Pearl Brings Excitement Back To UT Basketball

Its hard not to get caught up in the excitement of UT basketball. After all, Vols fans don't have a bowl game to follow in the aftermath of the disastrous 5-6 2005 University Of Tennessee football season. We at least have a coach and team that plays hard and dictates the tempo of the game to the opponents.

Its still early in the season and we have yet to begin SEC conference play, but you have to say that it is fun to watch University of Tennessee basketball again. Its been a long time coming. Bruce Pearl is the man of the hour across the state of Tennessee. Vols fans are getting more for their money out of Pearl than they get out of their football coach and his efforts are showing rewards already in the short time he has been on campus at UT.

Here are a few more articles from the major newspapers across the state and other sports outlets:

Vols Dial Long Distance I Upset Win Over Number 6 Texas

The Memphis Commercial Appeal Does Not Even Mention Tennessee's Win On Its Online Edition

KNS:Vols Upset Texas

Bruce Pearl:This is a great win for Tennessee Basketball

Vols Stun Longhorns

Its a shame that the largest newspaper in the 2nd largest metro area in the state of Tennessee does not carry the news of such a huge victory. Do I smell some jealousy from the Bluff City?

Sheep On The Loose!!!!!

thanks rabidvolfan.

READ THESE QUESTIONS CAREFULY TO DETERMINE IF YOU'RE A SHEEP
1. You condemned the firing of Buzz Peterson.
2. You always bring up Phil Fulmer's win percentage.
3. You get think that recruiting merits it's own championship and rankings.
4. You got excited when Randy Sanders resigned in the middle of the season, thinking that Phil Fulmer was turning things around.
5. You think Cutcliffe is going to save UT football.
6. You are excited about next year because all our big games are at home (where we’ve lost the last 6 games to top 10 teams by decisive margins).
7. You think Chavis is the greatest DC in the country.
8. You still use the 1998 team has an excuse to overlook and forgive Phil Fulmer's failures over the past 7 seasons.
9. You keep your season tickets, despite ticket price raises, and donation requirements, because you are told it’s going to take these raises to remain a top notch program like we are.

Upside Down Sports World at Tennessee

What does recruiting matter at UT? The Vols have stacked nationally ranked top 5 football recruiting classes on top of another for the past 7-8 years. What do the Vols have to show for these great recruiting hauls? Z-e-r-o Southeastern Conference titles since 1999. Remember we play for championships at UT, not meaningless victories over Kentucky, Memphis, or Vanderbilt.

In the wake of the 2005 "Train Wreck at Rock Bottom" season, the Vols recruiting fortunes have taken a strange but expected turn for the worse. Read Ron Bliss's column, A look at Tennessee recruiting: Strange days, indeed. Bliss points out the changes in recruiting outlooks at Tennessee. The Vols football team is currently ranked 53rd nationally and 10th in the SEC in football recruiting behind the likes of Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. Now, there is a lot that is going to take place between now and national signing day that will hopefully change the Vols' recruiting fortunes and frankly recruiting is about filling needs rather than winning some meaningless artificial recruiting guru rankings.

On the other hand, Bliss mentions the change of recruiting status for the Vols basketball program, led by new coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl's first recruiting class at Tennessee is ranked 12th by one recruiting service and 16th by another. Both of those services believe that Tennessee had a better recruiting haul than national powerhouse and SEC opponent Kentucky. Pearl, in just his first 8 games as the leader of the Vols' hoops team, is showing why he has been a winner everywhere he has been in his career. If Bruce Pearl can continue to recruit top notch talent, meld that talent into a cohesive unit, improve their skills, and win at Tennessee, some great times are head for Tennessee fans.

Funny how a perennial downtrodden basketball program has turned its fortunes around with good coaching. While on the other hand, the roles seem to be reversed with the UT football program.

Jason Allen's Injury Puts NFL Career In Jeopardy

Jason Allen was one of the greatest players to come through the University of Tennessee football program. Allen was a fine ambassador of the program and proudly displayed what a student-athlete is supposed to be. Jason Allen did everything and more that was asked of him. An unfortunate injury may have ended his professional playing career before it even began.

A medical professional who posts on a Tennessee Titan's message board as "Bongo59", has stated on a few occasions that Allen's injury may prohibit him from living out his dream of playing in the NFL. "Bongo59" works as a medical consultant with the NFL and the Tennessee Titans. He is a regular poster on Tennessee Titans message boards and provides regular scoops. His flow of information is not always popular with all posters, especially when it flies in the face of what they believe. In most cases, Bongo's information is solid.

"Bongo59" states that the nature of Jason's injury does not bode well for fulfilling his dream of playing in the National Football League.

"OK very simple to understand.................Bo's hip was completely dislocated out of the socket....(ball of the joint out of the socket)........the blood supply to the Femoral head (ball of the socket) is through the ligamentum teres.............if torn there is a loss of blood supply and resultant avascular necrosis.......that is a career ender...................Allen had a dislocation but the joint never jumped the acetabulum which is the socket the femoral head ( ball)fits into but he did tear his ligament and lost blood supply to the head of the femur.............meaning he is in severe danger of AVN............the docs are trying to work this issue up now...........his MRI was not good news and it is to be confirmed by PET scan this month.............bottomline..............he will not be drafted this yr because of this injury ...............no one will chance it.........and put serious money on the block...........Grant had a minor Fracture of the acetabular socket that did not effect the structural integrity of the joint or its motion and had no effect on the blood supply to the femoral head.........the bone healed without incident and no long term damage..................Priest Holmes had the same injury last yr.........i hope this helps."

