Fulmer Apologizes

Today Phil Fulmer sent an email apologizing for the 5-6 season that the Vols finished with.

"I assure you that no one is happy about our season - especially me, and I know that our fans deserve better than what we produced this year."

The problem with this apology is that he does not apologize for the off the field incidents that took place during the off season. How many of his players were arrested? How many of them left the program? No matter what you say or how you try to spin it their season was lost in the spring and summer. You cannot have that much controversy and it not affect your team. So he can apologize for the Vols record all he wants but until the off the field issues are dealt with nothing will change.

Apologize, only at Tennessee!

Fuel For The Fire

Today the blog Everyday Should Be Saturday wrote a peice that delved into the problems surrounding ESPN, today. Well I recently came across an article in Fast Company Magazine that deals with ESPN's marketing. I had been saving this for a companion to what I wrote about ESPN a couple of weeks ago. Since we currently have a wave of change I decided to post it today.

Fast Company's August 2004 issue, page 41. Interview of Lee Ann Daly, Executive Vice President, Marketing ESPN Inc.

We take sportsvery seriously, but we don't take ourselves very seriously. That goes back to ESPN's roots. Our founders were bohemian sports fans in the same way that poets and pianters and jazz musicians believe in what they're doing in a passionate way. They really just wanted to create a 24-hours sports, news, and information network to share with other fans.

Although ESPN has grown into 40 different businesses [ 25 television networks globally, a radio network, a magazine, ownership of the professional bass-fishing and extreme sports tourneys, a chain of sports bar/resturants, etc.], what hasn't changed is our conversation with fans. It's almost like a club. So all of these extensions of the original ESPN must serve our relationship with each fan. When we expand, the most important thing to me is whether we can transform the business that we go into by better serving the fan. If it doesn't, you'll make money for 10 minutes, and then the fan will be disappointed and you won't be making any more money.

I think it's very difficult to put up with us if you don't love sports. What I'm talking about is a fundamental respect and understanding for just how important sports are in people's lives. Even though many people don't consider themselves to be sports fans. when you delve a little beneath the surface, most people are. To some degree, I don't think you can call yourself an American if you're not a sports fan.

This just points out how clueless that the executives at ESPN truely are. They truely have taken their viewers for granted. Compare and contrast her version and what has been written on EDSBS.

Deangelo Williams

I would like to begin this by saying thank you to Deangelo Williams. When I started at Memphis State, in 1992, the football program was a mediocre 6-5 and followed up that season with two more 6-5 seasons. Now these teams were severe underacheivers due to the fact that there were 10 players, off that team, that went on to play in either the CFL or NFL and one of those players was Isaac Bruce. Well after that last 6-5 season they fired Chuck Stobart and we didn't see a winning season until you came along. We had 1 big win beating #6 ranked Tennessee, who had Peyton, in 1996 but beside this things were extremely bleak. Bleak, meaning 10,000 fans a game bleak. Bleak meaning people began to say "Well there is always basketball season" after the second football game bleak. Now I know that you are one player on the team and that there are many people who are responsible for the success that has happened in the last 4 years but you were a major player. You have generated enormous publicity for the school and the football program, due to your play on the field. You have lit the spark on a dying football program. You have given Memphis fans something that they have been longing for and that is pride. We, as fans, can now say that we to have a football team. We no longer have to listen to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Tennessee fans put our program down. And for the first time in history Memphis is going to a bowl and those three schools aren't. We no longer have to set and watch SEC teams come into Memphis and raid the talent pool because we are now competing for those players. We no longer have to say that we are a basketball school because now we have two successful programs.

So as I was watching the clock tic down to zero on Saturday, I became very sad because I knew that I would not get the chance to watch you play in the Liberty Bowl again. In a small way this is what parents go through when their children go off to college. You watch someone grow and succeed and then it is time for them to move onto bigger and better challenges. It is bittersweet to say the least but I have plenty of good memories of watching you play. So with this said, I hope that you acheive all your hopes and dreams because you have helped many Tiger fans fulfill theirs.

Ladies and Gentlemen....

It is with great pleasure to be able to sit here and write something that makes feel all tingley inside. The University of Memphis has finished the season going to it's 3rd straight bowl and they have a better record than the University of Tennessee, that mighty football power to the East of Memphis. I have waited 13 years to be able to say that and it has finally arrived with great joy.

UT, a school with a truck load of blue chippers, finished the season 5-6 after starting the season #3 in the country. It really goes to show you that Karma works. Their arrogance has finally caught up with them and has made it clear that you need more than talent to win at football. To win at football you need chamraderie, luck, heart, and a work ethic. It became very clear before the season started, up on the hill, that these were missing. UT fans saw a program run amuck with countless behavior problems and a coach who failed to take control.Therefore no one should be surprised that the Vols finished the season as they did.

