New administration
Yeah, I watched Joe Biden get sworn in.
Yeah, I made my kids watch, too.
Yeah, I was encouraged by the majority of his speech. Hopefully even.
And HECK yeah I was super impressed with Amanda Gorman. Wowser. When I grow up I hope I am as good with words and composed as that young lady.
But, even as the symbolism of the locale and the nightmarish events of two weeks ago were looming over everything, the words were a great first step.
But it’s the first step in what is a marathon to find our way back to the middle, gang, and both sides must be willing to walk the talk of Wednesday.
And those words, while needed and motivational on Jan. 20, will be little more than testable history come June this summer and next.
Those words were from the leaders, and the work must be done by all of us. I will do my part, I just hope the newly empowered anti-Trump leaders will, as we phrased last week, make sure we are headed in the right direction across the spectrum and not just the opposite direction of where we were.
Anywhere but Knoxville, apparently
Last Vol in the building turn the light out please.
You know the rules. Here’s Paschall with four more UT football players entering the transfer portal, including two sophomores in RB Eric Gray and LB Henry To’o To’o who were the Vols best offensive and defensive players.
(Side note: Beyond the impact of losing To’o To’o’s game-changing abilities, it’s especially painful for those of us who occasionally found ourselves at softball fields during the season and listened to Vols games on the radio. Because listening to Vols Radio Network sidekick Tim Priest say ol’ Henry’s last name was joyous.)
The decision of the four former Vols Wednesday continued the flood of current and once-pledged future Vols exploring options in a time of much unrest in Knoxville.
Ten members of the staff, including head coach Jeremy Pruitt, were shown the door Monday, and now the immediate impacts on the roster are being felt.
Yes, it hurts. And watching UT try to patch together a running game and a front seven – Gray led the Vols in rushing and Ty Chandler was second, and he’s headed to UNC for next season; To’o To’o led the Vols in tackles and Quavaris Couch, who also split Wednesday, was third in stops – will be painful.
But that’s the price of doing BID-ness when it comes to these matters. You are going to lose players when you fire the coaches that brought those players in, no matter how inept the coaches are or right the decision is.
And these players should have that choice, so it’s not pointing a finger at that decision. But the mistake UT made was not firing Pruitt.
It was hiring Pruitt in the first place.
Keeping arguably the worst coach in the SEC so the leading tackler and the leading rusher of a 3-7 football returns in the extended hopes of finding a way to go 6-6 and make the Birmingham Bowl is a fool’s errand.
So, best of luck Henry. You too Eric.
Now, UT go find the guy (or gal, for AD) that will find the guy that will find the better versions of Henry and Eric and start to get UT football back to being UT football.