^ Longest ACTIVE streak (minor clarification)

11/28/2009 11:12:52 PM

that was obvious because I didnt say "ever"

11/28/2009 11:13:38 PM

Kentucky is still Kentucky. In other words, they are still little loser bitches.

25 and counting.

GBO!!!

11/28/2009 11:26:18 PM

ahaha, this got me banned from the 'Tucky rivals site:

Quote :

"Kentucky fans...I believe silver is the proper gift for a 25th anniversary"

and Kiffin said this in his post game press conference:

Quote :

""It's still Tennessee and it's still Kentucky" - Lane Kiffin"

haha, what a dick

[Edited on November 29, 2009 at 12:00 AM. Reason : d]

11/28/2009 11:40:37 PM

Lane Kiffin is the man.

11/29/2009 10:11:18 AM

Well, it appears that the dirty-ass Outback bowl has screwed UT again and selected Auburn (of all teams) instead of the Vols. Now it appears that UT will be in the Chick-fil-a bowl or the Music City bowl. Chick-fil-a could be a matchup with VT. Yikes!

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 12:11 PM. Reason : ]

12/1/2009 11:53:42 AM

yup, its the Peachicken Bowl against VT... sweet, I will have to travel 2 miles

12/1/2009 6:05:59 PM

While I was originally upset about Tennessee not getting the invite to the Outback Bowl, I think this works out much better. I'd much rather see Tennessee play Virginia Tech (or any upper ACC team) rather than Northwestern or some Big 10 team. UT-VT will make for a much more exciting, and desirable, matchup.

Nonetheless, something still isn't right to be bumped to the Peach Bowl.

12/2/2009 9:13:53 AM

Kiffin is my hero.

12/2/2009 9:24:45 AM

New Years Eve will be all UT. UT vs Memphis in basketball at 3:30 and then UT vs VT in football at 7:30.

12/2/2009 11:13:18 AM

If anyone is coming down to it let me know... can work out something.


Good interview with Kiffin

Quote :

"This week marks the one-year anniversary for Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin in Knoxville. The Vols improved from 5-7 in 2008 to 7-5 and a bowl appearance in 2009. Sporting News college football columnist Matt Hayes spoke to Kiffin this week about his first year at Rocky Top: Sporting News: It's your one-year anniversary at Tennessee. How did Year 1 go overall? Lane Kiffin: I thought our first year went great. I wish we would've played a little better at the beginning of the season because we really feel like it could've been much different at the end. But those things happen when your team and coaches are getting used to each other and making adjustments. I'm excited about the way we finished the season. We won four of our last five games and were a field goal away from winning six of our last seven. SN: What was your most pleasant surprise of Year 1? LK: It was exciting to see so many players drastically improve on both sides of the ball. Jonathan Crompton went from four touchdowns last year to 26 this season. Montario Hardesty went from never rushing for more than 384 yards to getting 1,300 and 12 touchdowns. We had two walk-ons on the offensive line, and we only gave up 12 sacks all year. Defensively, I thought we were tremendous. Monte Kiffin did a terrific job with our guys, and they enjoyed playing for him. SN: And the most disappointing aspect of Year 1? LK: How much turnover we had to have to create the right culture. We were really shorthanded this season at many positions. We lost 14 kids because they left or we removed them. That's 14 scholarship players you're not playing with. There aren't many teams that can take that hit and still be successful, so I was proud of how we responded. SN: You had some quarterback problems early in the season. How good could this season have been if Crompton played well in the first month of the season? LK: Jonathan played his heart out the whole season. Things maybe could've been different, but you have to remember, that first month was our first month together as a team playing games. It's a learning process. It's exciting that we've had this together for a year and we're making the strides we have made. What happens next year and the year after that; how it pays off after the time invested. That's what's exciting. This was the foundation. SN: Does a positive finish to the season, and probably a nice New Year's Day bowl game, do wonders for recruiting? LK: Recruits see these positives; they see that we develop players and we're on our way back. Look at the top high school players in the country. You'll see the Floridas and the USCs on their lists, and now you're seeing Tennessee on there, too—and that's the way it should be. We're building something here that's different from anywhere else, and recruits are noticing."

