Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
From the Bench
A Season to Remember – One Way or the Other
Robert Shields
I have been writing the From the Bench column for about 13 years, and in that time I have never really gotten excited about a Razorback football season like this one. Even when I have gone to the UA’s media day, I just don’t get very excited about seeing the coaches and players like some media members I’ve seen get almost giddy talking to them like it is more of a fan fest than the UA’s attempt to use them to splash every media outlet in the state with Razorback red. This was extremely true with the previous coach.
But I have to admit that I am excited about watching this season. Ryan Mallett is by far the best quarterback the Hogs have ever had. This may not translate into being the most successful, but on talent he is at the top. The offense returns intact with what some are suddenly calling the best receiving corps in the country, and this has added to my interest in the upcoming season.
I have not seen the fan base this excited about a season and their coach in a long time. I think there was a general excitement before the 2007 and 2008 seasons when the team also had a Heisman Trophy contender, but a lot of the fan base did not get to enjoy it as the pre-occupation with overthrowing the coach and all the off-the-field distractions.
In those two seasons, the off-the-field (and above-the-field) activity was greater than what was happening on the field for some. So even though the Hogs ran off 10 straight victories, some were more interested in the drama of Houston Nutt, the Springdale people, fan lawsuits, and everything else that was off the field. This is not the case going into this season. Hopefully, all the drama will be on the field.
But there is also another reason why I find this coming season fascinating without a snap yet to be taken. This will be a season to remember -- one way or the other.
You can tell with the way the fan base has been talking all summer that if the Hogs only win seven or eight games, it will be a big disappointment. Most see the schedule as easier this year and with the returning team mostly together, great things are expected. And I mean GREAT in all caps, maybe even and SEC West championship or an SEC overall championship and BCS bowl.
This is the year in Bobby Petrino’s career at Arkansas that will be extremely pivotal. If he only wins seven games, fans will start to turn on him. Conversely, if he wins 10, 11, 12, or the whole enchilada, he may be gone to a job that pays millions more than he makes now, such as at LSU or Michigan.
It should not be this way, but the environment of college football, especially in the ever tough SEC, makes it that way. In the SEC, if you do not contend for the national championship every year, some fans are disappointed. And they are very vocal about their displeasure.
A great example of this overzealousness can be seen no farther than across the border in Knoxville, Tennessee. Vols fans had a coach who brought them their only national championship in decades. He was only one year removed from being in the SEC championship game, and yet he was run off in favor of a guy like Lane Kiffin.
Tommy Tuberville has to feel the same way. He beat arch-rival Alabama six times in a row and brought them an undefeated season and maybe even a national championship if you throw out USC’s record. (Some weird group called the College Football Prognosticators Association did give Auburn the national championship that season with their award called the “Slabby.”)
I would also be willing to wager a bet that Les Miles, also just shortly removed from winning a national championship at LSU, is really feeling the pressure this year. I bet he wonders now if he should have gone to Michigan when the opportunity presented itself the first time (second chance coming in November).
Some fans are even getting impatient with the great coach at Georgia when all that he has done is win, win, and win consistently. Those Bulldogs fans must have short memories to not remember what it was like before he arrived at Athens.
With all that said, if Petrino underperforms this season, and that will be easy to do as expectations are stratospheric, he will start to feel the heat. It’s just how it goes in the SEC where football is so important to so many people who will fixate on the coach when their team’s fortunes go south – “fortune” being the appropriate word since there are incredible fortunes to be made from these football programs.
Starting this year, Petrino will receive a higher level of scrutiny than he has at any time in his career, even in Atlanta. If he is highly successful, how long does he stay around? Same question applies if he is not.
With the fans, this will be the watershed year. And with all the buildup for the 2010 version of Razorback football, anything less than nine wins could be a major disappointment.
It is virtually a make it or break it year for the Razorback football program.
Send your expectations to fromthebench@yahoo.com
Robert Shields
I have been writing the From the Bench column for about 13 years, and in that time I have never really gotten excited about a Razorback football season like this one. Even when I have gone to the UA’s media day, I just don’t get very excited about seeing the coaches and players like some media members I’ve seen get almost giddy talking to them like it is more of a fan fest than the UA’s attempt to use them to splash every media outlet in the state with Razorback red. This was extremely true with the previous coach.
