the four-winds (although I would appreciate a link back if you don't mind).

At any rate, the current course of the football program at Tennessee is easy to assess:  1) after the pain of the Season of Constant Sorrow (2008) things are finally moving forward;  2) people are talking; and 3) at present the 2009 season comes down to two games:  Western Kentucky (first home game) and the 19 September meeting with the Florida Gators.

And you thought the offseason was supposed to be boring...

-- So it goes …

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HT to: 3SIB • Vol Junkies (for the idea) • VolNation

Oh, they may look harmless, but you have to be careful…

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="243" caption="Beware!!!"][/caption]

Yes friends and neighbors, tonight the Kentucky Wildcats (NR), come into the Tommy Bowl to take on the Tennessee Volunteers (15 AP / 24 USA Today) in what is sure to be another serious challenge for Bruce and the Barbarians.

Like the BasketVols, Kentucky has struggled with inconsistency since the start of the season.  Though the Wildcats are currently 12-4 on the season (1-0 SEC), two of their losses were against far-from-impressive teams:  VMI and Miami.  That said, the boys in blue have appeared to rally lately, barely losing to Louisville and defeating Vanderbilt in a 70-60 win last Saturday.  Given the heat that Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie has felt since the start of last season, a win tonight is a must for the Cats.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Billy Clyde Gillispie in all his Glory!"][/caption]

The Vols, on the other hand, are struggling to reign in their defensive woes (currently 298th … that’s right 298th in scoring defense) and find some offensive consistency (shooting an average of 45.5 from the field and 30.8 from behind the 3-point arc).  Kentucky, however, has always been Tennessee’s biggest rival in basketball, and the Vols should have no problems getting up for all that the Wildcats have to dish-out.  My question from yesterday, however, stands: will Tennessee’s desire, hustle, and tenacity be enough to win the day?

Well, one way or the other, we’ll find out tonight at 9:00.

For a more in-depth preview and breakdown of tonight’s game, check out what RBK has to say over at the BruceBall Blog, as well as Joel’s thought’s at Rocky Top Talk.

The game will air tonight on ESPN and ESPN360.com (where available). As always, the game will also be broadcast by the Vol Network through its broadcast affiliate stations, as well as via the live internet stream available through UT Sports.com, and via the XM Satellite Radio Channels 199 (Tennessee) and 200 (Kentucky).

Barring incident and time permitting, I will be joining in the Live Game Thread over at Rocky Top Talk, where everyone is always welcome to join in and either celebrate or commiserate throughout the game.

Go Vols, Beat the Wildcats!

-- Go Figure …

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Image Courtesy of: Smash South Sports / HeyBC

Well, I am beginning to think that some of my concerns about the loss of the “family” feeling at Tennessee due to the departure of the Great Punkin may have been unfounded.  It appears that Coach Kiffin is dead set on keeping the family side of Tennessee alive—albeit in a slightly different way than I envisioned.

The more I look at things the more the Tennessee Athletic Department mirrors the Soprano family…

[singlepic id=905 w=540 mode=web20 float=center]

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="111" caption="James Cregg"][/caption]

Thus far, Coach Kiffin has been more than happy to keep it “inside the family,” hiring both his father, Monte Kiffin (longtime defensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) as well as his brother-in-law David Reaves (Steve Spurrier’s quarterbacks’ coach / recruiting coordinator at South Carolina).  On top of this, last week he added an additional hire off the South Carolina Gamecocks’ staff in the form of new strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith, along with new offensive line coach James Cregg, who served under the Blackjack General when Kiffin was coaching the Los Angeles Oakland Raiders, and was currently working under Raiders’ coach Tom Cable.

So, is all of this a good thing, or a bad thing?

Well, I am honestly not sure.  That said, I like the fact that Kiffin seems to have a plan about what it is he is trying to accomplish—he’s not just randomly selecting coaches that are “available.”  In fact, with the exception of the few members of Coach Fulmer’s staff that Kiffin has retained, none of the coaches he has added to his first staff have been “available,” as Tom Cable plainly noted.  It is nice to be back in the position as a program to be able to pull people away from other programs, instead of the opposite.

Furthermore, thus far the choices that Kiffin has made to assist him in his first campaign at Tennessee appear to be quality hires.  First of all there is the Full Monte, who is the "Godfather" of the Tampa 2 defense and arguably the best defensive coordinator in the toughest football league in the world.  The venerable patriarch.

Okay, I think that can work…

Then, there is Mark Smith, who was thought by many to be one of Spurrier’s indispensable aides at both Florida and with the Thunder Chickens.  In the past, it was thought that Smith would never leave Spurrier due to the fact he rejected overtures from, among others, the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Smith has been at the heart of every successful team that Spurrier has fielded.

Apparently, Smith decided that loyalty to Spurrier could not overcome the pull of “the family”…

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="96" caption="David Reaves"][/caption]

Then there is Reaves, who was been surprisingly successful as the Head Ball Coach’s recruiting coordinator, a fact that Tennessee fans had been acutely aware of over the last few years.  Obviously, as Lane Kiffin’s brother-in-law it is hardly surprising that Reaves decided to head to more orange-tinted pastures.  Still, Spurrier has never been one to let his coaches or recruits go to others quietly.  Thus, it also appears that there is about to be a second-round of the Tennessee vs. Spurrier battles that marked the early-to-mid 1990’s—the rumblings are already out there.

