FORTSON SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY from www.hogsnow.com

[chiefsfan]

The perception is the program is in disarray.  Horrible SEC record, suspensions right and left, eligibility questions, not a stellar class coming in.

Is Pelphrey a poor recruiter, thus having to take chances with bad apples?  Or is he not able to handle the kids at this level?

Either way, things are not looking good for Pelphrey to make it past next year.

he'll make it past next year either way.    it would be near suicide to fire a coach 2 years into a rebuild.  Right after you fired his predecessor after 3 straight NCAA trips

Pelphreys problem is Arkansas doesnt have the name that alot of the big schools do, and they get their pick of the litter in terms of solid players before we get a shot

If Fortson wasnt an academic risk and a behavior problem at times, he would have signed with a better school

[Razorod]

he'll make it past next year either way.    it would be near suicide to fire a coach 2 years into a rebuild.  Right after you fired his predecessor after 3 straight NCAA trips

Pelphreys problem is Arkansas doesnt have the name that alot of the big schools do, and they get their pick of the litter in terms of solid players before we get a shot

If Fortson wasnt an academic risk and a behavior problem at times, he would have signed with a better school

Long didn't hire Pel. I don't think he has as long a leash as lot of us on here do. If, and I did say if, next year is a wash like this year, he won't survive it. I'm not calling for his head, but I believe he needs to make some changes.

[12247]

Unless Long can hire a coach that all fans believe is a sure fire hit, like a absolute top 10 coach, he isn't likely to fire Pel.  He doesn't want us on his rear for a bad hire, you know, like Tommy Bowden likely would have been.  This suspenison could be a blessing in disguise.  This team needs to see if they can play with another point guard.  Fortson is a great player, hindered only by his size and his attitude.  Size is not something we can change, but attitude is.  I posted earlier that once he gets as good as he thinks he is, he will be one fine player.  You can watch players play ane see the attitude in each of them.  This suspenison isn't likely to effect the loss column and may overall help the team if its for a game or 2 and he doesn't leave the team.  I love the kids play minus the attitude he sometimes displays.

[GBoling5000]

I'm sick of reading posts that call for pel's head. Its his second year. He lost 6 seniors and then loses Beverly. Welsh is the only returning player that contributed a good amount of minutes last year. Seriously what did yall expect? I hate losing and I'm so sick of saying "just wait till next year"  but after losing what we lost last year this is what I expected. Most of yall negative posters probably just watched the OK and TX game then thought we had a great team. When in reality, if you watched the other games, this is a young, inexperienced, and with no depth basketball team. We need taller guards and more players to contribute inside, which we will get help on both next year from Pel's recruits. In the end I want to win but I'm getting what I expected from this years team, a lot of growing pains.

+1  I agree with you.  I'm pretty sure Pel has made his expectations clear to the players, so when the players cross a line, it is their own fault.  And anyway, where is the leadership on the team?  Washington?  Welsh?  Every coach in America needs someone on their team to be a leader, and we clearly do not have that.  Suspend away, Pel, I support you completely.

If Pelphrey doesn't turn things around in the next year or two, then I'll admit I was wrong about him, but I'm guessing a lot of people on this board will be back to pissing and moaning about the prospect of him leaving to coach at Kentucky and wondering how we're going to hold onto him.  Give it time people!

[The Hogfather]

You look like you are choking the dog.

That's not me.  And, the hands are under the hound's legs.  I'd imagine it'd be rather hard to choke her from under there.

[GS99]

My avatar Rocks, by the way.

Yes it does.  Is that from "hot chicks with douchebags"?

[solitons]

I'm sick of reading posts that call for pel's head. Its his second year. He lost 6 seniors and then loses Beverly. Welsh is the only returning player that contributed a good amount of minutes last year. Seriously what did yall expect? I hate losing and I'm so sick of saying "just wait till next year"  but after losing what we lost last year this is what I expected. Most of yall negative posters probably just watched the OK and TX game then thought we had a great team. When in reality, if you watched the other games, this is a young, inexperienced, and with no depth basketball team. We need taller guards and more players to contribute inside, which we will get help on both next year from Pel's recruits. In the end I want to win but I'm getting what I expected from this years team, a lot of growing pains.

Very good. do you know WHY he lost Beverly?

[Pigsknuckles]

Very good. do you know WHY he lost Beverly?