But I have to admit that I am excited about watching this season. Ryan Mallett is by far the best quarterback the Hogs have ever had. This may not translate into being the most successful, but on talent he is at the top. The offense returns intact with what some are suddenly calling the best receiving corps in the country, and this has added to my interest in the upcoming season.
I have not seen the fan base this excited about a season and their coach in a long time. I think there was a general excitement before the 2007 and 2008 seasons when the team also had a Heisman Trophy contender, but a lot of the fan base did not get to enjoy it as the pre-occupation with overthrowing the coach and all the off-the-field distractions.
In those two seasons, the off-the-field (and above-the-field) activity was greater than what was happening on the field for some. So even though the Hogs ran off 10 straight victories, some were more interested in the drama of Houston Nutt, the Springdale people, fan lawsuits, and everything else that was off the field. This is not the case going into this season. Hopefully, all the drama will be on the field.
But there is also another reason why I find this coming season fascinating without a snap yet to be taken. This will be a season to remember -- one way or the other.
You can tell with the way the fan base has been talking all summer that if the Hogs only win seven or eight games, it will be a big disappointment. Most see the schedule as easier this year and with the returning team mostly together, great things are expected. And I mean GREAT in all caps, maybe even and SEC West championship or an SEC overall championship and BCS bowl.
This is the year in Bobby Petrino’s career at Arkansas that will be extremely pivotal. If he only wins seven games, fans will start to turn on him. Conversely, if he wins 10, 11, 12, or the whole enchilada, he may be gone to a job that pays millions more than he makes now, such as at LSU or Michigan.
It should not be this way, but the environment of college football, especially in the ever tough SEC, makes it that way. In the SEC, if you do not contend for the national championship every year, some fans are disappointed. And they are very vocal about their displeasure.
A great example of this overzealousness can be seen no farther than across the border in Knoxville, Tennessee. Vols fans had a coach who brought them their only national championship in decades. He was only one year removed from being in the SEC championship game, and yet he was run off in favor of a guy like Lane Kiffin.
Tommy Tuberville has to feel the same way. He beat arch-rival Alabama six times in a row and brought them an undefeated season and maybe even a national championship if you throw out USC’s record. (Some weird group called the College Football Prognosticators Association did give Auburn the national championship that season with their award called the “Slabby.”)
I would also be willing to wager a bet that Les Miles, also just shortly removed from winning a national championship at LSU, is really feeling the pressure this year. I bet he wonders now if he should have gone to Michigan when the opportunity presented itself the first time (second chance coming in November).
Some fans are even getting impatient with the great coach at Georgia when all that he has done is win, win, and win consistently. Those Bulldogs fans must have short memories to not remember what it was like before he arrived at Athens.
With all that said, if Petrino underperforms this season, and that will be easy to do as expectations are stratospheric, he will start to feel the heat. It’s just how it goes in the SEC where football is so important to so many people who will fixate on the coach when their team’s fortunes go south – “fortune” being the appropriate word since there are incredible fortunes to be made from these football programs.
Starting this year, Petrino will receive a higher level of scrutiny than he has at any time in his career, even in Atlanta. If he is highly successful, how long does he stay around? Same question applies if he is not.
With the fans, this will be the watershed year. And with all the buildup for the 2010 version of Razorback football, anything less than nine wins could be a major disappointment.
It is virtually a make it or break it year for the Razorback football program.
Send your expectations to fromthebench@yahoo.com
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Lose the game; win the SEC Media Days
Send the buffet-grazing, WiFi-crashing media horde home from Hoover, the winner of the SEC Media Days has been found — Vanderbilt's interim head coach Robbie Caldwell.
Pat Forde of ESPN declared it the best press conference in SEC history. And, as we all know, if it's the best in the SEC then it's the best in the ENTIRE NATION!
With a thick Southern drawl, he spoke about ...
Highlights
Full transcript
Pat Forde of ESPN declared it the best press conference in SEC history. And, as we all know, if it's the best in the SEC then it's the best in the ENTIRE NATION!
With a thick Southern drawl, he spoke about ...
• On his anonymity: "I can still walk in places and nobody knows me. Last night I was opening the door for people and they gave me a tip. I thought, hey, that's great. How can you get it any better than that?"
• On his anonymity, even among his peers: "I got to see Coach Spurrier today, Coach Richt. They have no idea who I am."
