How long a vol fan and do you care anymore?

[Vol Farmer]

I’m 64 years old and have always been a Volunteer Fan. It’s been a pleasure to watch all these young men grow and develop. The coaching staff is amazing and I still look for good things coming. I am and will always be a Volunteer Fan. No question about that. Already looking forward to next season.

 

[Tin Man]

62 years old. Been a fan about 54 of those years. The day I stop caring about the vols will be they day they put me six feet under the ground.

Whippersnapper…

 

[tennrich1]

Vol fan for 62 years, For 50 of those years I took every loss very hard. But, maybe because I have finally learned “that it is just a game”

I accept the losses, oh I get disappointed for sure, but a loss does not devastate me any longer. Love to still follow them, watch them on TV. But, no longer spend my money on going to the games, I enjoy them for lot less money relaxed in my old faithful recliner.

With all the issues with my family, friends and this crazy world we live in it just makes me look at it as “just a ball game.” A loss does not really affect my everyday life, and a win certainly does not improve the quality of my life. I think the way I see the college game going has helped me put a true value on the game.

I'm with you OldVolMan...I've been a Vol for 55 years. I, too, have learned how to "enjoy" without being obnoxious, mean, ridiculous, and downright stupid over a loss. I see some of these posts and shake my head. CLEARLY...to many people take it personally and wins and loses affect who they THINK they are as a person. I often wonder if these ravenous fans take it out on their kids and other family members. Makes me sick to my stomach to think the way I acted for many years after a loss. Nothing in my past I'm more embarrassed about than that. Vol football will be here long after we're gone. Hopefully....we can learn to enjoy the ride.

 

[Aussie Vol]

40 years. I still care, but it's gets old knowing you have no shot at the NC and that you're a longshot for the SEC.

For this program to have not won the conference this century is ludicrous.

Even a person of below intelligence can see JH is the best coach post-Fulmer. He turned us around quickly and made us respectable again. But I have zero confidence right now that he will ever win the NC. I have a low level of confidence that he can win the SEC.

He seems to be on a an accelerated Fulmer path...it took Fulmer longer (and after two SEC titles and one NC title) to get so stubborn on his system and too overly loyal to his assistants.

No, you can't clean house every time you have a bad game but the o line has never looked great, Martinez has to have either elite talent or a great front 7 to be effective. Our receivers can't catch a cold and our play calling is bizarre at times.

I don't feel like we maximize our talent...anyone remember plays like Hyatt secretly lining up in the backfield? I know he's a bit fragile, but I would love to see some packages with Thornton in the slot or something a bit creative. I 'd love to see us do something with Pearce instead of a straight bull rush into a double team every play.

I saw something the other day that said OSU had spent about twice the money on their current roster that UT had. It certainly showed.

If Sypre can't keep up with the upper echelon programs then things are likely to get worse. We either need to buy better players or somehow manage our salary cap. Nico is a great kid and he's tough as nails, but so far I don't see the payoff. He looks comparable to Crompton under Kiffin....less ints but less TDs but with a much better surrounding cast. He doesn't look like an elite player in his second year with the program. Maybe that's not on him, maybe that's on the staff. Right now, I'd rather see a game manager behind an all world offensive line that was well coached.

The 2 QBs JH has gone after aggressively since he's been here haven't looked great. I think part of the issue is he either doesn't trust Nico to run the system at warp speed or he's changed his philosophy. Either way, this simplistic system doesn't work when you go slow. He either needs to re-vamp his system or he needs to find a QB that can run it full speed. Huddling up and taking your time to run the same pass plays and counters/dives is not fooling anyone.

The beauty of the offense under Hendon was that people got confused, defenders would get tired and not get set properly, and if you let your guard down for just a second Hendon made you pay.

I think JH has done an admirable job, but I think he was very lucky to catch the SEC in such downtrend this year. Next year's schedule doesn't look terrible, no Texas teams, no SC,, no Ole Miss. If he's going to get something done, next year would be a great time to do it.

This is such a terrific post. Makes total sense to me!

 

[volfan102455]

Been a Vol fan for around 55 years. Will I ever stop caring about how good the Vols do at any sport? No. Will I stop supporting or caring when they lose? No.

Do I get upset at times when we lose? Yes, but at the end of the day, while I understand the money aspect of this and what it brings in, this is just a sport. It is not life of death for me.

And I don't bet on sporting events at all, though if I did, I would heed the advice my Dad gave me a long time ago. He said never bet on a Tennessee game. And it wasn't because of any stat around whether they cover or not - it was because it alters the way you feel about the outcomes of the games. You can't enjoy a win unless it is by enough for you to win the bet and it makes a loss worst.

 

[pimo1]

What makes Nico so special? Maybe he isn't our best option given the system and players we have or can get. Maybe he doesn't really fit CJH's system as good as someone else. My point here is should the team completely retool for one player???

Retooling for Nico would be retooling for whatever good QB we get. I think maybe presented wrong. Better said Nico is not the problem. Can he do with getting better? Yes but hes going into his third year..he is very likely to improve a lot amd worst case a decent amount.

