As if the fireworks of Thursday between Tennessee head football coach Lane Kiffin and Florida needed another flashpoint, bloggers for a couple newspapers in the Gator State are buzzing about a practical joke Kiffin played on Blaze Thompson, the coach at Pahokee (Fla.) High School from where UT got prize recruit Nu’Keese Richardson.
Ben Violin in the Palm Beach Post says Kiffin is "burning bridges" and Jason Lieser of the same Web site said it is "ironic" Kiffin brought up cell phone use. Joe Goodman, writing in a Miami Herald blog, said the Pahokee coach is "confused" and "saddened" by Kiffen's comments.
Also, check out Drew’s Notebook for Tennessee football beat writer Drew Edwards’ take on the fun and recruiting games.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee Lady Vols 60, South…
Signing day celebration at Neyland…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 363
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
So, what, exactly, is the story here?
Triton1 writes:
Wow what a mess!
Irwin_Linker writes:
Anyone with any word at all on Oku. When is he going to sign? Who is he most likely to sign with? You can NEVER have to many running backs.
SeanJean writes:
God. Lane needs to freaking chill out. What is going on over here?
checkerboards writes:
This is crazy. Kiffin needs to calm down a bit. We haven't won anything yet. On the bright side, I do not think Lane is going to take s*it from anyone in the SEC. I would act the same way if I had Coach Orgeon on my side.
Volchaz writes:
Let's hope he can walk the talk.
gcscvol writes:
We've been chillin' long enough. go get 'em coach kiff.
jobrando#216494 writes:
IF you look at the schools they each selected then u see Tennessee is the only one on both list. My theory is they both want to be a VOL but one want do if the other one signs so it becomes a waiting game.
TommyJack writes:
Some of you mopes are following the gator spin. I'm truly amazed at the whining the gators are doing over this. wah wah wah.
StroVol writes:
YOU SAY THAT EVERYDAY! what do you know? Are just screwing around
joshvols writes:
I like the fact our coach is making noise, thumping his chest and getting the Tennessee name out there. I like it that he's not afraid to take a few jabs at our rivals. And as for Blaze Thompson, doesn't look like we exactly needed you to get Nu'keese now did we? Still on the whole it's best to treat these high school coaches with as much respect as you can.
FWBVol writes:
It seems as if Mike Hamilton has been pretty hush hush on all of this so I wonder where he stands on what Kiffin said and how much heat he is feeling from the big dollar boosters.
With everything that has gone down the last couple of days I can only come to one of two conclusions. The first is Lane is extremely stupid, which we don't need. Or the second is he took a calculated risk to keep UT's name out there despite not having a Top 5 type recruting class. As someone said with another story yesterday when all the garbage was starting to break, this is a lot of free publicity and people are continuing to talk about Tennessee. I hope that was his plan.
gavol74 writes:
Just a thought....With all this talk about FL and AL running up the score on us next year thats floating around all over the I-net,No one seems to mention the fact that none of these teams will have played against the Tampa 2 Defense that we will be running next year,If our Defensive line is just avg,We know we have above Avg Line backers aND With our secondary there is no one,let me repeat that NO ONE that will run the score up on us...We might get beat but we will be in everygame .....Thoughts??
Chattanooga_Vol writes:
If you would do it too, then why do you think it is crazy and he needs to calm down. Players talk all the time to help lite the fire and if Kiffin needs to do the same thing for his team then fine. Kiffin is not here to make friends with other coaches, he is here to win. And winning is what he will do.
StroVol writes:
After all your predictions, you better punish us! The last time I checked we still had 100plus players and some new recruits getting ready for spring practice.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Berry will protect NuKeese..I love Florida. Cant wait until we steal some more next year.
gavol74 writes:
So will Tim Flebow when he goes against the Tampa 2 D We will be running.......
gcscvol writes:
How would youknow if CLK is in over his head? seems to me you talk more than you think, so baammer jammer that
volnsc writes:
I'm as big a Vol fan as there is on this board, but CLK needs to wise up. It is one thing to not take lip from the Meyers, Sabans and Spurriers of the world, but it can be done with a little class. There was a world of difference in the headlines yesterday morning involving CLK and last nite involving Pat Summitt. Lane should go meet Pat and take a lesson ot two in how to be tough with some integrity attached to the toughness. This stuff helps no one, including Lane.
