The Lane Kiffin apology to CUM

**1inStripes** · February 11th, 2009, 12:59 AM

Dear Urban,

It’s the Kiff here. My boss told me that I needed to apologize for calling you a cheater, so here's the best I can do: You are welcome.

C’mon. You have to be grateful for the tidal wave of compassion you’ve gotten. Not only do you return an insanely talented defense, but you also bring back the quarterback-cyborg that is Tim Tebow. Add to all that two National Championships and your prime location in the nation’s recruiting hotbed, and yet you’re coming off as the victim in this situation. Crazy huh?

Have you ever been to Tennessee besides when you play us? It’s not exactly flush with football talent. I’m plowing through scouting reports of Jim Bobs and Bubbas. Phil didn’t exactly leave me with a stocked fridge (and that metaphor extends both literally and figuratively in case you were wondering).

So of course I’m going to come out guns blazing. I’ve got to get us back on the map. I mean, you saw our QBs. Jonathan Crompton? Really? Peyton Manning isn’t exactly walking through the locker room door.

But admit it. You like it. You need it. Do you really want to be the guy who tries to throw down with Mark Richt? That’s like wrestling a Tibetan Monk.

Face it, Urban, I’m the most refreshing thing since the Tim Tebow circumcision story broke last fall. The Florida Gators and this conference deserve a better class of antagonistic coaches, and I intend to be that guy.

Be honest: When Phil was the coach, did you really feel challenged? Did you feel validated as a coach for beating a guy who was more familiar with a post-game spread than a spread offense?

I mean, I guess it was nice to beat Grandpa Spurrier now that he has one foot in the tee box, but please don’t tell me that you feel a sense of accomplishment for beating the ghost of Gators past.

You and I both know that you were one more National Championship away from shoving Charlie Weis out of South Bend and fleeing the mullet-headed mouth-breathers filling up the Swamp. With me around, though, you’re having second thoughts. Think of the pride you’ll feel in tangling with my dad’s proven pro-style defense. Kind of overshadows feeling good about torching Hawaii and the Citadel's defense huh?

Sure, you have Nick Saban as a formidable opponent, but he’s out West, and you guys may tangle once a year if all the stars align and everything goes according to plan. I give you the guarantee of a royal rumble every year and early on.

I know I come off a little chirpy, but you’ve got to like that I’m not so eager to kow-tow to the wave of Olympic-caliber sprinters you’re rolling out. Whether you like it or not, you're the Yankees now. You're the man, the establishment. Florida is Cobra-Kai now. You're John Kreese, and Timmy T is Jonny Lawrence. I am Daniel-San, and my dad is Mr. Miyagi.

And you know what, Urban-Myth? You may try to sweep the leg, but I plan on crane-kicking you and Timmy right in the face.

But that's not all, Urbie. I’m coming into your backyard. I’m going after your recruits, and I swear to Pete Carroll that if we are bombing you by 40 and I have all of my timeouts with less than a minute left, I will call all three timeouts while Ed Orgeron power-bombs Albert the Gator and the entire team gets Kiffy with it in the end zone. I have never been more serious about anything in my life.

Anyways, I've got to run. Got a study session on SEC rules and regulations. Nu'Keese and Marsalis send their best.

Subversively yours,

The Kiff

**UTVols2** · February 11th, 2009, 09:35 AM

I saw that on another forum. Gotta love how the media is now turning on Kiffin even if he farts downwind.

Kiffin is getting exactly what he wanted, people talking about UT Football again. Good or Bad, he is getting what he wants and IMO knows exactly what he is doing. Some people are now coming out with the secondary recruiting violations, Ironlung reported these 3 weeks ago, you would think he was on the recruiting visit himself he broke it so soon.

After doing some research on the secondary recruiting violations I have come to the conclusion that these things happen at every school every year and some multiple times. Let's just hope he doesn't get any major ones

Either way I am loving it as a UT fan, I am extremely pumped and can't wait until August rolls around or for that matter, the spring game. He has me pumped.

**burton2019** · February 12th, 2009, 11:58 AM

kiffins a joke

**UTVols2** · February 12th, 2009, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by burton2019

kiffins a joke

Give me 2-4 years and then I will let you know. No way to tell right now.

**1inStripes** · February 12th, 2009, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by UTVols2

Give me 2-4 years and then I will let you know. No way to tell right now.

Ditto that.

**sup-rbeast** · February 12th, 2009, 01:22 PM

I'll be the first to admit that I thought Oakland made a good hire when they hired Kiffin...BUT the beginning of this past season opened my eyes to the fact they hadn't. I don't expect Kiffin to do much of anything anywhere he goes. Gruden would have been a much better hire.

**PVVikeFan** · February 12th, 2009, 01:44 PM

If I were a UT fan I don't think I would want to watch the Florida game this year. It could get kind of ugly.

**UTVols2** · February 12th, 2009, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by sup-rbeast

I'll be the first to admit that I thought Oakland made a good hire when they hired Kiffin...BUT the beginning of this past season opened my eyes to the fact they hadn't. I don't expect Kiffin to do much of anything anywhere he goes. Gruden would have been a much better hire.

No way, Gruden will never be hired or be successful at the collegiate level IMO. There is no way he could treat 17-22 year olds the way he likes to treat his players. I don't think Gruden was a good NFL Coach, as seen at Tampa, he won a SB with Tony Dungy's players. Look how he has done since then, not much.

And again, as far as Kiffin I will save my judgement for 2-3 years down the road. One thing I do know is he has lit a fire under 90% of UT fans and they are excited. Guess we will see. As far as his stint in Oakland opening your eyes, what exactly was it? He was dictated by Al Davis and when he wanted to can Ryan they canned him. He wanted control and we all know how Davis feels about a Coach that wants control. To me, his stint in Oakland should be erased because it never happened.

**Counts** · February 12th, 2009, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by UTVols2

To me, his stint in Oakland should be erased because it never happened.

If you do not count his time in Oakland then he is pretty much a nobody!

IMHO Grudan would have made me feel good as a Tenn fan while Kiffan makes me worry till I see what he can do.

Kiffan is a young coach and will bring in alot of fire plus could be a very good recruter but At this point I am not sure he will be a better coach than Phil has been the last few years

**UTVols2** · February 12th, 2009, 07:34 PM

IMO one of the main problems during the end of the Fulmer era was the staff could not coach up the talent, we couldn't take an average athlete and make him good and we couldn't take a good player and make him great. Early in Fulmer's career I thought he had a solid coaching staff to develop players, at the end he had nothing.

One thing I like that Kiffin has done is he had taken a staff who have both coached at the pro and collegiate levels and have proven track records at producing talent. Now we have no clue what type of a coach Kiffin is on game day in the college ball I feel very comfortable in the coaching staff as a whole to take average talent and make them good. Just my opinion.