• On continuing Johnson's ban on cussin': "You know, I'm no angel, that's for certain. ... But, you know, it's just a sign of limited vocabulary sometimes. I know y'all can't tell it, but I do have an education."
• On growing up in a small town: "My first hourly paying job was on the turkey farm. I don't know if I could tell you what my job was, but I was on the inseminating crew. That's a fact. I worked my way to the top. That's a fact, man. If you don't believe it, call Nicolas. Of course, I think they're defunct now. Best job I ever had, got paid by the hour for the first time. That was about '68, '69. That's what we did every afternoon."
Highlights
Full transcript
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
UCA: Finally a real Division I program!
Because, honestly, you can't be a serious football school without some controversy.
Clint Conque admits "inappropriate relationship"
Clint Conque admits "inappropriate relationship"
Monday, July 19, 2010
From the Bench
Summer Barbecue Raises Questions About Mallett’s Injury
Robert Shields
After years of holding the Little Rock Razorback Club’s annual Hawgs Illustrated summer barbecue at Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Little Rock, the venue changed this year to Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, which had a very nice set-up with room to grow. The size of the crowd seemed comparable to years past at Holy Souls, though, yet different faces. I assume it came from more North Little Rock people attending and others expecting fellowship.
This was the second year in a row that Coach Bobby Petrino missed the event that is now going into two decades. Let me remind you that I was the first to call for Houston Nutt’s firing, but Nutt never missed these and once when it was held in the concourse of War Memorial Stadium there were several people so fired up they were ready to suit up and hit the field. I will start to wonder if Petrino is AWOL again next year that is unless there is a new basketball coach and then everyone will want to see him.
The most concerning thing I heard all night was about starting quarterback and Heisman hopeful Ryan Mallett. Many Arkansas fans already have him in the SEC championship game and winning the Heisman, but it is just starting to dawn on some in this state that Mallett hasn’t been able to run since February and practice is three weeks away.
One person in the know said if Mallett were at a position like receiver or running back, he might be “done” because of the motions required by those positions. But he said all they expected Mallett to do was take a few steps and throw the ball.
I sincerely hope this injury with Mallett is not graver than we have all been led to believe since the season rides so heavily on him and his health. You have to wonder if the old or new physician group performed the surgery. If you remember the old group was booted from treating the Razorbacks because they wouldn’t ante-up donations. Some might be wondering if one group of physicians might have had him on the field by now. We also don’t know that much about his surgery as he may be well ahead in the healing process. Mallett last week said everything is on schedule even though he missed the Archie Manning Camp.
The barbecue’s first speaker, Defensive Coordinator Willy Robinson, made a comment that made even the North Little Rock crowd clap when he said the Hogs have three home fields in Fayetteville, Little Rock, and Dallas, and that’s how they coaches sell it to recruits, who especially get excited about the thought of playing in the Cowboys Stadium at least four times during their careers as Razorbacks where friends and family can see them play.
But it was what Robinson said about playing in War Memorial Stadium that got an especially loud reaction -- he said the team loves playing in Little Rock and that the players get sky high on the bus and bounce around “like balloons.”
The biggest surprise of the night for me was Robinson, who thankfully has returned to sporting the trademark mustache. I had never heard him speak in front of a large group, and his wit and dry sense of humor was worth the trip to North Little Rock, though perhaps I would have enjoyed it less without the overflowing plate of Corky’s.
Robinson said the pistol offense brought by coach Chris Klenakis (fondly called Coach K by his counterparts) would be used but it is to be seen how often. My guess is that if Mallett and the protected foot is on the field, you won’t be seeing this formation unless Brandon Mitchell comes on to replace him.
Robinson fielded questions from the audience like the pro he is. He more or less promised the defense would be better, rattled off factoids about several of the players, and said the move of Rudell Crim to the safety position was working out well. He talked the most highly of Little Rock Catholic’s Jake Bequette and said he mentions the kid everywhere he goes and that he does all the right things.
Robinson did so well at the podium with the crowd that the first words out of Tim Horton’s mouth were that if he had known Willy was going to be that good; he would have asked to go first. Horton said that the hope is that the freshman kickers Eduardo Camara out of Texas and Zach Hocker from Russellville will be able to contribute in some fashion in the kicking game this year.
