The anticipation was killer. To which university would Dillon Bates make his verbal commitment?
For the last several months, Bates – a highly touted linebacker prospect – has had Tennessee fans begging him to don orange and follow in the footsteps of his father Bill Bates, who’s something of a Tennessee legend himself.
To many Vol diehards who follow recruiting, the high school senior’s live decision Wednesday on ESPNU might have been as important to watch as November’s presidential election.
Then the anticipation got a little too killer. The ridiculous made-for-media 7-on-7 touch football games that were scheduled around the televised verbal commitments of teenagers drug on.
Nobody cared if the Alpha Males beat the Land Sharks. Everyone just wanted to know which cap Dillon Bates was going to put on.
In the process though, as I Twitter searched “Dillon Bates,” I began to savor the moment. Because in that moment the UT fan base had a battle to fight and they were fighting it with reasonable expectation of victory.
“I have been to the OR and had open heart surgery while waiting on ESPNU to show Dillon Bates. If they don’t hurry I’m going to flatline,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Hellen Keller solved a rubix cube while waiting for the Dillon Bates announcement #DillonBatesDay,” tweeted another UT fan.
In early July, Tennessee fans had something to legitimately be excited about. They went up against Alabama and Florida and actually won for a change as Bates finally made his verbal commitment to UT.
No, nothing has been decided on the field yet. But that’s exactly my point.
Tennessee fans should savor these next several weeks before the season, not count down until it kicks off like the rest of the nation is doing.
Next week at SEC Media Days, the Vols will take a turn on the podium just like Nick Saban and Alabama, just like Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and just like a team that has college football relevance.
In fact, UT will get more attention than it should because it has a first-year head coach.
Savor that. Eat up his every word. Go look at the national recruiting rankings every day for the class of 2014.
Purchase all of the college football preview magazines out there, and read about how UT’s offensive line has been predestined to be one of the best in the nation.
Don’t let that same frustration of waiting for Dillon Bates to make his decision prevail during July and August in anticipation of the upcoming season.
Tennessee won the Dillon Bates battle and it’ll get the same result from SEC Media Days that Florida and Alabama do.
Cherish the essentially meaningless build-ups to the season.
Because once the season actually starts on Sept. 14 at Oregon, or maybe even the week before that against Bobby Petrino’s Western Kentucky squad, the seemingly endless days of waiting for the return of football will culminate in a frightening way.
The Vols will have to try and put an SEC-caliber team on the field with a new coaching staff, a new quarterback and a host of returning starters from one of the nation’s worst defenses.
Certainly it’s okay to yearn to hear Rocky Top and to long for Saturday tailgates.
But once that day arrives and the traditions and revelry give way to a real football game, Tennessee fans might find themselves wishing they were watching high school kids play 7-on-7.
So, please. Don’t flatline with anticipation for the regular season. Just enjoy the fact that your team gets to be “one of the guys” for the next few weeks.
And maybe a couple years down the road – once Dillon Bates and his classmates have arrived and adjusted – Tennessee fans can flatline in anticipation of nationally relevant football.
