They do things differently in Tennessee. A lot differently.
Thanks to the gratuitous rebund-and-run stunt pulled by Lane Kiffin, who used the Volunteers as a shoulder to cry on after the much publicized divorce with Raiders' boss Al Davis, riots and vulgarity was seen all through the hills of Tennessee this week. Kiffin, who led Tennessee to a meager 7-6 record, bolted for the left coast to accept the vacated Southern California job, left by Pete Carroll. Kiffin served under Carroll as offensive coordinator before accepting the head coaching position with the Oakland Raiders.
But for as upset as Tennessee fans were - and they were plenty ticked - the media wasn't much happier.That chaos, shot minutes before Kiffin was set to deliver his final "farewell" (a g-rated description for someone that was looking to quickly exit the state before anyone could identify him), was courtesy of the credentialed press. Not tough, then, to envision just how angry the Volunteer partisans really were. Heck, one wonders if a security escort of Tennessee state troopers would have given Kiffin any added comfort.
As for USC, they're getting the prodigal son. Kiffin is a west coast kid and clearly his cool, visor-wearing southern Cal attitude never quite meshed in Knoxville. Worse yet, he never embraced the Tennessee tradition - but instead worked hard to emulate the Trojan "swagger." He went so far to rip off their player chants, altering the words; put up posters of Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush and Dwayne Jarrett; and used highlight videos of the Southern California all-stars as motivation for his players. Nowhere to be found inside team facilities was the more traditional Peyton Manning, Reggie White or Carl Pickens, among others.
But now, he's moving on to greener pastures - or smog-filled traffic jams. Going with him is an all-star coaching cast, including his father Monte and the ever-slick Ed Orgeron, considered by many to be the snake-oil salesman of all salesmen. He'd sell ice to an eskimo, right along with a $100 handshake.
Kiffin inherits a slew of potential problems in Los Angeles, even beyond any he could possibly create on his own. The dual-sport NCAA investigation probing the football and basketball issues surrounding former Trojan stars Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, among others, has only recently wrapped up. The NCAA is expected to discuss the matter at its next seasonal meeting in late February, and its at that time they will discuss the findings and recommend any necessary penalties, before ultimately handing down a punishment some 6-8 weeks later.
While nothing conclusive has been reported regarding the likelihood of major penalties resulting from those allegations, some speculate Carroll was getting out of town in advance of the oncoming storm. He left to take the Seattle Seahawks' job after having turned down several previous NFL overtures. It was, so say the reports, his "dream job." But nonetheless, the timing was suspect.
If Kiffin survives the NCAA, his own ego might keep the Trojans rolling right along. He was already running the Tennessee program as if it were LA East. For all the talk about how he's never won anything, which is not untrue, the buzz he's created in his wake is proof positive that he's relevant to college football regardless. Make no mistake, legal or not, he'll recruit talent just as Petey did before.
As for Tennessee? Fight on! But please, stop taking that so literally.