A question was raised about punt return. Horton admitted that this area has been lacking for some time, and then asked when was the last time the Hogs had a capable punt returner. He then paused, and said “me.” Horton was joking. But the crowd applauded in an it’s-funny-because-it’s-true sort of way.
I talked to Horton after the banquet and said that people often laugh at humor because there is a hint of truth in it. There was a hint of truth that Horton was the last capable punt returner, and that has been the case for some time. Horton mentioned to the crowd he hopes Marquel Wade, an incoming freshman, will help the spot this year.
Horton was also very proud to mention that a lot if not most of the offensive guys this year seeing action will be from Arkansas -- many from the Little Rock area, and they will be that much more excited on the bus trip as it rolls down Markham Street twice a year.
Send your concerns to fromthebench@yahoo.com
Follow the comments on this column at Hogville.
Robert Shields
After years of holding the Little Rock Razorback Club’s annual Hawgs Illustrated summer barbecue at Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Little Rock, the venue changed this year to Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, which had a very nice set-up with room to grow. The size of the crowd seemed comparable to years past at Holy Souls, though, yet different faces. I assume it came from more North Little Rock people attending and others expecting fellowship.
This was the second year in a row that Coach Bobby Petrino missed the event that is now going into two decades. Let me remind you that I was the first to call for Houston Nutt’s firing, but Nutt never missed these and once when it was held in the concourse of War Memorial Stadium there were several people so fired up they were ready to suit up and hit the field. I will start to wonder if Petrino is AWOL again next year that is unless there is a new basketball coach and then everyone will want to see him.
The most concerning thing I heard all night was about starting quarterback and Heisman hopeful Ryan Mallett. Many Arkansas fans already have him in the SEC championship game and winning the Heisman, but it is just starting to dawn on some in this state that Mallett hasn’t been able to run since February and practice is three weeks away.
One person in the know said if Mallett were at a position like receiver or running back, he might be “done” because of the motions required by those positions. But he said all they expected Mallett to do was take a few steps and throw the ball.
I sincerely hope this injury with Mallett is not graver than we have all been led to believe since the season rides so heavily on him and his health. You have to wonder if the old or new physician group performed the surgery. If you remember the old group was booted from treating the Razorbacks because they wouldn’t ante-up donations. Some might be wondering if one group of physicians might have had him on the field by now. We also don’t know that much about his surgery as he may be well ahead in the healing process. Mallett last week said everything is on schedule even though he missed the Archie Manning Camp.
The barbecue’s first speaker, Defensive Coordinator Willy Robinson, made a comment that made even the North Little Rock crowd clap when he said the Hogs have three home fields in Fayetteville, Little Rock, and Dallas, and that’s how they coaches sell it to recruits, who especially get excited about the thought of playing in the Cowboys Stadium at least four times during their careers as Razorbacks where friends and family can see them play.
But it was what Robinson said about playing in War Memorial Stadium that got an especially loud reaction -- he said the team loves playing in Little Rock and that the players get sky high on the bus and bounce around “like balloons.”
The biggest surprise of the night for me was Robinson, who thankfully has returned to sporting the trademark mustache. I had never heard him speak in front of a large group, and his wit and dry sense of humor was worth the trip to North Little Rock, though perhaps I would have enjoyed it less without the overflowing plate of Corky’s.
Robinson said the pistol offense brought by coach Chris Klenakis (fondly called Coach K by his counterparts) would be used but it is to be seen how often. My guess is that if Mallett and the protected foot is on the field, you won’t be seeing this formation unless Brandon Mitchell comes on to replace him.
Robinson fielded questions from the audience like the pro he is. He more or less promised the defense would be better, rattled off factoids about several of the players, and said the move of Rudell Crim to the safety position was working out well. He talked the most highly of Little Rock Catholic’s Jake Bequette and said he mentions the kid everywhere he goes and that he does all the right things.
Robinson did so well at the podium with the crowd that the first words out of Tim Horton’s mouth were that if he had known Willy was going to be that good; he would have asked to go first. Horton said that the hope is that the freshman kickers Eduardo Camara out of Texas and Zach Hocker from Russellville will be able to contribute in some fashion in the kicking game this year.
A question was raised about punt return. Horton admitted that this area has been lacking for some time, and then asked when was the last time the Hogs had a capable punt returner. He then paused, and said “me.” Horton was joking. But the crowd applauded in an it’s-funny-because-it’s-true sort of way.
