Tennessee baseball staffer offers strong response to Greg McElroy's comments about Tony Vitello
Former Alabama quarterback/ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy went viral this week for his comments about Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello. McElroy took exception to the way that Vitello celebrated after his team won a national championship on Monday night in Omaha. “I just wish he didn’t have the antics that he does,” said […]
Former Alabama quarterback/ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy went viral this week for his comments about Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello.
McElroy took exception to the way that Vitello celebrated after his team won a national championship on Monday night in Omaha.
“I just wish he didn’t have the antics that he does,” said McElroy on Tuesday during “McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning” on WJOX. “He’s like a WWE character. It’s embarrassing, seriously. 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 all that stuff, that’s awesome, but if that was a leader of my organization, I would have to have a little talking to him. I just would. It’s unbelievable."
“His antics after the game last night were embarrassing,” added McElroy. "Seriously….Have some class. You just won a national championship. Have some class."
McElroy issued an apology on Wednesday, though it wasn't exactly well received by a portion of the Tennessee fan base.
"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."
McElroy essentially apologized for making the comments on air, but not for the actual comments.
On Wednesday night, Tennessee director of baseball operations Chad Zurcher took to Twitter/X.com to address McElroy's comments.
"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."
I understand if McElroy doesn't like Vitello's style or the way he approaches the game. That's his prerogative.
But slamming Vitello as classless crosses the line.
McElroy is operating as though he's the gatekeeper of celebrations and how someone should act after winning a championship. And he's not. He doesn't get to decide what's acceptable and what's not.
The only opinions that matter when it comes to Vitello's actions are those of his players, his players' parents, his coaching staff, the administration at Tennessee, and his own parents. That's it. It doesn't matter what an ex-Alabama quarterback thinks. It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what opposing fan bases think.
So if Vitello's actions offended McElroy, then oh well. I don't think Vitello's losing sleep over what anyone in the media thinks about the raw emotion he showed in the biggest moment of his coaching career.
I think McElroy is a good analyst. I think he's mostly fair and I think he offers smart analysis when it comes to college football. But his take on Vitello wasn't necessary. And it definitely wasn't fair considering the blood and sweat that Vitello has poured into Tennessee's baseball program and its players.
Vitello is everything that's right about college sports — and not because of his celebration in Omaha, but because of everything that preceded the celebration. Building a program nearly from scratch while staying true to himself is admirable. And McElroy, unfortunately, can't see that because he was blinded by a man eating some ice on the field after winning a natty.
