How long a vol fan and do you care anymore?

#1
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cdb88

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#1
I've been a vol fan 32 yrs. My care level is at basketball level oh we won good after this loss. If we don't heavily spend money this off season we won't ever win another title. Coaches need replaced as well. This is our only chance to fix and catch up to the elites. Nico is a mediocre QB. Historically we are a 8-10 win team. Next season we look to be 7-5 or 8-4 if we get lucky. Embarrassing night and year ahead as this game will be brought up all off season.
 
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#5
#5
40 years. I still care, but it's gets old knowing you have no shot at the NC and that you're a longshot for the SEC.

For this program to have not won the conference this century is ludicrous.

Even a person of below intelligence can see JH is the best coach post-Fulmer. He turned us around quickly and made us respectable again. But I have zero confidence right now that he will ever win the NC. I have a low level of confidence that he can win the SEC.

He seems to be on a an accelerated Fulmer path...it took Fulmer longer (and after two SEC titles and one NC title) to get so stubborn on his system and too overly loyal to his assistants.

No, you can't clean house every time you have a bad game but the o line has never looked great, Martinez has to have either elite talent or a great front 7 to be effective. Our receivers can't catch a cold and our play calling is bizarre at times.

I don't feel like we maximize our talent...anyone remember plays like Hyatt secretly lining up in the backfield? I know he's a bit fragile, but I would love to see some packages with Thornton in the slot or something a bit creative. I 'd love to see us do something with Pearce instead of a straight bull rush into a double team every play.

I saw something the other day that said OSU had spent about twice the money on their current roster that UT had. It certainly showed.

If Sypre can't keep up with the upper echelon programs then things are likely to get worse. We either need to buy better players or somehow manage our salary cap. Nico is a great kid and he's tough as nails, but so far I don't see the payoff. He looks comparable to Crompton under Kiffin....less ints but less TDs but with a much better surrounding cast. He doesn't look like an elite player in his second year with the program. Maybe that's not on him, maybe that's on the staff. Right now, I'd rather see a game manager behind an all world offensive line that was well coached.

The 2 QBs JH has gone after aggressively since he's been here haven't looked great. I think part of the issue is he either doesn't trust Nico to run the system at warp speed or he's changed his philosophy. Either way, this simplistic system doesn't work when you go slow. He either needs to re-vamp his system or he needs to find a QB that can run it full speed. Huddling up and taking your time to run the same pass plays and counters/dives is not fooling anyone.

The beauty of the offense under Hendon was that people got confused, defenders would get tired and not get set properly, and if you let your guard down for just a second Hendon made you pay.

I think JH has done an admirable job, but I think he was very lucky to catch the SEC in such downtrend this year. Next year's schedule doesn't look terrible, no Texas teams, no SC,, no Ole Miss. If he's going to get something done, next year would be a great time to do it.
 
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#6
#6
A fan all the time. Just a lot more invested, enthusiastic when we are doing well. Very disappointed when we lose.
During bad years still watch and hope but my expectations aren’t high so not to disappointed when we lose.
 
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#7
#7
Of all of the 134 Division 1 NCAA Football Programs, we were one of the only 12 teams left standing at the end of it. That means we were in the Top 8.9% of all of football.

It was only what, 5-10 years ago that we were 0-8 in the SEC? That we lost to Georgia State? That we made headlines for scandals and cheating? That we were the laughingstock of college football with trash cans and orange dogs and brick by brick?

Yeah we sucked last night. But we were at least there. And I am proud that we were there. I hope we are there many many more times.

This program has come a long ways in a short time, and I'll be damned if people want to act entitled because we only finished Top 12 and not National Champions every year.

Appreciate where you are, or else you'll wind up where you've been.
 
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#8
#8
37 years old here and been a fan since i was like 10 and although i still turn on every game and pull for the vols games like last night dont hurt me anymore i've lost something in the past 15 years that made it hurt when we lost now it's just a feeling of "yep thats how it goes for tennessee".
 
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#9
#9
While you are correct I do appreciate we made playoffs but if drastic things aren't done this off season we might never make it back. Unlimited Money has to be spent and spent correctly with overhauls to schemes,players and coaches. Speed needs to be bought.
 
#10
#10
cdb88 said:
I've been a vol fan 32 yrs. My care level is at basketball level oh we won good after this loss. If we don't heavily spend money this off season we won't ever win another title. Coaches need replaced as well. This is our only chance to fix and catch up to the elites. Nico is a mediocre QB. Historically we are a 8-10 win team. Next season we look to be 7-5 or 8-4 if we get lucky. Embarrassing night and year ahead as this game will be brought up all off season.
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Tell me how we will be lucky to go 7-5 or 8-4. If we’re going to be lucky, I guess that means you think we’re going to be a 6-6 team.
 
#11
#11
the truth is that in this unregulated free agency hellscape unless you are willing to spend more money than everybody else buying the best bigs and wr's you are never gonna be more than a warm up game in the playoffs for these other teams that are spending the money. saban knew that tossing a kid a car wasnt gonna be enough anymore so he got out while he could.
 
