Friday, September 27, 2013

Jaguar Hunt


Tomorrow morning, for the first time in Tennessee Football History, The University of Tennessee Volunteers will face the South Alabama Jaguars.  Here's some things to think about.


2.  Student Attendance.  The tickets are still $10, the game's at 11:21.   Hope the students make the game and wish these inexpensive tickets were still covered with the student's tuition/fees/etc, but for this week, it's a Mike Hamilton policy that Tennessee is still hoping will work out...hopefully, it'll eventually go the way of Kiffin and Dooley's tenure as the head coach of the Vols.


4. Worley.  Worley showed improvement in the Florida game.  This is a trend we'd like to see more of.  He's had showed some flashes of brilliance at the helm, and the offense continues to play disciplined football.  It's a great opportunity to put it all together for gameday Saturday. Let's rally behind our QB #VOLNATION

5. Ferguson & Dobbs.  This week Ferguson was working with the 2nd team, Dobbs with the Scout team.  Great time to see what we've got with our co-backup QBs.


7.  Jaguars have a good rush defense, but right now, no SEC running back has broken 200 yds in a game.  Maybe it's time for this highly touted Offensive line and Tennessee Running Backs to show what we can do.

Should be an eventful contest.  Safe travels for all of y'all heading up to Knoxville this weekend.

Go Vols!

~ BigOrange Butch

Neyland Stadium.jpg

Monday, September 16, 2013

duck dynasty

Hi-res-180572717_crop_north
duck dynasty 
From Big Orange Blog contributor crocko brody
“It’s amazing how far this team has fallen.”--Member of the Game Day crew, talking about the Tennessee Vols before the Oregon game last Saturday
I can’t remember who said it, but whoever it was said a mouthful.  And although his observation had to do withTennessee’s failure to beat a ranked opponent in 23 consecutive games, his comment is poignant for a less obvious reason:  Tennessee’s fall coincides very well with Oregon’s rise.  
             If you charted both programs on a single sheet of paper, with prominence on one axis and the year on the other, you would find that these programs intersect during the 2001 season.  It was in this year that the Vols were only three years removed from a perfect season and a national championship and Joey Harrington was the Ducks’ senior quarterback, in the midst of a Heisman run.  
             I’ll never forget that because I was in New York that summer, before the season began, and I remember the Oregon logo looking down on me from a billboard inTimes Square like Sauron.  I remember, too, thinking who the hell were these guys—the “Ducks” for chrissakes--and weren’t the Vols poised to make another run?  It was a good summer, full of hope.  We won 11 games that year.  So did Oregon.  We lost our conference championship.  Oregon did not.
              Both teams have had good years and bad years since then, in terms of their overall records, but in terms of prominence the Ducks have steadily climbed.  Who doesn’t know about their offense, and their incredible speed?  Who doesn’t fear a trip to Eugene, or a visit from these incredible athletes dressed in superhero uniforms?  
       The Vols, meanwhile, have been in a freefall, one that is too painful to recite.  The best we can hope for is that we’ve hit rock bottom and that this year’s rebuilding really is a rebuilding.  
      Saturday’s game failed to deliver an answer, and I suppose only time will tell.  The only thing that is certain is that we have a hell of a season left.  If our performance against Oregon is a bellwether of how the season will go then so be it.  
      Regardless, we have to stay fans, and gain strength in the knowledge that we are Tennessee, that we play year-in-year-out in the toughest conference in the country, that we will not settle for mediocrity or failure, that we will be back again, and that our star, while not as high in the sky as it once was, will shine again and blind Sauron and the Ducks and the SEC and the rest of the country with it.  
GBO!
~ crocko brody

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Are we watching the VOLS through Orange Colored Glasses?



crocko brody, Big Orange Blog contributor

If i were looking at the Vols through orange colored glasses, I'd say we have a heck of a team this year.  We put up points, and we hold our opponents to less than half of our totals.  We don't get penalized.  One penalty through two entire games?  That's eight quarters of football!  

We seem to embody Coach Jones' "controlled chaos" theory, swarming around the ball on every play, running to and from the line of scrimmage, to the sidelines, to and from the Tunnel, and through the mighty Power 'T'.

But if i looked at the Vols through clearer lenses, I'd say we're two games in, we've played two high school teams who played like high school teams, and i don't have a freaking clue.  All i really have are questions.  Such as:

What is with our offense?  It looks like we may have a couple of playmakers, but i am concerned about Justin Worley.  He looks…weak.   Not to mention inaccurate.  And he lacks confidence.  

Worley's post game conversation with Bob Kessling after WKU left much to be desired.  He actually called himself "young and inexperienced."   This wasn't false humility.  Far from it, this was s a skinny kid being honest, thinking he may not be equal to the challenge.  Not exactly what you want out of your starter.  

And what about our defense.  Is it any good?  One could certainly make that claim.  Just look at the points-against totals, and all those Hilltopper turnovers. 

