Wally Hall really does tell it like it is - things Hogs fans do not want to..

[HognotinMemphis]

hear, discuss, or admit.

In his column today, he points out that the U of A football program is mediocre or slightly worse than mediocre. Since 1990, Arkansas is 92-125 in conference football games. That is a 42% win percentage. And think of all the income the head coaches have been paid by the U of A and the RF over that time. Wish I could get paid for under and non-performance, then be paid triple my annual salary to leave.

Most of the type of fans who frequent boards like this do not want to hear this kind of stat. In fact, they want it out of sight and therefore out of mind. They are forward looking...always optimistic and rarely realistic. The type of fans who before every season in August predict the Hogs will win 9, 10 or more games even when everything you could consider points to having to get lucky breaks to win 6 games. (see this past season for most recent example of this. FYI, both Lanny and I predicted 6-6 among a lunch group back in August. No one else in the group of 7 or 8 picked the Hogs to win less than 7).

I suggested recently on Hogville that there should be a change in the way universities compensate and structure the contracts of coaches. My thoughts were roundly rejected because it is not the way things are now and most of you cannot envision change. Wally writes about the new AD suggesting the same thing i did: No more crazy buyouts when you do not do your job. Losing consistently becoming grounds to fire a coach "for cause". Greatest example we have of that is fresh at Arkansas...Bret Bielema. He ended up being paid about $3 million per conference win over 5 seasons. How is that even possible? I chalk it up to the funds used being "monopoly money" for universities. Until boosters stop giving so much to universities for a game and tv money continues to pour in, it probably will not change much, if any. Programs have so much money to pay coaches it is as if money is falling out of their collective pockets. They could use $100 bills to start fires and $50's as toilet paper. It's play money. Nice while it lasts I guess.

Wally also notes that 4 of the last 5 permanent head coaches at Arkansas have been fired. Zero conference championships since the 1989 season. He states in plain english that Arkansas is not the same desirable destination for coaches that it was before 1990. Again, something 90% of hogville patrons do not want to admit, discuss or hear about. Wally writes: "Losing football games and firing coaches do not make a school attractive nationwide." Of course that is a true statement. And Arkansas has fired all of its head coaches in the past 25+ years and lost a lot of games...58% of its conference games lost.

As for young Tuohy joining Morris' staff in some capacity (not sure what "football operations" means), that is a bit of a head scratcher. He never played a down of football in high school or college, if ever in his life. He goes to SMU to get a graduate degree and walks on to the football team, becoming the place holder for PATs and FGs for his 1 year there. Odd stuff. Apparently, Morris likes him. Ok. I know his parents like him being involved in athletic-related work so there you go. Maybe he will end up a head football coach someday making $4 million a year with a $20 million buyout and he can reflect on his season of holding for kicks.

I enjoy his column much more nowadays. I do not know if it is me or him. Is he improving due to his directness about various topics regarding U of A athletics? He seems to care less about what the U of A may think given what he writes about and how we words it.

[HognotinMemphis]

One more thing: Wally's column today was about Arkansas football but the same can be said of the basketball program since about 1997. 20 or 21 years of mediocrity at best. We are now at a full generation+ of average or below average performance in both major sports. Average conference record in football is below .500 over past 27 seasons and same for basketball over past 20 seasons.

At some point, we can hope a young version of another  Eddie Sutton or Lou Holtz or Nolan Richardson comes our way. Until then, I don't know how any rational fan can expect Arkansas football to be anything other than what it has been for the last half of my 55 years. I like what i see in Morris but have no idea if he can improve on the conference record. Heck, I'll be fairly pleased if he can just repeat what Nutt did in his decade as head coach...42-38 in SEC, given the awful last 6 seasons we just experienced. Makes Nutt years look like fantasy.

[Tyro3]

I think your  enthusiasm is going to be contagious.

[247Hog]

hear, discuss, or admit.

In his column today, he points out that the U of A football program is mediocre or slightly worse than mediocre. Since 1990, Arkansas is 92-125 in conference football games. That is a 42% win percentage. And think of all the income the head coaches have been paid by the U of A and the RF over that time. Wish I could get paid for under and non-performance, then be paid triple my annual salary to leave.

