BRINGIN' THE HATE FOR OLE MISS

I miss the old Southwest conference rivalries, but I was happy when we changed – mostly because of Texas.  I hate the Horns, always have and always will, but the obsession with that one solitary game and team each year was not healthy for Hog fans.  Only one game was even on the schedule for some, and now it's happening again.  Surprisingly, in a year we play the hated Horns, THAT team is to the east.   

Everyone had been forced ad nauseum to hear the many tales of Houston Nutt's sins against the Razorback team, the recruits, the program and all humanity in general until even those in support of the coach were ready for a change to be made.  The TV sportscasters and newspaper guys went on and on about how charged up the entire state was about Bobby Petrino's employment as the head coach and the fantastic wide open balanced offense to follow.  Instead, ticket sales were not much different than the last several years, and the Razorback Radio Network couldn't even sell all of the statewide sponsorships. 

Now, the same media guys want to regale again all of the past, as each of their stories this week point out how the returning ex-coach is enemy number one.  "Houston Nutt brings his Rebels to Fayetteville Saturday, and Bobby Petrino and his team is fired up about it!"  But then the coaches and players have a different take.  The players respect the man - all but one of them committed to come hear and play for him.  Anyone who thinks they won't try with their all to win this game for their team is either deluded or stupid.  What does the head coach say?  "I have absolutely nothing against Houston Nutt. He did a great job here. He was here for 10 years - very, very, very well-respected coach. We're competing against him this week, so we want to beat him."  Doesn't quite match the venom some are craving. 

For 10 months, we've heard that the reaction when the coach comes out will be like nothing ever witnessed, but I don't believe the opposing coach is ever introduced.  Don't we always generally boo the opponents, especially those from the SEC?  And some Hog fans don't share the hateful attitude that some want to believe unites us all.  After being embarrassed by the way the Nutt children were treated at school events, the shame of the national spotlight on the 2-dozen man marches, lawsuits, banners and such – there are some lifelong Razorback fans that wish for a loss because it would serve those right.  OOOOooooo!!! That just makes the black shirts want to scream even louder!  But, after the boos, cheers and indifference rain on the visitors and the ball is kicked off, the coaches and teams say it will just be like any other game...

Most Razorback fans just want to know who'll win.  Both squads are 3 and 4.  Arkansas did some things right against Alabama but were on the wrong end of a 49 to 14 score.  Ole Miss nearly beat them last week.  The Hogs played well for a half hosting Florida, but the Rebels finished the job – winning at the Swamp.  Even without a huge question mark beside Michael Smith's roster spot, it doesn't look good for the pitchfork and torches few. 

It will be great, though, to have all those who are filled with so much hate aiming at the enemy for a change.

"Huggers" and "Haters"

Hate seems to be driving a good deal of sports discussion on the radio and internet.  It used to be about trying to say something funny or clever, but now it always seems to be about slapping someone down in order to build yourself up. 
"Owned!" 
Once you've drawn a line in the sand, you get really defensive to try and make sure everyone knows you are right – even if they really don't know who you are.  The vast majority of Razorback fans want to support the Hogs, no matter the record, the players or the coaches.  But you don't hear much from them – unless you start a Hog call.  The fans who have been most vocal have screamed 'hugger' and 'hater'  at each other so much the last several years that many still seem antagonistic and spiteful. 
Is it silly?  Of course. 
Am I guilty?  Yep. 
If I had a dollar for every time I've been called a hugger or had derogatory statements made because I supported Houston Nutt when he was our coach I wouldn't need to win the lottery!  But I am anxiously and eagerly anticipating a football game where we don't call a timeout after a commercial timeout, where we keep all offensive options open and will be willing to keep doing what is working, and where the coach responsible for great wins is willing to accept the blame for horrible decisions.  Sound more like a hugger or a hater? 
Odd, there's no one left to hate, and all this expended on someone who is no longer here seems rather useless.  Yet, if you want to genereate response on a talk show or message board, just start talking about Nutt.  In fact, almost every comment praising Bobby Petrino is accompanied by some comment about how things "are better now" - And that is the part with passion.  I'd really like to hear and discuss what is happening now instead of slapfests over someone who's gone and being constantly told to go to Oxford. 
Ain't rooting for the Weebils. 
Never have. 
Never will. 
Grow up – and I'll try to do the same. 

