Only 2 from LR in our class

[oldfart]

rather than having a pissing contest about which part of the state has the best football team we as fans should be more concerned about the apparent dearth of D-1 recruits from the Little Rock public school systems, and throw eastern arkansas in as well.  Something needs to be done to help these kids prepare for college, I am guessing that many of the players are just not meeting academic standards or are dropping out before graduation. 

[pertymouth]

Pine Bluff has a sophomore quarterback coming that will be a big timer. Remember the name Claude Johnson.

uh....you said claude johnson!! heh heh...claude johnson! casey dick, houston nutt and now a claude johnson!! perfect!! ha ha ha ha!!!

[elksnort]

The East has better "players" the West has better "Teams".  When I was in school we had back-to-back state championships in football and only produced 1 D-1 player and he didn't even play on the second state team.  We played teams every Fri. (during the playoffs) that 2-3 D-1 players on them, just couldn't get them to play "team" ball.

Could not have said it better. It has been this way as long as I can remember. Springdale, Greenwood, FS Southside, Harrison, et cetera usually beat the rest of the state and are really good HS football teams.

But, the real talent comes from central Arkansas, South and East Arkansas. Look at pitiful Marianna. I mean, your talkin' about poor and no support. It seems like every several years they produce a very good D1 player. When is the last time someone from Fayetteville HS has done real well in D1?

[311Hog]

h

I agree with what you are saying about the differences in environment but I will take my chances with the thugs against dying of boredom.  If I was 30 and had a family I would certainly live in NW Arkansas over Little Rock.  No one with any sense will argue that the economy and schools in NW Arkansas are better than Little Rock's.  However there are still better looking women in Central ARkansas. 

So you would rather just die? i am not following. I mean seriously you almost sound "proud" of the fact that LR for all intents and purposes is a cess pool of drugs and violence. And their public school system is in the toilet but hey you can have fun right amirite ?

Good grief.

[wholehog92]

You are wrong.  I believe Keith Jackson, Darren McFadden, Antwain Robinson, Marcus Harrison, Jonathon Luigs, Hezekiah Smith, Farod Jackson, Jamal Andeson, Elston Forte, Freddy Fairchild, Broderick Green, DJ Williams, Andrew Davie, Charles Clay and Chris Harris(Chicago Bears) have all came from the LR area.  There has been a fall off over the last two yerars and that trend may continue.  North Little Rock always  has a starting lineup walking around on the streets all day.  If you had the same dollars and facilities in Central Arkansas that are in NW Arkansas, LR would produce a lot more D1 athletes. Over the last 6 years LR alone has still produced more quality players than NW Arkansas. 

There is money in LR.  You just have to figure out some way to get the people that have it to get it out of hiding....a political conversation for another part of the board.  If I were reading this the WRONG way I'm sure, it sounds like the LR supporters are bashing the NWA people for investing in their schools and methods to keep kids busy and off the street and out of trouble instead of looking at why they aren't doing the same thing.

One poster in fact pointed out that NWA was a failure in terms of dollars spent per recruit or athlete or some such.  Get your athletes off the street and on the football field, basketball court, or soccor field and put quality coaches in charge of those programs and LR could not only produce quality D1 athletes again, but your crime rate as a whole would not be such an embarassment to the state.

[wholehog92]

I graduated from Harrison in 92.  Our teams from when I was a soph to a senior including playoffs were around 35 or 37 and 5.  We played Oak Grove, white hall, academy, warren and all of them.  We had Kelly Cochrane that went to Ol Miss for a while, John Lafoon that went to U of A, Ed Robinson that injured his knee in the HS all star team, but had a scholly offer from Ark, and several kids that went to tech and other schools.  Our town had around 7 or 8 thousand people in it, but our HS (and the whole town) took football very seriously while I was there.  When we had athletic fundraisers, the town would give almost more to the football team alone, than the schoolwide fundraisers.  There is something to investing in your kids and them performing well.  We never won a state title, but when we started playing schools our own size, the kids behind me did.  I went into the military, but was invited to walk on at U of A.  I was out of touch with how my old team mates did in college except Ed, I still talk to him on occasion and of course Brandon I know about, but he didn't actually start as a sophomore when he and I were on the team together.

