September 21, 2005
CW: 'APOCALYPSE' EDITION
Week 4Date: 9/22/2004
| ||
| "APOCALYPSE" EDITION | ||
| End Times |  |
Indiana and Vanderbilt start the season at 3-0? Pestilence, death can't be far behind. |
| NCAA |  |
CW is with Jeb Bush on this one, doesn't the NCAA have anything better to do than this? |
| USC | |
There might not have been much USC could do to avoid the drubbing, but 70 points? Didn't any defensive linemen want to play QB for a few snaps? |
| Brent Musburger |  |
It might not be good for him, but CW says the irony of Musburger getting an open container ticket is hilarious. |
| Florida | |
Though rather unimpressively, Meyer passes his first real test. |
| Oklahoma | |
What, like this needs an explanation? |
| UT Fans | |
CW doesn't expect much class out of Tennessee fans, but the selfishness surrounding the LSU/UT game is a disgrace. |
Fanblogs' Conventional Wisdom column is the opinion of the author and not necessarily those of Newsweek or MSNBC. The content of this page has not been reviewed or approved by Newsweek or MSNBC and the author is solely responsible for its content.
Comments:
posted on September 22, 2005 10:09 AM — 156.56.74.163 — link — abuse?Pete Holiday said:
If you were impressed by that Florida performance, you need to watch a little more football.
There's really nothing all that impressive about Tennessee, and there wasn't anything all that impressive about Florida's performance against them.
There's more to a team than its ranking, and more to a game than its score.
Voluminous said:
posted on September 22, 2005 10:51 AM — 12.148.27.193 — link — abuse?
Stick to Law School Pete..... you don't know a thing about Tennessee Fans.
posted on September 22, 2005 12:01 PM — 68.35.231.61 — link — abuse?
Actually, he's right. For you guys to want to move the game time is presumptuous and dumb.
posted on September 22, 2005 12:24 PM — 168.166.54.11 — link — abuse?
The UT officials seem to be far less miffed about the game's starting time than are the UT fans.
According to Fulmer (when discussing having to fly in and out on the same day as the game):
"Us doing something like that, reflecting on all they have been through down there with the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, is very minimal as far as an adjustment on our part. It's the right thing to do," Fulmer said Monday.
It is only certain over-caffienated Vols fans that keeping whining about the disadvantage they'll face.
Voluminous said:
posted on September 22, 2005 12:48 PM — 12.148.27.193 — link — abuse?
I think 99% of Tennessee fans agree with the night game and don't think a request to change it should have been made in the first place
Regan said:
posted on September 22, 2005 4:06 PM — 65.0.235.241 — link — abuse?
I can't speak as to the Tennessee fans, but Coach Fulmer was all for playing at LSU's timetable. He was quoted in the AP as being happy to oblige LSU's request for a night game, saying most of his players got off the bus and played in high school, so they could handle it after all that the LSU folks have had to go through.
Sure, some fans might be petty about it, but I just wanted the word out that the ones who matter are good people...
jon said:
posted on September 22, 2005 5:49 PM — 71.106.185.52 — link — abuse?
I thought the main concern with the night game was that there weren't any hotel rooms available for the visiting fans. And I don't really see how that can be seen as being petty. If the fans were asking to displace relief workers in order to secure hotel rooms, that'd be another story...
Regan said:
posted on September 22, 2005 6:46 PM — 205.188.116.199 — link — abuse?
There weren't hotel rooms for the players or the fans. Tennessee fans were hoping to change the game time to 12 or 3:30pm, so they could come down and drive home all in one day and not need hotel rooms. A night game in Baton Rouge means fewer Vol fans because they would have a long drive home following the game's end at 11pm.
The staff would prefer to have the players arrive the day before the game so they didn't have to play the same day they had a 4 hour bus ride.
Considering what the people have had to deal with though, I say let them call the time whenever they want and bring them a fruit basket as well...
posted on September 22, 2005 10:34 PM — 66.186.235.209 — link — abuse?
There weren't hotel rooms for the players or the fans.
That is an absolutely false statement. There were hotel rooms available for, and offered to, the Tennessee players and coaches, not once but twice. They declined, not once but twice, presumably trying to portray LSU as the bad guys and create some sort of motivator.
posted on September 22, 2005 10:52 PM — 12.217.43.245 — link — abuse?
A four-hour bus ride??? Where did that come from? It was my understanding that team would be flying to and from Baton Rouge, regardless of whether they spent a night in a hotel there or not.
posted on September 22, 2005 11:34 PM — 66.186.235.209 — link — abuse?
that is correct. even if they didn't fly into baton rouge (which they were always going to do), they could fly into lafayette or hammond, which are both an hour away. lake charles is only 2.5 hours. there was never going to be a 4 hour bus ride. additionally, as stated before, they were offered hotel rooms for the night before the game TWICE, and declined both times.
posted on September 23, 2005 12:52 AM — 12.217.43.245 — link — abuse?
