Here's your assignment before I turn it over to the Vol Colonel. We need a slogan for the 2016 Football season. I'm looking for something that captures the essence of what's at stake and what we've been through. Can you help me? I'm taking calls on the air along with e-mails and tweets. The winner gets a nice gift package that I will create from thin air.
Your Vol Colonel commeth on this Tuesday.
Vol Colonel
Spring ball came to a close Saturday afternoon in Neyland Stadium in front of 67,000 plus orange clad crazies. It was a fun event for all in attendance and it was without a shadow of a doubt a celebration of Tennessee Football. Coach turned Event Emcee Butch Jones knows how to put on an show and he certainly knows how to host a party.
I'm in agreement with Tony, this was fun stuff. It was more of a show piece than any serious football, and I'm fine with that. The players got their work in this spring and that's all that matters. I liked the announcement of permanent captains for the season and I don't think they could've picked 4 better individuals for the job. There's no sense in trying to say who looked good out there Saturday, because the truth of the matter is, they all looked good. They look like a team that has very high expectations for themselves and they don't seem to be shying away from it. In short order, I think it's fair to say this team has a certain swagger. I think they know how good they are, but they also know nothing will be handed to them.
Looking back to last season, as painful as those losses to Oklahoma and Florida were, I think we might benefit greatly this season and moving forward into the future from those two games. I think those two games may have been the real wake-up call that our coach needed. I think after those games he pretty much got out of the way, especially down the stretch of last season. He found out real quick like, that losing those two games in the fashion we lost them was unacceptable to this fan base. He felt real pressure for the first time after those games. He also found out that not everybody in the local press was going to be a pansy for him. Hell, I bet he still see's Seth Stokes in his nightmares.
I was so livid after those two losses that I wanted to run him out of town. Looking back, I really did nothing but make an ass out of myself, but that's exactly how I felt after blowing those two games. Everybody can make excuses and say, if we did this or if we did that, we would have won those games. Total crock, his coaching lost those games, but I do think he learned something as I pointed out above. Big picture wise we really should all be happy with the progress that's been made under this coach since he took over the program from that clueless clown Derek Dooley. We've had a two win increase in each of his three years here, going from 5 to 7 to 9 wins last year. We're relevant again on the nation stage, we recruit like a big boy again. We have stability we haven't seen since Phil was guiding the ship. There's really not much to bitch about. The past is the past and now it's time to move this train forward.
In moving this thing forward, I do think it's an absolute must to beat Florida. It's hard to envision a special season without beating the Gators. We knocked on the door of beating them the last two years, so it's priority #1 to kick the door down this year and beat them. There's no excuse not to send them back to Gainesville with a loss this season. Win that game and our confidence should be brimming. That game will set the tone for the conference schedule. Win that one and there's no telling how far this team can go.
I can't wait for the season to get here. We're a hundred and thirty some days away and I will anxiously be counting 'em down until we kickoff the 2016 season. Vol fever should be at an all-time high by the time fall practice gets here. We've won 6 in a row entering this season and it's going to be a fun ride. It's a ride that I'm so looking forward too. It just can't get here soon enough!
Have a great Day and Go Big Orange!
Your Vol Colonel
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Are we blessed to live here? Look at this and tell me what you think.
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Give me more stories like this and I'll keep celebrating them!!!
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Michael Schwartz is the latest addition to Rick Barnes' staff at Tennessee. In hiring Schwartz, Rick Barnes has chosen comfort as he's a guy Barnes started in the college coaching business at Texas. Schwartz has been in various parts of the country just not in the Southeast. He's an interesting hire in that he replaces Ogden who left to be on a staff at UNLV that was in place for about 5 days until Chris Beard left for Texas Tech. Is Texas Tech a family affair for the Ogdens?
Link. Will Rick Barnes and his staff move the needle in his first real signing class. The excuses are gone. It's time to move the needle here on the recruiting trail.
Aw shucks...This is sweet.
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What a damn joke the NCAA is. And I mean not just a joke but a damn joke. They are considering academic integrity requirements on member institutions in light of the UNC scandal. But.....But....But will Carolina be held accountable for making the NCAA go this route or will teeth be put in the rules in light of the embarrassing developments? You know the answer to that...Why? Because the NCAA is a damn joke. Meanwhile they are congratulating themselves no doubt today.
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Steve Kerr is speaking the stone cold truth here. Of course there's no turning back because $$$ are what it's about and not making better players or even the game better. It's about $$$. In fact it's all about $$$.
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Depressing news for the NHL and Bama haters everywhere.
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Dan Mullen has my vote. Something I couldn't do nor would I want to try though I'm in decent physical shape.
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RIP Doris Roberts. Very cool TV actress.
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Final thought: I wanted to make our In The Pocket Orange & White Game Celebration available. Thanks to all that made season one of In The Pocket such a terrific success. Along with the Rockytopinsider.com guys we are going to make this show a real force in this marketplace. Take a look at what I'm talking about.
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On the way out today We are still a solid head count on the Keeneland Trip today. If you sent your money in, I have you counted. If you've verbally committed to me on going, I need to get payment from you by end of the show today. If you would like to go, I'm taking payments until Wednesday mid day. I've got to get a count and, to be honest, we are still up in the air as to whether or not the trip happens. I can't believe this trip isn't sold out! I'd love to host you and your family and friends. We are going to have a terrific time! I can promise you it will be a highlight of your sports year to date! $75 is dirt cheap for what you get! A grandstand ticket, transportation, snacks, beer, soft drinks, water. This is going to be great fun! If you've never been to Keenland, it's regarded as the Wrigley Field of horse racing. I'm not a horse racing enthusiast, yet I LOVE Keenland. It's beautiful and a really special place! We will have a superb time. Hope you can make it! Please e-mail me at commonfan@gmail.com and we'll get you verbally confirmed. BTW, the long range weather forecast is for a PERFECT DAY! Get on the bus...You know you wanna......
Final Thought II:
Live today @ Wings Express! If you had a team in our pick 64 and your team won, I've got prizes for you. If you got to the Sweet 16, I will have a Moosehead cooler for you. If you're team got to the Elite 8, I've got a sweet Moosehead golf shirt for you!
If your team won a game you get two free Smoothie King cards or two free ticket vouchers for ANY Knoxville Smokies game in 2016. (20 oz)
If your team got to the Sweet 16, you win SWEET Moosehead Cooler.
If your team got to the Elite 8, you win SWEET Moosehead golf shirt.
If your team made Final Four, you win a $25 gift card to Bearden Field House/Half Barrel and a $25 gift card to Wing's Express (where we are today).
If you entered our pick 64 you will be in the hopper for our grand prize drawings.
Grand Prize: An IPOD adaptable Moosehead speaker tower.
Grand Prize: A Moosehead Kayak complete with pump!
Everybody that entered our contest will be entered into a grand prize drawing live on air today.
Going to be fun today!!!
Get by...Hear your name called and win a prize!!!
Tomorrow...'X' returns with his thoughts on the UT commitments.
If you're near a TV tonight flick on the Preds @ 9:30 Eastern tonight. They will play the biggest game in franchise history tonight. Up 2-0 on #1 seed Anaheim the Preds could deliver a knockout blow tonight.
Fun Stuff
Tony
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