Check this out, from a week and a half ago, just after James Franklin jumped ship at Vandy to head to Penn State.
That piece is short, but it really resonates with me. I encourage you to read it! It's short, I promise!
For fifty years we were prisoners of Coach Art Guepe's "no way you can be Harvard six days a week and Alabama on Saturday" line. Sound familiar, Hoofans?
Nine wins in back to back seasons, back to back wins over an archrival, back to back bowl victories – it may sound pretty damn modest elsewhere, but it’s literally as good as it’s ever been for Vanderbilt. Sound familiar, Hoofans?
This is the chip. No one wishes us well. Nobody else has our best interests at heart. Nobody thinks we deserve anything more than to be their easy automatic W.
Fuckin-a.
I've talked about the "White Meat" plight of Virginia football and basketball. Vanderbilt has exactly the same issues. James Franklin was the right coach at the right time for the 'Dores, but he vanished in a puff of smoke just as quickly as he appeared. I think they rebounded nicely; the Derek Mason hire was a hone run in my [fairly educated] approximation.
If Mason is a home run and Franklin was a grand slam for Vandy, then Mike London has been a slow-rolling dribbler directly back to the pitcher for us.
All we need to do is find the right coach when we step back to the plate. Until then, let's try to find that chip for our shoulder, and let's try to find some kind of fighting spirit. We're good fans, dammit. We're good fans and we deserve better. Virginia has money to spend and all the peripherals to support a winning football program. Some people may laugh at the term "sleeping giant." I don't laugh. Instead, I believe it with every fiber of my being. That's the chip on MY shoulder, and that's why I get so pissy when we underachieve so disastrously.
How is Franklin a scumbag ? He left for a better job and better pay. Successful people do that in every profession. I would rather get paid by Sports illustrated to write vs writing a blog for no pay.
ReplyDeleteNo, I agree with all of that (other than the blog potshot). The ambition and "moving up" to Penn State is not what makes Franklin a scumbag.
DeleteNo, potshot intended. The writing profession was just convenient. I very much enjoy reading this blog. I look online every day to check for new postings. Keep up the good work.
DeleteBut how is Franklin a scumbag? He didn't promise to stay and then bolt. He was very open about what he was doing in regards to his job search. He didn't have recruiting violations, poor academics, booster issues, losing seasons, poor coaching hint hint (guys returning kicks that can't catch the ball, guys playing quarterback that can't throw, terrible clock management), a girl fall off his motorcycle Petrino, falsify resume Leary, anger issues Pelini. Vandy should probably put up a statue of Franklin. He made football relevant at a school that was pitiful in wins, recruiting, attendance, facilities. We Are.......thrilled to have Franklin ! You will get your chance at a Franklin next year. Go Hoos! My second favorite college football team.
The way he's poaching Vanderbilt commitments is pretty scumbaggy to me. But beyond that, there's the cover up with this: http://www.wkrn.com/story/23159064/vanderbilt-rape-case-indictments and beyond that, there's this: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/vandy-coach-james-franklin-looking-few-hot-wives-160107520.html
DeleteBut really, it's just a feeling I get. A vibe. Guy seems like a slimeball to me. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong? I'll edit the blog post to remove the "scumbag" comment, my friend.