The Blog Hawgs

Sports & Pop Culture for the Arkansas Man

Can you hear me now?

Posted by Brett Kincaid on January 17, 2012

Coach said WHAT?! (Allegedly)

According to allegations made by former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, the KC brass had no problem hearing what Haley said.  The Kansas City Star got a helluva scoop this weekend, citing comments from Haley that claimed his former bosses bugged his offices and tapped his phones.  Peter King, for my money the gold standard of NFL reporting, takes a look at the allegations in his Monday Morning Quarterback column.

King properly points out that Haley better produce evidence – fast:

 

If he has proof or something more than simple paranoia, out with it — and expose the team for something incredibly scurrilous. If not, that’s a damaging rap to lay on someone, or an organization. Haley needs to set the record straight.

If Haley ever wants to be a head coach in the NFL again, he better clear this up immediately.  His overall lack of productivity on the field coupled with his abrasive personality may prevent that no matter what happens in Kansas City.  But making criminal allegations against team officials creates a whole new ballgame.  If Haley is wrong, he could be out of coaching at the NFL level for good.

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Quarterback Tyler Wilson to Return to Arkansas for 2012 Season

Posted by Adam Butler on January 13, 2012

The University of Arkansas Sports Information Department just released a statement advising that 1st-Team All SEC Quarterback Tyler Wilson will return to The Hill for his Senior season.

In recent days, All-SEC running back Knile Davis and play-making wide receiver Cobi Hamilton have announced their intentions to return to Arkansas for the 2012 season and forego the NFL Draft, as well.

We are very glad we were wrong on this. We can’t wait to get the band back together.

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“ESPNT(ebow)—Are You Kidding Me?

Posted by Adam Butler on January 13, 2012

The stalwarts of snarky at deadspin.com bring us this breakdown of ESP*I*N’s new record for the number of mentions of Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow in an hour of programming. It’s mind-boggling.

True story: I was flipping channels the other day and went to ESPN. Tebow was being discussed. I quickly flipped to ESPN2. Tebow was being discussed. I kept flipping to ESPNNews and Tebow was being discussed. I mean….really? A trifecta?

I know his Howard Cosellian level of love/hate response generation is ratings gold, but it is almost as if ESPN is “all in” and is parodying itself at this point.

They love Tebow even more than Tebow loves Tebow (and that is A LOT OF LOVE)…..speaking of……I think BlogHawgs reader and contributor Kris Boyd has hit on the reason *I* get so sick of College Football Baby Jesus–Tebow–he doesn’t practice what he preaches. SEE Matthew 6: 1-8.

I will admit I am grudgingly  beginning to believe in divine football intervention. Tebow has had as good of a run of luck as any player in recent NFL history.

At this rate I half expect another “Spygate” scandal to erupt and New England to be forced to forfeit this weekend’s divisional playoff matchup with the Broncos.

Please, God. I am begging you. Make it stop.

Posted in Commentary, Sports | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

NWC Report for 1/13/12

Posted by Jeff on January 13, 2012

It’s been a while since I reported anything but this week has been newsworthy in NWA.

Paul Bradley was arrested in connection with the incident.

In case you missed it, a wild story of a man kidnapping an elderly lady, strapping what he called a bomb on her leg and forcing her to go withdraw $10,000 from an Arvest bank branch made national news.

The alleged kidnapper, Paul Bradley was captured after authorities tracked him buying equipment on a hardware store video and using an outstanding traffic ticket warrant to search his home.  It turns out he and the victim’s husband had coffee together regularly.

 

 

 

 

The Heir to the 'X'.

On Thursday, firefighters and police were called to the building that houses Friend of BlogHawgs, Jon Williams on KXNA (104.9 the X).  A man had set fire to a garage apartment next door and tried to set the radio station ablaze as well.  He then locked himself in the station.  Once extracted, he was arrested.  The man is Jonathan Butler, the son of Butler Broadcasting owner, Steve Butler. (READ: “ALLEGEDLY” into each of the last 4 sentences in this paragraph) Jonathan Butler has had several arrests recently including one five years ago after he rammed a Hummer into a house.  No one was injured in the fire and all Butler radio stations are still on the air.

 

 

The OPO (how’s that for a flashback?) is getting a new tenant and maybe a new owner. The Fayetteville A&P Commission is going to rent it for a year to house events displaced by the closing of the Hilton, Raddison, Cosmopolitan Hotel.  They are also leasing the downstairs to local artists.

A Springdale Motel was shuttered by the city this week.  Lots of crime and bug problems apparently.  Paywall there but it does mention both a Duggar and EJ’s dad in the same article.

Posted in News | 1 Comment »

One More Dig at the Former Mississippi Coach

Posted by Brett Kincaid on January 11, 2012

Forbes.com, via Yahoo! Sports, compiled a list of College Football’s Greediest Coaches.  This a ranking based on a coach’s salary – relative to that of other head coaches at his school – and his team’s W-L record this season.  I was immediately enthralled.  It links sports and economics, so I found little about it not to love.