But the points-against were the result of inept offenses.  Petrino's squad showed flashes, but they couldn't put the ball in the end zone.  What happened was, our defense let them go the distance, and then we stopped them short.  Yes, we stopped them when it counted (more often than not); but Oregon, Alabama and the murderer's row of teams we face over the next thirty days won't give us those opportunities.  They'll take it to the checkerboards on the first missed tackle or assignment.  Over and over again.

And the turnovers--here again, was that us, or them?  You could accurately say both.  But to take all the credit, and expect such miscues to continue against teams who take care of the football is pie in the sky.  Protecting the football is what good teams do, and we are facing some very good teams.   

Finally, i'm worried about whether we can compete with the rest of the athletes in the SEC.  I know we got hustle, but I'm worried about our muscle.  Did you watch the Clemson-Georgia game?  Georgia-South Carolina?  Those guys were big and fast and both games were extremely violent.  The crunch of bodies and shoulder pads felt dangerous, like someone was going to get hurt.  When i watched our games, i didn't see that level of competition.  Maybe Jones asked them to play 3/4 speed, in order to preserve his athletes for Oregon, et al. I don't know.

As i said, at this point, all i have is questions.  I think I'll have some answers come Saturday.

GBO!

~ crocko brody

Monday, September 9, 2013

STOP CHARGING TENNESSEE STUDENTS FOR TICKETS NOW


Embedded image permalink
Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky Kickoff 9/7/2013 Hattip: @VolRumorMill

Take a look at the picture above. See something missing? The Student Section. Students are not showing up to games.  Just check the picture above. I've never seen anything like this in my life.  The fault lies with the University of Tennessee.

The number one reason, The University of Tennessee is charging students to go to games.  On top of the Programs and Services fee ($29 per hour max of $255), the University charges $10 for student tickets.  Moreover, you can only buy tickets if this Programs and Services Fee is paid.  Can you imagine being charged $10,000 to $30,000 in Tuition only to be dinged with more fees and $10 per ticket to go to a game? It's absurd, chintzy and confusing. I'm sure this adds to the problems displayed by not having a great student turnout on Saturday.

During the tenure of Kiffin and then with arguably one of the worst lawyers, er, coaches in Tennessee Football history, The University in their all knowing wisdom, decided it would be a good thing to start charging students for tickets to football games. Now students aren't showing up for games. Imagine that.

It's like being charged double on the way out of the Chinese Buffet when you just got food poisoning from the Pork and Bamboo Shoots (aka Sal and Dooley). Back in 1998 this type of decision was called "The Big Orange Screw."

This is unacceptable. Tuition for a University of Tennessee Student is already over $10k for an In State Student or $27k for an Out of State Student. And then to tell a Student they've got to pay extra for Football tickets (for any tickets) is an outrage.

Under the careful guard of then Athletic Director Mike Hamilton, it was decided to charge students $90 for home tickets or $15 per home game.  With the picture above, it shows what a dismal failure another one of his decisions have been. With the athletic budget stable, is it not time to give back to the students and encourage them to support the Vols?  As VolNation has had to in the recent past, once again we have to undo what Mike Hamilton has done.  As we have learned with the sideline lawyer the last 3 years, sooner is certainly better than later.

This is an easy win for the University, and for Chancellor Jimmy Cheek to continue to turn the perception of the University's standpoint regarding Athletics. Stop charging students for Tickets NOW.

I'll quote Chancellor Cheek from November 2012:

Chancellor Cheek has already pledged to support the program, lets get it done for our students so they can return the favor once they're out there making real money as part of UT Alumni.  Let's do all we can to support our fine students and help them fill the student section for South Alabama.

Habit is everything. By charging Students for tickets, you will end up with many students staying in, skipping games to watch on their TV and spending the $10 elsewhere (aka a cheap sixer and food).  Not only does it enable this attitude as students, it pours over into a habit they may drive forward in life when they leave the University of Tennessee.  This type of decision is detrimental to the long-term health of the football program and to the game day experience in Knoxville and greater Knoxville Area.

Like hiring Lane Kiffin, the decision in 2009 to charge students for tickets was a haphazard, reckless and short sighted one.  It needs to be reversed immediately.  We need our students at the games.  Let's use that Volunteer spirit to do all we can to get them there now.

As a poor undergrad, you'd do anything you could to save a buck or two, sometimes going to the game was all we could do, since it was free.  It kept us together.  And some of the most memorable times at Tennessee were going to these games. Georgia 1997, Arkansas 1998...all free tickets...Florida in 1998 also comes to mind.


Comment from Robbie Underwood @rju007 via @BigOrangeButch ..."I went n the late 90s as well and once your activity fee was paid you got into the games at no extra charge..ticket were first come first serve."

Peyton Manning even brought pizza those students who camped out for tickets.  Papa John's if I remember it correctly...

For Students in college, who are already being charged anywhere from $10,000-30,000 for tuition, to be charged extra is an insult and a disgrace.  The result is students aren't going to games, this is an embarrassment.  This $80,000-90,000 or so we gross per home game is nothing compared to long term revenue stream being lost by ticket sales in the future, not to mention the loss in concessions at Neyland. It is a privilege to go to the game, and certainly one that should be extended to students of this great University in the form of free tickets to games.  They are what makes the University.

