Orange Kool-aid Detox Thread: stay sane and enjoy the season

#28
#28
BruisedOrange said:
[This is NOT a recruiting thread to enlist new members for the NegaVols. Theirs is one way of protecting against disappointment, but I think it's really just manipulating yourself to stay unhappy so your emotions don't take a hit when Tennessee has a bad day. It's like protecting yourself from a series of dating disappointments by marrying your first bad date. It works--but at a cost.]

How many of you VFLs are this week remembering past seasons when you got so high on certain players and overall team expectations before the season, but later felt cheated, manipulated, or let down by the way the season unfolded? We've all been there, and the longer you've been a Tennessee fan, the more aware you are of that repeated pattern.

But do we have to deny ourselves the childhood joy of anticipation? Do we have to deny hope and dreams? No. That just takes away the joy of being a fan.

I'm asking that this thread be devoted to posting comments or articles that TRY TO BE OBJECTIVE about the coming season and specific players. We know the reporters who cover Tennessee will be hyping the possibilities. They know they will gather more readers, more subscribers, if they post headlines and stories that generate excitement. That's just basic Drug Pushing 101. That's audience manipulation. And we love it!

So I'm starting this thread to provide an Orange Kool-aid Detox Center, a place to archive articles and comments that bring us down to earth, that help us VFLs keep our expectations balanced. This isn't the thread to push back against critique--it's the thread to read, reflect, and admit, "Yeah... I guess that's true; it's possible that things could fall out that way." The articles posted here should just provide a healthy reality check, to keep "hope" from becoming an "expectation," and to us from becoming the ugliest of SEC fans--the Entitled Elites! (C'mon, do a little soul searching: do you really hate Bama and Georgia fans... or are you envious? Do you secretly want to be that obnoxious voice from the mountaintop? That's the voice of the seriously insecure.)

Here's an article/video to prime the pump. McElroy addresses Tennessee about 6 mins into the video, but most of what he says is in the article.

Greg McElroy believes expectations for Tennessee are 'getting a little out of control'

Enjoy the journey, fellow VFLs. And arrive sane at the summit.
Click to expand...

I wrote this in another thread re: a reporter’s additional comments surrounding Cutcliff’s praise of Heupel. I think it has a better place here. I tried to quote the post, but could not.

Regardless, the writer’s comments about this being a pivotal season to prove Heupel has staying power is a bit much. I think most of us felt we would have a dip this season with the loss of Hooker. I think some underestimate his impact on our team.

We saw some flashes of Milton’s potential last year, and to me it is apparent that if anyone is going to help him reach his potential, it is Heupel and company. Still, not only did we lose Hooker, we also lost Hyatt, Tillman, Wright, our OC all on offense, and Young on defense without having a lot in the cupboard.

That said, I would be less surprised to see Heupel turn in another 10 win season next year, but I still think we are one to two years away from having fair reason to expect Heupel to be competing for national championships on a consistent basis which we did last year as we were in the picture until we lost to USC. (What a dreadful game, I had that game circled last year.)

Anyways, OC will have a couple years under his belt and these recruiting classes will have some years under their belt. We will have been well removed from any serious recruiting restrictions, and we should be stacked across the board in high rated talent. There should be little excuse by then other than the fact he is in the SEC with Bryan Kelly, Kirby Smart, Hugh Freeze and Lane Kiffin. Beamer, Stoops, Fisher, and Sarkisian are no slouches either IMO, albeit Stoops’ team seems to have slipped a little bit. Arnette, Napier, Pittman and Venables have yet to prove anything at the head coaching position, but all three are believed to have potential.

There are going to be some tight games where Milton’s head is going to be tested. I think key factors this year will be Milton being consistent throughout the game and game to game, filling Wright’s shoes, more sacks, our transfers panning out and improvements in our secondary. I think we have seen plenty from Keyton, White and McCoy to feel confident at the receiver position and our running back room is stacked nicely as well. Keyton and McCoy may possess the surest set of hands we have seen return to Knoxville in a while. If you go back and watch the games, both had pivotal catches that kept us in games. Both in the Bama game and in the Florida game. Obviously Squirrel looks to be potentially special.

That said, the throws that Hooker made in those close games and in those plays when the line broke down were phenomenal. Tough for anyone to fill those shoes. Especially without Wright blocking for them.

We shall see.
 
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#29
#29
BruisedOrange said:
[This is NOT a recruiting thread to enlist new members for the NegaVols. Theirs is one way of protecting against disappointment, but I think it's really just manipulating yourself to stay unhappy so your emotions don't take a hit when Tennessee has a bad day. It's like protecting yourself from a series of dating disappointments by marrying your first bad date. It works--but at a cost.]

How many of you VFLs are this week remembering past seasons when you got so high on certain players and overall team expectations before the season, but later felt cheated, manipulated, or let down by the way the season unfolded? We've all been there, and the longer you've been a Tennessee fan, the more aware you are of that repeated pattern.

But do we have to deny ourselves the childhood joy of anticipation? Do we have to deny hope and dreams? No. That just takes away the joy of being a fan.

I'm asking that this thread be devoted to posting comments or articles that TRY TO BE OBJECTIVE about the coming season and specific players. We know the reporters who cover Tennessee will be hyping the possibilities. They know they will gather more readers, more subscribers, if they post headlines and stories that generate excitement. That's just basic Drug Pushing 101. That's audience manipulation. And we love it!

