ssims6
Sleeper Pick
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2006
- Messages
- 422
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- 17
So, I've thought about this thread for awhile wondering if I should put it under this forum or the main one and finally decided to post my thoughts here. While I may not post as much as everyone else on VN, I do love this site and have tremendous respect for everyone's opinions. With that being said, I'm a student at UT and had seats in D16 for the game yesterday. Dream seats for UF-UT; however, one thing was lacking, and that was an appearance by UT (more so our offensive unit). As I drudged home with roughly 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter I was able to catch the last minute on CBS to hear the announcers comment on how we have the highest recruiting budget out of any school in the entire NCAA. While I am very aware that TN lacks strong instate talent and we are up against Meyer, Richt, Miles, Saban, Spurrier, etc. to pluck talent from their states, it amazes me to think that we spend more money doing than any school in the country. We spend more than Southern Cal, Texas, Ohio State, or Florida. When I hear this and watch us look like high school kids with the dumbest penalties and mistakes I have ever seen (Way to go Arian and show off your leadership with a 15 yd unsportsmanlike penalty to start the game), I feel like that money isn't translating over to the most important statistical category at all, the W. I'm not saying firing Fulmer is the answer, but where does this money go? I'm tired of watching us trying to transform 2* players into SEC starters. I know rankings aren't everything but I remember when we used to be able to pick the best of the best and now it seems like if a recruits parents don't have a lineage to TN (Eric Berry - omg is he the only person who seems to care out there?), then there is almost no chance that we can go out and get them. I guess I feel like I don't see where all this money for recruiting is going to. As a student I unfortunately became the first guinea pig for the poor ticket situation now in place at UT, and if I'm correct I believe Mike Hamilton said he needed to implement ticket prices for students because they needed to pay for extra expenses. Well **** stop spending out the wazoo for trips that result in nothing. We are losing pipeline connections to states we used to have and are now making pointless that costs us money and have nothing to show for it. I don't know what the answer is but Al Wilson isn't walking through out that new locker room anytime soon (sorry Chris Donald but its not you either). I know Fulmer is known as a great recruiter, makes you feel like family, etc. and I know that we have still had a couple of good classes on paper (05, 07) but look at the other ones because they are mediocre at best. Maybe Fulmer's tactics need to be updated because in case he hasn't realized he hasn't really won anything lately. It was really discouraging to hear Giles in his Govolsxtra report talk about how him and Nunes were discussing the boo birds and how it concerned them. It didn't help out this coveted recruiting weekend by booing! WTF! How are we going to show off Neyland Stadium by booing? Yeah guys that really helped them feel at home. Good warm welcome. The attitude on the Hill needs to change and not just from the coaching staff. It comes back to us too as fans. It doesn't help attract recruits when all we do is not show any respect for our team. TN fans have become too fair weather and if we want this change to happen we have to make a difference too. Lets show some hospitality to recruits to help attract them back to the Hill. I know I will be at every game this year and will continue to support this team, but I wonder about the state of Orange Nation. For hopes that these dark skies are cast away, there will be hope my fellow UT fans. All is not lost, but it will take EVERYONE's help to get the school back to where it belongs. Rocky Top will always be home to me, even in tough times.