I Just Don't Understand

Heard the song "Parents just don't understand" on the radio yesterday, and was struck by the vast array of different ways we've seen and heard Will Smith over the decades since.  It also reminded me that there are some things I just don't get, either...   

I don't understand why more Hog fans don't come to baseball games in bigger numbers.  I know, they will when the weather is 75 degrees or over, but there's not a stadium in Arkansas you can sit in for a complete game without eventually thinking its too cool or too hot.  Arkansas fans have so many options in sports that they are seldom charged about any team not nationally ranked.  I guess that's OK.  Games like the Centenary series opener are reserved as a little slice of heaven for the few of us there.

I don't understand how so many people continue to loudly claim proof that we have no pitching, when we continue to have performances on the mound like Travis Hill's 6 innings of shutout work combined with Evan Cox's similar 3 innings.  The Gents were 13-4 coming in, and managed to load the bases in the 3^rd – but other than that, the Razorback staff put 3 down for each 3 up every other inning for crying out pity sakes loud.  Sam Murphy – today's starter at 3 – Dallas Keuchel and several others have put in plenty of quality stretches lately.  I still contend there are more quality arms on this staff than usual, we just got spoiled knowing Schmidt was good for at least 6 or 7 every Friday.  The bats are still banging the Home Runs – I don't see how we're gonna keep Darr's bat out of the line-up and I don't see how fans think Cisterna's prowess behind the plate is not worth only an occasional quality appearance at it. Even when they are getting beat, these Hogs seem to have that never-quit attitude we Razorbacks fans expect and admire.  Well, except for Georgia – and that's another thing I don't understand:  Why does a come-back from a 9 run deficit on Saturday take the momentum away from us for the rest of a home weekend, but we can't make that work FOR us against LSU?  

I don't get what "a tradition unlike any other" means.  Isn't EVERY tradition unlike any other?  It's a golf tournament.  The winner gets a green jacket.  It's pretty.  It's ancient.  It's tradition – something major league baseball seems to have tossed out the window.  A 5 am opening day half a world away?  The goobers that run this sport killed a world series for a strike and allowed and encouraged the players to inject themselves with enough performance enhancers to besmirch the entire record book, but it continues to survive and thrive a great deal due to tradition.  Opening day is valuable.  It was bad to let ESPN have the first game the night before, but this may really scar a lot more fans.

I don't understand how Bobby Petrino expects Razorback Stadium to be full for the Red-White game.  It's true that not much else is scheduled – last year featured baseball, the Arkansas Derby and bad weather – and its true that fans are excited about a new coach and a new start.  But the previous weekend will have the Real Deal on the Hill, SEC baseball and a home appearance by the legendary track program.  Yankees and West-coasters think there's nothing to do in Arkansas, and I'd prefer that to remain their opinion so they'll quit moving here in droves.  Alabama may be able to nearly fill a stadium for a spring scrimmage – would have filled it had it not been for that pesky no smoking policy – but they're still clinging to some resurrection theory of the Bear, and that shell of the football program is all they've got.  Maybe I'll be wrong, but I suspect the folks who think we can get more than 30 thousand have been reading message boards too much.

I don't understand how our coaches get no credit for keeping in-state talent at home, but get roasted when one of those decides to go elsewhere.  I don't understand why one of the best and brightest of those, Freddie Fairchild, doesn't think his future is important enough to preserve.  Battery and false imprisonment?  Yikes! 

Did you know that many women are having there toes surgically shortened so that they can wear expensive shoes?  I just don't understand…

My Congratulations To Chuck Barrett!!