 

I’ll let the experts explain:

The list relies on our Greed Premium metric, which measures each coach’s salary as a percentage of the average salary for head coaches of all sports at his school last year. We applied this metric to coaches with losing records in 2011, utilizing data from USA Today’s database of college football head coach salaries and the U.S. Department of Education’s financial records for each school. Our list is also limited to those coaches whose earnings were in excess of $1 million in 2011.

For folks on the other side of the river, your hatred of the Former Mississippi Coach is about to go up a few notches.  On the other hand, though, at least Mississippi made one Top 5 list this year.

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

This is the Best Game Day Fan Poster Ever

Posted by Adam Butler on January 10, 2012

From an Arkansas State fan with a healthy sense of humor. Just…..brilliant.

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

All-SEC Running Back Knile Davis Returning to Arkansas in 2012

Posted by Adam Butler on January 10, 2012

After rampant speculation that Knile Davis, Arkansas’ oft-injured, but exhilarating (when healthy) running back would declare for the NFL draft, he announced today he will be returning to Fayetteville for the 2012 season.

“I have made the decision to return to the University of Arkansas for the 2012 season as I am determined to help this program accomplish the goals we have set in place. My injury was unfortunate, but I feel I have worked extremely hard for the opportunity to lead the Razorbacks on the field. Through my setback last season, I remained positive and was committed to persevering and I plan to apply those principles to this year’s team. I believe Coach (Bobby) Petrino is the best coach in America, and he has put this program back on the national stage. He has instilled in everyone the expectation to be great and that we will win championships.

Arkansas finished in the Top 5 in all 3 major national polls (5th, 5th and 4th in the AP, Coaches and BlogHawgs Select 17 polls, respectively) and depending upon other additions and subtractions at Arkansas and across the country, could enter next season as one of the favorites to win the BCS Championship.

Posted in News, Sports | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Select 17 – Final Poll

Posted by Brett Kincaid on January 10, 2012

As quickly as it arrived, the college football is now officially a memory.  After three months of regular season games and a month of bowl games, Alabama has emerged as the BCS champion.  The Crimson Tide also claimed the top spot in the BlogHawgs.com Select 17 after dispatching LSU in relatively easy fashion last night in New Orleans.  My intent was to vote for LSU in the top spot if the Tide won a close game, but Nick Saban’s ferocious defense made it easy to vote Bama #1 this morning.

As for the Arkansas Razorbacks, they received a bit more love here than in the national polls – to no one’s surprise I’m sure.  The Cotton Bowl champs finished 11-2 on the year, ranked #4 in our final poll.  Two road losses to #1 and #2 teams in the country are the only two black marks on the Razorback record this year.  Expectations are already set very high for 2012, especially if Tyler Wilson returns for his senior season in Fayetteville.

It was a lot of fun to provide these rankings each week again this year.  Thanks to our voters and readers for making it worthwhile.  We’ll be back this fall to track another SEC-dominated college football season.

Rank Team Votes LW
1 Alabama (9) 153 2
2 LSU 144 1
3 Oklahoma St. 133 4
4 Arkansas 125 6
5 Oregon 120 7
6 Stanford 106 3
7 Boise St. 94 9
8 South Carolina 91 13
9 Michigan St. 64 12
10 Wisconsin 62 10
11 Michigan 61 17
12 USC 50 14
13 Baylor 46 NR
14 TCU 36 NR
15 West Virginia 23 NR
16 Kansas St. 20 16
17 Oklahoma 19 15

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Pony Express Yourself

Posted by Brett Kincaid on January 10, 2012

Former SMU running back Craig James may have been too stupid for ESPN fans, but he looks just smart enough to be a Senate candidate in Texas.

Posted in Politics | Tagged: , , , , | 6 Comments »

Changes at Baum

Posted by Brett Kincaid on January 9, 2012

So far today we have hit football and basketball, so let’s make it a Razorback trifecta and talk baseball.  News comes today that George Cole Field at Baum Stadium will look a little different this season.  After years of long fly outs to the right field power alley, the Razorback athletic department is ready to move the fence in 10 feet.  The changes will be ready for this season.  From Matt Jones:

The normal southwest winds in the spring create a disadvantage for left-handed hitters, knocking down several balls that would likely be home runs otherwise.  It’s something Van Horn said has been used against his program in recruiting left-handed power hitters.

Dirty recruiting practices in baseball.  Man…the SEC really is THE power conference in America.

Anyone who has ever suffered through a brutally cold day at the ol’ ballpark in Fayetteville in February and March knows all about those brutal winds.  This is a smart move for the long-term health of the program.  With the changes made last season with college baseball bats, any move to create offense is a smart one.

