The Vol Critic

I partied with Eric Berry this weekend

2010-04-25T20:55:00.006-04:00

I partied with Eric Berry at his NFL Draft party!!! Really, I did. That, or I just read about it on twitter. Josh Bone was there.

Wit the homie @berry14 at his NFL draft party

Tim Brando knows football... doesn't he?

Totals from draft suggest Tennessee had a lot of talent last year, that LSU's talent base not developing like it once did, and Fla. Loaded!

Speaking of ridiculously early 2011 draft projections, Mel Kiper released his top prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft. Tennessee players? Not hardly. But exactly half of Kiper's list play in the SEC.

I think it's safe to say that Jonathan Crompton hasn't always come across as the smartest tool in the shed, but he's in the NFL so he must be doing something right. I mean, he knows ball -- and he's a well organized note-taking machine.

"Obviously you'd like to be in the same offense for more than one year, but that's part of life," Crompton said. "It taught me a lot of things about myself and about football, and I know a lot of offenses and a lot of ball.
"I've still got in my head. I've still got every notebook I've ever had, every note I've ever written, I still have them and I still go over them. In my opinion it's prepared me for the next level."

There were some rumblings in Knoxville today that Brandon Warren has been arrested. Various message board posters claimed it was in today's newspaper (those still exist?), but since I can't find anything official, I won't spread rumors. Oh... wait.

In the 'I can't believe it's not butter' category, the Baseball Vols won both games of a doubleheader this afternoon. In the process, Tennessee climbed into a tie for fourth place in the SEC East with a 6-12 conference record.

Draft Day three -- McClendon, Scott, Crompton

2010-04-24T19:23:00.000-04:00

On day three of the 2010 NFL Draft, three lucky former Vols had their name called.

1. Jacques McClendon. 4th round, 129th pick, Indianapolis Colts.

On thing is for sure about McClendon: he has good size and strength. The 6-5, 325-pound lineman set the Tennessee bench press record, lifting a hefty 625 pounds.

McClendon should have the opportunity to compete for playing time right away. The Colts appear to be wide open at one guard spot and Kyle DeVan is the likely starter at right guard.

“I couldn’t be doing better,” McClendon said. “I’m sitting on cloud nine right now.

“To be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, such a prestigious organization, in the fourth round is one of the greatest honors I’ve ever received in my life. I can’t even explain what I’m feeling right now.”

What they are saying:

A relative unknown, McClendon seems to be the type of run blocker that the Colts have been lacking for several seasons. His ability to knock people off the ball should be of great interest because Bill Polian is known for drafting gems at the offensive guard position in the late rounds. [EMQB].
Chris Scott has played left tackle at Tennessee, but he lacks the lateral range and foot agility to play on the left side in the NFL, so RT is probably where he will end up. He is a powerful blocker who can engulf and smother ends in the running game. He will eventually become a starter at RT for the Steelers. [playerpress]
"I've got a Peyton Manning jersey, I've got his autographed helmet in my mother's house, so you know I'm a huge Peyton Manning fan," McClendon said during a conference call. "I can't wait to get to work and start learning from him. I know I have to be on top of everything." [AP]

2. Chris Scott. 5th round, 151st pick, Pittsburgh Steelers.

Like McClendon, at 6-5, 346 pounds, Chris Scott has excellent size. He was an anchor on Tennessee's offensive line for three seasons, early at guard and later at tackle. He is projected to play guard in the NFL.

What they are saying:

A right guard prospect who could also fill in at right tackle, Scott is an excellent run blocker, and the Steelers, struggled at times, in that area. The middle of the offensive line has been an issue for the Steelers for several seasons, and they have done a fine job of bringing in competitive players to upgrade those positions. [EMQB]
My thoughts: Contrary to what you think, I don't sit around breaking down a lot of film on Tennessee linemen. But Scott played on every position on the line for the Vols, and the Steelers can always use versatility like that. Like Gibson, this is not a pick that will provide immediate help, but Scott could potentially be useful down the road given some polishing, especially on his average footwork and quickness. [mondesishouse]
Scott has played a lot of football at Tennessee as a starting left tackle, but he lacks the lateral range and foot agility to play on the left side at the next level. He is a powerful blocker who generally wins the battle once he gets his hands on opponents and can simply engulf or smother ends when blocking down for the run. He is quick to read blocking schemes and takes good angles to get to where he needs to be, but he will struggle when he needs to recover and right himself against good movement by defensive ends. He has enough going for him to eventually become a starter on the right side but will need some work on his footwork. [NFL.com]

3. Jonathan Crompton. 5th round, 168th pick, San Diego Chargers.

Say it with me: Jonathan Crompton was drafted. Jonathan Crompton was drafted.

It may be one of the biggest turnarounds I've ever witnessed at Tennessee. Just about everyone had given up on him, not to mention the death threats he reportedly received.

He was left for dead on more than one occasion and yet today, he was selected by the Chargers. It's an incredible turnaround and I have to tip my hat to Jon for never giving up.

There's no question that Crompton has the size and the arm strength to compete in the NFL. And he's a tough kid. But can he grasp an NFL offense and make decisions quickly enough to be effective at the game's highest level? That remains to be seen.

In all fairness, Crompton did have four different offensive systems while at Tennessee -- Sanders, Cutcliffe, Clawson, and Kiffin. So, maybe with the stability of a single system he can excel.

