The Official “Regular Posters of the Basketball Forum” Thread

[Vol49er]

Honestly don't think it has as much to do with the NCAA tourney exits as it does with football being good again. I think thats the biggest thing to do with the apathy. Whether we like it or not, basketball is always gonna be second fiddle (at best) no matter how good they are, and that is definitely gonna be the case when football is excelling and looks like it will keep excelling. Fans, consciously or not, feel like they're already secured with a good football team so no need to appreciate a talented basketball team that's not perfect

 

[johnfnkelly]

I think it’s fine to be cautious, but a not insignificant portion of our fanbase is just kind of refusing to enjoy any of this season, which is plain weird.

To the common fan this team lacks a clear star player like Grant, Lofton or KC. They don’t play super exciting ball. It’s not too hard to see why this team doesn’t have the same attention as past years, especially after Barnes continues to come up short in March. Once you’re good for so long regular season wins just don’t feel the same if you’re not winning when it matters.

A lot of fans are also still soaking in this previous football season as well.

 

[cncchris33]

Because we really aren’t the best fanbase. We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that nothing matters before March 1st. Regular season titles don’t matter. Rivalry games don’t matter. None of it matters….apparently.

It's the product of a spoiled fanbase who has enjoyed the kind of success I only dreamed of as a kid. We have a bunch of fans who were born on 3rd base and think they hit a triple.

 

[walkenvol]

The comments under this tweet are just as bad. 30% of people admitting that because football is good again they don’t care about basketball. 30% people saying our brand of basketball is boring (I.e. defense over offense) so no reason to watch. 40% of people complaining that this team is another first round exit so why get excited.

I truly hate our fanbase sometimes. #4 in the country and you would think we’re #40. That might explain why the Kentucky atmosphere felt so dead on TV and TBA seems kind of muted this year compared to recent years.

I think most of our fans are only fans of winning and don’t really care about the sport. When one of UT’s sports program a goes from being average to being good, then the fans of VOLS winning show up and immediately expect national championships. If the program keeps being good but doesn’t make the football playoffs, bball final four, or the college World Series then the apathy sets in and the drive by types start losing interest and become restless. Legions of the miserable!

 

[cncchris33]

Honestly don't think it has as much to do with the NCAA tourney exits as it does with football being good again. I think thats the biggest thing to do with the apathy. Whether we like it or not, basketball is always gonna be second fiddle (at best) no matter how good they are, and that is definitely gonna be the case when football is excelling and looks like it will keep excelling. Fans, consciously or not, feel like they're already secured with a good football team so no need to appreciate a talented basketball team that's not perfect

I almost posted the same thing. Football being relevant late into the season delayed attention to the basketball team.

 

[Vol49er]

All that ^ being said, I do have some trepidation about the ceiling of this team. I've never felt better about a Tennessee team than I did Admiral's senior year, but even compared to last year I'm not as sure this team really being one of the four best teams in the nation. I am still enjoying the season though, just with more tempered expectations

 

[johnfnkelly]

Yeah, it was so tough, went 26-7, won the SEC tournament championship (first in like 33 years), and lost in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Those poor Vol fans.

I don’t think I’ve ever been as invested in UTBB like I was last march. Everything was clicking. After the SECT I felt like this was the team. KC was on a different level. Josiah was playing out of his mind. It was our year till it wasn’t.

I watched us lose in Indy and felt absolutely deflated. The Purdue loss hurt. The St Joe loss hurt. But this was different. I could have gotten behind a close loss to an elite team in the elite 8, or even the sweet 16. But losing to an underwhelming Michigan team in the second round was pitiful and made me ask myself “what’s the point in getting excited if this is always going to be the end result?” I’ve gotten over it which is why I’m still here, but a lot of people still think like that.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

It's the product of a spoiled fanbase who has enjoyed the kind of success I only dreamed of as a kid. We have a bunch of fans who were born on 3rd base and think they hit a triple.

I’ve never met such a spoiled/entitled fanbase to have not won a national championship. We have one good football season and we become immediately disinterested and frankly bored with the rate at which we are winning. I just really struggle to understand why so many think that the regular season doesn’t matter. There is a lot to enjoy about watching your team play and win even if it doesn’t result in being the one team to lift the trophy at the end of the season.

 

[Volprofch05]

I don’t think I’ve ever been as invested in UTBB like I was last march. Everything was clicking. After the SECT I felt like this was the team. KC was on a different level. Josiah was playing out of his mind. It was our year till it wasn’t.