We need to do some serious upgrades both for short and long term at WR and OL. We currently have what 6 and counting outgoing WRs and only 3 incoming? OL we lose most of the 2 deep unless Karic returns we basically return 1 starter. Karic and Heard are the only guys we possibly return that have played significant snaps because Dayne Davis will be sorely missed. We are probably at least ok at center and tackles...hopefully. But we need more than just starters we need an upgrade of depth at OL and WR.

There are a lot More holes to fill this off-season than we thought before this weekend. I am scared we might see more depth hit the portal if the mattress burning starts. Players read forums and if they dont their agents and parents do. Now is the time for us the fans to pump some freaking sunshine whether or not we believe it. At least for the next few weeks. Put on some orange tinted glasses before every forum post till after new years. It could make a difference if the fans buy in. Honey>vinegar

 

[TheFlash1971]

I've been a vol fan 32 yrs. My care level is at basketball level oh we won good after this loss. If we don't heavily spend money this off season we won't ever win another title. Coaches need replaced as well. This is our only chance to fix and catch up to the elites. Nico is a mediocre QB. Historically we are a 8-10 win team. Next season we look to be 7-5 or 8-4 if we get lucky. Embarrassing night and year ahead as this game will be brought up all off season.

42 years here , and have come to the point of until we want to be elite, we won’t be elite. You can buy a team now thru recruiting and transfer portal. Sure would be cool to roll everybody for a little while.

 

[Volwonder1]

37 years old here and been a fan since i was like 10 and although i still turn on every game and pull for the vols games like last night dont hurt me anymore i've lost something in the past 15 years that made it hurt when we lost now it's just a feeling of "yep thats how it goes for tennessee".

Kind of like the facemask on the opening series on 3rd down…I told my wife that was the most Vols thing ever and then of course they scored a TD a few plays later. Felt like that set the mood for the entire game and yes I know it was one play.

 

[NEO]

48. Been a fan since I was 13ish.

Starting to not care about sports in general.

Think I would rather spend my weekends on a boat fishing or golfing or reading a book at this points.

 

[Bigorangefan 98]

62 years old. Been a fan about 54 of those years. The day I stop caring about the vols will be they day they put me six feet under the ground.

Just like me same age bout same time been a big Vols . My blood runs orange . I can remember Holloway connecting with Larry Seivers as my first vol memory VFL

 

[Jake]

my first game at Neyland Stadium was against LSU in 1975…still have my ticket stub below). I was 6 years old…and not too many years later was when the Jimmy Streater era got me really hooked on TN Football. Alan Cockrell, Andy Kelly,Tony Rice, and Heath Shuler were all heroes of mine too. i went to UT during the transition years between Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer…which was bitter sweet because we all loved Johnny Majors but knew it was time for him to go. Didn’t like the way it was handled but we got over it when Fulmer started recruiting 5 star blue chips and we beat Bama every year, like it was easy. I remember seeing players like WR Anthony Miller driving around campus in a 530 series BMW wondering how he got that car. One of my years at UT, one of my good buddies was Mark Moore DT for Tennessee and because of him, I got to spend time with Marion Hobby, Tracy Hayworth, Reggie Cobb, Anthony Morgan and Earnest Fields. Yes at parties and in the dorms. When Coach Fulmer got fired, I remember thinking how much I appreciated those years of his tenure but it was time to go and when a lot of people were upset about how it was handled, I remember thinking “now he knows what Johnny Majors felt like”. Living through the agony of the Kiffin, Dooley, Butch, and Pruitt years were super rough (as most of you know) and now that we’re finally on the winning side of the street again, it’s hard for me not to appreciate Heupel and what he’s done for us, because we sucked so bad for so long. No we’re not there yet, and maybe we won’t get THERE, but maybe we will. if it’s gonna happen, it will have to in the next three years, or our fan base will run Coach Heupel off. and what is “THERE” to us? and SEC Championship? a National. Championship? or do we just judge each team yearly based on who we beat and how competitive we are? IDK the answers to these questions but I do know one thing, I’m 55 years old and my blood will always run orange. I have lived in Colorado for 34 years now and I own a bar here. I have Tennessee orange all over my bar and my Ford Raptor has a big fat Power T in the middle back window so everyone can see it. my ten year old son and I wear Tennessee apparel daily because we are proud to be VOLS fans out here. People stop us all the time and say GO VOLS!! So I’ve said all that to say this. Those of us that have been through all these eras, at the very least, appreciate what Heupel has done for the football program, bringing it back from the dumpster fire that it was. Yes I want an SECC and a NATTY to boot but for now, I’m just glad we are winning again…and curious to see where we go from here.

 

[feathersax]

Began listening to Vols on radio with George Mooney in late 1950s. My first game in Neyland Stadium 1964. Season tickets 1982-2002 (son has season tickets now). Always love the Volunteers, but I dislike: conference expansions, playoffs system, N.I.L., Transfer Portal, etc. Yes, I'm a grumpy old curmudgeon...but Merry Christmas, Vol Nation.

 

[volfan411]

I have been a fan for 30 plus years and I also have learned how to enjoys the wins and ignore the losses. A loss used to ruin my day and weekend now I have realized the sun will still shine tomorrow win or lose and there is more to life than being mad about the Vols losing.

I am giving up my season tickets this year though. I love the tailgate experience but cannot take being in the stadium any longer due to the crowd size. I was debating not renewing all year and the increased cost made the decision easier.