KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Southeastern Conference is known for passionate fan bases and festive tailgating. The scene outside Neyland Stadium before a Tennessee home game, however, is on a different level altogether.
Water level.
kAmp3@FE 2 BF2CE6C\>:=6 5@H?9:== 7C@> }6J=2?5 =:6D E96 %6??6DD66 #:G6C[ 9@>6 @7 E96 '@= }2GJ] |6>36CD @7 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?[ @3G:@FD=J '@=F?E66C 7@@E32== 72?D[ D2:= :?E@ z?@IG:==6 7C@> =@42E:@?D 24C@DD 62DE6C? %6??6DD66 E@ 5@4< 2E '@=F?E66C {2?5:?8] u@C H2C>\H62E96C 82>6D 2?5[ 6DA64:2==J[ >2E49FAD 282:?DE p=232>2 2?5 u=@C:52[ FA E@ a__ @C >@C6 3@2ED D9@H FA] pD <:4<@77 7@C $2EFC52JVD |:DD@FC: 82>6 2AAC@24965 :? 49:==:6C[ >:5\}@G6>36C H62E96C[ E96 2CC:G2=D 2AA62C65 E@ 36 76H6C E92? E92E]k^Am
kAm%96 '@= }2GJ :D 2 7C:6?5=J 3F?49j :E >@C6 @C =6DD 92D E@ 36[ 4@?D:56C:?8 3FD:6C 52JD C6BF:C6 3@2E6CD E@ E:6 FA E@ AC6G:@FD=J\5@4<65 G6DD6=D[ 2?5 E92E 42? =625 E@ C@HD @7 `_ E@ `d 3@2ED DEC6E49:?8 @FE :?E@ E96 C:G6C] |@DE @7 E96 8C@FA 925?’E D9@H? FA 3J `_ 2]>] @? E9:D 3C:D< $2EFC52J >@C?:?8[ 3FE `_ 3@2ED @C D@[ :?4=F5:?8 2 9F86 @C2?86 4964<6C65 @?6[ 925 2=C625J 2CC:G65 2?5 5@4<65 3J uC:52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kAmqC:2? y@9?D@?[ ce[ C6=2I65 :? @?6 @7 E9@D6 G6DD6=D W2 be\7@@E C64C62E:@?2= 4C27EX 2D 96 2E6 2 3C62<72DE @7 D4C2>3=65 688D[ D2FD286 2?5 3:D4F:ED H:E9 9:D H:76[ !2>6=2[ cb[ 2?5 EH@ D@?D[ }:49@=2D[ `d[ 2?5 }2E92?[ h] p H9:E6 :?7=2E23=6 %6??6DD66 96=>6E[ 23@FE c 766E E2==[ C6DE65 ?62C E96 3@2E’D 3@H] |:?:2EFC6 A6??2?ED DECF?8 23@FE D:I :?496D 2A2CE 2?5 564@C2E65 H:E9 2? @C2?86 “%” 9F?8 7C@> 2 C2:= DEC6E4965 2C@F?5 E96 7C@?E @7 E96 D9:A] p?5 @? E@A H2D 2 =2C86 @C2?86 7=28 564@C2E65 H:E9 2 D<F== 2?5 4C@DD3@?6D 2?5 E96 A9C2D6[ “'@= }2GJ]”k^Am
kAm#:89E ?6IE “5@@C” :D !2>6=2 y@9?D@?’D A2C6?ED’ 3@2E[ H96C6 96C D@?D @7E6? DA6?5 2 76H 9@FCD 7@C 42C5 82>6D 2?5 @E96C AC6\<:4<@77 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am
kAm$E6A :?D:56[ 2?5 |255:6[ 2 `b\J62C\@=5 q@DE@? E6CC:6C[ 9@33=6D @G6C 7@C 2 8C66E:?8] s@H?DE2:CD :D E96 72>:=J’D E6>A@C2CJ 9@>6i 2 5@F3=6 365 :? @?6 4@C?6C 7@C E96 A2C6?ED[ 2 =:EE=6 4@G6 :? 2?@E96C 4@C?6C H96C6 E96 <:5D 42? D=66A 2?5 A=2J |2556? @C vC2?5 %967E pFE@ @? E96:C )3@I[ 2 32E9C@@> H:E9 D9@H6C[ 2?5 2 D>2== <:E496? 2C62 — 2== 4@>A=6E6 H:E9 962E:?8 2?5 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8] xE’D 2 DE6A FA 7C@> E96 `g\7@@E D<: 3@2E E96 72>:=J E@@< E@ @442D:@?2= 82>6D 367@C6 @77:4:2==J ;@:?:?8 E96 '@= }2GJ :? a_`c]k^Am