[Tripod1]

I agree that great athletes are walking the streets in LR.  I also agree that spoiled kids with way too much money and daddy's with way too much power are in NWA.  I agree the kids in NWA have better resources and better school pride.  LR schools for whatever reason have gone by the wayside in terms of facilities and school pride.  Case in point, LR Central and their stadium with all the history tied up in that program should, at whatever cost be restored and preserved.  I have officiated at Quigely (?) stadium and I was sad to see the shape it is in.  As a kid I remember going to the Hall/Central game on Thanksgiving Day so I have been around for quite some time.  One poster stated that NWA schools does not get a return on its money spent in turning out D1 players and I agree.  Catch 22 problem for all schools especially those in central and south Arkansas, due to court orders and lawsuits, do you put money in classrooms and education or in sports?  This is a sports site so we all want to say sports.  As sad as the storied programs in the LR area have fallen, the same can be said about the education process in many of the schools around the state.  Thus the debate will continue.  BTW, grew up in the delta, now live in Western Arkansas.

[311Hog]

I am not sure if any of you have seen the NCAA commercial that talks about all these kids "going pro in something other then sports" that is what we all should care about, the odds of a kid making it based solely on athletic achievement are astronomical.  The classroom is where it always should begin.

I get really tired of people trying to act as if the only rich and spoiled people live in NWA, every heard of Conway? or the Heights or OBU ? etc. I mean seriously people there are rich spoiled people everywhere, they just have an easier time hiding themselves in certain areas of the state.  Some people actually love the fact they grew up in a "hard place" as compared to a "soft" one, i for one say F that shiet. i grew up in a not so great place and i would make the trade, there is nothing that says your life has to suck for you to turn out as a good person with a good life.


Btw i have to tell you this LR is in the state it is in now do to it's own citizens and the people that reside there. If they want to change then they can damn well do it for themselves and if they dont have enough pride to do it i say F em and im sorry.

[H&D]

Have you seen the number of kids South Arkansas put out this year? Check the number, then tell me that statement isn't ridiculously wrong. Also, if you're going to single out the LRC and Fair teams, why not single out the Springdale group? There hasn't been a team anywhere near that in Western Arkansas since 2005.

I'm pretty sure Greenwood just won their 3rd State Title in the 5A West.  (North) West has better TEAMS, the Central has (in some cases) better PLAYERS.

[Fatmanhog]

how can anyone say the 7west has underachieved. how many 7awest players signed with d-1 schools the past 5 years? we signed justa as many out of warren and camden than all the 7a west put together. look at bentonville,springdale, the fortsmith schools, fayetteville, rogers. the springdale 5 is the only cluster of talent on any team in the west but they almost always win the championships. confucing to say the the least. remember when bentonville won it, how many major d-1 signees there? dont know  if quality of life or, coaches or whatever but LR really needs to take a look in the mirror and find out how to fix it. that is our capital and should be a very fertile recruiting grounds. but it is not really. oh well WPS for life.

[oldfart]

Again, let me say, we know it is a problem in LR and many parts of eastern AR.  The question is, what can we do to overcome it? I know Keith Jackson and his PARK program are doing good things, but more needs to be done.  I dont know how, but something needs to be done.

[Jim Harris]

4- from Camden
4- Warren

Was Little Rock that down of a class this year?  What's in store for 09'?

yes, LR was down. But you still have Cruz, Joe and Zach Stadther, so that's three from Central Arkansas.

The senior basketball class is down also, throughout the state. But the junior and sophomore classes for football and basketball (particularly sophomore for basketball) are strong.

[Wu Tang Clan]

In fairness, LRC beat SD when Mustain missed part of the game with a broken arm.  SD's core players were Jr's vs LRC's Sr's. 

LR has not done well if you compare it to cities of similar size and racial makeup.  This is the point that Wu and others refuse to discuss when talking about signees in the LR and NWA regions.  20 of Ark's signees are Afr Amer this class.  There is a reason Baton Rouge will produce more players than Boise.
[/quote


Quit making excuses for that L Mustain and Company took at Quigley.  They lost to a Central team without a lot of D1 prospects.  Why should I discuss the racial makeup.  It seems that you are implying that African-Americans should be better athletes.  Why is that because I certainly don't know the answer to that question.  High school football is not near as big in Central Arkansas as it is in NW Arkansas or Baton Rouge.  Students at Hall and Parkview don't give a damn about the football team but the gym will be packed at both schools for basketball.     

[arkyman]

Here to kill off some ridiculous myths a few idiots are making about the Rock.

First off, when talking about Little Rock, you need to consider it as a metro these days..  Little Rock's growth has stunted because it's now run into Bryant, Cabot, Jacksonville, Benton, Maumelle, Conway and others (there's nowhere else to go).. As a whole, it's a great place to live with the highest average median income in the state (highest in West Little Rock) and Dillards, Alltel, Acxiom, Whirlpool, Stephens all based here.. Our downtown and riverfront are outstanding with highrises going up everywhere.. And while NWA is growing at a good clip (you had nowhere to go but up) the LR metro area continues to grow and expand at above the national average, now hovering at 650,000 in the 06 census..