I talked to Horton after the banquet and said that people often laugh at humor because there is a hint of truth in it. There was a hint of truth that Horton was the last capable punt returner, and that has been the case for some time. Horton mentioned to the crowd he hopes Marquel Wade, an incoming freshman, will help the spot this year.
Horton was also very proud to mention that a lot if not most of the offensive guys this year seeing action will be from Arkansas -- many from the Little Rock area, and they will be that much more excited on the bus trip as it rolls down Markham Street twice a year.
Send your concerns to fromthebench@yahoo.com
Follow the comments on this column at Hogville.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Best of the LeBron nWo videos
Someone really needs to play the nWo theme when Cleveland comes out for the shoot around, whether it is home or away...
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Fun with Feedjit
Intrepid readers of Poolsville have likely noticed the snooping tool ... err, analytics software ... that displays the hometowns of visitors to this blog. It also tracks how people got to the site like this ...
Burnaby, British Columbia, population 216,336 ... saaaaaaalute!
And remember "Barnaby, British Columbia" spelled backwards is "Geez, you're a pervert ain't ya?"
Burnaby, British Columbia arrived from google.ca on "Poolsville: Brey Cook, LeBron James and the silly season" by searching for how big is lebron james cock.
Burnaby, British Columbia, population 216,336 ... saaaaaaalute!
And remember "Barnaby, British Columbia" spelled backwards is "Geez, you're a pervert ain't ya?"
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Brey Cook, LeBron James and the silly season
Last night, Brey Cook, a highly-touted offensive lineman from Springdale, announced his decision to play football for Arkansas beginning in the fall of 2011. Well, kind of. He issued an oral commitment which is completely non-binding. He could change his mind between now and Signing Day in February. He could change his mind a dozen times and orally commit to every Division I school in America.
Yet at least two of the three NWA TV stations decided to carry this momentous occasion live during the 6 p.m. news. But not during sports. Instead, during the first segment known as the "A block" among TV types. The TV producers didn't have the stones to tell a high schooler "No, if you want to do this live our sports segment starts at 6:20. We can do it then."
As I've said before, oral commitments are like engagements, Signing Day is the wedding ceremony. Sure, you might have an engagement party, but the wedding is usually a much more lavish affair. Yes, you get your engagement announcement in the paper, but I don't remember the last time the DG devoted an entire page to a society engagement the way they do society weddings.
I'm beginning to think the wedding analogy is fitting in another way. These high-school athletes are turning into Bridezillas. In fact, as long as they're turning this announcements into ceremonies, they should do it up right.
Perhaps inspired by such foolishness, LeBron James is working out a deal to announce his selection of an NBA team during a live one-hour ESPN special on Thursday night. At least James will actually be signing some paperwork at his media appearance and not just announcing he plays to play for Team X ... but with the understanding he might change his mind between now and the start of the season.
Hopefully James will have various NBA caps on a table in front of him and do the idiotic reach-for-this-cap-stop-reach-for-that-one-stop-grab-the-third-one-and-put-it-on-his-head move.
Oh well, at least Cook gave the in-state talk shows something to discuss. They can take a break from doing a week-by-week prediction of which games CBS will take or whether ESPN GameDay will be in Fayetteville (not Little Rock, Matt) or debating Heisman contenders a full five months before the award is given or discussing whether Hazen will repeat as 2A-6 champions.
Yet at least two of the three NWA TV stations decided to carry this momentous occasion live during the 6 p.m. news. But not during sports. Instead, during the first segment known as the "A block" among TV types. The TV producers didn't have the stones to tell a high schooler "No, if you want to do this live our sports segment starts at 6:20. We can do it then."
As I've said before, oral commitments are like engagements, Signing Day is the wedding ceremony. Sure, you might have an engagement party, but the wedding is usually a much more lavish affair. Yes, you get your engagement announcement in the paper, but I don't remember the last time the DG devoted an entire page to a society engagement the way they do society weddings.
I'm beginning to think the wedding analogy is fitting in another way. These high-school athletes are turning into Bridezillas. In fact, as long as they're turning this announcements into ceremonies, they should do it up right.
Perhaps inspired by such foolishness, LeBron James is working out a deal to announce his selection of an NBA team during a live one-hour ESPN special on Thursday night. At least James will actually be signing some paperwork at his media appearance and not just announcing he plays to play for Team X ... but with the understanding he might change his mind between now and the start of the season.
