Recruiting Forum Football Talk XXV

[Wickman]

Do yourself a favor and watch NHL Network right now.

"Fans are incredible"

"Loudest building in the league"

"Who cares if they aren't a traditional market, they are one of the best markets in the NHL"

Finally. They are starting to recognize Nashville is a great hockey market. Now if we could just start developing some young talent in youth leagues...

 

[drvenner]

Story up on VQ, Zach Stewart has decided to give up football for good.

I am very sad to hear this news. I wish nothing but the best for the young man and his family.

 

[drvenner]

Greatest Hockey Game Ever

I had to go watch the highlights. I am not a huge NHL fan, and pull for the Penguins, but it appears to have been a fantastic game. There is something about playoff hockey that makes it very special. It can end in an instant (football can too, but it is a different sort of situation) and the pressure that mounts as the game continues is unreal.

 

[jlawso21]

Story up on VQ, Zach Stewart has decided to give up football for good.

This is disappointing. Life gives you many hard knocks and one of the worst is losing a parent at a young age.

Having said that he needs to get on with his life. He may have such a fragile psyche that it's impossible for him to deal with this for many years. If so then I doubt he would have ever made it at UT playing football. Some people aren't made that way. I lost my mother at age 5, with 7 other siblings age 4 to 18. We struggled but life is always a struggle. And no, I am not saying "if I can do it everyone can do it, so get on with it". I am saying the opposite, some people cannot do it.

But if he can do it he should. He has already spent more than a year grieving. Life goes on whether you do or not. I hope he has the right kind of family support. He will never in his life be 18 or 19 years old with this opportunity. And right now, in his state of mind, he needs a whole new challenge and environment.

To anyone who thinks I am trying to be crass, indifferent or cruel, nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes you get so close and caught up in something that the only thing that helps you is being pulled up out of it by someone and sent to do something else important. May he find peace and purpose in his life.

 

[triadvolfan]

This is disappointing. Life gives you many hard knocks and one of the worst is losing a parent at a young age.

Having said that he needs to get on with his life. He may have such a fragile psyche that it's impossible for him to deal with this for many years. If so then I doubt he would have ever made it at UT playing football. Some people aren't made that way. I lost my mother at age 5, with 7 other siblings age 4 to 18. We struggled but life is always a struggle. And no, I am not saying "if I can do it everyone can do it, so get on with it". I am saying the opposite, some people cannot do it.

But if he can do it he should. He has already spent more than a year grieving. Life goes on whether you do or not. I hope he has the right kind of family support. He will never in his life be 18 or 19 years old with this opportunity. And right now, in his state of mind, he needs a whole new challenge and environment.

To anyone who thinks I am trying to be crass, indifferent or cruel, nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes you get so close and caught up in something that the only thing that helps you is being pulled up out of it by someone and sent to do something else important. May he find peace and purpose in his life.

Hard to say without know more about the situation. It could be that he's moving on but he's just rearranged his priorities.

 

[jave36]

I had to go watch the highlights. I am not a huge NHL fan, and pull for the Penguins, but it appears to have been a fantastic game. There is something about playoff hockey that makes it very special. It can end in an instant (football can too, but it is a different sort of situation) and the pressure that mounts as the game continues is unreal.

Playoff hockey really is amazing.

 

[Catbone]

Well it's better than baseball anyway

 

[SergeantVol]

Finally. They are starting to recognize Nashville is a great hockey market. Now if we could just start developing some young talent in youth leagues...

Youth hockey in the South? lol:

I think its a great idea but football and baseball will always be tops down here. Outside of the upper Midwest and the north east, youth hockey isn't all that big. I grew up playing in Wisconsin, I love the sport but I just don't see too many kids being that interested. Need to have more indoor ice rinks to generate interest first, IMO.

 

[BigOrange15]

Well it's better than baseball anyway

Of course playoff hockey is better than a regular season baseball game.

 

[Wickman]

Youth hockey in the South? lol:

I think its a great idea but football and baseball will always be tops down here. Outside of the upper Midwest and the north east, youth hockey isn't all that big. I grew up playing in Wisconsin, I love the sport but I just don't see too many kids being that interested. Need to have more indoor ice rinks to generate interest first, IMO.

I know it isn't huge. It is similar to what is happening for high schoolers in Mid TN and the Carolinas. Two professional teams were brought in and the talent began (although population growth for mid TN plays a big role there as well). Obviously football is number one. However, there's no denying the growth in interest in hockey around the Mid TN area, and a successful Preds team will create more youth interest. Football, basketball, and baseball will always trump hockey, but with the growing population in mid TN it isn't far fetched to have a successful youth hockey league. You're 100% right about needing more ice rinks though.

 

[Wickman]

Of course playoff hockey is better than a regular season baseball game.

I will say false until it reaches the playoffs. Playoff hockey is right under football for most entertaining playoffs. However, a live event, hockey trumps baseball and NFL imo.

 

[jave36]

I will say false until it reaches the playoffs. Playoff hockey is right under football for most entertaining playoffs. However, a live event, hockey trumps baseball and NFL imo.

Agreed on live hockey. It's probably my favorite other than college football as far as a live event.

 

[volatil]

Youth hockey in the South? lol:

I think its a great idea but football and baseball will always be tops down here. Outside of the upper Midwest and the north east, youth hockey isn't all that big. I grew up playing in Wisconsin, I love the sport but I just don't see too many kids being that interested. Need to have more indoor ice rinks to generate interest first, IMO.