As hoped, it looks for sure that Chuck Barrett will be adding football play-by-play to his baseball announcing duties with the University along with the ARN sports reports in the mornings.  This will allow Scott Inman to be available to take Mike Nail's spot when he decides to hang it up.  It would seem that everything has worked out for the best. But you are going to hear some wailing and gnashing of teeth with claims such as "I'll just listen to the other team's radio" or "This is only being done to slap us in the face."  The folks making this kinds of comments will be easy to identify.  Same crowd that wanted to donate to a statewide newspaper ad and participate in the 2 dozen man march.  Same type who think FOIs and lawsuits are how "real fans" are supposed to support the program they claim to love.  You'll also find that the overwhelming majority of these have something in common - a history of either posting on, reading or moderating the Hogville message board.  

I was watching a replay of the 2002 Alabama game in the rain.  I think a great deal of those who read the daily  - sometimes hourly - messages from Hogville or some of it's many spawns would be quite surprised to find out Houston Nutt has ever had any offense besides right tackle, left tackle, smoke draw and punt.  For 2 years this clan has incestuously huddled together and repeated their mantra so often that they believe it, and have convinced many others that it is so.  But watching film from other years just proves it is not so.  Three and 4 receiver sets, pass after pass...
Do I think that we have needed to get our passing attack to at-least-adequate for some time?  Yes.
Did I think the Vanderbilt loss was essentially the long-needed end of Houston Nutt serving as his own Offensive Coordinator?  Yes.
Was I unhappy about 2 losing seasons?  Yes.  But last year was just the first of what I plan to be one of my rewards for sticking with it then.
The problem is - these folks worked themselves into a pitchforks and torches frenzy where they stated that they wanted Houston Nutt gone at any cost.  And that agenda still rings today with every action and reaction.  Now, after endless hopeful predictions of the demise of our head coach, rumors upon rumors of buyouts, a half page ad, black T-shirts, a weak protest, FOI requests, lawsuits and polls - the very people instigating and supporting such action now try to say "Let's put all this behind us".  Hey, twit, you clowns are the ones who wanted it in front of us.  Giggled with glee about it getting to the national media.  Only - the reaction around the country was to scratch their heads and wonder what was wrong with the fans in Arkansas.

We have a Heisman trophy candidate in Darren McFadden, a big-time receiver in Marcus Monk and an All-American defensive candidate in Jonathan Luigs - each of who has stated their support for their coach and asked their fans to unite behind all of them.  Along with Felix Jones, Peyton Hillis and on and on playing a favorable yet still dangerous SEC schedule, the season should be anticipated anxiously and with great hope.  But you can tell quickly who don't want to see promise or actually hope against it.  They'll be the ones reading conspiracy and doom into Chuck Barrett just moving up a chair in the booth he's been working in for years.  Hey, I'm 'Hognoxious' at the baseball games - I know a little something about being a jerk. And I'll tell those folks the same thing I've heard a time or 2 - "SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!!"  

New AD for the U of A

For many years, I have thought - if and when the time ever came to replace Frank Broyles - that the only three candidates should be Terry Don Phillips, TDP and TDP.  He played under Frank Broyles from 1966-1969 and was his graduate assistant from '70-71. His undergraduate and law degrees are from Arkansas, and he's a member of the Arkansas Bar Association. His brother Lloyd is both a state and university Hall Of Famer.  He left here to be AD at Oklahoma State, and did a great job there.  Most thought he was biding his time until he came back home (I know, he's a Texan by birth, but considering that history - Arkansas is home. His hometown of Longview, Texas, isn't very far)

While there's not much buzz here about what's going on, my friends at Clemson are quite up in arms about the situation.  As father time marched on and he never got the call from the Razorbacks, he took the Clemson AD position in 2002 in what seemed to be a marriage made in heaven.  He has built facilities, hired good coaches and handled controversy - and the folks in South Carolina want and intend to keep him.  When questioned last Tuesday, his response twice was, "I don't have to cross that bridge yet."   Not exactly the dismissive attitude Tiger fans were hoping for.

