Jeremy Pruitt should be happy with Vols Spring Game attendance
Jeremy Pruitt was a little upset about the turnout for Vols Orange and White Game. But, we think he should be pleased with fans after 65,000 attended.
A day after Tennessee football finished up spring practice with their annual Orange and White Game there is chatted in the Twitterverse that first-year coach Jeremy Pruitt was too hard on Vol fans.
To sum it up Pruitt was not please with a half-empty stadium and had some bold yet genuine comments asking the fans where were they? He was calling the fans that did not have a legitimate excuse for not being at the game.
The attendance was announced around 65,000, which honestly who knows the truth? The lower bowl was mostly full with sprinkles of orange and white in the upper bowl to alleviate the crowd down below. However, that was not good enough for coach Pruitt.
"“It’s kind of like our football team, for the fans,” Pruitt said. “The ones that were here, I’m proud they were here. They’re fired up. They’re ready to get going. OK? And then there were some people that weren’t who that had legitimate reasons. They couldn’t be here. And there were some people that weren’t here, that … why weren’t they here? It’s kind of like our football team. I think we all need to look in the mirror and see who we want to be.”"
We get where Pruitt is coming from, he wants a fired up team and fan base that wants to win, but we would argue that 65,000 is pretty good with all things considered.
Tennessee Volunteers Football
Vols fans showed out with the fifth largest crowd for a spring game in college football. The fifth largest attendance, after watching a coach that could not teach his players to take snaps under center. Which is the same coach that needed a chart to tell him to go for two or kick the extra point.
It comes after a season where the Vols went 4-8 with zero SEC wins, which just so happens to be the worst season in Tennessee football history.
It comes after a season or offseason where the circus decided it wanted to set up shop in the University of Tennessee’s administration and conduct the worst coaching search in the history of coaching searches. It was a complete debacle which is putting it nicely. Tennessee about hired Greg Schiano, and if it were not for the passion of the fans, Schiano would be the coach. And, still, I bet over 50,000 fans would have shown up.
So, all things considered, 65,000 was an excellent number. Pruitt has to understand that Tennessee fans are so sick and exhausted of losing. And, it is not just losing games, it’s losing in the suffering heartbreaking fashion.
Plus, it gets harder and harder to buy into a new coach every few years so expecting 102,000 was not realistic. Does that mean that number is untouchable? Maybe for some teams but if any fan base could do it, I would bet on Tennessee.
Now, on to the fans. The coach calls you out, big deal. Wouldn’t you rather hear brutal honesty than the bull crap Butch Jones feed for years? So, suck it up and go to next year’s Orange and White Game. Pruitt was right though, we all need to look in the mirror.
Next: 5 3-stars who could shine for Vols
It is a learning relationship that will take time. One thing is for sure, Pruitt has the best fan base in the nation behind him. So coach, just win and everything will be alright, aight.