Butch Jones Monday Press Conference.

Hysterical. He will put a twist on anything to make it sound good. TaxSlayer Bowl, against Iowa. Unreal.

 

I'm legitimately confused by the message. What about last year's bowl was a first since '97?

 

Saw this and was reminded of butch.

 

I read it as "first bowl win for UT without being SEC champs since '97".

Whatever that means.

 

Obviously, he's alluding to the fact that last year was the first time in nearly 20 years that a team that wasn't good enough to make the SEC Championship game was somehow able to win a bowl championship. It's just another sign of progress to where Lyle is taking this program.

 

Did anyone mention how long it's been since UT gave up a 14 point fourth quarter lead at home?

 

Butch said we jumped to our biggest lead in the swamp since 2001. Pretty damn impressive.

 

Any way we could start doing something all pressy and whatnot to get press credentials? That's the only way tough questions will be asked. What Harrington asked him Monday is as probing a question that the Knoxville media will ever ask.

 

You would only get one question, then be told to leave

 

I want to know what everyone's one question would be.

Mine: You tout your Big East championships; how did winning those and then coaching in the BCS bowl games the Big East champion had an AQ bid to affect how you coach today?

 

Good one.

Here is mine:

You say your decisions on gamedays are gut feels, but after Oklahoma you said 5 hours of studying analytics led to the decision to kick a field goal. You also mentioned that 99% of your decisions were made during coaches' meetings.

You have contradicted yourself 3 times in three sentences. Please explain how you came about the decisions you made.

 

Or this one:

You realize Tennessee fans don't consider a Tax Slayer Bowl trophy very important, don't you? Do you believe coaches are measured in wins, losses and championships?

 

Or

How do you plan to spend your buyout money?

 

Sadly, I have to disagree. Too many bought this hook,one and sinker. I was ridiculed at some point for pointing out it was the dang gator bowl and that trophy had been paraded around more than the NC trophy was.

Part 2 - the even sadder part of this is the athletic department willingly employs people who help dig up these stats and who try to put lipstick on a pig. And this was around way before butch.

 

I got into a conversation with a guy that was saying Butch won "the biggest game of his career" when he beat Iowa. This was the Tuesday after the Oklahoma game. We were talking football on a job site, he said that, I laughed and told him that a bowl game 9 people outside the state of Iowa and Tennessee watched wasn't a very big game. He said it was, because there was a "trophy". I told him he was a ****ing idiot and walked off.

 

It was an enjoyable game and all, don't get me wrong, but in the grand scheme of things, we won (at best) the 3rd place game of the NIT.

 

I can usually get people fighting mad talking to them about football, but since the Oklahoma loss, I just shake my head and walk off.

I've got one sales rep that's an Ole Miss alum, he started making fun of a "Tennessee education". I asked what a degree from the dumbest state in the country's state school was worth. He hasn't been by to see me since.

 

Ha. Not a smart sales rep if you ask me.

One of my new favorite current clients is a Barn alum. After our initial shots at the other, we just decided to make fun of Bama together.

 

Well, I mean it's true. The fact that it is true is what's ****ing pathetic.

 

Bullshit. He did not say that. Tell me he did not say that and you are trolling me long, and trolling me hard.