Most of the type of fans who frequent boards like this do not want to hear this kind of stat. In fact, they want it out of sight and therefore out of mind. They are forward looking...always optimistic and rarely realistic. The type of fans who before every season in August predict the Hogs will win 9, 10 or more games even when everything you could consider points to having to get lucky breaks to win 6 games. (see this past season for most recent example of this. FYI, both Lanny and I predicted 6-6 among a lunch group back in August. No one else in the group of 7 or 8 picked the Hogs to win less than 7).

I suggested recently on Hogville that there should be a change in the way universities compensate and structure the contracts of coaches. My thoughts were roundly rejected because it is not the way things are now and most of you cannot envision change. Wally writes about the new AD suggesting the same thing i did: No more crazy buyouts when you do not do your job. Losing consistently becoming grounds to fire a coach "for cause". Greatest example we have of that is fresh at Arkansas...Bret Bielema. He ended up being paid about $3 million per conference win over 5 seasons. How is that even possible? I chalk it up to the funds used being "monopoly money" for universities. Until boosters stop giving so much to universities for a game and tv money continues to pour in, it probably will not change much, if any. Programs have so much money to pay coaches it is as if money is falling out of their collective pockets. They could use $100 bills to start fires and $50's as toilet paper. It's play money. Nice while it lasts I guess.

Wally also notes that 4 of the last 5 permanent head coaches at Arkansas have been fired. Zero conference championships since the 1989 season. He states in plain english that Arkansas is not the same desirable destination for coaches that it was before 1990. Again, something 90% of hogville patrons do not want to admit, discuss or hear about. Wally writes: "Losing football games and firing coaches do not make a school attractive nationwide." Of course that is a true statement. And Arkansas has fired all of its head coaches in the past 25+ years and lost a lot of games...58% of its conference games lost.

As for young Tuohy joining Morris' staff in some capacity (not sure what "football operations" means), that is a bit of a head scratcher. He never played a down of football in high school or college, if ever in his life. He goes to SMU to get a graduate degree and walks on to the football team, becoming the place holder for PATs and FGs for his 1 year there. Odd stuff. Apparently, Morris likes him. Ok. I know his parents like him being involved in athletic-related work so there you go. Maybe he will end up a head football coach someday making $4 million a year with a $20 million buyout and he can reflect on his season of holding for kicks.

I enjoy his column much more nowadays. I do not know if it is me or him. Is he improving due to his directness about various topics regarding U of A athletics? He seems to care less about what the U of A may think given what he writes about and how we words it.

Wow, don't tell Bobby Petrino he can't coach because he never played football. I mean if playing high school or college ball is what makes you a successful coach, we should be able to hire a coach and staff for about $1000.

[ricepig]

I think your  enthusiasm is going to be contagious.

He is a ray of sunshine.

[HognotinMemphis]

He is a ray of sunshine.

I knew you would comment but I find it interesting how my comments almost always embolden those who do not post much to reply. The other two guys who commented have less than 1,000 posts.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

Wow, don't tell Bobby Petrino he can't coach because he never played football. I mean if playing high school or college ball is what makes you a successful coach, we should be able to hire a coach and staff for about $1000.

Petrino played QB at Carroll College. It's not D-1 but he played. Was league MVP two years in a row. Very successful at that level

[HognotinMemphis]

Petrino played QB at Carroll College. It's not D-1 but he played. Was league MVP two years in a row. Very successful at that level

Aww, you ruined his comment.

[Tyro3]

I knew you would comment but I find it interesting how my comments almost always embolden those who do not post much to reply. The other two guys who commented have less than 1,000 posts.

I am older than you sonny, don't be disparaging my post count!

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

While I still think Wally is a hack and a shill, he has been more open and direct in his criticism of the UofA. Good in the long run if the ADG quits being Pravda but just makes him look like more of an ass. Where was this the last 40 years? 

[Snout team]

This is reality.  I don't like it but it is reality.  Now, that doesn't mean it can't change.  Just means we have to find the right coach to build it.  It would also help if some of the teams in our division would dip as we surge.