StroVol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Chattanooga_Vol writes:
This is not embarassing. What alabama went through the last 10 years is what I would call embarassing.
gavol74 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
andy112382#209793 writes:
Everyone see, it is official that Bryce Brown will visit on the 13th?
Rivals.com rated him the best RB out of high school in the past 5 years, according to 3rd Saturday in Blogtober.
OrangeRush writes:
I wouldn't give a single mullet scalp for the sensitive feelings of the entire bunch of panty-wearing whiners who comprise the Gator nation.
Go get 'em, Coach Kiffin!
jobrando#216494 writes:
My thoughts are if you get beat by 1 point or 60 (like the cry babies are promising) it's still a 'L'
This coach will be playing to win and not to get whupped like sleepy Fulmer did.
drone#208075 writes:
We need a Team building trip for the football team. Gainesville - March 1 @ 2 PM EST. Hamilton/Kiffin - do you think you can arrange this? I'm sure the Turds have a special halftime celebration planned that day. Would be fun to crash the party.
gavol74 writes:
How can you Promise me??????? YOU CANT BECAUSE IT WILL...
StroVol writes:
That's not true. The NCAA has had it's eye on Urban Meyer for about 5years now. And he should have been busted over the gymnastics girfriend fiasco. You can thank the love dovey relationship between Foley and Slimey for that story fading into the night.
CHS52VOL writes:
No, the SEC Commissioner embarassed himself yesterday. Lane Kiffin is waving the "Don't Tread on Me" flag, and I love it. We have been docile far too long. Sic 'em, Coach Kiffin.
BuckheadVol1 writes:
You should know. Many think your coach is and has been a slime ball sine coming to FL. Only the area in the dicsussion may think so or any other area that is a Gator influenced area believes.
Get the F over it already! He said it, may have not been the smartest thing but can not blame him for firing up the base. Stop being a such a biatch!
andy112382#209793 writes:
Tennessee is getting the swagger and energy back, and you can tell by the way Gator fans are reacting to every move Kiffin makes.
Face it, if we were so bad that we posed absolutely no threat in the SEC east, the gators wouldn't and couldn't care any less about what we did.....steal two 4-star recruits and call out their coach to challenge him headon, and you got some doubts creeping in about being able to dominate the SEC....then again, not like the gators have won the sec east every year under Meyer, heck, we won it just over a year ago.
sims1087 writes:
Want to bet. these kids don't care about Florida. they want to play as a freshman. If Nuke is sucessful at TN they will come. The game has changed. Remember, the only bad news is NO news
gavol74 writes:
I agree a Loss is a Loss,But This team Will play mad,mean and nasty...And i for one look forward to seeing it...Fl may be a loss,maybe not...GA AND AL will be Wins..You cant expect a new QB to handle all the differnt looks we will be showing on D...Not going to happen ..This is going to be a MAJOR Turn around,Quickly...
diggerland17#448133 writes:
CLK u r the man! The only problem I have with Kiffins comments is the fact that he called URBAN a "cheat". We all know now that thats not the case. I wish he would of used another word like - URBAN is "DIRTY" for calling a recruit while on our campus for a visit. You now Meyer knew about the visit and he did it on purpose. That is like calling your ex-girlfriend when you know she is on a date with someone else. "DIRTY" URBAN is such a D-BAG and now everyone knows that he is! Im sure other coaches in the league loved it that Kiffin called him out. Probably should of just used another word besides "cheater". GO VOLS!!!
jobrando#216494 writes:
No we are looking for 'W's primarily whupping you gators and tide trollers. Our Coach is waking us all up. Just as long as he conducts himself within NCAA guidelines then it's good.
ROCKYTOPTENN writes:
amen, brother
StroVol writes:
Your an idiot, Allan Jones and Thunder Thornton, UT's biggest boosters! are laughing their as.es off!
