Report: University of Tennessee Drowning in Debt

((ht: sportsbuisnessdaily.com))

Who says that all college sports teams are responsible with their money? For that matter the University of Tennessee may personify why they are all constantly seeking fatter and fatter TV deals.

In today's Sports Business Journal, there's a report saying the state run "Flagship" university is over $200 million in debt.

Yes, $200 million.

The University apparently has a $99.5 million dollar athletic budget and $13 million of it goes towards their $21 million a year in debt payment.

Hmmmm....we're guessing they struggled with accounting over there in Knoxville.

Read the entire SBJ as told by Michael Smith RIGHT HERE

The list of reasons for this is pretty damn long. From former Athletic Director Mike Hamilton's penchant for hiring coaches like Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley and others whom they still owe money to, to an extravagant spending spree on upgraded facilities like a $50 million athletic center, the Vols have been apparently dishing it out much better than they've been taking it.

It doesn't help that the underperforming football team is hemorrhaging fans at 109,000 plus seat Neyland Stadium, which also has been recently remodeled.

The school is counting heavily on the SEC football deal to be updated in the very near future. And yeah, that will probably help. But if you really think that college football is a "Well-Run" business, you'd be wrong.

Part of the whole realignment issue is schools that have overspent trying to pay off their debts. Schools like Maryland who are also have major debt issues moved from a charter ACC Membership to the Big 10 for one reason and one reason only: More TV Money to pay off their debts.

Somewhere, somehow this has to stop. We don't know how, but it does. When the financial system is set up to benefit a few schools, it kills the others struggling to keep up. It's created a sharper line of have's and have nots. And the have nots want nothing more than to play with the big boys. The problem is, if they do it haphazardly like, say, Tennessee, they end up with mountains of debt.

Maybe it will take a "Big Name" football team shutting down due to bankruptcy. Maybe it will take a bank foreclosing on a palatial "Athletic Building" to wake people up. Though more than likely, nothing will change. Nothing will change because there is far too much TV money involved and as long as ESPN keeps paying major conferences billions of dollars for TV deals, everything will stay as it is now.

DEVELOPING: Derek Dooley Done... Dave Hart Was Complimentary, Though...

Not that this is a surprise, especially after the losses to Missouri in Knoxville and Vanderbilt last night...

A very handy Vandy win at that, 41-18...

Here is a statement from Derek Dooley and from the school on the firing...

The University of Tennessee announced today that Derek Dooley will not return as the head football coach of the Vols. The announcement was made by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart, who will immediately begin a search for a new head coach for the Vols.

Hart will address the media at 2 p.m. today (Sunday, Nov. 18) at the Stokely Family Media Center at Neyland Stadium. The press conference will also be streamed live on UTSports.com.

"We very much appreciate the effort and energy that Derek Dooley and his staff have poured into our football program at the University of Tennessee," said Hart. "Derek and I met early this morning, and I informed him that I believed a change in leadership, despite the positive contributions he has made to the overall health of the program, was in the best long-term interests of Tennessee football. We will immediately begin the search for the best possible candidate to assume this leadership role."

Dooley will not coach the Vols in the season finale against Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 12:21 p.m. Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will serve as interim head coach for Saturday's game.

"I am sorry we could not generate enough wins to create hope for a brighter future," said Dooley. "Although progress was not reflected in our record, I am proud of the strides we made to strengthen the foundation for future success in all areas of the program.

"During the last 34 months, I've given my all for Tennessee, and our family appreciates all this University and the Knoxville community has given us."

Here was Dooley after the worst loss to Vandy since 1923...
((HT: WVLT-TV Knoxville))
WVLT VOLUNTEER TV Knoxville, TN:

UPDATE: Here was AD Dave Hart talking about Dooley only being able to bring a knife to a gunfight...
((HT: WBIR-TV Knoxville))

So, What About Derek Dooley...??? Tide Roll Vols

((HT: WBIR-TV Knoxville))

The HQ has talked about the impending doom on the Plains with the anticipated dismissal of Gene Chizik and his staff at Auburn after their 1-6 start and (probable) 3-9 finish- setting themselves up for the second pick in the upcoming Ess-E-Cee Draft behind Kentucky...

What...??? They don't do that...???

Oh, right...

