Do we see SEX in the Vol football future?
by Tony Basilio
A couple of days after the University of Tennessee's dreadful collapse in the Peach Bowl vs. Clemson, Tennessee Athletics Director Mike Hamilton joined me on my radio show to talk about the immediate future of Tennessee football. It's my feeling that Hamilton is the kind of steady leader UT needs in uncertain times such as these, and he held forth on subjects ranging from fan apathy to the high expectations inherent to coaching at one of the top programs in the SEC.
Without question, Louisiana State University Head Coach Nick "Sexy" Saban raised the bar for everyone in the SEC with the national championship he won in 2003—this in a league where the bar was always pretty high to begin with. Factor in Georgia's recent dominance of both the Vols and the SEC East as a whole, and it's tempting to assume the Citrus Bowl is a reasonable post-season goal at UT for the foreseeable future.
That won't cut the mustard with Hamilton; he was frank and specific in outlining his goals for UT football, and he bristled when I suggested that those expectations might be readjusted in light of the resurgence of other programs.
"In a 10-year period, I expect to win at least three SEC Titles and certainly no less than two," he said. "...I think the fact that LSU wins (a national title) makes Phillip work even harder. I've always maintained that when Steve Spurrier was in the league and on a roll it pushed everyone to be better. Some people maintain that Spurrier was actually good for Tennessee football."
Hamilton also defended the fat contract extension and raise (about $180,000 per year) he recently granted Fulmer. That he chose to bestow the raise before Tennessee's meltdown in the Peach Bowl was troubling to many Vol watchers, several of whom have commented that it constituted a de facto admission that results in the post season don't matter.
Hamilton responded to the critics and hardliners by pointing out that, in the broader scheme of things, Fulmer's package is still well in line with that of college coaches of similar accomplishment.
"We feel like a 10-2 record, a number seven national ranking and you're a co-champion in the Eastern division brings merit..." he said. "... Coach Fulmer has 99 wins in 10 years. Only two programs have bettered that.
"I had information that LSU was getting ready to offer Nick Saban a substantial increase, and we have a guy sitting here who has a list of tremendous accomplishments... Kirk Ferentz at Iowa makes $1.8. Nebraska was talking about offering Houston Nutt $2.5 million dollars for goodness sakes. It's hard for me to say that $1.8 million is a bargain, but when you consider market value, he's in the zone of where he should be."
Of greater concern to the AD was the apathy evidenced at the end of the '03 season when several thousand people found something better to do with a Saturday than attend Tennessee's senior day game with Vanderbilt. On a gorgeous November afternoon with temperatures hovering in the 70-degree range and the Vols in the midst of a-six game winning streak, there were close to 20,000 empty seats in Neyland Stadium.
"I could make excuses like the student population is not what it used to be in terms of attending games. Vanderbilt never draws a crowd. All those sorts of things," Hamilton said. "(But) I think what it all boils down to is that we are very much a society that asks what have you done for me lately? We are also a society that has more choices than ever before. We can create the perfect game on our XBOX."
Given that sort of apathy, and given the Vols' disappointing finish in the '02 and '03 seasons, there's been speculation that season tickets will turn over at a record pace in '04. On this point, Hamilton was more optimistic.
Hamilton noted that the program has seen only a 1 or 2 percent turnover in season ticket holders in recent years. And for every disgruntled fan who does turn in his tickets, there's another anxious to claim the newly emptied seats.
"The reality is that people who don't renew their season tickets as a way of showing displeasure are going about it in the wrong way," Hamilton said. "...the student athletes, who are the beneficiaries of your support, are the ones you are ultimately punishing."
That's not to say Hamilton isn't concerned about any perceived complacency in the athletic department, or that he's not mindful of the empty seats and fan discontent.
"I talk to a lot of people. I realize there is a sense of concern," he said. "Frankly, I'm glad that there is. A sense of concern is better than no concern."
Hamilton added that he's not afraid of mandating change for the sake of maintaining fan interest: "Do we have to be a little sexy in the way we play? Yeah. We have to be a little sexy. As we look at our fan base, what we have to ask ourselves is this: Is it better to be sexy on offense and maybe win a few less games, or is it better to be sound and play percentages and win more games. You can argue both of those points.
UT fans have a lot to talk about this off-season; Mike Hamilton is a good moderator to lead the dialogue. If he has his way, the Tennessee football program will return to its rightful place among the nation's elite.
Tune in and talk sports with "The Tony Basilio Show" each weekday from 3-6 p.m. on the network (670 WMTY-AM, 850 WKVL-AM, 1140 WLOD-AM, 1290 WATO-AM, or 1400 WGAP-AM).
January 15, 2003 * Vol. 14, No. 3
© 2004 Metro Pulse
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