BVS (Battered Vol Syndrome) Group Therapy

[Jauan't Some?]

The first Saturday of football season can be a significant triggering event for BVS sufferers. As such, I wanted to create a safe space for us to share our own personal BVS testimony or any BVS outbursts that we’ve witnessed.

I’ll start. The date was September 22nd, 2018 (TRIGGER WARNING), a dear friend and I decided to make the pilgrimage down to Knoxville for the Florida game as an early bachelor weekend for him. As we settled into our seats we became acquainted with the good orange clad folk around us, as you do. There was a group of middle-aged, probably southern baptist siblings behind us who had brought their aging mother for a wholesome family outing seated behind us. Salt of the earth people if ever there were. Soon the seats in front of us filled with a cute dental hygienist and her friend and some other younger fans.

As kickoff loomed a large contingent of seats to our left sat vacant and I began to see the writing on the wall. A cold sweat began to develop on my forehead as the prospect of sitting next to.... Florida fans began to enter my mind. Sure enough, as the teams were meeting at midfield for the coin flip, a group of sloppy, drunken, unwashed Floridians showed up to claim their territory.

We all know what happened in the game and you can imagine how that influenced the behavior of our swampy neighbors. The poor dental hygienist was being relentlessly hit on and the probably baptist siblings behind us were all taking turns covering their mother’s ears to shield her righteous old soul from the volleys of vitriolic swamp speech being hurled about.

As the final fires of hope were extinguished early in the 4th quarter, our baptist friends decided it was time to be getting mother home. As they stood up and shuffled toward the aisle, one of them accidentally kicked over his expensive souvenir cup of Diet Coke. His brother said “aren’t you going to get that?” And his reply is somewhat symbolic of the typical BVS attitude that tends to seep in after the Florida game every year, he said “I don’t even want that stupid cup.”

I think we have all had our “I don’t even want that stupid cup” moments.

If you suffer from Post UF Ambivalence, Offensive Line Induced Rage Fits, or any similar condition associated with BVS, feel free to share your testimony below.

 

[kiddiedoc]

Walking out of the Music City Bowl vs UNC was fun.

So was leaving the Swamp 4 years ago.

 

[ButchPlz]

Walking out of the Music City Bowl vs UNC was fun.

So was leaving the Swamp 4 years ago.

Pretty sure my cousins still hate me for the strings of profanities I threw out for 45 straight minutes during and after that UNC game.

Anyway, my BVS story is constantly telling my wife how elite Tennessee is/was and her just watching us suck ass ever since we've been together. She's from Peru, so her college football knowledge extends only as far as, say, 2015.

 

[njvols]

BVS is an existence for me...not as specific moment... My wife wonders why I do this to myself, but I'm going 8-4 or 7-5 worst case, and sticking to it...for now.

Start of season

end of season

Wash, rinse, repeat...

 

[dougvolfan]

I’m triggered where is my safe space with my pillow and puppies

 

[Jauan't Some?]

I’m triggered where is my safe space with my pillow and puppies

Third door on the left.

 

[GrizzlyVol]

Best thing to do is to get yourself to believe bvs is not a real thing and just enjoy the ride that is cfb. It's only around for a short time and no need in that time being miserable (trust me it took me awhile to get to that point). I was there for the good times on Rocky Top and will continue to be there regardless of the outcome. But I will say winning is always better than losing and man the 80's, 90's and early 2000s was a good time.

 

[VolAllen]

Ahhh let’s see...

South Carolina 05 - this is where things began to unravel

Mizzou 11? 12? - I just remember us basically taking a knee at midfield and then playing for 4 OT’s.

Florida 12 - embarrassing

Mizzou 13? 14? Very cold. Lost.

Florida 14 - Felt like walking out of a funeral

SC 16, 17, 18 - kill me

Those were just a few of the losses I was lucky enough to be in attendance for. I don’t even know why I’m still here at this point. If the Vols were a stock, SELL SELL SELL.

 

[MemphisVol77]

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

I experience BVS before every Florida game. I full expect to lose before the snap. My BVS was triggered in the Oklahoma game in Neyland as well, I remember telling my gf at the time that we will find a way to blow it and lose and sure enough we did

 

[vollygirl]

Sometimes it's a slow fade, and not one or two specific events. It has resulted in us sitting down a month ago and planning a much needed vacation, causing us to miss the 2nd and 3rd game.

And I'm still not sure if it says more about how bad the Vols are or how much we both need this vacation.

 

[GlockVol]

Pretty sure my cousins still hate me for the strings of profanities I threw out for 45 straight minutes during and after that UNC game.

Anyway, my BVS story is constantly telling my wife how elite Tennessee is/was and her just watching us suck ass ever since we've been together. She's from Peru, so her college football knowledge extends only as far as, say, 2015.

Sounds like you need to let her introduce you to soccer.