While Memphis finished the season 6-5, they didn't give up. They had four different quaterbacks, they lost the majority of their defensive line ( ending the season playing a two man d line), they lost 16 starters to injury, and they had to go from a passing team to a running team to fit quaterback Maurice Avery, who was a converted wide receiver. They had every opportunity to quit and no one would have blamed them if they had but the kept fighting. They wouldn't allow themselves to feel sorry for themselves. They walked on the feild with head up and played as if they had their full compliment of players. They adopted their coaches never say die menatlity and the they played like a team. A team that will forever be remembered by it fans, not for it's record for how they played the game: with heart.

I know I speak for all Tiger fans when I say Thank You. Thank You for making us proud to say that we went to Memphis. Thank You for being good citizens. Thank You for bringing a 3rd straight bowl to a program who had only been to 2 in it's 90 year history. Thank You for giving us great memories. And finally thank you for never quiting.

It's over it's finally over!

Today the arbirtrator upheld the suspension of Terrell Owens, and it couldn't have come soon enough. Now maybe the media will focus in on what is really happening on the feild in the NFL. Since the season started it has been TO overload and it has been non-stop. I know that it will be more TO this upcoming weekend but lets hope that the insanity will stop there. Gives us a little break would you, because as soon as the free agent signing period starts it will be TO watch again. The more that he is talked about, in the media, the more his ego is stroked and he has an outlet to act the way that he does.

The good thing that came from this is that the owners and the league have taken control and said that they were not going to allow one man disrupt the whole league. The league by far is bigger than one player and that is why the NFL is so successful. It doesn't put the spotlight on one player, i.e. Michael Jordan and the NBA, rather they havedeciced to keep things organic and moving forward. You are not going to see a decline in ratings and interest when one player retires, like they saw in the NBA after Jordan. Look how long it has taken the NBA to regenerate itself. They are a players league and the NFL is a team and organization league. It is about the team not the player. That is why today's ruling is so important for the NFL. In ruling the way in which he did, the arbirtrator made a statement to the NFL players: You will not hold the NFL and the teams hostage, so you can get your way.

TO failed to realize that he signed a contract and in the US if you sign a contract, then you have to live by it. If I sign a contract I have to live by it and I am not afforded the same lee-way that he has, because he can catch a ball. Maybe TO learned a few lessons today, one don't hire Drew Rosenhouse as your agent and two when you sign your name to a contract you have to honer because that is what being a man is about. What am I crazy? I am sorry I just had a momentary lapse in thinking. We are talking about the man nicknamed Me O.

It is time for a change!

Lately I have been seeing commentary on the web on the poor quality of ESPN, and I believe that it is time to slay the dragon that is ESPN. This notion was solidified in my brain when I noticed that they have begun to create events and pawn them off as sports news. What am I talking about exactly? Steve Phillips. Steve Phillips acting as the general manager of the Chicago Cubs during a fake news conference. To me this is akin to Will Ferrell, pretending to be George Bush, talking about foriegn affairs. What does Steve Phillips know about what will happen with the Cubs? Does ESPN believe that there are Chicago fans setting at home waiting to hear what is going to happen in the off season? To me this is ESPN's attempt to create entertainment, and disguise it as real news. It is not bad enough that we have to put up with the "news anchors", and I use this term very losely, shitck but now we have to suffer through this unbarable programing. It they had a true solid competitor we would not be seeing the things that we see on the channel that are currently there. I love that they have college football on all day on saturday and I love the majority of the college basketball coverage but these to, have serious problems. When Dick Vitale is talking, not yelling about, basketball he is tolerable but when he gets into his act it is like watching a clown at the circus. Another issue that I have are the brain dead announcers that have bastardized the English language. If I hear the word trickeration one more time, I will be at the local Wal Mart buying a new TV the next day. How about when they say intercept instead of interception? To me these guys are all trying to be different and they are so uncreative that they copy each other. What happened to the days when it was about the game instead of the announcers. It has taken me two decades to finally agree with Howard Coselland and his criticisms of former athlete sports announcers, i.e. Don Meredith. Lets hope that CBS can upgrade CSTV enough in order to compete with ESPN.

Who are the good guys in sports?

The last couple of weeks we have been bombarded by the media coverage of Terrell Owens and the Eagles. With all of this negativity welcoming itself into our homes I began to wonder who are the good guys in sports? What I would like is to hear from people about the positive experiences they have had with athletes, on a personal level.

Growing up my hero was Ed "Too Tall" Jones. I thought that he was the coolest guy on Earth. This was not a popular hero considering that I grew up in Southern Maryland. All of freinds wanted to be Joe Thiesman or John Riggins but not me man I dreamed of playing for the Dooms Day Defense wearing Ed's #72. He wasn't the most popualr player on the team considering they had Tony Dorsett, Danny White, Randy White, Drew Pearson, and Harvey Martin; But to me there was just something special about Too Tall. Well move ahead 20 years and I am living in Memphis, 100 miles away from Too Tall's hometown of Jackson Tennessee. My meeting with him wouldn't take place in a bar, a stadium, or a card show, no it would take place at a Carnival Shoe store, where he he was doing an autograph signing. Now I have met alot of professional athletes, coming in contact through my jobs or personal contacts, but the nicest of them all was Ed "Too Tall" Jones. At the time I was 27 but when I went up to meet him I turned in to a 5 year old blabbering idiot. Although I digressed in age when I did get to meet him, he was patient and kind two things I haven't experienced from other athletes. Now I will say that I am not an autograph whore but he was one autograph that I always wanted. What is even cooler is that he took a picture to with me which made my year. While he wasn't the most famous player on the Cowboys he was and is my hero. Thanks Too Tall.

