We won't put up a fence around TN.

#26
#26
Any coach that says,that he is going to put a fence around his state and his going to lock it down,is talking figuratively.

The proof,two stolen from UF,one stolen from LSU,its never a done deal,till the deal is done.

No state can make this claim,some are close.But there is always the exception to the rule.
 
#28
#28
No it's not. Throughout Tennessee history the 3 grand divisions have been just that: divisions.

Our welcome signs used to say "Welcome to the three states of Tennessee."

Memphians (?) have more in common to Mississippi and Arkansas than they do Nashville. Knoxville has more in common to Asheville than it does Nashville.

You can have fans of UT football throughout the state, but chances are, at some point, those folks came from East Tennessee or have a legacy of attending the school.

Kids growing up in Memphis see more Ole Miss, Alabama, and Tiger High than they do UT. Saturdays in West Tennessee aren't automatically UT Gamedays.
UT is the top program in the state, but kids don't want to come to UT for the sake of it being in Tennessee. Winning helps, but being from TN will never mean a kid is a UT lock.

I guess TN is the only state with colleges close to its borders.

I'm guessing from your comments concerning Ole Miss, Bama, LSU you don't live in Memphis because it is simply not true.
 
#29
#29
Not sure what you have been smokin', but there are more UT fans, 20-1, in West TN than there are Memphis or Ole Miss fans. We didn't come from East TN. We are true orange fans thru and thru. Memphis is a culture of its on and definetly has Arkansas and Ole Miss ties, but don't lump the rest of us West Tennesseans in with the crowd in Memphis.

I agree. I lived in Jackson, TN (about an hour east of Memphis) for 10 years, and you definitely see a lot of Orange everywhere you go on game days.
 
#30
#30
No it's not. Throughout Tennessee history the 3 grand divisions have been just that: divisions.

Our welcome signs used to say "Welcome to the three states of Tennessee."

Memphians (?) have more in common to Mississippi and Arkansas than they do Nashville. Knoxville has more in common to Asheville than it does Nashville.

You can have fans of UT football throughout the state, but chances are, at some point, those folks came from East Tennessee or have a legacy of attending the school.

Kids growing up in Memphis see more Ole Miss, Alabama, and Tiger High than they do UT. Saturdays in Memphis aren't automatically UT Gamedays.
UT is the top program in the state, but kids don't want to come to UT for the sake of it being in Tennessee. Winning helps, but being from TN will never mean a kid is a UT lock.

FYP

My Dad was born and raised in Fulton Tn, and he is as big of a UT fan as anyone. Memphis is oddity here, not West Tennessee. I've only lived in Memphis for a few years but can tell you it is its own melting pot of SEC teams. UT Football still reigns supreme but no where near the level of anywhere else in the state.
 
#31
#31
I agree. I lived in Jackson, TN (about an hour east of Memphis) for 10 years, and you definitely see a lot of Orange everywhere you go on game days.

I second that notion. I was born in Humboldt and lived in Jackson too. I grew up for the most part out of state and went to school at Oregon but I never waivered in my love for the Orange. West TN is all about the Orange. Memphis just has the most diluted influence due to it being the farthest away but that does not mean the kids don't grow up with a natural affinity for UT football WAY more than Ole Miss or Arky.
 
#32
#32
this.

The odd geography of Tennessee is a hindrance. It's kinda like Memphis is it's own state. We'll probably get more than our fair share of stud players out of Memphis, but I agree that it will be very difficult to completely lock it down.

First off, awesome EB thing. That is BA. Second, it's ganga. Third, I agree.
 
#33
#33
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Nooooooooooooooooooooo How dare you, HOW DARE YOU?

What is this sir, I dont care about the location of anything, this is Tennessee land CLK will own this and everywhere he pleases. Don't be afraid don't fear, dont think about the old, there is no Fulmer this is a new land CUM is afraid of UT stealing talent, CUM is afraid of UT he knows the beast that lurks. EVERYONE!, let us think of this as a resurgance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude you seriously creep most of us out I believe.:no:
That avatar has got go
 
#34
#34
I don't get the whole locking down the state thing either. I just want Tennessee to be able to cherry pick the guys we really want. I'm sure there will be players that Tennessee will pass on do to lack of need at certian positions or just getting a higher quality guy out of state.
That is pretty much by definition "locking down the state"...

