Posts Tagged ‘Great Punkin’

Well, I am—quite obviously—running behind.  I have yet to get my thoughts together on the BCS Championship Game—which President-elect Obama still thinks needs to be sacked in favor of a playoff—and the conclusion of the 2008-09 football season.

I’m going to blame it on the uncontrollable projectile vomiting that accompanied the realization that the Florida Gators had been crowned national champions…

I know, I know, I am supposed to pull for the SEC, and as a general rule I always do.  Had the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, or any other member of the SEC won, then I would be overflowing with my congratulations to the team in representing the conference on the most visible stage in the country.  There’s only one problem with this general rule of mine, it has one exception:

I have never and will never pull for the Florida Gators in any sporting event.  No way, no how, no sir.

Without re-hashing what I have already said, I hate to lose to many of the SEC schools (most notably Alabama) but I don’t “hate” those schools.  With Florida it is different.  I realize this will label me as a sour-grapes sort of poor sport who blames Tennessee’s poor performance this year on every one but the Vols.  It is petty, it is juvenile, it is silly.

Frankly, I don’t care…

Furthermore, had the thousands of classless thugs folks that I had to deal with during my three trips to Gainesville for games shown a little more class, then this wouldn’t be the case.  Of course I doubt the Gators care what I think either.  Thus, I’ll congratulate the LSU Tigers for a nice win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Georgia Bulldogs for their besting of the Michigan State Spartans, the Ole Miss Rebels for up-ending the Texas Tech Red Raiders, The Vanderbilt Commodores and Kentucky Wildcats for managing to win their bowl game when few gave them much of a chance.  To all of you, congratulations.  As for Alabama, well, thank you for representing the conference in the BCS, despite losing to a tough Utah Utes squad.  The Utes are a solid team and there is no shame in the loss.

Florida, however, can suck it…

Alrighty, I suppose that’s enough venom for the moment.  Then again, maybe not.

“You’d have to be out of your friggin’ mind not to want to play for the Gators,”

• Urban Meyer commenting after the Gators victory over the Oklahoma Sooners

• Via Go Vols Xtra: Meyer sees no end to Florida’s reign

Nice to see that Meyer isn’t smug about it all.

Fortunately, Lane Kiffin doesn’t seem to be the type of guy who really cares about impressions and opinions.  He spent his week giving the current members of Vols football squad the proverbial “Come to Jesus” experience as he has made it clear that he expects a lot from his players not just on the field, but in the classroom as well.  He drove this point home by showing up unannounced in a few classrooms around the Hill and by dismissing Darius Meyers and giving Brent Vinson one chance to straighten-up.  Other sources indicate that, in addition to these “visible” actions by the Blackjack General, there have been other disciplinary actions taken to shore-up various shortcomings by players.  Both Ramone Johnson and Demetrius Morely have also been mentioned as having been “encouraged” to find more focus.  I have a feeling that there will be more heard on this subject in the coming months leading up to the Orange and White game this spring.

All of this is fine by me.  Sometimes you have to do a little housekeeping when you are trying to make changes.

Speaking of changes, Mike Griffith posted a particularly interesting piece on the perceptions of various members of the national sports media on Kiffin’s selection as the new head coach at Tennessee.  The general consensus is that no one really knows how things will turn out.

I found the response of ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski to be particularly insightful:

“I don’t know what to think. I know he’s hiring a great NFL staff – his dad from Tampa and Orgeron from the Saints. He’s going into one of the most impatient places there is. The whole thing is a chemistry experiment to me. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out. It’s one of the few hires where most people don’t have a feel for how it will work out. It’s one of the greatest calculated gambles I’ve seen in a while. If it works, Mike Hamilton looks like a genius. If it doesn’t, they fired a pretty good coach.”