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#13
#13
citrusbowl said:
37 years old here and been a fan since i was like 10 and although i still turn on every game and pull for the vols games like last night dont hurt me anymore i've lost something in the past 15 years that made it hurt when we lost now it's just a feeling of "yep thats how it goes for tennessee".
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Same here.....over the years my give-a-**** meter has broken. Years back, a Vols loss would put me in a 3 day funk. Not anymore.
 
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#14
#14
Been a fan since 1992. If the game had been competitive but we lost I think I would feel better. My initial reaction towards the beginning of the game was it felt like the old Florida games where we just didn’t show up but unfortunately it looked like we were legitimately outmatched talent wise on both sides of the ball and it wasn’t close. Kinda feels like we’re not anywhere close to being good enough to hang with the top teams. We looked pretty bad and I don’t feel like doing the offseason thing where I get excited about “next year”. I was hoping we would at least be competitive. Brutal loss all around. We have serious issues on both sides of the ball going into next season. I like coach Heupel but we have a long way to go to be an elite team and I had convinced myself we were much closer than we are. Also, every year minus 2022 seems shaky for the O line and it’s just getting to the point that I’m probably not going to be as invested. I feel like a Cowboys fan at this point talking about the glory days that never really return…
 
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#15
#15
Shrug it off more now that I'm older..Still care and the alcohol talks some at times. Games like this just show where Tennessee is in the pecking order, and it's not at the front of the table obviously..
 
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#16
#16
cdb88 said:
While you are correct I do appreciate we made playoffs but if drastic things aren't done this off season we might never make it back. Unlimited Money has to be spent and spent correctly with overhauls to schemes,players and coaches. Speed needs to be bought.
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That's a ridiculous overreaction to losing a game in which we were 7 point underdogs.
 
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#17
#17
I have been a fan for 61 years, way before there was the term VFL. Hell, yes, I still care; I always will. The fans showed up at the Shoe, but the team didn't. If they have any pride, they should feel embarrassed. GO VOLS!
 
#18
#18
For 62 of my 67 years, I've been exposed to Vols football, and as I've aged, I've found I suffer more. Odd itsn't it - after all those years, I have become more 'accustomed' to disappointment though the opposite is true. Maybe its because though i've lived thru mediocrity and less, I have seen the art of the possible. I remember the highlights, but the ugly performances over the years don't resonate like they used to. That doesn't mean I care less, or I've lowered my expecations - maybe it means my memory is beginning to fail as a means of self-preservation. Notwithstanding, I will continue to support my Alma Mater with dollars and energy, and consider myself lucky to have the Vols for root for. I am a proud and blessed VFL, albeit a wounded one this morning. Go Big Orange!
 
#19
#19
cdb88 said:
I've been a vol fan 32 yrs. My care level is at basketball level oh we won good after this loss. If we don't heavily spend money this off season we won't ever win another title. Coaches need replaced as well. This is our only chance to fix and catch up to the elites. Nico is a mediocre QB. Historically we are a 8-10 win team. Next season we look to be 7-5 or 8-4 if we get lucky. Embarrassing night and year ahead as this game will be brought up all off season.
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Thank you for your 32 years, we got the watch now. This isn’t for the weak.
 
#20
#20
Vol8188 said:
lmfao “historically we are an 8-10 win team”….yeah, all of the elite teams are. Do you think there’s a team that averages 12-0?
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Well, actually, that would be ALABAMA since roughly 2008. At least the 12 win record part during Saban years.
 
#22
#22
Been a fan for 50 years of my 68 years Was a fanatic for 10 of those years then I was blessed to start a family, then back to being a fan.

Fan: to enthusiastically support something or someone, but to do so within reasonable limits, avoiding extreme or obsessive behaviors that characterize a fanatic.
 
#23
#23
cdb88 said:
I've been a vol fan 32 yrs. My care level is at basketball level oh we won good after this loss. If we don't heavily spend money this off season we won't ever win another title. Coaches need replaced as well. This is our only chance to fix and catch up to the elites. Nico is a mediocre QB. Historically we are a 8-10 win team. Next season we look to be 7-5 or 8-4 if we get lucky. Embarrassing night and year ahead as this game will be brought up all off season.
Click to expand...

I dont feel any better after sleeping on it. I have severe doubts Heupel can get this program to the promise land. Good guy and good coach, but I just dont know if he is good enough. Last night was a huge red flag, no pun intended.
 
#25
#25
TNHopeful505 said:
Of all of the 134 Division 1 NCAA Football Programs, we were one of the only 12 teams left standing at the end of it. That means we were in the Top 8.9% of all of football.

It was only what, 5-10 years ago that we were 0-8 in the SEC? That we lost to Georgia State? That we made headlines for scandals and cheating? That we were the laughingstock of college football with trash cans and orange dogs and brick by brick?

Yeah we sucked last night. But we were at least there. And I am proud that we were there. I hope we are there many many more times.

This program has come a long ways in a short time, and I'll be damned if people want to act entitled because we only finished Top 12 and not National Champions every year.

Appreciate where you are, or else you'll wind up where you've been.
Click to expand...
Well said.
 
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