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Arkansas Guard B.J. Young Named SEC Freshman of the Week

Posted by Adam Butler on January 9, 2012

This won’t be the last time Arkansas Guard B.J. Young is honored by the SEC. The kid is legit.

If you haven’t seen Young play, yet, you are missing a real treat. He has the quickest first step of any Razorback in my lifetime, and I am old.

If you can make it out to Bud Walton Arena, check out Young and the rest of this team. The Hogs (12-3, 1-) are a tough out at home and Razorbacks Head Coach Mike Anderson is putting some of the building blocks in place to revitalize the long dormant Arkansas basketball program.

Arkansas’ B.J. Young, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound freshman guard from St. Louis, Mo., was named SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 20.5 points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist in wins over Savannah State and 15th-ranked Mississippi State. Young scored 24 points in 23 minutes, going 10-13 from the floor with two assists and two steals in Arkansas’ upset of Mississippi State. His 24 point effort is the second best by a Razorback freshman in school history and is tied for the second best by any player in a Southeastern Conference opener against Savannah State he scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

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Remembering Hawg Ball: SEC Storied, “40 Minutes of Hell” Edition

Posted by Adam Butler on January 9, 2012

Just when Arkansas Basketball Coach and Nolan Richardson protegé Mike Anderson has his Razorbacks (12-3, 0-1) rolling with 7 straight home wins (including a 98-88 whipping of 15th-ranked Mississippi State at Bud Walton Arena Saturday) ESPN has begun to market its upcoming documentary, SEC Storied: 40 Minutes of Hell, which will air on February 11, 2012, at 8 PM Central on ESPNU and most assuredly re-run in perpetuity on the ESPN family of networks.

It joins similar recent works by ESPN (on Michigan’s Fab Five) and HBO (On Jerry Tarkanain’s juggernaut at UNLV) that romanticize college hoops in the late 80s and 90s–a period that is quickly staking claim to being a golden era of college basketball, and causing us to long for the days when the sport was much more than a 5-week national fancy.

Enjoy.

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

BlogHawgs Razorback Rewind: 2012 AT&T Cotton Bowl Edition

Posted by Adam Butler on January 9, 2012

An emerging truism in college football is that Bowls are often decided by which team wants to be there the most.

After shaking off a staticky start, and separating themselves from any clinging disappointment they felt after missing an opportunity to play for the SEC and/or BCS Championship (and then being denied a second-consecutive BCS Bowl bid by a rule prohibiting more than 2 BCS bids per conference) the  Arkansas Razorbacks  whipped Kansas State 29-16 in Jerry World Friday night, showing they were 100% Cotton (Bowl) and they aren’t shrinking from ever-increasing expectations surrounding the program.

What We Saw:

  • Arkansas capped a historic season by posting its 11th win. The Razorbacks have only reached that plateau 3 times in the 117-year history of the program. And, the win will likely launch the UA into a Top 5 spot in the final national polls for the first time in 34 years.

 

  • Arkansas senior wide receiver and punt returner Joe Adams probably gained the most from the win. With an electrifying, 51-yard punt return TD–his 4th of the season and 5th of his career, Joe cemented his place as the best punt returner in the nation and arguably the most explosive one in school history. He also probably bumped his NFL draft stock up a round or two.

 

 

  • It was a wonderful debut for new Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Haynes. The Razorbacks Defense held Kansas State quarterback and media darling Collin Klein (who tied a Big 12 single-season record with his 27th rushing touchdown) to just 42 yards rushing on 24 carries (1.8 yards per attempt) and 211 total yards. The Hogs battered Klein all night racking up 7 sacks and knocking him down several more times. I am not sure how much credit Haynes can rightfully be given considering he as been on the job less than a month and is still learning his new players’ names, nevermind their strengths and weaknesses. But, if Arkansas’ noticeably improved tackling carries over into the 2012 season, we will be the first ones telling the Hogs’ foes,”Wait til we get our Haynes on you!”.

 

  • Arkansas’ D.D. Jones recorded the first head-to-helmet tackle in our memory–with a full man beard to boot. It was emblematic of Jones’ disruptive night, one of the best of his UA career. He “only” had 3 tackles but he was a disruptive force while adhering to his gap control responsibilities. In other, not-so ”pseudo football intellectual” words, he did his job, and did it well, but didn’t try to selfishly do too much.

 

  • The “Quad Squad”–Arkansas Wide Receivers Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, Cobi Hamilton and Greg Childs– made big plays in the win. Childs’ performance–5 catches for 48 yards (3 of which resulted in succesful 3rd-down conversions) has been a long time coming, and was well-deserved. Before suffering a knee injury late last season, Childs was Arkansas’ go-to receiver and seemed to be a sure-fire 1st-round NFL draft pick. Most of this season,  though, he looked unsure and unhealed. Now, with his late season surge, if Childs has a good showing at the NFL Combine, he could become a popular sleeper pick.

