I finally figured it out. I hadn’t quite been able to find the word to describe the amazing transformation of Tennessee basketball from fall-out to all-out. It came to me as I observed Bruce Pearl’s sweat saturated suit during last nights Tennessee-Florida basket-brawl game. The word is Pearl-spiration. What is it? It’s a combination of the infectious effort and inspiration that Coach Pearl lives and has instilled in the 05/06 Vols. Its:

-being picked 6th in the East and clinching the
Division title with three games left to play
-going 5-2 in SEC road games after winning 2 of 16 in the last two seasons
-winning games at Kentucky and Florida when your two most hated rivals and their fans were desperate for a win
-standing toe-to-toe with a more physical Gator squad in a game that the officials allowed to become Australian Rules Football
-Dane Bradshaw’s play invoking fans to cry out “what grit” instead of “Oh (something that rhymes with grit)”
-JaJuan Smith unafraid to take big shots and clogging passing lanes
-Major Wingate contributing while smiling and enjoying himself at a time in the game when fans are seemingly dying a thousand deaths
-CJ Watson rarely turning the ball over while defending the seemingly endless string of outstanding SEC point guards
-Andre Patterson rebounding and scoring against much more imposing physiques
-Stanley Asumnu in a system where he can succeed
-Chris Lofton invalidating the “slow footed only a shooter” tag erroneously placed on him
-everyone conditioned, everyone shooting, everyone diving after loose balls, everyone providing help defense, everyone cheering for their teammates, everyone listening to their coaches (who amazingly all coach rather than sitting on the bench like the Darlin Boys)
-Stegman sold-out, Coleman Coliseum sold-out, O-Dome sold-out, TBA sold-out
-Tennessee basketball fans making travel plans
-fans on the floor and players in the stands
-a successful, demanding, demonstrative, coach who magically is everywhere except in the players way during the game

That in a nutshell is Pearl-spiration. It’s all out, it’s contagious, it’s fun, it’s pure, and above all else it’s ours.

It was December 29th of last year. I was taking a last-gasp 2005 vacation day and was pleased to accept Tony’s invitation to sit alongside on his show that day. I had watched the Vols upend Alabama A&M the night before and as I have a tendency to do was under the misguided impression that someone in the listening audience would actually be interested in hearing how I thought the rest of the season would play out. Of course anyone desperate enough to put stock in a prediction made by a guy that ex-friends hung the moniker “Beano” on would probably like another coaching candidate referral from Roy Williams. Proving that I am more psycho than psychic the following was my Bruce Benedict-like vision from that day:

VOL’S RECORD ON 12-29-05: 7-1

My predictions on that day were as follows

LIKELY WINS (6)
Lipscomb, S Alabama, Georgia, S Carolina, Ole Miss, Auburn

LIKELY LOSSES (7)
@LSU, @Memphis, Florida, @Kentucky, @Alabama, @Florida, @Vandy

TOSSUPS (6)
Note: My 12-29 predictions for toss-up games are in parenthesis. I picked the Vols to go 3-3 in these games.
@ S Carolina (L) @ Miss St (W) Vandy (W) @ Georgia (W) Arkansas (L) Kentucky (L)

BEANO’S 12-29 VISION BREAKDOWN
Non-Conference 9-2; SEC 7-9; SEC Tourney 1-1
TOTAL 17-12

For those keeping score at home I correctly predicted the 6 likely wins, the losses at LSU and Memphis and tossup game wins at Mississippi St, Vandy at home and at Georgia.

I incorrectly picked the Vols to lose at South Carolina, Florida in Knoxville and at Kentucky.

Also from the breakdown above you will notice that for the remaining regular season games (at Bama, at Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, and at Vandy) I picked my beloved Vols to win ZIP, ZILCH, NADA. Note to self: You sir are a moron.

What are my revised visions for the remainder of the season you ask? Oh you didn’t? I don’t blame you. I think we’ve both suffered enough.

A Blog? Me with a Blog? Who in their right mind would allow a guy called “Beano” to express his mental meanderings on their web sight? Well who else but Tony Basilio? A man whose kindness and sense of adventure knows no end and his wisdom knows no beginning. Thanks Tony.