Hopefully James will have various NBA caps on a table in front of him and do the idiotic reach-for-this-cap-stop-reach-for-that-one-stop-grab-the-third-one-and-put-it-on-his-head move.
Oh well, at least Cook gave the in-state talk shows something to discuss. They can take a break from doing a week-by-week prediction of which games CBS will take or whether ESPN GameDay will be in Fayetteville (not Little Rock, Matt) or debating Heisman contenders a full five months before the award is given or discussing whether Hazen will repeat as 2A-6 champions.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
From the Bench
How Do I Know It’s Summer?
Robert Shields
During the summer, the sports call-in shows get slow and the topics get bizarre. So here goes my elementary list of how I know it’s summer in Arkansas:
How do I know it’s summer? When someone calls into Drive Time Sports to explain to Rick Schaeffer and Randy Rainwater how Knute Rockne actually pronounced his name. You also know it’s summer when Randy asks the caller when they go to the break if the caller wants to hold or fold (this is Randy nomenclature for staying on the line). This means there is nothing else to talk about right now in this Razorbacks-only state except how to pronounce names, so please hold so we can fill more time before Gentle Ben calls into the show.
How do I know it’s summer? When callers are discussing on Drive Time Sports about the possibility of Notre Dame going to the Big 10. This is SEC country, and you’re going to bring up a school hundreds of miles away in the north to ask if it’s going to join a conference that it has shown no interest in going to at all? On the upside for Notre Dame, you know you’re still a major power in Arkansas when they still want to discuss your school’s alignment even when the new Hooten’s just came out (available at Kroger and Barnes & Noble among other fine outlets – now please send me a copy for this free promotion).
How do I know it’s summer? When Bo Mattingly has someone on from Auburn on his radio show. I mean, Auburn? The only people who care about Auburn in Arkansas are the Davis family in Little Rock and the Malzahnites in NWA.
How do I know it’s summer? When Drive Time Sports has a caller who wants to discuss soccer and the topic is punted to another topic like NASCAR and ends with Schaeffer talking about what a beautiful day it is in northwest Arkansas.
How do I know it’s summer? Someone will bring up Arkansas and Arkansas State playing each other. During the season, this question gets dumped quickly. But it will get air time in the summer, and the hosts of call-in shows will tackle this issue with vigor from both sides.
How do I know it’s summer? The Great Stadium Debate will reemerge as the two home stadiums for the Hogs are compared and contrasted – and it’s not even me bringing it up! I may do an initial kickoff of this topic next week. I think New Shanklin needs a history lesson to get him up to speed before he makes a blunder that alienates two-thirds of the state.
How do I know it’s summer? Wally Hall will write a column about some guest speaker speaking somewhere at some charity event. All for a good cause, but the chance of it being written about during the season is less likely.
How do I know it’s summer? The coach of the Petit Coat Dragons will be interviewed for three hours on Friday and it will be filled with gaffes and jokes. Wait, that happens during football season also.
How do I know it’s summer? The scouting report from T. Biddy will be about some kid in the seventh grade rather than commitments from kids who will sign in a few months.
How do I know it’s summer? The hosts on the call-in shows take off frequently leaving you with guest hosts. This typically leads to a lot of yucking it up with the remaining regular host and the guest host that should have been handled before the “on air” light went on.
How do I know it’s summer? At least every other caller is going to chime in with their prediction of how the Hogs are going to do. Right now my unscientific survey seems to indicate it will be 10-2 from callers. My hunch is that is the starting bid as expectations will grow by September.
Lastly, how do I know it’s summer? I start to worry about ticket prices in the future and how it will be handled by the interlopers with multiple titles in the athletic department going forward. Many fans that I hear from are afraid that tickets will be handled more in a fashion of what-have-you-done-for-me lately than be based on lifetime giving – which will again alienate a lot of lifetime Razorback fans who don’t view a publicly funded state university solely as a business that must make money for its investors. My hunch is that if the ticket office moves to such a policy, there will be another major turnover in the athletic department.
How do you know it’s summer? Send your ideas to fromthebench@yahoo.com and I just might make a column out of your mail, which is another sign it’s summer.
