Morning Coffee

by PB @ BON on Jan 5, 2007 1:47 AM CST in Quick Hits

Just got back to Austin after a long day of traveling, but unlike AW, I encountered no problems whatsoever. A slight delay at the beginning, but not enough to bump me from my connection in Houston. I'm pleased.

As is often the case, I agree with LD: the fuss about Nick Saban is overblown in the media. I do think, though, that the thought should be taken to its conclusion:

Piling on Nick Saban for "talking out both sides of his mouth" is a convenient way to put an ending to the ridiculousness that has been the media's coverage of this whole circus. Nick Saban publicly denying interest in the job until the gig is actually his is par for the course in these matters. The real absurdity lies with three parties not receiving enough (or any) media scorn: 1) Mal Moore, 2) crazy Bama fans (Nico excluded), and 3) the media's coverage of this whole affair. With all the ridiculousness surrounding how we got to the point of Nick Saban being purchased, the piling on by every media critic with an outlet is pathetic.

Not that we should be surprised.

This. Is. Stunning. I, for one, am proud of the big fella.

98 pounds in one year? That's ridiculous. I'm already a HUGE Dexter Pittman fan. Huge.

Chip Brown notes that the Big 12 went 0-14 against ranked out of conference opponents this season. That's almost unfathomable - and not because I'm dellusional about Big 12 superiority. No: it's that going winless in 14 tries is a stunning improbability for this, or any, conference. There's so much variability in college football - it's mind-boggling that the Big 12 didn't at least stumble on top at least once.

This got mentioned in the comments somewhere, but ESPN Page 2 columnist Chuck Klosterman files a note on why he doesn't want a college football playoff. I really like Chuck Klosterman - guy's a phenomenal writer and a very, very interesting thinker - this just isn't one of his better pieces. It's extraordinarily porous.

As an example, Klosterman complains that, were a playoff implemented, "Somehow, these minor bowls would start to seem like the NIT tournament (which I never watch). If these games lack credibility as things currently stand, I can't imagine how they would feel to audiences if they essentially became exhibitions."

Chuck: what do you think they are now?

The Alamo Bowl is behind us, which means Mack's got to be thinking about a defensive coordinator, and soon. You have to wonder whether Akina's going to be the guy; the longer there's no announcement, the less sense it makes sense to name Akina in a week or two. It's either Akina now... or a search is under way. We'll see.

Last: two site notes that bring me great pleasure. First, as noted in this diary, BON is the #1 Google search result for "Merril Hoge is a douche." I just hope that in one of his more depressed, perverse moments, Merril himself takes a gander at that search string.

Second, BON is the #3 Google search result for "Texas cheerleaders." And my girlfriend always wondered why I was posting pictures of girls in chaps. See, hon? I was just growing the business.

--PB--

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Big Dex

98 pounds is pretty incredible in general, not to mention in this time frame. I know it's been said before, but I'm really anxious to see him get some meaningful minutes. He's such a pleasure to watch. I feel like an old woman saying that, but he's just so smooooooth.

by whoopspat on Jan 5, 2007 2:06 AM CST 0 recs

Agree

I get excited - like a totally irrational fan. Like - and I'm glad you brough it up - the granny who used to sit behind my season tickets and whoop uncontrollably when Brandi Perriman would enter the game.

Dexter just makes me feel good as a fan. It's an event.

by PB @ BON on Jan 5, 2007 2:11 AM CST up 0 recs

what we have never had

Big Dex is something we haven't had, a big strong force inside. In the past we had fast and quick but mostly undersized. And now we might get a shaq like hulk to terrorize opponents deep. it's not charging if the little fellas bounce off.

xerxes

by Xerxes on Jan 5, 2007 8:57 AM CST up 0 recs

Defensive coordinator

"You have to wonder whether Akina's going to be the guy; the longer there's no announcement, the less sense it makes sense to name Akina in a week or two."

There is one scenario in which we might hear Akina in a couple of weeks: Mack might want to spend some time searching so he can understand his options and make an informed decision. At the end of a search, he might still find that Akina is the best choice, but he wouldn't know that until searching, determining who is interested, and interviewing a few people.

by mikey 4 on Jan 5, 2007 8:07 AM CST 0 recs

Morning Scone

If you read Chip Brown's last Q&A...it appears the Cotton Bowl is ripping out all those uncomfortable seats and putting in bleachers.

Apparently this is being done as a way to possible increase capacity and keep the TX/OU game there.

My knees will thank them, but it's way too little, way too late. There is no doubt the Cotton Bowl committee wil vote to move the bowl over to Jerry World in 2009 or 2010. They want to be a BCS bowl and that isn't ever going to happen in the current stadium.

I've also got to believe that with all the money that can be made by both TX and OU in Jerry's new stadium, our game will be there as well before too long.

The Dallas City Council blew...they had a chance to keep the Cowboys in Dallas and couldn't come together to get it done. Now they want to try to keep TX/OU and the New Years Bowl by putting a bandaid on the Cotton Bowl.

