Portal Activity (News and Rumors)

[tombowalker]

Somewhere in between a full slide step and the full windup “stretch” our staff currently define it as

Haha. Dude. You do not understand what the "stretch" actually means.

Just stop.

 

[BigALWiLson]

So I will ask. Would Nico have come if not for the big NIL deal? How is that different? I don't like pay to play NIL no matter who is doing it. It is just wrong, In My Opinion. I'm all for paying the players for truly use of Name Image and Likeness but pay to play is wrong.
LSU right now has the most baseball fans that are willing to put money in the program in college sports. Many others will do it in football or basketball but LSU has it in baseball. You can't get past the fact that they have more fans in Hoover or Omaha by a long shot. They make reservations every year for both because they expect to be there. I think UT can get there but no one is a close second at this point. Their fans are willing to pay whatever it costs individually or corporately to win in baseball and it proved itself out last night.

Who knows what Nico would have done honestly. I'm sure the money certainly helped, was it the only reason ? I have no clue. Now that Burns entered the portal I will ask this question. Do you feel the staff were wrong for sending Burns to the pen ? What could have potentially been done differently if anything ? My personal opinion of Burns is that maybe he needs to look in the mirror. The move to the pen helped Burns gather himself and make a strong second half run. I do not believe it hurt his stock this year. I also feel like he would most likely have been the Friday guy and at worst Saturday next year. Then again maybe he just needs a change. I wish him well at his next stop but I hope if the Vols play his team we blast him off the mound. Good luck CB

 

[cardvolfan]

To be fair to Burns, he and Tony have different goals.

Tony V has a vested financial interest in the team succeeding (his contract and future earnings), first and foremost.

Chase Burns certainly wants to see his team succeed, as well, but he has an entirely separate goal of seeing himself succeed and putting himself in the best place to reach his full earning potential. If he has developed a distrust in the staff to keep him in the rotation (right or wrong) after two years of being bumped to the bullpen, then he's making a selfish decision, but one he feels he has to make to maximize his value. The grass could be greener, but if he is pitching to a 12.00 ERA at another school, next year, then he shouldn't be shocked if he again gets bumped. After all, that school has a coach who is looking out for his team's best interest, as well.

Exactly. I also believe Burns made his decision out of fear. Fear that he might not get that coveted childhood dream-come-true scenario because the folks in Knoxville might mess it up. Therefore, I’m going to a place that has told me something different. He’s putting “I” before “team,” which is his right to do. I don’t have any ill will towards him, but if he’s within the SEC, he will become the enemy on the field. In life, I’ll wish him well.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Since we are talking about LSU. Not sure Burns goes there but who knows.

LSU
Past year, Won the West in Football, Won a NC in Women's BB, and a NC in Baseball. I still think Kelly is a bad coach but $$$$ will make him above average.
All bought and paid for by LSU.

NCAA investigations into football and basketball programs yielded a slap on the wrist in Basketball (Wade) and in football nothing to really complain about when you look at the crime.

$$$$$

 

[Halph66]

So I will ask. Would Nico have come if not for the big NIL deal? How is that different? I don't like pay to play NIL no matter who is doing it. It is just wrong, In My Opinion. I'm all for paying the players for truly use of Name Image and Likeness but pay to play is wrong.
LSU right now has the most baseball fans that are willing to put money in the program in college sports. Many others will do it in football or basketball but LSU has it in baseball. You can't get past the fact that they have more fans in Hoover or Omaha by a long shot. They make reservations every year for both because they expect to be there. I think UT can get there but no one is a close second at this point. Their fans are willing to pay whatever it costs individually or corporately to win in baseball and it proved itself out last night.

I have struggled with how I feel about NIL, and haven't voiced my opinion. You said it well and made me think. NIL for players to sell jerseys, tee shirts, etc. is great. Being able to get paid to teach younger kids is great. I have zero issue with any of that. The school giving all athletes a portion of the proceeds seems fair. The athlete being able to transfer freely (for the most part) is good for the student athlete. The transfer portal is a by product of all of this and overall is good for the student athlete as well as the teams.
In my opinion the pay to play is a loophole that I have the most issue with. Schools, boosters, coaches are going to do what they can to get the best talent and compete. They have to if they want to not be left behind.
It's all about money. The school benefits from ticket sales, etc. The coaches benefit from contract extension, contract dollars, etc. The only advantage that I can see for a big-time booster is a tax write off, not certain what else. Maybe moving forward there will be so rule tweaks. I'm just not a fan of how it is currently, even though Tennessee has benefited greatly from the system as a whole.