He certainly has a long way to go, but after what I saw him overcome at Tennessee, I wouldn't bet against the kid.

"Crompton is a talented player who will become a nice developmental QB for the Chargers." [bolthype]
"His massive improvement in the second half of the season when combined with his ideal measureables make him a legitimate draftable commodity." [chargerlighteningbolts]
Crompton will spend his rookie season learning the ropes, then could potentially move up to No. 2 next season, as Billy Volek enters the final season of his contract. [Scout]

Montario Hardesty is a Brown

2010-04-24T02:03:00.020-04:00

With the 59th overall pick, the Cleveland Browns select... Montario Hardesty from the University of Tennessee. (cheers)

He may not be quite as popular as Eric Berry, but Montario Hardesty earned the respect and admiration of Tennessee fans with his play last season. I saw all 13 games and I thought Hardesty gave his all for Tennessee in every single game.

He was a workhorse.

Defenses knew Hardesty was going to get the football, and yet he still performed. At times, he looked to be caught behind the line of scrimmage, only to somehow will his way to positive yardage.

Of course, who will ever forget the spin move against South Carolina on Halloween night when Tennessee wore black jerseys. That was an Xbox move if there ever was one.

I admit that I was surprised to see Hardesty drafted in the second round. I honestly thought durability would be too big of an issue for teams to draft him that high. But apparently, that wasn't a concern in Cleveland. Not only was the Brown's front office not afraid to draft Hardesty in the second round, they traded up to get him.

Oddly, the Browns earlier pick, T.J. Ward, is someone who also suffered quite a few injuries during his college career.

Anyway, as I remember it, Hardesty was injured every year he was in Knoxville. Obviously he held up pretty well this past year, but I still think he was banged up at times.

It's a bit of a risky pick for the Browns, but one that could pay off. Looking over their roster, it's not like Cleveland has a huge stable of backs. From the looks of things' Hardesty should be able to compete for the number two spot in the backfield right away.

While I don't expect many Tennessee fans to become big time Browns supporters, I know that they will be watching closely to see how one of their own will fare in his new home.

Good luck Montario.

Bryce Petty, ole buddy ole pal

2009-07-05T23:34:00.011-04:00

As expected, Team USA was crowned the inaugural IFAF Junior World Champion, defeating Canada 41-3 in the Gold Medal Game. To earn their spot in the championship game, Team USA defeated France by 78 and Mexico by 55 -- both were shutouts.

Tennessee fans may find it interesting that the quarterback of the junior world champs was former Vol 2009 commit (and current Baylor signee) Bryce Petty. You might recall, Petty committed to Phillip Fulmer before his firing, but when Lane Kiffin took the reigns in Knoxville, he cut ties with the Midlothian, Texas quarterback citing that Petty did not fit the system that he planned to implement.

Granted, it doesn't sound like the other teams were very competive, but Petty had a very nice line. He was 14-14 for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns -- a pretty good day regardless of the competition.

Petty's comments after the game:

"It has been an amazing experience," said Petty, whose three-game totals in the tournament were 25-for-30, 382 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. "I can't even put into words what this has been like. I am extremely blessed."I have had good practices, but nothing like today. About 12 of those were five-yard hitches and they turned it up field. We have athletes on this team."

The best of luck to this young man in the future.

Sunday Quarterback Rumor Mill - Scroggins and Sims

2009-07-05T22:40:00.014-04:00

So, it was a quiet Independence Day for the most part. Not a whole lot of news to blog about as most took some time off to enjoy the holiday. I hope both of you Vol Critic readers had a great weekend.

While there isn't any real news to report, there were a couple of interesting rumors floating around recruiting circles on Sunday.

First off, and I have no idea where this one originated, reports surfaced that Virgina four star quarterback Phillip Sims might decommit from Alabama and commit to Tennessee. I don't believe there was much to it, and to confuse the matter further, the rumor might have actually been about Blake Sims, who is also committed to Alabama. Blake attended Tennessee's camp over the summer and there was some thought at that time that he might be considering the Vols. Either way, there doesn't appear to be much substance here.

The other rumor generating some buzz on the internet is in reference to California signal caller Jesse Scroggins. Signing a top-rated quarterback is a must in this class for Kiffin and Scroggins appears to be on top of Tennessee's recruiting board. That's why these reports that he will commit USC next week are worrisome. This particular rumor has Scroggins following his childhood friend Dion Bailey to Southern Cal. There are many that have followed his recruitment closely that believe he is a USC lean, but in this case, I don't think this was anything more than a hunch by someone trying to up their 'street cred'.

Scroggins has said that he would not announce his college choice until July 25th. But recently, there has been some talk that it could be moved up to as soon as next week. Most believe, if that were to happen, it could be a result of the USC staff pressuring him to go ahead and pull the trigger.

Michael Palardy -- He's only a kicker.

2009-07-04T20:49:00.007-04:00

Maybe it's just me, but when I think of kickers, the first thing that comes to my mind is the interview with Peyton Manning where he refers to the Colts kicker, Mike Vanderjagt, getting liquored up and running his mouth. I don't even recall what said, but I remember the incident. Regardless, it isn't a positive portrayal and I'm certain kickers don't prefer to be thought of that way.

