Tennessee fans take 'Fire Currie' chants from WWE ring to Vols basketball game

Tennessee fans, at least the vocal ones, have left no doubt about their feelings regarding athletic director John Currie.

On Monday, it started at WWE’s “Monday Night RAW” in Knoxville loud enough to be picked up on the TV broadcast.

By Wednesday it had migrated to Tennessee’s home basketball against Mercer, where fans appeared more interested in voicing their displeasure than the actual game action.

Chants of “Fire Currie” are now a thing in Knoxville, and they’re loud, persistent and evidently not going away anytime soon.

The anger stems from Tennessee’s botched attempt on Sunday to hire Greg Schiano as head football coach. After an eruption of outrage from the school’s fanbase on social media because of Schiano’s connection to Penn State, Tennessee reneged on the hire and released a statement from Currie in part as an attempt to put out the fire.

It didn’t work. Since the statement was released, social media has been filled with reports of coaching candidates passing on what once was considered a prime SEC coaching gig. And the calls for Currie’s head have rung throughout Knoxville, loud and clear.

So loud, in fact, that the Tennessee pep band was apparently instructed to play over the “Fire Currie” chants during Wednesday’s basketball game.

Needless to say, that didn’t go over well.

These are stressful times in Knoxville, indeed.