Comments by stevefrommemphis

Written on Vols lose 5-1 to Texas A&M for must-win situation:

No outs, 1st & 3rd, behind 4 runs in the 8th. It would have literally made more sense to tell the runner on 3rd stand on the base, like in T-ball, until somebody got a hit or a deep sacrifice fly, instead of trying anything fancy that would potentially get him picked off. That run meant nothing! What sort of baseball are they playing?

Written on Exclusive: UT, Memphis to renew basketball rivalry; football still in talks:

in response to billythekid:

As it should be. We should play Tennessee teams for all our non conference football games as well. Memphis, Chattanooga, MTSU should be on the football schedule every year. It is good for them. It is good for us.

If Memphis, MTSU, and Chattanooga are going to be on the football schedule every year, Tennessee might as well drop out of the SEC and join the Southern Conference or OVC. It would most definitely not be good for Tennessee.

Written on Exclusive: UT, Memphis to renew basketball rivalry; football still in talks:

There is absolutely NO REASON WHATSOEVER for Tennessee to ever play Memphis in football - period. Tennessee has nothing to gain and everything to lose.

I also think the same thing about basketball, but if Tennessee must throw a bone to Memphis (the town and the school), I guess giving them a basketball game is the least we can do.

If Memphis won't accept a basketball-only plan, tell them to get lost. Tennessee doesn't owe Memphis anything.

21 years, 11 months, 3 days before I escaped from that joke of a town. If heaven forbid I am ever convicted of a crime, I can say to the judge: "Your honor, I served my time in advance. I lived in Memphis."

Written on Loss to Arkansas puts Vols at mercy of rival in order to reach SEC tournament :

Be a Kentucky fan? That will never happen with me. OK,I will be when they play Alabama in football. (and they WILL play Alabama in football, because the SEC office in Birmingham ALABAMA has to protect their sacred cow Crimson Tide by scheduling them to play the weakest East opponents)

Written on How many league games should SEC football teams play?:

NINE. I'm tired of paying $40 - $50 for tickets to Austin Peay, Western Kentucky, South Alabama. In fact, I won't see Tennessee play until Georgia comes to Knoxville in October.

Written on Tar Heels, Gamecocks to open in Charlotte in 2015:

Yes, I see Oklahoma on the schedule in 2013 and 2014, and Nebraska in 2015 and 2016. North Carolina and Ohio State were on the future schedules at one time, too, but they got dropped and replaced by cupcakes. I'll believe Oklahoma and Nebraska come to Neyland when I buy tickets to those games.

My prior sarcastic comment may not sound "moronic" or "idiot" (sic) to other season ticket holders who, like myself, had to pay $500 for tickets to the big Western Kentucky, Austin Peay, and South Alabama games this season.

Written on Tar Heels, Gamecocks to open in Charlotte in 2015:

Meanwhile, Tennessee season ticket holders will be purchasing tickets to the big UT vs Alabama-Birmingham game that day.

Written on UT releases Travon Landry from men's basketball letter of intent:

in response to johnlg00:

In your continuing quest to miss no opportunity to make everything connected to UT look bad, at whatever cost to your minimal credibility or even simple consistency, you now choose to act as if NO other team has or would do anything of the sort. Anyone who is offended by this clearly knows nothing about the world of big-time sports. Even Landry's dad had to know Travon was looking at this possibility as the season rolled on with apparently minimal contributions by his son, even if he WAS playing on a great team.

If you are the dedicated UK troll I think you are, you probably can name every one of the guys ALREADY ON scholarship at UK who Calapari sent packing when he was hired to make room for his first crop of mercenaries. There is not another school in America where this hasn't happened on occasion.

+1 A Kentucky troll questioning any other school's recruiting / personnel decisions just about leaves me speechless. I'm curious to see what Calipari does with his 2012-13 team to make room for the new crop of "one and dones" coming in next fall.

Written on Tennessee-Georgia rained out:

Couldn't they have copied the PGA Tour and played the Saturday game yesterday morning before the rain, and taped it for TV, to at least get two games played? I'm sitting here now on Sunday afternoon watching golf taped this morning in Charlotte.

Written on SEC's Mike Slive says new name for football playoff was built on simplicity:

"Closing in on a 2014 football schedule" - I guess that means the only thing left to do is to get the approval of Bama AD Bill Battle. Who do Slive and Alabama grad Womack have the Tide lined up to play in the East in 2014? Missouri? Kentucky? Vandy maybe?

By all means, play nine conference games. I'm tired of buying tickets to Austin Peay, South Alabama, Western Ky, etc...