• Via Go Vols Xtra: National Media sounds off on Kiffin hire

Personally, I find the reactions in Griffith’s piece refreshing for two reasons.  First, it is nice for once to hear the media talking-heads admit that they don’t know everything about everything—I guess they all forgot to pay the bill on their crystal balls due to the economic downturn.  Second, and most importantly, I like the fact that Kiffin represents a paradigm shift for Tennessee.  When given a choice between a hamburger or pizza, Smiling Mike appears to have chosen the Billy Barou (Nachos) with extra queso and hot sauce.

Thus far, when it comes to staff selections, Kiffin has been keeping up his end of the bargain.

As a result, the Vols are seeing a serious up-swing in their recruiting fortunes as National Signing Day approaches.  According to Scout.com’s Jeffrey Stewart*, it appears he has the right people out in the field knocking on doors—giving Tennessee a chance at a fabulous finish which seemed unlikely not long ago.  At present the Vols have 17 commitments, but the No. 4 wide receiver, No. 4 running back, No. 4 tight end and No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation are all making visits in the coming days.  At worst, it’s now looking like a top 20 class.  Basilio has a nice breakdown (courtesy of “X”) for those interested.

Oh, and despite the fact that Mike Hamilton’s little chemistry experiment is not a cheap one, UT announced that ticket prices will not be going up in Neyland Stadium this fall.

Note to self “Butts in the seats = Good”

Fulmer in the ACC?

Meanwhile, rumors are flying all over the place about the possibility of the Great Punkin being considered for the head coaching job at Boston College, after coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired on Wednesday for interviewing with the New York Jets.  Fulmer has been a good friend of Boston College AD Gene DeFilippo from their time together as grad assistants on the Tennessee staff in the early 1970’s.  DeFilippo was instrumental in Fulmer’s decision to hire Dave Clawson prior to the 2008 season:

Ultimately, Fulmer settled on Clawson, who had interviewed the year before for the Boston College head coaching job. BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo was a graduate assistant at Tennessee in the early 1970s when Fulmer was getting his coaching start, and the two have continued to talk over the years.

DeFilippo’s endorsement of Clawson carried a lot of weight with Fulmer, who was even more intrigued after he met and talked football with Clawson. A dandy playcaller himself when he performed those duties under John Majors from 1989-92, Fulmer liked the idea of bringing some new blood into the program. And that’s not a knock against Cutcliffe, either.

• Via ESPN.com: Clawson, Volunteers planning to beef up running game

Many fans and media observers feel that Fulmer would be near the top of possible candidates outside of the existing Eagles staff members, especially considering the importance of loyalty in the mind of DeFilippo who has no problem following his instincts.  There has been no official word at present, but the possibility has begun to gain some traction in the press and the Blogosphere.  Whether anything comes of these rumors remains to be seen.

Oh, and the BasketVols lost to Gonzaga in overtime, snapping the Vols’ 37-game winning streak.  That pretty much sucked.

Up next, the Georgia Bulldogs, Saturday at noon—likely without Tyler Smith (sigh…).  As is my usual practice (and time permitting), I plan on jumping in the game open thread over at Rocky Top Talk—if you haven’t participated in one in the past, they are fun and you should give it a try.  Tell Joel I sent you.

I should post more on Bruce and the Barbarians (as well as the fact that Pat Summitt is only five games away from her 1,000th win), but—as I said from the outset—I’m still in catch-up mode.  We should be in full basketball mode here at the Gate by sometime next week.

Until then…

Go Vols, Beat the Bulldogs!

– Go Figure …

Image Courtesy of: UTSports.com

*Scout.com membership required to access article

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…

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”…

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 …

Images Courtesy of: Raiders.com • GameCocksOnline.com

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

Well, in case you were so overcome with joy at the news that “Kiffin the Elder” (a/k/a “The Full Monte”) would be joining Coach Kiffin next Fall in Knoxville—and I can completely understand why you might be—the news out of Auburn is much less pleasant.