Lets face it, kickers are odd characters. They are of a different breed -- at least that's the stereotype. For example, they don't like for teammates to talk to them before an important kick. I might even categorize them as loners. And I don't really consider them (or punters for that matter) to be athletes. At least not to the extent that I would other position players on the squad.

So it's easy to understand why fans typically don't get excited about a verbal commitment from a kicker. That is, of course, unless it's from one of the top kickers in the nation. And Michael Palardy from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is just that, one of the best in the country. An astounding 98% of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks and he made 76 of his 78 extra point attempts. Not too shabby. In fact, Flavarsity.com referred to him as one of the best clutch kickers in the state of Florida.

Still not convinced that getting a commit from a top-ranked kicker is a big deal? Consider this: scholarships are valuable, and unlike most other positions, coaches aren't going to sign multiple kickers in a recruiting class, meaning there is no room for error. It's critical to bring in a guy who can absolutely get the job done. For Lane Kiffin and Tenneasee, Michael Palardy appears to be just that guy.

Palarady's commit has generated a lot of buzz this week, not just in Tennessee, but in recruiting circles nationwide. I've read multiple articles on his decision from throughout the southeast, including the enemy territories of Baton Rouge and Florida. On a Tennessee message board I frequent, a rival Alabama fan posted a congratulatory thread to Vol fans on the commitment. That's right, a Bama fan envious of a commitment from a kicker.

So yeah, even though this commit is from a kicker, it is great news for Vol fans.

Lane Kiffin and the case of Evan Berry

2009-07-01T11:04:00.058-04:00

So, Tennessee headlines the national news again this week. Ho hum.

Evan Berry, 13-year-old eighth grader to be, brother of current Tennessee star Eric Berry and son of former Vol James Berry, has committed to play his college football at Tennessee.

It's the first commitment (and likely to be the only one for quite some time) of the 2013 class for Lane Kiffin and company.

So what's the big deal and why does this story continue to cross my news reader? Admittedly, 2013 is a long time from now and teams don't typically have players claiming to be committed to their school this far in advance. In fact, the NCAA doesn't allow coaches to even contact players of middle school age. But we all realize (well, most of us do) that the Tennessee staff is not out actively pursuing talent for the 2013 class. Berry is a Tennessee legacy - twice over - who believes at this point, he likely wants to follow in the footsteps of his dad and his brother and become a Volunteer some day. Sound reasonable?

Even though this particular absurdly early commit passes the "reasonability test", the media is still going to spin the fact that Berry is only 13.

Chris Low of ESPN.com labels this a 'recruiting stunt' by Kiffin, and while some may believe Kiffin is a mastermind of manipulating the media, I hardly believe that's the case here. More than likely, what we have is an overzealous reporter digging for headlines at a middle school track event.

Low tells us that this commit is insignificant and we should check back in five years - and I agree. Yet the story has headlined not one, but two of his blogs so far this week. Hmmm.

For now, Low says, we should just allow Evan Berry to be a kid. My question is, who is the "we" that he is referring to? I certainly hope that is directed toward himself and the other media who are trying to spin this into a major news headline while mocking Tennessee in the process.

Oh, one more thing Chris. If this was in fact a publicity stunt by Kiffin, he thanks you for your participation -- SUCKER!

Knoxville Media Turns the Corner

2009-03-12T00:28:00.044-04:00

When the Tennessee coaching search was set in motion, just after Phillip Fulmer's dismissal, there weren't many Lane Kiffin supporters to be found among the Knoxville media. Kiffin was too young, too inexperienced, and he had recently been fired from his current job in Oakland. Nevermind his accomplishments or the quality of staff that he could likely assemble, it just wasn't a good fit.

Even weeks later, after Kiffin was hired, things didn't change. I'm sure you remember. It was a questionable hire, they said. A 33 year-old NFL dropout with no college head coaching experience couldn't have possibly been Tennessee's first choice. Something had gone terribly wrong.

Perhaps the media prejudice towards young Kiffin arose from loyalty to coaches that were fired, or maybe it was simply the fear the unknown. Either way, there was undoubtedly a certain familiarity and comfort with the previous staff, which is very understandable considering the length of time that regime was in place.

It's also possible that media members were disappointed and embarrassed that none of their "likely replacements" were hired (Bill Cowher, John Gruden, or Butch Davis). I certainly don't recall any of them campaigning for Lane Kiffin as their candidate of choice, and as a result, they appeared uninformed.

But those days are behind us.

Yesterday was the first day of spring practice under new coach Lane Kiffin, and area media are suddenly gushing with excitement over what they witnessed on the football field. Once considered too young and inexperienced, Lane Kiffin now runs the best first day of practice in the history of football practices. A blueprint should be recorded and enshrined forever so all future generations can experience such greatness. We are being told that it was perfect -- physical, well organized, intense, and yet simplistic and fundamental.

I don't know why we've seen this sudden change, but now that the transformation is complete, I must caution you. Remember these words: physical and fundamental. Those are the adjectives that will be overused all spring and summer. They will be preached by the staff and repeated mindlessly by the media. Come fall, if they aren't careful, fans will be expect to see the most physical and fundamental team in the Southeastern Conference take the field.

Understand, I don't have a problem with the media being positive about practice. I'm certain the new regime, in many ways, is refreshing to everyone. It's even possible that Tuesday may have been an exceptional first day. Without question, football is a physical game and, absolutely, fundamentals are essential. But don't be blinded by the shine of the newness or seduced by the sound of football cliche's just because they originate from the lips of a different staff.

