Football question for those closer to Knoxville than me...

[StageVol]

Of course, just about every one of you is closer to Knoxville than me.

So here it is: Am I misinterpreting, or is there a vastly different tune coming out of spring practice this year than anything we've heard in recent memory?

There is a tone - a flavor - from one player after another that seems far more in line with the kinds of comments I usually read out of places like Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, USC...

There seems to be an intensity, a passion, with these guys I had thought we'd never see or feel around here again.

Am I off-base here, or are any of you feeling this as well? Perhaps some of you have already posted on this...if so, just direct me to the correct thread so I can grab a seat, order a little food and continue reading.

[ONUV]

a new coaching staff will do that especially with this coaching staff. all positions are open and players are going all out for a starting spot.

[VolFrannie]

You're not offbase at all. Everywhere you go in town people are talking about UT football and Lane Kiffin. There's a buzz all over.

The local media doesn't have a different tone, minus Brent Hubbs. The rest seem to think this staff is like the old one and they're making predictions based on that. It's why I put so little stock in what I'm hearing from the Sentinel, Low, Hymans, and Pennington on Crompton.

[IndianVol]

Of course, just about every one of you is closer to Knoxville than me.

So here it is: Am I misinterpreting, or is there a vastly different tune coming out of spring practice this year than anything we've heard in recent memory?

There is a tone - a flavor - from one player after another that seems far more in line with the kinds of comments I usually read out of places like Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, USC...

There seems to be an intensity, a passion, with these guys I had thought we'd never see or feel around here again.

Am I off-base here, or are any of you feeling this as well? Perhaps some of you have already posted on this...if so, just direct me to the correct thread so I can grab a seat, order a little food and continue reading.

Not off base. Kiffin is the real deal, Hamilton hit a home run. I am confident in that even before I see him coach a game.

[VenomousVol]

You can feel it in the air, hear it on the radio, and read it on the web. I think even us Monvols underestimated how much life Forrest Plump had sucked out of the Vol Nation.

[BrassVols]

in documenting how organizations reflect the personality of their leadership and in the dynamics of organizational change.

Before: players were sloppy, overweight, slow, tended to rationalize their failures and not mentally sharp.

After: players are either fit or in the process of becoming fit, hold themselves accountable for their performance, are for the most part straight and direct in what they say and most importantly, are working extremely hard and are calmly confident in themselves.

There's a reason their behavior and outlook have changed. The previous staff, for the most part embodied many of the characteristics I listed under "before; the new staff certainly embodies those listed in "after".

Just those things above, no consideration in differences in the roster, I bet are worth at least a 3 game swing relative to last year.

The other thing we're seeing is the natural selection process in action. Kiffin's approach is weeding out the weak and unwilling. Others, who may not have been perceived to be as "talented" are rising to the top -- witness Lennon Creer and Tauren Poole.

It's been a truly fascinating thing for me to observe.

[wagee12]

A A A A A

Big enough

By Randy Moore

Posted Apr 4, 2009


Tennessee's 2005 offensive line weighed an average of 335 pounds per man, moved ponderously, blocked poorly and took an enormous amount of heat on all counts.

That scenario isn't likely to be repeated under Lane Kiffin's watch. The Vols' new head coach likes his linemen lean, fast and athletic. That's why two lanky redshirt freshmen – undersized by major college standards – have him smiling broadly this spring.
With first-team guard Vladimir Richard sidelined by a concussion, Tennessee has had to restructure its offensive line this week. As a result, rookies Dallas Thomas and Aaron Douglas have been getting a lot of practice repetitions at tackle.

Thomas is a 6-5, 268-pounder from Baton Rouge, La., Douglas a 6-6, 280-pounder from Maryville.

“Dallas is really athletic, really can move,” Kiffin said this week. “He'll fit the system. He has a ways to go schematically but we think he's got a really good future.”

As for Douglas, he's essentially cast from the same mold.

“Very similar,” Kiffin said. “He's a great athlete that can run, and he's bigger than Dallas is.”

Despite a smaller frame, Thomas has an advantage over Douglas in that he practiced at tackle last fall. Douglas, conversely, was a tight end until this spring. Thus, he's facing a learning curve.

“It's just the transition,” Kiffin said. “For him to come in to tackle (from tight end) is a hard thing to do, but we think he's going to do extremely well.”

In addition to providing more work for reserves such as Thomas and Douglas, Richard's injury has forced Kiffin to try some of his linemen at different spots.

“We moved some guys around ... had to move some rights to lefts,” the head man said. “Whenever you do that, that causes some issues but it's good to work it out now because that's what happens in games sometimes.”

http://www.sidelinehotties.com/stills/erin-andrews-butt-shot.jpg

[real turf fan]

What you won't see from afar is that the local news media in Knoxpatch are all but dead. The paper keeps shrinking. The papers in the surrounding counties (dailies that supplanted the News Sentinel) are having problems, if the OakRidger is any canarybird in the mine.

Yes, there's excitement. Even on the internet in other states.

This is our first net-savy coaching staff. Their recruits are net savy and increasingly the fan base is net savy. It's a difference that isn't totally appreciated yet, but in eighteen more months, the world will be so very, very different.

[rocketcityvol]

What is maddening about PF, from a former defender, is his last year or two entirely different from when he first came in. He made tangible changes in attitude, S&C, offensive philosophy, and recruiting when he first got there....he spoke often of "average being the enemy" and "getting to the next level". He made some good hires like Marshall and Barry as O-line coaches at various times....then as years went by seemed like he made excuses for poor performance. If the kids are changing and the results are the same, it may not be the kids.

For someone who liked "pounding the rock", they got soft. The troubles that one year with discipline was, now in retrospect, a sign that things were slipping. Players didn't have to worry about losing their spot. Certain players kept getting 3rd, 4th, and 5th chances. I guess it happens. You get comfortable. Forgot about the importance of real competition. The insidious effect of "you stay, you play". He got paternal, when he should have gotten "Patton". Passion and effort (intelligent effort, effective effort, all out effort) is everything. He should have read The Effective Executive.



in documenting how organizations reflect the personality of their leadership and in the dynamics of organizational change.

Before: players were sloppy, overweight, slow, tended to rationalize their failures and not mentally sharp.

After: players are either fit or in the process of becoming fit, hold themselves accountable for their performance, are for the most part straight and direct in what they say and most importantly, are working extremely hard and are calmly confident in themselves.

There's a reason their behavior and outlook have changed. The previous staff, for the most part embodied many of the characteristics I listed under "before; the new staff certainly embodies those listed in "after".

Just those things above, no consideration in differences in the roster, I bet are worth at least a 3 game swing relative to last year.

The other thing we're seeing is the natural selection process in action. Kiffin's approach is weeding out the weak and unwilling. Others, who may not have been perceived to be as "talented" are rising to the top -- witness Lennon Creer and Tauren Poole.

It's been a truly fascinating thing for me to observe.

[SoftballVol]

Of course, just about every one of you is closer to Knoxville than me.

So here it is: Am I misinterpreting, or is there a vastly different tune coming out of spring practice this year than anything we've heard in recent memory?

There is a tone - a flavor - from one player after another that seems far more in line with the kinds of comments I usually read out of places like Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, USC...

There seems to be an intensity, a passion, with these guys I had thought we'd never see or feel around here again.

Am I off-base here, or are any of you feeling this as well? Perhaps some of you have already posted on this...if so, just direct me to the correct thread so I can grab a seat, order a little food and continue reading.
These are the words I was searching for (unsuccessfully) the other day when I asked essentially the same question. IMO, the answer to your much-better articulated question is yes.