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Episode 2: Position groups and Adidas · Champions of Life

welcome to the champions of life podcast where 3 orangeblooded Tennessee alums discuss how there's always next year We are live and being recorded this time, this time.
What is my favorite color? Um, no, what is the, the porch position group that I feel the best about? I think it's the defensive line.
I think, uh, just due to coaching and the history man, we've got.
Three or four different guys in the NFL right now from our defensive line.
Um, and I'm maybe forgetting a couple.
So I feel good that coaching's gonna be able to turn those around.
We're gonna move bodies.
You probably got 10 to 12 guys that you can get actual playing time in there.
And I feel like that's the biggest thing is fresh legs.
So feel great about the defensive line.
I think line backing core is gonna be.
Upgraded from last year to this year.
And then if we have a healthy secondary, I think you've got the combination of the two best corners potentially in the nation.
So if you get those guys healthy, I'm not worried about our defense.
And then basically everything on the other side of the ball is a question mark.
I agree.
Yes.
You wanna add who's gonna be the starter? Have they named the starter yet? Right.
For quarterback? Yeah.
I think they've, I don't think the university has put anything out, but they've, we have reports that, uh, Joey is the, is the starter.
Okay.
Although after the scrimmage, even though Merck Lingerer is second string, George McIntyre third string freshman, like really great talent, but he looks like he will be broken in half if he sees, if he goes up against Georgia, he's gonna.
Get wrecked, but he killed it in the scrimmage the other day, like potentially even jumping merker.
So I don't know.
But yes, Aguilar I think is the, if it ends up that way, will we be able to keep those other two through a season? The wave players leave today? If he's third string, will he be done? We'll even make it the full season.
Hmm.
Well then you got phase on Brandon.
It's coming in, right? Mm-hmm.
So.
I don't know.
You just never know these days.
If McIntyre can see the field, some maybe.
I mean, Mer Klinger's been in the offense longest.
Right.
Which is crazy.
Now that Nico's gone, Aguilar's super new, he's just learning things.
How much did Mer clearer get on the field last year? More than we probably wanted.
And there's that one game where he's just throwing bombs.
Uh, yeah.
Yes.
That's coming back unfortunately.
Okay.
So we don't feel good about offense.
Right.
I do feel good about running backs.
Um, I think we've got three solid guys there.
Whoever's got the hot hand, great.
Mm-hmm.
Supposedly after the first scrimmage, our offensive line has stepped it up.
They're a little bit tremor, some of 'em.
In better shape.
You got Jackson Mo, you got David Sanders, the freshman, who is apparently phenomenal.
And then, tight ends.
If kids, woman comes back, looks healthy.
Great receivers.
You know, we have a lot of freshmen.
We have a recent, uh.
Arrestee, what do you say? Yeah, that's that's the right word.
Is that a word? That's what I would've used.
Which is not uncommon in Tennessee's history, I guess so.
At least we're not Georgia.
That's true.
That's true.
It's systemic.
There's a culture issue down there.
A lot of speeders.
A lot of speeders.
A lot of drinkers.
It's a bad combination.
Oh yeah, so I'm okay.
Feel good about defense.
We need, McCoy back.
We need Boo Carter to be with us, confident that he's gonna stay with us.
I would love McCoy back by Georgia, but I don't think that's gonna happen.
Feel good about special teams, even with a new coach.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Feel all right about it? Okay.
We'll see.
Joe, uh, this is great, but how, the real question is how are we gonna look on the field while, while the season's going on? You know, what, are we not wearing Nike anymore? Are we gonna have Adidas for this season? Or is it gonna be Nike next? Next season? Next season? Adidas.
Okay.
Which I'm a big fan.
If you can go back to the glory days.
When we had Adidas and the jerseys were the right shade of orange and the numbers were gigantic.
I think if you got the gigantic numbers back and maybe just throw the blackout lines on 'em.
That's a crisp jersey.
What were we wearing in 98? Those are those big white letters now.
I don't think they had the black outline on 'em what we want.
Were we Adidas then? Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Oh, this is the year? No, wait.
Next year, 2026.
That's it.
Yeah.
Next year.
Okay.
We'll have Al brand Now I'm in, I'm excited.