Last season, fans were promised a new offense (Clawfense) that would get the ball in the hands of play-makers in the open field. (What an innovative concept!) It was theme of the off-season. But as we quickly learned, having it said and printed repeatedly doesn't make it so.

Because I've let you in on this little secret, you will no longer be hyptonized by the establishment whenever you hear those words (physical and fundamental). Instead, they will serve as triggers that remind you of reality. And the reality is, this will be a process, a long process, that begins with a 5-7 football team.

I realize Tennessee fans are starving for success. So, before you label me, understand that all I'm asking is for realistic expectations - from both fans and media. It was the first day. At the very least, wait until Friday, when the team is sporting full football gear, before declaring the Vols' impending wrath upon the world of college football.

Tuesday Morning Orange Juice

2009-03-10T00:30:00.022-04:00

I decided to come up with a catchy name for posts here that address happenings around the interwebs -- quick hits if you will. Some call them talking points, daily roundup, quick hitters, etc. You get the idea. So, along those same lines, I decided to call ours.... "Morning Orange Juice".

Yes, I realize it's corny but it's the best I could come up with -- and it does include the word orange, which just happens to be Tennessee's primary color (in case you were unaware). Keep in mind, there is a fine line between corny and cleverly genius.

Moving along.

I voiced my displeasure of Tennessee basketball fans in Sunday's post-game piece. Expectations were set so high to start this season that many consider 19 wins and a co-SEC East championship to be a disappointment. It's a shame, really, that Bruce Pearl has to build up his teams' accomplishments as he did in yesterday's press conference. Even the University was forced to point out that this year's team has plenty to be proud of.
Chris Low sat down with South Carolina's Alshon Jeffrey to talk about the recruiting process and Jeffrey had an interesting comment regarding Lane Kiffin:

According to Jeffrey and Wilson, Kiffin told Jeffrey that if he chose the Gamecocks, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina.

A poster on VolNation.com (I spend a lot of time there and consider it my "home" board) posted a nice story about bumping into Charles Davis. The former Vol has done very well for himself, but most impressive to me is I've never heard anyone say anything negative about him.
Does anyone else find it ironic that talk out of Camp Kiffin this week is, typically, it can take two years to implement a new system and see positive results from it? In Hooker's piece he quotes Monte citing Nick Saban's transition from a 7-6 team his first season to a 12-2 title contender in year two. Can you think of anyone else who claimed a two year time frame was needed when installing a new system? That's right, the much ridiculed Dave Clawson and his Clawfense.
Drew Edwards put together a list of big things (his words, not mine) for the Vols as spring practice starts. While I don't completely agree with his list, he hits on a few of them. I'm putting a lot of stock in number five: the players buying in. I fully expect they will, yet I'm very interested to see the on-field discipline, especially of the offense, which has been clearly lacking under non-Cutcliffe coached Tennessee teams.
While not totally sports related, I found it very interesting that the four major newspapers in the state of Tennessee (Knoxville News Sentinel, The Tennessean, Memphis Commercial Appeal, and Times Free Press) will begin sharing content. More evidence that the print media business is really struggling.
The Georgia Sports Blog, in reference to the Dawgs' ongoing coaching search, put together a list of salaries earned by college basketball coaches around the country. Of those, Billy Gillespie at $2.3 million stood out to me. Hmm.
The ACC & SEC Blog projects Southeastern Conference teams in the NCAA Tournament. I agree with their top four (LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Auburn), but I disagree that Kentucky and Mississippi State are 'likely out'. I contend that the league's automatic bid is the only way either will make it. Patrick Patterson will play in the NIT, like it or not.

Scheduling has been Key for Tennessee Basketball

2009-03-09T20:42:00.017-04:00

Bruce Pearl has always been an advocate of playing a difficult regular season schedule and this season has been no exception. The Vols strength of schedule has ranked number two or three in the country for most of the year, and for good reason. Looking at their out of conference games, it's easy to see why -- Sienna, Georgetown, Gonzaga (twice), Temple, Marquette, Kansas, and Memphis. Of those games, only Memphis and Gonzaga were played in Knoxville.

The go anywhere and play anyone approach has served Bruce Pearl well during his tenure at Tennessee. The Vols played their way to a No. 2 NCAA Tournament seed twice in Pearl's three trips to the Big Dance. In each case, strength of schedule was essential in obtaining such a high seed.

This year has been no different. Tennessee's RPI, influenced by their strength of schedule, is the key component that currently differentiates the Vols from the log jam of 19+ win SEC schools. Aside from Tennessee and LSU, the other teams are paying the price for poor scheduling and consequently, are bubble teams at best. Those schools are going to need a strong showing in the upcoming conference tournament to punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

In his Monday press conference, Coach Pearl acknowledged that scheduling has served him well -- it's something that he believes in strongly and will continue in the future. However, this season it's been somewhat of a negative for his young team because it hasn't allowed them to build any confidence or momentum by putting together 5,6, or 7 wins in a row. Regardless, Pearl insists that his formula for success is working.