I can understand them turning down hotel rooms, because the PR hit they would take--especially if any hurricane-related guests were displaced--would be enormous. Turning down the ESPN riverboat offer was a bit more curious (presuming that nobody would be displaced).
posted on September 23, 2005 8:19 AM — 12.223.245.245 — link — abuse?
That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, though -- why turn down LSU's offer and then ask them to inconvenience themselves? There wouldn't have been anything said about UT just playing the game under the circumstances deemed appropriate by LSU.
If that was the PR "plan", I hope those PR folks stay away from any company I own stock in.
Cumberland Ave said:
posted on September 23, 2005 8:32 AM — 24.215.202.246 — link — abuse?
Dave,
Let's get the facts straight about offers of hotel accommodations for the UT football team and fans. First, UT athletic director Mike Hamilton's expressed concern for UT fans, not the players and coaches. There is not adequate hotel accommodation for fans of either team. Second, UT football coach Phil Fulmer and UT's players did not want to uproot Hurricane Katrina evacuees from hotel rooms and shelters in order to accommodate the UT football team and coaches. Third, UT originally made plans to fly down to Baton Rouge late Saturday morning and hold their team meetings and eat their game-day meal at a hotel in Baton Rouge, then go directly to Tiger Stadium to prepare for the game and then fly back to Knoxville Saturday night. I do not know the details of the ESPN offer to UT, so I can not comment on it. It is well known though that UT and ESPN have gone through a number of lawsuits in recent years due to ESPN's false allegations about improper academic tutoring of athletes at UT. There is obviously an adversarial relationship between UT and ESPN.
All these matters are moot now because the UT/LSU game has been rescheduled to Monday night. I have my doubts about the intelligence of that decision by the SEC. Monday is better than Saturday given the threat of Hurricane Rita on the Gulf Coast. However, The Weather Channel is predicting very heavy rain in Louisiana on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Bad field conditions will put athletes on both teams at high risk for injury. No one, at this point, can ascertain the full impact of Hurricane Rita on Baton Rouge and Louisiana. Hurricane season will not end until November. I think UT/LSU should be postponed until Sat. Dec. 3. If the teams are still in the running for the SEC crown at that point, then the SEC championship game could be moved to Sat., Dec. 10. If neither team is still in the running for the SEC crown, then UT/LSU could be played at night in Baton Rouge on Dec. 3 and the SEC championship game could stay in the Georgia Dome on Dec. 3. Either scenario would be great for SEC fans.
posted on September 23, 2005 8:47 AM — 12.223.245.245 — link — abuse?
Oh god. Here we go again. The UT Propaganda machine is back.
You can try to spin this any way you want, but the bottom line is thatTennessee fans called reservation hotlines to gripe about their reservations being cancelled to accomodate Hurricane victims and relief workers and did so in large enough numbers that it made the news.
Voluminous said:
posted on September 23, 2005 11:07 AM — 12.148.27.193 — link — abuse?
Why did I get deleted? I can't rip on Pete for ripping off Newsweek?
Noleman said:
posted on September 23, 2005 12:21 PM — 68.157.249.30 — link — abuse?
I'm not a Tennessee or a Florida fan and I think you're an idiot. Selfeshness? hmmm.. just wondering what the last thing you did for the victims was? think sad thoughts while in your air conditioned room. The thing is that you don't even have your facts straight. Shove it Pete. Shove it.
posted on September 23, 2005 1:09 PM — 156.56.74.213 — link — abuse?
You got an email explaining why your comment was deleted. But, for everyone else's benefit: we're not going to tolerate completely unrelated personal attacks. If you've got some facts or arguments to put out there, make them. If all you've got is personal insults, you can keep them.
Noleman: if you have a more correct version of the facts, feel free to post them. Simply stating that they're incorrect is not really sufficient. My guess is, like "voluminous" you'd really just rather pretend like the facts aren't what they are.Voluminous said:
posted on September 23, 2005 1:31 PM — 12.148.27.193 — link — abuse?
Please point me to the data you have for.... "but the bottom line is thatTennessee fans called reservation hotlines to gripe about their reservations being cancelled to accomodate Hurricane victims and relief workers and did so in large enough numbers that it made the news." Show us the data and I will gladly leave it alone.
Cumberland Ave said:
posted on September 23, 2005 3:02 PM — 24.215.202.246 — link — abuse?
Hey Pete,
The contributors to Fanblogs are not going to tolerate "completely unrelated personal attacks?" That's fine, but how do you characterize your comment "The UT Propaganda machine is back?" Is that not a completely, unrelated personal attack on UT fans and the University of Tennessee?
I have had some of my comments censored too. For example, one blogger commented that the only reason that SEC fans have high attendance figures for college football games is because there is no culture in the South. I replied by pointing out the many Southerners who have contributed to American culture and my comment was deleted, yet the USC blogger's comments that had no relevance to a discussion of college football were not deleted.
Other USC bloggers commented on the crime rates in Southern cities in response to an SEC blogger's comments about crime in Los Angeles. None of these posts were deleted or censored.
