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Adams: Midnight runs might reduce UT's arrests

By John Adams (Contact)
Originally published 08:28 p.m., January 31, 2008
Updated 08:28 p.m., January 31, 2008

The recent surge in arrests of Tennessee football players has forced coach Phillip Fulmer to be more creative in his approach to discipline.

For example, following the arrest of freshman Daryl Vereen, Fulmer had the entire team run the next morning at 6 a.m.

Great idea, huh?

I thought so. At least, it might stand a better chance of getting the players’ attention than a sentence of community service and a police ride-along.

But a few days after an early-morning run, another UT player had a run-in with the police. Based on that, the new punishment had no more impact than the traditional punishment.

My contention always has been that Fulmer should discipline players by taking away playing time. I might as well suggest that he take a pay cut. From his perspective, one apparently seems as unappealing as the other.

Instead, Fulmer prefers a punishment that poses less of a threat to his won-loss record. And I’m sure plenty of fans are just fine with that.

But has that reduced off-the-field incidents? No.

What does?

Georgia coach Mark Richt repeatedly has responded to players’ off-the-field transgressions with game suspensions. The word “repeatedly” should be emphasized, because the problems recur despite the punishment.

So what do you do? Accept the fact that arrests are as much a part of the game as false starts, then move on?

That was my inclination before consulting with former UT football player (and my radio sidekick) Fred White. Surprisingly, we shared common ground.

He liked Fulmer’s idea for the group run even more than I did. In fact, I could sense him seething through the phone at the thought of having to run at 6 a.m. because a teammate had gotten in trouble.

“That will work,” White insisted.

I would have agreed if there hadn’t been evidence to the contrary. But maybe I wasn’t giving the group run enough time. And maybe the group run just needed to be tweaked.

White said that everybody should have to run with one exception. The player responsible should stand on the sideline for a firsthand view of the misfortune he had caused his teammates.

I could tell White was getting angry just talking about someone making him run at 6 a.m. I envisioned one of those looks he gets on the rare occasion a Sports Page caller disagrees with him.

The guilty watch; the innocent run. That works for me.

Then, I suggested a change of time. Rather than a 6 a.m. run, how about a midnight run?

“Midnight?” White said. He paused and added, “I like that.”

White pointed out that the midnight run would be more demanding because players would still be required to work out the next morning as part of their off-season conditioning work.

We both decided one day wasn’t enough. Since the program has had a series of problems, why not respond with a series of runs? My proposal: If one player is arrested, the rest of the players run at midnight for six consecutive nights. White suggested that the offending player’s position coach could oversee the late-night operation.

Suppose, that despite witnessing all the misery endured by his teammates, the guilty player becomes a repeat offender. What would you do then?

Simple. If a player is arrested a second time, his teammates would have six midnight runs a week for two weeks.

“You wouldn’t want him on your team after that,” White concluded.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

       71 Comments

Posted by nivatne on January 31, 2008 at 8:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why are we talking about this? I want to know who UT signs on Feb 5!!! Create a story people want to read!!!

PS My 1st time to be the first poster on an article

Posted by knoxsingle on January 31, 2008 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Call me misguided, but how about fewer headlines like this and more headlines about the good kids who've given verbal commitments to the Vols during this vital recruiting time?

I'd sure like to read more about Tauren Poole or Marlon Walls or Prentiss Waggner than read a reporter's musings about methods for team punishment.

Posted by LazhilUT on January 31, 2008 at 8:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I like that! Let's make them run!

Posted by eaglentn2002 on January 31, 2008 at 8:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WOW John Adams this is some real good writing. You've really out did yourself. Let's kick this dead horse until August. Drop it and write something positive for a change.

Posted by VolsorCat on January 31, 2008 at 8:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Knoxsingle: That would require a cleaning of the house at the KNS. They dwell in negativity. I do agree with the midnight runs however. Maybe if they ran every Friday and Saturday night from now until March 1st, it would help. Before they run on those nights, take them to hospitals, halfway houses, Big Brother events etc. Force them into the community more and in a positive manner.