Ahh, just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…

If (and that is a big “if”) you trust the rumors, the oft maligned Ed Orgeron (currently serving as defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints) is next up for Kiffin as he works toward filling out his staff.  Coach “O” did not exactly wow the world with his performance as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, but continues to be thought of as one of the premier defensive line coaches and a crackerjack recruiter.  Given that all of the rumors of Monte Kiffin joining “Kiffin the Younger,” proved accurate, it appears that the chances are good that “O” will be “hnaw-hnawing” on the sidelines in Neyland Stadium this fall.

Now whether ticking off NFL owners and other SEC coaches is a bad thing, I cannot say.  I will say that it is nice to see Lane Kiffin out using his credibility and Tennessee’s tradition to get the people he needs.  While I realize there is something to be said for extending certain courtesies to other coaches and teams, sometimes you have to simply make folks an “offer they can’t refuse” and let the chips fall where they may.  This is especially true when it comes to re-tooling a program that has bottomed-out of late.  Kiffin, responding to questions regarding his tactics, summed it quite matter-of-factly:

“I got a job to do in our athletic department and that’s to put together the best staff we can put together and the best players we can put together.  I’m not really concerned about that stuff.”

• via: GoVolsXtra

Kiffin’s coaching-coups, appear to be making a difference as well, as Tennessee has now sewn-up several choice recruits, and appears to be getting the inside track on several more.

So far, so good.  Is Kiffin going in the right direction?  I think so.  Is he destined for greatness?  Only time will tell.  Is there plenty more to be done to cement Tennessee’s position as a contender once again for the SEC?  You better believe it.  Is Kiffin done mixing it up with the other coaches across the country yet?

Fuhgeddaboutit!

-- Go Figure …

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Images Courtesy of: Raiders.com • GameCocksOnline.com

Information contained in this post courtesy of: Volquest.com • GoVolsXtra

This is simply too good not to post.

The inimitable LSUFreek having a little fun with Photoshop:

Auburn Tigers' AD Jay Jacobs taking a shoe-shot  after announcing Gene Chizik as new Tigers' head coach.

• via: LSUFreek -- Smash South Sports

Absolutely Priceless...

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Due to the fact that I have been so tied up lately with annoyingly distracting things such as trials, work, and earning a living, I forgot to mention one key point that must be remembered about new Tennessee Volunteers head football coach Lane Kiffin:  He’s the 21st head coach for the Volunteers…

That’s right, lucky number …

Now I am not by nature a superstitious person … except when it comes to college sports.  Yeah, I’m one of those types that has certain routines which cannot be broken without risking disaster.  I have, at various times, had lucky shirts, shorts, ticket stubs, socks, and so forth.  I could even tell you the win/loss “record” of most of those items.  My father had a lucky outfit which he wore to every game from 1994-the early 2000s.  In 2005 he retired after he decided the “mojo” was gone.  At present, all of my luck, magic, gri-gri, or whatever you call it is focused on my lucky gameday towel, which I keep tucked into my belt at all times on football Saturdays.

Anyway, I just realized that Coach Kiffin—perhaps—has a date with destiny, due to the fact that he is the 21st coach of the Vols, which is a good omen.  You see, we here at Gate 21 are sort of partial to the number 21, for reasons which are—I presume—fairly obvious.  It is our lucky number.  Thus, maybe—just maybe—this is sign from the Fates of Football, a beacon telling all of Orange Nation that Coach Kiffin will usher in a new era of success for the Big Orange unlike any that Tennessee fans have ever known.

Of course it could also mean that—just like Gate 21—he will be a perpetual bore, wasting amazing amounts of time, considerable sums of money, promising much, but delivering little.

Yeah, I’m going with choice number one too…

Either way, this (unbelievably and irrationally razor-thin) connection between Coach Kiffin and the Gate is forever cemented in my mind.  Oh yeah, I’m feeling the vibe … Lucky Number 21, our luck-fueled general on the field leading the orange-clad warriors to victory.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel another addition to the Gate 21 Lexicon (uhh … that’s my “list ‘o words”) and another moniker or nickname being bestowed.  Now, along with Bruce and the Barbarians, the Great Punkin, Smiling Mike, the Tommy Bowl, the Big Dickey, Bruce Almighty, and other exercises in the creative abuse of the English language, I give you Lucky Number 21:

“The Blackjack General”

I figured that name sums up the role Coach Kiffin has assumed at Tennessee: a gambler at heart, a guy who will face a stacked deck from the start, and a guy who may have to do a little bluffing along the way.  It acknowledges his past with the Raiders and Bea Arthur Al Davis (e.g. everything they wear is, uhh… black), while focusing on the next task at hand.  It acknowledges that traditions of Tennessee and General Neyland, while making it clear it is a new day.  Furthermore, in all those old cowboy movies, the Blackjack dealer always wore a visor.  More than anything, it embraces good luck in the form of “21”.

The Blackjack General, Lane Kiffin, Gate 21, and some moron with a blog named “Lawvol”—yeah, I like it.  Cause that’s how we roll…

Clearly, I’ve lost my mind.  I have really got to stop sleeping next to the microwave…

-- Go Figure …

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