DISCLAIMER 1 I am not a journalist, not a writer, not a columnist, not objective, and not often of sound mind. I am like most of you, a fan. That means the tone of this space will often run the gamut from euphoria to pure disgust. The folks in the carnival business would be elated to have a ride that simulated the ups, downs, twists, and turns that inhabit my mind while watching my favorite team’s seasons progress. No waiting in line for you. Jump in, hang on and let’s enjoy the trip.

DISCLAIMER 2 Please do not judge the Oak Ridge School System by my punctuation and sentence structure skills. They must have taught those in early October while I was feigning sick to watch the World Series. My relatives still refer to it as the Fall Classic Flu.

What else could my inaugural blog be about but Bruuuuuuce Pearl? I ask you has a more competent, exciting, energetic, charming, charismatic, in touch with the fan base; individual EVER graced the hill as the leader of one of our beloved Vol programs? I say no way. In my clear memory of all that is orange (which goes back to 1965) we have had three coaches with magnetism. Ray Mears, Johnny Majors, and Bruce Pearl. (I exclude Kevin O’Neill since he lasted on the hill about as long as my high school romances). Realizing that it’s far too early for definitive evaluation I rate Pearl ahead of his aforementioned predecessors. Why? Mears inexplicably didn’t receive the respect or support of the UTAD hierarchy that he so richly deserved and didn’t have today’s mega-stage on which to display his talents. Major’s abrasive approach with assistants and administrators derailed his progress at a time when program stability appeared achievable. Both lacked Pearl’s astute sense of diplomacy which will allow him to prosper as a basketball coach in a football-first area.

I’m still in disbelief that Pearl is actually pacing the side court of TBA. I have been so conditioned to the self-perpetuating mediocrity of Tennessee hoops that I keep thinking I will wakeup to see Bobby Lutz in charge. Under the direction of Bob Woodruff and Doug Dickey I never felt a sense of urgency to put a top-notch product on the floor. The hires following Don Devoe’s dismissal always seemed to be aimed at fan appeasement rather than program building. The pre-Mike Hamilton approach was “the fans think”:

- Devoe can’t recruit let’s give them Wade Houston.

- Houston had no head coaching experience and can’t (space limitations preclude my listing that many deficiencies) so let’s find an established coach that recently beat Kentucky. Kevin O’Neill is our man

- they needed a jolt cola espresso to watch O’Neill’s robotic offense so let’s replace him with a guy who rolls the ball out and gets the heck out of the way. Jerry Greene will accept

- Greene’s too old, too abrasive, told them to go to K-Mart (he apparently damaged that franchise much as he did our program) and doesn’t look good in a turtle neck lets hire fast-walkin, slow-talkin, good-lookin Buzz Peterson. Nice guy, average coach

I was just sure the next step was a return to the anti-Buzz. A crack the whip no-nonsense, experienced tyrant more likely to win basketball games than friends. My nightmare almost came true. Remember the Bobby Knight talk? Thank God Mike Hamilton’s ACC background gave him a true affection for the plight of our basketball program and a desire to do more than put it out-of-sight, out-of-mind, for another 4 year period of misery. Finally a University of Tennessee Athletic Director realized we needed a man-for-all-seasons. A man who could teach, coach, recruit, motivate, promote, and heal. Possessing three of the six attributes would not have been enough. We had to have the total package. To my utter amazement we hired that man.

16-3 overall, 7-1 at the SEC midpoint? Vehicular traffic around TBA? 21,000 for Georgia? Students waiting in line at the entrance gate and so fired up inside that South Carolina’s Renaldo Balkman is serenaded with “Whoo-pi Gold-berg” every time he touches the ball? Trouble finding tickets to mid-week games and no open seat to lay your coat in? Sir who are you and what have you done with the Tennessee basketball program? Welcome to Pearl’s world. I don’t know about you but I’m damn-glad to be living in it. Pardon me while I express how much; Bruuuuuuuuuuuce.

Beano