12/2/2009 2:20:19 PM

Quote :

"KNOXVILLE — Lane Kiffin was expecting another decision from an assistant, and it apparently didn't take long. The Tennessee coach is likely losing another piece of his respected staff and another elite recruiter. Neither the Vols nor Florida State have officially confirmed the departure of special teams coach Eddie Gran yet, but according to Web sites that cover both teams he has accepted a position with the Seminoles. Kiffin has embraced turnover as a positive for his program and has repeated numerous times he has no problems helping coaches move on, and UT expected it to happen when it put together its Dream Scheme staff last year. Gran will be the second assistant to leave the Vols after receivers coach Frank Wilson joined LSU on Saturday. "Eddie is still going over both options," Kiffin said after practice Saturday. "Obviously that’s a really good place, so it’s a tough decision for him. "He’s recruited Florida for years and years, and it’s a powerful school down there." It might have just added a bit more muscle on the sidelines."

fuck, this one hurts

12/6/2009 4:29:43 PM

i swear to god they do this shit on purpose

12/8/2009 2:32:23 PM

Hahaha, wow. Is it really that hard to notice?

12/8/2009 4:26:48 PM

really good LONG article on possible replacements for Gran and Wilson

http://www.3sib.com/2009/12/07/better-know-a-candidate-ut-running-backs-and-wide-receivers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

12/9/2009 1:20:17 AM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/12/09/tennessee.recruiting.ap/index.html

Quote :

"NEW YORK (AP) -- The NCAA is investigating Tennessee's football recruiting practices, including the use of hostesses to attract top players, The New York Times reported on its Web site Wednesday."

12/9/2009 6:26:46 AM

Quote :

" The NCAA is probing Tennessee's football recruiting practices, according to several prep prospects, their family members and high school administrators, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Much of the investigation is centered on the use of recruiting "hostesses" who have helped the program convince prep prospects to choose Tennessee by befriending prep prospects and attending their high school games, according to the report. Because the hostesses are considered an extension of the university, it could be considered a violation of NCAA rules if they helped recruit prospective athletes off campus. Tennessee Athletic Director Mike Hamilton confirmed the school was being investigated but declined to address the allegations in the report. "Typically, we do not comment on inquires that are in progress," he said, according to the newspaper. Tennessee has committed at least six secondary NCAA violations -- unintended violations of rules not deemed to have given the school an unfair competitive or recruiting advantage -- since Lane Kiffin took over as coach. The NCAA appears to be strongly interested in Tennessee's use of hostesses -- students who are part of a university group that hosts prospective students on campus visits, including athletes. It was not clear whether the university sent the hostesses to visit the football players, the newspaper reported. In one case, hostesses traveled nearly 200 miles to attend a football game at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., one of the nation's best high school football programs, where at least three potential Tennessee recruits were playing, according to the report. Marcus Lattimore, a running back who had made an unofficial visit to Tennessee but was not interested in attending the school, said the hostesses brought signs, including one that read, "Come to Tennessee," according to the report. Two of Lattimore's high school teammates, Brandon Willis and Corey Miller, have orally committed to Tennessee. Lattimore said the hostesses were "real pretty, real nice and just real cool" and thinks they had "a lot" of influence in his teammates making oral commitments, according to the report. "I haven't seen no other schools do that," Lattimore said, according to the report. "It's crazy." Gary Willis, Brandon Willis' father, said the NCAA had interviewed his son about the hostesses' visit to the game, according to The Times. Gary Willis said the girls met his son at Tennessee's football camp last summer and told him they would be attending one of his games. He also said the trip was not arranged by Tennessee coaches or staff. NCAA officials have visited with four prospects and are scheduled to visit two others this week, according to the report. "

12/9/2009 10:28:35 AM

Signs? Who cares? Seriously...