What a waste.

by 54b on Jan 5, 2007 8:50 AM CST 0 recs

The CB lost everything

I don't know what the contracts are with the State Fair of Texas, but without OU/TX, their attendance will surely be down. No Bowl, no OU/TX, and eventually no state fair? What else is hosted at that site?

The city of Dallas should have gotten with JJ a long while back to blow the facility up and start over with a premier stadium for the state of Texas and the Cowboys. They missed their opportunity due to power figures and their useless pissing contests, and an over inflated sense of the importance of the location. Give it 4 years, and they'll have absolutely nothing.

by Hornbud on Jan 5, 2007 9:20 AM CST up 0 recs

Chipster's Q&A is a must read

He triple scoops the guys in Austin.

He also supports BON's theory on Akina.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Jan 5, 2007 9:51 AM CST up 0 recs

ESPN

Reporting that Ricky Williams wants to return to the Miami Dolphins. Passed all drug tests for once. Think he can stay clean? Anyone?

41-38

by inVINCEable on Jan 5, 2007 10:56 AM CST 0 recs

I'm a hopless Ricky fan...

I still have memories of how totally dominating he was in college, as well as the SI article where he was matched up with football legend Jim Brown, who seemed to genuinely take a shine to our boy Ricky. Of course Brown was a serious nonconformist as well right?

I wish him the best, his first two years in Miami, when he felt like he was really wanted there, were very productive. Ditka and the Saints put him so high on a pedestal his O-line apparently took exception to that and his 'distant' behavior.

Vince what were his stats up in the Great White North eh?

I'd like to think he could still be a very servicable 2nd back. I guess alot depends on who comes in at Miami.

by longhornJ on Jan 5, 2007 11:28 AM CST up 0 recs

Reminds me of Marcus Allen with the Chiefs

Marcus Allen was so underutilized with the Raiders that he was able to have a fairly long career and be pretty productive, for a veteran running back. Ricky really hasn't been hit much in the past few years. There's no telling how much longer he can be productive. He certainly looked better than Ronnie Brown when they were playing together.

by Bob LaBlog on Jan 5, 2007 8:24 PM CST up 0 recs

Ricky....

Well, the man is getting a bit old for running back standards in the NFL. But, his body hasn't exactly taken a beating the past 4 years. I think he probably has three years of solid productivity left in him. I doubt any team would roll the dice and make him a 'feature back', but I could see him getting 180-220 carries.

I still admire the guy. I think it took balls to do what he did--it's his life, he wasn't happy, so he made a choice and lived with the consequences. Athletes don't owe anything to anybody, despite what we as fans think.

by Blitzburgh on Jan 5, 2007 12:31 PM CST 0 recs

Nick Saban

Maybe I've been under a rock, but one angle nobody seems to be talking about is the LSU perspective. As far as they're concerned, they basically traded Saban to Alabama for Les Miles.

The Tigers pretty much got screwed; through no fault of their own, their coach is now at a rival school.

by BrooklynHorn on Jan 5, 2007 12:49 PM CST 0 recs

LSU fan here

Tiger fans were loudly wishing for his plane to crash on the way to Tuscaloosa. Not only did he depart their school, go to the pros and then back to a longtime conference rival, he made the announcement on the day LSU played in the Sugar, which highly overshadowed their BCS game

Imagine this ... Mack Brown leaves and takes over the NY Giants for two years, then goes to Oklahoma to make big money. He makes his annoucnement and grand entrance to Norman on the same day Texas plays big game in the Fiesta Bowl. And Texas is stuck with Les Miles. I don't care if he won you a national championship three years earlier, you'd be pretty pissed.

"Excuse me while I whip this out."

by FreedomDip on Jan 5, 2007 2:11 PM CST up 0 recs

Yeah

I just don't understand why the media hasn't covered that angle. To me, its far more juicy than the terms of his contract.

by BrooklynHorn on Jan 5, 2007 2:32 PM CST up 0 recs

Chuck Klosterman / Can of Worms

I think the point of his article is that last paragraph, and I agree with it completely.

Nobody's ever been able to explain to me why "knowing who the best team REALLY is" - if one can refrain from laughing at such an absurd notion- is so eternally important. Aside from the fact that the "best team" rarely wins a tournament, why does it have to matter at all? This is not self-evident, it needs to be justified (and to me, in terms that aren't financial)

Why can't it just be that my alma mater lined up against your alma mater last Saturday, and we kicked your ass? And at the end of the year we all celebrate and continue to talk smack. Who taught us that this sport (which includes hundreds of campuses) should be all about one team in the end. That's just insane.

