an outside view

These are strange times in college football.

Imagine if you will that you are a college football coach at a major university. Your team has a 6-3 record and you control your own destiny in the conference divisional race. Barring an upset, your team will make it to the conference championship game and have a real shot at a BCS Bowl.

Then, a bunch of former players take out a full-page ad in the local newspaper giving you a vote of confidence and urging that you not be fired.

Welcome to Phil Fulmer’s world.

It’s been an up and down season but Fulmer has held the team together and has them poised to win the SEC East. His Vols seem destined for a meeting with Les Miles and the LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. LSU is a talented team but certainly beatable. An SEC title is a realistic goal at this point for the Vols.

So why would almost 200 former Vols feel the need to buy a full-page in the Knoxville News Sentinel to …..well…..beg for Fulmer to keep his job. Heck, last week this writer argued Fulmer should be SEC Coach of the Year.

Oh sure, there’s a small but vocal segment in the Vol Nation that isn’t happy with the Vols’ performance this season. Blowout losses at Cal, Florida, and Alabama were difficult pills for them to swallow.

Some of the “sidewalk” alumni think the game has passed Fulmer by and it’s time for a change. Tune into local talk radio shows and you can hear all sorts of opinions as to not only why he needs to go but who should replace him. But these are irrational fans whose opinions along with five bucks will get you a cup of gourmet coffee at Starbucks. Their calls are little more than cheap entertainment and aren’t to be taken seriously.

Phillip Fulmer’s job never was in jeopardy. He isn’t in trouble now and will be back next season even if the Vols lose to both Vandy and Kentucky.

So I ask again. Why would these ex-players spend literally thousands of dollars for an ad to show support for Fulmer? Do they know something we don’t? If you believe the open letter, there are donors who may be pushing for a change.

Don’t forget. The big money boys got rid of Johnny Majors. They could just as easily get rid of Fulmer. Who are the alumni they refer to who want Fulmer’s head? Is there a revolt among season ticket holders as the letter would lead you to believe?

The lettermen’s open letter was a nice gesture. But it must have been terribly embarrassing for Fulmer. Until now, he could ignore talk about his future as the head coach. It was just senseless chatter that goes with the job. But now the former players have given credibility to the rumor that Fulmer is or was in trouble. Why else would they take such drastic action? 

The best way to spread a rumor is to deny a rumor. If you acknowledge the rumor you give it life. Well, the same principle applies here. The players acknowledged Fulmer’s job was hanging in the balance. They felt a need to come to his rescue but in so doing have let it be known to everyone in Big Orange Country that there is more to this than just a bunch of kooks on the radio jabbering because they like to hear themselves talk. The rumor must be true.

And poor Fulmer. The open letter puts him in the same class with Dennis Franchione at Texas A&M or Bill Callahan at Nebraska – two guys who are rumored to be on their way out the door.

To his credit, Fulmer has put a good face on the situation and has publicly expressed his appreciation for the support. But he too must be wondering what’s going on. His record is as good or better than Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier, and Nick Saban and you don’t see their former players taking out ads.

How does Fulmer explain this to high school football prospects? What must they think? Will they say, “I don’t want to go to Rocky Top if the coach is on his way out.”

I applaud the former players because they clearly love their alma mater and believe in the football coach. But if you ask me, they fumbled this one badly. Their letter raises way too many questions. They even have me wondering if Fulmer will be shown the exit door if he loses another game or two and I’m the one who thought all of the talk was ludicrous.