And when you don't have a Ferrari on the field, how's that "talent fee" going to sit with you? Or when you "give your all" and some kid up and leaves after a year for a bigger bag? Will it have felt worth it then?
I wonder how it'll feel in that world, a world where a century of all the rah-rah stuff about the Tennessee spirit is laid bare as pure marketing speak with no significane aside from the amount of money it can bring in from people. I guess when the students chose the rifleman to represent Davy Crockett, they were choosing the mascot that could most resonate with the locals and help part them from their money. Who knew.
This is of course where people come in and say that. "It's always just been about money." Yes of course, it's always been solely about the money. All that other stuff was fake. There was never anything like pride in one's school, or one's region. That was all just talk. The University of Tennessee Volunteer athletics program was always just about the dollars. A century of history and tradition in east Tennessee, all purposed for marketing. Who knew the "Volunteer Spirit" was just about volunteering your money?
And sure, I get that some people are fine with it. The "just win, baby!" crowd has always been pretty clear about it's priorities. But this new world exposes the old one as rather hollow. I don't think it was once upon a time, but now? Hollower and hollower. We're losing something that I think mattered and meant a lot to communities and to people. But hey. Who cares? Just win, baby.
