From The Bench

Measure of Success Lies With Georgia and Alabama Games


Robert Shields


After my 10-2 prediction last week for Razorback football, I heard from many who A) did not believe the Hogs would lose to Georgia and B) thought the Hogs more than likely would not beat Alabama. Maybe so, but I said the opposite in both cases and stand by those predictions at least until someone gets suspended the week before because of an incident on Dickson.

Beating the Crimson Tide will be difficult. Alabama has only lost two games in 28 outings over the last two years. They have gone through the last two regular seasons undefeated.

But I base my prediction on two things. Even with that stellar record, Alabama tends to play many of those teams close and is due for a surprise. They rely heavily on their defense to win games. They score their points and then play defense, which some are learning is how you do it in the SEC. Even playing horribly last year, the Hogs found themselves within a touchdown of Alabama in the third quarter.

Alabama will play the Razorbacks close again next year in Fayetteville, and it will cost them at the end on the road as I believe the Hogs with Ryan Mallett will move down the field and score once or twice in the fourth quarter.

On the other hand, Arkansas has its work cut out on the road in Athens, Georgia. If the Hogs win that first SEC game on the road against the Bulldogs, it shapes up for a great season. But we said that last year prior to losing to Georgia, and that was at home. Playing between the Hedges in Athens is one of the more difficult places to play in the conference. Also, no matter that he has struggled winning the SEC East, Mark Richt is one of the best coaches in the SEC. He outcoached Bobby Petrino in their first matchup.

All this led to my predictions for Georgia and Alabama. Here is to me being wrong on one of them and the Hogs win both. If they lose both, however, will the season come close to matching fan expectations?

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Soccer and the World Cup

I had a few friends who were excited about the World Cup. Personally, I could not have cared less. It’s soccer. I felt the media worked overtime trying to get people in the United States interested in it.

I know some still play soccer after they leave high school and coach their younger kids in some lame youth soccer program, and I am sure they cared. I just don’t get it – watching 90-something minutes hoping someone kicks a ball into the net? I don’t see soccer going ever becoming a major sport here, especially in Arkansas where most of the small towns don’t play it.

Americans crave instant action and instant scoring. Almost every major rule change in basketball and football has been to encourage more offense. I don’t see people in general watching half a day to see if a ball finally goes into a net to tie a game. Americans hate ties. Even baseball, which is very slow, sold its soul to guys jacking home runs because that’s what the American audience craved.

Team USA drew its largest television audience ever for a men’s soccer game in Saturday’s loss to Ghana. The irony is that it still did not draw as many viewers as the women did in 1999 when the girl took off her shirt at the end. This speaks volumes about the sport’s progression.

I know a few million Americans understand the sport. There are also a few million Americans who understand the Tour de France, but who cares about bike riding in France where the real race is to see who won’t get caught using performance-enhancing drugs? I believe that most people understand soccer and yet respect it as much as Hacky Sack.

I also get tired of hearing that the rest of the world loves soccer so therefore we should. We are apparently the exception in the adoration of this game. My answer these last few weeks to my soccer friends has been that I stopped worrying about what the rest of the world liked on July 4, 1776. I will be celebrating it in a few days.



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