I watched us lose in Indy and felt absolutely deflated. The Purdue loss hurt. The St Joe loss hurt. But this was different. I could have gotten behind a close loss to an elite team in the elite 8, or even the sweet 16. But losing to an underwhelming Michigan team in the second round was pitiful and made me ask myself “what’s the point in getting excited if this is always going to be the end result?” I’ve gotten over it which is why I’m still here, but a lot of people still think like that.

I understand that having the season end earlier than hoped is tremendously disappointing, but if you approach it as championship or bust (or even sweet 16 or bust), then the vast majority of the time it will be bust. Gotta enjoy the ride.

 

[johnfnkelly]

I understand that having the season end earlier than hoped is tremendously disappointing, but if you approach it as championship or bust (or even sweet 16 or bust), then the vast majority of the time it will be bust. Gotta enjoy the ride.

I mean, championship or bust is an insufferable mindset, but this season most certainly is sweet 16 or bust. That’s not even a tall task and would be a massive failure to go 3 straight years without making the second round considering the talent we’ve had.

 

[Volprofch05]

I mean, championship or bust is an insufferable mindset, but this season most certainly is sweet 16 or bust. That’s not even a tall task and would be a massive failure to go 3 straight years without making the second round considering the talent we’ve had.

Yeah, getting further in the tournament would certainly be extremely welcome. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[berryvol]

The comments under this tweet are just as bad. 30% of people admitting that because football is good again they don’t care about basketball. 30% people saying our brand of basketball is boring (I.e. defense over offense) so no reason to watch. 40% of people complaining that this team is another first round exit so why get excited.

I truly hate our fanbase sometimes. #4 in the country and you would think we’re #40. That might explain why the Kentucky atmosphere felt so dead on TV and TBA seems kind of muted this year compared to recent years.

I really wish these people would just stop watching. I feel like I ruin my own basketball season every year by getting so annoyed with our fan base. We always end up talking about how miserable everyone is instead of how good we are.

 

[VolGee4]

Last year took a lot out of UT fans. I don’t blame anybody for taking a “wait and see” approach,

How does winning the first SECT title in 43 years take a lot out of fans?

 

[berryvol]

I mean, championship or bust is an insufferable mindset, but this season most certainly is sweet 16 or bust. That’s not even a tall task and would be a massive failure to go 3 straight years without making the second round considering the talent we’ve had.

Don’t necessarily disagree with this take. NBA fans bending their minds to discredit LeBron along with Nick Saban’s dominant run has really warped everyone’s minds IMO. The whole “Only Winning Rings” matters argument is so dumb. You can be a great team, a great player, a great program without having to win a ship or make a championship game every year. The same people loving that we won 11 games in football this year but missed the playoffs will bash Barnes for winning 30 games, winning the SECT, but not making the final 4. I

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

If TN gets to a Final Four this year, it won’t surprise me if Barnes walks. The same idiots will start complaining about not making it past the second weekend.

Barnes has already done what the last 7 before him couldn’t do in the SECT. And Devoe only had to win two games to get his championship. Barnes also had TN at #1 in the AP poll far longer than the total number of weeks there in the rest of the history of TN basketball. And I bet if you research it you’ll find similar superlatives in # of weeks ranked, # of weeks in the top 25. Top 10. Top 5. Winningest SEC team over the last 4 years (I think that it’s Barn over the last 5 years).

Spoiled, insufferable, and dumb. That’s no way to go through life.

 

[berryvol]

If TN gets to a Final Four this year, it won’t surprise me if Barnes walks. The same idiots will start complaining about not making it past the second weekend.

Barnes has already done what the last 7 before him couldn’t do in the SECT. And Devoe only had to win two games to get his championship. Barnes also had TN at #1 in the AP poll far longer than the total number of weeks there in the rest of the history of TN basketball. And I bet if you research it you’ll find similar superlatives in # of weeks ranked, # of weeks in the top 25. Top 10. Top 5. Winningest SEC team over the last 4 years (I think that it’s Barn over the last 5 years).

Spoiled, insufferable, and dumb. That’s no way to go through life.

This. I was arguing with someone in a game thread a few weeks ago that said something along the lines of “if Barnes is the best we expect to do, maybe we need to raise our expectations as a program.” Do these people realize that, while we have won a ton of games, we have had ZERO postseason success as a program?? Barnes has, in around a third of the time our program has existed, been to more final fours (obviously) and 2 more elite eights than we have been to in the HISTORY OF TENNESSEE BASKETBALL. Do these people think we are just gonna go lure coach K out of retirement? Resurrect John wooden from his grave? We’d have the same chance of doing either of those than doing better than coach Barnes with current coaches.