 

  • Childs isn’t the only Arkansas senior coming off of a knee injury with a shot to silence doubters and play for pay next year. Arkansas running back Broderick Green–a Little Rock product and, as you know if you have ever watched a nationally televised Razorback game, a FORMER USC TROJAN–has been maligned throughout his time at Arkansas for what he isn’t. But, Green will get a look from the NFL (either in the mid-to-late rounds or as a free agent) for what he is–a big back who is a good receiver out of the backfield and is also a solid hand in pass protection. I hope he makes it. Green stepped up for Arkansas in record recovery time and did so at the turning point of the season (the Texas A&M game) when the Razorbacks were dangerously thin at running back and starimg mediocrity right in the face.

 

  • While, unlike Average Hog Fan, we thought the Fox coverage was solid (SEE BELOW), we couldn’t help but laugh at its use of the oldest trick in the book–ie finding a fat, mulleted, Fu Manchued Razorback fan and giving him more camera time than Archie Manning in the stands at a 7-overtime game in Oxford. If you watched the game you saw him. And, if you saw the postgame, you saw the chubby, Road Warrior Animal-looking kid auditioning to be the younger version of him in flashbacks if a Bio Pic is ever made about his life.

 

  • I love Bobby Petrino. He has taken the Hogs to “the next level” and has forgotten more football TODAY than I will ever know. But, I sometimes wonder about his tendency in short yardage situations to load up in heavy, tight formations and run right into the strong side. I am not second guessing him. I was first-guessing him all night in short yardage situations.

 

  • KSU’s Klein has earned the respect he had received from national pundits, but his throwing motion has to make former Razorback great Pete Burks cringe–and Burks threw the ball like my 15-year-old niece.

 

What We Didn’t See:

Based on our Facebook and Twitter feeds, we expected to watch the replay and learn that the Fox crew spent most of the night cursing all things Razorback. Sorry, guys and gals, but I just didn’t see or hear an anti-Razorback bias. What was the big gripe? Was it because Marcus Allen and Moose Johnston picked KState? I mean, it’s MARCUS ALLEN. I am not sure he could have correctly named the teams’ mascots. I bet I watched more preparatory game film than he did. Regardless, aren’t they allowed to make a pick? Do they have to abide by today’s standard, formulaic schtick in which each analyst picks one of the teams?

At worst, the Fox crew was”guilty” of pumping KState up at the end of 1st half and start of the second half, when KSU cut the Hogs’ 19-point lead to 3.  That’s understandable, and certainly not the 1st time a TV crew has tried to hold as much of the audience as possible for the 2nd half. KSU turned a potential blowout into a somewhat close game. It was deserving of a show of excitement.

I heard the crew praise a lot of KSU guys, but they also praised plenty of Arkansas’ players (Adams, Tyler Wilson, Childs, Green, Wright, Chris Gragg, the entire punt return team, Jake Bequette, Jones, Zach Stadther, Isaac Madison, Jerico Nelson, Tank Wright,  Ross Rasner, Chris Smith–after rightfully calling him out for an unnecessary play– and entire UA defense in general for punishing ballcarriers) coaches (Coach Petrino, Coach Haynes) and legends (Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Lance Alworth) too.

They interviewed Joe, Coach Petrino and Bequette in the postgame show and in wrapping up said Arkansas “proved conclusively” it is one  of the top teams in the country and also commented on Arkansas’ “mental toughness” (in responding to KSU’s comeback) and said the Hogs had “superior athletes”. This complaint is a complete nonstarter and focusing on it and bitching about some big alleged “obvious” Fox bias in general detracts from the win and the season and falls back onto the woe-is-me crutches  that have plagued the Arkansas program for awhile. It makes the Razorback fan base look Bush League (and not like fans of the Top 5 program Arkansas has become) and needs to stop.

What You May Not Have Seen:

  • On the field just after the game ended, two draft-eligible underclassmen and 1st-Team All SEC Hogs–quarterback Tyler Wilson and runningback Knile Davis shared a hug, a wink and a nod that, even if you don’t have a Degree in Body Language SCREAMED that one, or both, is entering the NFL Draft early this year.

 

  • We may not be Vegas sharps, and some Ronnie Wingo-hating Goochs may like to prematurely congratulate us on predictions gone bad, but it is worth noting that I predicted 10 regular-season Razorback wins after Davis’ season-ending injury, and together, in our weekly predictions, the BlogHawgs correctly predicted the winner in all 13 Arkansas games this season. That’s not a Humblebrag. That’s a straight brag.

