ESPN-Kiffin Telecast Was Huge Disservice To Vols
Nick Saban brought his Alabama Crimson Tide into Neyland Stadium Saturday, but you would have thought the game between the Vols and the Tide was secondary. The ESPN-Kiffin telecast was a huge disservice to the Vols and to the entire University of Tennessee. It was a disservice to Coach Saban and the Alabama team as well.
ESPN decided to focus their cameras and their coverage on former Vol Head Coach Lane Kiffin. We knew they would, just not to the extent they took it.
It is seldom that the offensive coordinator’s entrance into the opposing teams stadium is of any consequence. ESPN had camera crew and audio in place hoping to catch the reaction of the Tennessee fans as Kiffin made his way onto ground he was not worthy to walk on. They wanted some vulgarity from Vol Nation, maybe something thrown at him in disgust, and maybe something a little worse.
ESPN let it be known to the entire viewing population that Kiffin’s mother was “fearful” for her sons’ safety. Are you kidding me? Do you not think that is insulting to a Tennessee fan, or the Tennessee way of life? Insinuate we would physically hurt someone because he did us a favor in leaving? We don’t attack assistant coaches, and we don’t kill other Universities historic trees.
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But Tennessee fans did not give them what they wanted. I am proud to be a Tennessee fan more than ever. There was the usual smack talk. There was the off color suggestion of kissing a certain southern part of a north bound person, and there were a few bad words that came from the mouths of a very few students. In many cases, the University of Tennessee students policed the language and actions themselves to those that began to get out of line. I know this for a fact. By no means were the fans saints, but they were not bad. Fan’s have moved on past Kiffin and have embraced Coach Butch Jones.
The biggest disservice was the fact that ESPN did not report what Kiffin did to deserve the ire of the Tennessee fans. They made it look as if Kiffin had left on angels wings due to the USC opening. USC called, and he left the program in great shape. Simple as that.
They didn’t mention how he caused Tennessee to lose scholarships based on recruiting violations on his watch. A very short watch. They didn’t mention Kiffin having his assistant coach Ed Orgeron call 26 of the University of Tennessee recruits he was recruiting, and telling them to not to go to classes they were already signed up for so they could transfer to USC immediately. They failed to mention in the telecast that this happened two weeks from signing day, the absolute end of the recruiting season. The top notch recruiting class fell apart as would any class that’s head coach left with only two weeks to signing day. The Vols were put in a terrible position, and in haste the wrong hire was made in hiring Derek Dooley.
It was more than just getting a phone call to go back to your dream job. It was complicated. ESPN didn’t bother to explain. They just thought it would be fun to watch Tennessee fan and hear Tennessee fan be mean to poor Lane. After all they did have the report that “Mom” was worried for his safety up there on Rocky Top. They are half bear and the other half cat up there you know.
During the game, the cameras were on Kiffin constantly as he looked intently at his waffle house menu. After every successful play the camera would swing to him and the announcers were asking “what would he do next?” “You have to give Lane Kiffin credit for that play” was thrown around all of the first quarter. After the onslaught of a fantastic offensive display in the first half that resulted in 27 points, the Vols dialed in on the Bama offense and actually outscored the Tide 20 – 7 for the last three quarters.
Somehow Kiffin was not credited by the ESPN announcers when the plays went wrong. When running backs fumbled, or Sims was sacked there was not the shot of Kiffin on the sideline ordering scattered or smattered. No, they would go to Saban at that point, who was not very happy. The whole production was just bad.
Another thing that was hard to watch was the Alabama players celebrating with Kiffin with the comical “exploding fist bump” after a touchdown. All along I am thinking that if USC was stupid enough to call and to offer him the head coaching job today,(heck, UAB at this point) Kiffin would have a for sale sign up on the double wide there in Tuscaloosa quicker than you could put a good power washing on it. The Bama player, playing exploding paddy cake and long time Bama fan doesn’t know this, but rest assured Saban does. It is going to be interesting.
So after all of this is said, I guess I am pleased to disappoint ESPN. Come back next year at this time when Tennessee is in first place in the SEC east and playing good football is the story. I guess you can try to find something else bad to say or “insinuate”, but we urge you to just watch some football, enjoy the great stadium, the great University, and the great fans. You can even bring your mother! However, if you don’t want to any of the above, your trees are safe from us.