Ruled ineligible by the athletic department in August. Maybe someone has more detail.
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/01/26/razorback_central/012709bkcuarpt.txt

Been a tough year to be a Razorback.

[hogifino]

You must consider that this group has no successful proven role models to follow.  It is not all coach.  Pelphrey is developing a criteria for long term success.  This is why seniors in a program make a program strong.  Grabbing talent can be a formula for quick success but you have to consider long term effects of not developing the attitude needed to establish a program.  We are starting from scratch.  I don't believe Pel would be doing any player who may have NBA potential any favor by allowing poor behavior to continue.  Secondly, good players play well but great players make everybody better.  Do you really think you are seeing that type of play.  I don't think I have from anyone on this young inexperienced team.  They are merely surviving  and were when they were winning.

At first I was with Pel on the discipline, but now there just seems to be so many more suspensions than what you would think is normal for a program in a given year. To me that either says we have a caste of the most misbehaved players in the nation, or Pel is being overly heavy handed with the suspensions, gving suspensions that most programs don't give out for the same infractions. Either way, it is going to cost him on the recruiting trail, because any competitor recruiting against him is going to spin it as a sign that he doesn't allow his players to grow and make mistakes without taking the game away from them, the top players in the country aren't going to come and play for a guy like that IMO.

[heathtits]

Let Pel and these players pull out of this spin and make this program nationally competitive again and all these rat bastards will be proclaiming how they knew Pel was the right guy all along...

This "spin". Unless you know more inside info than Biggus, Tomhog or Porkatarian, how can you honestly still be this calm?

According to what they have said, this is MUCH more than just a spin. If we lose Fortson, Powell/Farmer, Borden is a sign and place and possibly Washington or someone else who wants out, are you seriously still willing to let things "play out"?

If you are, please inform me of the prescription you have.

[Pickled Pig]

this is getting ridiculous.

Pelphrey is losing this team, and if he isnt careful, he could lose the program.

the program is already lost. As with most programs, it was found and lost many times over. We were/are already in the "lost" category, and you can't be any more lost than lost.

[NEAHawgfan]

I feel for Pelphrey right now.  If there were an opening at Kentucky, he might be like Eddie Sutton and admit he'd "crawl to Kentucky" to be their coach.

Kentucky would kindly show him the door. Nowhere near high caliber enough to coach there. We were there at one point, now we're equal to the Auburn's of the college basketball world. Well, no, actually that would be a huge step up for this program.

[NEAHawgfan]

So his 20 win season last year will carry the, "He WON with STAN HEATHS players" TAG? Like Nutt won with Danny Fords players in 98??? just asking.....

Well.....yes. Why wouldn't it?

[WilsonHog]

This "spin". Unless you know more inside info than Biggus, Tomhog or Porkatarian, how can you honestly still be this calm?

According to what they have said, this is MUCH more than just a spin. If we lose Fortson, Powell/Farmer, Borden is a sign and place and possibly Washington or someone else who wants out, are you seriously still willing to let things "play out"?

If you are, please inform me of the prescription you have.

I have confidence in what Biggus, Porkatarian, and Tom have said.

Even with all of that confidence, I am this calm because I have no other choice. No sense going off the deep end over something I have no control over.

So I'm gonna let it play out, because as a fan that is sort of my function.

[True Hog12]

It was rummored that Fortson got suspended for getting into a fight with welsh after the Auburn game that he initiated, anybody know any truth to the matter?

[jonesark™]

haven't heard....that doesn't sound good though, chemistry within the team is very important!! hopefully that works itself out!!

[la20688]

I haven't heard that.  But I'm sure people on this board will try to blame his suspension on Welsh though!

[chiefsfan]

It was rummored that Fortson got suspended for getting into a fight with welsh after the Auburn game that he initiated, anybody know any truth to the matter?

according to Pelphrey he had been considering suspending Fortson since before the Auburn game.   he had the notion to let courtneys mother know what he was going to do in advance

[HamHands]

I heard they got into a scrap. I also heard that it was shop lifting. I am not sure what to believe, but I think it was likely attitude that got him in trouble.

[hawaiianhogster]

Get rid of them all and bring in real basketball players that care and are serious about team work. Get rid of the disease.

[Razorod]

Get rid of them all and bring in real basketball players that care and are serious about team work. Get rid of the disease.

if you're going to do this, you might as well bring in a new coach. pel can't survive another disastrous season like this one.