Dear Urban Meyer,
Thank you for running up the score against Tennessee last night. For the few people remaining who needed to be convinced that the game has passed Phillip Fulmer and his staff by, we present your 59-20 effort where the Volunteers were outmanned, outsmarted and outclassed in every facet of play.
I hope Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kentucky will show the Tennessee program the same graciousness and consideration for its long-term well-being and not let up even after victory seems secure. Every protagonist needs a worthy antagonist to bolster its own credibility in the eyes of outside observers. Phillip Fulmer is no longer capable of playing the role of protagonist for Volunteer fans, or of playing antagonist for fans of other SEC programs.
I believe Coach Fulmer to be a good man, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors. I appreciate everything he did for the program in the 1990s, and will hold the memories he helped create dear. But the only thing that can help the University of Tennessee’s football program now is for his tenure as coach of the Volunteers to end.
So, again, thank you Coach Meyer for sounding the clarion call that will (hopefully) make that necessary step possible.
Sincerely,
Rusty Tanton
University of Tennessee Alumni
Class of 2002
Cross-posted to my Rocky Top Talk diary
I feel your pain, to the tune of 38-0 and a ten-year contract for a fat bastard who hasn’t seen his own dick since the 70s.
Well at least you don’t have Bobby Bowden whom no one will say should be fired, and who doesn’t even call plays anymore.
Bowden got comfortable with his lieutenants (which was reasonable) and handed the duty of managing the game to them.
Unfortunately the coaches he trusted are now at other programs and the system is useless.
I can’t remember when Bobby was last calling plays, but I believe it might have been the 1999 season.
Coincidence? I think not.
I honestly think it’s less about Fulmer and more about coaches at Flordia.
Zook not only couldn’t win the way they wanted in Gainseville, his refusal to run up the score cost him with fans.
As a Georgia fan, I still fear Tennessee. This is the SEC, after all. Just ask Auburn.
Everybody in the division is light years behind Florida. LSU has a shot at them, so there’s that.
I’ll agree that Florida is so far ahead, but why/how and is it too big a disparity to make up by next year or a couple of recruiting classes?
Tennessee still recruits and Ainge was injured. So Fulmer isn’t the 90’s Fulmer. He’s still better (and Tennessee is still better) than 90% of the country.
We’d both like to beat Florida - regularly - but I think having Cutcliffe as OC will pay off later this and going forward for y’all.
Hmm… I feel very similar about Lloyd Carr. Good man, did great things in the past, but game has passed him by.
But hey, at least I’m not stuck with Charlie Weis.
It’s a little weird to think about the parallels between the two programs over the past decade or so. Very similar.
actually, bobby bowden stopped calling plays in the mid 1980s when he handed those duties over to wayne mcduffie. since then, play-calling duties have been held by brad scott, mark richt, jeff bowden and jimbo fisher…so it looks like the bowden argument is DOA buddy.