Posted by seviervol72 on January 31, 2008 at 8:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Not bad, but boys will be boys and as long as there are college athletics this going to happen so i agree get off it and lets talk about the guys that do the right thing and make us proud they are volunteers.

Posted by GerryOP on January 31, 2008 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yup, brilliant! Particularly on Friday and Saturday nights!

Posted by jdnan on January 31, 2008 at 9 p.m. (Suggest removal)

How embarrassing that fans want to see fewer articles like this one. Is this an Xbox game we're cheering for or the lives of the men of our favorite team? I would rather see young men I'm not ashamed to cheer for than a BCS bowl game. Of course, I'd rather it be both, but in life you must prioritize, otherwise, the terrorists win.

Posted by givehim6 on January 31, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sounds to me like a bunch of rebels spoild kids thoughing a fit because they don't like the new coachs that have been hired.

Posted by mark_debity2000 on January 31, 2008 at 9:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think this is a joke having the team run at 6 am. That is way to easy on them. Hell I am in the military and run 2.5 to 3 miles every morning at 5 am. So I think in order to get disipline since there is a whole lot that they lack is to bring the pain, and make them so pissed off that they will think twice about doing something stupid. For example have them do grass drills at 3 or 4 in the morning along with sprints, then make them go on a 15 mile road march with all their football gear on their back. Then when they return get a trash can fill it with water and in 2 man teams hump that trash can filled with water up and down the football field. And if the trash can filled with water loses any water or is spilled out then they start all over. Do this all day long. Then go to class. These are just some ideals. But just running them aint enough BRING THE PAIN then they will think twice.

Posted by VolsorCat on January 31, 2008 at 9:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Mark... Stop by Hamilton's office Monday. You are hired.....

Posted by TurboFan on January 31, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Wow, JA actually interviewed someone that played sports. Oh, wait, it was the guy sitting right next to him.

As for more running. Well, like, duh. Doing it one time didn't scare anybody. Go watch that ESPN movie on Bear Bryant in Texas.

Posted by vol_in_lsu_land on January 31, 2008 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Is it just me, or does nobody else really care what this reporter thinks? Matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that VolCR's opinion means more, and that's saying quite a lot.

Posted by knoxsingle on January 31, 2008 at 9:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think what bothers me about this column the most is its tone. There's a sarcasm beneath the surface, as though the KNS reporters have been sitting around and making jokes about the Vols.

And then there are the self-important, self-congratulatory remarks, too. I mean, just in general, who cares what a guy with a bachelor's in journalism really thinks about anything?

I'm a fan of factual reporting. Editorials like this are a waste of time, energy, and resources.

Posted by james on January 31, 2008 at 9:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If you want no more problems, shoot the guilty ones. One time and there would be no problems.

Serious, with this many players there are going to be some problems. I didn't like the arrest with recuits. The others are kids being stupid. That happens to ball players and non ball players. Guess which ones make the paper. That not to say its o.k. and shouldn't be punished but some is to be expected.

Posted by shane6 on January 31, 2008 at 9:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Insane... Are you kidding me? This is a great idea if these kids were Marines. They aren't. They are student atheletes. Running, while a drag, is temporary pain soon forgotten. Running at 6am or midnight...pointless because it's temporary. Here's a novel concept. Since we can't seem to make a bowl trip without losing players to grades, how about making them show up with books in hand every Friday night for a whole semester and study. No talking, no iPods, no sleeping....just straight up hitting the books. If one dude has another offense then you make them show up both Friday and Saturday. That's something every guy would hate to do. When I was in school I hated detention much more than running steps. Or better yet, hire Al Wilson and the offender has to go see Big Al after the offense.

