The Blog Hawgs

Sports & Pop Culture for the Arkansas Man

Archive for August 24th, 2009

They Told Michael Beasley To Go To Rehab And He Said

Posted by Adam Butler on August 24, 2009

yes, yes, yes….per published reports.  Beasley, a Miami Heat forward, was the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.  But apparently, he has been using the social networking site, Twitter, to broadcast what seem to be calls for help.

Posted in News, Sports | Comments Off

The Ongoing SEC Media Policy War

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

Thanks to Andrew DeMillo for the word that AP and Gannett both refuse to sign the revised SEC media policy.

Gannett has directed its daily newspapers that cover the Southeastern Conference not to sign on to a controversial new credential policy, while the Associated Press has also declared it will not agree to the new rules that have sparked opposition for limits on Web video and audio use, photo displays, and blogging.

The saga continues…

Posted in News, Sports | 1 Comment »

Bush to Harding

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

Former President George W. Bush will appear at Harding University in Searcy on April 22, 2010.

More here

President George W. Bush will speak at Harding
University April 22, 2010, as part of the 2009-10 Distinguished
Lecture Series sponsored by the American Studies Institute. The event
will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Benson Auditorium. Although it will be
a ticketed event, it is free and open to the public.

Posted in News | Comments Off

ESPN’s Pat Forde Weighs in on Mississippi Rebels Football

Posted by Adam Butler on August 24, 2009

I think he has the situation pretty much pegged. (But you already knew my thoughts if you read my Mississippi preview/commentary from a month ago, today).

From Forde’s column:

Then the school lucked into Houston Nutt, who fled a toxic situation at Arkansas for Oxford and found all of Orgeron’s recruits just waiting for some competent coaching. He delivered it last season — and now, blessed with a schedule built for success, the Rebels believe (hope? pray?) that their time has come at last.

Which is why Nutt was asked at SEC media days last month: make it to Atlanta or the season’s a bust?”I wouldn’t say that,” Nutt said. “I wouldn’t say that. For a team that had four previous losing seasons, I wouldn’t say that. I think our team is on the rise. I think there’s some good things that are happening. … You just feel like things are getting ready to happen and we’re excited. But I wouldn’t say, ‘Okay, Atlanta or it’s really a downer.’ I don’t believe that.”

Even if Nutt did believe it, he’s wise not to say it. His own coaching history shows that his teams perform better when expectations are lower.

The two Arkansas teams he took to Atlanta for the SEC championship game were picked to finish fifth (in 2002) and fourth (in 2006). His first team in Fayetteville was picked last and wound up tied for first (1998). And last year’s Ole Miss team was picked fifth and finished second.

But when the Razorbacks were picked to win the West in 1999, they went 4-4 and tied for third. The 2007 team, with current NFL studs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in the same backfield, went 4-4 in league play.

 

Posted in Commentary, Sports | 1 Comment »

Trap Games

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

College Football News has their list of SEC trap games for the season.  You’ll see lots of the same things we have discussed on the blog over the past few weeks.  To the surprise of some, CFN did not pick the Hogs to be Florida’s trap.  I actually agree with them.  I feel like they’ll be ready for Arkansas.  Speaking of the Hogs, CFN thinks they could be napping late in the season when Troy visits.

- Arkansas – Nov. 14 vs. Troy
This is a landmine because … Troy should be the best team in the Sun Belt and has the defense that could give Arkansas a run. Most of the key parts are back from a Trojan team that came within a hair of beating LSU in Death Valley last year, and no one’s going to be fazed by playing an SEC team on the road. The Hogs will have been home for a few weeks, and have Mississippi State the week after. They might be comfortable, too comfortable, playing the easiest part of the schedule.

Posted in Sports | 2 Comments »

Beck Watch

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

Politico.com reports that more 30 advertisers have directed Fox News Channel to not air their commercials during Glenn Beck’s television program.  Beck returns today from a “long planned vacation” and will presumably wrestle with the issue.  Will he admit to using ridiculously stupid language, or will he defend his contention that President Obama is a racist?

I won’t be watching to find out.  I will look on YouTube later, though. 

Posted in Entertainment, Politics | Comments Off

Sports Page

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

Eric Bruntlett pulled off one of the rarest plays in all of baseball to end the game Sunday against the NY Mets.

Rich Rodriguez plans to have a miserable season shuffle 3 quarterbacks this year.

This has officially become my favorite story of the NFL preseason.

John Smoltz’s return capped a great weekend of baseball.  Colorado now has a 3-game lead while Boston maintains a slight edge of Texas in the NL and AL Wild Card races.

Roger Federer wins in Cincinnati in the final tune-up for next month’s US Open.

Posted in Sports | Comments Off

SEC Links

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

Bobby Petrino is known as an offensive guru, but the Razorbacks head coach knows his defense needs to step it up if these Hogs will have a successful season.

With several changes on the defensive side of the ball already, linebacker Freddy Burton has been a rock.

Arkansas has already had Homecoming this year, at least when you consider the newcomers ready for 2009.

The reason so many (including the BlogHawgs) expect Alabama to make another run at a conference title this year can be summed up in one word:  Defense.

Brandon LaFell hopes to leave a legacy of NFL-caliber wide receivers after this season at LSU.

Richard Samuel may be the starter, but at least one Bulldog expects Georgia to use several running backs this season.

Mississippi is ranked historically high in the AP pre-season poll.

Florida completed what some say was Urban Meyer’s most difficult fall camp.  Right now it appears the team motto is “Sleep While You Can.”

It looks like Tennessee has suffered another setback at wide receiver.

Kentucky has a no-name defensive line.  They hope to change that soon.

I honestly believe South Carolina may be the SEC school most in disarray entering the 2009 season.

Posted in Sports | Comments Off

Morning News

Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 24, 2009

The inefficiency of state government is staggering.  Why can a journalist find the state’s only certified gambling addiction counselor but no one from the lottery commission can?

“I haven’t been contacted. You’re the first one who’s actually called me about it,” Garza told an Arkansas News Bureau reporter Friday.

The law setting up the lottery mandates that at least $200,000 in unclaimed prize money go the state Department of Health each year for treatment of gambling addiction and education about compulsive gambling disorder.

Democratic Rep. Marion Berry (AR -1) showed off his bipartisan stripes with Repulbican Rep. John Boozman (AR -3) while advocating for the proposed Bella Vista bypass.

The pro-health care reform crowd hits Arkansas this week with a bus tour.

Something tells me this fund will be tapped very soon.

This story just took on a life of its own.  Murder & suicide in Hollywood always grabs headlines, no matter how Z List the players involved.  Pretty sad stuff really…

CNN reports that we pretty much torture(d) suspected terrorists.

I would drop everything to go run this campaign.

Now damnit, if we’re going to be in Afghanistan let’s commit.

Posted in News | Comments Off