So I'm starting this thread to provide an Orange Kool-aid Detox Center, a place to archive articles and comments that bring us down to earth, that help us VFLs keep our expectations balanced. This isn't the thread to push back against critique--it's the thread to read, reflect, and admit, "Yeah... I guess that's true; it's possible that things could fall out that way." The articles posted here should just provide a healthy reality check, to keep "hope" from becoming an "expectation," and to us from becoming the ugliest of SEC fans--the Entitled Elites! (C'mon, do a little soul searching: do you really hate Bama and Georgia fans... or are you envious? Do you secretly want to be that obnoxious voice from the mountaintop? That's the voice of the seriously insecure.)

Here's an article/video to prime the pump. McElroy addresses Tennessee about 6 mins into the video, but most of what he says is in the article.

Greg McElroy believes expectations for Tennessee are 'getting a little out of control'

Enjoy the journey, fellow VFLs. And arrive sane at the summit.
Click to expand...

Like I give a rat's a** about what some washed up Bammer says about our program.
 
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#30
#30
The current recruiting rankings are about as sobering as anything else as a testament to the fact that despite recent progress, we still have some work to do. We have the No. 10 class as of this post time which is good, especially since Heupel has shown a propensity to actually get the talent out of talented players, but rumors of the imminent demise of our big 3 rivals have been to this point, greatly exaggerated.

Screenshot_20230725_023400_Chrome~2.jpg
 
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#31
#31
I would rather ride the high for alittle while than try and be "Brought back down to earth" considering how long this fanbase has watched our dumpster fire of a program over the years. We deserve this ride. Let it be.
 
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#35
#35
Screen name says it all...hang in there buddy, we got you! However, I'm a "one game at a time" guy... Yes, we may have huge expectations, but this untested, unknown team has yet to demonstrate that they cannot live up to them. Bring on UVA, WGWTFA!
 
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#37
#37
sechamp2012 said:
So when Hype said after the bowl game, the best was yet to come. He was a bad expectation manager.
Click to expand...
[Just for the record: I'm using your post to respond to multiple posts I've read.
I'm not telling everyone how they should watch a game. But for those fans who feel angry, even attacked, when we win by less than expected, or for fans who feel 20 times worse after a loss than the amount they feel good after a win... I'm offering an explanation for why you experience those extreme emotions, and how you can prevent that if you want to.]

I would say, he would have been a bad expectation manager if he'd said something like "2023 will be an 11 win season."

Saying that "the best is yet to come" was a reasonable, personal promise to Vol nation as the one whose work and decision making generates that improvement. Also, he put no time limit on it other than in the future. He knows how injuries/bad luck can ruin any given season, even when you have depth. He can't control that, only prepare for it.

If I say I'm going to have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood, that's a goal-related expectation. I can hold myself accountable to reaching that goal if I'm prepared to do (or pay for) the work necessary. Of course, I have no control over how much my neighbors might improve their yards. The only expectation I can guarantee is that I will make mine better than it was last year--if nothing crazy happens to it.

But if I say I'm going to win the Publishers' Clearinghouse Sweepstakes this year, and spend my time daydreaming about what I'm going to do with all that money... I don't really have much input into attaining that goal. All I've done is set myself up for frustration and disappointment.

And if that sweepstakes had a forum, I could go on it every Sunday and complain about how they screwed me again this week! I could blame the Sweepstakes, I could blame the Post Office, I could blame fate. But blame, anger, and resentment would be all I could offer, because I'm being deprived of expectations I never had any control over. Being denied my dopamine hit, I'm not going to be logical about the odds involved. Cutting off my dopamine feels to me like a personal attack, and I will want to strike back!

Of course, many could reasonably argue that the dopamine high from daydreaming is better than waiting for the reality.

Hey--it's still a sorta free country, and sports is an escape anyway, right? So it's kinda like alcohol--manage it wisely and you'll be okay. But if your personality changes when you don't have it, or if you have to ignore reality to enjoy it, those might be warning signs. And if you're a parent, you know there are situations coming when all that will keep your kids out of trouble is if they've gained a respect for the value of delayed gratification.

Not preachin' ...just sayin'.
 
#38
#38
Pickinhick said:
If you are referring to me, I never claimed to be sane, balanced, or in touch with reality. Just drinking my orange Kool-aid and getting antsy for the Virginia game. (I live in VA and can't wait to destroy the Vanderbilt of the ACC.)
Click to expand...
60835CC9-5610-40FE-9249-8FFA9427B1D2.gif
 
#40
#40
The Pitt and Bama games could have gone either way and Florida was still in it with a chance at the end, and then of course the USC meltdown. Could have very easily ended up 7-5. You never know how the ball is going to bounce. I'm hopeful that it will bounce UT's way in 2023 like it did in 2022. I learned, finally, that it is pointless to get worked up about college football. I'm a grown man watching a game played by 18-23 year-olds. It is an imperfect game and to expect perfection is lunacy. I will not allow it to impact my mood or how I treat others. I have my core group of bros, and we chat on gamedays and cheer or grieve together.
 
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#41
#41
I'm a happy man after every win. If it's a lose, and there will be some, I'm happy if the team had gave thier all. It's college football, anything can happen on any Saturday. Vandy will start the game tied with Georgia.
 
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