The question then, is if strong scheduling is such a benefit, why doesn't every school do it? The answer is simple according to Pearl -- job security. Due to high expectations and the emphasis on winning NOW, typically about half of all coaches are on the hot seat and are therefore reluctant to schedule better teams. It's high reward, but also very high risk. If a coach over schedules and his team doesn't perform, that coach may not be back the following season. That's the reality.

Hungover in Knoxvlle - Tennessee Falls to Alabama 70-67

2009-03-08T19:29:00.015-04:00

Excruciating. That's the word I would use to best describe today's 70-67 loss to Alabama. The three point prayer by Anthony Brock at the buzzer spoiled the Vols chances for 20 regular season wins.

From the beginning, the the body language of both our players and fans was horrible. Everyone in the arena behaved as if they were suffering from a hangover. And the students were apparently still sleeping theirs off. The student section behind the basket was practically empty.

With about ten minutes to go in the first half, Wayne Chism motioned and pleaded to the students to get up and get loud. The response? About five of them stood up and clapped. It's a pretty sad state of affairs when the mascot game of musical chairs and the kiss cam get more of a reaction than the basketball game.

As for the players, it was glaringly obvious they didn't bring the same level of intensity they showed the last two road games. With the exception of a couple stretches in the second half, they played uninspired basketball .

The bottom line is fans didn't create a hostile environment and the Alabama players wanted this game more than the Tennessee players. The Crimson Tide deserved to win.

On the positive side, I give props to the person that came up with the idea to honor Ryan Childress. During warm-ups, the players all wore shirts that stated: "Childress #34 Senior".

The other positive was Wayne Chism. I thought he was the only player that played with any passion and energy. His outside shooting and defense ignited the run that erased a double-digit Alabama lead.

I'll close with this thought: can we please stop talking about Anthony Brock and his "great story" now? I mean, he missed his flight and drove from Arkansas. Good for him. But it's not like he walked... barefoot... uphill the entire way. The media is always looking for an angle.

What other bloggers had to say:

3sib is the only other Vol blog I could find that already had some post game commentary -- Sleep Walking
Chris Rich at FanHouse says the Vols are a team without a clue.

If You Take Me Back I Promise I Will Change -- and This Time I Really Mean It

2009-03-08T00:03:00.009-05:00

As it turns out, even though I've only made a few posts here, this blog is like the steady girlfriend that I keep leaving behind and yet she keeps taking me back. Recently, I've spent time chasing other hot blogs around the internet. Some lasted and some didn't. Some were fulfilling for short time and some weren't. Yet here I am, back at The Vol Critic after an absence of nearly a year.

So why didn't I just start a new blog? I could have done that, but it's too much work. I tend to spend enormous amounts of time preparing for new things instead of just doing them. No, what I need is to log more time hammering on the keyboard -- not more time trying to pick out themes and tweak css files. I spend enough time doing that for some of my other interests.

So, here I am, but why? This blog always remains in the back of my mind for some reason. I seem to be drawn to it. Hopefully this time I can make a commitment and not walk out on her. (Is it weird that I keep referring to this blog as "her"?)

Any questions? Now that we have that reintroduction (sort of) out of the way, let's get to it.

There's a lot on the docket right now in the world of Tennessee sports. The football team begins Spring practice on Tuesday and there's going to a ton of material to get through in the next few weeks. It's likely going to be a media circus with Kiffin and company -- new coaches, a new class of players, new offensive and defensive schemes, full media access, and even a practice open to the fans. It's certainly going to be a lot different that any Spring we've had around Tennessee in quite some time. Buckle your seat belts and hold on.

But for now, I want to stick with basketball.

Less than two weeks ago, the Vols basketball team suffered an embarrassing loss to the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington by 19 points. To make matters worse, that loss was on the heels of a 16-point drubbing at the hands of Ole Miss in Oxford. Fans were questioning the heart, drive, and overall talent of this basketball team. Even our fearless leader, who could do no wrong the past three seasons, was suddenly under attack.

After that Kentucky loss, Pearl called out his players. He said they quit and weren't representative of a "Bruce Pearl coached team". Pearl also called out himself and his coaching staff. With NCAA Tournament hopes dwindling, the Bruce Pearl era had hit its low point and bandwagon fans were jumping ship.

The following game, Tennessee returned home to try and get well against Mississippi State. The Vols won the game, 81-76, but weren't overly impressive in victory. Nevertheless, this team needed wins on their resume, and they got a crucial one against the Bulldogs.

But 17 wins wasn't going to be enough to get this basketball team into the Big Dance. Most analysts believe that with 18 wins, Tennessee would be a bubble team. However, with 19 wins, they would be a lock. The good news: the Vols could hit that mark by winning two of their final regular season games. The bad news: two of the remaining three games were road games against teams that were also battling for their tournament lives -- Florida and South Carolina.

Fast forward to the high point. Tennessee dismantled Florida in Gainesville 79-74, in a game that was not nearly as close as the score, and just days later, with the SEC Eastern Division title on the line, Bruce Pearl and company destroyed South Carolina by 17 in Columbia. With the wins, the Vols locked up a No. 1 Seed in the SEC Tournament.

Currently Tennessee stands with 19 wins and will have a chance to earn number 20 later today against Alabama.

All aboard! Fans are now knocking each other down to climb back on the bandwagon. This time, more fanatical than ever. The talks are now of a conference tournament championship and a possible appearance in the Elite 8. All of this from a team that fans had written off just a couple weeks ago. Makes you understand why fan is short for fanatical, doesn't it?