These hostesses are just glorified hookers, right? Do the recruits tag team them Marcus Camby style? I'm guessing so...

12/9/2009 10:41:33 AM

That story goes far, far beyond bringing signs to the game.

12/9/2009 10:57:53 AM

Quote :

"teammates making oral commitments"

on more than one level

12/9/2009 11:00:40 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/sports/ncaafootball/09tennessee.html?_r=2&ref=sports

Here is a pretty scathing article. That first link was pretty tame which is why I thought it was stupid...

Kiffin will eventually get them in trouble from what it appears. I know most of the stuff has been secondary violations but this many? And this soon?

I'm sure I'll be called a troll like normal but where this is smoke there has got to be at least a little fire.

12/9/2009 11:03:51 AM

12/9/2009 11:16:04 AM

Haha, the picture to go with that article cannot be coincidence:

12/9/2009 11:34:26 AM

Just some pretty girls holding signs. Kiffin has brought a lot of attetion (good or bad) on himself on purpose and made himself stand out so people are going to look at him a lot harder than others. Florida state did this years ago and nothing happened but I could see the NCAA wanting to make an example of kiffin becaus of his brashness. If this is all it is will be fine.

12/9/2009 11:38:56 AM

A "wide-ranging investigation" likely wouldn't be taking place if all it was was a few pretty girls holding up signs, I'm guessing.

I mean maybe you're right. I hate to jump to conclusions considering the UConn bball thing which is said to be nearly 100% bullshit or at worst a secondary violation, but UConn also presented the NCAA with a 11,000 page report and the NCAA hasn't even opened up a legitimate investigation after receiving it.

We'll see, but from what I've read it's pretty rare for the NCAA to step in and question recruits who haven't even committed yet.

12/9/2009 11:44:17 AM

Players at all schools take the recruits out to get laid.

Only certain schools are brazen enough to have a harem for that specific purpose.

12/9/2009 11:45:32 AM

^ What? Ever school had hostesses.

12/9/2009 11:52:14 AM

^^^That quote is kind of misleading. The "wide ranging" aspect of the investigation is that the hostesses were reportedly sent to multiple games in different places. That quote is a classic attention-getting tactic.

As for the story, this is a violation, but it is a fairly small one, especially since there is no way they will ever find a paper trail linking the coaching staff to this officially.

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 11:54 AM. Reason : ]

12/9/2009 11:53:07 AM

Quote :

"^ What? Ever school had hostesses."

State used to have a group of female "escorts" ... not sure if they still do
i used to know one

12/9/2009 2:12:22 PM

yeah, I dont know a single school that doesnt have them

Quote :

"The Volunteers are certainly not the only school to employ these types of "hostesses" or "hospitality" girls, but the school has drawn increased scrutiny from authorities since Lane Kiffin took over the program. They've committed at least six secondary violations in less than a year and Kiffin's habit of boasting about recruits in public—and attacking the recruits of other schools—has made a lot of folks unhappy. This investigation will only shine more light on the practice, not only at UT, but across the country."

6... Ohio State averages 20+ a year. Once again, its just the fact that Kiffin is a dick and therefore getting more attention than quiet ones like Tressel

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 2:26 PM. Reason : d]

12/9/2009 2:20:02 PM

What the NCAA doesn't realize is that by publicizing Tennessee's whorehouse theyre doing anything but making it less attractive to recruits

12/9/2009 2:44:25 PM

My old roommate was a hostess. She actually hosted Crompton every time he came.....


Just sayin.



