Lane Kiffin’s recruits for UT Vols fail to pan out

Hopefully they will stay, not counting my chickens here, but I hope they do. Maybe they will realize they could have something special if they stayed BUT if the money is there in the NFL, then their gone. Unlike when I played, the highest paid linemen was at $55,000. I was born too early!

 

I think it's a pipe dream in the case of Bray and Rogers. If Bray's season is bad enough to stay, Dooley will be gone for 2013. And Rogers has had one foot in the NFL since he got to Tennessee. Hunter, despite being the most talented of the bunch, seems to me the most likely to want to stay fours years, especially if he feels he hasn't been back at 100% in 2012.

 

I understand he walked into a terrible situation. He hasn't improved it in 2 seasons though. When you lose 6 assistants and most all were lateral moves, that's a telling sign. He hired all but one guy that's left. Chuck Smith was also a terrible hire too. He hasn't done a very good job creating a stable program much less win.

 

At the same time, I may live a lot more physically comfortable life in modest style than some of those players will even with those salaries.

 

But you know just as well as I do, now how do the kids say it? Bling! Is thrown in front of them, that's all that matters to them. They get that look in their eye that I get at Logan's when they set the porterhouse steak in front of me!

 

It's true. At least the issue is getting some attention now. I am not sure people will be willing to make the changes that would have to happen to really fix the problem though. Like no more hard shell helmets and such.

 

It's not a problem, it's what happens when you choose to play football. Head injuries are part of it.

Nothing, without taking off the pads and putting flags around their waists, will keep football players from getting concussions. I think it's stupid to think otherwise.

 

Confusing.

 

Also, I had a collision with a guy playing intramural softball that gave him a concussion. Also broke a finger in flag football. People find ways to hurt themselves no matter what you do.

 

The number of concussions would go down dramatically if the pads were cut down and the helmets were changed.

 

I did the same thing. Also shattered his cheekbone and chipped one of my teeth

 

I played soccer in high school. The worst contact injury I received was a broken toe, but I had a teammate who broke his arm pretty good and another who got a moderately bad concussion. I understand it is going to happen in sports, I'm just saying putting a hard shell over someone's head encourages them to lead with it.

 

Borderline hilarious that someone cared enough to plow through the catcher, but then again I suppose I could have stood aside. Oh well. Nobody likes to lose.

 

They have hard shells over their shoulders, too.

I feel like this line of discussion appeared out of nowhere.

 

Ya, I know. I'm saying you cut back on the pads.

We've discussed this before, but I think it was in a thread QP deleted. I know it sounds crazy, but this is sort of a chicken-egg discussion. I'm saying the hits got harder when the helmets, facemasks, and hard pads came in. Others say the hits got harder so more pads were added.

Anyone who has played tackle football without pads or a helmet knows there aren't huge Harrison hits coming, simply because a hard hitter like that wouldn't ever be healthy enough to finish a game. You would just wrap up and tackle.

 

The game would be a good bit less exciting without the huge shoulders and shiny helmets.

Also the first time someone's face gets caved in by a knee or any kind of concussion happens you're going to hear that it wouldn't have happened with a helmet. Then, the outcry that we aren't providing the best protection will crescendo.

 

The '09 class was a bust all around, however Kiffin would have routinely been signing top 5-10 classes here.