Written on SEC dilemma: Cross-divisional matchups create potential imbalances:

in response to mrtruvol#207043:

Alabama Central
Ole Miss Central
Auburn Central
Florida Central
North Carolina St. East
Va. Tech East
Georgia East
South Carolina East
Vandy North
Kentucky North
Tennessee North
Missouri North
Miss State West
Arkansas West
LSU West
T A&M West

LOL. No way the powers in Birmingham would put Tennessee in a division with Kentucky, Vandy, and Missouri. Instead, they would probably not hesitate to put Alabama in that division.

Written on SEC dilemma: Cross-divisional matchups create potential imbalances:

A cynic could argue that the Birmingham-based SEC headquarters has selected a 'bell-cow' and given that school the easiest possible conference schedule to try to get them into the conference and national championship games, to enhance conference revenues on the TV contracts. I can also think of other less flattering explanations.

I am completely in favor of going to a nine game conference schedule. Season ticket holders like myself get tired or paying $40+ apiece for tickets to 3 or 4 garbage games year after year. Play 6 in division, 1 permanent out of division, then have a yearly lottery to determine the last 2 opponents. Big 10 is going to 9 conference games. Any system of selecting matchups for a 9 game setup would be better than the current 8 game.

Keep complaining, Les Miles and LSU fans! Don't let up!

Written on Jacobs: Auburn review finds no evidence of fraud:

The compliance officers at every school should be employees of that school's two biggest rivals.

Written on Order of protection was taken out against Yemi Makanjuola:

Someone posting as "candyland" at 3:02 p.m. on April 20 on the original Yemi story mentioned the order of protection. It appears that KNS followed up on the tip from a poster.

Written on 'Cruel' ninth inning dooms Vols, 4-3:

Losing three in a row to Ole Miss in anything is disturbing.

Written on John Adams: Vols making progress one detail at a time:

Regarding details, after what I saw at Knoxville the last three years, I'll be happy if they start 2013 by just consistently getting 11 men on the field, not 9, 10, 12 or 13.

Written on UT announces details of April 20 Orange & White Game and 'fan appreciation' event:

in response to volaholic45:

Not a troll, fellows - just think much more could be done with the O&W to make it a terrific event.

+1

Written on Which unit will be stronger on UT's football team next season?:

You forgot the kicking game.

Written on Alabama hires Bill Battle as athletic director:

in response to frblalack:

For all those who comment negatively about Bill Battle, you're probably some of those who wanted to fire Coach Fulmer. Battle was a damn good football coach; check his winning percentage.

This website has quite a few ignorant idiots who would complain about anything!

Anyway, good luck to all our former coaches!!!

All Vols - All the Time - Tennessee First!!!

Not me. I supported Johnny Majors and I supported Phil Fulmer. When I was 15 years old I wrote Battle a letter which began: "Congratulations on destroying 50 years of Tennessee football tradition." And I still believe that statement nearly 40 years later.

If Battle was such a great football coach, why did his record never improve from one year to the next? Why could he not beat Vanderbilt or Kentucky by the time he left? The 31-5 record his first three years just shows what an incredible program Doug Dickey left for Battle to ruin.

Battle's last two years, 1975 and 1976, were very similar to Dooley's last two years -- eerily similar.

Written on Alabama hires Bill Battle as athletic director:

in response to TNACBOY36:

I think Kiffin was the worst mistake! We still haven't recovered!

Well, it remains to be seen. We're just in year 4 of the Kiffin recovery. It took about 8 years to recover from Bill Battle.

Written on Alabama hires Bill Battle as athletic director:

Saban says it's against the rules for Battle to coach. Ha, ha -- apparently it was also against the rules for Battle to coach when he held the head coaching job at Tennessee. Hiring Battle was the worst mistake in Tennessee football history. Let's hope he makes a mess of Alabama athletics the same way he did Tennessee football.

Written on University of Alabama president to recommend hiring of Bill Battle as new athletics director:

in response to oldster:

His overall record at UT was 59-22-2, but his SEC record was 22–18–1. He started out gang busters, with Dickey's players and Holloway, winning 11, 10, and 10, the first three years. However, he dropped quickly down to 8, 7, 7, and 6-5, the last four years - with a losing SEC record the last year. No folks, this guy may be a great exec, but he set UT football back to about the same place it is now. Hopefully, he will do the same kind of job for Alabama's overall athletic program.