I do believe we could reasonably win 8 games a year with the current structure of the schedule.  Not next year but if we could find some stability over time

[(notOM)Rebel123]

hear, discuss, or admit.

In his column today, he points out that the U of A football program is mediocre or slightly worse than mediocre. Since 1990, Arkansas is 92-125 in conference football games. That is a 42% win percentage. And think of all the income the head coaches have been paid by the U of A and the RF over that time. Wish I could get paid for under and non-performance, then be paid triple my annual salary to leave.

Most of the type of fans who frequent boards like this do not want to hear this kind of stat. In fact, they want it out of sight and therefore out of mind. They are forward looking...always optimistic and rarely realistic. The type of fans who before every season in August predict the Hogs will win 9, 10 or more games even when everything you could consider points to having to get lucky breaks to win 6 games. (see this past season for most recent example of this. FYI, both Lanny and I predicted 6-6 among a lunch group back in August. No one else in the group of 7 or 8 picked the Hogs to win less than 7).

I suggested recently on Hogville that there should be a change in the way universities compensate and structure the contracts of coaches. My thoughts were roundly rejected because it is not the way things are now and most of you cannot envision change. Wally writes about the new AD suggesting the same thing i did: No more crazy buyouts when you do not do your job. Losing consistently becoming grounds to fire a coach "for cause". Greatest example we have of that is fresh at Arkansas...Bret Bielema. He ended up being paid about $3 million per conference win over 5 seasons. How is that even possible? I chalk it up to the funds used being "monopoly money" for universities. Until boosters stop giving so much to universities for a game and tv money continues to pour in, it probably will not change much, if any. Programs have so much money to pay coaches it is as if money is falling out of their collective pockets. They could use $100 bills to start fires and $50's as toilet paper. It's play money. Nice while it lasts I guess.

Wally also notes that 4 of the last 5 permanent head coaches at Arkansas have been fired. Zero conference championships since the 1989 season. He states in plain english that Arkansas is not the same desirable destination for coaches that it was before 1990. Again, something 90% of hogville patrons do not want to admit, discuss or hear about. Wally writes: "Losing football games and firing coaches do not make a school attractive nationwide." Of course that is a true statement. And Arkansas has fired all of its head coaches in the past 25+ years and lost a lot of games...58% of its conference games lost.

As for young Tuohy joining Morris' staff in some capacity (not sure what "football operations" means), that is a bit of a head scratcher. He never played a down of football in high school or college, if ever in his life. He goes to SMU to get a graduate degree and walks on to the football team, becoming the place holder for PATs and FGs for his 1 year there. Odd stuff. Apparently, Morris likes him. Ok. I know his parents like him being involved in athletic-related work so there you go. Maybe he will end up a head football coach someday making $4 million a year with a $20 million buyout and he can reflect on his season of holding for kicks.

I enjoy his column much more nowadays. I do not know if it is me or him. Is he improving due to his directness about various topics regarding U of A athletics? He seems to care less about what the U of A may think given what he writes about and how we words it.

Once again, Wally throws together a column stating the obvious and people act like he is Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.

[hogcards]

This is reality.  I don't like it but it is reality.  Now, that doesn't mean it can't change.  Just means we have to find the right coach to build it.  It would also help if some of the teams in our division would dip as we surge.

I do believe we could reasonably win 8 games a year with the current structure of the schedule.  Not next year but if we could find some stability over time

We haven't been consistently good since the 80s and then again for a short period of time under Petrino. 

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

hear, discuss, or admit.

In his column today, he points out that the U of A football program is mediocre or slightly worse than mediocre. Since 1990, Arkansas is 92-125 in conference football games. That is a 42% win percentage. And think of all the income the head coaches have been paid by the U of A and the RF over that time. Wish I could get paid for under and non-performance, then be paid triple my annual salary to leave.

Most of the type of fans who frequent boards like this do not want to hear this kind of stat. In fact, they want it out of sight and therefore out of mind. They are forward looking...always optimistic and rarely realistic. The type of fans who before every season in August predict the Hogs will win 9, 10 or more games even when everything you could consider points to having to get lucky breaks to win 6 games. (see this past season for most recent example of this. FYI, both Lanny and I predicted 6-6 among a lunch group back in August. No one else in the group of 7 or 8 picked the Hogs to win less than 7).

