Guitar Shots To The Head
For me, as a child it got no better than watching WTBS. I was in the second grade when I was speaking to my dad on the telephone telling him about this hilarious, brand new show that I had seen. It was “The Three Stoogesâ€. We still laugh about that phone call today. Thanks to good ole Ted Turner, I was exposed to some of the best television that a child could ask for. The Three Stooges taught me how to laugh, Ric Flair taught me how to put my friends in the figure four, Terry Gordy taught me how to pile drive my neighbor’s annoying kids, and The Little Rascals taught me how to start a fight with a bully.
Was there anything better than watching Alfalfa take on his arch nemesis, Butch? Nothing was more important than defending the lovely Darla. When her honor was threatened his fear of being supplanted as her one true love would force him into action. He would always get that lump in his throat, while Spanky and the “She-man Woman Haters†watched with anticipation, as he would draw the line in the sand. “Butch, if you want to fight with me, then cross this line.†Thankfully for Alfalfa, he always left just enough room to back up and draw another line for Butch to cross.
I cannot help but think of “The Little Rascals†while looking at some of the posts on the Volnation this week. In his earlier days, the Eastern Division Crown was the love of Phil’s life. The neighborhood bully back then was Steve Spurrier, who I contend cost Phil Fulmer his national legacy. Most of the time the bully crossed the line, and stole what seemed rightfully his (to most UT fans anyway), but on a few occasions CPF actually won the fight. These days, there are bullies on every block, and for the last few seasons, it seems like CPF has resorted to drawing the line, then backing up and drawing another line.
Whether you like Phil, or you are at odds with the direction of the program, you have to admit that the opportunity before him now may be his very last. The Auburn Tigers have handed him a Christmas gift of a lifetime, and it is only September. Luckily for UT fans we haven’t alienated Santa Clause, because if we lived in Philly, I doubt we would have received such a gift. Now defeating the Georgia Bulldogs is mission critical.
Perhaps it is poetic justice that Rodney Garner, an assistant head coach at UGA will be on the opposing sidelines for the most important game of Phil’s career. A coach that Phil considered to be disruptive will be a major player in THE GAME. It is not something that the media will talk about much, but for me it is the most interesting side story of the week. Rodney filled Phil’s coffers with talent, and in the eyes of some, recruited some of the big names that led to the championship run in 1998. Since his departure one could easily argue that the Vols have not had equal talent. On the other hand, the Dawgs have squandered much of what he has brought to their sidelines as well. At the risk of taking a great deal of heat from people that I respect, one could easily argue that Rodney and Phil needed one another. I have little doubt that if Garner were on the sidelines at UT today, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. The Vols may very well still be at the top of the mountain.
As it is, Phil chose the course for both men, and now he is left to navigate the ship into waters that have been uncharted for a while. For all the talk of working like heck, for all of the clapping, for all of the film watching, there is once again an opportunity to put a plan into action, and take the bull by the horns. What Phil, and the rest of the Big Orange Nation must now realize is this. For the University of Tennessee this may be the last line in the sand. We have gone on and on ad nauseam about the condition of this program. For me to believe that any improvement can take place with the current staff in place the Vols must take advantage of the opportunity before them right now.
The Nation will hold its’ collective breath this Saturday to see what kind of product Phil and Company puts on the field. Necessity is the mother of invention. For a staff that seems stuck in their ways, I can think of no better time to come up with an aggressive game plan. With their backs against the wall, there will never be a better opportunity for our special teams to shine, and for our defense to tackle. The line has been drawn. GO VOLS.