Robert Shields
During the summer, the sports call-in shows get slow and the topics get bizarre. So here goes my elementary list of how I know it’s summer in Arkansas:
How do I know it’s summer? When someone calls into Drive Time Sports to explain to Rick Schaeffer and Randy Rainwater how Knute Rockne actually pronounced his name. You also know it’s summer when Randy asks the caller when they go to the break if the caller wants to hold or fold (this is Randy nomenclature for staying on the line). This means there is nothing else to talk about right now in this Razorbacks-only state except how to pronounce names, so please hold so we can fill more time before Gentle Ben calls into the show.
How do I know it’s summer? When callers are discussing on Drive Time Sports about the possibility of Notre Dame going to the Big 10. This is SEC country, and you’re going to bring up a school hundreds of miles away in the north to ask if it’s going to join a conference that it has shown no interest in going to at all? On the upside for Notre Dame, you know you’re still a major power in Arkansas when they still want to discuss your school’s alignment even when the new Hooten’s just came out (available at Kroger and Barnes & Noble among other fine outlets – now please send me a copy for this free promotion).
How do I know it’s summer? When Bo Mattingly has someone on from Auburn on his radio show. I mean, Auburn? The only people who care about Auburn in Arkansas are the Davis family in Little Rock and the Malzahnites in NWA.
How do I know it’s summer? When Drive Time Sports has a caller who wants to discuss soccer and the topic is punted to another topic like NASCAR and ends with Schaeffer talking about what a beautiful day it is in northwest Arkansas.
How do I know it’s summer? Someone will bring up Arkansas and Arkansas State playing each other. During the season, this question gets dumped quickly. But it will get air time in the summer, and the hosts of call-in shows will tackle this issue with vigor from both sides.
How do I know it’s summer? The Great Stadium Debate will reemerge as the two home stadiums for the Hogs are compared and contrasted – and it’s not even me bringing it up! I may do an initial kickoff of this topic next week. I think New Shanklin needs a history lesson to get him up to speed before he makes a blunder that alienates two-thirds of the state.
How do I know it’s summer? Wally Hall will write a column about some guest speaker speaking somewhere at some charity event. All for a good cause, but the chance of it being written about during the season is less likely.
How do I know it’s summer? The coach of the Petit Coat Dragons will be interviewed for three hours on Friday and it will be filled with gaffes and jokes. Wait, that happens during football season also.
How do I know it’s summer? The scouting report from T. Biddy will be about some kid in the seventh grade rather than commitments from kids who will sign in a few months.
How do I know it’s summer? The hosts on the call-in shows take off frequently leaving you with guest hosts. This typically leads to a lot of yucking it up with the remaining regular host and the guest host that should have been handled before the “on air” light went on.
How do I know it’s summer? At least every other caller is going to chime in with their prediction of how the Hogs are going to do. Right now my unscientific survey seems to indicate it will be 10-2 from callers. My hunch is that is the starting bid as expectations will grow by September.
Lastly, how do I know it’s summer? I start to worry about ticket prices in the future and how it will be handled by the interlopers with multiple titles in the athletic department going forward. Many fans that I hear from are afraid that tickets will be handled more in a fashion of what-have-you-done-for-me lately than be based on lifetime giving – which will again alienate a lot of lifetime Razorback fans who don’t view a publicly funded state university solely as a business that must make money for its investors. My hunch is that if the ticket office moves to such a policy, there will be another major turnover in the athletic department.
How do you know it’s summer? Send your ideas to fromthebench@yahoo.com and I just might make a column out of your mail, which is another sign it’s summer.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Best guess for the coming season
If it is summer, it must be time for college basketball!
Okay, okay, I realize that probably only applies to me and the 21 sports information directors I’m currently harassing for Lindy’s College Basketball.
(Soon to be on newsstands in like months, so buy a copy and revel in my brilliance.)
Anyway, between that and the current mafia story* I’m covering for my real job, my mind drifts to college football in times like these and I’ve been thinking about Arkansas’s role in the world of college football.
Despite having lived in Arkansas for roughly 26 of my 40 years, I missed the Razorbacks kool-aid that was served at mighty Elgin B. Milton Elementary in Ozark.
So, somehow, I never became much of a fan of the Piggies. Then the downward spiral, at least to some, continued as I began to openly mock The Program. But it sure was fun flinging those FCA lollipops at TCU’s horny frog back in the day.