+1 No, make that +100. Battle was pathetic. Take away the first three years when he won with Dickey's talent, and add Majors' first three years when Majors was trying to clean up Battle's mess, then recalculate Battle's overall record. It was pathetic. Hiring Battle was the worst mistake in Tennessee football history.

Written on University of Alabama president to recommend hiring of Bill Battle as new athletics director:

in response to CarlChilders:

True, he never had a losing season, but:

11-1
10-2
10-2
8-4
7-3-2
7-5
6-5

... and if Battle had been allowed to stay another two seasons, it would have been 4-7, 2-9. It took Majors about 7 years to fix the mess he inherited. I have never forgiven Battle for the 1970's downfall, but I have especially never forgiven A.D. Bob Woodruff for being stupid enough to hire an inexperienced kid in his 20s to be head coach of UT.

UT in 2012 under Dooley looked more similar to the mid 70s Battle teams than anything I have seen at UT - total confusion, disorganized, 12 men on field, 10 men on field, outmanned, etc...

I read some book quoting UT players on Battle's last teams saying that one of the assistant line coaches didn't even know the most basic stances.

Written on University of Alabama president to recommend hiring of Bill Battle as new athletics director:

in response to DalTexVol:

Yes, and that was the Hayden Fry era at North Texas State. Heard of him?

Was it an upset? Yes, but those NTSU teams of the early to mid-70s were solid football teams. Fry then took the Iowa job and turned a door mat team into a perennial winner.

I attended that famous game. NTS running back Sears Woods scored three touchdowns, including returning a kickoff for the winning TD with less than 2 min remaining in the game. UT fumbled inside the UT 5 to set up one NT touchdown. If UT had lost to Troy last year, the small crowd leaving Neyland Stadium would have had the same stunned reaction as the crowd leaving after the NTS game.

After the game, the Chattanooga paper reported that Hayden Fry had perhaps been interviewed for or maybe had expressed interest in the UT job at one point. Now that would have been a good hire! ! !

Written on University of Alabama president to recommend hiring of Bill Battle as new athletics director:

in response to wallingdad:

we can only hope he trashes Alabama the way he did Tennessee. I know many will say he never had a losing season at UT and that is true. However look at his record from year to year. it was a downward spiral. Doug Dickey left him stellar players to have quick success but once his own recruits started playing the fall began.
I remember getting beat by North Texas State University....at home!!!

I can only hope he does the same thing to Alabama

+1 Agree wholeheartedly.

Written on Dave Hart praises outgoing Alabama AD Mal Moore, says he's committed to Tennessee:

in response to tulelakevol:

Tide nation can take a long walk off a short pier. I do not care.

+1 Hopefully they will hire Mike Hamilton.

Written on Poll: Did Tennessee deserve to make the NCAA tournament?:

I'm so undecided that I voted 'no' on my work computer and 'yes' on my home computer.

Written on Rejection Sunday: Vols left out of NCAA tournament, receive No. 2 seed in NIT:

in response to stevefrommemphis:

Why is this a surprise? The whole purpose of the NIT is to make money, and NIT knows that Kat fans will take out payday loans to get money to see the Kats play in Corrupt Arena.

By the way, former Kentucky athletic director and former Alabama head coach C.M. Newton is now in his ninth year as head of the NIT selection committee.

Somebody tells me now that Ky-Robert Morris game may be at Robert Morris, because of NCAA Tournament being at Corrupt Arena. So my theory in first paragraph is perhaps incorrect.

Written on Rejection Sunday: Vols left out of NCAA tournament, receive No. 2 seed in NIT:

in response to 9willbesofine:

UK is a 1 seed in the NIT. I love it!

You can't spell UT Knoxville with NIT.

Why is this a surprise? The whole purpose of the NIT is to make money, and NIT knows that Kat fans will take out payday loans to get money to see the Kats play in Corrupt Arena.

By the way, former Kentucky athletic director and former Alabama head coach C.M. Newton is now in his ninth year as head of the NIT selection committee.

Written on Tennessee left in the hands of the committee, but Cuonzo Martin thinks his team deserves to be in:

in response to eduardo:

If it is between us and kenlucky going...I know who my money is on!

My money would be on Kentucky, just so the NCAA can increase TV ratings for lightly watched play-in games. 99% of basketball fans would watch just to see Kentucky get beat.

If Kentucky gets in and Tennessee doesn't, I'm yelling 'FOUL'. But I wouldn't be surprised.

Written on Vols lose to Alabama, will play the waiting game for NCAA tournament:

I'll be satisfied going wherever Kentucky goes. I will be furious if Kentucky goes to the NCAA and Tennessee stays home. But that's exactly what I predict will happen. TV will want Kentucky for the ratings since 99% of the country will watch just to see them get beat. That's the sorriest Kentucky team I've seen in a long time.