Now I want to hear stories like this in order to show that athletes aren't always ego driven jerks.

Along these lines there is a book that is an excellent refernce for this topic and It is called "Confessions of a Hero Worshiper" by Stephen Dubner. This read will really make you reflect about heros.

Joe Pa

I am really happy that John Saunders gave Joe Paterno a chance to clearify his statements on the black athlete. Fisher Deberry opened a can of worms that had been closed since John Entines book "Tabboo", both of these gentlemen believe that there are physiological differences between white athletes and black atheletes. When Joe Pa made his comments, they were lumped in with these two until his interview with John Saunders. Joe Paterno stated that he didn't believe that there are physiological differences between white and black athletes rather there is a sociological tangent to this equation. Paterno, as do I, believes that the reason that there has been an influx of black athletes into college and professional sports is due to the fact that is a way out of the situation that many of these athletes come from. Athletics has been used as a way out for the poor and working class since their inception. Do you beleive that the gladiators who faught in Rome came from the ruling class? Why was the NBA made up of mainly Jewish players during it's early years? Same could be asked about football both college and pro in the 20's and 30's? Just as it was then it is today athletics is a way to a better future for many kids growing up below the poverty line. Is it right? No but that is the way things have always been. Many coaches will tell you that the ideal situation, to coach in high school, is either in a rural community or the inner city because the kids playing in these areas want out. Clear and simple, these areas are dying and there are no jobs left. Farming communities are being taken over by mega farms and the jobs that were once availible to people who live in the inner city, light industry and telemarketing, are now being outsourced to countries such as India and Mexico. This same discussion is being had about baseball and the number of Hispanic players now playing here in the US. I heard Reggie Jackson talking about the need for the RBI (Returning Baseball to the Inner City) because there isn't much interest in baseball amoung young African American kids. Why is this? Why are there so many Hispanic players now in MLB? Could it be because they are superior athletes? Or does it have to do with the fact that is the only way that many of them have to get out of the situation that they live in. We are talking about guys who grew up playing baseball using card board for gloves. Look at MLB and it's teams baseball academies in places like the Dominican Republic, it is unbeleivible. They like the poor kids, who grow up in the US, know that sports is there way out. It is not because they have physiological differences that make them better athletes it is because it is their way out and they want it more.

A Few Thoughts

I have to say that the Kansas City Chiefs Coach made one gutsy call this weekend when he decided to go for the win instead of the tie. Coaches are not the most daring people when it comes to making these types of decisions, because there is so much on the line. That is what makes that call so refreshing, he had the nerve to take the chance. In doing this he showed the utmost confidence in his players. Loved the call!

The Tennessee Volunteers came into the season ranked number 3 in the country and have literally fallen off the face of the BCS map. While they may have top 5 talent, you can tell that there is real problems there, I noticed this when I watched the Phil Fulmer Coach's Show. While watching this I noticed how dejected that Coach Fulmer was while he was watching the tape of the Notre Dame game. He was making comments under his breath and he sounded really depressed when he spoke. I wonder if the season wasn't determined before it ever started, due to the off the field issues that surrounded the team?

The BCS dodge a major controversy this weekend with Virginia Tech losing to Miami. Lets hope that Alabama wins out so they can throw a monkey wrench into the miss that is the BCS.

Lets hope that the media's focus on the Eagles and Terrell Owens will be over soon. This relationship has been shady from the outset. How can a guy get traded to the Ravens, refuse to go and then go to the team that he wanted to? We can't blame TO for his behavior because it has been accepted by the NFL and fans for years. People laughed at his antics, when the teams he played on were winning, but when things start to go bad TO is just fuel for the fire. I respect the Eagles for the stand that they are taking because he was an integral part of their passing game. What is interesting from this is that it shows you how much damage one person can do to a team. While I have always hated the Eagles I now will root for them, except when they play Dallas.

Obsession

Lately I have been reflecting upon my behavior and the one thought that I keep wondering about is, how did I become so obsessive? How did I get to the point where I actually believe that if I wear the right shirt my team will win? As I have grown older this behavior has mellowed a bit but I still believe that I have jerseys, hats, and tshirts that have magical powers that when worn will affect the outcome of the game. How does an educated person, with a degree in psychology, get to this point? I know there are other people out there like this but I still can't figure out how people get caught up in this type of thinking.