 

[Ned Land]

So I will ask. Would Nico have come if not for the big NIL deal? How is that different? I don't like pay to play NIL no matter who is doing it. It is just wrong, In My Opinion. I'm all for paying the players for truly use of Name Image and Likeness but pay to play is wrong.
LSU right now has the most baseball fans that are willing to put money in the program in college sports. Many others will do it in football or basketball but LSU has it in baseball. You can't get past the fact that they have more fans in Hoover or Omaha by a long shot. They make reservations every year for both because they expect to be there. I think UT can get there but no one is a close second at this point. Their fans are willing to pay whatever it costs individually or corporately to win in baseball and it proved itself out last night.

I had an airline tickets and hotels for the finals in case we made it. I could not believe how much that was going to cost me. I kept thinking about that on the crowd shots last night. The number of LSU fans that went up there for 10 days was jaw dropping. They go enough they probably know how to find some level of deal but the cost still has to be staggering.

 

[Orange.]

I really like so many guys on our team, but Chase Burns coming out of the pen in the late season was my favorite player. Those are performances I will always remember. Above all, Burns' seventh inning in Supers this year throwing straight fire and his now famous exhilaration coming off the field, after stranding two (inherited at the corners). It gave me goosebumps when I considered that he likely was reacting, not only to the moment, which was splendid enough, but also his having seized his chance to overcome the ghosts of a certain seventh inning last year. I don't claim to know what he was thinking, and at that moment I doubt he was thinking at all, just letting his feelings out. I'm going to miss him.

I have confidence in our coaches going forward. It wouldn't be surprising to me if CTV manages somehow to turn this into a positive. I hope Chase goes out of conference. I don't want to root for him to get absolutely hammered by our bats, but I certainly will and with gusto. And knowing the Birmingham office, if he is in conference, they will be sure to schedule us there. But for now, I just wanted to say he was my favorite among favorites. And this kinda ruins my favorite baseball gif.

 

[vol66]

So I will ask. Would Nico have come if not for the big NIL deal? How is that different? I don't like pay to play NIL no matter who is doing it. It is just wrong, In My Opinion. I'm all for paying the players for truly use of Name Image and Likeness but pay to play is wrong.
LSU right now has the most baseball fans that are willing to put money in the program in college sports. Many others will do it in football or basketball but LSU has it in baseball. You can't get past the fact that they have more fans in Hoover or Omaha by a long shot. They make reservations every year for both because they expect to be there. I think UT can get there but no one is a close second at this point. Their fans are willing to pay whatever it costs individually or corporately to win in baseball and it proved itself out last night.

As for the Nico part, I have no idea. But, if that’s the way the game is played we better get with the program.

LSU baseball is a stand alone, but for well over a decade I have said, baseball is coming. Why? It’s the only men’s sport at UT that can grow. They are taking seats from Neyland, not adding more. TBA can’t grow.

Baseball, in that time frame has taken off like a rocket thanks to ESPN and their unquenchable desire for ratings.

We were late to the party. Skip Bertman was handing out invitations.

GBO!!!

 

[Ned Land]

Vitello said in the interview today that if NIL is your number one concern when transferring, we probably are not the place for you. (It was in reference to a transfer portal question, not Chase Burns fwiw.)

Sounds like we don't have much baseball NIL money to me! I doubt many do, other than just a handful of schools. If Coach V had benefactors dumping millions of bucks at his feet to be distributed we would definitely be doing it. Ben McKee pretty well confirmed this week spilling the fact that Maui didn't get a fraction of some of the wildest numbers I saw being posted. I wish we did have some billionaire that would fund all these kids scholarship but you just know it isn't out there.

 

[Volprofch05]

I really like so many guys on our team, but Chase Burns coming out of the pen in the late season was my favorite player. Those are performances I will always remember. Above all, Burns' seventh inning in Supers this year throwing straight fire and his now famous exhilaration coming off the field, after stranding two (inherited at the corners). It gave me goosebumps when I considered that he likely was reacting, not only to the moment, which was splendid enough, but also his having seized his chance to overcome the ghosts of a certain seventh inning last year. I don't claim to know what he was thinking, and at that moment I doubt he was thinking at all, just letting his feelings out. I'm going to miss him.

I have confidence in our coaches going forward. It wouldn't be surprising to me if CTV manages somehow to turn this into a positive. I hope Chase goes out of conference. I don't want to root for him to get absolutely hammered by our bats, but I certainly will and with gusto. And knowing the Birmingham office, if he is in conference, they will be sure to schedule us there. But for now, I just wanted to say he was my favorite among favorites. And this kinda ruins my favorite baseball gif.

Very well said, thanks for the thoughts

 

[Halph66]

Very well said, thanks for the thoughts

I concur.

