Bleacher Report - Articles by Joseph Vitek

Top Three Reasons the Titans Won't Miss Albert Haynes(not)worth

Joseph Vitek — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:09:13 -0400

It seems as of late that the Tennessee Titans are the trendy pick to be called "one year wonders". Everyone's excuse being "the loss of Albert Haynesworth is just to big a blow for the Titans to repeat as division champs". I say that's garbage. I have followed the life and times of Albert more than most, being a huge (understatement) Tennessee Volunteer fan as well as a Titan fan. His 11 years in uniforms that I hold hear to my heart will be missed...but not 7 years 100 million dollar missed! Kudos to the man for getting that kind of contract, but thank god it wasn't with Tennessee, and I truly mean that. So let's take a trip down the avenues of why I think Tennessee made the right choice. For the sake of the argument I am going to assume the Titans will repeat as division champs, as to primarily focus on why I do not believe Haynesworth's departure will affect them as harshly as some of you seem to believe. I'll start by opening this article with a sentence that is sure to fire up some of you Al' lovers... Albert Haynesworth is overrated !

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Let's Mend That Broken Record...Kif, Kiff, Kiffin.

Joseph Vitek — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:44:21 -0400

Let's put put the metaphorical needle back on that so frequently play LP and get it spinning again...the remix!

OK, so maybe it's not a remix per say, but I have yet to write a piece on the "new mouth of the South", and I have had a yearning to put my own spin on it.

I have read too many negative articles, comments, blogs, and you name it putting the man with a plan in the category of tyrant.

So maybe he isn't gun shy, or modest, or quiet, or any other nouns, verbs, adjectives, or creative criticisms you all have so felt inclined to voice your opinion on. But I will tell you that whatever he is (according to you ), he is a winner in the sense of the word.

Wait before you post your angry comments in reply to that last statement please. I did say in the sense of the word, not in the translated definition of wins and losses according to a sport, that has obviously yet to come.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in Tennessee's case, desperate hardly describes their current situation amongst the all mighty SEC.

UT went 5-7 last year. Mississippi State was the only team in the entire conference that had a worse record.

God, that is sad.

Were talking about The University of Tennessee here, a program that used to be in the conversation of competitive teams every year. A team that has 48 top five bowl appearances all-time, only Alabama has more. A team that had a bowl appearance streak of 18 until 2006.

Now, it's a team that is so far removed from it's 1998 national championship that only Mississippi State stood in the way of UT being the worst team in the SEC!

I call that desperate.

So in comes Kiffin, after the departure of a UT icon who just seemed to have gotten lazy.

That's right, Fulmer was an icon for the school.

I want to point this out because it's just another thing Kiffin has to separate himself from.

While I am at it, let's look at all the obstacles he has to rise above in order to make UT relevant again:

5-7 the previous year.

The departure of a beloved coach for many years (Fulmer).

The current celebrities of the SEC such as Nick Saban, Urban Myer, Les Miles, Steve Spurrier, and Mark Richt.

The rising stars in Bobby Petrino and Houston Nutt (Ole miss is a dark horse to win SEC)

A Scout.com recruiting rank of 35 the previous year, with eight SEC teams ranking higher, including Mississippi State!

A once loud and proud fan base that has been given the heaviest dose of "you lost, so shut the Hell up."

The Media and its watchers referring to Texas as UT without clarifying, because why the Hell would the media be talking about Tennessee?

I don't have to tell you that the above mentioned obstacles all but kill your chances of landing a decent recruiting class. The once mighty name and logo of Tennessee might still draw in some recruits because of the power T and their want to play for that school since childhood, but that can only go so far.

As much as a teen might have followed and loved Tennessee, if that school can't provide them there football education needed to reach their dream, then they will regretfully go somewhere that can. That's life.

What to do?

Had Kiffin not said and done what he did, would UT have gotten a No. 8 recruiting class according to Scout.com?

Would UT mean Tennessee and not Texas without interpretation on the media?

Speaking of the media, would UT have hours and hours on air in order to promote their logo and draw in recruits if it weren't for Kiffin?

Would the fan base actually have something to look forward to other than another abysmal season or shot at an Outhouse Bowl?

If it weren't for Lane Kiffin, would UT have Monte? or Ed O? Or a staff that makes even the best coaches jealous?

Say what you will about the staff being better than Kiffin himself, but if it weren't for him, they wouldn't be there!

Kiffin has won before the season has started in the sense of the word. He had a plan to stir the bee's nest, and he did such. Kiffin knew he would be stung again and again, but he knew it was worth the honey.

Fact of the matter is that you all love to hate him.

I wrote a piece on Spurrier not too long ago and was flabbergasted (I love that word) at the amount of defense that came to his aid.

Spurrier, a man who threw enough ear punches during his hey-day that you'd think everyone would be deaf to current insults.

Yet he is applauded after the fact because he won.

So give Kiffin time is all I'll say. No he hasn't won with wins and losses (yet), but he has won over a dormant fan base and has gotten kids fired up to walk through that power T again.

That will surely help him get those "W's."

So I say: Quit drinking that Hatorade just because it tastes good.