Don't expect much from the Orange and White Game

2008-04-19T01:43:00.012-04:00

It's only 3 1/2 months into the season before I managed to post my first blog of the year! I'm going to have to really step it up if I hope to improve on the amazing 12 posts I made here in 2007. What? Easy now, like you did any better. How many posts did you end up with on that gay gardening blog of yours? Yeah, that's what I thought.

On to football. If you consider yourself a Tennessee fan I'm sure you realize that the Orange and White game is later today. That's right, it's time for the annual scrimmage that puts an end to spring practice and begins the long summer countdown until fall practice. It gives us something to remember, something to chew on, and ideally some hope for the upcoming season.

Too bad the game is typically crap. It will probably go something like this. The game will start out with a series of scripted plays that lead the starting offense in a long drive down the field resulting in a touchdown. 'Crompton really is ready' we'll say. We will see Arian Foster have a couple of nice runs. 'He really is going to be the all time leading rusher at Tennessee.' A couple receivers make big catches, 'what a deep group of receivers we're going to have'. Just when we are getting comfortable in our seats and getting excited about Dave Clawson's new offense, out go the starters and in come the scrubs.

You say I'm exaggerating? Think back to last year's game. Do you remember the great performances? Roy Olasimbo ran for over 100 yards, Brett Barnes led the defense with 13 tackles, and Tyler Wolf made the play of the day when he returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown.

This is not a new phenomenon. I could go back several years and recap the great Orange and White game performance of [insert walk on name here], but I won't bore you.

I understand the logic here. Fulmer doesn't want to give away his hand and he surely doesn't want to risk an injury to a potential starter. It's best to take the conservative approach and play it safe. There is no need to take unnecessary chances and that's fine. Let's just not make this game out to be more than it is: a chance to watch the 3+ stringers get their day in the spotlight.

Look, I'm a big fan of the spring game. I believe it's a lot of fun for the kids. What kid wouldn't enjoy coming out three hours early to get autographs of Tennessee players he's never heard of. Or better yet, what kid wouldn't like to stand in line for an hour and a half to try to get up to the "superstar" table only to run out of time and have to leave empty handed along with the other 70% of fans who wasted their day standing in that line.

Lastly, don't forget to head over to UT Vols Football and send in a write-in vote for The Vol Critic. If I win, I promise to make at least 15 posts this year. Think about it.

The Pac 10 Still Sucks

2007-12-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know which is worse that guys goofy grin, queer hat or the ASU defense. I think Texas just scored again.

Gators or sheep?

The guys from Orange and Blue Hue did their 'unbiased' bowl previews. In making their final prediction for the Outback Bowl, these guys take into consideration Tennessee's last bowl game when PSU 'punched them in the mouth'. If by 'punched in the mouth' they mean 'gave the game away to a less talented team' then I would agree. But I don't suppose they actually watched the game. The Vols were clearly the better team but turnovers kill.

Throw in some insults: rogue program, bad publicity, phat Phil (people do realize that phat and fat don't mean the same thing right? I suppose they think it's funny on some level). In the end, their pick: Wisconsin 35 Tennessee 10.

I'm not going to argue the outcome, since Tennessee does have so many distractions right now, who knows what might happen. Regardless, it's clear this was just an opportunity to throw in a few cheap shots and wish for a Vols loss. Florida fans are still bitter about losing the East and not making it to Atlanta. I know, I know, they beat us...but still.

Oh, their prediction for the Gators? 49-17.

Sheep.

Um Yeah, It Isn't a Half Day or Anything

2007-12-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

Damn, that was one helluva nap. After watching that Bama game, I decided I was going to uber nap until Christmas. What about my job? Nah, I decided I'm not gonna go anymore.

Talk about morning breath. Not to mention I've got the munchies and the phrase 'piss like a race horse' has new meaning to me. Ah, I digress.

Anyway, I see that our Vols made quite the run in the second half of the season making it all the way to Atlanta. Well, at least until that pansy Ainge effed it all up. If I had a rubber hose I would beat him into a .... ah nevermind. That's water under the bridge, water under the bridge. That's what my counselor always tells me.

So after catching up on the last two plus months of news. Here is what's on my mind: secrecy. That's right, secrecy.

Why does our athletic director insist on letting our football program operate in the darkness of the night? We all know that Fulmer doesn't allow media folk to attend practice (don't get me started). Now, with still no formal announcement from the program, we get confirmation from two potential recruits that assistant coaches Matt Luke and Kurt Roper will be leaving Tennessee and heading to Duke with Coach Cut.

I guess that the fans and boosters don't deserve any better than this? Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy about the turn of events. I think all three were pretty damn worthless. I'd just like someone to look me in the eye from time to time and tell me what the hell is going on.

I think I'm going to start calling Cutcliffe, Coach Cult. Who else could blindly lead two men to an obvious dead end job. All three will be unemployed in 3 years, 4 tops. I know Cult doesn't care, he's old as dirt anyway but Roper and Luke.... good luck with that.

I Hate the Alabama Crimson Tide

2007-10-16T00:44:00.000-04:00

If you are a Tennessee fan, you've got to check out the I Hate the Alabama Crimson Tide post over at VolNation.com. It's priceless. They have some good video of the 82 Tennessee Bama game as well.