What We Hope to See Next Week Season:

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , | 16 Comments »

One for the Road

Posted by Brett Kincaid on January 6, 2012

As Mr. Tony is fond of saying on his radio program and PTI, we bid a melancholy happy trails to 17 seniors on the Arkansas Razorback football team.  We spent some time on this subject in November when these Hogs played their final game in Arkansas, and it hits home tonight.  Never again will we get to see Joe Adams, Jake Bequette, Jarius Wright, or Greg Childs run onto the field while wearing that beautiful Razorback on their helmets.  With these Razorback heroes and the rest of their classmates, we have known all year it would come to a sudden end after bowl season.  We have enjoyed – even savored – their play this season, wishing it could last forever while understanding it could not.

These upperclassmen could be joined by a half dozen Razorback juniors, leaving Fayetteville in hopes of making a living playing the game they love.  For these Hogs, most fans have not spent the season soaking up every memory, believing we had another season of thrills and chills to enjoy.  Unfortunately, I believe we will say an unexpected farewell to at least two key Razorbacks one year earlier than we all planned.

The most unusual early entrant may be Knile Davis, the 2010 SEC rushing champion that missed the 2011 campaign thanks to a broken ankle.  The junior (Davis technically remains classified as a junior, although he is eligible for a redshirt season) has submitted his name to the NFL draft board.  Underclassmen routinely do this in an attempt to get some feedback from personnel officials in the NFL.  This feedback helps guide these young men in their decision-making process for leaving early or returning to college.  Davis clearly has NFL talent, but one must wonder whether he can stay healthy enough for an NFL team to take a gamble.  Despite that obvious concern, Davis has made a few cryptic quotes that lead us to believe his days in Fayetteville may already come to an end.

Defensive end Tenarius “Tank” Wright has also asked to be evaluated by NFL scouts.  Like Davis, Wright suffered through injury his junior season but managed to play in half the games after suffering a broken wrist at Alabama.  Like his bookend Bequette, Wright looks and plays like an NFL defensive lineman/outside linebacker.  He appears to be under-seasoned, something that most elite athletes do not see as a limitation.  Wright would almost certainly be selected in the April draft, but early enough to justify leaving school early?  That’s the decision he’ll face after tonight.

Spark plug running back/kick returner Dennis Johnson and tight end Chris Gragg, an emerging star at that position, have also asked for guidance from league scouts.  Their quotes indicate that both will be back for another season in Razorback red.  If they do return, two positions will have much-needed security heading into the 2012 season.

Cobi Hamilton is an exceptionally talented wide receiver.  While not the complete package – yet – Hamilton does possess the size and speed NFL scouts covet.  Hamilton is lighting fast and has a solid frame (6-3, 209 lbs) that will serve him well in pro football.  Most folks expected Hamilton would be tempted by the NFL.  It seems like a 50-50 proposition that Hamilton returns.  If he does, Cobi will undoubtedly be The Man in a talented but inexperienced wide receiving corps.  Hamilton stands to put together a breakout season in 2012 should he return, making a name for himself like recent SEC alums Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and recently announced NFL draft early entrant Alshon Jeffery.

That leaves us with one more possible, if not likely, early entrant into the NFL Draft.

Tyler Wilson

The lifelong Arkansan has lived his childhood dreams.  He led his high school to state titles.  He got the chance to play at the University of Arkansas.  This season he emerged as a star, garnering all-SEC honors in his first season as a starter.  And now he has the chance to become a first-round NFL draft pick.  Think I’m overstating things?  NFL draft expert Mel Kiper recently listed Wilson as the #3 quarterback in the draft (paywall) should he enter, behind Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor.  Says Kiper:

Tyler Wilson, were he to enter the draft, would be at No. 3 on this list for me. This is a kid who just shows great toughness and the ability to be accurate while extending plays and taking hits. He worked behind a subpar offensive line this season, but is willing to look down the barrel and make throws. He slides well to his left or right, has above-average accuracy, and has a good sense of how to calibrate his throws, not overcooking underneath throws, and putting the necessary pace on the ball when he wants to push it down the field. Let’s be clear that there’s no guarantee at all that Wilson would land in Round 1 were he to stay in the draft. But he does have that kind of potential.

With USC’s Matt Barkley and Oklahoma’s Landy Jones opting to stay in school, this NFL draft appears very lean at the quarterback position.  With teams like Seattle, Washington, and Oakland (to name a few) uncertain with their situations, it’s a good year to be a quarterback in the draft.  Add to that fact that Indianapolis holds the number one pick and will likely select Luck, andthat means Wilson has the chance to find himself a first round pick this year.  If he gets good feedback from scouts (and if Kiper is hearing this about Wilson, it’s easy to assume Wilson will also hear it) we may watch Tyler Wilson’s last  game as a Razorback tonight.

Enjoy tonight, folks.  Win or lose, this is the last time we’ll get to see a group of very special Razorbacks represent our state and our university.  Let’s hope that some of them decide to give it one more try next season.  I, for one, plan to treat tonight like the last time I’ll see them all.  If they report back in August, we will all be lucky – and poised for another special season.

