Why are you a Vol fan?

Discussion in 'Vols Football' started by lylsmorr, Oct 11, 2015.

  1. lylsmorr

    lylsmorr Super Moderator

    Through all of the crap we fans have been through, all of the losses, all of the lame duck coaches, all of the ridicule in the national media, all of the silly catch phrases, all of the ridiculous press conferences - why are you still a fan of UT?

    As pissed as I get at times with the perceived circus in the athletic department, I rarely ever stay away from the TV on a Saturday (it only intentionally happened during the Dooley years). I even drive 12 hours roundtrip, spend way too much money on a ticket, and pay for a hotel all to watch UT blow more P5 games recently than they win - most recently vs OU.

    I'm not an alumni, but I grew up in West Tennessee - not nearly close enough to attend games regularly. Having said that, all it took was one game at Neyland and I've never had a thought of cheering for anyone else since. We were staying in the Smokies for a wedding in 1993, and my parents took this opportunity to show me the way of being a Tennessee fan (like all good parents would). It fell on the last weekend of October, so we got the draw of the South Carolina game. Leading up to it, we stayed in a hotel with a ton of gamecock fans. One crazy and obnoxious guy had little gamecock dolls all over his shirt, and an SC mascot hat (6 year old me didn't realize how fitting it was that a **** head was wearing a **** on his head). To my recollection, the rest of the fans seemed nice enough to us when we were in the hotel lobby and other places.

    My parents and I roll into Neyland Stadium that cool Saturday afternoon and find our seats in one of the endzones under the overhang. It's buzzing because UT only had one loss coming into the game. On top of the excitement, I'm nervous because of an extreme fear of heights and the field seemed forever away to 6 year old me. Mom was having a hard time consoling my ridiculous fear that I was going to roll down 40 flights of stairs to certain death. Just by sheer chance that day, there was an awesome lady there with her UT family that overheard us. She called herself "Big momma" and promised that she wouldn't let me go anywhere. So I calm down and am then able to enjoy the game. UT goes on to steamroll Carolina (turns out it was 55-3) and the stadium was buzzing with enjoyment the entire time. We were all happy leaving the stadium, even Big momma and her family, and I can't think of a better first experience on my trek to UT fandom. The win, the fans, the experience of being a cathedral of college football during one of the peaks of UT football - all of it cemented by fandom for life.

    I get pissed. I rage. I say ridiculous things. I want UT to win a national championship as often as possible. And even though UT has hit a low point the last ten(ish) years, I would rather be kicked repeatedly in the nads by UT athletics than cheer for the Alabamas and Floridas of the world.

    Go Vols
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2015
  2. kmf600

    kmf600 Energy vampire

    When I was growing up, my dad said, you can be a Vols fan, or you can get the **** out of my house.
     
  3. Savage Orange

    Savage Orange I need ammunition, not a ride. -V Zelensky.

    I've tried to quit 'em but I just can't. I don't know how to love anybody else.
     
  4. A-Smith

    A-Smith Chieftain

    I was at that game. It was cold. I was in the upper deck in the south endzone. IIRC we score 35 in the 2nd quarter. Great time to be a Vol.
     
  5. NorrisAlan

    NorrisAlan Founder of the Mike Honcho Fan Club

    You had a great father.

    I moved to Knoxville when I was 10 in 1979 from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You have to understand at that time, Miami was about to kill their football program, Florida was in the Vandy range of relevance and the Miami Dolphins were Great (Yes, there was a time when they were a power in the NFL). College football was not on my radar at all. It was never talked about in Florida. At all.

    When we move here, vols vols vols, orange vols, go vols, orange. Everywhere. It was like moving into the middle of a cult area.

    Then, in 1982, they showed scenes of these crazy people carrying these goal posts down Cumberland Avenue. It was weird. And intoxicating.

    Then 1985 happened. I know a lot of Vol fans actually look more fondly on that team than the 1998 National Championship team. And the magic that was that season (I was already a fan, but this season made me a fanatic). Bo Jackson getting an "injury". TRob going down. Darryl Dic-key coming in and saving the day. First SEC Championship in four forevers. Then that Sugar Bowl. If you were not around at that time, you might not get it. But listening to the game on TV, with Keith Jackson and everyone talking about how good the Hurricanes were, and then the early score by Miami, it looked like a rout was about to happen.

    And it did.

    UT poured it on and on and on and on, winning 35-7, ruining any hopes of the Hurricanes NC hopes.

    That was it for me. I knew where I was going to college. And I graduated from UT (after some misadventures along the way) in 1995. And no matter what sport you are talking about, I am a UT fan of it. Football? UT. Basketball? UT. Baseball? UT. Curling? UT. Tiddlywinks? UT.