I suggested recently on Hogville that there should be a change in the way universities compensate and structure the contracts of coaches. My thoughts were roundly rejected because it is not the way things are now and most of you cannot envision change. Wally writes about the new AD suggesting the same thing i did: No more crazy buyouts when you do not do your job. Losing consistently becoming grounds to fire a coach "for cause". Greatest example we have of that is fresh at Arkansas...Bret Bielema. He ended up being paid about $3 million per conference win over 5 seasons. How is that even possible? I chalk it up to the funds used being "monopoly money" for universities. Until boosters stop giving so much to universities for a game and tv money continues to pour in, it probably will not change much, if any. Programs have so much money to pay coaches it is as if money is falling out of their collective pockets. They could use $100 bills to start fires and $50's as toilet paper. It's play money. Nice while it lasts I guess.

Wally also notes that 4 of the last 5 permanent head coaches at Arkansas have been fired. Zero conference championships since the 1989 season. He states in plain english that Arkansas is not the same desirable destination for coaches that it was before 1990. Again, something 90% of hogville patrons do not want to admit, discuss or hear about. Wally writes: "Losing football games and firing coaches do not make a school attractive nationwide." Of course that is a true statement. And Arkansas has fired all of its head coaches in the past 25+ years and lost a lot of games...58% of its conference games lost.

As for young Tuohy joining Morris' staff in some capacity (not sure what "football operations" means), that is a bit of a head scratcher. He never played a down of football in high school or college, if ever in his life. He goes to SMU to get a graduate degree and walks on to the football team, becoming the place holder for PATs and FGs for his 1 year there. Odd stuff. Apparently, Morris likes him. Ok. I know his parents like him being involved in athletic-related work so there you go. Maybe he will end up a head football coach someday making $4 million a year with a $20 million buyout and he can reflect on his season of holding for kicks.

I enjoy his column much more nowadays. I do not know if it is me or him. Is he improving due to his directness about various topics regarding U of A athletics? He seems to care less about what the U of A may think given what he writes about and how we words it.

You're starting to soften up now. You used to believe you were the only one who knew anything. Give it time, and you may even learn how optimism affects outlook, but I'll take you as a un-like-able old sourpuss vs a remorseless a-hole anyday.

[HognotinMemphis]

You're starting to soften up now. You used to believe you were the only one who knew anything. Give it time, and you may even learn how optimism affects outlook, but I'll take you as a un-like-able old sourpuss vs a remorseless a-hole anyday.

Too late in life for me for chance of change of perception regarding college athletics.

[ricepig]

Once again, Wally throws together a column stating the obvious and people act like he is Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.

Yeah, only thing missing was hitting up Tommy and Joe for lunch, lots of new info in today's column for 2010.

[IronHog]

Too late in life for me for chance of change of perception regarding college athletics.

Texas is worse


Deal with that

[(notOM)Rebel123]

Yeah, only thing missing was hitting up Tommy and Joe for lunch, lots of new info in today's column for 2010.

Ha! My thoughts exactly.

[Lao Tsuie]

We don't need long term contracts or big buy-outs here. Three-four years is all anyone can last here in Football, it's just too hard of a job. Embrace the "stepping stone" mentality, pay a young fire-pistal $3-4  million for three years then start looking. An A-State on steroids.

[hawgon]

It really cannot be overstated as to how disastrous the Long/Bielema era was.

We came into the SEC at a low point, even so within four years or so, we had backed our way into an SEC championship game.  Nutt, for all his faults improved things.  We were poised with the Petrino era to get better still.

Then Long fired Petrino and brought in Bert.  Everything we had struggled to build and the years of slow and uncertain progress was completely undone.  We are worse now than at any point since the 1940s.

[Poker_hog]

Well for the last 10 years we've had an AD that didn't seem to prioritize winning.  I'm hoping that has changed.

[hogcards]

It really cannot be overstated as to how disastrous the Long/Bielema era was.

We came into the SEC at a low point, even so within four years or so, we had backed our way into an SEC championship game.  Nutt, for all his faults improved things.  We were poised with the Petrino era to get better still.