The SEC Power Poll is out at Garnet And Black Attack. LSU is no surprise at #1 but who could have guessed that South Carolina and Kentucky could be #2 and #3 respectively in anyone's power poll at this point in the season. I think they have Auburn a little overrated considering the pathetic performance they showed at Arkansas but the SEC is so up and down from week to week, who knows.

Roll Bama Roll has a piece giving props to a Vol fan they actually like. Of course they don't hesitate to to take a few jabs at our coaching staff in the process. You know, the usual fat jokes. Yawn.

I haven't run across too many Bama blogs that are focusing on the upcoming game as of yet. Most seem to still be focusing on analyzing the outcome of their squeaker against Ole Miss. Of course the Bama fans think justice was served and they were merely the better team but Loser with Socks thinks the Bammeroids got a break. Regardless, I think it's offical that Ole Miss has turned into the Vandy of the West under Coach-O. Even worse.

How bad is Georgia and how awful is FSU? Both of those teams are horrid this year and they both beat Bama.

I did find a Tennessee Week post at Tide Druid who posts a video of Bama students coming out of the closet. You'll see what I mean.

It's not Bama related but how long has it been since you've seen a quote like this about a Tennessee offensive line? --"Basically, that big offensive line just laid heavy on us and just wore us down," Croom said after Saturday's game. "That’s the bottom line."

Oh, by the way, Todd Helton and the Rockies just swept the hapless Diamondbacks and are headed to the World Series. How hot are they? They've won 21 of their last 22. Unreal. At least now I have somewhat of a reason to watch baseball. Think we'll see any Todd Helton Tennessee football trivia during the series?

Vols rush for 211 in victory over MSU

2007-10-14T00:59:00.001-04:00

Quick points on today's victory:

To me, 211 was the key stat in today's win over the Bulldogs. For the second week in a row, Tennessee's running game had a renewed vigor and was able to successfully run the football. Foster averaged a hefty 6.6 yards per carry and Hardesty managed 4.9 per attempt.
The defense missed some key tackles early, reminding me of how they played in our first two losses. Fortunately, they were able to pull it together.
Jonathan Heffney had one really nice punt return but for whatever reason, he still doesn't look like his old self in my opinion.
Ainge played well but made a couple of bad decisions with the football. Luckily it didn't hurt us. MSU put more pressure on him than I thought they would.
Lucas Taylor is catching everything and has stepped up and become the leader of that receiving corps. His 186 yards and one touchdown today was impressive.
It was nice to see Daniel Lincoln bounce back and not be affected by his first missed field goal of the season.
Chris Brown is instrumental to this team in several ways.
It surely didn't seem that we were only 30 yards shy of 500 total yards on offense. Wow!
Erik Ainge wasn't sacked.... again. The total still sits at one for the season.
Fulmer is 13-1 against teams from the state of Mississippi. Do you remember the loss?
Attendance seemed louder than 50,217.

In honor of LSU and Kentucky

2007-10-13T16:22:00.001-04:00

The Bluegrass miracle.

My favorite part? The Kentucky fans who ran onto the field and suddenly wondered why the LSU fans were cheering. Their look of utter disbelief is priceless.

*Updated. What a great game that was today. I kept thinking that the Cats would collapse at some point down the stretch. It's amazing that they were able to pull it out in the end. Les Miles has quickly gone from hero, for his coaching last week against the Gators, to zero for his questionable calls in tonight's loss.

**Blogging the upset. Want to read more opinions on Kentucky's upset over LSU? Here you go.

SEC Football Schedule for October 13

2007-10-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's a great day for SEC Football. Here is your lineup for Saturday.

12:30 Bama at Mississippi (ESPN Gameplan)
2:30 #25 Tennessee at Mississippi State (ESPN Gameplan)
3:30 #1 LSU at #17 Kentucky (CBS)
3:30 #7 South Carolina at North Carolina (ABC)
6:00 #24 Georgia at Vanderbilt (ESPN2)
7:45 #22 Auburn at Arkansas (ESPN)

For previews of these games from other bloggers, check out Best of the SEC.

A Different Saturday for Vol Fans

2007-10-13T03:40:00.001-04:00

As I put the final touches on my fan gameday preparations, I can't help but have a bit of a unique feeling heading in to today's game against Mississippi State. It's been a while since Tennessee has lost to Florida and then regained control of their own destiny, especially this early in the season. For me, it surely makes these not-so-meaningful games more meaningful.

Maybe some readers can help me out, but I honestly can't remember this ever happening at this point in the season. The only year that comes to my mind would be 1997. However, I'm pretty sure that Tennessee regained control of the East much later in the schedule that year.

I feel pretty confident that Tennessee will win this football game. I do think it's a bit of a trap game coming after a big win against #12 Georgia and just before a showdown with Alabama. The game with the Crimson Tide is always an important one, regardless of records. The history and tradition of the game means a lot to Coach Fulmer even though the two teams now reside in different conference divisions.

I believe MSU to be fairly one dimensional. They will have to run the ball really really well and create some big plays in the passing game in order to win. I think they will have some success, but not enough to earn a W.

My prediction: Tennessee 38 MSU 17.