 

[orangemadam]

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect this year's team to at least make SS. Anything less is a major disappointment.

With this year's roster arguably being the strongest roster that UT has had this century, our expectation should be at least SS. Doesn't mean we should "fahr Barnes" if we once
again lose in 2nd weekend.

 

[cardvolfan]

We’re a bunch of spoiled brats, honestly. I can’t remember the last time TBA felt so lifeless in a season. The fact that our fanbase seems to think a 31-game season is meaningless and not worth enjoying is frustrating.

I’m going to play devil’s advocate and say the portion of the fanbase that complains the most is also the loudest. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease sort of deal. It can appear that the largest portion is negative, or is it that they just complain more and complain louder? I truly believe that the majority of folks, and I’m not specifically saying message board devotees, are excited and enthusiastic about this team. With the students back on campus, the vibe will pick up significantly. Things are not always what they might seem to appear.

 

[Lankykong]

I think most of our fans just don’t understand the value of elite defense. I get more frustrated with our team giving up 60 with our pace than I do with them missing open threes

 

[berryvol]

I’m going to play devil’s advocate and say the portion of the fanbase that complains the most is also the loudest. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease sort of deal. It can appear that the largest portion is negative, or is it that they just complain more and complain louder? I truly believe that the majority of folks, and I’m not specifically saying message board devotees, are excited and enthusiastic about this team. With the students back on campus, the vibe will pick up significantly. Things are not always what they might seem to appear.

The vibe had better pickup. I’ll be double fisting twisted tea for 40 minutes in section 115 for Texas, auburn, and Bama. I may be sitting on a permanent TBA ban after that stretch if asses are still constantly in seats like the UK game.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I wouldn’t eliminate COVID as at least part of the reason for less than enthusiastic crowds. I think that people are more tired and also not as enthusiastic to get out. It’s easier to watch from the Vol Caves.

Plus there’s the fear of picking up yet another nasty variant in those crowded spaces.

Plus many of the fans that have had their seats since the arena was built have said eff it after the AD gouged them out of their good seats. Everybody in the lower bowls can’t go from about $1,500 to $5,000 or more. $15,000 or so for better seats. I thought that rowdies were supposed to take over the blue hairs’s sections?

 

[cardvolfan]

I wouldn’t eliminate COVID as at least part of the reason for less than enthusiastic crowds. I think that people are more tired and also not as enthusiastic to get out. It’s easier to watch from the Vol Caves.

Plus there’s the fear of picking up yet another nasty variant in those crowded spaces.

Plus many of the fans that have had their seats since the arena was built have said eff it after the AD gouged them out of their good seats. Everybody in the lower bowls can’t go from about $1,500 to $5,000 or more. $15,000 or so for better seats. I thought that rowdies were supposed to take over the blue hairs’s sections?

Another thing about crowds is that too often officiating takes the crowds out of games. When there is play stoppage over and over and over again, it snuffs out the energy. We’re seeing that way too often and way too long. Also, what you mentioned is a factor along with an iffy home schedule (until this upcoming stretch) and the students being gone. It will get better.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Another thing about crowds is that too often officiating takes the crowds out of games. When there is play stoppage over and over and over again, it snuffs out the energy. We’re seeing that way too often and way too long. Also, what you mentioned is a factor along with an iffy home schedule (until this upcoming stretch) and the students being gone. It will get better.

Good points. Unless you are TV Teddy you want to avoid letting the crowd get rowdy.

Being in contention down the stretch run will get TBA rocking again. It’s a long season. Until KY (at freaking noon) the home schedule has been really poor.

 

[omghulkhands]

This is college basketball. There is a real chance we lose as many as 4 games by the end of the SEC tournament. And if that happened, it’d still have been a good season IMO

 

[berryvol]

I wouldn’t eliminate COVID as at least part of the reason for less than enthusiastic crowds. I think that people are more tired and also not as enthusiastic to get out. It’s easier to watch from the Vol Caves.

Plus there’s the fear of picking up yet another nasty variant in those crowded spaces.

Plus many of the fans that have had their seats since the arena was built have said eff it after the AD gouged them out of their good seats. Everybody in the lower bowls can’t go from about $1,500 to $5,000 or more. $15,000 or so for better seats. I thought that rowdies were supposed to take over the blue hairs’s sections?

Idk - Last year, the crowds for the UK, Auburn, and Arky games were electric. This Saturday will be interesting - perhaps the dead atmosphere for UK was mainly due to students being out. We will find out soon enough.