Bryce Brown Really, Totally, Probably Leaving Tennessee

According to newly-minted Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley, Bryce Brown's self-imposed exile could end any time Bryce Brown wants it to. Emphasize the latter part of that condition one more time for us, Coach:

"I don't think he's coming back, but if he wanted to, the first thing I'd do is talk to our team to see if they'd want him back," Dooley said. "I think at the end of the day, our team would welcome Bryce back, if that's what he wanted to do.

"But Bryce is going to have to want to come back. He's not going to be easy. He's not going to be handed anything. I'm not going to make a recruiting pitch to get him."

This may seem a bit icy, but make no mistake: Dooley's detachment is cool relief to both a team and a fanbase sick of a coach who showcased Brown in scoring drives as a recruiting tool at the expense of playing time for Tennessee's stable of green but talented backs who weren't fortunate enough to come to Knoxville equipped with their own "manager." The sooner Brown gets off to someplace where his presence can be overappreciated again, the better for all involved.