Yeah, it's another one of "those" threads.
I'm sitting here on my front porch in Bowling Green KY, and the mosquitos are sucking me dry. I'm reading many different threads that are all the same. A vol fan types their thoughts..."get behind the team", "bench Worley", "these coaches suck". I'm gonna follow suit and post my thoughts for the interweb.
This saying rings true for our beloved program: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
I was there in the stands when UF missed the field goal in overtime. My earliest memories as a vol fan were the epic games against bama in the early 90s. I was too young to follow football and understand all of its intricacies, but I felt the pain when they lost, and my when my father would b**ch and moan. I was there when those tides turned. The first QB I idolized was Heath. I remember going back to Knoxville to see him play an exhibition game for the Redskins. I remember being heartbroken when his pro career never quite took off.
I was there for Peyton. And to be able to say you were there for Peyton is just about as good as it gets. I met Peyton in NASHVILLE after a UT/Vandy game, a game where we thrashed Vandy....remember those days? I remember being more excited at that time cause I had just met Little Man James Stewert, but even now, looking back, I remember meeting Peyton much more fondly. My mom and other fans were shouting for him, and my mom got his attention, as she was trying to get him to autograph my sweater. He responded kindly with his southern accent "Yes, ma'am." And that was it really.
I watched the snow pour in my hometown of Hendersonville, TN on the night Tee and Peerless made history. I had weird hunches all night, that as it began to snow harder, that big things would happen. I even called it out, and the goods kept coming. My mom drove through the snowstorm to pick up our national championship shirts that night. As a young teenager, I remember thinking how "magical" the night was. The kind of magical that a child feels when they go to Disney world. It's real.
I was there when Wilhoit redeemed himself against Florida, and I was so excited for him cause his dad was my dentist. The look on the UF fans face, to have a victory torn from you is priceless. Not so much fun when it happens to us, is it?
I was there for Wyoming. I sent Phil Fulmer a long email pouring my heart out to him which I don't think he read.
I was excited for Kiffin, only to turn that excitement into resentment. I was there for Dooley. I was weary, but I supported him, through every loss. And with every loss, I became more and more numb.
We've been waiting for a long time. It's been very hard for all of us. Currently, and always, I stand behind my team and their coach. I like everything butch has brought. Is he the answer? I don't know. Will it take more time? Of course. Was I pissed after our vols almost lost to south Alabama? No. We've been taking our lumps for a while, and at this point, I'm over getting all worked up and distraught or mad about the state of our program. I've stood behind them no matter what, and swallow the bad, and celebrate the good. Nothing surprises me anymore. How bad can it get? I believe we've seen the worst of it. The wins will return, and we've waited this long...I just don't see how waiting any longer will hurt anymore than it already has.
Maybe you were there all of those times, as well. Maybe longer, maybe shorter. If you've stood with the team during these past 8 years, then by all means, critique your team, and complain about whatever you complain about. I know you love the vols and this is a healthy way of coping in my opinion. But for me, I don't cope anymore. I just wait. It's all we have really. Time. So to my bruised and battered vol brothers and sisters, I salute you. We've seen it all at this point.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
I'm sitting here on my front porch in Bowling Green KY, and the mosquitos are sucking me dry. I'm reading many different threads that are all the same. A vol fan types their thoughts..."get behind the team", "bench Worley", "these coaches suck". I'm gonna follow suit and post my thoughts for the interweb.
This saying rings true for our beloved program: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
I was there in the stands when UF missed the field goal in overtime. My earliest memories as a vol fan were the epic games against bama in the early 90s. I was too young to follow football and understand all of its intricacies, but I felt the pain when they lost, and my when my father would b**ch and moan. I was there when those tides turned. The first QB I idolized was Heath. I remember going back to Knoxville to see him play an exhibition game for the Redskins. I remember being heartbroken when his pro career never quite took off.
I was there for Peyton. And to be able to say you were there for Peyton is just about as good as it gets. I met Peyton in NASHVILLE after a UT/Vandy game, a game where we thrashed Vandy....remember those days? I remember being more excited at that time cause I had just met Little Man James Stewert, but even now, looking back, I remember meeting Peyton much more fondly. My mom and other fans were shouting for him, and my mom got his attention, as she was trying to get him to autograph my sweater. He responded kindly with his southern accent "Yes, ma'am." And that was it really.
I watched the snow pour in my hometown of Hendersonville, TN on the night Tee and Peerless made history. I had weird hunches all night, that as it began to snow harder, that big things would happen. I even called it out, and the goods kept coming. My mom drove through the snowstorm to pick up our national championship shirts that night. As a young teenager, I remember thinking how "magical" the night was. The kind of magical that a child feels when they go to Disney world. It's real.
I was there when Wilhoit redeemed himself against Florida, and I was so excited for him cause his dad was my dentist. The look on the UF fans face, to have a victory torn from you is priceless. Not so much fun when it happens to us, is it?
I was there for Wyoming. I sent Phil Fulmer a long email pouring my heart out to him which I don't think he read.
I was excited for Kiffin, only to turn that excitement into resentment. I was there for Dooley. I was weary, but I supported him, through every loss. And with every loss, I became more and more numb.
We've been waiting for a long time. It's been very hard for all of us. Currently, and always, I stand behind my team and their coach. I like everything butch has brought. Is he the answer? I don't know. Will it take more time? Of course. Was I pissed after our vols almost lost to south Alabama? No. We've been taking our lumps for a while, and at this point, I'm over getting all worked up and distraught or mad about the state of our program. I've stood behind them no matter what, and swallow the bad, and celebrate the good. Nothing surprises me anymore. How bad can it get? I believe we've seen the worst of it. The wins will return, and we've waited this long...I just don't see how waiting any longer will hurt anymore than it already has.
Maybe you were there all of those times, as well. Maybe longer, maybe shorter. If you've stood with the team during these past 8 years, then by all means, critique your team, and complain about whatever you complain about. I know you love the vols and this is a healthy way of coping in my opinion. But for me, I don't cope anymore. I just wait. It's all we have really. Time. So to my bruised and battered vol brothers and sisters, I salute you. We've seen it all at this point.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