So there it is, my positive spin on it, and as the great Lil' Wayne put it: "Go D.J., that's my D.J."

Or better yet: Go Vols, that's my Vols!

"You Can't Spell Citrus Without UT..."

Joseph Vitek — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:41:34 -0400

Steve Spurrier's words still stick in my mind as clear as if he said them yesterday. These are words that reverberate through my mind and crawl through my skin every time Tennessee finishes with another sub-par, or even worse, year.

I suppose if the sentence itself didn't have any elements of truth to it, now days it wouldn't sting so badly, but it still remains a classless thing to say, regardless.

But hey, what's that old adage? What goes around comes around. Better yet, I like the modern day one...Karma's a bitch.

Hey Georgia fans, how about "Is Ray Goff still the head coach there?" or "Ray Goof."

Florida State fans "Free Shoes University." Auburn fans (in reference to a dorm fire that burned 20 books) "but the real tragedy was that fifteen hadn't been colored yet."

Alabama fans "In 12 years at Florida, I don't think we ever signed a kid from Alabama, but I hear the scholarships they were giving out there were worth a heck of a lot more than ours" (in reference to the recruiting violations in the early 2000's).

The list goes on, and I'll be sure to quote some more in reference to Karma here shortly.

Spurrier has had some amazing years as a head coach (and he would be the first one to tell you that). His more overlooked and underrated accomplishment would have to be Duke, no doubt.

Spurrier actually took the Blue Devils to the ACC title game in 1989, which currently seems unimaginable, as well as won ACC coach of the year in '88 and '89.

Obviously he deserved to lead a bigger program, so he then became the ol' ball coach at Florida, where he inevitably became famous (or infamous) in the eyes of many college football fans.

So there he is, amongst the national spotlight, receiving countless accolades, achievements, and titles (both figuratively and literally).

He was winning like crazy: 122 games in 12 seasons to be exact. He had the SEC by the you-know-whats, winning six conference titles, and running up scores on everyone.

Yet winning isn't enough for the ol' ball coach—he likes to rub it in (and then some) just to show everyone who the man at the present time is. He seemed to have a secret with the X's and O's that no one else did, and it wasn't until later that we finally realize he just prefers to pass, which seemed unheard of at the time.

So now we're in the present, and pass-first hasn't been working out all that well for the ol' ball coach lately. Just plain ol' passing seems like a thing of the past.

We have the more popular and ever-growing spread, Wildcat, smarter defensive coordinators, faster corners and safeties, and a stable of educated head coaches who are making Spurrier's Xs and Os seem like old news.

Arrogance, which seemed to be the jelly to his peanut butter at the time, looks now to be the water on his fire. Florida was conquered and he wanted his legend to grow, so he bolted to the pro's where all of which is stated above was already in motion at that level.

Spurrier was out of his league. He was no Bill Walsh.

Some would argue that it was because he didn't have the right quarterback for his offensive scheme. Well, two of the quarterbacks he played were his own from Florida. Let's face it; he was way out of his league.

Defeated, and knowing he didn't want to tarnish anymore of that infamous reputation, he went back to what he knows.

Now Spurrier being Spurrier, he could have gotten a job with a more relevant program than South Carolina (no offense Gamecocks), but he chose them–undoubtedly because he knew that he would put them back on the map like he did Duke and Florida, and thereby levitate his status once again...arrogance.

"I know why Peyton came back his senior year–he wants to be a three-time Citrus MVP"—Spurrier.

So where's your three-time MVP (at any position) now coach? Maybe it was you, instead of Holtz, that should have been giving funny pep talks on ESPN, considering you haven't had a nine win season, and he has.

Yes, he has a slightly better record (28-22 in four seasons compared to his 33-37 in six seasons), but just give it time. I don't think you have much more time though.

Time has seemingly caught up and passed the ol' ball coach by. Spurrier still has his job because of his past deeds alone, but that well is about to run out.

Has he lost his creative edge? Is it the recruiting? Is it the lack of quarterback play? Are other coaches actually better than him these days? Are his X's and O's retiring to tic-tac-toe?

All of these might be possibilities, but I like to think...

Karma is a bitch.

The Heart of College Versus the Money of the Pro's

Joseph Vitek — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:55:54 -0400

I know, I know. A vast majority of people on this site feel that for some reason, the NFL is better than the NCAA. My question sincerely though, is why?

Please feel free to state why or why not you feel the same or differently once you've read this, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking we will change each others' view on the subject. I have seen countless articles on the topic, but seeing how the season is fast approaching, I wanted some fresh takes on the matter, so I thought it necessary to give a few reasons why I enjoy college football more than I do the "big leagues".

The rivalries, ah yes...the sweet, sweet rivalries. You cannot tell me that there are more passionate, hatred-filled, enormously competitive rivalries in the NFL than the NCAA. Furthermore, when they do square off, there is way more on the line.

With the likes of Auburn vs. Alabama, Ohio State vs. Michigan, Florida vs. Florida State, Miami vs. Florida State, Florida vs. Goergia, Texas vs. Oklahoma, Notre Dame vs. USC, and the list goes on...literally, and that's just to name a few. I am sorry if I didn't write one that your passionate about, I just don't have the time.

