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Rick Barnes wasn’t a fan of Tennessee players doing Gator Chomp after win over Florida
By Adam Spencer
Published:
After beating Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, the Tennessee Volunteers did the Gator Chomp as they were leaving the floor.
That was met with some national outrage, though Tennessee players claim it was a response to nasty things said by Florida fans.
On Monday, coach Rick Barnes said he addressed that incident with his team, saying he doesn’t like that it has caused a distraction (via APNews.com):
“When someone told me that happened, that’s the first thing I addressed after the game,” Barnes said Monday. “I don’t like it simply because I want total focus on the main thing. I think when those things happen, it’s going to be talked about.”
However, Barnes admitted that he wasn’t there to hear what was being said to his players. He added that he’s proud of them for keeping their emotions in check until the final buzzer had sounded:
“I also understand that I’m not out there an hour before the game with the student body,” Barnes said. “I’m sure there are some things that are being said, but we tell our guys we need them to control their emotions throughout the game. I think they did that. Sometimes when the game’s over like that, you let it out.
“It happens, but do I like that? When I was a kid, I probably would have, but I’m not a kid anymore. As a coach, I’m older now. I just want to play the game. I want our guys to learn from it.”
The Vols host Arkansas on Tuesday night, so we’ll see if it continues to be a distraction or if the team can put it behind them and continue their dominant play.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