Apparently, “War Eagles” are cannibals because at present, the Auburn Tigers are voraciously eating their own…

First of all, I want to make it absolutely clear that I am not purporting to offer any thoughts on whether Gene Chizik was a good hire from a “football” perspective.  First, aside from my remembering that Chizik was on the Auburn staff as a defensive coordinator in the 2004-ish era, I really don’t know enough about the man’s essentials to assess him one way of the other.  I have never been (nor do I plan to become) a devoted follower of the Iowa State Cyclones either, thus I also lack the knowledge to weigh whether Chizik’s 5-19 record as the head coach in Ames really means that much or not.

Second, as a Tennessee fan, I have little room and even less desire to point out the shortcomings of other programs at this particular point in time (“ahem… pot, meet kettle”)…

Third, I don’t have to really even get into the substance of Chizik’s qualifications to realize that all hell has broken loose on the Plains.

There are some very restless natives in Auburn.

Since Gene Chizik’s announcement as the new head coach, the Tiger faithful have literally declared a civil war on a scale which boggles the mind and confounds reason.  The only reaction I have been able to draw thus far is that, based purely upon the reaction of the fans, alumni, and talking heads—completely irrespective of his abilities—Gene Chizik is going to have a very tough time winning at Auburn.

The reason for this is that, with the exception of Auburn AD Jay Jacobs, and perhaps Kirk Herbstreit, there appears to be no one among the Tiger faithful who is, was, or believes that they will ever be happy with this hire.  Of course, this is an understatement of prodigious proportions—somewhat akin to saying that GM is undergoing a “minor financial adjustment” or that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has made some “unpopular decisions.”  Only two words accurately describe the situation among the Aubies:

Cataclysmic Meltdown.

For example, listen to the guy ranting and raving in the background as Jay Jacobs returns to Auburn after sealing the deal with Chizik over the weekend.

Jay Jacobs Gets a Welcome Back to Auburn

Wow, now that is some serious fan support!

Now, mind you this is occurring before the official announcement has even been made.  This was not, however an isolated incident.

This pretty much sums up the thoughts in Auburn

Over at Track ‘em Tigers, the reaction was enough to induce vomiting (you simply have to read through some of the comments), and I am pretty certain that a few of the commenters have since committed suicide.  In particular, the guy who wrote this letter:

Mr. Jacobs

I have no words to express how I feel about the hiring of Chizik as the head football coach at Auburn University. How can anyone be this devoid of wisdom. I have been an Auburn fan for 40 years. I went to school during the Barfield years for goodness sake. During this entire period I have never once even considered wavering in my allegiance to Auburn.

As of now I will turn in my tickets. (scholarship) I will not send another dime of support to the University, and I will join all efforts towards the removal of you and everyone else involved in this ridiculous hire.

You and Dr. Gogue may think you can sit in your ivory towers protected by the powers that be, (and you know to whom I am referring) but you forget Auburn is a grassroots university. Hard working men and women made Auburn the great university it is today. I hold fast to the belief that it is the spirit that lives in these same men and women which will cause us to band together and throw you and the rest of your crowd out on your ears.

It cannot happen soon enough!!!!

• via: Track ‘em Tigers — WarEagle99

The comments over at al.com’s Gold Mine Blog were fairly similar in their lack of … excitement.  My personal favorite was:

Excuse me while I go take down generations of Auburn memorabilia and burn my diploma.

• via: al.com — BigBlueHey

Of course, we all know that comments are often submitted in the heat of the moment, and are less than well thought out—I’m as guilty of that as anyone.  The bad news is that, by and large, even the cooler heads have shown strong misgivings at the hiring of Chizik.  One such “cooler head” is that of Will Collier at From the Bleachers who writes:

All that stuff about “don’t panic” and “they sky is not falling” and “Auburn will hire a good coach?” Never mind all that. Dogs and cats are, in fact, living together in the luxury suites of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

* * * * *

Gene Chizik is almost certainly the worst candidate interviewed during this utter farce of a coaching search. He is a poor recruiter who has completely failed to date as a head coach. Chizik’s own friends in the coaching community openly scoff at the idea of him being a head coach for a major program.

For Auburn’s program, he will be the equivalent of Mike DuBose, although hopefully without the cheating.

