Lane Kiffin, You are Now Officially...the Most Hated Man in Tennessee

A remarkable thing occurred yesterday. By taking the head job at USC, in one small action, Lane Kiffin became the most hated man in Tennessee. While to those that do not follow SEC football, that may be a confusing statement, but the fact is for the last 15 years Steve Spurrier has held that title. After all, it was Steve Spurrier who was born and raised in Tennessee, left for Florida to play college football (where we won the Heisman trophy) and then came back to coach at Florida where he won a national title, multiple SEC titles, and coached another Heisman Trophy winner...often at the expense of Tennessee. 

But all of that may be forgotten now. Where as Spurrier was hated by many, he was still respected by most, and as a member of the SEC family was always welcomed as a coach. You may not have liked him, and he sure was arrogant, but at least you could respect him for what he did, how he played, and that he won. But Lane...well...to paraphrase a distinguished gentleman from Texas...Lane Kiffin...you are no Steve Spurrier...and that is a very bad thing. 

I know that some are defending your actions to move to USC after one year on the basis that USC was your "dream" job, but that attitude is just a continuation of the apologist arguments that have followed you for many years. Yes, you spent six years at USC, and yes, you went to school in California, but the head coach of a UT (or any SEC school, for that matter) is not a stepping stone position, and certainly not something you disrespect by leaving after one year. Taking a job like the one at UT is like becoming the head of a religious congregation, with all of the obligations, responsibilities, and commitments to players, fans and the university itself. Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN may have said it best, "Kiffin is a used car salesman with a whistle. Wait, that's not fair to used car salesmen."

You have made your choice, and I wish you luck, but I am glad you are gone. You were already on the edge with me with your accusations of cheating by Florida and secondary NCAA violations, and so it is probably best that you go to a place that will most definitely have NCAA punishments and a program with border-line organizational control (see: Bush, Reggie). As Michael Rosenberg of CNNSI.com quipped, "what, did Barry Switzer say no?" Nope, but you are the next best thing. Good riddance.

ESPN Video:

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