Life progressed, college football became a livelihood and the idea of being a fan, of any sports team, became repugnant to me.
With that out of the way, let’s examine Arkansas’s role in college football’s terra firma.
And without question, it isn’t where the Razorbacks fans think it is. Arkansas is, at best, a second-tier school, that to challenge in the conference, a team in the SEC West needs to be on probation and ineligible for the title.
The scenario for a national title usually involves something like 23 steps and lots of luck with better teams losing both early and late.
Here’s the thing, on the former, no team in the West is on probation (yet) for this season, and on the latter, even if Arkansas somehow runs the table and goes undefeated, the Razorbacks still won’t play for a national title.
Book it.
If Ohio State and Boise State go undefeated, a realistic possibility for both, they’ll play for the national championship.
Both are preseason top five schools and won’t have to climb the polls.
If Arkansas is ranked, and that’s a giant guess, it will be 18th to 25th. The cupcake con-conference schedule, really Tennessee Tech, won’t win them any points from pollsters.
So there you go. Too long a road and too many good teams to play in the conference.
Arkansas won’t go undefeated. Bobby Petrino has yet to win a road game in the SEC during his tenure, and that September game at Athens looks, well, it looks like Petrino’s streak will continue.
But it isn’t just that, Arkansas has to get some defense, and lots of it. Plus, a reliable place kicker to win the occasional close game.
At last report the kicker and the defense still haven’t reported to campus.
For next time: A look at the conference expansion and contraction and why Arkansas really isn’t in the South, but not really anywhere else either.
* Many thanks to regular Poolsville reader and D*G columnist Linda Calliouet (maybe, I can’t remember how to spell it but Word suggests "Calliope") for printing in her paper verbatim, and without any attribution, passages from my Arkansas mafia coverage.
Okay, okay, I realize that probably only applies to me and the 21 sports information directors I’m currently harassing for Lindy’s College Basketball.
(Soon to be on newsstands in like months, so buy a copy and revel in my brilliance.)
Anyway, between that and the current mafia story* I’m covering for my real job, my mind drifts to college football in times like these and I’ve been thinking about Arkansas’s role in the world of college football.
Despite having lived in Arkansas for roughly 26 of my 40 years, I missed the Razorbacks kool-aid that was served at mighty Elgin B. Milton Elementary in Ozark.
So, somehow, I never became much of a fan of the Piggies. Then the downward spiral, at least to some, continued as I began to openly mock The Program. But it sure was fun flinging those FCA lollipops at TCU’s horny frog back in the day.
Life progressed, college football became a livelihood and the idea of being a fan, of any sports team, became repugnant to me.
With that out of the way, let’s examine Arkansas’s role in college football’s terra firma.
And without question, it isn’t where the Razorbacks fans think it is. Arkansas is, at best, a second-tier school, that to challenge in the conference, a team in the SEC West needs to be on probation and ineligible for the title.
The scenario for a national title usually involves something like 23 steps and lots of luck with better teams losing both early and late.
Here’s the thing, on the former, no team in the West is on probation (yet) for this season, and on the latter, even if Arkansas somehow runs the table and goes undefeated, the Razorbacks still won’t play for a national title.
Book it.
If Ohio State and Boise State go undefeated, a realistic possibility for both, they’ll play for the national championship.
Both are preseason top five schools and won’t have to climb the polls.
If Arkansas is ranked, and that’s a giant guess, it will be 18th to 25th. The cupcake con-conference schedule, really Tennessee Tech, won’t win them any points from pollsters.
So there you go. Too long a road and too many good teams to play in the conference.
Arkansas won’t go undefeated. Bobby Petrino has yet to win a road game in the SEC during his tenure, and that September game at Athens looks, well, it looks like Petrino’s streak will continue.
But it isn’t just that, Arkansas has to get some defense, and lots of it. Plus, a reliable place kicker to win the occasional close game.
At last report the kicker and the defense still haven’t reported to campus.
For next time: A look at the conference expansion and contraction and why Arkansas really isn’t in the South, but not really anywhere else either.
* Many thanks to regular Poolsville reader and D*G columnist Linda Calliouet (maybe, I can’t remember how to spell it but Word suggests "Calliope") for printing in her paper verbatim, and without any attribution, passages from my Arkansas mafia coverage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