Fanblogs is a college football discussion group. Let's keep it that way. But if bloggers are going to attack UT fans and their integrity, then we are going to defend ourselves and we should be able to do so without receiving e-mails reprimanding us for setting the facts straight and we should not have our comments deleted and censored while other blogger's comments that are totally unrelated to college football are not deleted and censored.
Let's talk college football and let's show some journalistic integrity and get the facts correct about UT. And let's show some respect for Americans' constitutional rights to freedom of speech.
VOLPIMP said:
posted on September 23, 2005 3:14 PM — 208.0.27.10 — link — abuse?
So now you guys delete personal attacks Pete? The insinuation that all Tennessee fans whined to have the gametime moved is total bullshit. Most fans lke myself didn't know or care about the situation. You my friend are a huge hypocrite, you talk smack about other people and when the attack comes back you delete it for the sake of the site! What a joke! How so many unobjective guys like you and Robert became (administrators?) on this site is beyond me, you take bits of info from the news and state them as fact. I doubt seriously you know a thing about phone calls made to Travel Agencies, but I'm sure it was reported somewhere. Much like the piece in here about UT complaining about CJ Leak's being at Florida, everyone in here jumped in UT's face and the frigging article came from an Orlando paper. In the middle of a natural disaster you guys want to have a he said she said war about a damn football game. Everyone was on Fulmer's nuts about moving the game, then when one of you FINALLY reads an article showing what Fulmer ACTUALLY said and did, then it's the UT fans who are being selfish and whiney. We all know the integrity of the press, and how every article written is the gospel. I'm just glad we have such wise prophets like you guys to shed the light on all the evil empires like UT so the rest of us can see. What a bunch of asses, delete me, ban me whatever. There are a handful of objective fans in here, but they're not enough to overcome the rest of you pompous asses. Take your blog and your ridiculous biased views, and you are biased no matter how many of you claim you're not, and have fun in your created Romper Room, there are more informative, knowledgeable, and MATURE places to discuss college football, I feel confident Petey that I won't find you in any of them. "We won't tolerate personal attacks..." Gimme a break.
Cumberland Ave said:
posted on September 23, 2005 4:52 PM — 24.215.202.246 — link — abuse?
Hey VolPimp,
I was trying my best to be diplomatic, tactful and polite with these so-called "official" administrators and contributors to Fanblogs, but you picked my real feelings about these guys right out of my brain. Viva VolPimp!
Pete,
Why don't you show some class and desist from alleging that UT fans are without class?
To everyone else,
Has Dubya declared the state of Tennessee a natural disaster area or has he declared war on Tennessee? Has Fanblogs reported that Osama Bin Laden is hiding in the Smoky Mountains? What's with all the anger raining down on UT and its football fans and coaches for God's sake? Give us a break!
posted on September 23, 2005 5:05 PM — 156.56.74.177 — link — abuse?
This article was written very early in the week, and I can no longer find the source that mentioned the fans complaining, so until I do find that post, I will rescind the portion about it making it into the news.
That fans called reservation lines to complain is, however, a fact. Having heard the murmurs on message boards I called a few hotels earlier in the week and at least two of them confirmed irate phone calls from Vol fans demanding that they honor their reservations.
Is that the majority of fans? Clearly not, but it's fans nonetheless, and it is a disgrace. For even more of a disgrace, you might want to check out this article in The Daily Beacon, in which the author has the temerity to say, in closing "But in a position to do the right thing during a time of crisis, LSU lost."
If I were a UT fan, I'd be more embarassed about that article than a few fans being idiots.
As for comment deletion, you might notice that we tend to be very open about allowing smack to be talked, but if the only thing in your post is an insult, and not even one related to the post at hand, it's going to be deleted at the discretion of the admins. Period.Now, to the relevant points, in order:
Cumberland: there's a difference between "defending your integrity" and being petty and off-topic. You'll note that no posts actually defending have been removed or altered, only one post which was so far off topic as to be ridiculous.
Further, you have only the constitutional right to be free from government censorship -- and then only in limited cases. Your constitutional protection does not extend to private endeavors, of which Fanblogs is one. If, on the other hand, you really do feel like we're violating your civil rights, I'll be happy to give you an address at which your attorney can serve my papers.
"Pimp": I'm not sure if you had a point in there, but I will note that Fulmer changed his tune. His original comments, as reported, were not classless, but certainly sounded a bit insensitive. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I'll say that he clairified later... he hasn't been king solomon from day one, however.
If you really feel as though you have to go somewhere else, I hope you enjoy it there.
The comments on this entry are being closed because they've reached a level so far out of touch with the original article as to just be ridiculous.If you have any further comments, you can email them to me directly: pete at fanblogs.
Please note that all comments are subject to the Fanblogs Comment Policy.
NOTaNOLE said:
posted on September 22, 2005 10:06 AM — 24.110.37.77 — link — abuse?Pete, your reference to Coach Meyer is pretty stupid. Beating a 5th ranked team in your first big test is unimpresive? What exactly were you hoping for, a rout? Your apparently an IDIOT and should have your keyboard taken away....