As far as the schools go, we have the same problem every other major city has in this country when it comes to inner city schools.. The LRSD is a mess with some schools, which is why the private and suberb schools are gaining in strength and size.. It's no different anywhere else.. NWA is unique in that you guys have no city core - which means you have no urban issues to deal with.. It's a bunch of satellite towns that are claimed as a region.. Each town has just there one particular high school to fund and deal with, where's LRSD encompases around 10 high schools with questionable leadership.. Again, any city with a diverse and high population base are going through the same issues nationwide.. The same set of issues I can assure you will experience when your levels begin to approach ours down the road.. That being said, city schools like LR Central, NLR HS, Parkview are still solid, producing more national merit students than any in the state..

Little Rock is still the only 'real city' in Arkansas. But NWA has accomplished some things too. To me Little Rock seems like a person in their 30's. Established, more based in reality. It knows it's needs and responds accordingly. NWA seems like a someone who's just graduated high school or college. It's young and perhaps still a bit of a dreamer. It hasn't quite established itself or it's destiny - good or bad. People in NWA seem to feel the door's open for the future and tend to have an idealistic view of things. Weird analogy I know, but to me it seems somewhat fitting.

[Wu Tang Clan]

Otis covers the best dozen for next year in his article today and once again, nothing from the public school system in LR.  He lists a WR and a FB/LB from LR private schools, DL from Hoxie, Winston from Helena, another Warren WR, an ATH from Dollarway, 2-OL from Vilonia and DeWitt, WR from Lonoke, FS from Bryant, QB from Lake Hamilton, and the Berna kid who committed to us from Fayetteville.

Kids from the inner city like Michael Dyer are starting to end up at private schools in Little Rock.  Also notice that freshmen basketball player Aaron Ross is at Pulaski Academy and he will be big time.  Players who traditionally would have been at public schools are taken advantage of the opportunities provided at private schools.  The majority of the top D1 recruits in Little Rock from private schools would not be at a private school if not for their athletic ability.   

[Wu Tang Clan]

how can anyone say the 7west has underachieved. how many 7awest players signed with d-1 schools the past 5 years? we signed justa as many out of warren and camden than all the 7a west put together. look at bentonville,springdale, the fortsmith schools, fayetteville, rogers. the springdale 5 is the only cluster of talent on any team in the west but they almost always win the championships. confucing to say the the least. remember when bentonville won it, how many major d-1 signees there? dont know  if quality of life or, coaches or whatever but LR really needs to take a look in the mirror and find out how to fix it. that is our capital and should be a very fertile recruiting grounds. but it is not really. oh well WPS for life.

High school football is not that big in Central Arkansas.  Kids in other parts of Arkansas sleep, live, and eat football.  That is not the case in Little Rock. 

So you would rather just die? i am not following. I mean seriously you almost sound "proud" of the fact that LR for all intents and purposes is a cess pool of drugs and violence. And their public school system is in the toilet but hey you can have fun right amirite ?

Good grief.

Idiot quit attempting to put words in my mouth.  The only thing I am saying is that NW Arkansas is boring and country as hell.  The only way I would live there for any extended period of time is if I had a family and was prepared to participate in corny family events.  I don't see how all athletes don't graduate from the U of A.  It is not like they have access to fun.  For the record there are several drug dealers who are doing quite well in Fayettville.  Their business has prospered since entering that area of the state where they sell their product at a higher price.  Don't come on here and act like it's all green acres and Leave it to Beaver. 

[Boarcephus]

High school football is not that big in Central Arkansas.  Kids in other parts of Arkansas sleep, live, and eat football.  That is not the case in Little Rock. 
Idiot quit attempting to put words in my mouth.  The only thing I am saying is that NW Arkansas is boring and country as hell.  The only way I would live there for any extended period of time is if I had a family and was prepared to participate in corny family events. 

So what do the typical highschool kids in central Arkansas do for fun since it's not football or sports in general?   I think I've got a pretty good idea and I believe it involves memberships into nice little clubs like the 23rd Street Posse branch of the Bloods or Crips.  Not sure what you consider boring about nw Arkansas other than you find it more exciting to go to a gang initiation beatdown as opposed to Friday night highschool football game.

[want2be]

Give kudos for Keith Jackson and his PARK program, Boys Club, Volunteer's who coach pre school football, and church after school programs........Allot of kids in the LR area don't have the best homelife or they are being raised by their mother. It takes allot of positive influence at a young age to get less fortunate kids interested in competetive sports.

In many smaller communities kids go the first grade and are taught the highschool fight song. Everyone looks forward to Friday night football and it becomes a tradition.