    GBFO.
     
  6. InVolNerable

    InVolNerable Fark Master Flex

    You must be stoked about bringing in Debord then.
     
  7. justingroves

    justingroves supermod

    My grandmother is one of the biggest football fanatics I know. Tennessee is her team.

    I can remember watching either watching or listening to games with her forever.

    If i wasn't with her, my dad is a casual Tennessee fan, he listened to most every game, as I got a little older I would be crappie fishing with him listening to games on the radio. One of the old men we fished with made it a point to either watch or listen to Ward.

    I've spent a lot of Saturdays cleaning fish or cutting up deer and ducks with Ward on the radio.

    My first game in Knoxville was the last 1994 Arkansas game. It was over from there. I realized, at the age of 9, what a college was. Tennessee was it.

    I went there, graduated and now would rather die than cheer for someone else
     
  8. **TDCVOL**

    **TDCVOL** Contributor

    Y'all want to hear a horror story about being a Vols fan with a family ?

    Not me, I'm a 43 year old life long Vols fan and I got it from my dad. Can't help it.

    A really close friend of mine was married and had two sons. He got divorced when the boys were 6-8 or something like that. And apparently the relationship was strained between them. So the boys flipped to Gator fans with their moms approval (surprise). But we all thought it was just a phase and they would eventually work everything out and the kids would repair the relationship with the dad. Never happened. Both boys are now grown and full blooded Gator fans. They never flipped never wavered. It was awful. His relationship with them is fine but still. Can't imagine.
     
  9. cpninja

    cpninja Member

    Got a family of UT fans and I've lived in Knoxville my whole life. Didn't attend UT but I basically became a fan because of my dad and uncles who all attended UT ages ago and are hardcore TN fans. Not sure how the Vols have managed to keep me considering I basically missed every ounce of national relevance(only been actually watching/caring about CFB since 08, before that I was a "fan" who "watched" games, but it was more like "glanced at the score every couple hours while doing something else").

    Guess that's the power of being indoctrinated from a young age, because its honestly depressing to think that the best season I've watched as a Tennessee fan was 7-5 from Lane Kiffin.
     
  10. The Dooz

    The Dooz Super Moderator

    Why not?
     
  11. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    I can't remember not being a fan.
     
  12. fl0at_

    fl0at_ Humorless, asinine, joyless pr*ck

    What else would I be?
     
  13. lylsmorr

    lylsmorr Super Moderator

    Happy?
     
  14. Volmaul

    Volmaul New Member

    At this point in my life, I'm probably an observer, at best. Was a huge fan up until about the time Butch lost to Vanderbilt... I was a fan because I was raised that way and attended the university.
     
  15. utvol0427

    utvol0427 Chieftain

    I was raised on UT football. My first trip to Neyland was when I was two and I can't remember a time in my life where fall Saturdays didn't revolve around Tennessee football. Some of my fondest memories are attending games at Neyland with my grandfather and my dad. I hope to create those same fond memories with my son, which is why I get so pissed with the lack of drive to succeed displayed by our AD. I grew up watching some damn good football and I want my son to be able to do the same.
     
  16. TangoUniform

    TangoUniform Contributor

    Why am I a vol fan? Because I'm masochistic. Tennessee football is my sadist mistress.
     
  17. lylsmorr

    lylsmorr Super Moderator

    Im with you. '04 Florida game we drove around the city with UT flags flying. I was the only person in my house still watching the '98 Arkansas game.

    Good times
     
  18. Oldvol75

    Oldvol75 Super Bigfoot Guru Mod

    I just like the color orange
     
  19. TangoUniform

    TangoUniform Contributor

    Oh.. I just read the thread.. so.. grew up in the jungle out west, but was in ktown while my dad finished his PhD in 77. It was the only place I wanted to go to school. Started fall of 90, finished spring 95. ...and promptly had to move back to the jungle. Awesome.

    Anywat, it's the only school I know how to cheer for. I hate bama, florida... my ex went to pig, so I hate those ****ers. Now she likes ole piss, and I hate those ****ers, too. Come to think of it. The only SEC team I like is tennessee anyway. So GBO.

    I hate cheering for teams that have shitty coaching, and o promise myself not to watch, but then I watch part of it anyway. I've found a way to cheer for my team and hiss the coaching.
     
  20. wildnkrazykat

    wildnkrazykat Well-Known Member

    My uncle was dating a girl from Tennessee when I was little so in my 5 year old rebellious state I decided I'd be a Tennessee fan. My dad informed me that when the state was formed it was really called "Sinnessee" cause everyone that lives there hates God but a long time ago they voted to change it to Tennessee to trick people.
     

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