Then Long fired Petrino and brought in Bert.  Everything we had struggled to build and the years of slow and uncertain progress was completely undone.  We are worse now than at any point since the 1940s.

Yep

All on Jeff Long.  He should have been fired the same afternoon he fired Petrino.

[bphi11ips]

I usually agree with Wally and respect his opinion. If he wrote for a NWA publication he would be adored here.

I'm no sunshine pumper. I said we could lose 9 in 2017. That was based upon the snowball rolling down hill factor, and that is exactly what happened. Our fickle, schizoid fanbase is predictable. But I don't see 92-125 as any indication of potential or the "reality" where our future is concerned, anymore than I see 10-30 as the future.

The "reality" is that Arkansas has had some horrible football coaches since 1990. Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino were a combined 59-53 in SEC games. Neither one of those guys are Hall of Fame coaches.  Petrino is a pretty good coach, though, by far the best we've had since Hatfield. He was 12-4 in conference games his last two years after building his roster. His 2012 team was ranked 8th in preseason. What Smilie did to that team is all anyone needs to know to understand how important the head coach is to a team. Same with Crowe following Hatfield.  Arkansas was a combined 36-72 in the SEC under Crowe, Kines, Ford, Smith and Bielema. 

No one would have predicted in 1958 that Arkansas would dominate college football in the 60s the way it did.  It wouldn't have happened without Broyles.  I have no idea whether Chad Morris will turn out to be a great head football coach like Broyles did. But I believe great head football coaches coach at all levels. Morris was a great high school coach, a great OC, and what he did at SMU after June Jones wrecked an already challenged program is impressive. His recruiting strategy has been proven to work at Arkansas. The new facilities, especially lockers and player facilities, will help attract the four-star talent we'll need to have a chance to win the SEC West. Whether that will happen is anyone's guess, but it is certanly possible. Morris called Arkansas a sleeping giant, and it could be. It starts with believing. 

[McKdaddy]

Once again, Wally throws together a column stating the obvious and people act like he is Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.

[rhames]

I usually agree with Wally and respect his opinion. If he wrote for a NWA publication he would be adored here.

I'm no sunshine pumper. I said we could lose 9 in 2017. That was based upon the snowball rolling down hill factor, and that is exactly what happened. Our fickle, schizoid fanbase is predictable. But I don't see 92-125 as any indication of potential or the "reality" where our future is concerned, anymore than I see 10-30 as the future.

The "reality" is that Arkansas has had some horrible football coaches since 1990. Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino were a combined 59-53 in SEC games. Neither one of those guys are Hall of Fame coaches.  Petrino is a pretty good coach, though, by far the best we've had since Hatfield. He was 12-4 in conference games his last two years after building his roster. His 2012 team was ranked 8th in preseason. What Smilie did to that team is all anyone needs to know to understand how important the head coach is to a team. Same with Crowe following Hatfield.

No one would have predicted in 1958 that Arkansas would dominate college football in the 60s the way it did.  It wouldn't have happened without Broyles.  I have no idea whether Chad Morris will turn out to be a great head football coach like Broyles did. But I believe great head football coaches coach at all levels. Morris was a great high school coach, a great OC, and what he did at SMU after June Jones wrecked an already challenged program is impressive. His recruiting strategy has been proven to work at Arkansas. The new facilities, especially lockers and player facilities, will help attract the four-star talent we'll need to have a chance to win the SEC West. Whether that will happen is anyone's guess, but it is certanly possible. Morris called Arkansas a sleeping giant, and it could be. It starts with believing. 

You also said we could win 9 or 10 so you really didn't go much out on a limb. I remember because you were going back and forth with me in the football FPI thread that had the hogs favored in only 5 games.


You literally said the hogs could win anywhere between 3 to 9 or 10 games and then went on about how it would be 9 or 10.

You even constructed this long post and laughed off the notion that the hogs would lose to TCU. Hindsight is a beautiful thing!

[247Hog]

I knew you would comment but I find it interesting how my comments almost always embolden those who do not post much to reply. The other two guys who commented have less than 1,000 posts.

Past is the past and can't go back and change it. So tell me, what would you do today that would put us back on track to be relevant?