The lack of talent in Eastern Ark is another delimma.

[311Hog]

High school football is not that big in Central Arkansas.  Kids in other parts of Arkansas sleep, live, and eat football.  That is not the case in Little Rock. 
Idiot quit attempting to put words in my mouth.  The only thing I am saying is that NW Arkansas is boring and country as hell.  The only way I would live there for any extended period of time is if I had a family and was prepared to participate in corny family events.  I don't see how all athletes don't graduate from the U of A.  It is not like they have access to fun.  For the record there are several drug dealers who are doing quite well in Fayettville.  Their business has prospered since entering that area of the state where they sell their product at a higher price.  Don't come on here and act like it's all green acres and Leave it to Beaver. 

I have lived in both places and if NWA is country and LR is "gangsta" i would chose to live in the place i will have the greatest chance of not being stabbed by a crack head for a dollar ok?

I honestly do not prefer either place though i am currently living in Fayettenam, and believe me i never said it was green acres ( who is putting words who's mouth now?).  All i said was you seem proud of the fact that LR is gangsta and by association you are gangsta to huh?  And i am not saying that is some how wrong or a bad thing, what i am saying is only a blind man would say that LR is "ok" and there are people with ass loads of cash in LR and refuse to do a damn thing about it.

While people in NWA seem to want to do what is best for the area and the school system and put their money where their mouth is and LR folks wont do that, (see war memorial).

Btw the Nightlife in Fayetteville is not much different then Little Rock i dunno where you get that from, and the sports life is much BETTER in Fayetteville then in Little Rock.  River walk = Dickson street etc  I would much rather watch the Hogs basketball, baseball teams then the Travs and what ever crappy semi pro bball team that plays in Alltel.

[Wu Tang Clan]

So what do the typical highschool kids in central Arkansas do for fun since it's not football or sports in general?   I think I've got a pretty good idea and I believe it involves memberships into nice little clubs like the 23rd Street Posse branch of the Bloods or Crips.  Not sure what you consider boring about nw Arkansas other than you find it more exciting to go to a gang initiation beatdown as opposed to Friday night highschool football game.

Post from a typical shallow dumb ass.  When did every kid in Little Rock become a gang banger. Some kids are more interested in hooking up their car, so they would rather work than play football.  There are a lot more kids involved in AAU basketball than 7 on 7 football.  You losers need to stop worrying about Central Arkansas which will produce plenty of D1 players in 2010 and worry about the dying delta area in Arkansas which use to be a football hot bed. 

[Wu Tang Clan]

I have lived in both places and if NWA is country and LR is "gangsta" i would chose to live in the place i will have the greatest chance of not being stabbed by a crack head for a dollar ok?

I honestly do not prefer either place though i am currently living in Fayettenam, and believe me i never said it was green acres ( who is putting words who's mouth now?).  All i said was you seem proud of the fact that LR is gangsta and by association you are gangsta to huh?  And i am not saying that is some how wrong or a bad thing, what i am saying is only a blind man would say that LR is "ok" and there are people with ass loads of cash in LR and refuse to do a damn thing about it.

While people in NWA seem to want to do what is best for the area and the school system and put their money where their mouth is and LR folks wont do that, (see war memorial).

Btw the Nightlife in Fayetteville is not much different then Little Rock i dunno where you get that from, and the sports life is much BETTER in Fayetteville then in Little Rock.  River walk = Dickson street etc  I would much rather watch the Hogs basketball, baseball teams then the Travs and what ever crappy semi pro bball team that plays in Alltel.

Nightlife in Fayettville is absolutely dreadful and it is not close to any big city.  It is impossible to hop from campus to campus.  Bubba Hog alone represents NW Arkansas.  Once again absolutely nothing in my post referred to me taking any pride in LR being gangster, but more of a statement of how bad Fayettville sucks for a 20 year old.  You would also be surprised at the number of people in NW Arkansas who are on serious drugs.  You can keep your camo, deer hunting crowd and terrible looking women on Dickson Street.  I enjoy bringing you losers out who think that taking your girl to a Razorback basketball game is foreplay.  With that being said Little Rock's concerts suck.   

[Wu Tang Clan]

uh....you said claude johnson!! heh heh...claude johnson! casey dick, houston nutt and now a claude johnson!! perfect!! ha ha ha ha!!!

Sophmore reciever Jonathon Frazier will be a D1 prospect as well. 

[Wes Craven]

Here to kill off some ridiculous myths a few idiots are making about the Rock.