 

[Boca Vol]

It sucks to not get out of the month of Sept. without asking when does basketball season start!

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

Ive raged pretty hard, I’ve had my, I’m never watching again moments, have taken T tags off my car, but the most funny imo is driving back to Nashville I40 west after a big loss seeing the UT cheerleading pom poms and pennants laying on the side of the interstate

 

[BubbaWms]

Hello, my name is Bubba and I have BVS. Every time I sit to watch a florida game, I think “Ok, now remember, it’s just a game. Just a ball being kicked around a field. It's on the television, they can’t hear you.” But I keep telling my rational self, "But it's the freakin gators and great great grandpaw Bubba said the Gators suck. I am also tired of the Big Orange sucking. I am tired of dreams about choking my cousin Jimmy or nephew Brad who are Gator fans. Thanks for any help.....my name is Bubba and I have BVS

 

[GlockVol]

Been a fan since around 1970 and was a student there starting in 71, before the internet, personal computers, cellphones, social media and canned BS spray. After all those many highs and many, many, many lows, I had to learn to be more detached during periods of losing. Some methods I use which won't work for everybody are:
1. Don't attend games. Won't have to encounter hostile drunken fans (ours and theirs)
2. After a loss immediately turn off radio or TV. No more Kesling or network talking heads
3. Purge house of orange swag. Burn it if you have to
4. Instruct family members not to speak of UT football or risk death
5. Find a distraction. The Predators fill that void for me. Beware of heavy drinking, drugs and skirt chasing. These distractions may lead to death, disease or divorce. Not worth it.
6. Last year I watched college basketball for the first time in years

 

[Jauan't Some?]

Hello, my name is Bubba and I have BVS. Every time I sit to watch a florida game, I think “Ok, now remember, it’s just a game. Just a ball being kicked around a field. It's on the television, they can’t hear you.” But I keep telling my rational self, "But it's the freakin gators and great great grandpaw Bubba said the Gators suck. I am also tired of the Big Orange sucking. I am tired of dreams about choking my cousin Jimmy or nephew Brad who are Gator fans. Thanks for any help.....my name is Bubba and I have BVS

Sounds to me like cousin Jimmy and Nephew Brad could use a good choking out. Just sayin.

 

[Ashevillevol]

Florida doesn't even have to be playing us now. It will start tonight when they play Miami. If they beat them like a drum, the dread will start to creep in. Just like a giant boulder rolling down the hill straight at you.

 

[Jauan't Some?]

Florida doesn't even have to be playing us now. It will start tonight when they play Miami. If they beat them like a drum, the dread will start to creep in. Just like a giant boulder rolling down the hill straight at you.

Same. Any amount of Florida hype will do it for me.

 

[volintheham]

Been a fan since around 1970 and was a student there starting in 71, before the internet, personal computers, cellphones, social media and canned BS spray. After all those many highs and many, many, many lows, I had to learn to be more detached during periods of losing. Some methods I use which won't work for everybody are:
1. Don't attend games. Won't have to encounter hostile drunken fans (ours and theirs)
2. After a loss immediately turn off radio or TV. No more Kesling or network talking heads
3. Purge house of orange swag. Burn it if you have to
4. Instruct family members not to speak of UT football or risk death
5. Find a distraction. The Predators fill that void for me.
6. Last year I watched college basketball for the first time in years

This is me exactly. First, gave up season tix after 2016. This helped a lot after being sour about losing and knowing your dropped a grand to be violated hurt even worse. Last year my kids thought I quit watching CFB because after September I had checked out completely. Last season of basketball reminded me of my football vols, especially the SEC tourney. I will say my son and I have had some really good outdoor/hunting experiences that would have been reserved for ball so there is that.

 

[RollerVol]

my heart goes out to all who have been battling BVS for the last 12 years and nothing but a Gator beatdown by the Vols will cure it...

GO BIG ORANGE!

 

[joevol33]

I made the comment in the end zone that I could possibly go to the vandy game, and how it'd be nice to be there to break the streak against them. Then I realized that I never imagined I'd be saying that about freaking vandy. I got really depressed.

 

[Titan05]

I made the comment in the end zone that I could possibly go to the vandy game, and how it'd be nice to be there to break the streak against them. Then I realized that I never imagined I'd be saying that about freaking vandy. I got really depressed.

This. BVS on steroids.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

I already assume UF will roll us this year, so I don't see any triggering events on the immediate horizon. Of course, if Miami happens to win I'll probably wonder why we didn't hire Diaz.

 

[musolfmj]

Slammed my fist down so hard on an innocent laptop sitting next to me that the screen shattered during a particularly painful loss against a foe that has faded from memory. Come to think of it, it was actually a basketball collapse a few years back under some long-since forgotten coach. Guess my solution after embarrassing BVS rants is to block them out as best I can.