Posted by DennisVols on January 31, 2008 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I like the idea of midnight runs. That would eliminat the distrubing the peace incidents in the midnight hours and eliminate the idle time they seem to have too much of lately.
Parker's stupidity is only slightly less than the others due to the fact there seems no drugs or alcohol involved, but then again he is a senior and I would would expect a lot more from a player who should be in a leadership role by now.
Take away the free time, place a curfew on all the players and do the runs midnight and morning for several days.
Soon enough this will make them all become more ccountable for each other and to each other.

Posted by shane6 on January 31, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Mark, post brought back memories. Here's one for you. When I was a Platoon Sergeant my Marines lived on the 3rd deck of the barracks. One time my Marines royaly screwed the pooch so I got them in formation in front of the barracks and gave them a time limit to run upstairs grab a piece of gear that I selected and get back in formation. If they missed the time mark they had to run up put that item away and get back in formation. We played the game until all their 782 gear was down in the time alotted. Then I instructed them to build a bivoac site with a time mark. Once they finally got that right I made them tear it down because it their hooches weren't in line. I didn't tell them why, I just made kept tearing it down and putting it back up until they started working as a team and getting it right. Think we played the game for about 6 hours before they did it right. Boy, they were MAD...but the Platoon never made that same mistake again...Good times.

Posted by mark_debity2000 on January 31, 2008 at 10:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As I stated in my previous comment, these players need disipline, And to have someone there that can instill disipline to these guys would along the line of a Drill Sergeant. And 1 time aint good enough do it for 30 days or more to get the point across. And by doing what I stated previously not only will instill disipline but teamwork also. And those players need to start policing not only themselves but their teammates as well because by doing that now it will also show when it comes football time. So again BRING THE PAIN not some cakewalk of a run.
PS: Vols or Cat
I would love to but I am stationed in LSU land which I am having a hard time with, hearing these LSU folk last 2 years wining cause they didn't win the National Title, then this year they are like gods greatest team which is a joke.

Posted by vut56 on January 31, 2008 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, the day is not over, so I must add a few more kicks to this dead horse.

There seems a majority (interested enough to respond)that is simply tired of the Adams approach: sarcastically demean the athletes and, by inference, knock their coach(es). I fault this constant approach for the following reasons:

These young men (and women) are representative of society as a whole; I believe there is broad evidence that anything happening on our campus...or any campus...just represents what is happening in every village, town and city in our land. The student-athletes...at any school..are generally choir boys (and girls), compared to young people on the streets, already in mobile home factories, or, dare I suggest..even "serving their country." Therefore, to demean them (our dear student-athlete)is to demean a young society, and guess who: every parent in the land. Our neighbors, our family, and, just maybe, ourselves.

It goes without saying that media, in general, overlook the good in people in favor of the sensational. Why? We continue to soak it up rather than stop reading, paying for, supporting advertisers or, put simply, demanding better.

UT has a fine group of student-athletes; a few wander and often pay the consequence. After a few lynchings (forgive that PC incorrect word) at 6;00 AM, that would grow to be old news and JA could, only then, come up with the brilliant, original idea of having a perp drawn and quartered. After all, he has a story to dream up...poor guy.

Posted by PLEASEGETRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE on January 31, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Unlike you clowns, I enjoy reading Adam's articles. It just goes to show the lack of control that CPF has on and off the field. Pretty unusual how this was a top story on espn.com also? A top story on a national website and you don't think it should be posted on a local one? You guys are unreal.

Posted by Chainsaw on January 31, 2008 at 10:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Write about your dog and PETA membership Adams. It'd be a lot more coherent.

Posted by vol_in_lsu_land on January 31, 2008 at 11:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

No, pleasegetridoftheretardedposter

It is the editorialization of the issue when three articles have already been written in a play-by-play fashion. Do you know what tabloid journalism is? That's what these "articles" pretty much are, and this editorial pushes it over that line.

They take a story that may have an ounce of merit and turn it into an episode of Oprah.

But I'm not surprised that a guy like you would turn to such news "reports". You're not classy enough to rely on factual reporting.

