Being a Vanderbilt fan is like...

It's hard for outsiders to imagine what being a Vanderbilt football fan is like. Fans of other teams always wonder how we continue to follow a team that hasn't been to a bowl game in 25 years, and the best way I can describe it is that it's like being a golfer. In golf, no matter how bad you are, you'll occasionally hit a great shot. Then, you think that somehow, you'll be able to duplicate that success on a consistent basis, so you keep playing, even if your scores never dip below 100. Likewise, under Bobby Johnson, for every clunker that Vanderbilt plays (MTSUx3, Bama & Auburn this year, recent losses to Ole Miss, etc.) the team seemingly responds with a huge win (Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina).

Today, we beat #6 South Carolina, to mark our first win over a team ranked that highly since 1934. This comes after a horrible performance 2 weeks ago at Auburn and a severely disappointing loss last weekend to Georgia after fumbling the game away. Many fans on the message board, and myself to some extent, figured the dreams of a bowl bid were over after. Now, we're at 4-3 (2 shy of the 6 required for a bowl game) with Miami of Ohio next week, followed by Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and the finale against Wake Forest. Assuming we beat Miami next week, we'll need to beat one of the other 4 teams for a bowl bid. Wake Forest is the most likely target, but I wouldn't put it past us to beat one of the other 3.

Someone finally took him serial

The man that received more votes than the actual winner of the 2000 Presidential election and tried to save the world from the ManBearPig won the Nobel Peace Prize. It's hard for me to understand exactly what fighting global warming has to do with peace, but this marks the second year in a row that a former Vanderbilt student has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

On Basketball Departures

With the recent departure of JeJuan Brown, the issue of the string of players leaving Vanderbilt under Kevin Stallings has arisen yet again. I've only been following VU since 2001, but as far as I know, these are the departures since Stallings took over. Some believe that his transfer rate is rather high, but I've always argued that transfers are just a part of major college basketball. Here's who has transferred (that I know of) since CKS took over.

• Billy Richmond: Dismissed for assaulting a co-ed.
• Rick Jones: Dismissed for marijuana possession.
• Bryson Kreuger: Left the team for unknown reasons before ever playing & was later dismissed for felony charges at Arizona State.
• Brendan Plavich: left because he apparentlywanted to play PG and CKS thought he was a SG.
• Brian Thornton: left after the terrible 3-13 season. Some have said he was a team cancer and wouldn't play help defense because he didn't want to be seen getting dunked on when watching Sportscenter.
• Adam Payton: left on amicable terms looking for more playing time, which he got at William & Mary. The coaching staff helped him find a good fit.
• Demarre Carroll: left supposedly to play the 3, but also had issues with the coaching staff.
• Kyle Madsen: left for somewhat unknown reasons. Some say he was homesick and others say he didn't like what the coaches had planned for him.
• JeJuan Brown: left for reasons completely separate from treatment of coaches.

So by my count, that's only four transfers (Plavich, Carroll, Madsen, Thornton) who left because of some kind of issues with the coaching staff. Carroll and Thornton have been noted as team cancers by some, and coincidentally or not, Vanderbilt made the Sweet 16 the year after each left. You definitively cannot blame CKS for Brown, Richmond, and Jones leaving and I don't think you can fault him for Kreuger because he never played and was later arrested at Arizona State.

To further illustrate my point that transfers are just part of the game:
a) Vanderbilt has pulled in two significant transfers under CKS (Byars and Neltner).
b) Let's look recent departures from other SEC Schools:

1. Alabama- Avery Jukes, Verice Cloyd, Akini Adkins, Shawn Taylor, Albert Weber, Glen Miles, LaKory Daniels, Sam Haginas, Justin Jonas. (9)
   
2. Arkansas- Sylvester Seay, Preston Cranford, Sean McCurdy, Berry Jordan, JJ Sullinger, Wen Mukubu, Rashard Sullivan, Kendrick Davis. (8)
   
3. Auburn- Toney Douglas, Lewis Monroe, Marco Killingsworth, DeWayne Curtis, Joey Cameron, Kelvin Lewis, Brandon Robinson, Ryan Daniel, Michael Woodard, Emmanuel Lewis, Daniel Hayles, Moses Edun. (12)
   
4. Florida- Teddy Dupay (gambling), Christian Dreijer (to play pro), Brandon Powell, David Huertas, Ryan Appleby, Mohammed Abukar, Mario Boggan, James White, Jimmie Sutton, Orien Green, Rashid Al-Kaleem. (11)
   
5. Georgia- Channing Toney, Wayne Arnold, Marcus Sikes, Younes Idrissi, Kendrick Johnson, Steve Thomas, Mike Dean. (7)
6. Kentucky (under Tubby)- Adam Williams, Bernard Cote, Rekalin Sims, Shagari Alleyne, Jason Parker, Marvin Stone, Myron Anthony, Corey Sears, Desmond Allison, Nate Knight, Todd Tackett, Rashaad Carruth, Adam Chiles, Michael Bradley. (14)
   
7. LSU- Ross Neltner, Magnum Rolle, Ben Voogd, Kentrell Gransberry, Tack Minor, Regis Koundija, Josh Maravich, JueMichael Young, Mildon Ambres, Tim Bush, Tony Gipson. (11)
   
8. Mississippi State- Richard Delk, Reginald Delk, Vernon Goodridge, Bernard Rimmer, Gary Ervin, Walter Sharpe, Jerrell Houston, Steven Cowherd. (8)
   
9. Ole Miss- Justin Cerasoli, Trey Hampton, Andy Ogide, Xavier Hansbro
10. South Carolina- Jason Parker, Dameon Kinloch, Travis Kraft, Calvin Clemmons, Jojo Cadray, Issa Konare, Marcus Morrison, Paulius Jonelunius, Stephen McDowell, Ousmane Konate, Jarrod Gerald, Keving Palacios, Greg Taylor. (13)
    
11. Tennessee- Marques Johnson, Harris Walker, Terrance Woods, Boomer Herndon, Damion Harris, John Winchester, Elgrace Wilborn, Tony Passley. (8)
    
12. Vanderbilt- Richmond, Jones, Kreuger, Plavich, Thornton, Payton, Carroll, Madsen, Brown. (9)
    

This list is by no means exhaustive and I do not know the reason for everyone transferring, but I think it illustrates that transfers happen. For further evidence, read this list.

Further Congrats to Kevin Stallings

First there was Andrew Ogilvy committing to Vanderbilt. Then Keegan Bell spurned Georgia and LSU and became the point guard of the near future. Next, CKS added sleepers Andre Walker, Darshawn McLellan, and Charles Hinkle. VU then added the newest Nigerian Nightmare, Festus Ezeli, who spurned offers from Florida, Ohio State, and UCLA. Next, CKS added the Chain Gang, who Rivals rates as the #81 prospect and ESPN has at #55. And today, VU added Lance Goulbourne (#90 on Rivals and #99 on ESPN).