From the Bench-Razorback Foundation Should Move to Help Players Find Life After

[duckman]

[Rey Pygsterio]

Wow, so much seething hostility for former players bubbling under the surface of Razorback fandom.

"Play for our entertainment and then we are done with you" is the message I am hearing from some of these posters.

[navyhog24]

Wow, so much seething hostility for former players bubbling under the surface of Razorback fandom.

"Play for our entertainment and then we are done with you" is the message I am hearing from some of these posters.

I have no animosity against them, but after college they are normal people just like any of us. They can be adults and earn everything they get, instead of it being given to them for the rest of their lives. I'll always be grateful they deicded to play for the Hogs, but at some point you have to  cut the cord.

[duckman]

Wow, so much seething hostility for former players bubbling under the surface of Razorback fandom.

"Play for our entertainment and then we are done with you" is the message I am hearing from some of these posters.

No animosity here but these kids have the same chance as any student to get their degree, but theirs is paid for.  They also have athletic dept provides tutors and a place to study which is second to none on campus.  What those players choose to do with the tools provided is up to them.  I assure you that if they take care of their grades there are a lot of employers out there that would love to have an ex-Razorback employee.

[michaels]

I'm not saying you are wrong in every case.  In fact the athletes that respond positively after athletics might benefit from a University service like that as well.  All I'm saying is if you/University can influence the improvement of quality of life for kids that otherwise would ultimately spiral downward.....how is that bad?

The idea that its somehow wrong to help kids that need it beyond the normal/traditional parameters of society because of anecdotal evidence is closed minded.

+1

[michaels]

The idea that someone from little rock that grew up in bad public schools & govt housing and plays college football as a fulltime job has the same opportunity as little timmy mcchumberson from shiloh christian who only goes to school is ridiculous. There's a lot of factors. Some kids need more structure, guidance & help than others. It's not a simple case of "they just arent working hard enough & keeping their nose clean"

[thirrdegreetusker]

The idea that someone from little rock that grew up in bad public schools & govt housing and plays college football as a fulltime job has the same opportunity as little timmy mcchumberson from shiloh christian who only goes to school is ridiculous. There's a lot of factors. Some kids need more structure, guidance & help than others. It's not a simple case of "they just arent working hard enough & keeping their nose clean"

I think this is the biggest challenge for the kids that come from a less-than-ideal socio-economic upbringing (black or white). Growing up, they had no examples of the "right way" to act 24/7. The only structure they got was with in the framework of their athletic teams.

Some of these things, we take for granted. "Don't take things that don't belong to you", "Always have a little money saved for a rainy day", "Do your homework before you go out to play".............they never got those things impressed upon them as children.   

[DeltaBoy]

Great Idea Robert.

[LSUFan]

My dad always told me, "Son, the best way to get on your feet is to get off your ass!"

What would he know?

He wore a 1 on the shoulder of his army issues and three stripes in Viet Nam.

[Großer Kriegschwein]

Damn, RS, you have trumped ALL of your dumbass articles with this one.

bp

He writes articles?

[Seebs]

Wow, so much seething hostility for former players bubbling under the surface of Razorback fandom.

"Play for our entertainment and then we are done with you" is the message I am hearing from some of these posters.

I reread the Sync article and well, didn't read Robert's, and I have come to the conclusion - this is all my fault and I am terribly sorry.
I invented drugs, I invented X-Boxes and made women morally negotiable.  I talked players into cutting classes and telling them to hang out with their old friends from the neighborhood instead of the teammates that are working toward a common goal.
I asked that they do the minimum, even in summer school, for four full years, so they won't get a degree but remain eligible.   

I didn't know they would listen to me or that I was that influential because my own kids won't sit down and be quite at any point of their childhood. No vegetables are being eaten. It is sad.

But when my kids get old enough for college - well, I will show them the ropes.  I will make certain they follow my plan and I can derail more lives with my shenanigans.

Or not.

I will instead instill a sense of accountability in my kids - just like the coaches did when they made these kids attend meetings on time and practices on time, and classes on time.

These kids did not come from the Cleaver household to be sure,  but they got much, much more structure in college than I did and I am not strung out, pimping or dealing drugs. I find many of your comments vapid of anything more than lack of accountability. Accountability which they learned in college from college football and chose not to utilize in life.

[arkansastrack]

Frank had been helping former athletes come back and finish their degrees for decades before this article. People need to catch up.

Correct. Not only that but for years he had etiquette dinners for upcoming seniors as well as the athletic department sent put a book of resumes of all the athletes to potential employers. I am unsure if this continued under Long.

The bigger problem in general (even among non athletes) is the "fluff" majors out there. You don't go to college to major in a hobby. Cobbs majored in drama so there is no surprise he ended up without a job...I'm sure the others that struggled also majored in something similar such as communications, AA studies, etc.

[bigdaddyhawg]

My dad always told me, "Son, the best way to get on your feet is to get off your ass!"

What would he know?

He wore a 1 on the shoulder of his army issues and three stripes in Viet Nam.

Freaking awesome!! +1,000,000 if I could!!

[GatorHog]

Editor's additions in bold, remarks in italics.

Razorback Foundation Should Move to Help Players Find Life After Football

Robert Shields

The Razorback Foundation has been exceptional at stockpilinges money,.The first sentence is critical.  Assert the point. With its accumulated wealth, the Foundation can afford to coming up with buyouts to fire coaches, and it can helping you get fans obtain enough parking passes to cover all of the vehicles in your season-ticket plans,. [What does the last phrase mean, and what is its significance to your point?  Is the ability to cover all vehicles truly exceptional?  If not, it weakens your argument that the Foundation is in a position to help players after football.] Either come up with another fact about how the Foundation wastes money or is otherwise ostentatious, or drop the parking thing. but what if it could follow the lead of some other colleges and do something that actually helped the players who put the product on the field? The Razorback Foundation can and should follow the lead of other universities, and help players make the transition from college football "to the real world" / "life thereafter."

