Bobby Bowden Retires - IT DESERVES ITS OWN THREAD!!!!

Lane Kiffin ran off and/or dismissed 11 in his first year (counting the last 2 idiots). Yet the perception of UT as TU (Thug U.) likely will never go away.

 

That's because he replaced those 11 with 25 gang-bangers and bank robbers with 4.3 speed.

 

He didn't exactly tore it apart. He let it fall apart by not jettisoning his o-coordinator (aka son Jeff Bowden) a year earlier than he did. Bowden was loyal to Mickey, Jeff, Amato, and his staff to a fault. Plus since he didn't want to make any changes, that was a key factor in FSU getting worse, if not better.

JoePa was in the same boat, until he finally relented and made changes to his staff, which includes his son Jay.

It's rather amazing that this decade started with three Bowdens coaching D-1 football and the decade will end with no Bowden as a HC in D-1. Tommy got whacked last year and Terry's coaching D-II North Alabama.

 

He replaced them with walk-ons . . . 11 of whom played against Vanderbilt.

But a good line > the facts every time, eh?

 

1. Bobby has already out-lived Bear by 11 years.
2. Bear didn't die because he was out of coaching. He died because he smoked two packs of Chesterfields and drank a quart of scotch a day. Plus, he was a bit of a Type-A personality most of his life. I doubt Bobby's ever had a high blood pressure problem.

 

Oh yes, he is clearly breaking all the rules to get choir boys into UT..... :

 

So there's apparently more optimism among the fanbase now.

 

I stated he dismissed 11 players since taking over.

I stated he played 11 walk-ons against Vandy.

If you can honestly dispute either statement without going on stupid tangents and accusing people of saying he's bringing in choir boys . . . go right ahead.

But you can't. All you can do is twist a statement into something ridiculous, then poke fun at the imaginary statement for being ridiculous.

 

I'm sure Joe Pa is thinking that he's one bad season from enduring what
Bowden went through.

 

So are you saying that Tennessee is not recruiting thugs?

 

I'm saying they are recruiting the best players in the nation.

The ones that sign are given a set of guidelines and expectations --- which are more demanding than were in place under the previous coaching staff.

Some players can't or won't live up to those rules --- and are shown the door. Eleven this year.

That's it. Not recruiting Rhodes Scholars or choirboys. Just recruiting the best talent they can get and demanding they follow rules. If a thug (whatever that is) stays out of trouble for the time he's in Knoxville, why does that bother you? If he screws up, he's out.

 

I'm sure Joe Pa is thinking he's just one poor season away from having the same fate as Bobby Bowden.