Sports Source poll from yesterday's show

[cardvolfan]

Baseball gives you a little grace for that one bad game and basketball doesn’t. Different sports and there doesn’t have to be a more impressive choice here. What they’ve both done is exceptionally excellent and we’re lucky to consistently be in the top ten in both sports, much less all the weeks in the top five and actually competing for national titles.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Baseball gives you a little grace for that one bad game and basketball doesn’t. Different sports and there doesn’t have to be a more impressive choice here. What they’ve both done is exceptionally excellent and we’re lucky to consistently be in the top ten in both sports, much less all the weeks in the top five and actually competing for national titles.

College basketball only

 

[cncchris33]

Double elimination makes a difference

Also a fair point I didn't consider.

 

[Voltrapnbama]

Ahhh, when the debate is over who was the better hire…. It’s great to be a vol right now

 

[pimo1]

Vitello has done a more impressive job, while Barnes has done a more critical job. Just as a consistent CFP participant/Top Ten football team coach will be viewed as a better hire than a consistent Sweet Sixteen participant/Top Ten basketball team coach given football's stature at both this university and through the wider NCAA landscape, the same holds true for basketball versus baseball.

It comes down to money.. period. Football>Basketball>baseball>everything else combined Basketball land football are the only college sports that normally generate revenue. Most other sports are 'subsidized' by the football and/or basketball programs of that school.

I do beg to differ on Vitello's job being more impressive. He has done an amazing job but its not nearly as impressive as what Barnes has done. He has sustained a great program his whole time here and that's never really been the case. Its not just what he accomplished its HOW. Have we had some good (MBB) teams and good runs in the past? Sure but those were short runs and usually were immediately followed by a big investigation. He's come in and run a pretty controversy-free 'clean' program. Seriously how much negative news has been around Barnes teams? IF some big scandal came out about Barnes and this program, people would be at least slightly shocked. If you heard TV was paying off players and sacrificing young goats between road games no one would be that surprised. Not saying he is just saying TV seems more a chicken blood guy to me.

 

[top5vols]

Heupel!!!

 

[05_never_again]

Have to go with Barnes due to basketball being a higher profile and revenue generating sport. Both have their programs consistently competing at an elite level, so nobody can be wrong with either selection.

That's an interesting way to look at it. Barnes was the more impactful, important (not insulting baseball but it is what is) hire.

In terms of just on-field performance though, it is Vitello, and honestly I don't think it's all that close.

TV has won 2 regular season titles and 2 conference tournaments. In basketball terms, he's had 3 #1 seeds (including 2 #1 overall seeds), (at least) two Elite Eights, and 4 Sweet 16s. Doing it in far and away the best conference in the country, and he inherited a program that had been dead in the water for longer than basketball had. It would have been really easy for TV to have improved the program, but have trouble getting over the hump due to the SEC's depth in baseball, but he's already been the best team in the conference multiple seasons.

Barnes has 2 regular season titles, 1 conference tournament title, no 1 seeds, 1 Elite Eight, and 3 Sweet 16s. And he's been here for 2 years longer than TV. And while the SEC has gotten much better in basketball over the last 10-15 years it isn't far and away the best basketball conference. Rick has been awesome, but honestly Vitello's run in baseball, purely in terms of on-field achievements, is even more impressive.

 

[cncchris33]

That's an interesting way to look at it. Barnes was the more impactful, important (not insulting baseball but it is what is) hire.

In terms of just on-field performance though, it is Vitello, and honestly I don't think it's all that close.

TV has won 2 regular season titles and 2 conference tournaments. In basketball terms, he's had 3 #1 seeds (including 2 #1 overall seeds), (at least) two Elite Eights, and 4 Sweet 16s. Doing it in far and away the best conference in the country, and he inherited a program that had been dead in the water for longer than basketball had. It would have been really easy for TV to have improved the program, but have trouble getting over the hump due to the SEC's depth in baseball, but he's already been the best team in the conference multiple seasons.

Barnes has 2 regular season titles, 1 conference tournament title, no 1 seeds, 1 Elite Eight, and 3 Sweet 16s. And he's been here for 2 years longer than TV. And while the SEC has gotten much better in basketball over the last 10-15 years it isn't far and away the best basketball conference. Rick has been awesome, but honestly Vitello's run in baseball, purely in terms of on-field achievements, is even more impressive.

This is some better detail than I provided, and I agree. I give a slight edge to Vitello in a vacuum of importance/popularity/revenue. I do, however, agree that college baseball giving a mulligan in the postseason is a crucial benefit afforded to Vitello that Barnes doesn't get in basketball.

 

[05_never_again]

This is some better detail than I provided, and I agree. I give a slight edge to Vitello in a vacuum of importance/popularity/revenue. I do, however, agree that college baseball giving a mulligan in the postseason is a crucial benefit afforded to Vitello that Barnes doesn't get in basketball.

Baseball is an even more random sport than basketball though. If they could somehow work double elimination into the NCAAT, it honestly would be a better mechanism for determining a champion.

It probably wouldn't be a 64-team bracket and it would stretch out over a longer period of time, not to mention it would be less intuitive for the purposes of filling out brackets (which I'm sure the NCAA is acutely aware of).

 

[TrippieRedd]

Baseball is an even more random sport than basketball though. If they could somehow work double elimination into the NCAAT, it honestly would be a better mechanism for determining a champion.

It probably wouldn't be a 64-team bracket and it would stretch out over a longer period of time, not to mention it would be less intuitive for the purposes of filling out brackets (which I'm sure the NCAA is acutely aware of).

32 teams, double elimination.

The games being shorter, you could probably play all the games and maybe an elimination game the same day.

I’m sure some AAU teams play several games in a day or two day span easily.