 

Posted in Sports | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

BlogHawgs Cotton Bowl Preview–Arkansas vs. Kansas State

Posted by Adam Butler on January 6, 2012

GAME SKETCH

  • Line: Arkansas (-9)
  • Kickoff: 7:00 pm CDT (FOX national broadcast with The Imitable Gus Johnson doing play-by-play, steady and astute Charles Davis providing color analysis, and the contractually obligated to be called “Coach”, even though his last job was being the really bad head coach at the University of Minnesota, Tim Brewster, on the sideline.

(I am serious. Try this as a drinking game: Take a shot every time Brewster is reverently called “Coach”, tonight on the broadcast. You will end up having a great time, or not living to see the weekend. I don’t get it. Once you add “sideline reporter to your resume’ you have to drop the “fawning over the football mastermind” schtick.)

Weather: Whatever Jerry Jones wants it to be.

Streaks: Arkansas lost its last game at LSU in November. Kansas State comes in on a 3-game winning streak.

Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Arkansas is playing in the Cotton Bowl….tonight…..in a few hours. Did you get the memo? We admit it. We are as guilty as ESPN of sleeping on this game.

While the Mother Ship has ignored it because of everything else that is going on in the sports world it is not the TV rights holder for the game, we have been bearish on it because we had our hopes set on THE big game, and KSU’s uniforms remind us of our high school years and Purple Passion-induced nausea.

But, it is time to pony up. This is the last Razorback football game for 8 months *sigh* and it provides an opportunity for Arkansas to finish in the Top 5 nationally, and start next season as a BCS Championship Game conversation piece.

Why Arkansas should win: Kansas State is ranked 104th nationally in pass defense and has given up an average of 267.2 yards through the air. The Wildcats gave up 50 or more points on 3 different occasions, and gave up an average of almost 28 points per game.

In other words, KSU’s defense looks exactly like what it is—a Big 12 defense. Arkansas Head Coach Bobby Petrino (and offensive genius by acclimation) must think today is his birthday.

On the other side of the ball, the up-and-down Arkansas defense has more speed than the Kansas State offense is accustomed to facing. KSU quarterback Collin Klein will probably have his moments, just as other mobile quarterbacks have had against Arkansas in the recent past, but, if he is forced to throw the ball down the field, Kansas State will be in trouble.

Why Kansas State should win:

Kansas State likes its football games like it likes its women—short and ugly. Klein and company will look to control the clock and keep its shaky secondary on the sidelines.

If any team can do it, KSU can. There is a reason Kansas State’s Stadium is named after its head coach, Bill Snyder. Snyder’s coaching ability is unquestionable. He is a gridiron despot in a destitute college football wasteland, but he wins.

Yes, Oklahoma treated Kansas State like the Sooner State treats trees. In fact, when KSU and OU met in the Little Apple in October, the box score read: Oklahoma 58 Kansas State 17 Number of Living Trees Over 4 Feet Tall in Oklahoma 13.

But, after losing to the Oklahoma Schools in consecutive weeks (and giving up 110 points in those 2 games) the Wildcats rebounded with three consecutive wins, led by their QB, Klein (Think of Matt Jones will less speed but more strength and much more heart), who rushed for 1,099 yards on the season.

On defense, the Wildcats’ heart and soul is Arthur Brown, a former high school All American who originally signed with Miami (and had the cajones to announce the decision at a press conference at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame), but returned home to Kansas after two lackluster seasons and being linked to impermissible “Tha U” benefactor Nevin Shapiro.

There has been no place like home in Kansas for the hard-hitting Brown who will (again?) pay for play, someday. He is a physical presence that could deliver some Bamaesque highlight reel hits on Arkansas’ wide receivers and their bread and butter–shallow crossing routes.

KSU prides itself on special teams and will be very aware of Arkansas game-breaker Joe Adams.

And the Winner Is…

Arkansas is the better team and it won’t be awed by Jerry World, where the Hogs are 3-0 (against the Big 12). A good rule of thumb is to avoid the team that is “just happy to be there”.

With their only losses coming against the Top 2 teams in America, the Hogs have their sights on a Top 5 finish and validation of the belief that they are making the leap to the upper echelon of college football and should be (but for a ridiculous rule limiting BCS game participants from one conference to 2) playing in its second straight BCS bowl.

And the Winner is…Arkansas 51 Kansas State 24

 

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Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino Fairly Portrayed By A Writer Outside the State

Posted by Adam Butler on January 5, 2012

(and on the eve of the Cotton Bowl, even) I was beginning to think finding a balanced piece like this was about like finding an Ivory-billed woodpecker.

Has this been the quietest run-up to an Arkansas Cotton Bowl appearance? Is that a sign that the program is “making the leap”?

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Wanna “Fix” the NBA? Bring Back the Player-Coach (Part 1)

Posted by Adam Butler on January 5, 2012

Special to BlogHawgs from Kris M. Boyd

Put me in,.....Coach?