Hostesses are definitely there for more than escorting around

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 3:22 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 3:21:51 PM

The Stately Ladies, Carolina Girls, and Blue Angels (Duke) all got shitcanned after the Colorado recruiting debacle....most other schools killed their hostess programs then too IIRC

12/9/2009 3:33:29 PM

I can't remember what the NCSU version of these girls were called, but I definitely knew a couple of them when I was a freshman- they loved them some football player dick


they did have a real name though, and were in contact with "friends" of the program

12/9/2009 4:28:40 PM

PTI was dead on today talking about this...

12/9/2009 5:35:33 PM

Quote :

"6... Ohio State averages 20+ a year"

where are you getting that OSU averages that many secondary violations?

12/9/2009 6:10:11 PM

From Columbus Dispatch Article:

Quote :

"An NCAA investigator came to Columbus last summer and questioned an Ohio State football player about the special treatment he received during his campus recruiting visits. The Dispatch learned about the incident through a public-records request for NCAA violations, but few details are known. OSU edited the records, removing the football player's identity, where he stayed and the dates of his visit. Officials said they had to protect his privacy -- and that of every other athlete -- because of a federal law. Since 2000, Ohio State has reported to the NCAA more than 375 violations -- the most of any of the 69 Football Bowl Subdivision schools that provided documents to The Dispatch through public-records requests. Most infractions were minor -- a coach called a recruit too many times, for example. Others, however, left athletes benched, fined or at least embarrassed. The public likely will never know the specifics, because records of all the violations were heavily edited by Ohio State in the name of student privacy. Ohio State says the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ties its hands. If OSU releases what it thinks is private information, the U.S. Department of Education could withhold federal funding."

guess I should have said 40+ a year...

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 6:16 PM. Reason : f]

12/9/2009 6:15:26 PM

very well then. I hadn't seen that article

12/9/2009 6:31:10 PM

jaybee what the fuck is going on??? I just read about this

and of course ohio state has a lot of baggage with violations, no surprise there

12/9/2009 11:27:41 PM

Quote :

"Charles Miller watched the news coverage all day. Countless times he saw the national media report on the NCAA's investigation on Tennessee hostesses traveling to Duncan, S.C., to see his son, Corey Miller, and fellow defensive end prospect Brandon Willis. Charles Miller was ready Wednesday to clear the air. First, he stated the obvious: young men like young girls. As for the implication that UT's football program sent the hostesses to Byrnes High School as recruiters, Miller said nothing could be farther from the truth. "Nobody put these girls on these boys," Miller said. "It wasn't like they came to our boys. Our boys started talking to them." The initial conversations between UT hostesses and two highly rated prospects began in Knoxville, Miller said, when his son and Willis visited UT's campus in June. "They became friends," the elder Miller said. Perhaps more. Miller said he's not sure if his son is dating one of the unnamed hostesses in question, but said the two have kept in contact. "I know they talk an awful lot," Miller said. "I don't know if he calls it dating or not. I don't think there's anything wrong." Miller said he was nearby when his son invited the hostess to Duncan while on UT's campus. "They asked them, 'Why don't you come watch us play some Friday?' '' Miller said. As for the visit, Miller maintained the hostesses came as fans, not UT representatives. "They didn't wear Tennessee colors," Miller said. "They were dressed very nice, like ladies dress." Miller said his son and Willis parted ways with the two hostesses after the game. Miller said Byrnes players met for a post-game meal as they usually do. As for the girls, "I don't know where they went," he said. Miller also said he never saw the poster the UT hostesses were reported to have carried that read 'Come to Tennessee'. Instead, he saw a poster with Corey Miller and Brandon Willis' name on it. Miller was befuddled by the fact UT's hostesses must have limited contact with prospects just because they are considered representatives of UT. "You're going to tell people they can't be friends because of whatever school they go to?" Miller said. Miller said he believes the girls visited Byrnes High School on Sept. 25, 11 days after his son and Willis committed to UT. "They already said that's where they were going," Charles Miller said. "So how can that be a violation? It wasn't like those girls came down and all the sudden they changed their mind." Miller said he has no idea who would have turned UT in, that Byrnes is covered up with college football recruiters most every Friday night during the season. When asked if UT head coach Lane Kiffin may have been targeted by rival schools for some of his brash, public comments, Miller said, "Let me tell you something. I met Lane Kiffin. Now, everybody has different personalities. Because his personality is different doesn't make him wrong. I like him. I like him a lot. Football is a man's sport. He's a fiery coach and I like that." Miller said UT was a far different place under former coach Phillip Fulmer. "When I first came to visit, that was the last place I wanted my son to go," Miller said. "It was so laid back - no fire in the belly. When Lane Kiffin and his crew were there, I noticed a difference right off the bat. He might pop off and say a few things and ruffle a few feathers; I'm cool with that. Some people don't like that." Miller said he's concerned that the NCAA investigation could prevent his son from enrolling at UT, as he planned to do in January. "I'm concerned about what you don't know," he said. "We're new at this. We don't know what to expect." At this time, there's no reason to believe the NCAA would deal out such a harsh penalty. That could largely depend on how involved UT's football program was in their hostesses' road trip. Miller's desire is clear. He said his 6-foot-4, 225-pound son will honor his UT commitment. "No deviation in the plan," Charles Miller said. Willis doesn't seem so sure. He told PalmettoSports.com on Wednesday that his commitment is "medium." "I wouldn't say soft, I wouldn't say firm. It's in between," the 6-3, 255-pounder said. Willis told the South Carolina Web site that he had talked to UT's staff about the NCAA investigation. "Nothing that happened was inappropriate," he said. "Of course, they are going to investigate because things like that happen. But, the things that happened, none of that was illegal." Willis said the NCAA investigation won't have an affect on the decision-making process for his college choice. Willis is rated as the 88th best prospect in the nation by Scout and the 41st best prospect in the nation per Rivals. Miller ranks 80th and 27th best in the nation, according to Scout and Rivals, respectively"

