When this whole mess unfolded (Kiffin leaving, everyone and their brother turning us down because we treated Phillip the way we did, and hiring Derek) I knew what would likely happen.
I never ever was a Kiffin fan. I didn't like the little twerp and had it not been for his daddy who I always felt like was running the show I wouldn't have at all been happy. That said, during that year things got accomplished. Jonathan Crompton didn't appear that he should be at Carson Newman let alone Tennessee until the Kiffin group got ahold of him. I don't remember which game, one of the early ones there was a little problem on defense, it got fixed by the next weekend. Kiffin's crew, personality aside, could coach. They could identify problems and knew how to fix it. Dooley does not. This 12 men on the field crap, IMO would have been fixed by Monty Kiffin in 5 minutes. He'd had 20 people on the sidelines counting heads if it took it. 3 years later and Dooley doesn't have that fixed. He's in over his head no doubt.
That said, this money is a big damn problem. It's one of the reasons I believe these big time Football and Basketball programs ought to be separated from the Universities and allowed to operate on their own like a farm system for the NFL if you will. Pay whoever or whatever they want to pay
A good portion of the fault on this mess lies with the idiot politicians who force schools to operate 200 some odd ding dong sports that loose millions of dollars causing athletic departments to loose money instead of making money for the school which could be used to offset the costs of providing an education. Somehow we loose sight of the fact that the school's primary mission is to produce doctors, engineers, business people, scientists, and such.
Too many kids/parents are struggling hard to pay for or finance educations and it's a sad state of affairs to have to raise their costs to cover the screw ups of the athletic departments and politicians and for what purpose? Bring more people to bars in Knoxville on Saturday?
I used to and still do fish tournaments. In my younger, single, less responsibility days I spent a lot of money I didn't really have to spend trying to figure out how to be a "Pro Fisherman". Somewhere along the way I had enough sense to look at the guys fishing the top 150 and figure out that most of them ended up divorced and broke. I still fish tournaments but I keep it in perspective. I make enough money to buy a boat every year and fish all over the place if I chose, but I'd rather see my family have a nice home and enjoy the things they enjoy.
I don't trust these political type people in any capacity with budgetary figures. I don't trust their ability to operate a business at all otherwise we wouldn't be in the messes we are currently in.
If Dooley can be replaced with a top notch man and staff and it not cost a kid trying to earn an education or his/her family trying to pay for it I'd be all for it. If it's going to additionally tax others, then I'm against it.
FWIW Vol66, I don't disagree with you in principal. I understand this mess has cost people money, it's cost the University money, and it's cost private businesses money in the Knoxville area. Dooley needs to go. That said, our fan base has a tendency to spend other people's money very freely. We had a good thing going with Phillip Fulmer and it should have been left as was. A lot of people learn that lesson in business and in life when they over extend themselves. It's painful when they do and it takes a while to straighten out.
