Guitar Shots to the Head: What do you want to hear tonight?

As things continue to heat up in Knoxville, and a trip to Athens is in the works for some hopes are dwindling.  It seems as though everyone has a laundry list of improvements for this football team.  For some strange reason the situation reminds me of an old song writer sitting on the stage who is playing new material.

Good song writers are not easy to find.  I have a buddy that does it quite well, but even in a local setting, people still have their favorites.  So for ten years he trots out on stage, and he has to sing one or two of the same songs every night he appears.  One night I finally asked him what it feels like to be a “song monkey”.  I thought it would be very frustrating to be on stage entertaining only to have people yelling one song title after another.  After all, you can only play so many tunes in a set. My friend took a very pragmatic approach to the question.  He told me that he realized that the old hits paid for the guitar he was playing.

I really can’t imagine what it would be like to get up on stage, bare your soul to the audience, and then have to play something to appease them….every night. To a lot of fans Fulmer has become the song monkey.  His new material doesn’t match what he wrote back in the day, and the fans are ready to hear the old tunes.

I have little doubt that Fulmer has given his heart and soul to this program.  It has to be tough for a head coach that brought his school its first national championship in the modern era to have to take requests from fans.

Yet, as we prepare for Georgia the requests will no doubt continue.  It is awfully hard to place too much blame on the fans.  Usually at this point in the season, the Vols are beginning to come together and show the makings of a decent football team.  Not this year.

Frankly most requests don’t bother me.  I like older songs anyway.  However, there is one request that I simply can’t tolerate whether it is written on a napkin or on some internet message board.  Do not request a loss.

I don’t care what is at stake.  This is Georgia week and I want a win.  I will never forget Walker rolling Bates or the Hobnail boot.  This is still Tennessee versus Georgia, and they are still an Eastern Division foe.  Georgia fans still bark like backyard pooches, bite like Chihuahuas wear red pants.  They still play between the hedges in Athens and compete for the same recruits.

Sure we have a coach that is marching to his own drum. Most of us want to hear a different tune right now.  We all want more out of this program, but a loss in Athens won’t accomplish anything for the kids on this football team.  Gird your loins Volnation!  Turn up the juice and turn the darn thing loose.

I say put the band in place Saturday afternoon and roll the Dawgs in Athens. Maybe the coach has one more hit left in the repertoire.  I want to hear some Rocky Top!

Go Vols!