Actually 3 sites in Nashville area has several teams. It's growing like crazy


Your guide to youth hockey in Nashville

 

[SergeantVol]

Actually 3 sites in Nashville area has several teams. It's growing like crazy


Your guide to youth hockey in Nashville

It needs more regional growth. For example, here in the state of Mississippi there are exactly 2 rinks. One is the Gulf Coast Coliseum that does ice skating for 2 weeks a year and the other is near South Haven. On the Gulf Coast the SPHL team the Mississippi Surge had issue staying in the black due to lack of popularity. More recreational ice rinks along with the great Northern migration south will lead to more youth leagues.

For kids in the north, ice skating is a favorite winter past time activity. I learned how to ice skate long before I learned to roller skate.

 

[volatil]

It needs more regional growth. For example, here in the state of Mississippi there are exactly 2 rinks. One is the Gulf Coast Coliseum that does ice skating for 2 weeks a year and the other is near South Haven. On the Gulf Coast the SPHL team the Mississippi Surge had issue staying in the black due to lack of popularity. More recreational ice rinks along with the great Northern migration south will lead to more youth leagues.

For kids in the north, ice skating is a favorite winter past time activity. I learned how to ice skate long before I learned to roller skate.

Middle Tennessee is growing at alarming rates. Fastest growing region in the nation. All you Yankees are flooding the area and bringing your hockey love. Hockey will not be a "southern regional sport". But it has caught on here and is very important to kids in this area.

 

[Outofmyvolcanmind]

It needs more regional growth. For example, here in the state of Mississippi there are exactly 2 rinks. One is the Gulf Coast Coliseum that does ice skating for 2 weeks a year and the other is near South Haven. On the Gulf Coast the SPHL team the Mississippi Surge had issue staying in the black due to lack of popularity. More recreational ice rinks along with the great Northern migration south will lead to more youth leagues.

For kids in the north, ice skating is a favorite winter past time activity. I learned how to ice skate long before I learned to roller skate.

Booming in Bay Area of Florida also. League in Bradenton/Ellenton and new rink in north Tampa.

My boys only care about Football, Hockey and Soccer. Baseball comes after those and they don't care about basketball.

Times are changing.

 

[SergeantVol]

Middle Tennessee is growing at alarming rates. Fastest growing region in the nation. All you Yankees are flooding the area and bringing your hockey love. Hockey will not be a "southern regional sport". But it has caught on here and is very important to kids in this area.

Hey, I moved to the South 20 years ago and only left for the Army! Heck, I now consider anyone who lives north of I-20 to be a Yankee!

 

[SergeantVol]

But for real, hockey is a great sport. I have tons of fond memories. I use to be quite the defenseman back in the day, used to moonlight as the 2nd string goalie on my youth team too!

 

[volgirl99]

I will say false until it reaches the playoffs. Playoff hockey is right under football for most entertaining playoffs. However, a live event, hockey trumps baseball and NFL imo.

I've heard from other people that being at a hockey game is one of the best things to experience. I don't like hockey so I've never been to a game. Just don't understand the game and how it works. Not against going to a game, though

 

[snowvols]

Middle Tennessee is growing at alarming rates. Fastest growing region in the nation. All you Yankees are flooding the area and bringing your hockey love. Hockey will not be a "southern regional sport". But it has caught on here and is very important to kids in this area.

Atlanta has grown by about 4 million people since I was born, mainly from Northern migration, and hockey still didn't stick here. The kids of all those people that move down here end up as college football fans like the kids whose families have been in the South for hundreds of years.

 

[snowvols]

Hey, I moved to the South 20 years ago and only left for the Army! Heck, I now consider anyone who lives north of I-20 to be a Yankee!

Ha, for real, a lot of people that live in South GA thin that anything north of Macon may as well be considered Yankee. There is such a divide in GA high school football between the North and South. They hate us up here and think we aren't really Southern.

 

[Ulysees E. McGill]

Hey fellow old fart southerners..honestly did ANY of you ever think you would hear people in the south utter the phrase "Hockey is better than baseball"? I love baseball, and since I lived in Tampa Bay, and went to Lightning games, I fell in love with live Hockey. Yes it is awesome. But I hate..literally hate..that this generation has no care for the deliberate pace of baseball. It is a slower game, but it is a beautiful game when played well. Everything going frenetically all the time does not make it "better"..just different. I love both games now. I get bored with bad baseball games, but the same holds true for Hockey also.

 

[Wickman]

I've heard from other people that being at a hockey game is one of the best things to experience. I don't like hockey so I've never been to a game. Just don't understand the game and how it works. Not against going to a game, though

It's entertaining as all get out live. You should absolutely experience it. It's a blast.

 

[Wickman]

Hey fellow old fart southerners..honestly did ANY of you ever think you would hear people in the south utter the phrase "Hockey is better than baseball"? I love baseball, and since I lived in Tampa Bay, and went to Lightning games, I fell in love with live Hockey. Yes it is awesome. But I hate..literally hate..that this generation has no care for the deliberate pace of baseball. It is a slower game, but it is a beautiful game when played well. Everything going frenetically all the time does not make it "better"..just different. I love both games now. I get bored with bad baseball games, but the same holds true for Hockey also.

Same. I love both.

 

[Aesius]

Saw where Brad Shepard on Bleacher Report predicted an 11-3 season for the Vols.

How would y'all feel about this season:

App State: W
VT: W
Ohio: W
UF: W
UGA: L
A&M: W
Bama: L
USC: W
TTU: W
UK: W
Mizzou: W
Vandy: W

SECCG vs LSU: L
Sugar Bowl vs Baylor: W

Regular season final ranking: #6

I would probably be a little disappointed, because we would likely take a step back in 2017 unless we have a QB ready to step up immediately and it might be a minute until we're capable of winning the SEC/making the playoffs again. But it's hard to find fault in an 11 win season, seeing as how we haven't won more than 10 games in 15 years.