Some folks here want a guy with no previous ties to get the job here at the UofA.  That's silly.  Not as ridiculous as the notion that Terry Don Phillips would be just a puppet for Frank Broyles, but silly nonetheless.  This man has been a successful athletic director at 2 BCS schools,  and would do the job as HE sees fit.  His many previous ties to the UofA would smooth the transition greatly, and a man with his experience will be able to handle the job independently.

I think there is no better choice.  I hope to hear more weeping and gnashing of teeth from Clemson.  I like Terry Don Phillips statement "I've got strong allegiances, but that doesn't mean it overrides everything." and sincerely hope he can find his way home.

What's happened to the Hog's bats??

When you look at attendance figures for the SEC, you see Razorback fans set the bar in the most attended conference in America. 8 out of the top ten home crowds in the SEC were at Baum.  We averaged over 8000 per game - the only team to do that. But when you look closer to the numbers, you see that we had less home games than any other conference team.

But Hog fans once again packed the stands to watch their team lose a series - which has happened 3 times this season.  How can this be?  Mid-season this team was looking like a lock for a national seed, but some are doubting we will even host a regional, now.

I'm not.
Here's how things are going to go:

The Hogs play Alabama on Wednesday morning in the Alabama Invitational, sometimes known as the SEC Tournament.  If you are going to have to play the Tide with their home crowd, 10am on a weekday is the right time to do it.  The tourney is double elimination, and the Razorbacks have to remember how to win before they lose 2.  They will - you can take it to the bank.  If we can get to the Sunday championship game, we just might get back in the picture for a Top 8 seed in the NCAA.

Then we will be hosting four teams come the first of June (one of them might be Texas A&M or Oklahoma State, since they may have played themselves out of hosting this past weekend).  I see us being matched with a low national seed - right now I'd guess San Diego or Missouri - that hasn't got top-notch campus facilities and might not survive their own regional.  Remember the best news, everything changes come regional time - we get umpires with better-than-SEC-mentality.  The Nick Schmidt then Jess Todd 1-2 punch is perfect for us to start each of these tourneys, and if we can find those missing bats we can make some loud post season noise.

On the other hand (as a friend reminded me this weekend) the tournaments are mostly a crapshoot anyways. If Brady Toops' long fly ball doesn't clear the fence, the 2004 team doesn't advance out of the regional just like 2003, 2005 and 2006. If Brian Walker's long fly hits the wall or goes over, who knows how far the Hogs would have gone last year.

Also, I want to address the current discussion about who will be do radio play-by-play for the Razorbacks.  Mike Nail is still in those seats, but even my buddy Mike would admit that he ain't gonna be in them forever.  We learned long ago that we really shouldn't have the same voice for both, and I think the very best situation for Razorback fans in five years or so would be if Scott Inman was doing basketball play-by-play - he's proven to be great at it, and Chuck Barrett can slide from his third chair in the football broadcasts to the first chair as well as doing the baseball.  Hog fans are the winners all around.

What Have We Got So Far This Season?

We have some good experience on the road for some non-conference game.
We got a revenge win over the ORU my-number-is-so-golden-you-can't-read-it Eagles.
We start the conference season on the road against an undefeated team and end the first weekend tied for first place.

A decent start.

But the loss of Seibert reminds us of seasons past when a stocked cupboard looked so suddenly bare.  What looked like a sure thing in the bullpen now starts on Saturdays.  I thought Todd was going to end up like Phil (Can't Touch This) Stidham.  Truth be told, I still think he should be there.  What kind of baseball fan doesn't think he knows better than the coach, at least about something??  Dave Van Horn says, "There's no use in having somebody for the late inning if we can't get to the late innings."  And he generally seems to know better than me.  Quit laughing.

No matter how over rated Kentucky may or may not have been, winning the series down in that dump is big.  Look at the conference standings:  The team at the bottom of the West is the team with the best overall record, and the worst overall record in the East is in first place.  There may be plenty of near-.500 conference records by really good teams.

Now number 1 Vanderbilt comes to town.  There have been several series that were looked at a being as big, but I can't recall a regular season game being any bigger than Friday night's matchup of Schmidt and Price.  Probably means there'll be 25 runs scored...

See you this weekend!