Basketball Practice. Many schools, including Kentucky, opened their basketball season with a Midnight Madness for fans on Friday night. Tennessee wasn't one of them. Due to the arena renovations the Vols had to skip any type of scrimmage that would be open to the public. Surprisingly Coach Pearl is not a big fan of the madness events and is completely content with opening practice quietly. Does that surprise anyone but me?

Todd Helton update. Game 2 of the NCLS saw Todd Helton give the Rockies a 2-1 lead on a sac fly in the 5th inning but they couldn't hold on, allowing the Diamondbacks to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and send it to extra innings. In the 11th Arizona walked in the go-ahead run and Colorado held on 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 is Sunday night.

SEC Power Poll. The Vols are #6 in the SEC Power Poll at Orange and Blue Hue. They thought the young Georgia team looked like they were "bushwacked", whatever that means.

Is getting Croomed a legitmate threat?

2007-10-12T17:12:00.000-04:00

I've seen the blog posts this week and the forum threads that talk about the possibility of teams getting Croomed by Mississippi State. While it sounds humorous, I'm not sure just how much fear the term puts into opponents, or even opponents fans for that matter.

We've heard a lot of "coach speak" from the Tennessee staff this week, even out of the media. How many times am I going to have to hear how this Bulldog team is better than Georgia and how physical they are? Look at it this way, a loss would be catastrophic regardless of how much anyone tries to build up MSU.

Let's look at just what Sylvester has done since becoming the Bulldogs main man.

2004 (3-8). First season at MSU was highlighted by a nice win against a Ron Zook coached Florida team in Starkville. The also lost to teams like Vandy, UAB, and Maine.

2005 (3-8). Wins include Murray State, Tulane and Mississippi.

2006 (3-9). Beat UAB, Jacksonville State and a Mike Shula coached Bama team. The marquee loss was to Tulane.

That brings us to 2007. The Bulldogs appear to be an improved football team, currently with a 4-2 record. However, at closer look it seems it could be just more of the same. MSU's wins this season consist of Tulane, Gardner Webb, UAB and their lone impressive win against Auburn.

I'll close with this. Most people, when asked about Sylvester Croom, describe him as a great man and a classy individual. Missing is any compliment of his coaching ability. Enough said.

I don't see anything that leads me to believe that the Vols are about to get Croomed.

Mississippi State Game Eve

2007-10-12T14:37:00.000-04:00

I don't know if it's my love of "A Few Good Men" or if it's really that funny but Loser With Socks absolutely cracked me up with Spurrier's best Jack Nicholson imitation. Very nice work.

If MSU pulled out a W tomorrow (notice the big "if"), would you consider it an upset? I really don't think many would. Is that because of how good the SEC currently is or another sign of just how far the Vols have fallen? If you aren't sure, look back to what LSU did to the Bulldogs the first week of the season: 45-0.

I ran across some good Sylvester Croom Farks at TigerDroppings (LSUFreek has some skillz) and at VolNation.

ESPN has a piece today on the history of the checkerboard endzone. Can you believe it costs $800 to paint those bad boys each week?

Andy Katzer at AOL Fanhouse looks back on a post from the summer that predicted that Fulmer could get Croomed this weekend. While, I agree that's entirely possible, the article also prognosticated that Les Miles' Tigers could fall to the Bulldogs. They didn't.

I think David Cutcliffe is a big reason that the Vols are among the least penalized teams in the country and tops in the SEC. I've thought it's been clear since his return that the offensive has been more disciplined. It appears that the offensive line is getting better and even guys like Josh Briscoe are stepping up and making a contribution.

Suddenly, after one good performance, many are talking about Tennessee running the table. While I agree that on paper the Vols are capable of winning each and every one of their games, I'm going to reserve my enthusiasm until we get through the next couple of weeks. In my mind, the next two games will gauge exactly where this team is and if they are capable of an SECC game run.

Todd Helton update. NLCS game 1.

2007-10-12T09:09:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Todd Helton and the Rockies. They beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 in the first game of the NLCS on Thursday night. Helton went 1-4 and scored the first run of the night for Colorado. Game 2 is Friday night starting at 10:18pm ET.

(You didn't think my first posted picture was going to be of the Rockies -or baseball for that matter- did you?)

MSU week - I need more cowbell

2007-10-12T01:32:00.000-04:00

It wouldn't be Mississippi State week without...... a little more cowbell.

Check out Kyle Veazey's blog. He writes for the Clarion Ledger and it's one of the few decent MSU blogs I've run across. He posted some nice links yesterday including the Tennessee response to Coach Croom's comments regarding MSU running the football against Tennessee.

I also ran across Mississippi State Sports Blog, but it looks like it's written by someone more interested in trying to sell tickets than they are in blogging.

Is Sylvester Croom really talking smack announcing to the world that the Vols better put nine in the box to stop the Bulldog running game? Pretty gutsy move by the coach of the SEC West cellar dwellers. His team starts 4-2 and suddenly they think they are ready for world domination.

Fans must not be quite as confident. There are still plenty of upper and lower level tickets still available for Saturday's game.

Another Meaningless Tennessee Blog

2007-10-12T00:25:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. There are already millions of Tennessee blogs on the interweb right? Well, might as well make it a million and one because I've got stuff to say.

As you can see, the blog is a bit on the bland side and will be that way until I can feel my way around here a bit. I'm not new to the blogging world but I am new to blogspot so bear with me.

Enough on the introduction. They bore me and besides, you will get to know me as we go along.