But what about the seemingly-overwhelmed Derek Dooley and Tennessee...???

The 44-13 thrashing by Alabama last night in Knoxville didn't help his case, either- hip replacement or anything else for that matter. Volunteer fans actually are comparing the fate of Dooley to that of Mike Shula... the guy might be a good coach, but here...??? He's outgunned and overmatched...

Here's the wrap...
So, now what...??? Nick Saban did the neighborly thing for his old assistant in post-game saying, "Derek’s doing a fantastic job. They have been better and better every year that we’ve played them.’’
But the HQ isn't buying what the top team in the country is selling...

Okay... who's Dooley's replacement...???

Ess-E-Cee Media Day 3: Saban, Richt, Dooley, Freeze...

It was the biggest four crowds for the larger names in the conference for Day 3 at the Wynfrey Hotel in suburban Birmingham...

Coach Saban wants to, pretty much, be anywhere else other than answering silly questions from Media Folk... but he gave a few funnies and nuggets otherwise...
((HT: WVTM-TV))


Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze will learn that, today, people were nice to him...
After today, however, the opposition will want to make a point that the new guy from Arkansas State, Lambuth, and the "Other Side" will be made an example of...
((HT: WVTM-TV))


Derek Dooley wants a little less talk and lot more action from his Volunteers in a pivotal year for him on campus...

Terry Brooks is standing on the top of the mountain to do his live shot...
((HT: WBIR-TV Knoxville))
And, finally, CMR got to share his funnies and talk about the bad idea that it was to bring Isaiah Crowell onto campus... ((HT: WVTM-TV))
The HQ thinks Jarvis Jones is a bad man and is looking forward to seeing how many people will want CMR's head after another bad start- especially if they lose to Missouri early on...

Whose Backside Is Getting Hotter In College Football


HT: Dennis Dodd/CBS Sports.com
We are at the point where all the college football previews are coming out.  Those of us at the OSG HQ are working on ours.  It will be a good read.

While Internet surfing we came across this one from Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.com.  Dodd has his own unique system of rating the coach’s hot seat. Check out Dodd's hot seat ratings here.

Two coaches received 5.0 ratings which translates to “win or be fired”.  Both coaches who received that rating were from the SEC.

Here’s our take of some of the coaches whose backside is getting warmer.

Coaches With 5.0 Rating: (Win Now)

John L. Smith

John L. Smith – Arkansas: On the surface this appears to be a interim hire but as a BCS head coach told me a few months ago, “What if they (Arkansas) win 11 games and the SEC West?  You have to keep him.”  This was the year everything was lined up for Arkansas to win the SEC West especially with Alabama and LSU coming to Fayetteville.  Asking a new coach to do that his first year is unfair. 

Derek Dooley

Derek Dooley – Tennessee: Dooley had the misfortune to follow Lane Kiffin who raped UT in only year in Knoxville.  It is a make or break year for Dooley but what win total will satisfy the powers that be and Vol fans?  Nine, 10.

One thing that might work against Dooley is that current Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart didn’t hire Dooley.  Hart came from Florida State and knows a thing or two about successful football programs.  If Hart see significant progress with the UT football program then Dooley may survive. A good start is important for Dooley’s fate.

Coaches With 4.5 Rating (Better Win Now):

DeWayne Walker – New Mexico State: Walker is 9-29 in three season coaching the Aggies.  It is extremely difficult to win at New Mexico State and Walker is finding that out.  Walker probably gets another year to turn the program around.

Dan Enos – Central Michigan: Before Enos took over the Chippawas had won three Mid-American Conferences titles in 4 years.  In two years as head coach Enos has lead Central Michigan to consectutive 3-9 seasons.  The natives in Mt. Pleasant are restless.  Enos needs to win at least six games to cool off his butt. 

Coaches With 4.0 Rating:(It Would Help Your Fate To Win Now)

Frank Spaziani – Boston College:  This is our leading candidate as the head coach to be fired when the Eagles lose their seventh game in October or November.  The program is in a state of decline.  Coach Spaz is a hell of a defensive coach but on offense, The Eagles can’t get off the ground.  Spaziani will be a hot commodity as the defensive coordinator though so he would land on his feet.