Irwin_Linker writes:
Clearly, while Lane and Nu'keese where texting back and forth with Thompson Blaze said something to make Lane and Nu'Keese both not trust him. I for one am not worried about this. Getting results on the field is what matters in the recruiting game. If UT can come in and make it back to the SEC championship game in the next few years. We will be able to go into Pahokee or anywhere for that matter and bag some blue chippers. I, though biased I may be, think Lane is doing a great job, very spurrieresque, with his jabs and snide comments about other programs and there coaches.
TommyJack writes:
Oh ya...but who is noone? Is that a recruit? Gator/bama interlopers are tiddy babies. Ya, book it. Good grief.
andy112382#209793 writes:
How much you want to bet that when Kiffin said a couple of weeks ago how amazed he was about the things other coaches in the SEC were saying about him and Tennessee while talking to recruits, trying to prevent them from wanting to come to Knoxville that Urban Meyer was public enemy #1 (along with Saban)?
And don't think for a split second this staff would go without calling him right out. I agree with the guys on PTI, way to go Lane Kiffin (in a good way) for calling out the biggest bully and letting people know Tennessee is back, after all, we haven't had much to cheer about the last year, now we are fired up much more than we have been in the last decade.
sims1087 writes:
Every young gun in America saw this story on ESPN, The 4 letter loved it. The game has changed. Recruits eat this stuff up. Hamilton is a marketing savvy and had his hands all in this and the Gators fell right into his trap. Bama didn't!
bls8617#370509 writes:
Obviously, no one is going to win this argument. The gator fans and the alabama guy (who can't even spell the word "yesterday") are never going to think that Lane Kiffin will have success. Also, they aren't going to convince anyone here that Kiffin will fail even before he has gotten a chance to coach a game. Just a side note, I understand the confidence that the Gator fans have (2 nat'l titles, etc), but Alabama fans? I mean come on, they're are a much improved team and no doubt will compete, but the best thing they have to brag about are great recruiting classes and a SEC west title. Just chill out for another year or two then maybe you can have something to sing about.
gavol74 writes:
I'll archive this post so I can come back to you and say i told you so after you are proven wrong.....Fact: Monte Kiffin was the B E S T D cord in the NFL..Here is your chance to show a little bit of common sense...Are you really going to tell me his D Will be irrelevant?? Brutal,Hard Hitting,Ball hawks i'll buy but irrelevant...Come on now,I hate FL as bad as anyone in the country but Tbow is still super man,You cant take anything away from him....But Man up and admit our D will be hard to handle...
jobrando#216494 writes:
Dont you love how the interlopers are trying to put us back down to our old passive Fulmer state. They are deeply worried about this kid coach.
andy112382#209793 writes:
You mean make an idiot of himself by talking or how bad our team has played recently and how there was no chemistry or direction?
Hey, I was one of the biggest pro-Fulmer people around, love the guy, but we needed new life injected into the program and we have that plus some. Kiffin isn't an idiot, he knew what he was doing...heck, even some sports analyst have pointed that out, like the PTI guys.
StroVol writes:
Please don't forget Coach Urban was calling his recruit while at Tennessee. What a stalking freak! That should be the story. "Nu? you there? Hey it's me coach. You still coming to Gainsville? We love you Nu. Bye"
OrangeHammer writes:
You have always amazed me. It is clear who are TN fans on this webpage and who are not. It's now what the University of Tennessee can do for you, but what YOU can do for TEAM. Either shut your mouth, or start supporting your "team." It's easy to it on the sidelines and have opinions.. clearly you are in no place to make ANY kind of desicion like Hamilton had to make. If it were up to you, we'd still have Fulmer and a weak recruiting class. Within two years I guarantee our program would be ran into the ground.. beyond repair.
"I will give my all for Tennessee today."
..if you aren't prepared to do that then your just as fairweather as the next, punk.
The OrangeHammer has spoken.
Ironcity writes:
Who was the last player prior to Nukeese that ever signed with UT? Oh that's right no one ever has.
StroVol writes:
That was Mckenzie you fool
rocky_topper writes:
Seriously folks, would any of you trust a feeder school to UF to fax LOI papers to Tennessee? Our recruiters are not idiots, and I'm sure Richardson isn't either!
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