These rivalries change the course of the season. It is kill or be killed in college game. One and done, win or bust, losers go home. When they lock helmets, you know what's at stake. Obviously, if they lose, their hopes of a BCS championship have eluded them, but worse than that, they will have to live with that loss for a year, and that's if they play them the following season. Bragging right's in college football is one of the best gifts the sport can offer, it can also be one of the worse...trust me.

Conference games also have a lot more passion involved. In the NFL, you can come in second, still get a wild card, and proceed to play for a championship (if you win of course).

Not so in college. If you don't win your conference, the chances of you playing for it all are slim to none to say it mildly. This suspense can lead to very nail biting games and by far, the best reality television known to man.

Have you ever been to the Swamp? Or Death Valley? Or Neyland Stadium? The reason I ask is simple. Please don't tell me that NFL fans are more abundant and more passionate than college. How many FBS teams are there? How many D-1A teams are there? Now tell me how many NFL teams there are.

These are rhetorical questions of course, seeing how there are way more college football teams than there are professional teams. Also, the average NFL stadium houses about 60,000, which is about the same for FBS fields.

But the reason I mention the first few schools, was that were talking about 100,000 seating capacity stadiums, filled to the collapsing points—stadiums so loud that it is hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to imagine being anywhere other than where you are at that particular point.

The players: Yes, the NFL houses an enormous amount of talent. But how about heart? How about pride? Two qualities that you will find in abundance in college football.

Guys that go out and give it their all, not for a contract extension, but to get that initial contract, to win for their school, to win for the fans, to win for themselves. All of them may not run a 4.3, but you will see determination at it's finest—and that is something that I live to watch.

You better believe that when Saturday comes around, I have my bible next to me (to pray for UT), a beer in front of me (to calm my nerves), my fiancee' in the other room (she will get too nervous), a Spurrier rag doll (to choke the crap out of when were losing), and my UT Vols hat (it's good luck...sometimes). And I am ready to go....

GO VOLS!

The Dreaded Conference Debate...It's Ridiculous!

Joseph Vitek — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:29:30 -0400

I would just like to share some thoughts that have been reoccurring in my mind day in and day out as I read a lot of your blogs if that's ok...

As we all know, college football is approaching, and temperaments, anticipation, nervousness, cockiness, dread, anguish, and just plain overall joy are some of the numerous feelings that we all as fans are enduring. But there is one major feeling all die hard fans seem to have in common...and that's pride.

Countless times I have seen or heard or even read spectators of the sport claim that there conference is "easily the best conference in college football". And as an avid SEC fan I am guilty of such speculation, but the more and more I read that same old argument, I began to realize how ignorant we as fans can be.

I have a question, a question that almost answers the original question of "which conference is the best?", and that question is..."How and the hell can you actually tell which conference is the best?" I also have an answer for that question—YOU CAN'T!

The fact of the matter is that when one team beats another, than they are obviously the better team that year, it has nothing to do with conferences.

Last year, Florida obviously beat Oklahoma in the championship game, so does that mean that the SEC overall was better than the Big-12? No, it does not. Does that mean that because the SEC has the title that were better than everyone else?? No, once again.

Yes we can sit here and compare bowl records, or we can look at our OOC record and make assumptions, but unless each team from one conference plays each team from another conference, there is really no way to tell.

Bragging rights is the one thing that we as fans are rewarded once our team has a huge victory or major accomplishment, but that shouldn't extend any farther than the obvious.

What I mean by that is, if team A beats team B that particular year, than team A and all its fans has bragging rights over team B until the outcome of the next time they play. We don't have bragging rights over team B's entire conference, why? Because we didn't beat team B's entire conference.

Sure there are conferences that are far below the talent level of other conferences, far enough to where it is obvious that there best team couldn't hang with our worst, but when you toss the word "easily" into the equation, your still referring to all the conferences, and when make such an assumption as that, your making an...well...you know the saying.

I think were all guilty of such assumptions at one point or another, and I do mean we ALL. I was listening to Fox Sports Radio the other day and found hypocrisy at it's finest. The host was rambling on about how SEC fans are ignorant because we walk around beating our chest, claiming that "we're the best."

Yet, he wen't on to do the same thing about the Pac-10. Folks, once again, WE ALL DO IT.

Personally, if UT doesn’t make it to the big dance, or any BCS bowl game ( which happens more often than not these days alas ), I will root on whichever SEC team does make it. And afterwards should the SEC have a win on their bowl record, we can say “ Our top SEC team was better than your top conference team!”, or the other way around ( god forbid ) but that is all we can say.

In closing…

It isn’t a bad thing to take pride in the conference that your team bleeds, sweats, crawls, and fights their way to the top of (if you are so fortunate), but let’s not let get carried away and bandwagon the team that put your conference in the spotlight when your team couldn’t, it’s really rather pathetic to an extreme. Let us also take pride in the fact that were not Notre Dame fans…j/k Irish.

One more thing…GO VOLS!