Bill Simmons wrote a short column for ESPN The Magazine several years ago calling for Mike Dunleavy to be fired as the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and for then player Sam Cassell to be named as his replacement.  Simmons’ justification was that Sam Cassell could do just as good of a job as Dunleavy and, in all actuality, coaches in the NBA are not necessary.  He pointed out that NBA coaches are hired and fired left and right and outside of Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich and Jerry Sloan, really don’t bring anything to the table .

It was nice column and I had all but forgotten about it until I saw how Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown responded to an inquiry about Kobe Bryant hoisting up 75 shots in his last three games.  “This is a players’ league.” Brown stated.  “Your best player has to allow you to coach him.”

To quote Brett with two T’s quoting a nonsensical and intoxicated friend of ours… “Scume?”

I’m not disagreeing with Brown, but to admit something that most of us have wondered opens a huge door.  Do NBA teams really need head coaches?  I’m sure some probably do.  But what about the teams, like the Lakers, who are really led by a single player?  Can’t we bring back the player-coach? 

NBA teams change head coaches like the GOP changes party favorites.   There was an 18-month period in 2003-2004 when over 19 NBA head coaching jobs changed hands.  Can anyone tell me with a straight face that some of those teams couldn’t have at least had the same record with players doing the motivating, calling out screens, timeouts, in-bound plays and substitutions? 

Let’s be frank.  NBA coaches do the least of all head coaches in the three major sports (hockey is not a major sport).  Football coaches have their hands involved in every single play in the game.  Baseball managers have very complicated game plans hatched out depending on who their (and the opposing team’s) starting pitcher is, who is available in the bullpens, line-ups, etc (with the obvious exception of Bobby Valentine).  But NBA coaches…?  Don’t they screw up games more than enhance them?

There have been 40 player-coaches in the NBA.  Bill Russell won two Championships as a player-coach so we know it can work.  The last one was Dave Cowens in 1979.  Part of the salary cap of the collective bargaining agreement of 1983 prohibits player-coaches because the league did not want to allow a team to pay a player-coach $10 million as a coach and the league minimum as a player in order to circumvent the cap.  That’s the problem?  Really?  This isn’t scientific rockets (old Danny Ford joke)here.  The solution: A team must count 100% of the player-coach’s combined salary towards its cap.  Ok, solved that.  Next problem?  Oh yeah, the NBA Coaches Union.

Let’s forget about it for a minute, co-op Simmons’ idea and dive into all 29 teams (Charlotte is not a real NBA team) to discuss whether they really need a coach, and if they don’t, who should be the player-coach.  

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics: It seems the obvious choice would be Kevin Garnett… until you actually watch KG on the court.  KG needs someone to calm him the eff down.  Jesus Shuttlesworth would be a great player-coach.  

New Jersey Nets:  Deron Williams?  Uh.  No.  This is the guy who forced Utah to get rid of its legendary coach, Jerry Sloan, and even after he did so, still forced a trade.  Kris Kardashian?  No thanks.  The good Lopez brother?  (This is me talking with my mouth real big and over-pronouncing every word) The New Jersey Nets just need to stick with Avery Johnson.

New York Knicks:  Mike D’Antoni was built to coach this team, even if they are losing.  Besides, if you are a Knicks fan, do you really want Carmelo Anthony or Amar’e Stoudemire coaching?

Philadelphia 76’ers:  Have you looked at their roster?  Yikes.  Could J. Erving, M.D. come out of retirement?

Toronto Raptors:  JAMAAL MAGLOIRE IS STILL IN THE LEAGUE?!?!  Um, they should stay with Dwayne Casey, whoever that is, or contract.

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose could coach this team.  Easily.  “Ok, guys, on this in-bound play, just like last time, in-bound the ball to me and get out of the way.”

Cleveland Cavaliers:  I’m quite positive Antawn Jamison could lead the Cavs to just as many wins losses as Byron Scott.

Detroit Pistons:  I’ve always liked Tayshaun Prince.  Teammates like him as well.  Does anybody really think Detroit is better off paying Lawrence Frank $2 million a year to lose games and bury Brandon Knight on the bench?

Indiana Pacers:  Danny Granger needs to coach this team.  He does everything else for it, anyway.

Milwaukee Bucks:  I don’t want to live in a world where Stephen Jackson doesn’t get a chance to coach an NBA team.

Atlanta Hawks:  I’d say Joe Johnson but, sadly, Joe doesn’t have a leadership bone in his body.  I’d say Josh Smith, but he would still try to shoot terrible three’s even when he is coaching from the bench.  They probably need to stay with. . . Larry Drew?!?!  Well, maybe the Hawks are better off with Josh Smith jacking threes from the coach’s box.

Charlotte Bobcats:  I said I wasn’t going to include them because they are not a real team, but I nominate Eduardo Najera to be the player-coach if only because he is almost 40 years old.

