The CheckerBoard

I was listening to the Mizzou game on a radio app on my phone, and (I live in the country) I lost service for the last 3 minutes of the game and I think it came back on right after OT started, so I missed him sitting on it. I even tried to defend him after that. I was kindly filled in on what I had missed. Then I quietly gathered my things and slipped out the back door of the train.

As a patient man, I hung on until the Missouri game. CDD took over not only when UT was at a historic low, but also the rest of the SEC was at an all-time high. Not just Bama and LSU, but we used to have our way with the South Carolinas and the Vanderbilits and the Mississippi States of the world. No longer. Doesn't matter who was named coach, it was going to be a tough job, and anyone expecting instant results was drinking too much moonshine. Just think of all the coaches who turned us down during that search. (You know it's bad when you have to Google the guys who are giving you the stiff-arm.)

That said, removing Dooley was 110% the right call, and the subsequent revelations of his recruiting failures make that decision a slam-dunk.

Mizzou and Troy.

It just became apparent that his teams didn't know how to win. It's why I'm disappointed Bray left, I always saw him as not being a winner, but it might have been more parts CDD than him.

You aren't the only one. I wanted Tennessee to be back, but Dooley hadn't done enough as a head coach or assistant to suggest he could put UT back at the top. I waited and waited and even got hopeful that he could get it done, but after GA 2011 I became less hopeful. I still believe he recruited extremely well and thought maybe on talent alone he had a chance in 2012, but he just doesn't appear to be a good head coach right now. Will be interesting to see where his recruits go in the draft the next three years. There was alot of talent on the 2012 team, enough for 8 to 9 wins with a decent coach and maybe 10 or more with a superior coach.

The Mizzou game exposed me as the Orange Koolaid Drinker & Orange Tinted Glasswearer that I am. As mad as I've ever been at anything sports related. Threw my beloved Vols football in the woods where it's been ever since. Will have a nice new one for the beginning of the Butch Era. BTW, drinking the juice and wearing the shades again. Sue me, I'm a Vol fan. GO VOLS!

I started having my doubts early on when he criticized his players in public. That is a major taboo for me and it told me something about his style as a leader and his character as a man. The LSU debacle also raised doubts but it wasn't until the second half of the Florida game last year where I realized there was not going to be a turnaround. We quit in that game and the Florida players called us out over it and that told me all I needed to know.

What is so disappointing is that neither Georgia or South Carolina were ready to play us last year and Fulmer and Kiffin would have won both those games. God, every time I think about it I think about what a wasted opportunity 2012 was. Just a complete waste of talent. So sad.

Opened the door with the Florida game, got on the ledge with the MSU game and lept out with the ending of the Missouri game. I told people who asked if I liked Dooley that I did and that we needed him to be the man and not have to change coaches again. By the end of the Florida game I had a feeling that things weren't gonna get much better and eventually we were going to be going through a coaching search again and we all know what happened from there.

I jumped off at Akron. Then again, I'm not sure I was ever completely on board the Dooley train.