Yeah.
I think, uh, it's, it's a good, from a business perspective, it's a good change to go to Adidas just based on the amount of money that's being thrown around.
And I think Adidas is going to make an initiative to make us a priority, whereas Nike was obviously prioritizing other schools.
Um, you know, this is not any of my research.
I just read that Tennessee's three main sports, the football team, basketball team the Lady Ball's basketball team, they have, they broke the, they held the record this year for the most people in attendance to every game.
So they first, and then I think when you incorporate all the eyeballs of people watching games on tv.
We were like second or third in the country.
And so it's just like baseball too.
Yeah.
And then, yeah, you don't even factor in your baseball team, which is arguably the best right now in the entire country.
So I think there's tons of eyeballs and viewership and it's a huge opportunity for Adidas to kind of get back and I think they're doing things that are pretty cool.
I don't, you know, I'm not a hip or in the loop on all that stuff, but I do think that like their branding has gotten better recently and.
And it'd be fun to see something different and I can start wearing all my old Adidas, Nike, or Adidas, Tennessee stuff before Nike.
It'll be retro.
You got some vintage stuff there? Apparel.
I got some vintage, yeah.
That's why we're winning the championship next year.
Good luck, charm.
I also heard they're gonna work with some of the students, or they already are on the NIL deals.
Oh yeah.
I think Nike was not as forward thinking as, yeah, Adidas has been in that area.
I remember reading something saying Adidas was going to highlight certain student athletes and get them specific deals and get them more branding opportunities too, which, you know, if you're a 19-year-old kid, that's insane to be on a poster somewhere for Adidas.
Yeah, I mean, I know people are upset with the change just because of quality of Nike Right.
To Adidas.
But I do think it's a no brainer on paper, right? We were getting a million, maybe a little bit more from Nike.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
And then with Adidas, it's like 15 million or so around there.
So we're getting cash, a payroll, and potential NIL deals, like you said.
I mean, it's, who's not gonna do that, right? Yeah.
And will be like their main brand, Candace Parker is.
On the board, right? Mm-hmm.
So didn't know that.
Yeah.
So it could be pretty big.
This is what gives me more confidence about the future of the program.
You know, this feels like forward thinking.
This feels like an initiative to take risks, to try something new.
Um, whereas I think in my lifespan of being a fan since the early, you know, two thousands, late nineties is like.
We were more stagnant, we were comfortable with the status quo.
And I feel like Danny, good, bad, or indifferent, like he's taken risks on coaches, he's taken risks on hiring, on doing renovations to the, the stadium and the downtown stuff.
And this to me is just another sign of like, Hey, we're gonna keep pushing until we get to where we want to be.
Enough's never enough.
I think that's accurate.
That's a good way to see it.
We're taking chances and next year's, the year, like you said, Joe.
Yeah, it's, call it.
All right.
Well, anything else for episode number two? Crushed it.
Well, because we are, we blew the orange here and we love.
Our balls.
If you hear this, you need to go support the lady Ball, soccer team and volleyball team.
They got a couple games between now and the football season, so don't sleep on them.
Go out.
It's a great time as hot Dogs just like going to baseball game.
The kids can run around, so go support the lady Vols.
Soccer is a club sport.
Is this They're not, no.
They're not eligible for NIL deals.
They are.
They are.
Or you can just pay 'em direct? You can pay 'em direct.
Okay.
No, that's a scholar scholarship sport.
It is.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's a lot of fun.
One Knox used to play their games there in their field.
It's that nice.
Parking is a little tough, but you'll have a good time.
They don't play volleyball in the old, uh, like ray's? No, it's in the same, it's over the railroad tracks.
The volleyball facility is right next to the soccer facility.
Okay.
I ran to the old stadium a couple times.
Hmm.
After hours.
Great.
Hide and seat.
Won that spot, but, well, it's incriminating, uh, statute of limitations.
That was a long time ago.
Yeah.
And they've got a good team.
Good team.
That's awesome.
And regardless of record, right? Like our podcast name, they are champions of life.
Yep.
Champions.
So, and if we don't do good this year, there's always next part.
Episode two.
Yep.
All right.
That's it for episode two.
Check us out next time.