* * * * *

I don’t say this lightly, but, Fire Jay Jacobs. And while you’re at it, fire his buddy Tim Jackson, who inexplicably was invited along for the interviews, despite the fact that Jackson is Auburn’s… ticket manager. That makes as much sense as asking a halfwit greenskeeper to sit in on interviews for a corporate CEO.

• via: From the Bleachers

Two more particularly well done pieces can be found at The War Eagle Reader and The Pigskin Pathos as well as some ranting and raving from A Lifetime of Defeats.

All of this begs the question, when does exercising your constitutionally (and in my opinion morally) protected “bitching license” leave you in the proverbial Catch-22?  It seems to me that even if Gene Chizik were the second coming of Vince Lombardi or (to put it more into context) Shug Jordan, that he is now doomed to fail.  In other words, no matter how good he is as a coach, he is already disliked by the fanbase before a single down of football has been played.  I understand that the Auburn faithful are not happy with the hire, and that many feel Tommy Tuberville was essentially fired for no good reason, but at the end of the day if you are an Auburn fan, if you don’t rally around your new coach, it is all but assured that the program will implode for at least 2-5 years, if not more.

Fortunately for Auburn, some of those in the blogosphere have recognized this, including Joe Cribbs Car Wash and Fields of Donahue who writes:

Alright, our new head coach is Gene Chizik.

We’re not happy.

It sucks.

The only thing to do now is support him. I don’t care if he was miserably bad at Iowa State. He is our coach now, and we need to get behind him…

• via: Fields of Donahue

I feel for the Auburn folks.  The Tennessee Volunteers are just coming out of the gloom of what is, without question, the single most difficult football season I’ve ever lived through.  All season long Orange Nation spent a great deal of time ripping one another to shreds before Smiling Mike Hamilton and the Great Punkin finally quieted things.  Like it or not, at least Smiling Mike had the decency and good sense to address the issue with Fulmer in as transparent and public a manner as was probably possible.  That helped start the healing process, and probably accounts for the general sense of excitement surrounding the ascendancy of the Blackjack General as Tennessee’s new football coach, despite the fact that many still have questions about his experience.  That is also precisely why Auburn AD Jay Jacobs is currently public enemy number one down on the Plains.  Still the situations are really not all that dissimilar.

That’s the odd thing.  From where I am sitting—from a purely “factual” perspective—both Tennessee and Auburn are looking at largely untested and unknown head coaches putting on their headsets next fall.  The only difference is that Tennessee is doing everything it possibly can to help boost their new skipper to success, while it seems that Auburn is obliterating every possible chance for their new hire to enjoy the same.  Both men have a tough road and a lot of work ahead of them, but—as things currently stand—it would appear that Kiffin has a much better chance of success simply because the fanbase is uniting behind him.

Right now, I am really appreciating Smiling Mike…

Hopefully, the Tennessee fans out there who are quick to attack will pay attention to this debacle at Auburn and learn.  Sometimes you have to come together, sometimes you have to put differences aside, sometimes you have to bite your tongue.  That is what it means to be part of a team or, as I have described it, a family.  Establishing a tradition always requires unity and sacrifice.

Learn from this, Orange Nation, lest you follow the Tigers down that bitter primrose path…

– Go Figure …

Image Courtesy of:  Joe Cribbs Car Wash

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 …

Alright, I admit I have been a little absent and not just a little bent out of shape over the fact that I have been completely unable to post anything of substance lately due to my “real” job as an evidence manipulation specialist (lawyer).  Hence my last post.  What’s more, this has been a very exciting week for fans of the Big Orange, as Tennessee named Lane Kiffin its new head football coach.  Despite all of the fanfare, I spent my week in a courtroom, and failed to get a single decent comment out in a timely fashion.

Again, hence my last post…

That said, after watching a few video clips, most notably the one below, I am feeling much more relaxed and much happier.  Why?  Because, I am beginning to think that maybe Smiling Mike has done it again.