First off, when talking about Little Rock, you need to consider it as a metro these days..  Little Rock's growth has stunted because it's now run into Bryant, Cabot, Jacksonville, Benton, Maumelle, Conway and others (there's nowhere else to go).. As a whole, it's a great place to live with the highest average median income in the state (highest in West Little Rock) and Dillards, Alltel, Acxiom, Whirlpool, Stephens all based here.. Our downtown and riverfront are outstanding with highrises going up everywhere.. And while NWA is growing at a good clip (you had nowhere to go but up) the LR metro area continues to grow and expand at above the national average, now hovering at 650,000 in the 06 census..

As far as the schools go, we have the same problem every other major city has in this country when it comes to inner city schools.. The LRSD is a mess with some schools, which is why the private and suberb schools are gaining in strength and size.. It's no different anywhere else.. NWA is unique in that you guys have no city core - which means you have no urban issues to deal with.. It's a bunch of satellite towns that are claimed as a region.. Each town has just there one particular high school to fund and deal with, where's LRSD encompases around 10 high schools with questionable leadership.. Again, any city with a diverse and high population base are going through the same issues nationwide.. The same set of issues I can assure you will experience when your levels begin to approach ours down the road.. That being said, city schools like LR Central, NLR HS, Parkview are still solid, producing more national merit students than any in the state..

Little Rock is still the only 'real city' in Arkansas. But NWA has accomplished some things too. To me Little Rock seems like a person in their 30's. Established, more based in reality. It knows it's needs and responds accordingly. NWA seems like a someone who's just graduated high school or college. It's young and perhaps still a bit of a dreamer. It hasn't quite established itself or it's destiny - good or bad. People in NWA seem to feel the door's open for the future and tend to have an idealistic view of things. Weird analogy I know, but to me it seems somewhat fitting.

Ah the Little Rock Myth. This is the only thing the Little Rock faithful have to hold onto. Do you want me to post what that census refers to as the "Little Rock Metro Area". It goes as far south as freakin Hot Springs and as far west as Conway and as far east as Cabot. Talk about a joke. That is about a 2 hour radius they are giving you those numbers from. In that case the "NWA Metro Area" would include all of Northwest Arkansas and everything all the way west to Fort Smith and Van Buren as well as Siloam Springs. They areas would be just about the same in population if you gave NWA a 2 hour radius and called it a Metro Area. Don't act like it is contiguous from Little Rock to Cabot or Little Rock to Conway or Little Rock to Hot Springs. In Northwest Arkansas you go right from Fayetteville to Springdale to Rogers to Bentonville. Essentially all one big city with 230,000 people. Little Rock is a hood period. There is NOWHERE in Northwest Arkansas that you can be after dark and have to worry about losing your life. Ask yourself if you can say the same about Little Rock.

[smoked hog]

The D1 caliber athletes are still in little rock but like many posters have previously stated they are just not on the football team. A great many are dropping out and walking the streets during the day rather than focusing on grades and playing sports as a way out. Until there is a paradigm shift things aren't going to change. A few with good parental support will escape and a large number will leave their teachers wondering what might have been.

[jj202020]

It's all about participation.   A kid has to want to play.  I think it's largely a cultural thing.  The biggest stage in small town ARk is the Friday night football field.

Coaches and admin need to work harder to get the kids to play.  For me, that job would get old quickly.

[Wes Craven]

The D1 caliber athletes are still in little rock but like many posters have previously stated they are just not on the football team. A great many are dropping out and walking the streets during the day rather than focusing on grades and playing sports as a way out. Until there is a paradigm shift things aren't going to change. A few with good parental support will escape and a large number will leave their teachers wondering what might have been.

This is such a jaded statement though. That is like saying there are plenty of murderers walking the streets but they never act on it. You aren't a Division I caliber athlete if you don't play sports. You are an idiot who wasted an opportunity. Division I caliber means more than athletic ability it means work ethic, desire and drive. None of which any guy who doesn't even play possesses.

[smoked hog]

Ok I can see where you are comming from on that.  Let me just rephrase by saying that there are alot of very talented potential athletes in LR. And in eastern AR as well.  But many don't put the emphasis on sports AND classroom performance.

[hogfan2286]

I don't even understand this argument.  In the past five years, LR has put out more top end talent than NWA ever has.  LR's talent level is fine.  Also, if you think LR is gangsta and a hood just don't come to Little Rock. No point in getting on a message board and bashing it.

[jasonf]

if you want lineman - 7A West -
want speed and athleticsm - go south

[hogfan2286]

Why does it have to be an argument?  The original post in this thread did not mention NWA. 

How is LR's talent level fine?  0 BCS conf signees from the public schools

Why does it matter if they come from public schools or not?  Plus Stadther goes to NLR.

