From the Bench - Presenting the 2015 Benchies to Recognize Outstanding Accomplishments in Sports

[Pig Worshipper]

According to Urban Dictionary, a "Benchie" is someone who lies in bed in the fetal position all day and wears a trench coat. Sounds about right.

[Swine-as-wine]

time most wasted award:
the dude who spent  6 hours making gifs saying he didn't read the op's post, when
it could have been done and over with in 37 seconds

[BPsTheMan]

Presenting the 2015 Benchies to Recognize Outstanding Accomplishments in Sports

Robert Shields

In the spirit of the "Hogspy Awards" that the University of Arkansas athletic department hands out every year to recognize the most memorable moments in athletics, academics, leadership, and community service, if you buy that, From the Bench awards its own version, the "Benchies," to recognize those who have made their mark in the past year in the athletic kingdom. 

We all know the most important award to Razorback athletics is fundraising, but here are the rest. So let's award some Benchies for the more "memorable" moments of the last 12 months.

"Trending Award" – The Boot
Photos of the aftermath of the Razorback victory over LSU with the team and fans celebrating the return of the Golden Boot left a lasting imprint from the season. After shutting out LSU in Fayetteville, the team streaked across the field to seize the Boot from the LSU sideline and then lofted it high and took it out onto the field. It was a jubilant moment and it played out on Facebook and whatever your favorite social media outlet is.

"Improved Award" – Bret Bielema
Mike Anderson could have won this award again by making the NCAA tournament and winning a first-round game. It very well may have been the best team in basketball since 1999 with Derek Hood and Kareem Reid. But in the end, it goes to Bret Bielema, who more than doubled his number of wins and won a bowl game against the Texas Longhorns curb stomping them. That's always a great way to end your season. 

"Karma Award" – Steve Spurrier
We all know who won this award last year and is responsible for the name, but this year it goes to Steve Spurrier. A year after putting a beatdown on Arkansas and saying the Razorbacks will have to recruit their way out of this mess when they were going 3-9, the Gamecocks were terrible while the Hogs just kept getting better and better. For Bielema, the success he enjoyed last year was more than just good recruiting -- it was good coaching and preparation, unlike Spurrier's season.

"The Newbie Award" – Jimmy Dykes
With no head-coaching experience, Dykes was inexplicably given the women's basketball job at Arkansas. He won this award last year also, but he is still the newbie. Some told me he turned the women's basketball season around. I have no reason to doubt them.

"Disappointment Award' – Razorback Football Team
I know this seems odd since I have done nothing but praise the football team, which finished strong winning three out of its last four games and shutting out two ranked opponents in back-to-back games. The disappointment comes from losing so many tight games. The team lost a heartbreaker to Texas A&M in overtime. It was a game where the Razorback outplayed the Aggies most of the game and was the superior team. The Hogs then went on to drop other very close games including one to Alabama where a fumble out of the back of the end zone cost the Razorbacks seven points and to compound it they also missed an extra point and lost the game 13-14. The losses to Mississippi State and Missouri were almost as equally as painful. The more I am typing the more I am beginning to wonder why we are all so optimistic about next season.

"Tweeter Award" – Jeff Long
Love him or hate him, this guy knows how to work Twitter. Maybe he should teach a class for student athletes and famous people how to do it appropriately. He has many loyal followers and has composed thousands of tweets yet never once alleged that he's been hacked as an excuse for a bad tweet. That's awesome. I have noticed some recruits and athletes in the past even retweet his tweets. Long won this last year and looks to be a one-man dynasty with a lock on this award for years to come unless he takes another job somewhere that leads to a Twitter meltdown.

"New Jack City Award" – Jason Henry
"Are you my brother's keeper?" It's OK if you don't get the early 1990s reference. And if that is the case, you probably also don't get the rivalry with Texas, which is not OK. Two years, this award went to Dakota Mosely and last year to Josh Melton. When you get charged with human trafficking... well, never mind.

"Hero Award" – Dominique Reed
Two years ago this award went to Alex Collins, and last year it was Bijhon Jackson. The award has typically gone to an incoming freshman with the most pressure on him to perform at an All-American level. Rafe Peavey was a close runner up last year. This year it goes to a junior college transfer who is not even on campus yet.  The award goes to Dominique Reed as the team needs his big-play potential. Collins and Jackson did not disappoint, so the bar is high for Reed to perform.



What are your awards? Send them to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[Ex-Trumpet]

time most wasted award:
the dude who spent  6 hours making gifs saying he didn't read the op's post, when
it could have been done and over with in 37 seconds

You're missing the point...we tune in to RS's posts for the gifs.  When Robert stops posting here, we will be forced to go back to our Cheetoe's and Diet Cokes...and we all know the damage that those snack food staples cause.

So, Robert, for the health of Hogville posters, keep up your drivel!! 

[urkillnmesmalls]

You're missing the point...we tune in to RS's posts for the gifs.  When Robert stops posting here, we will be forced to go back to our Cheetoe's and Diet Cokes...and we all know the damage that those snack food staples cause.

So, Robert, for the health of Hogville posters, keep up your drivel!! 

Exactly.  I hate when I get there too soon and no one has anything good up yet.  I also find it amusing that I can skim his post and immediately see that the content is nothing but rehashed stale topics that have usually completely played out on Hogville a week earlier.  Seeing how many posts in before Delta pats his back is also something to track just for giggles too.   

[duckman]