Lane Kiffin’s First Press Conference as Tennessee Head Football Coach

I’ll be the first to admit, Lane Kiffin wasn’t the number one name on my list—but make no mistake he was on it.  Still, in the back of my mind I wondered “is Mike Hamilton rushing into things?  I just don’t know if I would have been in such a rush.”

Then I remembered two key things:

1. I picked the Auburn Tigers to win the SEC West and the Tennessee Volunteers to finish second in the SEC East this year; and
2. Bruce Pearl.

Those two realizations gave me a moment of pause and suddenly gave me real confidence in the decision to hire Lane Kiffin as the head football coach at Tennessee.

The first point reminded me that I am a moron and that my skills as a prognosticator and student of college football are about as reliable as Eric Locke was as a receiver (or kick returner, or cheerleader, or ditch digger, or…).  Furthermore, it reminded me that there is an awful lot of guesswork in the business or picking coaches.  Which led me to point number two.

Smiling Mike dares you to make fun of his shirt

As I wrote some time ago while serving as a stand-in guest writer over at Joel’s venerable pillar of the Fifth Estate, on the day Bruce Pearl was introduced as Men’s Basketball coach the first thing I asked myself was “who the hell is Bruce Pearl?”  Well, suffice it to say that I now know who Bruce Pearl is, and I’m pretty sure the rest of the basketball loving inhabitants of the country do now as well.  The point is this: love him or hate him, over the last few years Mike Hamilton has shown an uncanny ability to find coaches about as well as anyone in the world of college sports, and as a result, I’m willing to trust his decision.

I think Hamilton has earned that.

Furthermore, what I have seen so far from Coach Kiffin (does kind of have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?) has thoroughly impressed me.  The video above was especially telling for me.  Why?  Because Kiffin does not talk about “the passion of Tennessee’s fans” or “the tradition they have here.”   No, instead—about ten minutes after he was named head coach—he comments on “the passion of our fans” and “the tradition we have here.”

I know, I know, I’m sure the folks in the Sports Information office reminded him to project that message, but you know what, it seemed pretty sincere to me…

I realize taking “ownership” verbally is a small detail—one which can be overstated—but it impressed me.  I honestly expected the typical “NFL-style” quasi-corporate speech about future, direction, and leadership.  I expected his opening foray with the press to be far less personal than it was.  Given my concerns that the “family” aspect of Tennessee football might fade away with the departure of the Great Punkin, this really did my heart good.  It also made it clear that Coach Kiffin understands that we happy few, we band of brothers, who wear the Orange are sort of “into” that whole “Tradition” thing.

All I can say is that I first looked at the hiring of Coach Kiffin with a lot of hope and expectation, and a near equal amount of concern and reticence.  After seeing how he has handled himself so far, it’s fair to say that I have been impressed.

Yeah, I’ve got me a great big pitcher of the proverbial Kool-Aid, and I’m chugging it down through a garden hose…

I guess that is why I felt led to say hello to Coach Kiffin visually—in the header here at the Gate—rather than simply saying “Oh, um, yeah we got us a coach.”

No matter what I may have thought about the past, I am pretty convinced that Coach Kiffin is the the right man to guide Tennessee into the future.

Which leads me to the seemingly inane title of this post.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of professional sports and while I typically follow the NFL playoffs in a limited sense, I can hardly be said to keep up with the league.  There are a lot of reasons for this, but the end result is that I am often less than informed when it comes to the guys that play on Sunday.  Thus, the only real understanding I had when it came to Coach Kiffin was that he had been fired as head coach of the Los Angeles … err … Oakland … Los Ang … Los Oaklesland Raiders mid-season.  I didn’t really hold this against him, because I realize how fickle NFL owners can be.  Furthermore, I hardly felt like I had enough background knowledge to really even understand why he was fired (I had to check just to confirm whether the Raiders were in Los Angeles or Oakland this year).