I ask this after reading Last week, Sync Weekly's published an article this past week on former Razorback football players. The story mostly focuseding primarily on the great running back trio from 1999: of Cedric Cobbs, Fred Talley, and Chrys Chukwuma.

All three had aspirations to be successful NFL players., but NFL success, if the college player even gets the chance, is fleeting. Then after a short stint trying to make it in the pros, they have to figure out what they're going to do the rest of their lives. Describing something as "fleeting" implies it was once had, even if briefly.  Did these players have NFL success?  The rest doesn't make sense.  If they were college greats in 1999 (16 years ago), why do they just now have to figure out what they're going to do for the rest of their lives? You need to flesh out more in this paragraph the experiences of the three players trying to make the NFL cut, even if you are mostly summarizing Sync Weekly's coverage.  The paragraph leaves too many questions -- did any of them ever play a down?  Which teams did they try out for?  What are they doing now?  Did they reach out to the Razorback Foundation? 

Colleges do a poor job of preparing these kids players for life after football. The phrase "these kids" is an appeal to sympathy and is less persuasive.  Often these kids are Players are often led encouraged to pursue toward degrees that will never help them in the long run obtain employment, but will in the meantime achieve the college's goal of keeping them eligible. The hard reality is that many of these players may be better suited learning a trade than pursuing a kinesiology degree.  Many players are likely better off learning a trade. The last sentence may be a fair point, but how do they play college football and learn a trade?  Are you suggesting that UA should add welding to the curriculum?  (If so, say so; it would make your piece original, and let's be honest -- that's a lot to ask of a sports writer).

With all the talk of paying college players, I firmly believe it would just be money squandered and many of these kids would still end up in the same place in life after football, which in some cases we've seen has meant jail.  I've read better in the comments to a yahoo article.  Do you think the information you share should consist of a list of conclusive statements summarizing your beliefs?  What's the premise?  How is anything written before related to paying college athletes?  Is paying players a way to prepare them for life after football? 

The article mentioned that Alabama and Nebraska have non-profit organizations to which help former players find their way after a life of football. Instead of paying players, it would be money better spent setting up such an organization that actually has the player's best interest in mind. No one is "paying players."  Do you see how this is a straw man?  Also, this information leaves a lot unanswered.  How do these organizations help players "find their way?"  Is it a church?  Is it a temporary employment agency?  Your readers do not easily assume your conclusions to be true - you have to lead them there, and explain why your argument is correct.  Without additional information, I just assume Nebraska and Alabama are either pushing the limits of what is allowable under NCAA bylaws or maintaining great PR or both.

It's a great opportunity right now for the University of Arkansas to become the third school to have such an organization. Why? It also might not be a bad recruiting tool. Many kids can't think that far ahead and lack perspective, but some of their parents will see the value of a school that is thinking ahead for them. Demonstrating to recruits a long-term commitment to their professional career, whether on or off the field, will be an effective way to earn their trust and thus remain competitive in an increasingly challenging market for top athletic talent. 


The Razorback Foundation is currently in the position of having to go find searching for a new leader, and maybe it's time at this crossroads to also find a person one with a broader vision to lead an organization that helps players with life after football.

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Preseason Hype Growing Expectations

August is here, and that means the beginning of preseason football. Punctuation goes between two complete sentences. Several months ago, I wrote that the Texas A&M game was the most important one on the Razorbacks' schedule. Previously, I stated that the A&M game was the most important match-up on the Razorbacks' schedule.  I am revising that as each day goes by my expectations for the coming season keep growing.  I am wishy-washy and you shouldn't trust me.

I think the A&M game is a win. Why? This means that I expect that the Razorbacks will be 4-0 heading to Knoxville to play the Volunteers on Oct. 3. The game against Tennessee will set the path to either a good or great season. How do I think that game will play out? You will have to wait until next week when I give my annual game-by-game prediction.  (**cracks knuckles, rolls eyes, and budgets for whiskey**)

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Ohio State Has Another Easy Road to Playoffs

Many pundits are picking Ohio State to repeat as the national champion in the second year of the college football playoff. Ohio State caught lightning in a bottle last year. They are a very talented team so they have the ability to do that from time to time.  Improper use of "catching lightning in a bottle."  As you might imagine, but not consider, it isn't easy to do.  Now re-read the title of your piece.

Last year, the pieces just came together. It helped them immensely that they ended up with their third-string quarterback for their playoff games. He was a superior athlete, but nobody had any film on him. Alabama essentially had to play him cold. It was also an Alabama defense that was young and depleted.  Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds?  "Fortunately, OSU had to rely on their third-string back-up..."  Advice at this point is stop being an SEC homer.  Grammar-wise: too many pronouns, passive voice, and unnecessary adverbs.

Then the quarterback caught an Oregon team that had no receivers in the championship game, and it mattered. The "quarterback" played against the defense.  Next season there will be film on Cardale Jones, and I expect teams will defend him better much like they did Johnny Manziel from his first to his second season playing in the SEC. Could you add in the excuses for Wisco losing 59-0?

The problem, though, and most of the prognosticators (never, and I mean never, ever use this word again. You're not Don King.) know this, is that Ohio State will play nobody until they reach the championship playoff games.



Send your preseason predictions to fromthebench@yahoo.com.