I think this e-mail from an alum to Currie sums up how many of us feel:
'Mr Currie, I think you are doing a great job'
Okay now that you've opened this one. WHAT. ARE. YOU. WAITING. FOR???
John (I like to call all VFL's by their first name - we are one big family, right?),
Every day you keep Butch Jones employed as the football coach er, excuse me, the "caretaker" of Tennessee football, you further endorse the erosion of this program. A program woven into the fabric of many Tennesseans, and every graduate of this fine university. We hold it near and dear to our hearts.
Tennessee football is sick. You have to act now, sir.
John - please keep reading.
A huckster from Michigan who has no idea what he's doing has hijacked our program while telling us we are lucky to have him. He is literally re-writing the records of futility for Tennessee football. I don't blame him for taking the job, and hate to see him mocked locally, regionally, nationally.. even globally.
(FYI - we have a fanbase in France (they have twitter) who wants him fired. France, John.)
Local florists are mocking him on their signs. Kroger workers are mocking him on their cakes and cookies. Kroger employees, John.
Enough is enough. The fans deserve better. The students deserve better. The players - most importantly - deserve better. Butch Jones and his family deserve better. It's over. Free them, and us, of this experience. We can't take it anymore.
The recruits are sending a similar message. Lost another one yesterday. That's four since the UGA game. Four that we know about. You saw the talent disparity on the field Saturday. Scary isn't it? Let's not allow that to get any worse.
This program must be healed. Why continue to make it endure what's ailing it? Why add to all the hard work requisite of the next coach?
You're an MBA aren't ya, John? Me too. Remember how we're expected to show proficiency in evaluating both quantitative and qualitative key performance indices? I do.
Click to YMCA of East Tennessee!Off the top of my head we've witnessed the following quantitative results of measure during the Butch Jones era (error?):
- Worst loss vs. Vanderbilt since WWI - Worst loss of all time in Neyland Stadium - One calendar month without an offensive TD - Vols are 5-38 in last 43 games against top 25 ranked opponents - Vols are 0-12 vs. top 10 teams in the last 12 meetings - First shutout in Neyland Stadium since Bill Clinton was president - 36 transfers - .500 record vs. Vanderbilt (staring down the barrel of a losing records vs. the nerds)
Interlude: By the way, how do you not send him packing after that UGA loss? Have some pride! (Sorry had to get that out)
Enough quantitative data for measurement? Yeah, I
agree.
Now for some qualitative highlights of the last 5 years:
- Losses in hilarious fashion (Florida Ad Nauseam, Oklahoma ...etc)
- Press conferences that may as well air during Saturday Night Live
- "Individuals".. and any of his other mind-numbing slogans
- Inability (on lack of desire?) to fill out his staff with competent coaches
- Never owning his own responsibility - "we need to get better" - we've heard that about 1000 times
- Constantly tossing players under the bus under the guise of "lack of execution"
- Trash Can
- South Carolina fans wearing "Keep Butch Jones" in Neyland stadium
- Alabama fans - when not laughing at us - chanting to "Keep Butch Jones" after blowing us out for the 11th year in a row.
Is that enough? I could go on (way on) but I can't stomach much more. No fanbase has a more inexcusable ROI for its fan dollar than VOL fans:
- We take over mid-tier bowl sites like they are giving away prizes for the first million people to show up in orange.
- We take over neutral game sites to the degree that opposing teams don't even bother at this point.
- We travel on the road for SEC games like no other fanbase - certainly not befitting a fanbase that's 1-34 in its last 35 games vs. top 15 opponents.
- the UTAD turned over THE LARGEST PROFIT IN THE SEC LAST YEAR on the backs of the best fan base in the land. We cleared $30M more than Alabama and we look like a circus on the field.
- WE FILLED UP NEYLAND STADIUM AFTER GETTING BLOWN OUT BY A DIVISION OPPONENT 41-0 TWO WEEKS PRIOR....And we were there neither to protest, nor hold "Fire Butch" signs. We were there to cheer. We were there because we love it, live it, breath it.
Now about that ROI. That's where you come in..
Unfortunately, John, a fanbase can only endure so much.
We are at the breaking point.
You are at the risk of losing an entire generation of fans. Let me put that into terms you can appreciate - if I haven't already painted a clear enough picture for you - all that fundraising you're so good at; good luck doing that in 5-10 years when the lost generation of fans is at peak earning potential, fans in their current prime (me) have moved on, and UT football is still on life support stumbling around with Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Missouri.
You will need to call Habitat for Humanity for that new building/visitor center/student-athlete lounge...etc.
So here's the deal...
1. You need to relieve Butch of his duties. You think things are ugly now? You've not seen anything yet.
2. You need to hire a legitimate football coach. A tough, competent, accomplished leader. Not some Jim Collins Good To Great quote-spouting goober like we have now. A real coach with a championship pedigree.
This university has rolled the dice on the last two coaching hires and it has failed miserably. Our football program is dying, John. Seriously. You simply cannot serve up another hopeful coach to this fanbase. This football program in on the brink. That is a risk you cannot take. I'm sorry, but your predecessor forfeited that luxury. We will no longer offer the benefit of the doubt and a blank check. We've had enough. We are out of time as a program and that's not the fan base’s fault. No program has ever needed a more talented leader at the helm.
This is where Alabama was when it finally said "enough" and hired Nick Saban. That is the standard. Like it or not, that's who we compete with. This isn't the ACC. This isn't the Big 12. We've long been a standard bearer of southern football.. SEC football
You want to be a legend? Go find our Saban. Save this program. Like it or not, you signed up for this and you are on the clock.
Thank you for your time.
