Crayola Crayons -- Love em All

#26
#26
VFL-82-JP said:
I know, right? That's kind of part of the point, here.

Coaches are, like any other humans, dynamic, evolving beings. Even if they were as inanimate and unchanging as crayons, it wouldn't make sense to declare hate for one, now and forever (as some here do). But since they do evolve and grow and change, getting into one set position and never re-evaluating is even more weird.

Right?
Click to expand...
Which is the weird thing to me, if you say something critical of a coach, folks will assume you hate them and want them fired.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#29
#29
Why do kids like to break crayons? I told the twins if they wanted to break anymore crayons they would hafta buy them with their own money.

They would rather not buy crayons to break than to clean their room for money to spend on crayons to break.

Who does the box represent?
 
#31
#31
gerrysniff-s.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
#32
#32
volfannbama said:
Which is the weird thing to me, if you say something critical of a coach, folks will assume you hate them and want them fired.
Click to expand...

Man, I think it's a more general reaction than that.

When most fans think of the Vols, we're in a mood to be cheerful, to band together and root for our lads. We want to leave the grind and annoyance and bickering and negativity behind, at work or wherever it's usually found.

We're thinking Vols, so we want to think possibilities, and team, and excitement.

So when someone rains on the parade--whether honest criticism or Eeyore or trolling--it's like they're trying to drag us right back toward the negativity we're escaping, tarnishing our joy in what we've erected as a happy and relatively hallowed place (not VN.com, but our image of the VN community as it should be).

So folks react negatively to that negativity.

I think that's a lot of it.

Here's an experiment you can try to test my theory. Next time you have an honest criticism of our coach (or anything else associated with the program), couch it in generally positive vibes. Like, "while I really expect great things from Coach, I do think he could be better at _____."

If you do that, I think you'll get thoughtful responses. At least, a lot more thoughtful than if you just say, "Idiot move on Coach's part" or, "That was stupid."

Give it a shot, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Folks just want to relax and enjoy our team--watching it, and thinking about it, and talking about it.
 
Last edited:
#33
#33
When I was a kid we had the 120 packs of crayons.

Since we are stuck with only 64, I'm gonna follow the lead of our fearless leader and complain about it.
 
#34
#34
JonGrudensAgent said:
When I was a kid we had the 120 packs of crayons.

Since we are stuck with only 64, I'm gonna follow the lead of our fearless leader and complain about it.
Click to expand...

Some of those other 56 crayons had valid reasons for skipping out. You sound like you're one of the ones who didn't. :)
 
#36
#36
VFL-82-JP said:
Some of those other 56 crayons had valid reasons for skipping out. You sound like you're one of the ones who didn't. :)
Click to expand...

I'm actually the kid that broke the other kids crayons when they ticked me off LOL.

Good analogy overall but I do think it boils down to folk on here being hyper defensive from a decades worth of losing and one embarrassment after another in the form of head coaches.

People just fall too easy into the cult of personality every time we hire one of these guys hoping for that return to the Majors and (Good) Fulmer years. Some get too invested in the coaches instead of realizing they are paid employees who probably won't be here forever. I sincerely doubt any of the last 4 guys would have given UT a second thought if they weren't offered a 7 figure salary.

Just some random thoughts.
 
#37
#37
volfannbama said:
Which is the weird thing to me, if you say something critical of a coach, folks will assume you hate them and want them fired.
Click to expand...

That is weird. I bet those that assume that are the "coach worshippers" and "idiot champions of the off season". I wouldn't pay them any attention, they all think Pruitt won 5 National Championships and this is our year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#38
#38
VFL-82-JP said:
Man, I think it's a more general reaction than that.

When most fans think of the Vols, we're in a mood to be cheerful, to band together and root for our lads. We want to leave the grind and annoyance and bickering and negativity behind, at work or wherever it's usually found.

We're thinking Vols, so we want to think possibilities, and team, and excitement.

