Tennessee Football Getting Attention the Wrong Way

Does Tennessee Head Football Coach Lane Kiffin have to resort to questionable practices to get the attention he wants for the Tennessee program? First it was trash talking to other SEC coaches and recruiting violations, resulting in at least 6 secondary violations of NCAA rules.

Now we have "Hostessgate". A week ago, It was found that Tennessee students (mostly attractive females) were travelling 200 miles to South Carolina and Georgia to watch high school football games involving prospective recruits. These "hostesses" would allegedly hold up signs enticing these recruits to come to UT. One recruit from Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, SC was intrigued when he saw the hostesses. He was quoted as saying: "You don't want to go to college where they're not pretty".

The fact the an 18 year old top flight male athlete would say that is not surprising. That is understandable. But to play on a young man's hormones for the sake of having a winning football program is beyond unethical, it's disgusting. Whether Coach Kiffin was aware that this was going on or not doesn't matter. He is ultimately responsible. The type of recruiting described above is a direct violation of NCAA rules. Tennessee has already committed 6 violations already.

Yes, you can make a valid argument that it has brought attention to the UT Football Program. As far as on the field, the Vols improved tremendously this season going 7-5 and earning a trip to the Chick Fillet Bowl in Atlanta where they will play Virginia Tech. That can be done without any questionable and unethical recruiting. If the NCAA determines that recruiting infractions were committed in this most recent case, they could impose much stiffer penalties against the program, potentially undoing the progress the Vols made on the field in 09.

Word has it that the Vols have the #7 recruiting class in the nation coming in for 2010. Couldn't they have gotten that by doing things the right way, and besides these recruiting rankings are all subjective and do not always produce the results desired. You never really know until they step on the field in the SEC. Georgia's Mark Richt came in as the Dawgs new Head Coach in 2001. He didn't make any waves by making false accusations of other SEC coaches, or commit any recruiting violations. He did things the right way. Two years after his arrival, the Dawgs won their first SEC Title since 1983 and won another one three years later. He did all that the right way, and the UGA Football Program received the attention desired. Here's a word to Coach Lane Kiffin: Do things the right way and you will succeed in the long run. If you sacrifice long-term success on the altar of immediate gratification, you may succeed immediately, but pay a long-term heavy price down the road.