Ravenheart
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To say that yesterday was a sad day for the Tennessee family is a gross understatement. I, for one, advocated for the retention of Coach Pearl, simply based on his popularity and his performance in his six years here, in which he was eighty-four games above .500. I do believe that it is unclear whether or not his staying here would have had an even more of an adverse effect on the basketball program than what we have been presented with already.
I liked Coach Pearl as much as anyone here. When I was at UT several years ago, he was the coach, and he was at the pinnacle of his success. I got an opportunity to speak to him face to face, and he actually referred to me and others who were there by name. He is one of the most personable, outgoing, and energetic men I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and those attributes contributed to his success as a coach. You can't say that about most other coaches.
At the same token, I fully understand that Bruce did something he shouldn't have. He committed a violation and then lied about it, which is not acceptable by any means. As much as it pains me to say this, this is for the good of the Tennessee basketball program to go in a different direction and hopefully, hopefully, alleviate the damage the NCAA inflicts upon us to some degree.
On Kevin Ware and Chris Jones, I honestly don't know what their major malfunction is. They go on record and say that they are Vols regardless of what happens, and then they turn around and bail because Bruce won't be there. I can't believe that I am saying this, but SGM was right when he said that they are making a huge mistake. There aren't many schools this late in the game that are available to them to attend, and I would hate for them to have to settle for a school in a lower-echelon (someone check that spelling for me, please?) school, because that would be a gross waste of their talent. They should at least wait and see who the next coach will be before they panic and run to the nearest bridge. Who knows? He may be just as good as Bruce.
On Mike Hamilton, I have no earthly idea how in the name of everything that is good and decent on God's green earth this idiot still has a job. He is incompetent, he has loused up hires in three major sports (Bruce in men's basketball, Lane Kiffin in football, and Todd Raleigh in baseball), and on top of that, he has shown that he cares nothing for the student athletes, the coaches who coach them, their families, and the fans who support them. He's in it for three things. 1) The notoriety he'll get for being the athletic director of a program that "resorts to every trick in the book to win championships at the expense of their integrity" (the words of a friend of mine who is a Reptile fan, not mine). 2) The money, particularly the revenue generated for the athletic programs over everything else at the University, just to pack his own pockets. 3) Mike Hamilton. I don't like the man. I have never liked the man. There is a shadiness and an aloofness to him that you can't adequately describe, but you can tell it's there. You may have differing viewpoints, and that's okay. That's just what I have seen.
On Scotty and Tobias, if they decide to declare, more power to them. But let me emphasize that these two are not the slightest bit NBA-ready, although in most respects, Tobias is ahead of Scotty in that regard.
To all of you, there is not much that I have said that has already been said. Let me just say that while one chapter closes, another will open. The Bruce Pearl era is over. I, like some of you, hate to see him go, but the time has come to move on. Whoever replaces him has the unenviable task of rebuilding this team from virtually scratch. All I can say to all of you is that it is human nature to become attached to a certain coach after a significant amount of time. However, it is prudent to allow the attachment to Bruce to pass in favor of the next coach. Also, we must get behind our next coach, regardless of his past jobs, past records, and past feats or follies. After all, he will not have coached a game on "The Summitt" until fall.
Have patience, everyone. It will be ok.
I liked Coach Pearl as much as anyone here. When I was at UT several years ago, he was the coach, and he was at the pinnacle of his success. I got an opportunity to speak to him face to face, and he actually referred to me and others who were there by name. He is one of the most personable, outgoing, and energetic men I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and those attributes contributed to his success as a coach. You can't say that about most other coaches.
At the same token, I fully understand that Bruce did something he shouldn't have. He committed a violation and then lied about it, which is not acceptable by any means. As much as it pains me to say this, this is for the good of the Tennessee basketball program to go in a different direction and hopefully, hopefully, alleviate the damage the NCAA inflicts upon us to some degree.
On Kevin Ware and Chris Jones, I honestly don't know what their major malfunction is. They go on record and say that they are Vols regardless of what happens, and then they turn around and bail because Bruce won't be there. I can't believe that I am saying this, but SGM was right when he said that they are making a huge mistake. There aren't many schools this late in the game that are available to them to attend, and I would hate for them to have to settle for a school in a lower-echelon (someone check that spelling for me, please?) school, because that would be a gross waste of their talent. They should at least wait and see who the next coach will be before they panic and run to the nearest bridge. Who knows? He may be just as good as Bruce.
On Mike Hamilton, I have no earthly idea how in the name of everything that is good and decent on God's green earth this idiot still has a job. He is incompetent, he has loused up hires in three major sports (Bruce in men's basketball, Lane Kiffin in football, and Todd Raleigh in baseball), and on top of that, he has shown that he cares nothing for the student athletes, the coaches who coach them, their families, and the fans who support them. He's in it for three things. 1) The notoriety he'll get for being the athletic director of a program that "resorts to every trick in the book to win championships at the expense of their integrity" (the words of a friend of mine who is a Reptile fan, not mine). 2) The money, particularly the revenue generated for the athletic programs over everything else at the University, just to pack his own pockets. 3) Mike Hamilton. I don't like the man. I have never liked the man. There is a shadiness and an aloofness to him that you can't adequately describe, but you can tell it's there. You may have differing viewpoints, and that's okay. That's just what I have seen.
On Scotty and Tobias, if they decide to declare, more power to them. But let me emphasize that these two are not the slightest bit NBA-ready, although in most respects, Tobias is ahead of Scotty in that regard.
To all of you, there is not much that I have said that has already been said. Let me just say that while one chapter closes, another will open. The Bruce Pearl era is over. I, like some of you, hate to see him go, but the time has come to move on. Whoever replaces him has the unenviable task of rebuilding this team from virtually scratch. All I can say to all of you is that it is human nature to become attached to a certain coach after a significant amount of time. However, it is prudent to allow the attachment to Bruce to pass in favor of the next coach. Also, we must get behind our next coach, regardless of his past jobs, past records, and past feats or follies. After all, he will not have coached a game on "The Summitt" until fall.
Have patience, everyone. It will be ok.
