Him smoking that cigar in such a celebratory and, clearly, in your face manner to UT still stuns me (if I didn't have an idea of his stupidity, arrogance and self-righteousness). It's like if I started to talk shit to my own kid after a game he lost because I happened to give his opponent a ride to the game while my kid went there with his mom.
Two things to take from this, to me. One of which regards Butch Jones and the point already made here a thousand times. The other: we aren't delusional. This is a brand and institution who can and should be near the top. It has taken SEVERE mismanagement to dislodge us, and it might just take steady competence to get us back.
This is why those who say “historically speaking, Tennessee is a 7-5 team” as an excuse to set our current / future ceiling at 7 wins, or to justify mediocre expectations (their own or others), are the dumbest mother [uck fay]ers in whatever room they’re standing in.
One thing that doesn't help is every year fans swallow the bait. The media will say a few good things how the Vols finished strong and a sportswriter will gush like a schoolgirl giving over the top compliments, and there ya go. Then the rest of the SEC fan bases talk up how delusional our fan base is and how they hate us.
JG being willing/wanting to coming back to such a pressure cooker says more about Pruitt and Chaney than anything else.