I also thing that other parts of the state such as Chattanooga and East Tennessee is starting to come up. .

The problem is population concentration. The population density isn't great enough in East Tennessee.
 
#35
#35
That is pretty much by definition "locking down the state"...



The problem is population concentration. The population density isn't great enough in East Tennessee.

From Wikipedia:
East Tennessee is the most populous and most densely populated of the three Grand Divisions. At the 2000 census it had 2,119,505 inhabitants living in its 34 counties, which have a combined land area of 35,115.76 km² (13,558.27 sq mi). Its population was 37.25% of the state's total, and its land area is 32.90% of the state's land area. Its population density was 60.358/km² (156.33/sq mi).
 
#36
#36
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Nooooooooooooooooooooo How dare you, HOW DARE YOU?

What is this sir, I dont care about the location of anything, this is Tennessee land CLK will own this and everywhere he pleases. Don't be afraid don't fear, dont think about the old, there is no Fulmer this is a new land CUM is afraid of UT stealing talent, CUM is afraid of UT he knows the beast that lurks. EVERYONE!, let us think of this as a resurgance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone forgot their ritalin again......:geek:
 
#37
#37
We are similar to North Carolina. We used to get 2-3 great recruits out of NC ever year. Looks like Butch Davis has stopped that. I think had Kiffin been the head coach last year, Donte Hightower would not have left the state.
 
#39
#39
Pluheeesssse. Then I guess Texas is 20.

The fact is that if you live in TN, that is your home state. This geography swill is just excuse making. UT is the top football program in TN, they should be getting most of the players in the state they want - period - whether they live in Bristol or Shiloh.
That might be the case for Nashville kids, but Memphis is a whole different story. It's too far from Knoxville. It's not much further to Norman, Oklahoma or Athens, GA, and it's closer to the Alabama schools than it is to Knoxville.

My expectation is that they'll be able to do better there than Fulmer and Co did, but they'll never lock it down to the degree that they'll get most of the highly rated kids.
 
#40
#40
I live in West TN about 90 miles east of Memphis. I work in and around Memphis every week. UT is bashed each and every day in Memphis by sports talk radio. These kids grow up hearing nothing but negativity about the Big Orange. They hear more about Memphis and Ole Miss. Hell, they even carry Ole Miss games on radio in Memphis.

:lolabove: Totally not true (bolded text).

Also, you can get Arkansas, Ole Miss, UT, Memphis and MSU games all on the radio in Memphis.

I think you start to see the majority orange once you get past Tipton and Fayette Counties. West Tennessee is definitely a majority orange, From Dyersburg to Paris to Selmer to Jackson.
 
#41
#41
I think its possible to change the sports culture around memphis. It will take time but it is possible. The coaches need to involve Memphis more into our program. Believe it or not Memphis is and always will be part of Tennessee. Its hard to believe the majority doesnt have a little bit of state pride.
 
#42
#42
I think its possible to change the sports culture around memphis. It will take time but it is possible. The coaches need to involve Memphis more into our program. Believe it or not Memphis is and always will be part of Tennessee. Its hard to believe the majority doesnt have a little bit of state pride.

There is a bit of difference between "state pride" and "university pride".
 
#43
#43
Well Im talking about major prospects signing elsewhere....UGA for example...Thats what I meant by "State Pride"
 
#44
#44
Well Im talking about major prospects signing elsewhere....UGA for example...Thats what I meant by "State Pride"

That's what I'm concerned about too. Bullard and Long were the best OLs in TN this year, and we needed them but we couldn't get them. Similarly, MB was the best WR (a position of need and a great talent), but we couldn't get him either. We don't need to get all the good players in the state, but we most certainly should get most of the best.
 
#48
#48
For those who don't consider Memphis part of the state, I'd suggest you'd take a look at the map of the great state of Tennessee. Clearly, Memphis is within the boundaries of the state.
 

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