Posted by west_tn_volfan on January 31, 2008 at 11:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The people who think this isn't a big deal and would rather read stories about recruiting are sticking their heads in the sand. This problem at UT makes national news every time a player gets arrested and thats not the paper's fault. The problem is that there are some real boneheads on this team that make the rest of the guys and the school look bad. This garbage needs to stop or you will see more and more parents telling their 4 and 5 star players that they don't want them going to a school with that kind of reputation.
When you have dimwits getting caught with pot and recruits on their official visit in their car and players getting arrested for refusing to obey the commands of a police officer, you can't expect parents to feel comfortable sending their kids half way across the country to UT. The problem isn't the messenger the problem is the message these players are broadcasting nationwide.

Posted by orangeblood on January 31, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

how many people were bitching at how much our players were "thugs" a few years ago and that "foolmer" needed to fix things quick. You know, im starting to understand why so many people hate tennessee fans...80% percent of us are either fair-weathered or bitch/moaners.

Posted by lempga on January 31, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Adams is talking about this to hurt what little recruiting we have left to accomplish.

Adams, please pack and leave town. Can't you understand what a jackass you are.

Did you go iut to dinner with ALL of your friends, yourself.

Posted by gbirchfiel on January 31, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

All of these are great ideas......and they are all great for recruiting. And John Adams, please apply for a job covering LSU and take little Jimmie Hyames with you. Oh, before you go, why not try to pi**-off Bruce before you go.

Posted by Hunter on January 31, 2008 at 11:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Anyone who is a John Adams fan is obviously not a longtime Tennessean.

Hatin' JA since......man, a long, long time.....

Posted by woodwr on February 1, 2008 at 12:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If I were a player, even a big fast mean player, I would be very afraid of retribution from a herd of big fast mean players..... much more afraid than I'd be of a coach; coaches are not allowed to really hurt players.

More importantly, if another player could get me punished, for smoking dope, I'd make sure his stash went missing. If another player could get me in trouble for underage drinking, I'd make sure whoever bought for him went missing.

The trouble with punishing the innocent is that it might be TOO EFFECTIVE at making the brothers each other keepers..... and it doesn't make them like their coaches.

Posted by FWBVol on February 1, 2008 at 12:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Touchdown, I agree that Steve Kiner is one of the baddest of the bad to play linebacker on the Hill, but I wonder how he would handle today's players. I don't know if you realize it or not, but Kiner is now a psychologist in Carrollton, Ga.

Posted by rootin4volz on February 1, 2008 at 12:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen, Fred White...make the offending ****er sit on the sidelines and watch, while his position coach has to administer the run, be it midnight OR 6am. In fact make the offending ****er be the one who has to blow the whistle to start the run. And if it's suicides they're running, make him blow it each time they start. That'll teach him to "blow it".

And Shane6, they may not be Marines, but if they want to be champions, they better damn well have the DISCIPLINE of Marines! I say make 'em run!

Posted by ZacharyUTK on February 1, 2008 at 12:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

our football team is a bunch of babies who don't know how to play alongside each other. just out to be about "me, me, me".

Posted by DekanGator on February 1, 2008 at 2:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Better yet ... Make them Run on Weekend nights!

Posted by anthony on February 1, 2008 at 2:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)

And this guy votes on the Heisman and for the Hall of fame. No wonder we are in trouble. If this guy really tells us what he thinks, then he is gone!!

Posted by murrayvol on February 1, 2008 at 3 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think a midnight swim in an unheated outdoor pool might be the ticket.

Posted by WaltGoVols on February 1, 2008 at 5:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As a former Marine, I can tell you that group punishment definitely works. They love that crap at Parris Island. And it definitely builds up bonds of teamjwork too. It's call shared misery.

And it will put pressure on the miscreant players too. They'll be pressured by the other players to straighten up their act and get the coaches off everyone's butt.

Posted by slovog on February 1, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Getting the players up to run at 6am makes much more sense, and is more severe punishment, than running them at midnight. Apparently they are at full speed at midnight.

