So you've been here since 2008, and you have 2,303 posts....
And you mean to tell me that you've never gotten sucked in to at least the smallest internet rumor?
I mean, I was a big Grudenite. Big. I wanted it to happen. I thought there was a major conspiracy going on. It was fun. And when you're looking for something to happen, and you want it, you will twist anything to believe what seems like the best scenario for the team you love. And it doesn't help when false information is coming in from people who seem credible or have been in the past. And it doesn't help when people who are truly credible are being fed things that are false and reporting them.
You believe. You believe because you think that it's the best option. And when your team is as desperate for hope as Tennessee was, then you swing for the fences and hang on to any hope you have. It's called being human.
Did I want Jon Gruden? Yeah, I did. Did I think it would happen? Yeah, I did, because I listened to all of these people on here, and just hoped one of them knew what they were talking about.
But you know what? It didn't happen. I was wrong. But a lot of other people were too. And we all will admit it. But we won't apologize for saying that we thought that Tennessee was a good enough place that a Super Bowl winning coach would want to come here. And we won't apologize for wanting a great coach for our team. But yeah, we were wrong, and a lot of people were mislead.
BUT, at the end of the day, I am truly glad that Butch Jones is our coach, and I don't think there's a single "Grudenite" that would say otherwise. Has Butch won a Super Bowl? No. Has he coached in the NFL as a Head Coach? No.
But the reason so many of us wanted Gruden was because 1. He had a good track record. 2. He would be a good recruiter, or at least have a recognizable name. 3. He would respect and emphasize Tennessee tradition. 4. He would work his butt off to get us to the top.
And you know what? Every single "Grudenite" would admit that Butch Jones has an incredible track record, probably better than any other option we had, he has brought in an amazing recruiting class already, and is getting elite talent to Knoxville, he has emphasized and respected and even added to our Tennessee traditions ("he gets it"). And he has worked his butt off day and night, repairing bridges burned by the previous staff, and getting our team where it needs to be.
So yeah, we bought in, whoop de-do. That was 4 months ago. Yeah, we questioned Butch's hire. That was 4 months ago. Yeah, we wanted Gruden. That was 4 months ago.
But 4 months later, we still got what we wanted. We got a coach who loves UT, who works his tail off, who recruits well, and who knows how to win.
So take your gloating somewhere else. At the end of the day, Fulmerites, Butch Boys, Grudenites, Dooley Fans (all 2 of them), and even the Kiff Sniffers, we all have one thing in common:
We want to see our Vols win. And though we might disagree on how it should be done, it just reminds me that we still have the most passionate fanbase in college football.
And no matter who our coach is, or what our record is, I'm PROUD to be a part of it.
/thread