[hawgon]

Nutt was mediocre and yet he won at least nine games four out of his ten years.  We know what Petrino did.  Bielema was simply undressed by Arkansas.  He was awful.  He was the
worst coach we could have hired.

[rhames]

Nutt was mediocre and yet he won at least nine games four out of his ten years.  We know what Petrino did.  Bielema was simply undressed by Arkansas.  He was awful.  He was the
worst coach we could have hired.

Speaking of hindsight all the facts were there in 2013.

[Rudy Baylor]

HoginMemphis

you're claiming Wally is brave because he's just now saying this in 2017, and never held anyone's feet to the fire while they were gainfully employed?

[bphi11ips]

You also said we could win 9 or 10 so you really didn't go much out on a limb. I remember because you were going back and forth with me in the football FPI thread that had the hogs favored in only 5 games.


You literally said the hogs could win anywhere between 3 to 9 or 10 games and then went on about how it would be 9 or 10.

You even constructed this long post and laughed off the notion that the hogs would lose to TCU. Hindsight is a beautiful thing!

Look at the post again. I analyzed both sides of the possibilities. I said TCU was a swing game. I said I thought TCU would come down to a QB battle and Arkansas would win in a shootout because the game was in Fayetteville and because I thought Austin Allen was a better QB than Kenny Hill. I also said we could lose.

Pull up my post and link it. I'm not going to waste time finding it but I remember what it said. No hindsght and no hedging. I definitely did not go on about how we would win 9 or 10. I went on about having a schedule that set up for success or disaster depending upon early momentum. Momentum works in both directions. The fans and students let the team down aganst TCU and all year.

[Hogarusa]

Embrace the "stepping stone" mentality, pay a young fire-pistal $3-4  million for three years then start looking. An A-State on steroids.

Dilly Dilly

[rhames]

Look at the post again. I analyzed both sides of the possibilities. I said TCU was a swing game. I said I thought TCU would come down to a QB battle and Arkansas would win in a shootout because the game was in Fayetteville and because I thought Austin Allen was a better QB than Kenny Hill. I also said we could lose.

Pull up my post and link it. I'm not going to waste time finding it but I remember what it said. No hindsght and no hedging. I definitely did not go on about how we would win 9 or 10. I went on about having a schedule that set up for success or disaster depending upon early momentum. Momentum works in both directions. The fans and students let the team down aganst TCU and all year.

I forgot how gold this thread was.  Here ya go. You have plenty of jewels in this thread.


http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=634547.msg10862269#msg10862269

[hogsanity]

there are a few here that have been saying these same things for several years about both fb and bb and we are always told we are not real fans or are just trolling. Anyone with any objectivity at all ca see these things and know they are true.

[bphi11ips]

I forgot how gold this thread was.  Here ya go. You have plenty of jewels in this thread.


http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=634547.msg10862269#msg10862269

Yep. Says exactly what I said it did.

[hogcards]

Speaking of hindsight all the facts were there in 2013.

From the layman's or fans perspective, that is correct.  However this is an athletic director's job to know what he's hired.  Long failed badly and now it's becoming more obvious that he tried his best to screw the program in a sneaky and deliberate way.

He should never be employed in athletics at any level ever again. He's not only incompetent, but also a hypocrite.

[rhames]

Yep. Says exactly what I said it did.

Lol.

[PygmalionEffect2]

I'm no sunshine pumper. I said we could lose 9 in 2017. That was based upon the snowball rolling down hill factor, and that is exactly what happened. Our fickle, schizoid fanbase is predictable.

When did you predict that, in November? 



Here is your prediction back on August 30th before the season started.


Fla A&M- W
TCU-W
A&M-W
NM St-W
S Car-W
Bama-L
Auburn-L
Ole Miss-W
Coastal-W
LSU-L
Miss St-W
Mizzou-W

9-3 and New Years Bowl

I approve this message. 

TCU game will be a classic.  AA once again will be the difference in the fourth quarter.  Battle of QBs in a game worthy of CBS prime slot.

A&M has Christian Kirk.  Don't punt to him.  Hogs beat Aggies and win next four in Dallas.

