Tennessee Vols Basketball: A Tradition Since 2005

Since there is nothing to write about until college football, I am going to write about something that has been on my mind for a while now. I sometimes like to get on other teams websites and read their message boards to see how they view their program and what not. I have recently been reading some UT basketball message boards and it makes me realize one thing...Tennessee basketball fans might not have as big of a brain as other human beings.

So, for all you Tennessee fans reading this post, let me explain something to you in clear fashion, black and white writing. The men's basketball program is overshadowed by the women's team. That is the most embarrassing thing you could possibly have. The men's team has yet to advance to the elite eight ONE time in the last CENTURY...and for all you UT people, a century is 100 years. Don't try and explain to people you are the up and coming program until you actually make some noise in March. Noone cares that you won the SEC in a year that Vandy, Georgia, Arkansas, Miss. St and Kentucky all lost in either the first or second round of the tournament. So, as I told all my UT friends all year that the SEC is down and is a piece of shit basketball conference (atleast in 07-08), you tried to argue with me and look what happened...not one single contender. ALL PRETENDERS.

Yes, I do know that you beat Memphis this year and the year before that...but as I recall, you don't want to peak in January and February and then bow out in early March....you want to make a deep run in March and show your true colors. Well, we learned what Tennessee's true colors were. Memphis was your Super Bowl and you needed Wayne Chism banks and Jajuan Smith prayers to beat the best team in the country. Congratulations, you have won nothing. You still have no meaningful banners in your building that starts with "Men's". You can't say you did anything noteworthy this year. You can't say you deserved to be ranked No.1, as we saw 48 hours later.

As a Memphis fan, of course I was upset when UT beat us. It always sucks losing to your arch rival. But, if I have learned anything over the last 3 months its this...I'll lose to Tennessee every year if it means we go to a Final Four and they are sitting on their couch watching us in late March.

You don't win anything for beating an opponent in February, you win something for beating them in March. I know this might be new to you Vol fans because you have never experienced a true NCAA tournament run, but noone in their right mind considers Tennessee to be a basketball powerhouse as I've seen people writing on this message board. Sure, people think you are an up and coming program, but that's only because you only used to win 15 games a season. Their is one player in the NBA who played for the University of Tennessee: C.J. Watson and I bet you couldn't tell me who he plays for without looking it up. Tennessee fans have absolutely no room to talk. You can talk shit to Memphis fans all you want, but in the end...a true program would rather have Final Four banners than a box score in February that shows you beat your rival. You are not the premiere basketball program in the state. You are not a basketball school (some might be wondering if you are even a football school anymore). Your women's basketball team carries your athletic program.

I'll admit, Memphis football is something of the same sort. We had 3 years of glory too. We were ranked. We had one of the best running backs to ever play the college game. We were re-building too. We made three bowls in 4 years after never playing in one. We beat Tennessee in 1996 and it was our Super Bowl, but I'm sure Tennessee fans would have rather played in a big-time bowl and lost to Memphis than beat Memphis and not play in a New Year's bowl game. Just like I realized I don't care if we lose to Tennessee (ok, I do a little) as long as we are the ones playing in late March for the ultimate goal of a season, a National Title. Yeah, we choked. We lost the chance of a lifetime, but I have been able to start dealing with it a little easier because I do believe we will be back. But, you can't say, "haha you choked," because WE were there, YOU were not. You were sitting around smoking weed on your couches (atleast Ramar and Duke were). You know as well as we do, you'd rather have lost to us and played for a title, so don't kid yourselves. You choked your season away. You tapped out very early in the SEC tournament and then got embarrassed by a Louisville team that was dunking all over you. We may have choked for 2 minutes, but you choked for 2 weeks. You could have lost to American, should have lost to Butler and then everyone saw why/how against Louisville. Memphis, however, beat the Pac 10 champs, the SEC West Champs, co-big 12 Champs and a 27-9 Michigan St. team.

I'm just so sick of reading their message board about how great they are and how they somehow think their season was a successful one just because of one game in February that meant nothing but a simple check mark in the win column for one and a check mark in the loss column for the other. There was no consequence for losing and no rewards for winning, unless you want to count being called No. 1 for less than 3 days. Quit kidding yourself. Tennessee was overrated and it showed in the most important month of the season.

Bottom line is: I wish Tennessee fans would quit talking and acting like they have a top 10 program. They have not even made it past the sweet sixteen for crying outloud! EVER! That should give them reason enough to be quiet. Keep priding yourself on beating someone in February while we keep making elite eight's and final fours and championship games....I'll take that all night, all day. "Good ole Rockytop, never past the sweet sixteeeeeeeeeeeeen!"