True - - However east Tn is much like west Tn many small rural towns that for many reasons just don't develop a whole lot of top level talent. ( My town is a prime example, on any given year I can walk down the hall of the only high school in this county (Hardin Co. look at the size) and find more raw talent (size, speed and strength) that is to be found on the football team). Many things inter into this problem and not the topic to explore in this post. But as a response to your statement, the population centers of east Tn do provide many good players (and just like mid state, too many go elsewhere)
I think in some years we’ve won and some years we’ve lost. The bottom line is that kids want to win, and winning more often than not trumps loyalty. Leroy Thompson was an example (#1 RB in his class) from east Knoxville. Majors fought hard, but in the end he wanted to play away from Knoxville. Joe Paterno won. Trevor Lawrence would have played for Tennessee if not for the dysfunction.
I know a guy who played with Bill in the NBA. Said Walton invited him over to his apartment one night for dinner. All he served was beer and bean sprouts. Told Bill “the next time…dinners on me and we’re going out!”