Written on Mark Wiedmer: Win over Tide would make Vols bubble-proof:

Going to be interesting to see what excuse the NCAA uses to put Wiedmer's beloved Kentucky Wildcats in the tournament - the team that can't beat anybody outside Corrupt Arena.

Kentucky will go for TV ratings. 1% of the country wants to see them win & 99% want to see them get beat by 50 - but everybody will watch the Kats.

Written on UT signee Robert Hubbs says Vols will 'do some damage' in NCAA tournament:

Unfortunately, a lot of Vol fans are going to be at Bridgestone Arena to see the Vols play. Seeing both Dyer and UT would be possible if you hustle and are willing to miss the Florida game.

However, I did see Hubbs play today at Murfreesboro, and he looks quite impressive. Probably will add about 20 pounds in college. Dyer Co fans spoke highly of him as a person, which counts for a lot.

Written on Mark Wiedmer: Basketball Vols need more wins to be NCAA sure:

Watched 90 minutes of Miss State game plus postgame, and it was like a 90 minute lobbying session for the Kentucky Wildcats by Joe Dean, Jr. Like father, like son I suppose. Joe Dean Sr. was the biggest advocate for UK for years.

If Kentucky loses Friday and Tennessee wins tomorrow, they're going to have a lot of explaining to do when they put UK in the tournament and leave Tennessee out.

Written on Poll: How far does UT need to go in the SEC tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament?:

The fact that Kentucky can't beat anybody outside of Corrupt Arena is not relevant.
NCAA, ESPN, CBS, and SEC are looking for any excuse they can to get Kentucky in the tournament. 90% of the country wants to watch Kentucky play just to see them get beat. So if Kentucky wins one game in the SEC tournament, they are in.

That's going to put pressure on NCAA to not put some more deserving SEC team in. They've been talking all year about how weak the SEC is. Florida is obviously in. Missouri, I think, is in, but if they win, they are definitely in. Ole Miss is on the bubble and can probably get in with a win over Missouri. Under this scenario, no way they are going to put six SEC teams in, so Tennessee must beat Alabama.

The logjam starts with putting a Kentucky team in that gets a 15 point automatic headstart in Corrupt Arena and is not deserving, except in the eyes of those who covet big TV ratings.

Written on Mike Strange: Win over Missouri brings Vols all the way back:

First paragraph of my prior comment has a large dose of sarcasm, in case somebody doesn't get it.

Written on Mike Strange: Win over Missouri brings Vols all the way back:

Got to win two in the tournament to prevent Slive from lobbying to get his buddies at Kentucky and Alabama in, thereby knocking Tennessee out.

I thought Missouri was the most talented team Tennessee has played in the SEC - certainly the biggest problem for UT because of their size. I would not be surprised if Missouri wins the SEC Tournament. Mizzou is certainly the most underachieving this year in the conference.

Written on Caldwell-Pope, Georgia beat reeling Kentucky 72-62:

Don't worry, Kat fans. Slive will make sure you get in the Big Dance.

This Kentucky meltdown is so funny that I had to listen to Kentucky postgame callers (still in progress).
One woman described herself as "heartbroken." Somebody else said go ahead and "hang the [national championship] banner for next year" because they apparently think they have some great recruits coming in.

Written on David Climer: SEC-ond rate basketball isn't worthy of NCAA tournament:

Slive will make sure his buddies at Kentucky and Alabama get in.

Written on Mark Wiedmer: Does UT control its NCAA destiny?:

in response to The_View_From_Memphis:

Is the title a rhetorical question? Yes, win the SEC tourney and you're in! By definition, that would be controlling your own destiny.

Yes, indeed. Right now, any school playing in a conference with a season-ending tournament controls its own destiny.

Written on Tickets stills available for Tennessee-Florida:

OK, I made it up there from Chattanooga for Kentucky and LSU, but this late start means I'll be watching at home. The locals from Knoxville are going to have to step up and fill up TBA tonight!

Written on Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze asked for emails, and did they ever come:

Send his "compliance guy" an email? If I ever find out anything on any Tennessee opponent, my email will be sent directly to the NCAA. Not to Slive, not to some "compliance guy" at the offending school, but straight to Indianapolis.