Posted by why36knot on February 1, 2008 at 6:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

John Adams is a JERK who has no clue what he is suggesting, even if he is saying it {tongue in cheek}.
Fotunately for the football program Coach Fulmer makes the decisions and I don't believe any thing Adams says has one bit of influence with him.
GO VOLS

Posted by pdhuff on February 1, 2008 at 7:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If this running included leading by example, CPF would be exploring other avenues. I know I would. Maybe a golf cart with a flashing red lite on top.

Any info on DTs? Kinda important.

Posted by ORANGEASIAN on February 1, 2008 at 7:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

John Adams needs to perfect his runs. How about KNS suspend you for the season, because your articles are stale and have alot of odor! I'm quite sure you have extra vacation money, go to looseranner.Maybe Mikki will go with you.

Posted by Singaporehillbilly on February 1, 2008 at 7:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We should adobt the LSU method. Payoff the cops and sweep any incidient under the rug. Then once in a while, kick a non-scholorship kid off the team that is on the scout team.

Posted by wrvlvolfan on February 1, 2008 at 8:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I like White's idea. At some point repeat offenders have to get kicked off the team. For those few who just don't recognize the wakeup call, then they simply do not need to be on the team.

Posted by Volalumnus on February 1, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Secondary plus...Maybe if they ran a little more they would be better conditioned to score points in the second half.

Posted by TommyJack on February 1, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

FWBvol: Kiner is also remembered for sucker punching a FL(?) fan at a UT baseball game. Almost kilt him. Who's gonna police Kiner? lol

Posted by marc_ash on February 1, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

First off, this article is junk. Don't talk about behavior and dicipline unless you have any clue what you are talking about. PUNISHMENT DOESN'T WORK IN CHANGING A PATTERNED BEHAVIOR!

Listen, aversive types of "therapies" work short term and could change a a conditioned response. HOWEVER, this will not change the persons behavior across all settings because behavior is about reinforcement!

How many times can you remember as kids getting whipped or grounded? I got the literal wood shed more times than I could count. But the punishment didn't deter me from certain behaviors if the behavior itself held more of a payoff.

Businesses, schools, parents all need to gain an understanding about human behavior and how it is shaped. Punishment and running won't do anything. You really think these young men running is going to deter them from smoking weed?

Very sad day when people that have no idea are trying to make suggestions. Look at our prison system and tell me punishment shapes behavior. It only makes it worse.

(off soapbox).

Posted by marc_ash on February 1, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

TDTN,

Unfortunately Psychologists, Psychiatrists, counselors, etc generally have no idea on the function of behavior. In fact, Applied Behavior Analysis is the ONLY discipline that utilizes the scientific method.

Although other schools of thought have their place and are great in many areas, behavior is not one of the things that should be addressed by a psycholgist, psychiatrist, etc UNLESS they are disciplined in ABA.

Hope they get someone in good to advise the team. I can assure you, understanding why players do what they do is the key to devising a method of responding to the problem.

Posted by GreeneVol on February 1, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Remember in Full Metal Jacket where they strapped the guy to the bunk bed and whipped him with soap in pillow cases? That would be the payback after the guilty watched the innocent run....it might just work!

Posted by pdhuff on February 1, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

TDTN- 9:11 a.m. _ You think ol' Kiner could scare up a few 6'5" 297 lb DTs in Ga? We'd shore appreciate them boys. Big news coming between now and Feb 5, some say. I like being surprised.

Posted by tngeoff on February 1, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Guys. There is NO comparison whatsoever to players of days gone by including Steve Kiner and many others. Back then EVERY player knew what 'Bama week meant and EVERY player bled Orange every minute of every game. Today, it's all different. Tennessee tradition is a vague concept. Back then it was crystal clear. As some have alluded to, yes...there were guys getting in trouble but the team player leaders beat the crap out them (except guys like Kiner who generally did the beating)! Today so many guys have their heads way to far up their butts. They could care less about Tennessee traditions. They learn some Vol Tradition speak so as not to offend long time Tennessee folks, but for the most part it's completely and utterly about themselves. Young guys on here will have no idea what I'm talking about but old timers will if they're honest.