kAm“*@F W925X 2 4@@=6C 2?5 2 3F?49 @7 A6@A=6[” qC:2? y@9?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 8C6H FA 2 %6??6DD66 72?[ 2?5 !2>6=2 y@9?D@? 2EE6?565 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ] }@H[ E96J’C6 D62D@?\E:4<6E 9@=56CD[ 3FE E96J 5@?’E 2=H2JD FD6 E96 3@2E E@ 86E E@ 82>6D — E9:D :D @?=J E96:C D64@?5 6IA6C:6?46 :? E96 '@= }2GJ E9:D J62C] %96J 2=D@ 42>6 7@C E96 “%9:C5 $2EFC52J :? ~4E@36C” 82>6 282:?DE p=232>2] %96 =2C86DE 3@2ED DE2CE 2CC:G:?8 >:5H66< 7@C E9@D6 82>6D[ 2?5 DA@ED 2C6 E2<6? @? 2 7:CDE\4@>6[ 7:CDE\D6CG65 32D:D] $@>6 rC:>D@? %:56 72?D 6G6? ;@:?65 E96 8C@FA[ >2<:?8 E96 EC:A 7C@> E96 r92EE2?@@82 2C62 @C ?@CE96C? p=232>2]k^Am
kAm“t2C=J :? E96 D62D@?[ :E’D :?D2?6[” qC:2? y@9?D@? D2:5] “%96J A2CEJ F?E:= E96 H66 9@FCD @7 E96 >@C?:?8]”k^Am
kAm“%96J 5@?’E DE@A A2CEJ:?8 WF?E:= E96J =62G6 E96 5@4<D @? $F?52JX[” }:49@=2D y@9?D@? 49:>65 :? 7C@> E96 D>2== 4@G6[ 27764E:@?2E6=J ?2>65 E96 “|2? r2G6]”k^Am
kAm|@DE A6@A=6 <?@H 9@H A@AF=2C '@=F?E66C 7@@E32== :D :? %6??6DD66[ 3FE E96J >:89E ?@E 36 2H2C6 @7 E96 ?F>6C@FD =2<6D :? E96 2C62 E92E 3C665 2 DEC@?8 3@2E:?8 4@>>F?:EJ] p?5 :E ECF=J :D 2 4@>>F?:EJ] x? E96 '@= }2GJ[ E9@D6 @? E96 @FE6C>@DE 3@2ED >FDE EC2G6CD6 D6G6C2= @E96C G6DD6=D @? E96:C H2J E@ E96 5@4<D] ~7E6?E:>6D[ E9@D6 :? E96 3@2ED E96J 2C6 4C@DD:?8 :?G:E6 E96> E@ DE@A 2?5 C6=2I H:E9 2 5C:?<]k^Am
kAm“x7 2?J3@5J 2CC:G6D E9:D >@C?:?8 2?5 E96J H2?E E@ E:6 FA[ J@F ;FDE 5C@A D@>6 76?56CD 2?5 96=A E96> E:6 FA[” qC:2? y@9?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm“p?5 J@F 42? 36 7C:6?5DP” }2E92? y@9?D@? 25565]k^Am
kAm“*6A[ E96J’C6 J@FC ?6:893@CD 7@C 2 H9:=6]”k^Am
kAm%6??6DD66 72?D[ @7 4@FCD6[ =@G6 E@ E2=< 4@==686 7@@E32==[ 3FE E96 255:E:@?2= 3@2E:?8 4@??64E:@? >2<6D 7@C 2 ECF=J 5:776C6?E 2E>@DA96C6 :? E96 '@= }2GJ] qC:2? y@9?D@? 56D4C:365 :E 2D 2 72>:=J F?:E65 3J EH@ 566A=J 76=E A2DD:@?D]k^Am
kAm“W!6@A=6X H2?E E@ 36 A2CE @7 D@>6E9:?8 E92E :D F?:BF6 E@ %6??6DD66[” 96 D2:5] “x E9:?< :E’D 364@>:?8 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 962C5 23@FE 2?5 E2=<65 23@FE]k^Am
kAm“xE’D BF:4<=J 364@>:?8 @?6 @7 E96 EC25:E:@?D @7 %6??6DD66 7@@E32==]”k^Am
kAmk6>m$FA6CG:D:?8 65:E@C :D |:4926= z?:D=6J]k^6>mk^Am