 

[volman128]

Shades of Jalen Hurd. I'll keep my true feelings to myself but in short I'll just say I think he's extremely immature and if he goes to an in-conference foe I'll only wish the worst for him.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Something I haven't read/heard considered in the NIL debate is demographic changes---there are going to be fewer and fewer college students over the next 20 years, and the decline is going to be drastic. That's something that's been known for over a decade.

Many colleges will cease to exist, at least as currently configured and marketed. There certainly will be fewer schools supporting major athletic programs. Which means there will be fewer opportunities for good-not-great athletes to play their sport after high school.

As a result, we might see mid-major talent having to move upward to find opportunities to play, further concentrating talent in the Power Five schools.

But in the absence of NIL, we might have seen top talent moving "down" to mid-major schools, where they could have experienced high level competition but in a smaller, more intimate campus setting. The Power Five might have been forced to grow to a Power Six or Seven. Not sure what that would have meant for the financial power$ that be.

------------
Personally, I still think NIL was leveraged onto the NCAA by legal pressures, and the intent was not to improve anything permanently, but to eventually destroy college athletics, for ideological reasons both social and political. But it's easier than ever these days to assume that. Doesn't mean I'm correct.

 

[SGMVols]

Since we are talking about LSU. Not sure Burns goes there but who knows.

LSU
Past year, Won the West in Football, Won a NC in Women's BB, and a NC in Baseball. I still think Kelly is a bad coach but $$$$ will make him above average.
All bought and paid for by LSU.

NCAA investigations into football and basketball programs yielded a slap on the wrist in Basketball (Wade) and in football nothing to really complain about when you look at the crime.

$$$$$

Les Miles and Ed Orgeron won natties at LSU. Kelly will get one, and maybe more than one. It’s stupidly easy to win there

 

[99gator]

I think this burns situation is what will make people sour on the portal if they didn’t already.

He’s getting playing time. He’s competing at the highest level as is his team. From what I can gather, he likes the coach and the coach likes him. Pro scouts seeing him is not an issue

And he’s leaving

 

[arkyvol]

I'd loved to have him back, but regardless, he gave the Vols two wonderful years. I wish him the best of luck against everybody but the Vols.

 

[vol66]

I think this burns situation is what will make people sour on the portal if they didn’t already.

He’s getting playing time. He’s competing at the highest level as is his team. From what I can gather, he likes the coach and the coach likes him. Pro scouts seeing him is not an issue

And he’s leaving

Ya know I respect ya, but yeah, we know.

 

[taylorvol]

So I will ask. Would Nico have come if not for the big NIL deal? How is that different? I don't like pay to play NIL no matter who is doing it. It is just wrong, In My Opinion. I'm all for paying the players for truly use of Name Image and Likeness but pay to play is wrong.
LSU right now has the most baseball fans that are willing to put money in the program in college sports. Many others will do it in football or basketball but LSU has it in baseball. You can't get past the fact that they have more fans in Hoover or Omaha by a long shot. They make reservations every year for both because they expect to be there. I think UT can get there but no one is a close second at this point. Their fans are willing to pay whatever it costs individually or corporately to win in baseball and it proved itself out last night.

I doubt it…same for Ahuna I suspect. Small difference is Nico isn’t a one year mercenary rental. Pay to play stinks and will make the rich get richer. The mid majors will turn into farm teams for Power 5. In a few more years, college sports will look like professional sports. I hope I’m wrong.

 

[99gator]

Ya know I respect ya, but yeah, we know.

One day, there will be a dude win the Heisman as a freshman or sophomore and enter the portal

 

[vol66]

One day, there will be a dude win the Heisman as a freshman or sophomore and enter the portal

Ain’t thought about that award since HS.

 

[taylorvol]

I think this burns situation is what will make people sour on the portal if they didn’t already.

He’s getting playing time. He’s competing at the highest level as is his team. From what I can gather, he likes the coach and the coach likes him. Pro scouts seeing him is not an issue

And he’s leaving

Vayner Sports reps only 3 high profile college baseball players: Tommy White, Chase Burns, and Chase Dollander.

 

[vol66]

Vayner Sports reps only 3 high profile college baseball players: Tommy White, Chase Burns, and Chase Dollander.

Not that it matters, but I wonder how that happened.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

College sports sucks!

Bring amateur sports back!!!

You have other options.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

If Burns leaves because he is bitter at the staff, then I want him gone. If he's leaving because he wants to maximize his value, and - without or without bias - believes the grass is greener elsewhere, then I wish him luck and success. The one-time free portal jump is essentially free agency, and he is just taking advantage. Can't really blame him. But in his considerations of where the grass might be greener, I hope he realizes that although he was put in the pen for ineffectiveness, he was also given a role for which he could succeed to the point where his stock has risen to high he is in the catbird seat. And I hope he considers who coached him to that elevated status.

 

[vol66]

You have other options.

Called the Olympics. Sort of.