[jpenrod1]

   I guess private schools helped the Pulaski Cty situation. If a family has the money that is. Most of the talent is coming out of these schools. They can pay coaches more and have more sense of school pride than it appears in most public schools.

Private scool kids also have more success a lot of times because of the type of kids there. These kids generally come from wealthier families. I am not saying money solves problems, but it helps. the percentage of broken homes, involved parents, and kids that have more of a drive are all better at private schools. public schools kids can be just as good as private, but percentage wise private school kids have a better chance. Hard work has more of an influence on kids than natural ability. Private schools give kids a chance to work, and become well known. There is a reason people pay to send there kids to school.

[hogfan2286]

Easy.  For some reason some people are scared to state it, but the majority of Afr Amer kids in LR(which LR is 40% Afr Amer - about 75K people) go to public schools.  Most BCS conf signees and the top players are Afr Amer. 

LR isn't the only city with issues and a lack of signees this season.  If you look at Mississippi's top ranked players, not one from Jackson just a couple from suburbs.

By the way, Ole Miss got killed in state by Miss St and So Miss. 

Our 2 players from LR are black and they both went to private school. More of the top athletes in LR are being recruited to the private schools. As long as the players are signing with the Razorbacks, I don't care what school they go to. 

In the past couple years LR has produced:

Darren McFadden, Jamaal Anderson, Jonathan Luigs, Antwain Robinson, Fred Bledsoe, Freddie Fairchild, Keith Jackson Jr., Marcus Harrison, Elston Forte, Farod Jackson, Joe Adams, Cruz Williams, DJ Williams, Broderick Green, Jamar Love, Dedric Poole, Marc Winston, Kevin Thornton, Van Stumon, and Jake Bequette

*It would be extremely difficult to find another city that is comparable to LR/NLR's size that has produced this much talent.

Players from LR/NLR broken down by year:
2002: 1: Dedric Poole
2003: 3: Farod Jackson, Keith Jackson Jr., and Marcus Harrison
2004: 5: Fred Bledsoe, Fred Fairchild, Marc Winston,  Jonathan Luigs, and Jamaal Anderson
2005: 6: Darren McFadden, Antwain Robinson, Elston Forte, Jamar Love, Kevin Thornton, and Kevin   Hubbard
2006: 1: Van Stumon
2007: 2: Jake Bequette, DJ Williams, Broderick Green (USC), Charles Clay (Tulsa)
2008: 3: Joe Adams, Cruz Williams, Zach Stadther

As you can see, the level of talent coming out of LR fluctuates a good amount, and when you put this year into context it is not that bad.  The future of LR football is fine with guys like Michael Dyer coming down the pipe.

[hogfan2286]

Its actually easy.  Baton Rouge had 9 of the top 40 in La this last season with most signing with LSU, Tenn, Washington level programs.  BR pop 224K

Monroe-W Monroe at least equals LR

And only two of the top 11 on the initial Ark class of 09 list is from LR.  0 from public schools  Considering their enrollment numbers are still high despite the losses to private schools, that would be incredible to go 0 for two years. 

Following Katrina, Baton Rouge has blown up and is much larger than LR.

After last season LR had the most preseason all-sec selections of any city in the country.  LR does fine producing talent.  How many players did we sign out of NWA this year? The answer is 2, the same as LR. Does that mean the level of talent is declining in NWA? No, it just means it was a down year.  LR has consistently produced good football players for decades, and there is no reason to believe that will change.

[want2be]

Our 2 players from LR are black and they both went to private school. More of the top athletes in LR are being recruited to the private schools. As long as the players are signing with the Razorbacks, I don't care what school they go to. 

In the past couple years LR has produced:

Darren McFadden, Jamaal Anderson, Jonathan Luigs, Antwain Robinson, Fred Bledsoe, Freddie Fairchild, Keith Jackson Jr., Marcus Harrison, Elston Forte, Farod Jackson, Joe Adams, Cruz Williams, DJ Williams, Broderick Green, Jamar Love, Dedric Poole, Marc Winston, Kevin Thornton, Van Stumon, and Jake Bequette

*It would be extremely difficult to find another city that is comparable to LR/NLR's size that has produced this much talent.

Players from LR/NLR broken down by year:
2002: 1: Dedric Poole
2003: 3: Farod Jackson, Keith Jackson Jr., and Marcus Harrison
2004: 5: Fred Bledsoe, Fred Fairchild, Marc Winston,  Jonathan Luigs, and Jamaal Anderson
2005: 6: Darren McFadden, Antwain Robinson, Elston Forte, Jamar Love, Kevin Thornton, and Kevin   Hubbard
2006: 1: Van Stumon
2007: 2: Jake Bequette, DJ Williams, Broderick Green (USC), Charles Clay (Tulsa)
2008: 3: Joe Adams, Cruz Williams, Zach Stadther

As you can see, the level of talent coming out of LR fluctuates a good amount, and when you put this year into context it is not that bad.  The future of LR football is fine with guys like Michael Dyer coming down the pipe.