Jeff Quinn – Buffalo: After Turner Gill put the paddles and revived the Bulls program it’s been downhill since Quinn took over.  In two years Quinn is 5-19.  Better win six games this year.

Robb Akey – Idaho: Akey has had a roller coaster ride as the Vandals head coach starting out with three wins his first two seasons followed by a rise to mediocrity.  Now the Vandals have declined after going 2-10 in Akey’s fifth year.  Better show progress this year.

Randy Edsall – Maryland: Randy Edsall won two games his first season at Maryland, ran off players who didn’t fit in his system including a quarterback that was ACC Rookie of the Year and his best offensive lineman plus according to OSG sources those who write the big checks to the program didn’t take to kindly to Edsall’s act.  Edsall isn’t going anywhere because this was a big hire for Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson and won’t pull the trigger.

Kevin Bailiff – Rice: It’s extremely hard to win at Rice.  Bailiff ‘s 23-38 record in his five years with the Owls should be enough to stay for a while.  That’s actually not a bad record for a Rice head coach. 

Bobby Houck – UNLV: Houck’s contract runs through 2014 and though his record in two years is only 4-21 the Rebels were the lowest of the low when he took over.  Houck has time to turn it around and will stay put for a while.

That's our take.  We welcome yours.

Tennessee Students Flashmob at game: Co-Starring Johnny Majors

((utsportstv/youtube))

This was kind of odd and raises a question...at least to us. Can you actually have a "Flash Mob" with 105,000 plus people already in the same place you are?

Here's the deal.

A group of Tennessee students decided during their game Saturday against South Carolina that they would hold a "Flash Mob" to have a little fun with coach Derek Dooley's apparent love of wearing Orange Pants on game days.

So they did.

There were maybe a hundred or so involved in they ended up showing flash cards that said "Fear the Pants". They then turned the cards to reveal a pictogram of the Orange Pants.

Where it gets funny is later in the video, from ground level.

The reason: Former UT Coach Johnny Majors shows up in the middle of the crowd. That, at least to us, is the funny part of this.

Here is your video:

Barbara Dooley Storms A Radio Station To Defend Her Son, But Was She Right...???

Full disclosure...

The HQ knows Tim Bryant, the morning radio news guy that got blind-sided by Miss Barbara, and while we all know none of her vitriol was aimed at Tim we do feel kinda sorry that he got both barrels on a topic not even related to him in the slightest.

The HQ also knows that, probably, after the family ban to stop going onto the "Paul Finebaum Radio Network" that there would be one of those tipping-point, pot boiling over episodes...

Bryant and the folks at AM1340 in Athens, GA got it...

Here's the audio in question and in demand...

Lesson learned... do not ever get a mama bear mad under any circumstances...
Especially when she can storm the gates to chase after Knoxville writers...

Where is Barbara Dooley's Twitter account...???
That would be comedy gold and mama bear mean...

Daniel Lewis of CBSSports, however, takes Miss Barbara to task for taking the Andrew Gribble quote out of context...

This is the transcript of what Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel said on the radio that caused her to call.

"It's still at a point where it's still early where Derek Dooley is still, in my opinion, playing with house money at this point in terms of whether or not he's going to be in the Mark Richt boat of being on the hot seat if he doesn't deliver these big wins. I think Tennessee fans are kind of understanding where it stands right now. The majority of this roster right now is underclassmen."

Janzen Jackson Dismissed From Vols

Janzen Jackson's time on the Tennessee campus has always been somewhat checkered...

Two years ago, it was because of an attempted armed robbery charge. Back in February, he announced his intention to bolt, but returned to think he could play in July...

So much for that idea... Jackson is gone, done, and otherwise out the door...

ESPN's Chris Low is sayingthat Jackson has fialed multiple drug tests during his tenure...

Coach Derek Dooley said in a release...

"Our program has devoted a tremendous amount of energy, resources, support, and care in an effort to help Janzen manage his personal challenges. I will always be there to help him as a person, but there comes a time when a player's actions preclude him from the privilege of playing for the University of Tennessee football team.

"Although I'm disappointed with this outcome, we will never compromise the long-term organizational values and goals we maintain here at Tennessee," Dooley said.

Dooley even talked about Jackson at practice...
Yesterday...
((HT: Knoxnews))