Concerned Vol fan
Eric R. (Class of 2001)'
'Mr Currie, I think you are doing a great job'
Okay now that you've opened this one. WHAT. ARE. YOU. WAITING. FOR???
John (I like to call all VFL's by their first name - we are one big family, right?),
Every day you keep Butch Jones employed as the football coach er, excuse me, the "caretaker" of Tennessee football, you further endorse the erosion of this program. A program woven into the fabric of many Tennesseans, and every graduate of this fine university. We hold it near and dear to our hearts.
Tennessee football is sick. You have to act now, sir.
John - please keep reading.
A huckster from Michigan who has no idea what he's doing has hijacked our program while telling us we are lucky to have him. He is literally re-writing the records of futility for Tennessee football. I don't blame him for taking the job, and hate to see him mocked locally, regionally, nationally.. even globally.
(FYI - we have a fanbase in France (they have twitter) who wants him fired. France, John.)
Local florists are mocking him on their signs. Kroger workers are mocking him on their cakes and cookies. Kroger employees, John.
Enough is enough. The fans deserve better. The students deserve better. The players - most importantly - deserve better. Butch Jones and his family deserve better. It's over. Free them, and us, of this experience. We can't take it anymore.
The recruits are sending a similar message. Lost another one yesterday. That's four since the UGA game. Four that we know about. You saw the talent disparity on the field Saturday. Scary isn't it? Let's not allow that to get any worse.
This program must be healed. Why continue to make it endure what's ailing it? Why add to all the hard work requisite of the next coach?
You're an MBA aren't ya, John? Me too. Remember how we're expected to show proficiency in evaluating both quantitative and qualitative key performance indices? I do.
Click to YMCA of East Tennessee!Off the top of my head we've witnessed the following quantitative results of measure during the Butch Jones era (error?):
- Worst loss vs. Vanderbilt since WWI - Worst loss of all time in Neyland Stadium - One calendar month without an offensive TD - Vols are 5-38 in last 43 games against top 25 ranked opponents - Vols are 0-12 vs. top 10 teams in the last 12 meetings - First shutout in Neyland Stadium since Bill Clinton was president - 36 transfers - .500 record vs. Vanderbilt (staring down the barrel of a losing records vs. the nerds)
Interlude: By the way, how do you not send him packing after that UGA loss? Have some pride! (Sorry had to get that out)
Enough quantitative data for measurement? Yeah, I
agree.
Now for some qualitative highlights of the last 5 years:
- Losses in hilarious fashion (Florida Ad Nauseam, Oklahoma ...etc)
- Press conferences that may as well air during Saturday Night Live
- "Individuals".. and any of his other mind-numbing slogans
- Inability (on lack of desire?) to fill out his staff with competent coaches
- Never owning his own responsibility - "we need to get better" - we've heard that about 1000 times
- Constantly tossing players under the bus under the guise of "lack of execution"
- Trash Can
- South Carolina fans wearing "Keep Butch Jones" in Neyland stadium
- Alabama fans - when not laughing at us - chanting to "Keep Butch Jones" after blowing us out for the 11th year in a row.
Is that enough? I could go on (way on) but I can't stomach much more. No fanbase has a more inexcusable ROI for its fan dollar than VOL fans:
- We take over mid-tier bowl sites like they are giving away prizes for the first million people to show up in orange.
- We take over neutral game sites to the degree that opposing teams don't even bother at this point.
- We travel on the road for SEC games like no other fanbase - certainly not befitting a fanbase that's 1-34 in its last 35 games vs. top 15 opponents.
- the UTAD turned over THE LARGEST PROFIT IN THE SEC LAST YEAR on the backs of the best fan base in the land. We cleared $30M more than Alabama and we look like a circus on the field.
- WE FILLED UP NEYLAND STADIUM AFTER GETTING BLOWN OUT BY A DIVISION OPPONENT 41-0 TWO WEEKS PRIOR....And we were there neither to protest, nor hold "Fire Butch" signs. We were there to cheer. We were there because we love it, live it, breath it.
Now about that ROI. That's where you come in..
Unfortunately, John, a fanbase can only endure so much.
We are at the breaking point.
You are at the risk of losing an entire generation of fans. Let me put that into terms you can appreciate - if I haven't already painted a clear enough picture for you - all that fundraising you're so good at; good luck doing that in 5-10 years when the lost generation of fans is at peak earning potential, fans in their current prime (me) have moved on, and UT football is still on life support stumbling around with Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Missouri.
You will need to call Habitat for Humanity for that new building/visitor center/student-athlete lounge...etc.
So here's the deal...
1. You need to relieve Butch of his duties. You think things are ugly now? You've not seen anything yet.
2. You need to hire a legitimate football coach. A tough, competent, accomplished leader. Not some Jim Collins Good To Great quote-spouting goober like we have now. A real coach with a championship pedigree.
This university has rolled the dice on the last two coaching hires and it has failed miserably. Our football program is dying, John. Seriously. You simply cannot serve up another hopeful coach to this fanbase. This football program in on the brink. That is a risk you cannot take. I'm sorry, but your predecessor forfeited that luxury. We will no longer offer the benefit of the doubt and a blank check. We've had enough. We are out of time as a program and that's not the fan base’s fault. No program has ever needed a more talented leader at the helm.
This is where Alabama was when it finally said "enough" and hired Nick Saban. That is the standard. Like it or not, that's who we compete with. This isn't the ACC. This isn't the Big 12. We've long been a standard bearer of southern football.. SEC football
You want to be a legend? Go find our Saban. Save this program. Like it or not, you signed up for this and you are on the clock.
Thank you for your time.
Concerned Vol fan
Eric R. (Class of 2001)'