Looks like it is averaging about 3 per year from this area, which should be a continuing trend

[hogfan2286]

A city that has really underachieved is Fayetteville.  Fayetteville did not produce a single meaningful contributor during the Houston Nutt era.  What is the problem in Fayetteville?

[Wu Tang Clan]

A city that has really underachieved is Fayetteville.  Fayetteville did not produce a single meaningful contributor during the Houston Nutt era.  What is the problem in Fayetteville?

I am glad someone has brought this up.  Fayettville has more players on it's team than LR Hall, Parkview, and Central combined.  However I believe that will change with Colby Berna and hopefully Cody Hammer picking up D1 offers.

[miles22]

Again you are back to criticizing NWA again when the thread was started to discuss LR.  Is it insecurity? 

And NWA isn't the same as LR so the comparison isn't accurate.  The difference has clearly been explained(and I'm not talking about the rude comments about LR from certain NWA posters).

Are you a psychologist? How did you pin my Little Rock insecurity so quickly?

Fayetteville has a sizable African American population, and it still hasn't produced a single player.  Why do you care whether I shift the thread towards discussing another city in the state?

[miles22]

I was on my buddies name earlier, I'm hogfan2286.

[arkyman]

Ah the Little Rock Myth. This is the only thing the Little Rock faithful have to hold onto. Do you want me to post what that census refers to as the "Little Rock Metro Area". It goes as far south as freakin Hot Springs and as far west as Conway and as far east as Cabot. Talk about a joke. That is about a 2 hour radius they are giving you those numbers from. In that case the "NWA Metro Area" would include all of Northwest Arkansas and everything all the way west to Fort Smith and Van Buren as well as Siloam Springs. They areas would be just about the same in population if you gave NWA a 2 hour radius and called it a Metro Area. Don't act like it is contiguous from Little Rock to Cabot or Little Rock to Conway or Little Rock to Hot Springs. In Northwest Arkansas you go right from Fayetteville to Springdale to Rogers to Bentonville. Essentially all one big city with 230,000 people. Little Rock is a hood period. There is NOWHERE in Northwest Arkansas that you can be after dark and have to worry about losing your life. Ask yourself if you can say the same about Little Rock.

Craven, you're quite possibly the biggest idiot on this board. 

It's amazing your intense dislike for Little Rock, were you picked on by someone from here as a kid? In fact, it seems it's usually NWA folks always starting this crap - odd considering most here rarely even give you a second thought. Look LR, is the only real city in the state and don't give me that crap that the your area is like one continuous city.. The trip between Springdale and Bentonville is all cowfields with very little in between - similar to LR to Conway.. Also I don't include Hot Springs in the DMA.. From LR to Cabot is continuous with NLR, Sherwood and Jax in between.. I can't believe I'm even engaing in this pissing match with you - I just find you so annoying and unwilling to look at facts I can't help it.. By the way, who's the city that's hosting the NCAA Tourney, SEC Women's Tourny, big name concerts? And bash WMS all you want, but for a municipality to have a stadium that size with no major tenant is actually quite a big deal.  If the UA wasn't there, you wouldn't have one to speak of..

That being said, I've always looked at NWA fondly, but chumps like you are souring me on the area.  By the way, LR crime is concentrated in a very small portion of town, hardly representative of the area as a whole..  LR has the highest per capita income levels in the state - I don't think those people would be sticking around if they were afraid to walk around at night..
So Craven, please get a life.

 

[NWAREDBUG]

LR doesn't extend to Conway, Cabot, Jacksonville, Benton and Bryant  There is lull between these cities, and there is the key word other "cities". Most of these towns are full because people move out of LR to join these communities and I don't believe they want to be lump into this so called Metro.

[arkyman]

LR doesn't extend to Conway, Cabot, Jacksonville, Benton and Bryant  There is lull between these cities, and there is the key word other "cities". Most of these towns are full because people move out of LR to join these communities and I don't believe they want to be lump into this so called Metro.

Are you NWA folks out of your mind? There is no lull whatsoever between the towns you mentioned, except Conway. I in fact live in Bryant, and have family in Cabot and travel these routes all the time. You guys are just throwing hail marys now. And while some folks are moving to the burbs, it's mainly because the growth has spread out that way, not just because of their intent of leaving LR. As I've said already, condos and lofts are going up all over the city from midtown to downtown with three new highrises already going up - you don't build these high dollar estates if people aren't interested. 

