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

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?