People take it for granted that there should be one team standing at the end of the year, that this is somehow the actual nature of sport. This is not the nature of sport, it is the nature of a tournament. For monetary reasons (thanks to professional athletics) the NCAA has convinced us all that we NEED a champion. That's garbage. A stable structure could exist within the NCAA if we had no championship at all, but we've just been sold otherwise because championships generate more money. Of course its advantageous for the NCAA that we all care what happens in Arizona this week. But why, really, should we all be turned into vicarious Florida and OSU fans? I'm a Texas fan, I cheer fo rthe Longhorns, and I don't give a damn who wins this game.

by BrooklynHorn on Jan 5, 2007 2:31 PM CST 0 recs

It's an interesting point

Which I noted, as well, in the earlier comment thread (finally found it).

I don't know that it's a decisive reason to be against a playoff, but it's a foundational question that playoff advocates should be thinking about.

by PB @ BON on Jan 5, 2007 2:44 PM CST up 0 recs

Name any other sport where there is not a champion

chosen through some sort of playoff. And don't say Premier League Soccer. They play every other team over the course of the season. If every Division IA team played every other one, then I understand why there would be no need for a playoff.

by Wells on Jan 5, 2007 3:20 PM CST up 0 recs

You mean besides...

the Special Olympics and nude, female mud wrestling. Cuz let's face it, we're all champions in those sports.

Seriously though, what about golf? There isn't a playoff system in golf. And though there's an overall money winner, ask any professional golfer what he'd rather have, "the end of the year money title or winning the Masters."

In the same sort of way, I'd rather beat OU in October than win the Big XII Championship. That's kind of twisted, but in a way it's true.

I used to be 100% for a play-off system, but now I'm not so sure. I like the bowls, but I would like to see there be some type of Plus-1 system in the case that you end up with a situation like we had 3 years ago with OU, USC and Auburn all going undefeated. What happened to Auburn can't happen again? That was just wrong. And some might argue that it happened to Boise State again this year though I don't think anyone really believes BSU would have gone though the SEC, Pac 10 or even Big XII undefeated this year.

by 54b on Jan 6, 2007 7:51 AM CST up 0 recs

I would also be in favor of the plus one

but I still think money will push the situation down the line into a bigger tournament.

Ahh, the old "slippery slope" argument.

by BrooklynHorn on Jan 6, 2007 9:05 AM CST up 0 recs

Agreed

Most of the major decisions in Cotton Football in the past 20 years and maybe even before were dictated by money, and TV money and that.

Can you believe back there was a time when they only had one or two college football games on TV per weekend?

Anyway, all the major conference shifts of the past 15 years were all about TV money. It's why Texas and OU bolted for the Big XII and why Miami, BC, and V-Tech bolted for the ACC.

If the fans really want a play-off and the ratings points are there to be had, the television execs will make the schools/NCAA an offer they won't refuse. Then I'd imagine we'll have a play-off and it'll be at least 16 teams.

by 54b on Jan 6, 2007 12:43 PM CST up 0 recs

Ahh

the old "everyone else is doing it" argument.

by BrooklynHorn on Jan 6, 2007 8:59 AM CST up 0 recs

I like to nitpick

Per the Klosterman article:

Later this evening, Texas Tech will come back from a 35-7 deficit against Minnesota to win the Liberty Bowl. This event occurred on the same day that Saddam Hussein was executed in Iraq. All things considered, I think Saddam had a better day than Glen Mason.

Texas Tech won the Insight Bowl. South Carolina won the Liberty Bowl. The Bowl games are so meaningful to Klosterman...

by Red Blooded on Jan 5, 2007 4:58 PM CST 0 recs

Jay Leno stole his joke

He said, "Michigan choked more that Saddam this weekend"

Not exactly the same, but still close enough for Klosterman to be pissed.

by Wells on Jan 5, 2007 5:01 PM CST up 0 recs

You know who is super pissed?

Saddam Hussein, that's who.

He supports a CFB playoff system.

by Red Blooded on Jan 5, 2007 5:02 PM CST up 0 recs

correction

support(ed)

by Red Blooded on Jan 5, 2007 5:03 PM CST up 0 recs

Of course LSU is pissed

I'm a lifelong Horns fan who is now living in Baton Rouge. Everyone around here follows LSU pretty religiously and NO ONE is happy for Saban. Well, there is one person. My wife. She is from Alabama, went to Alabama, moved here for an internship, and finished at LSU. She will always be a Bama girl. But, seriously, other than her everyone else is upset. Everyone is waiting to see who leaves LSU's current staff for Saban's staff. Saban is a better coach than Les Miles, so of course they are pissed. Nov. 3rd 2007 will be a fun day in this household.(LSU travels to Bama to face their old coach)

You really can't fault Saban and his decision. He did wait til after the Dolphins season was over. This happens all the time in the world of business, but noone makes a big deal over it. The media needs to chill. They are just upset because Saban publicly ridiculed one of their own. Get over it.

I predict Saban isn't going anywhere after this and WILL bring Alabama back to a top program quickly.

by amcdavid on Jan 5, 2007 5:48 PM CST 0 recs