As for the schools, the high schools in NWA don't come close to Central, Mills University High School, and Parkview magnet. That 's evidenced in Newsweek's best high schools, where two in the top 50 are in Little Rock. The NWA cities are basically just suburbs and their schools are similar. Do you really think safety or education differ from Cabot, Bryant, or Conway? LR public schools offer better opportunities at the expense of safety (to a point), which as I've stated - most American cities our size with an urban core experience. 
That being said, I'm still floored by NWA's hatred for LR - still makes no sense to me.  Keep convinving yourselves that LR is satin itself.

[Wes Craven]

Are you NWA folks out of your mind? There is no lull whatsoever between the towns you mentioned, except Conway. I in fact live in Bryant, and have family in Cabot and travel these routes all the time. You guys are just throwing hail marys now. And while some folks are moving to the burbs, it's mainly because the growth has spread out that way, not just because of their intent of leaving LR. As I've said already, condos and lofts are going up all over the city from midtown to downtown with three new highrises already going up - you don't build these high dollar estates if people aren't interested. 

As for the schools, the high schools in NWA don't come close to Central, Mills University High School, and Parkview magnet. That 's evidenced in Newsweek's best high schools, where two in the top 50 are in Little Rock. The NWA cities are basically just suburbs and their schools are similar. Do you really think safety or education differ from Cabot, Bryant, or Conway? LR public schools offer better opportunities at the expense of safety (to a point), which as I've stated - most American cities our size with an urban core experience. 
That being said, I'm still floored by NWA's hatred for LR - still makes no sense to me.  Keep convinving yourselves that LR is satin itself.

   I will make sure to send you my personal copy of the tv documentary "Gang Banging in Little Rock". I guess the cow field you are refering to between Springdale and Bentonville is a town called Rogers of close to 55,000 people. So if Rogers is a cow field what does that make Cabot, Bryant, Benton and Conway? It is 22 miles from NLR to Cabot and 26 miles from Little Rock to Cabot but yeah you are right they are contiguous. In regard to football, not an argument. The campionships end up here more often than not. We have one company whose revenue constitutes 1.8% of the United States of America's Gross National Product. Wal-Mart eclipses the revenue of every single business in Little Rock. Lastly contrary to what you guys in Little Rock wish, the University is here and will alwyas be here. Enjoy your 3 hour trip to God's Country every time you want to see the true home of the Hogs. 

[Trojan]

what in the world are you people doing?  WHy would you stir such division? 

[arkyman]

   I will make sure to send you my personal copy of the tv documentary "Gang Banging in Little Rock". I guess the cow field you are refering to between Springdale and Bentonville is a town called Rogers of close to 55,000 people. So if Rogers is a cow field what does that make Cabot, Bryant, Benton and Conway? It is 22 miles from NLR to Cabot and 26 miles from Little Rock to Cabot but yeah you are right they are contiguous. In regard to football, not an argument. The campionships end up here more often than not. We have one company whose revenue constitutes 1.8% of the United States of America's Gross National Product. Wal-Mart eclipses the revenue of every single business in Little Rock. Lastly contrary to what you guys in Little Rock wish, the University is here and will alwyas be here. Enjoy your 3 hour trip to God's Country every time you want to see the true home of the Hogs. 

Guess what's in between NLR and Cabot,? Sherwood and Jacksonville.. So I'd say it's continuous, once again, why would I make this up when I travel that path at least once a week.. My question is, when has anyone from LR said anything to bash NWA? And you've proven your obsession with LR to be true - by actually owning a copy of Gang Banging.  You do know that was made over a decade ago, and was shot in a radius of about three square miles, where 99% of the violence takes place.  What a prick.

[miles22]

I am glad someone has brought this up.  Fayettville has more players on it's team than LR Hall, Parkview, and Central combined.  However I believe that will change with Colby Berna and hopefully Cody Hammer picking up D1 offers.

I know Fayetteville has a great athletic department.  Hopefully, they can start producing more high level D-1 prospects.  They are off to a good start this year.

[hogfan2286]

Afr Amer make up about 5% of Fay's population or about 3500 people.  That is sizeable?  Compared to what - Harrison?
There is alot of countryside between Jax and Cabot.  A few businesses along 67 but its not like Addison to Plano to Allen in the Metroplex. I know though that Cabot as well as in some instances Lonoke and even Vilonia are counted in the metro numbers. 

Sizable compared to the surrounding area.  Springdale and Rogers have very few African Americans compared to Fayetteville.