One has to wonder, that amidst reports that a few underclassmen on the UT football team may look at making themselves eligible for the NFL Draft, if Allen's decision to return for his senior season and his injury may have an impact on their decisions.

The Two Tales Of Phillip Fulmer

Blackie, at MonVOLBlog, has put together one of the most compelling displays of evidence regarding the downward spiral of UT football fortunes. Rather than compare Phillip Fulmer to other coaches, he has broken down Fulmer's record into two distinct eras and has compared Fulmer Era I to Fulmer Era II.

From Fulmer's first year in 1992 through the National Championship season in 1998, Phillip Fulmer's teams won 85% of their games. Since then, Fulmer's teams have only won about 70% of their games and zero SEC championships. Comparing the two eras leads to one conclusion....Phillip Fulmer is not getting the job done anymore. Does Phillip Fulmer's Era II represent the best UT fans should expect from the UT football program?

The Vols chased off Bill Battle for not winning enough games. For the record, Battle's teams won 71% of their games....and fans want to give Phillip Fulmer another chance to right the ship???? How did the ship get off course and start sinking in the first place?

Gazing Into My Crystal Ball...The Future....Is......

Lets gaze into the crystal ball and see what the future holds for the Vols, coming off a very disappointing 5-6 record in 2005. What does the recruiting season look like? Where are the nation's best football players taking their football talents and plying their trade for the next few years?

Looking down the list, you don't see the name Tennessee listed next to their names under the already committed column. You have to look all the way down to number 67 to see Jacques McClendon listed as already committed to Tennessee and he is still visiting other schools.

Rocky Top has been in a downward trend as far as winning percentage and margin of victory go, in the past 7 seasons, despite hauling in some of the very best talent in the nation on the recruiting trail in recent years. That was when UT won more games than they lost. If Rocky Top can't work with the best talent in the land, what will Rocky Top do with lesser talent as it looks like they will get after the Train Wreck at Rock Bottom 2005?

Hold Onto Your Seat

The Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting that UT season ticket holders will contribute or else give up their seats. The UT Athletic Department said in a released statement that there will be no grandfathered tickets on the east and west sidelines behind the team benches.

Season ticket holders who have had their on the sidelines behind the benches will have to ante up with the contribution, have their seats moved to one of the end zones or transfer their seat to a family member. However, they will get a discounted rate from the VASF.

Recently, UT Athletic Director, Mike Hamilton, had said that sales of the new club seats were going well and that everything with the project was moving along smoothly. You can bet that we are seeing the effects of a 5-6 season and staying home without a bowl game. How much longer can the UTAD continue to bleed the fans, who support the program financially, while Phil Fulmer continues putting a poor product on Shields-Watkins Field inside Neyland Stadium?

Hey, its the Christmas season. Tis better to give than receive...right?

Orange Hawaii

Will Daniel Mapu be back at Rocky Top?

If so, what kind of shape will he be in upon his return?Mission work is not easy. The food can be bad, being on ones feet for hours every day, and sleeping in not so comfortable conditions can affect one's condition. It would be nice to see Daniel return and contribute to UT football getting back on its feet.

Vols Have A "Pearl" Of A Coach

Stagevol, a very vocal and articulate UT sports fan, raves

about the future of UT basketball with new coach Bruce Pearl at the helm.

Mike Hamilton may very well have made the best and biggest hire in UT sports since Pat Head was hired almost 3 decades ago.

Big Weekend On Tap At Rocky Top

It will be a big weekend for the Vols football program as they will host about a dozen big name recruits. The Vols hope to dig themselves out of the recruiting hole they dug with their play in the 2005 season.

Some of the names expected to pay a visit to Rocky Top include, Thaddeus Gibson, Jacques McClendon, Raymond Small, Robert Rose, Antonio Logan-El, Arvell Nelson, and some others.

Vols Coaching Staff In Need Of A Spark-y?

Theres lots of talk about the Vols bringing some new coaches onto the staff. The names of Kippy Brown have re-surfaced, but some are saying that it is Kippy's brother, Gerald Brown, who could be the next WR coach at UT.

Other camps are holding to their story that Sparky Woods may be coming onboard at UT. There are reports that Bama coach, David Shula, has reorganized the recruiting assignments of a certain coach who has been working the state of Tennessee....Stay tuned.......

Vols Shopping For QB For Christmas?

Lets see here...lets look at the list...we have Erik Ainge and Jon Crompton returning at the QB postion for next season. Think we should be okay there right?

The word is that the Vols are working like heck to recruit Mitch Mustain, whom some recruiting gurus believe is the best high school quarterback in the nation. To make this more intriguing, Mustain thinks very highly of new Vols Offensive Coordinator, David Cutcliffe.

What does this say about the Vols current situation at QB? Does it mean anything at all, as far as the two current QB's health and preparedness issues?

Its All Inside At Sears

Arron Sears was the only Vol to earn first team All-SEC Honors

. This says a lot about where the UT football program is at. When was the last time UT only put one player on the All-SEC Team?

Ducks Unlimited

The University of Oregon has announced they are close to reaching a deal with the University of Tennessee to play a

home-and-home series

with one another. This would afford both schools great exposure and it would give fans an opportunity to compare the play of rival conferences.

Football Win-Loss Trends At UT

Blacksheepvol has done his homework and graphed the

developing trends

during the 13 years of Phil Fulmer's tenure as coach of the University of Tennessee football program.

Some disturbing trends have been uncovered by Blacksheepvol. The Vols winning percentage has been dipping rapidly and the average margin of victory has been dropping at an alarming rate over the past few seasons.

Just How Do They Stack Up?

The General or Fulmer? How do they really stack up against one another? Blacksheepvol put together a convincing argument in

Ranking the UT Coaches AllTime

.