Charts, think cards..etc. would have been laughed out of existence by real men. They would have simply demanded players got the picture and would have gladly enforced their solid Orange belief system.

5,005!

Posted by marc_ash on February 1, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

GreeneVol, That happens today and has for years. It's called a blanket party. Some call them GI parties or code red's. Pretty effective from what I've seen.

Posted by tngeoff on February 1, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

By the way...until Herschel Walker, nobody ever dreamed of leaving College early for the pros. A College offered a four year scholarship and it was honored. Now, it seems entitlement has replaced loyalty and tradition. If schools would get some brass they would require a student athlete to sign a CONTRACT that has teeth. You file for pro draft early? Goodbye. Hope you get picked up...but by the way...if you don't...you owe us everything we gave you. What really si better for the athlete? Look how mnay go pro nad don't do well whereas another year would have helped them dramatically. Remember a certain nice young man great player name Robert Meachem? Think he could have used another year? Think that yera would have helped Tennessee as well? Schools need to get off the fright train and get straight. "They won't come here is we do that!" BS Some won't in the beginning and some cheater schools would never conform. Over time though the NCAA could be brought in sync with that standard and things would be much better in College football. Until then" A bunch of self centered disloyal guys on the team.

Posted by dgarland1 on February 1, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Do you think that you should have to run at midnight every time you write a bad article for GoVolsXtra? I bet you would be in mighty good shape from Aug to about the end of April. Think about it. You could be around to write bad opinion pieces into your healthy 80s or so.

Posted by 55Vol on February 1, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

TDTN...amen bro. Kiner is an excellent psychologist. I am sure if his patients do not respond properly to his counseling, he certainly knows how to pursade them to change... much like he used to pursade RB's to change course!!
A great linebacker for sure!

Posted by TommyJack on February 1, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I remember when Kiner was drafted by the Cowboys (later cut)..His first day of practice, he parked in Tom Landry's reserved space. Asked why, he said it seemed like the best spot available. lol Later played for Oilers (?)

Posted by FWBVol on February 1, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think one reason kids today don't understand or care about tradition is the national recruiting everyone does.

A kid in California isn't going to know anything about UT other than what they see on TV. Even in the 60s when UT was recruiting guys like Kiner from Georgia or Steve DeLong from Virginia, they were from neighboring states that understood what the program stood for.

Today there are so many distractions for in-state kids that unless they are big into college football they just know UT has a big stadium and great facilities. They don't know about Bad News George Cafego, Bobby Dodd, Herman Hickman or some of the other players from the 20s and 30s. They probably don't know any of the greats from the 60s like DeLong, Kiner and Swamp Rat.

Maybe it's time to have a history of UT football for incoming freshman so they can find out what it means to wear the Orange.

Posted by tngeoff on February 1, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

FWBVol.

That would be a good start!

Posted by TommyJack on February 1, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

FWBvol: Not to be picky (but everyone else is), Kiner was recruited out of the Tampa area, I think.

Posted by THE_VOL on February 1, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

BREAKING NEWS!!!! KPD today ordered an over-sized tour bus to accommodate all of the TN football players that will be doing ride-alongs!!! Word is that FOOLmer is pissed cause he won't get to drive it!

Posted by tngeoff on February 1, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

TDTN has left the house. He seems to have gone the same way as 12TIMES. Oh well. Another Chapter closes.

Posted by Ironcity on February 1, 2008 at 6:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have always thought that the reason why the team ran was because it was the team that was fighting among themsleves (probably defense against the offense). As for Richt PLEASE!! He will suspend guys but only for meaningless games. Like I pointed out before, Ellerbe stole a car and got suspended two games. Like all coaches, if the players good he wil get a little more rope.