To the Students who made it to the WKU game on Saturday, job well done. To those who didn't, many of us realize it's simple economics who didn't get you to to the game, for that, for those who wanted to go but couldn't afford it, the University owes you an apology. With Coach Butch Jones and Team 117, we have something very special happening on the The Hill, a foundation of solid, disciplined, hard nosed football that's been lacking for too long.  I hope for your sake this decision will be reversed sooner than later so you can make it to the games in the future.

Charging Students for tickets has to stop now. It is costing the Tennessee's football Program by keeping Students away from games and losing the opportunity for the casual fan (who might happen to be a student) to really see what the program is all about.

There's nothing like a great game day experience in Neyland.  It's a shame that the University isn't doing more to get students through the gate.

Go Vols!

~BigOrange Butch

PS. We ain't vandy. Let's quit looking like it. #GOVOLS



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Tap Room "...The Champ Drinks Here."

The Tap Room is remembered fondly by many, including the Peyton Manning. 'I have lots of great memories of being there with close friends. I am sorry to see it go.'


Two Dollar Seventy-Five Cent Big Gulps (with a cup), Pickled Eggs, Rugby Trophies, Slim Jims, Mike and Larry, Cherry Pickers, Peyton Manninng, Plastic Dart Boards and the best Jukebox in Knoxville...

Great times, good people, great memories. The Tap Room.

From Metro Pulse May 28th, 2008... Last call at the Tap Room...

...football great Peyton Manning remembers the place fondly. "I had some great times at the Tap Room," I have lots of good memories of being there with close friends. I am sorry to see it go."

Peyton signed the ceiling along with All-SEC Center Trey Teague.

A few years ago I put together a mix of some of the songs on the Jukebox back in the day. It brings back some memories...Below is a few of 'em with links to the songs (I think). Great for your next Tennessee Tailgate or just about any occasion. Y'all enjoy...

Playlist Link:
The Tap Room Playlist

Individual Song Links:
Papa Was a Rolling Stone ~ The Temptations
Rocky Top ~ The Osbourne Brothers
Blue Skies ~ Willie Nelson
Jose Cuervo ~ Shelly West
Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes ~ George Jones
Feelin' Good Again ~ Robert Earl Keen
Copperhead Road ~ Steve Earle
Over the Hills and Far Away ~ Led Zeppelin
Highwayman ~ The Highwaymen
He Stopped Loving Her Today ~ George Jones
Proud Mary ~ Ike & Tina Turner
Family Tradition ~ Hank Williams, Jr.
Ring of Fire ~ Johnny Cash
You Never Even Called Me By My Name ~ David Allan Coe
God Bless the U.S.A. ~ Lee Greenwood
Moondance ~ Van Morrison
Honky Tonk Heroes ~ Waylon Jennings
Sunshine of your Love ~ Cream
Lay Lady Lay ~ Bob Dylan
Pancho and Lefty ~ Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
Jessie's Girl ~ Rick Springfield
Cocaine ~ Eric Clapton
Brown Eyed Girl ~ Van Morrison
Sweet Revenge ~ John Prine
Just Like Jesse James ~ Cher
Don't Stop Believing ~ Journey
Pick Up the Tempo ~ Willie Nelson
I Would Do Anything for Love ~ Meat Loaf
Sweet Caroline ~ Neil Diamond
Stranglehold ~ Ted Nugent
Can't You See ~ Marshall Tucker Band
Suspicious Minds ~ Elvis Presley
Sultans of Swing ~ Dire Straits
Paint It Black ~ The Rolling Stones
Heard it in a Love Song ~ Marshall Tucker Band
Seminole Wind ~ John Anderson
All My Ex's Live In Texas ~ Gratefuul Dead
Touch of Grey ~ Grateful Dead
Easy Come, Easy Go ~ George Strait
Amarillo By Morning ~ George Strait
You Can't Always Get What You Want ~ The Rolling Stones
Down Under ~ Men At Work
A Country Boy Can Survive ~ Hank Williams, Jr. 
The Gambler ~ Kenny Rogers
Ramble On ~ Led Zeppelin
Ramblin Man ~ Allman Brothers
Midnight Rider ~ Allman Brothers
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay ~ Otis Redding
Melissa ~ The Allman Brothers
99 Red Balloons ~ Nena
Straight Tequila Night ~ John Anderson
Fishing in the Dark ~ Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Paying the Cost to the Boss ~ B.B. King
Country State of Mind ~ Hank Williams, Jr.
Psycho Killer ~ Talking Heads
In America ~ Charlie Daniels Band
The Tracks of My Tears ~ Smoky Robinson & The Miracles
Chain of Fools ~ Aretha Franklin
Peace Train ~ Cat Stevens
When the Levee Breaks ~ Led Zeppelin
Tangerine ~ Led Zeppelin
Livin' on a Prayer ~ Bon Jovi
Hurricane ~ Bob Dylan
Smokey Mountain Rain ~ Ronnie Milsap
Touchdown Tennessee ~ Kenny Chesney


...Uh oh..Mike's got the bat out. Probably need to head out.

And remember... "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here..."

Go Vols.