Rowdiness is 1 Thing; Participating in a Melee is Another

I am quite the University of Tennessee football fan.

We had season tickets for more than 20 years. Combine that with my time as a child and a student, and I’ve probably been to 150 games.

Some were crazy.

After the 1985 win over Vanderbilt to clinch the SEC championship, we stormed the field then flooded the Strip as students carried pieces of both goalposts up and down.

I told a man he could kiss Kim if he would give me a piece of the goalpost.

She declined. And I quickly learned I should’ve consulted with all parties before making that proposal.

At the Sugar Bowl a few weeks later, Kim and I had seats on the top row of the Superdome. We beat on the wall behind us for 3 hours as Tennessee upset Miami.

In my Willie Wonka voice, I will now say that I have even seen Tennessee beat Alabama multiple times dating back to 1982.

My seat that year was above the tunnel where the opposing team exits.

I stuck around to loudly give Bear Bryant my sincerest condolences on his loss as he left the field for the last time.

So, yes, I’ve had my fair share of rowdy moments. But I don’t think I ever did anything that could’ve gotten me arrested.

Okay, well, there was this minor skirmish once with some Colorado fans. But that was in California, and just about everything is legal there.

And, every year before the Kentucky game, my college roommate never fails to remind me of an incident when we were in college involving a Wildcat fan, a cup and me after one of the Cats’ extremely rare wins in Knoxville.

It was — and still is — the only time I had ever embarrassed him.

It was not my finest moment.

I said all of that only to keep from sounding like a hypocrite.

Tennessee fans are still getting skewered from all directions for the melee that happened at the end of the Ole Miss game Saturday night, and deservedly so.

We are a national embarrassment, and we will be for a while.

Police said they arrested 18 people and ejected 47 more at the game. 

I saw today where UT chancellor Donde Plowman said police would look at video footage to try and identify people who threw debris.

I’m especially interested in finding the guy who nearly hit Lane Kiffin with the golf ball so we can get his cleat size and tell him what time practice starts.

Okay, that’s my one joke. Don’t email me.

Something like this wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago, and I’m not sure why it would happen now.

I hope it isn’t merely a sign of the times, but I think it could be.

Society has changed. We seem to have this idea that we can act however we want with no respect for authority whatsoever.

Nothing is sacred anymore, and it’s sad.

I can’t believe I’m saying that about my alma mater, but it will be a stain on our football program, the school and our state for years to come.

When the dust clears, UT will pay its $250,000 to the SEC. They will hold as many people accountable as possible. And, hopefully, this will be something that will never be repeated.

But at the same time, it should never be forgotten.