So when someone rains on the parade--whether honest criticism or Eeyore or trolling--it's like they're trying to drag us right back toward the negativity we're escaping, tarnishing our joy in what we've erected as a happy and relatively hallowed place (not VN.com, but our image of the VN community as it should be).

So folks react negatively to that negativity.

I think that's a lot of it.

Here's an experiment you can try to test my theory. Next time you have an honest criticism of our coach (or anything else associated with the program), couch it in generally positive vibes. Like, "while I really expect great things from Coach, I do think he could be better at _____."

If you do that, I think you'll get thoughtful responses. At least, a lot more thoughtful than if you just say, "Idiot move on Coach's part" or, "That was stupid."

Give it a shot, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Folks just want to relax and enjoy our team--watching it, and thinking about it, and talking about it.
Click to expand...

While i understand what you are saying, i think its a bit silly that those common sense things must be stated in each post to prove my intention.
For instance the remark that CJP made. I should be able to say, thats stupid.
It should be assumed that, since im a vols fans, i want him to succeed and want the vols to win.
 
#39
#39
volfannbama said:
While i understand what you are saying, i think its a bit silly that those common sense things must be stated in each post to prove my intention.
For instance the remark that CJP made. I should be able to say, thats stupid.
It should be assumed that, since im a vols fans, i want him to succeed and want the vols to win.
Click to expand...

But why would people assume you are really a Vols fan Or that you want our coach to succeed?

This world is full of trolls. And Eeyores. And contrarians.

Many folks here don't remember others from post to post. They haven't built up a mental image of you (or me) that carries over from one post to the next.

I mean, many of us do; you and I do with regard to each other, for instance. But many others do not.

So you do actually have to say what you mean each time. You don't have to write books (my bad habit) in each post, but then again the example I gave you isn't a book, it's only one sentence, a dozen words or so. That's not an onerous burden to be sure that you're understood, in a community of thousands where all we can see of each other is an avatar and the words we type.

What are "common sense things" for you are blasphemous thoughts for others. So you should be willing to distinguish yourself from them, for folks who don't know you (most people here).

So bring "value" to each conversation by being generally positive, even in cases where you have criticisms you'd like to make. Everyone will enjoy your company more, and your perspective will more likely be considered.
 
Last edited:
#40
#40
VFL-82-JP said:
Remember the Crayola box from childhood?

s0969303_sc7


Unless you were a really weird kid, you didn't open the box, pick out a green one, and declare all the other crayons 'evil.'

So why do we do that with our coaches?

Here's some of what causes argument, strife, and unhappiness on VN.com:
  • Johnny Majors supporters can't forgive Phil Fulmer
  • Phil supporters retroactively hate Johnny
  • Those stuck liking Derek Dooley (before we knew who he really was) feel obliged to hate Butch Jones
  • Those who went all-in for Butch (before we knew who he really was) feel obliged to hate Jeremy Pruitt
  • The Grudenites (I love them to death, but they are often irrational in this way) can't like any coach not named Jon
  • and on and on it goes....
But it doesn't have to be that way.

Aside from Lane Kiffin (who, like the peach crayon, rightfully gets mocked as lame), it's okay to like all the crayons. It's okay to like a blue one, or two, as well as a green one, and a couple of red ones, and most especially the orange one. Even the yellow one can get some love.

Let go of the hate. Just because the coach you most wanted to succeed is now gone, that doesn't mean you have to look down your nose at the guy who took his place, or the guy who took that guy's place.

We've had good coaches and bad ones. The bad ones generally tried to do good for us, they just lacked values (Kiffin), or leadership (Dooley) or intellect (Jones). No need to hate on them; just let them go.

And let's all rally behind the guy we have now, who may--just may--get us back to where Tennessee football belongs.

Embrace the whole pack! Well, except that crimson one, throw it in the trash. 63 is plenty.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...

This made me laugh. Good thread. I prefer only orange and white crayons :) All the other crayons can stay in the box. To the point of the thread im all in on Pruitt. Have been from the get go. Love the hire and feel like it was a blessing in disguise that we snagged him. Time will tell if he's the man for the job but i will give him time. Same amount of time to show his worth as much a Doofus Doolittle got (3 years).

