Conference Championship & SEC Tournament Championship Vs Sweet 16 Run: 
Beano Jeff Henderson had a throwaway comment early in our broadcast yesterday regarding Tennessee's season and the hopes of winning the SEC's regular season dwindling with each passing day. Beano said the following.
'I'll tell you truth. College basketball is about what you do in the NCAA Tournament. I'm just happy getting there. That's my expectations. I'd much rather have a long tourney run than worry about winning either the conference or the SEC Tournament.'
From here I sensed an opportunity and asked callers the following:
I'll make a deal with you...
You can have either
An SEC Regular Season Title AND SEC Tournament Title
OR
A Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament Appearance.
Before you vote understand that both are pretty rare here.
In 40 years:
Tennessee has won only won SEC Tournament Title (1979).
Tennessee has made only 6 Sweet 16 Appearances Since 1978.
1981 Beat VCU in Round of 32....Lost to UVA
2000 Beat La Lafayette, Beat UConn, Lost to UNC
2007 Beat Long Beach St, UVA, Lost To Ohio State
2008 Beat American, Butler (OT) Lost To Louisville
2010 Beat San Diego St, Ohio, Ohio State (Sweet 16)
Lost To Mich St (Elite 8)
2014 Beat Iowa, UMass, Mercer, Lost To Michigan
Since 1979, Tennessee has made TWO SEC Tournament Finals. One of those was under Wade Houston in a brutal season.
Our Tournament performance is spotty at best in both the SEC and the NCAA tournament.
That said, it's rather impressive that Tennessee has been to FIVE Sweet 16's since the turn of the century.
Tennessee's Five Sweet 16 Since 2000 Appearances Ties them with
Ohio State: 07 National Runner Up, '12 Final Four
Butler: '10 National Runner Up, '11 National Runner Up
Oregon: 02 Elite 8, '07 Elite 8, '16 Elite 8, '17 Final Four
Texas: '03 Final Four, '06 Elite 8, '08 Elite 8,
Oklahoma: '02 Final Four, '03 Elite 8, '09 Elite 8, '16 Final Four
Villanova: '06 Sweet 16, '08 Elite 8, '09 Final Four, '16 National Champs
Pittsburgh: '09 Elite 8
Look at that list of accomplishments above by the 5 Appearance Club since 2000!!! Only Pittsburgh has failed to get to at least a Final Four. That's pretty amazing. Give that a triple take if you will as it took some time to dig on this today for you. Beano led me down a rabbit hole I'm not sure I wanted to explore. But it's not all bad because Tennessee has had a pretty good run this decade at least Sweet 16 appearance wise.
The Following Programs Have Only 4 Sweet 16 Appearances Since 2000: Indiana: '02 National Final
Maryland: '01 Final Four, '02 National Champs,
Baylor: '10 Elite 8, '12 Elite 8,
Illinois: ?01 Elite 8, '05 National Champ Game,
Georgetown: '07 Final Four
Oklahoma State: '00 Elite 8, '04 Final Four,
Notre Dame: '15 Elite 8, '16 Elite 8
Michigan: '13 National Champion, '14 Elite 8
Only The Following Programs Have More Sweet 16 Appearances Since 2000: Duke 13
Kansas 12
Michigan State 11
Arizona 10
Kentucky 10
North Carolina 10
Wisconsin 10
Florida 8
Syracuse 8
Xavier 7: '04 Elite 8, '08 Elite 8, '17 Elite 8...
Louisville 7
That's All??? Teams I'm Surprised Haven't Made More Sweet 16's Than UT Since 2000: Wichita State 3
NC State: 3
Virginia 2
Wake Forest 1
Florida State 1
Utah 2
BC 1
After taking a closer look inside the numbers, I'll stand with Beano. As my Philadelphia Eagles proved (and yes!!! I'm annexing their success for this exercise), if you get there enough eventually great things will happen for you.
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Three underachievers in March stand out to me. Tennessee, Pittsburgh & Xavier....
Firstly, how can Xavier get to the Sweet 16 SEVEN times and fail to get to a Final Four??? They're due big time if you believe my adage that if you get there enough you will eventually kick the door down.
Secondly...Bruce Pearl REALLY had it cooking here. He owns 3 of the 6 Sweet 16 appearances in school history. Plus Pearl has the only Elite 8 appearance in school history.
Thirdly....A team with Tennessee's illustrious tradition coupled with a rather loud start to this century deserves a Final Four appearance.
Give me Beano's point all day long.
If we keep getting into the tournament, maybe we'll get in a bracket this year and things will open up and we'll kick the door down.
I would rather have an appearance in the Sweet 16 any day of the week than win the SEC in hoops either in the regular season or in the SEC Tournament or both.
If Tennessee continues to get into the Sweet 16 this century, eventually they're going to break through.
In the meantime, I'm cheering for the FBI to knee cap the rest of the NCAA Field....Especially Syracuse, UNC, Duke and the rest of the fakes and the lyin' lyin' cheats of the world. (Thank you Taylor Swift).
Tee Mail:
I put a 12 year old girl up to cutting Vandy Jo (k)e off yesterday on the air. It was pretty beautiful if you ask me. Well obviously Joe didn't take too kindly to this and now wants to up the ante with me.
Are you with me on this? Should I make this bet or is Vandy Jo (k) e setting me up for failure here?
'Tony:
I found it interesting that you wouldn't take me up on my proposition on air today.Not as confident as you let on huh Tony.
It still stands if you wish to take it. I also found interesting what everyone had to say after you cut me off.
If you truly believed in your Vols as much as you say you do, you'd take this wager without missing a beat! This ought to be easy money for you if you truly believe your Vols are going to beat Vanderbilt in the next 30 years. I even gave you a bigger advantage in saying 5 years.
Given your thinking as to the apparent states of the two programs, UT should win this bet for you without an issue.
Guess you don't really think that it's as easy a path to victory as you wrote that it is. I know you have to play to the masses but when you get out of bounds when it comes to Vanderbilt remember Vandy Joe will be there to box your chops about it!
One thing I think you need to also remember is that your radio time is only as valuable as what someone is willing to pay for it now isn't it-huh.
In closing Tony, don't make things personal Tony with name calling on the air.
I'll make you a prediction-Vanderbilt will beat your Vols more in the 3 sports (Football, Basketball & Baseball)in the next 5 years.
You see, I do believe that Vanderbilt is in a better place overall than your Vols currently are & will be for the next several years. I guess we'll just sit back & watch now & see who wins regardless of whether someone's willing to back up their talk.
Vandy Joe'
Vandy Jo (k) e. I really hope you're kidding. You?re annexing baseball here??? What's next??? Are we going to bet on bowling results???? I hear Youins are pretty good on the lanes.
Peace
Tony
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