Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Must-Read from Anchor of Gold: Is James Franklin Vanderbilt's Bruce Pearl?

The question is being posed in the most positive sense (i.e., pre-NCAA rules violation bonanza).

I think the comparison is brilliant. Pearl energized a Tennessee basketball program that was in the doldrums with enthusiasm and excitement. Franklin, in his 5 months in Nashville has done the same. In fairness, I think Pearl was more accomplished than Franklin when taking the reins. Regardless, the comparison still holds.

What do you think?


7 comments:

Douglas James said...

I voted no but its more like I don't know yet. Franklin is doing his best to energize the fan base but doing that for UT basketball and Vandy football are two completely different jobs.

I'm hopeful but don't think a yes is the right answer yet.

Stanimal said...

Allow me to throw the wet blanket on this nonsense.

Why was Bruce Pearl revered by the fans and players at UT? Because not only did he bring enthusiasm to the program, he WON GAMES. He won A LOT of games. And I might add he won a lot of games that any true Vandy basketball fanatic has been dying to win for quite some time (aka tournament games). For that reason, people bought in, because not only did he talk the talk, he walked the walk.

It's going to take more than pep rallies, appearances at other Vandy sporting events, and catchy cliche phrases to get those who are rational about Vanderbilt football into the seats at the Stadium on Saturdays. We need to win games. We need to have the hope of progress. I'm not expecting it immediately, but consistent bowl games is the standard for which we should shoot, for which any halfway decent program should shoot. I think enthusiasm is certainly part of that because kids want to play for a school that has it for the program, but before we anoint James Franklin as the savior of VU football (which Bruce Pearl was for UT basketball before his sad and extremely pleasurable demise), let's see what he can do on the field.

Bobby O'Shea said...

The question and argument advanced by AoG is decidedly more limited than Stanimal would suggest. Obviously, without having played a game yet, Franklin can't very well be called the "savior" of Vanderbilt football. The point (at least as far as I'm concerned), is Franklin, like Pearl when he burst on the scene in Knoxville brought and excitement to the program that had otherwise been lacking.

Anonymous said...

A shoddy, too early comparison. What facts are there besides they both like to motivate?

AD said...

If you're in Midd Tenn and are on the fence about whether to attend Sunday's Black & Gold spring game, I'm guessing this piece of news will spur what I assume to be a mostly single, male audience here into going:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110415/NEWS/304150032/1972/NEWS03/Celebrity-Column-Actress-Jana-Kramer-takes-Vandy-scrimmage-seriously?odyssey=mod_sectionstories

Anonymous said...

I hope that no one in our athletic program is ever compared to that clown again. Whether he wins games or not, he will always be known in my book for his recruiting violations.

Anonymous said...

Didnt Caldwell "energize the program?" If we win, that will bring the energy.