Tough talk

Why do football players go on television and give opposing teams tons of motivation? UT defenders made claims of superiority on the eve of the UT-Alabama annual match. True or not…what is gained by saying “we are better than they are at every position”?

• UT Line backer Steve Kiner was famous for a similiar remark. The Old Miss Rebels put a 38-0 whipping on the undefeated Vols after Kiner responded with "Archie Who?" when asked about him during the week leading up to the game.
• On another occasion someone was reputed to have said, "Those aren’t linebackers- them’s mules" (with unfortunate consequences).
• And finally there was the infamous 1979 lament, “what’s a Rutger?” Well the Scarlet Knights answered with a 13-7 victory.
  
  Poor mouthing your team in the fashion of Lou Holtz may be going too far in the opposite direction. Whatever happened to letting your on-field performance do your talking for you?