 

[05_never_again]

32 teams, double elimination.

The games being shorter, you could probably play all the games and maybe an elimination game the same day.

I’m sure some AAU teams play several games in a day or two day span easily.

In order to determine a champ, that honestly is a better mechanism. It's all a business decision though...they'd only ever change if it brought in more money. The exercise of filling out a bracket, and the simplicity of it, is a big appeal.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Yeah but Bruce Pearl got us to 2 Sweet 16s and an elite 8 in 5 years. He proved Tennessee basketball has the resources to be successful. Barnes capitalized on Pearl's f-ups in a way.

I don't recall TN baseball being relevant in my lifetime until these last 3 years and I'm 34.

They had good baseball teams back in the 50s when the football players could play and many were good at baseball as wells football. Baseball was also good when Tod Helton as play both sports.

 

[cncchris33]

Baseball is an even more random sport than basketball though. If they could somehow work double elimination into the NCAAT, it honestly would be a better mechanism for determining a champion.

It probably wouldn't be a 64-team bracket and it would stretch out over a longer period of time, not to mention it would be less intuitive for the purposes of filling out brackets (which I'm sure the NCAA is acutely aware of).

Agreed.

 

[VolArmy74]

This is some better detail than I provided, and I agree. I give a slight edge to Vitello in a vacuum of importance/popularity/revenue. I do, however, agree that college baseball giving a mulligan in the postseason is a crucial benefit afforded to Vitello that Barnes doesn't get in basketball.

The mulligan is because baseball has far more parity than basketball. One player having a great day on the mound can propel any team to a win. Even the worst baseball teams can and do beat the best baseball teams more frequently than any other sport.

 

[cncchris33]

The mulligan is because baseball has far more parity than basketball. One player having a great day on the mound can propel any team to a win. Even the worst baseball teams can and do beat the best baseball teams more frequently than any other sport.

Right, I'm not arguing it's validity. Just acknowledging it's an advantage that no other sport has, as well.

 

[StarRaider]

That's an interesting way to look at it. Barnes was the more impactful, important (not insulting baseball but it is what is) hire.

In terms of just on-field performance though, it is Vitello, and honestly I don't think it's all that close.

TV has won 2 regular season titles and 2 conference tournaments. In basketball terms, he's had 3 #1 seeds (including 2 #1 overall seeds), (at least) two Elite Eights, and 4 Sweet 16s. Doing it in far and away the best conference in the country, and he inherited a program that had been dead in the water for longer than basketball had. It would have been really easy for TV to have improved the program, but have trouble getting over the hump due to the SEC's depth in baseball, but he's already been the best team in the conference multiple seasons.

Barnes has 2 regular season titles, 1 conference tournament title, no 1 seeds, 1 Elite Eight, and 3 Sweet 16s. And he's been here for 2 years longer than TV. And while the SEC has gotten much better in basketball over the last 10-15 years it isn't far and away the best basketball conference. Rick has been awesome, but honestly Vitello's run in baseball, purely in terms of on-field achievements, is even more impressive.

CTV (2018) has been here two less years as well... But Barnes was a fantastic no-brainer hire when the whorns let him go... CRB stabilized the program.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Obviously Barnes, Vitello, Heupel, and the rest are trying to be as elite as Kim Cupini.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

The mulligan is because baseball has far more parity than basketball. One player having a great day on the mound can propel any team to a win. Even the worst baseball teams can and do beat the best baseball teams more frequently than any other sport.

I'm not sure there isn't more parity in basketball. More often than in baseball, the FF in college basketball has smaller schools. There's far more frequency of bad teams beating good teams during a regular season of college basketball than in college baseball

 

[Dougie_D]

If strictly “hire” point then you have to say that Barnes was the best hire cause he could’ve gone anywhere.
Vitello was just a “hire” who has so far panned out pretty good for us.

 

[calban]

If strictly “hire” point then you have to say that Barnes was the best hire cause he could’ve gone anywhere.
Vitello was just a “hire” who has so far panned out pretty good for us.

panned out?

 

[Ghost of Archvol]

Who was the better hire?

Barnes or Vitello?

They have both brought stability to their respective sport.

What does Vol Nation have to say?

Why compare diamonds and gold. Enjoy them both!

 

[Vols till I fall]

Interesting Heupel wasn't in the poll

 

[VolArmy74]

I'm not sure there isn't more parity in basketball. More often than in baseball, the FF in college basketball has smaller schools. There's far more frequency of bad teams beating good teams during a regular season of college basketball than in college baseball

I don't know about that. Look at it this way, Tennessee went 38-3 at home this year and one of those losses was a lopsided loss to a Lipscomb team that finished 12 games below .500.

Multiple NBA teams have finished with a winning percentage under 20 percent for the season, 36 since 1969.

In MLB only 3 teams since 1962 have won less than 30 percent of their games.

The old saying across all levels of baseball is you win 1/3rd, you lose 1/3rd and the other 1/3rd makes or breaks your season.

 

[Mimi#1]

Rod Delmonico (3 sec chips / 3 regionals) - Raleigh (meh) - Serrano (meh) - Vitello

Pearl - Counzo (meh) - Tyndall (meh) - Barnes

Very similar paths.

Barnes and Vitello’s success is also similar. It’s gotta be even.

Raleigh - meh??!! He was awful! . Serrano's baseball philosophy was never going to work in the SEC, but I liked him.
I agree that Barnes and Vitello have both been very successful here, and they have a lot of similarities. I hope we keep them both around for a long time.

 

[chuckiepoo]

IF some big scandal came out about Barnes and this program, people would be at least slightly shocked. If you heard TV was paying off players and sacrificing young goats between road games no one would be that surprised. Not saying he is just saying TV seems more a chicken blood guy to me.

…beisbol.