Still, I knew that something hadn’t worked out the way it had been planned…

Then, I stumbled upon this little jewel:

Al Davis on the Firing of Lane Kiffin

This video really confirmed a few things for me:

• Skeletor is real;

• The Raiders will never win much of anything until that nut-job of an owner they have gives it up;
• Anytime a coach is fired and respected journalists write things like this, it’s probably not the coach’s fault the team is sucking the tubes:

Al Davis’ once-proud franchise has won 19 games since appearing in the 2002 Super Bowl (or one more than the Patriots won in 2007) and better days seemed even more remote in January. That’s when the modest momentum built under new head coach Lane Kiffin in 2007 was flushed when it was learned Davis wanted Kiffin gone because Kiffin wanted to, ya know, coach the team…

– Tom Curran | NBC Sports

• Coach Kiffin’s record as an NFL head coach is of little concern to me considering the situation he inherited; and

• Bea Arthur really should stop wearing those silly black leather jackets and sweatshirts when giving press conferences.

Al Davis?

Bea Arthur?

So, is Betty White currently the defensive coordinator for the Raiders, or is it one of the other Golden Girls?

Anyway, the point of this rambling post is simply to say, that I am thrilled to have Lane Kiffin on board as the newest member of the Tennessee family.  So far, I have been amazingly impressed with the way he has jumped in headfirst at Tennessee.  Most of all, however, I am happy with how he seems to really want be at Tennessee as opposed to simply biding his time.

Of course, I realize that he has not yet completed his first full week as head coach.  Still, all I can say is that—so far—it seems like Smiling Mike Hamilton may have gotten it right…again!

Either way, Coach Kiffin, I mean it sincerely when I say “Welcome to the Family!”

Oh yeah, and, Go Vols!

– Go Figure …

Images Courtesy of: Knoxville News Sentinel • SA Blogs • BroadwayWorld.com • NBC Sports / Getty Images

I remember the night of the Tennessee Waltz.  Now I know just how much I have lost…

Once again we find ourselves staring the end of football season in the face, but this one is different.

Today Tennessee says goodbye to Phillip Fulmer…

Phillip Fulmer has been the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers at all but one of the more than 100 games I have attended since my very first game in the early 1990s.  I have such conflicted feelings about today.  I essentially said my “goodbye” to Coach Fulmer a few weeks ago in my post “Goodbye, Charlie Brown…”.  In that post, I finally explained to the world why it is that I have always called him the Great Punkin—not as an insult, but as a matter of personal respect.  I pretty much summed up my feelings for Coach Fulmer as a man and as Head Coach.

Needless to say, I have immense respect for Fulmer…

Today is the final “Tennessee Waltz” for Coach Fulmer.  Though I think most will agree that the Volunteers’ performance on the field could have been far better this year, Fulmer’s departure marks a turning point in the history of Tennessee athletics.  This season has been terribly difficult for Tennessee fans—not so much as a result of the wins and losses, but because of the divisions between the fans over where it is the program should be headed.  I think Joel at RTT is right, this is the Season of Constant Sorrow.  There is no joy in seeing a man who has served the University of Tennessee so honorably and steadfastly for over 30 years be forced out.

For me, this is a sad day—I dread the thought of Coach Fulmer running through the T for the final time.  I hate the thought of those last seconds ticking off the clock.  It pains me to think that the next time we all meet again, there will be a different leader of the Big Orange Nation.  I also feel that when that gathering occurs, next Fall, something will be missing.  We will no longer be the family that we once were.

All of this is, of course, compounded by the fact that—for reasons which are beyond my control—I am unable to be in Knoxville today.  I will be relegated to watching the game on television and saying my goodbye from afar.

Like Will at SESB, I honestly do not know what to say—nothing is appropriate, or fitting.

All I can say to Coach Fulmer, is what I have already said:  Thank You, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you for guiding the Vols to an SEC Championship, then another, then to a National Championship.  Thank you for always honoring the institution that you represent.  Thank you for being a wonderful representative for the alma mater that we both share.  Thank you for your integrity, your class, and your example.