12/10/2009 12:45:32 AM

Berry got the Thorpe

12/10/2009 9:46:12 PM

i didn't watch the show because i didn't want to go to sleep full of rage when he got robbed again

wish i had watched it now

12/10/2009 10:28:17 PM

just replayed it...

12/10/2009 11:50:17 PM

Good for Berry. He might not have the stats this year but I think everyone that knows football can see that he is the best DB in the nation.

12/11/2009 10:18:45 AM

OMG Proof! Here comes the death penalty.

12/12/2009 9:19:36 AM

where do the rights of the hostesses come into play? I know its not the case but lets say they were actually friends with a high school football player. Are they not allowed to go to their games/talk/hang out with them because they're a student at a school recruiting them? It just kind of seems like a situation you shouldn't be able to penalize the university for.

12/12/2009 9:40:18 AM

^ and it sounds like thats exactly what happened. The players met them while visiting UT, the players invited them down to their game, the girls went down there on their own dime (and not dressed in UT gear even though that wouldnt have mattered) and held a sign up about the players (nothing about "come to Tennessee"). So basically there was nothing at all to distinguish them from normal fans/girlfriends of the players

12/12/2009 4:30:50 PM

good article on EB

Quote :

"KNOXVILLE -- Before Eric Berry came to the University of Tennessee, he was widely regarded as one of the nation's best high school football players. Three years later, the safety has securely established himself as one of college football's best players. By virtue of his Thorpe Trophy award this week, he at least is recognized as the best defensive back. But his UT career almost certainly will expire after the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl with a 23-15 or 22-16 record. If his junior season is his last, he will not be part of any national or Southeastern Conference championship teams. He has not accomplished everything he intended on an individual or team level, but many consider him one of the best players in the proud program's history. "Folk Hero" "I've been watching it for 52 years, on a consistent basis since about 1966, and studying it back to 1891," noted UT football historian Tom Mattingly said Friday. "You get in trouble sometimes comparing people across the generations, and there's been so many great players, but Eric Berry's right up there with the best of them." And perhaps only one Volunteer stands above Berry on the popularity scale, Mattingly added. "There's been nobody quite like Peyton Manning or quite like Eric Berry," said Mattingly, who has written several books and actively blogs on UT history. "Peyton and Eric would probably be No. 1 and No. 1A, and Al Wilson would probably be No. 2, and Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds would probably be No. 3. "Eric's right up there with Peyton as a folk hero. You always get in trouble when you compare people to Peyton, but in terms of somebody that's absolutely a folk hero, Eric's got his own cheer in the stadium and has had it for three years. You have to be really special to get your own cheer in the stadium, especially as a defensive back." "The best ... period" Berry has never been a typical defensive back, and not just because he's lined up at practically every defensive position other than tackle. The son of former UT tailback and captain James Berry, Eric started the first game of his college career and was a Freshman All-American. He was named a team captain the following preseason -- an unprecedented title for a sophomore. He responded with one of the best defensive back seasons in college football history, and he's been placed on several All-America teams this season despite playing a different role, closer to the line of scrimmage and generally being avoided by quarterbacks like he had swine flu. "A lot of times on film, you can watch people point him out before the snap and make sure they go to the other side of the field," UT junior defensive end Chris Walker said. "It's pretty funny." It's also ineffective much of the time, Vols junior wide receiver Gerald Jones said. "You can try to avoid him, and you can throw away from him, but he's still going to get near the ball before the play is over," Jones said. "His range is ridiculous. He's just a really smart guy, and he's a really great athlete. "He's the best DB I've ever gone against, period, and he makes me a better player." "Eric just gets it" But