Miami Heat:  This is Dwayne Wade’s team.  Everyone, including LeBron James, knows that.

Orlando Magic:  Dwight Howard.  Everyone on the Magic likes Dwight Howard.  We should probably name a successor coach, however, because Dwight Howard doesn’t like everyone on the Magic.

Washington Wizards:  It would be impossible for John Wall to coach this team to a worse record right?  I mean, come on Wizard fans, what is the worst that could happen?  The team messes around and actually wins a game?

I’ll be doing the Western Conference next week as Dad, aka Adam Butler, told me that this was getting too long.

 

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Caesars Palace Odds Tab Hogs As Solid Pick to Earn Bettors 2013 BCS Championship Salad

Posted by Adam Butler on January 4, 2012

Vegas’ venerable Caesar’s Palace Race & Sports Book released its future odds for the 2013 BCS Championship today, and, Arkansas is listed at 12:1.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with sports betting (READ: those who are 8-year-old girls) 12:1 odds on a bet of this nature are a big show of respect.

After the triumvirate of LSU (3:1), USCW (6:1) and Alabama (7:1), Oregon has the 4th best )or worst depending upon your perspective) odds (9:1), leaving Arkansas a lofty 5th. By way of comparison, Arkansas’ Cotton Bowl opponent, Kansas State, opened at 30:1 odds.

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Don’t Hiatus Us Because We Are Beautiful

Posted by Adam Butler on January 3, 2012

This is better than dodging stray NYE bullets.

If you thought this site juggernaut was dead, think again.

For a brief, 40+ day period, we thought LSU and The Honey Badger might have taken our will to blog.

But, they didn’t. We have a duty here to provide fodder to distract BlogHawgs Nation from its daily grind, and we take it semi-seriously.

So, without further ado, here are some things we learned while we were away:

  • Seemingly smart men (Ok, Bret Bielema–score one for Bret With One T–doesn’t seem very smart) that get paid millions of dollars to coach football struggle mightily with the strategy of football. Maybe they need little flip cards like the ones they have to tell them when to go for 2 point conversions. They can pay me $500,000 a year to produce them. They will include little reminders like “TWO SECONDS IS STILL NOT ENOUGH TIME TO *CLOCK* THE BALL” and “DON’T PLAY FOR LONG FGS (PARTICULARLY IF YOUR KICKER HAS MISSED TWELVE ON THE SEASON) IN OT, EVEN IF THEY WOULD WIN THE GAME”. The latter could be called the Alex Tejada rule (SEE ALSO Brennan O’Donohoe).
  • If it wasn’t sacrilegious, could we subtitle Christmas “Spending money we don’t have to waste on things we don’t need–or in most cases even want?” Is that a confusing subtitle? What if we just subtitled it $ubtitle. Using $s as “S”s is always “fresh”, especially if you are gangsta.
  • Speaking of gangsta, I am done defending Little Rock (is that poor grammar?). I have had enough. While the rest of you were merrily choking down disgusting, cheap champagne on New Year’s Eve, and hopefully ringing in the New Year in style, I was busy wondering whether I had Quantum Leaped into a War Zone. Shooting 100s of rounds of ammo into the air to celebrate a New Year is a good way to make sure someone doesn’t live to see a New Year. #barbarism.
  • The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball season has started. They might have been a tough out but for the season-ending injury suffered by team leader Marshawn Powell. Without him, they are still punchy at half-filled half-empty Bud Walton Arena. Seriously, Northwest Arkansans, get out to the games. There is plenty of time throughout the rest of the week to tell the remaining inhabitants of the world how much better you are than them.
  • When in doubt, ALWAYS go back for the extra Christmas gift for the kid. It might be the best $20 you spend all year.
  • The former St. Louis Cardinals 1st baseman structured his behemoth 10-year contract with the Anaheim (or is it L.A.? I really don’t know) Angels in such a way that the Angels could stalk, and land, *ahem* “must-have” free agent C.J. Wilson. I am not sure who laughed harder about that–Wilson’s former team (and Angels’ division rival, Texas) who notably let Wilson walk despite having a truckload of dry powder to spend, or the former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman’s former team, who had to chuckle at the realization that their $200+ million offer was a slap in the face to a guy who currently isn’t even the highest paid former Cardinal on Anaheim’s roster.
  • We are entering another golden era in the NBA. Put aside your latent prejudices and enjoy the games. Are the players any more thuggish, spoiled, disconnected and self-important than the denizens of the other 2 major professional sports leagues? Methinks not. In other words, all we are saying, is give Metta World Peace a chance.

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How Valuable is the Arkansas Football Program?

Posted by Adam Butler on December 22, 2011

Per Forbes magazine, it is very valuable and is the quickest riser in the last few years.

I have made a few jokes about it in the past, but this is a testament to University of Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long’s relentless focus on the bottom line.

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