Most of all, thank you for your humanity.  I have always been so proud to know that you were not just another football CEO.  I for one appreciate the fact that you have always let the world know that you are human and, yeah, every single loss hurts.

Thank you for always understanding that Tennessee football is not just about wins and losses, it is so much more than that.  It’s about sons and fathers, mothers and daughters.  It’s about big dreams and hopeful expectancy.  It’s about a connection between generations and a tie to a shared pastime.  It’s about devotion, loyalty, respect, family, and friends.  It’s about looking back on the days spent on the Hill.  It’s about a beautiful East Tennessee afternoon, the Smoky Mountains framing the sky with their majesty.  It’s about camaraderie, it’s about a shared experience.  It’s laughing, it’s crying, it’s living a memory, it’s hoping for the future, it’s about dreams, and it’s about spending a few minutes in this frenetic existence just savoring the colors and sounds of life.  It’s something that keeps all of us coming back for more and it’s something that simply defies description.

It’s not just a game, and it never will be.

It’s about life, it’s about love, and it’s about being part of something bigger than any one person could ever be alone.  It’s about history and things to come.

Thank you, Coach Fulmer for always honoring these truths and for making all of us proud.

I have such hope for the future, but for now, I am sad, as Coach Fulmer’s “Tennessee Waltz” comes to a close, and an era ends for the University of Tennessee.  Though Tennessee will undoubtedly win many more games in the future, the Tennessee family will never be quite the same as it has been.  It is exciting to think of what it will be like next year—what the future holds—but there will be time for that later.

Today is Coach Fulmer’s day.

I so wish I could have made it to Knoxville today for the game—to be part of the masses in giving Coach Fulmer his day.  That, unfortunately was simply was not meant to be, and thus I will have to thank him from afar.

Still, despite my distance, as the Phillip Fulmer era comes to a close, I encourage everyone who loves the Orange to take a moment of pause as you enter the stadium, as you take your seat, as you settle in to watch the game on television or listen on the radio—take just a moment and reflect.  Take just a moment and thank Coach Fulmer in your own way for always working so hard to make us proud to wear our orange.

Along with wanting to be in Knoxville today, I had also intended on putting together a tribute video for Coach Fulmer, but due to the fact that I have been forced into another trial starting on Monday, I was simply unable to get it put together in time.  For that, I am sorry.  Thus, all I can offer is this small token of my appreciation, which I was able to get together in the time I had.

Phillip Fulmer’s Final Tennessee Waltz | Gate 21

(Note: as of the time of this post, the video above was still being processed by YouTube.  It should automatically appear once that process is completed.)

I wish I had something more profound, more “weighty,” more poignant to say to express my thanks to Coach Fulmer, but words fail.

Thus, I’ll simply thank Coach Fulmer for giving so much to all of us, for working so hard to make the Vols shine, and for never wavering in his dedication to Tennessee.  I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Coach Fulmer, I—and so many others—will never forget your Tennessee Waltz…

– Go Figure …

Here are a few videos from around the web this morning…

First up, the BasketVols advanced to the finals of the Old Spice Classic yesterday, by beating the Georgetown Hoyas 90-78.  Here’s the highlights courtesy of ESPN.com.

You can get more information on the Vols’ win over Georgetown as well as their next game at UTSports.com and from my good friend RBK at the BruceBall Blog.

As Coach Fulmer prepares to coach his last game as Tennessee Volunteers‘ head football coach, Chris Low of ESPN is reporting that it is all but official that Lane Kiffin will be the next head football coach for the Vols. Here’s his report, again, courtesy of ESPN.com.

Not to be outdone, Go Vols Xtra is also reporting that Kiffin will likely be announced as the next head coach at a press conference sometime on Monday.

Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, however, thinks that Smiling Mike is crazy for hiring Kiffin, who Higgins thinks is unqualified to take the reins in Knoxville.

More to come later in the day, on Coach Fulmer’s final game today against the Kentucky Wildcats…

– Go Figure …

Videos Courtesy of: ESPN