big plays alone don't make a folk hero. Production on the field is perhaps the biggest key, but actions away from the field also go a long way toward separating legends from stars. In a media era when even the most seemingly polished celebrities often have their flaws exposed, not even a small negative rumor about Berry has surfaced. He does well in school, and he'd avoided anything even remotely approaching trouble off the field. As first-year Vols head coach Lane Kiffin said earlier this season, "Eric just gets it." "It's not just about the football with Eric," athletic director Mike Hamilton said. "He's everything you want a student-athlete and a young man to be, and we're obviously very proud to call him ours." Berry's public persona has never strayed from humility, either. In the immediate aftermath of his first big play as a Vol -- a 96-yard interception return touchdown against Tim Tebow's Florida Gators in 2007 -- he shrugged off questions about the moment by saying he'd simply evened the score from allowing a touchdown pass over his head earlier in the game. Tebow has made multiple references to Berry being the best defensive player he faced, and the superstars again traded big blows in the Swamp this season. Berry dove in front of a receiver and snared an interception inches from the turf, and Tebow probably got the better of an open-field collision between the two later in the game. But the bottom line, as Berry openly states, is that "(Tebow's) teams keep getting the best of us at the end of the day." "Humble hero" The Vols haven't beaten archrivals Florida or Alabama in Berry's career. The Gators have won a national championship in that stretch, and the undefeated Crimson Tide will play for one next month. Manning never defeated Florida, but he left Knoxville after the 1997 season as an SEC champion. Wilson, as a middle linebacker, fought through painful shoulder injuries the next season in helping the Vols go undefeated with a national title. "Just being compared to a lot of the greats up here, that's something special to me," Berry said. "I still don't really feel like I've accomplished as much as those guys, but at the same time, I'll take that compliment. "But there's still a lot of work to be done to reach the level where people like Peyton Manning and others are." Mattingly said that attitude has lofted Berry into the rarefied air of UT legends. "Tennessee fans really like a humble hero," Mattingly said. "That's the kind of thing that really endears him to people. He could sit there all day and tell you all about the game-changing plays he'd had, but he focuses on the things he needs to do better." UT redshirt freshman middle linebacker Herman Lathers said Berry's humility was a huge, initial shock. "When I was being recruited here, I watched Tennessee a lot," Lathers said. "Watching E.B., man, I just admired him. And once I got here, I was a little bit surprised at the way he carried himself. He acted like he was just one of the guys, and he still does. "Honestly, being able to start on the same defense as him is a big honor for me. I can always say I started on the same defense as Eric Berry, and that he helped me get better every day." "Leaning toward leaving" Berry admitted Friday night that he is "leaning toward leaving" UT after this season and declaring for the NFL draft, but he has maintained all year that it won't be an easy decision. Both of his parents lost their jobs during the nation's recent economic downturn, and a new collective bargaining agreement could drastically reduce the NFL's rookie salaries by the next year. Manning shocked many by returning for his final season -- he was considered by some the top overall prospect as a junior -- but Berry's family doesn't have a similar family fortune to gamble. Berry also plays a much more injury-prone position than Manning, and speed and agility lost from a leg injury would be much more problematic for a safety than a pro-style quarterback. Berry admitted it would be "really cool" to leave UT as an SEC or national champion, but though he'd never admit it, even his presence wouldn't make next season's Vols championship contenders. UT will start spring practice with no proven quarterback, no proven tailbacks, one proven offensive lineman and several new defensive players. There's also the undeniable evidence that Berry will be a hot commodity in the draft. Scouts Incorporated considers him this year's top overall prospect, and longtime ESPN guru Mel Kiper ranks him No. 3. "