Posted by Colliervol on February 1, 2008 at 6:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I remember back in 2004-2005 that we were all clamoring for Phil to fix the discipline problem that was going on at that time. In 2006 and 2007, the frequency of incidents went down and everybody was fairly happy with what Phil did in that area. Can't be inconsistent on this fellas. Four incidents in January tells me that Phil and the team are backsliding and it needs to be halted quickly. Somehow these kids keep forgetting the message.

I don't agree with Adams a lot and regardless of whether he's being sarcastic or not, he's not far off here. Somebody needs to get their attention or we could easily be back to where it was in 2004. Evidently, there is a noticeable lack of leadership among the players because nobody is stepping up to halt this. (Can you imagine what Al Wilson, John Henderson or Fred Weary would have done to one of these goof-offs if they were forced to run? It wouldn't have been pretty.)

I like the idea of the guilty party watching and the rest of the team running six nights in a row. Don't care if he's Anthony Parker and 300 lbs. I figure there are about ten 300 pounders on the team who won't be very happy with him after they have to run because of him.

Posted by pdhuff on February 1, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

tngeoff 6:38 - It wasn't the fritters, was it? Wonder what line he crossed. This strikes me as a fairly liberal 1st Amendment site.

Have you spotted any DTs who aren't going to Alabama?

Posted by TommyJack on February 1, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Geoff: What did he say that got him excised?
Not to worry...the man has several nom de plumes.

Posted by jevolball7 on February 1, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Adams sucks. Does anyone think that their name would be in the friggin' paper for a petty misdemeanor,if they weren't on the football team?? Kinda like Dearstone moaning about men's b-ball. I thought Adams was a jerk until I listened to "state run radio" in the mornings this week. Dearstone will be lucky if BP doesn't stomp his a--, I hope at least,get him fired!! The lady vol crowd is so jealous of BP,it's funny. GET DEARSTONE'S ARROGANT BUTT OUT OF TOWN!!!! Someone start the campaign and I'll donate first! He's dangerous,if you guys want BP to stay here! Any thoughts out there,if you have heard his crap this week??

Posted by vol_in_lsu_land on February 1, 2008 at 9:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Funny, I found the reader comments on this article much more worthwhile than the drivel of the tabloid rag they are associated with.

Posted by vol_in_lsu_land on February 1, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Summary of article: "Football season is over and I (the author) have nothing else to do but dig through the trash to find writing material! That being said, please read my article because I am so witty and clever! You know you wish you were as clever as I! I won't rest until I've used every play in the book to make Coach Fulmer look silly and ridiculous! Thanks for reading all you mindless masses. You are so easy to manipulate!"

Posted by THE_VOL on February 2, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

NO! NO! NO! MIDNIGHT RUNS ARE A STUPID IDEA THAT WILL NEVER WORK!!!! WHY, YOU MAY ASK??? BECAUSE ALL OF THE PLAYERS ARE STILL IN THE BARS WAITING TO GET A FIGHT BREWING AT MIDNIGHT!!! THE ABSOLUTE EARLIEST YOU CAN GET THEM ALL TOGETHER WOULD BE ABOUT 4 A.M.!!! OF COURSE THAT WOULD BE WHEN THE BUS PICKS THEM UP AT THE KPD DETENTION CENTER!

Posted by invisiblekid on February 2, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Good points CollierVol. Whether it's Cutcliffe leaving or a general feeling of malaise leading to these actions by the players, it needs to stop. We were lucky that recruiting didn't suffer more along with the overall state of the program the last time a rash of off-field incidents hit.

I don't pretend to know the answers to stopping it but the idea of having the entire team run is a good one as those with military experience can relate. Only problem with a number of the posts and suggestions by Adams is that it took Fulmer 16 years to come up with this solution of running the guys one time at 6 A.M. Does anyone really think he is going to jump into anything more extreme at this point?

Posted by SpringCityVol on February 3, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think Fulmer got the idea from a case of midnight runs he got after a bad plate of wings at Hooters. Like most of his ideas it flew out of his butt.

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