The CheckerBoard

In my opinion, the problem is not the kids. The problem is that we as adults atach too much importance in the word of a 17-18 year old kid. If this kid comes to UT, then great, but if he doesn't, then I assure everyone that there will still be young men willing, ready, and able to put on the orange, and give their all for Tennessee.
There is no reason why we should not be able to win a recruiting battle with Bama and or LSU. Keep in mind that we were told for the biggest part of the fall that Patterson was leaning toward UGA, LSU, and UA. What I love is that come 9/1/2012 CP will be sporting a Power T. We've got to stop the defeatest attitude which says that we cannot win these battles. Let's win some games, make some waves in the SEC, and kids like this will say "You know what, I think the VOLS are back, and I want to be a part of it."

Go Vols!

upgrade? does alabama or L.S.U have a stadium on the water, do they have better facilities( maybe, but not by much) and neither have a field entrance that could come close to running through the T. All they have right now is a winning program. And we know that one school is not gonna dominate uninterupted forever. THIS IS BIG ORANGE COUNTRY and we should be proud and not think we are second class(and those coaches and kids should know this too) but that we are going through a period of instability, just like all programs must. oh, and we can be louder, nastier, meaner, and more hostile than both. WE WILL BE BACK. Im responding to the one who said that a kid should be able to upgrade. as if we are second or third-class.

You have to love the age old sports cliches...Theres no I in team..but remember there is a ME in tEaM lol..but seriously, I agree with most posters can't just dump every player that wants to explore options with other teams..if we did that we wouldnt be able to sign but about half a class if that and actually we have benefitted from kids doing that as much as we have been hurt by it...