12/12/2009 10:24:22 PM

cont.

Quote :

""I think he's the best player in college football, and he might be the best overall prospect in this class," draft analyst Todd McShay said last month. "He has all the physical tools, and he's a smart, high-character guy who works hard and won't give you any problems. "He'd make any team better." Still, Berry claims he will continue carefully considering both options. He has spoken with several former Vols who stayed for their senior season, and several who didn't. He hopes to speak with several others, too, and meetings with Kiffin and the coach's dad, UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, also will way heavily on his mind. "I've had a lot to think about, and I haven't made a final decision," Berry said. "There's pros and cons in every situation, so I just have to talk to as many people as I can, weigh it all out and go from there. And honestly, it wouldn't be fair to the team for me to spend all my time thinking about this when we've got a game to play, and we want to finish the season on a big note." "Always special" Lane Kiffin said he will "support" Berry's decision, either way, and the door will always be open for him to come back and visit. "I think he's already an ambassador for our program by the way that he competes, by the way that he practices and by the way that he mentors our young kids," Kiffin said. "He will continue do that in the future. He's going to be a phenomenal player for someone, and possibly the face of someone's franchise, because he's that type of personality, and that type of kid." The head coach joked earlier this week that he'd "given up hope" for Berry's return, but he added with a straight face that staying for a senior season isn't always the best decision. Monte Kiffin, a longtime NFL defensive coordinator, agreed. "If I was still in Tampa, and we had the first pick, you better believe I'd want to take Eric," Monte said. "Of course, if we had the No. 1 pick, we probably would have been pretty bad the previous year, and I might not be around to ask for him. But seriously, I'd want to take him with any pick we had in the first round. I mean, my gosh, what can't the guy do?" Berry can't easily say goodbye to the Tennessee family he was born into, for one. "Things change, people come and go and all of that, but Tennessee has always been a special place, and it always will be," Berry said. "It's a big part of my family, for real. The fans here still know my dad and always want to talk to him and shake his hand and stuff like that. I hope I can come back when I'm his age and show my family the same thing. "I love this place, and it will be hard to leave whenever that time comes. But I'll always be a Tennessee Volunteer, and I'm proud to say that.""

12/12/2009 10:24:48 PM

great article on that fucking idiot at the New York Times:

http://claytravis.net/mailbag/2009/12/new-york-times-george-vecsey-is-old.html

12/15/2009 6:53:09 PM