Written on Mark Wiedmer: Calipari has more problems than solutions at Kentucky:

Not surprisingly, Weidmer's story in Sunday's Chattanooga paper included six backhanded compliments of Tennessee wrapped around mention of his beloved UK's 2012 national championship and mention of UK's position as winningest team in college history. His statement that UT's current win streak is "one of the sweetest three game runs in school history" was most hilarious.

It was the only Weidmer story I've read beginning to end in three years. His obsessive love of the Kentucky Wildcats is shared at most by 20 or 30 people in Chattanooga.

Oh, by the way Mark, all Kentucky championships are

Written on Never Better: Vols score biggest victory ever against Kentucky, 88-58 :

in response to VolGrad:

I guess you weren't paying attention. With our starters, we were up 39 points on Kentucky when we started subbing in the bench guys. With the bench players in for UT, Kentucky got it back DOWN to 30 points.

Go Vols!

Absolutely. It takes a lot of nerve for a Kentucky basketball fan to call any other school "classless."

He would be talking about "classless" today if they had let me coach the last 8 minutes of yesterday's game. Tennessee would have won by 50.

This Kentucky team won't win another game outside Corrupt Arena, and may lose a couple there.

If Adolph Corrupt had not started Kentucky's 80+ year tradition of skirting the rules and pushing the envelope ethically, the Kats would have no better basketball history than Auburn or Ole Miss.

Written on John Adams: Vols turn rivalry topsy-turvy :

in response to Colliervol:

Calipari caught lightning in a bottle last year. He will always go only as far as the talent will take him. Last year's team had enough talent to overcome his historically weak coaching. This one doesn't. Simple as that.

Agree. You're in Memphis where you have been able to observe him for many years. It will be interesting to see how many of these guys he runs off. If they're planning to stay on for another year, they'll create a logjam in the "One & Done" system.

Does anybody know if Worldwide Wes is still affiliated with him?

That provisional national championship won't win Calipari very much support at Kentucky. I say provisional, because anything that ever happens at Kentucky is provisional for four years to see if the NCAA is going to come in and "vacate" it.

Written on Never Better: Vols score biggest victory ever against Kentucky, 88-58 :

in response to bigdisbig:

This is the same Vol team that got beat by Memphis, Ga. and stomped in the dirt by Ole Miss at home and everyone is crowing over beating a weak Ky. team. I still say Cuonzo is a lower level coach who gets lucky every now and then. The guys played a great game today....probably the best of the year in spite of a weak coach.

Either a troll, KNS employee trying to drive up the comments, or a teenager. Memphis = poor shooting night vs a team that couldn't miss. Georgia = point guard hurt, going to get a chance to even the score at Athens on March 2. Ole Miss = I hope UT gets another chance to play them in the SEC Tournament.

Written on Never Better: Vols score biggest victory ever against Kentucky, 88-58 :

in response to Playsomeorange:

Hope miss Ashley (Judd) was on hand to witness!!!

Probably wasn't there - she's too busy trying to decide whether to run for the U.S. Senate.

Written on Never Better: Vols score biggest victory ever against Kentucky, 88-58 :

What we saw today was a glimpse of what Kentucky basketball would be about if Adolph Corrupt had not started a tradition of skirting the rules and pushing the envelope at Lexington 80+ years ago. Kentucky basketball would not have any better basketball history than Ole Miss or Georgia. So I have no respect for Kentucky - only contempt.

It was the eighth Tennessee vs Kentucky game I have seen in person, and the Vols are 7-1 in those games.

Written on Georgia delivers a punch in gut to Vols, 68-62:

in response to MathIsHard:

Did anyone else notice that when we were down 59-54, an obviously talented Georgia player managed to score a three point jumper from about 5 feet inside the 3pt line.
I'm not complaining that this cost us the game or anything (though I suppose it could have had an effect on game strategy).
What I'm really saying is that how could that many officials, broadcasters, fans, whoever... not catch that and say something?

It was the TV scoreboard at the bottom of the screen that was incorrect. The scoreboard in the arena (which you could see displayed on the message board running the length of the score table) was correct. Eventually they reduced the Georgia score on the TV scoreboard by 1, so TV eventually got it correct -- but it was never wrong in the arena. I watched this, because I was curious if TV would ever correct it or the announcers would ever say anything. The announcers never said anything, but it did get corrected.

Written on Marshall Henderson talks the talk, walks the walk as Ole Miss sweeps UT, 62-56:

in response to rclarkvols#224537:

Good effort. We are improving. Can still finish 10 and 6 in the conference. Let's beat Bama and get on a roll

With addition of two new teams, they expanded SEC conference basketball games to 18 -- just like they should expand the number of SEC conference football games to NINE.

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