Neyland Stadium sound system for Tennessee football games latest reader complaint | Adams

Glad to see criticism of Neyland Stadium’s oldest urinals has run its course. But I have received a couple of complaints about the sound system.

Also, SEC football scheduling has some readers riled up. And another reader reached deep into college football archives for a Gerry Faust anecdote.

David writes: The sound system at Neyland Stadium when the umpires announce a penalty is horrific. Tons of feedback, can’t understand a dang word they say. With all this increased revenue you’d think they could afford a better sound system for the refs.

My response: Maybe the poor quality is by design, created as a parody of officiating. Think how many times you have wondered: "I don't understand that call."

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Larry writes: Saw Adam Sparks’ story. Personally, I'm all in with the raises (for Tennessee football coaches). A one-year extension doesn't seem like it could have the multi-year Pruitt impact. Opinion?

My response: I try to avoid opinionating on sports and prefer to just present the facts.

Just kidding.

Even if coach Josh Heupel suddenly began setting athletic department facilities on fire, he couldn’t have a greater negative effect on UT than former football coach Jeremy Pruitt.

W. M. writes: (to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey) As a longtime Tennessee fan, I read with interest that the SEC has instructed Tennessee and Georgia to drop future nonconference games against Oklahoma.

If the SEC is going to make a statement regarding nonconference schedules, I had hoped you would show some REAL leadership by instructing SEC teams to start acting like members of the strongest football conference in America and to stop the disgraceful practice of loading up nonconference schedules with high school caliber opponents.

If you want to make statements about nonconference schedules, THAT is the type statement the Commissioner of the strongest football conference in America should make.

My response: Mike Slive, Sankey’s predecessor, once challenged SEC men’s basketball coaches to upgrade their schedules. After serving on the NCAA Tournament selection committee, Slive realized how much strength of schedule factored into the selection process.

Once the College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams, strength of schedule could become crucial.

And haven’t fans grown weary of seeing MAC lambs led to an SEC slaughter? The conference treats the MAC as though it’s a minor league franchise, created solely for filling up the win columns of SEC schools.

Mike writes: Rather than instructing Tennessee and Georgia to drop Oklahoma from future schedules, the SEC office should discontinue the shameful practice of loading up their nonconference schedules with junior high school caliber opponents.

My response: It’s almost as though you and W. H. collaborated. But that’s not the first time my email contributors have expressed similar opinions.

Great minds think alike. And there is a huge contingent of great minds in my email group.

Since I’m all for hyperbole, I also don’t have a problem with your comparing a MAC team to a junior high program.

Of course, the Akron Zips could zap any junior high team. But a matchup with the best high school team in Texas would be a quite a tussle.

Mike writes: You wrote: "South Carolina’s offensive line wouldn’t be any less helpful if it turned around and pointed at Rattler when the ball were snapped." That was a gut-buster. Visualization worthy. Truly, "Offensive Line."

By the way, my grammar checker demanded I change "were" to "was," but I resisted.

My response: I’m more concerned with creativity than grammar. The subjective mood can be tricky.

When you are complimenting a line in my column, you can misspell every word and still be in my good graces. And some readers have misspelled almost every word.

Jim writes: Many years ago, my brother, who was a voice teacher and opera singer, taught at Akron for thirty years. He was approached by the head football coach and asked if he could help teach his quarterbacks to scream without losing their voice, so they could be heard over the noise.

I couldn’t imagine there being that much noise at a Zips game. My brother said the starter did well but the backup was lazy and never learned.

The head coach was none other than Gerry Faust, that one-time wonder at Notre Dame.

Always enjoy your columns.

My response: Great closing line.

I was a columnist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when Faust made his Notre Dame debut. He rode around the stadium in a golf cart while interacting with fans. His driver lost control, and the cart hit a tree. Faust showed up at the press conference with a cut on his forehead.

Bizarre? You bet. But when the Irish beat LSU 27-9 in the 1981 season opener, I wondered if the former Cincinnati Moeller High School coach was a football savant.

As it turned out, he wasn’t the only one who looked like a coaching genius against then-LSU coach Jerry Stovall. The Tigers ended up 3-7-1, and Stovall was fired two years later following a second seven-loss season.

Faust was fired after five seasons. But that didn’t prevent him from getting a coaching job at Akron.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee Vols football fan unhappy with Neyland Stadium sound system