Saturday, November 26, 2011

Memphis or Nashville?

The decision isn't ours to make, but the Commodores will be playing in either the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville on December 30th, or the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on December 31st.




We will have time over the next few weeks to contemplate just how huge this is for Coach James Franklin, his team, and the program we love. I think VC David Williams should be given a tremendous amount of credit for finding Franklin. There will be a lot of talk over the next few days about how Vanderbilt will inevitably lose Franklin given his success with the Commodores in his first season. I would caution everyone to remember that, in his tenure as overseer of Vanderbilt Athletics, David Williams has only lost 1 coach he wanted to keep (Jim Foster, Women's Basketball who left for Ohio State). Football is only "different," if it is allowed to be different. There is no doubt the university will have to continue to improve facilities and give Coach Franklin and his staff all the resources they need, but it is not a fait acompli that CJF's tenure in Nashville will be brief.. Finally, if you want to help keep James Franklin and his staff, join the National Commodore Club's Gridiron Club.

8 comments:

Stanimal said...

Playing a bowl in Memphis would be a nice little boost in recruiting in that region. We've already had incredible success over there with Kimbrow, Azubike and Batey.

Also, dear Gunner Kiel, we are rising. How would you like to be the one to take us to the promised land, all while getting a top flight education? The choice is yours, but seems clear to me.

Stanimal said...

Strike that. Just Kimbrow. Sorry.

Chuck Heston said...

May I ask a dumb question? Which is more "prestigous"? I always assumed Music City, but the Liberty Bowl is played later.

Bobby O'Shea said...

Neither is particularly prestigious; Liberty Bowl is older, and both bowls get 7th or 8th choice of SEC teams. Technically, I guess Music City is more prestigious, because if there are 3 BCS SEC teams, the Liberty Bowl is off the board for Vanderbilt or Mississippi State

Ghost of Old Central said...

If "prestige" = "money," it's the Music City hands down.

Anonymous said...

Historically, the Liberty Bowl has been a slightly more prestigious bowl, but now the Music City Bowl is better. A few years ago when the SEC redid their contracts with the bowls, the Music City Bowl switched spots with the Liberty Bowl, so that now the Music City Bowl gets to pick their SEC team right before Liberty and now pays 800k more than the Liberty.

Music City Bowl will probably pick State over us because their fan base is larger and will book more hotel rooms.

Anonymous said...

Liberty is on its last leg - but it is a bowl -

Anonymous said...

F**k the Music City Bowl...VU brings 53,500 fans and Boston College bring 500 and then they turn around and blame VU for lack of fans at the game? They are a notch above american idol in my book with their phony "delayed" battle of the college bands in sub-freezing temperature that year in an effort to get people to go into the bars on 2nd ave. and spend money - which didn't work by the way...it only served to pi55 off a bunch of people who were there because they were told there would be an even at a certain time and showed up on time only to have this orchestrated delay after delay after delay.

F**k them. I'd go to Memphis for a bowl soon than be treated that way.