The Tennessee Volunteers are set to face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide this coming weekend, and not without controversy.
Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer spoke with the media ahead of the tough week of practice. The coach stated that the game against Tennessee would in fact be a tough matchup, however that message failed to fully make it to the fans. An AI generated video displaying coach DeBoer saying Neyland Stadium is “loud, but not that loud. We will be fine,” was quickly sent around.
It is currently unclear who did so in the first place, but the Tennessee Volunteers fan accounts managed to get hold of the video. Many of the fan accounts reported on the video as if it were real, which has led to many using the video as motivation for the upcoming game. The motivation is nice, however, it is being generated from a comment and video that simply never was real.
— Legends of Lindsey Nelson (@VolCreatures) October 15, 2024
The wide and fast spread of the video again shows the dangers of AI-voiced content that has been created. Other coaches and players have had similar videos made of them making inappropriate comments, which actually puts the DeBoer video on the tamer side. However, it is still dangerous as the post has attracted over 500,000 impressions across multiple platforms.
Two notable Volunteers news accounts both fell for the video, and created content that was then spread across social media. Particular on X (Formerly known as Twitter), where some of the retweets have over 150,000 impressions.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer had this to say about the matchup in Knoxville on Saturday… 😳
Vol Nation better prove him wrong. 🍊 pic.twitter.com/TZkxMmKnkh
— Tennessee Volunteers (@Volology) October 15, 2024
Is this man dumb?
pic.twitter.com/d8nGQj8E8J— CHANNEL TN (@CHANNEL_TN_) October 15, 2024
The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Florida Gators at Neyland this past weekend, winning 23-17 in a close game. The Volunteers must play arguably one of the hardest games left on the schedule when Alabama visits. Tennessee must also travel to Georgia to face the Bulldogs later in the season, which could also be considered the toughest remaining game.
Some Volunteers fans were quick to realize the video was fake, citing another video that was posted of DeBoer speaking with the media. In the credentialed video, DeBoer was seen wearing completely different attire, and also heard speaking in a slightly different voice.
Kalen DeBoer is asked about the Alabama / Tennessee rivalry, including the tradition of lighting up cigars after a Tide victory #rolltide pic.twitter.com/pNY0M9rZPU
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) October 14, 2024
Tennessee Volunteers Set For Tough Battle Despite Off-Field Fan Controversies
Regardless of how fans on either side of the fence react to various false videos and images online, the Volunteers and Crimson Tide should put on an amazing game.
No matter what fanbase people go to, there will also be false content that is spread around as a sort of motivational tactic. However, the content rarely reaches the intended target, and often discredits the integrity of various individuals along the way. In this case, luckily, it seems as though the falsehood of the video has been clearly stated and fans are starting to realize that.
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