What i wanna see in Pruitt first season as HC is player development, competitiveness, game day coaching decisions, improvement week to week and signs that better days are ahead. Throw in recruiting also. :good!:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#41
#41
It is the same as the people that we interact with every day. Some of them just have to have drama in their lives. If they have none, they create it! For these people, the AD at its best is when things are going wrong and there is drama, a new coach is being hired, or the team is terrible.

Being positive is not possible, being hopeful is not possible, they are life long pessimists and will never change no matter what happens. I was not on here during the '98 season, but I would be willing to gamble there were people who complained that entire season about something.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#42
#42
VFL-82-JP said:
But why would people assume you are really a Vols fan Or that you want our coach to succeed?

This world is full of trolls. And Eeyores. And contrarians.

Many folks here don't remember others from post to post. They haven't built up a mental image of you (or me) that carries over from one post to the next.

I mean, many of us do; you and I do with regard to each other, for instance. But many others do not.

So you do actually have to say what you mean each time. You don't have to write books (my bad habit) in each post, but then again the example I gave you isn't a book, it's only one sentence, a dozen words or so. That's not an onerous burden to be sure that you're understood, in a community of thousands where all we can see of each other is an avatar and the words we type.

What are "common sense things" for you are blasphemous thoughts for others. So you should be willing to distinguish yourself from them, for folks who don't know you (most people here).

So bring "value" to each conversation by being generally positive, even in cases where you have criticisms you'd like to make. Everyone will enjoy your company more, and your perspective will more likely be considered.
Click to expand...

So should we assume anyonr expressing an opinion contrary to our own is a troll until they prive otherwise?
 
#43
#43
so which crayon went outside the lines and screwed up the picture, then took millions of dollars to be an intern in the Rose Art crayon box?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#44
#44
VFL-82-JP said:
Remember the Crayola box from childhood?

s0969303_sc7


Unless you were a really weird kid, you didn't open the box, pick out a green one, and declare all the other crayons 'evil.'

So why do we do that with our coaches?

Here's some of what causes argument, strife, and unhappiness on VN.com:
  • Johnny Majors supporters can't forgive Phil Fulmer
  • Phil supporters retroactively hate Johnny
  • Those stuck liking Derek Dooley (before we knew who he really was) feel obliged to hate Butch Jones
  • Those who went all-in for Butch (before we knew who he really was) feel obliged to hate Jeremy Pruitt
  • The Grudenites (I love them to death, but they are often irrational in this way) can't like any coach not named Jon
  • and on and on it goes....
But it doesn't have to be that way.

Aside from Lane Kiffin (who, like the peach crayon, rightfully gets mocked as lame), it's okay to like all the crayons. It's okay to like a blue one, or two, as well as a green one, and a couple of red ones, and most especially the orange one. Even the yellow one can get some love.

Let go of the hate. Just because the coach you most wanted to succeed is now gone, that doesn't mean you have to look down your nose at the guy who took his place, or the guy who took that guy's place.

We've had good coaches and bad ones. The bad ones generally tried to do good for us, they just lacked values (Kiffin), or leadership (Dooley) or intellect (Jones). No need to hate on them; just let them go.

And let's all rally behind the guy we have now, who may--just may--get us back to where Tennessee football belongs.

Embrace the whole pack! Well, except that crimson one, throw it in the trash. 63 is plenty.

Go Vols!
Click to expand...

The problem with Kiffin at the time was, like many who are just beginning to color, he just couldn't stay within the lines.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#46
#46
volfannbama said:
So should we assume anyonr expressing an opinion contrary to our own is a troll until they prive otherwise?
Click to expand...

That depends on whether you know them, and--if not--what first impression they give.

Each person is judged on his or her merits, right? When you know nothing about them, you use what small amount of info is available to try to reach some initial impression. As their body of work grows, and you know them better, it's easier to put any single statement they make into their broader context.

That's no different in the interwebz world of chat forums than in real life. We just have far less input available here.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top