Fulmer to Hurricane Victims: Get Over It

We have just went through the worse natural disaster in american history many whom who have gone with out power, food, and water and this could a rallying cry for Louisiana with this game saturday night in Tiger Stadium, but fat phil is throwing a hissy fit about playing this game at night because his team and fans might have to board a plane that morning of the game and fly back that evening not to exclude the notion that this will inconvenience their thousands of fans. Cry me a river fatty.

UT not happy LSU game still at night

Sought time change to help fans with travel

By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer


Thousands of University of Tennessee football fans might be on the brink of going from bleeding orange to seeing red.

The rub is that LSU athletic officials are intent on upholding their tradition of playing at night in Tiger Stadium. That means UT fans traveling to the Sept. 24 game in Baton Rouge won't be accommodated as UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton previously requested.




The game is expected to kick off at either 6 p.m. or 6:45 Central time.

Earlier this week, Hamilton said he asked LSU and Southeastern Conference officials if there was any way the game could be played during the day. Hamilton's rationale: To ease travel concerns for fans, not just those from UT.

This is a road trip that could get ugly, especially with a night game. Because of Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing mass exodus of evacuees, available hotel space is scarce within a 200-mile radius of Baton Rouge.

Conceivably, UT fans braving the trip, either by car or by air, could be pulling an all-nighter after the game is over just to find a warm bed. Baton Rouge is about 660 miles from Knoxville (or 590 from Nashville), leaving traveling fans with a post-game option of driving all night to return home, let alone find an empty hotel room.

Here's the kicker: Tennessee fans planning to stay home and get a ticket refund won't get reimbursed. The Vols sold all 7,000 of their allotted tickets, but LSU Associate Athletics Director Herb Vincent said LSU's policy is to not issue refunds for tickets.

"We want to get back to some sense of normalcy, and our tradition here at LSU is to play night football games," Vincent said. "That is very much our preference for this game."

The starting time for the game is contingent on what ESPN decides to do. ESPN has first choice among the networks when it comes to SEC games that weekend, and the cable network will make its selection on Monday.

If ESPN picks UT-LSU, and for months they have indicated to LSU officials of their plans to do just that, the game would get the 6 p.m. or 6:45 start.

"We don't have any reason to believe that's going to change," Vincent said, referring to ESPN's expressed commitment to the game.

There have been multiple conversations the last few days among LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman, Hamilton and SEC officials. Said Vincent, "LSU is not trying to be difficult in regard to Tennessee fans, but it's more a case of trying to do what's right for the people of Louisiana."

The main issue now remains hotel rooms. Vincent acknowledged that, at this point, his school can't even guarantee hotel rooms for the UT team.

"As we sit here right now, on Sept. 8, that is an issue," Vincent said. "But in two weeks, we would expect and hope that problem won't exist."

Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer strongly opposes the idea of having to fly down the day of the game, playing the game and then returning to Knoxville that same night.

Hamilton has said he would even be willing to split up the team party in separate hotels to ensure getting rooms and not having to go down on the day of the game.

Williams done: The window of opportunity on Gerald Williams' playing football at Tennessee this season apparently is about to slam shut.

Coach Phillip Fulmer said yesterday that the 6-foot-4, 226-pound linebacker/defensive end would likely go home to Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., today. Why? An NCAA Clearinghouse issue still has not been resolved.

"It may be cleared up in two days, five days, six months, I don't know," Fulmer said. "It's tough on him. He looks like he's going to be a real good player, and he's a great young man. It's just a shame. … We've tried everything we can try." n

 

I'm with Herb Vincent: the hotel situation may well look different even a week or so from now than it does today.

I think Vols fans better focus on that little game they have in Gainsville before getting their collective panties too bunched over LSU.

 

I didn't see anywhere in that article that he said "get over it." Am I missing something?

And I don't particularly care if they have hotel rooms. Play the game at night, take the beating, and walk home with volunteer tails tucked. Simple as that.

 

I took this article from Finebaum's blog and that was the title from his blog. Sorry for not sourcing it.

 

Did Finebaum use to work for Star Magazine?:hihi:

 

no he worked for jerry springer.

 

:thumb:

 

Fist Full Of Dollars To Be Remade

Hollywood California: 9/9/05 AP Service

Long considered a cult classic Western, Clint Eastwood’s, A Fist Full of Dollars, is being remade much to the delight of football fans from Tennessee. The story will be changed a bit and it will be about a cowboy literally eating his way across the country, one breakfast food at a time. The film will star UT Head Football coach , Phillip Fulmer. The working title is A Mouth Full of Jelly Donuts.

 

Fulmer needs to shut up and coach. These issues will be handled at an administrative level.