Tony Vitello appears to finally respond to Greg McElroy’s criticism of the way he celebrated the Vols’ national championship win
Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy was quite critical of the way Tony Vitello celebrated Tennessee’s championship win in Omaha in 2024.
Tony Vitello “blacked out” while celebrating the Tennessee Vols’ win in the final game of the College World Series in 2024.
Vitello, who recently resigned from Tennessee to become the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, didn’t hold back after the Vols took down the Texas A&M Aggies to claim the first national championship in UT baseball history.
Many Vols fans loved seeing the passion ooze out of Vitello moments after Tennessee won the national championship. Former Alabama quarterback and ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy, however, didn’t appreciate the way Vitello celebrated, calling it “embarrassing”.
“I just wish he doesn’t have the antics that he does,” said McElroy the next day. “He’s like a WWE character. It’s embarrassing. Seriously. I mean, to be an adult, I’d be appalled, I really would. I know he wins, and he’s great, and the kids love him, and he wins and all that stuff, but as the leader of my organization, I would have to have a little talking to him. I just would. It’s unbelievable.
“Like I said, it’s a tough team to root for. His antics after the game last night were embarrassing, seriously. Have some class. You just won a national championship. Have some class.”
McElroy offered an apology a couple of days later.
“Yesterday should have been a day of celebration of what Tennessee accomplished on the baseball field, as opposed to a streaming consciousness, basically diatribe, about all the things that are bothering me right now in my personal life and all the things that are bothering me right now with where we’re at in society,” explained McElroy. “So [I] apologize to Tony Vitello, apologize to Tennessee fans, to the Tennessee baseball program and know that I’m as happy for you for bringing it home last night, or two nights ago, as anybody that wears crimson and white in their college experience.
“So happy for that and it wasn’t the right place or time. So I want to make sure everybody understands that I’m very, very sorry and I will celebrate with you moving forward as opposed to being frustrated by little nitpicking moments that might have rubbed me the wrong way. I really, really apologize. It wasn’t right and it won’t happen again.”
Tennessee director of baseball operations Chad Zurcher tweeted a scathing response to McElroy’s comments several hours after the apology went public.
“I usually just let things like this go, but I can’t on the [Greg McElroy] thing,” wrote Zurcher. “Seven years with Tony Vitello. Does he wear his emotions on his sleeve? He does. But nobody works harder and wants to compete at the highest level like he does. First title in program history and you attack his character for eating ice and jumping into the crowd? Where were you at watching the entire post game instead of a few clips shown on TV? God forbid someone be happy on the program’s biggest day. Call me when you find the absolute perfect coach or person. I’ll be waiting.”
Tony Vitello appears to finally respond to Greg McElroy’s criticism
Vitello joined 104.5 The Zone’s 3HL in-studio last Friday and he appeared to briefly reference the McElroy comments (though he didn’t mention McElroy by name).
“I think I went a little too crazy for one of our friends over at ESPN,” said Vitello. “Good guy, we talked about it. I didn’t mind any criticism, because I acted like an idiot.
“But, you know what? When you beat Florida in an SEC game, you can’t act like an idiot. In football, I think you kind of can have a cigar or whatever. But in baseball, you probably play them the next day, but if you don’t, you might play them in Hoover (in the SEC Tournament). So for me, that was one moment where I just said the hell with it — I’m going to be who I am. And to honest with you, who I am is a pretty immature, having fun [kind of] guy who never really got to do it (celebrate a championship) as a player, so it’s been bottled up in me for a long, long time.”
I don’t recall anyone else at ESPN criticizing Vitello’s celebration, so it’s only fair to assume that he’s referring to McElroy.
As for Vitello’s comments, this is just another example of how humble and level-headed he is as a coach and person, despite his intense on-field moments (things happen in the heat of competition).
Good on Vitello and McElroy for squashing any beef between each other. Nothing good comes from that.
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