Saturday, November 26, 2005

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.

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