Not sold on Jake Bentley.  Arkansas comes in undefeated to face a 2 or 3 loss Gamecocks squad.  Hogs have too much offense to lose this one. 

Might catch LSU on a bad day. Who knows?

Hogs beat Texas or Oklahoma State in Cotton and finish number 12.



Are you not taking your meds as you should or are you really that pathetic of a person?

Sounds like it's real important to you that everyone think you are some kind of Razorback football guru.




(I don't think it's working)

[PygmalionEffect2]

To be fair, kudos on the Christian Kirk comment.

[The NewEra]

I knew you would comment but I find it interesting how my comments almost always embolden those who do not post much to reply. The other two guys who commented have less than 1,000 posts.

Do you feel better now?

[jst01]

The fans and students let the team down aganst TCU and all year.

Do what?!?

[Hawgphish]

Once again, Wally throws together a column stating the obvious and people act like he is Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.

Deepthroat?

[Hog N Bama]

While I still think Wally is a hack and a shill, he has been more open and direct in his criticism of the UofA. Good in the long run if the ADG quits being Pravda but just makes him look like more of an ass. Where was this the last 40 years?

I think everyone could agree, like him or not, Wally is a key figure in Arkansas sports media. People DO read and create threads on msg boards about his opinions.  What more could the newspaper want?

[King Kong]

Wow, don't tell Bobby Petrino he can't coach because he never played football. I mean if playing high school or college ball is what makes you a successful coach, we should be able to hire a coach and staff for about $1000.

Yeah Petrino totally played. Should have tried the Coach for the NE Patriots

[ricepig]

I think everyone could agree, like him or not, Wally is a key figure in Arkansas sports media. People DO read and create threads on msg boards about his opinions.  What more could the newspaper want?

Subscribers?? Print advertising??

[SooieGeneris]

Wee Wally is nothing more than a hack-never has been and apparently never will be. He is turning into an old curmudgeon who wants to cover a contending team, or at least a winning team, consistently in the "world of the perspiring arts" before he croaks from choking on "Grandma's biscuit recipe" that every third column contains a lame reference to.

You can call it cherry-picking if you want, but here goes:

Why is it so hard for some to understand that we were the FIRST major college to switch from one Power 5 conference to another in the early 90s? Therefore, there was no blueprint for making a quick transition as there is now.

The 90s was one of the most, if not THE most turbulent period in the history of UA football. Before Nutt anyway. The Hatfield departure without even visiting Clemson's campus. The Citadel fiasco and subsequent firing of Crowe. The acrimonious conference switch. The "consultant" thing with Ford, who was not a candidate for permanent HC, until he was named HC. Two player suicides...

If there was a good time to change conferences, the early 90s certainly wasn't it, but the move has paid off financially in a big way and had been planned for over 2 years when it came about.

Yet, in the '92 season, the supposedly overmatched Hogs went 3-4-1 in the SEC despite a loss to the Citadel in non conference play. Won the SEC West in the 4th season in the conference.

The negative cherry-(nose) pickers point to that overall SEC record of 90-116-2 in conference play since '92. That's 26 games under .500 and then they say something meant to sound profound like "let that sink in."

What they don't tell you is: before the 13-35 SEC mark of the last 6 years, the record was 77-81-2 or right at .500. There's no need to expound on what has happened the last 6 years, we all know that John L. Smith and Bielema were major downgrades from Petrino and even (gasp!) Nutt.

Even with the last 6 dismal years included, this program has 7 more SEC wins since '92 than OM and 8 more than MSU. Let that sink in.. I guess those programs shouldn't bother with fielding a team according to the Wee Wally Winkies of the world.

The two Head Hogs who followed Ford were a combined 59-53 in SEC play, not great, but how many games were given away due to Nutt's lack of poise or preparedness, bungled clock management and so on?

Wally is wrong on another count. All 5 of the last 5 HCs were fired, not counting Johnell who everyone except maybe him knew would not be the permanent HC. Crowe was an emergency hire due to the abrupt way Hatfield left.

Ford looked like a good hire due to his record at Clemson, he still did much better than the Dancing Dunce Bielema. Ford just didn't get the way the game had changed and didn't fit. You notice no one else hired him after he was fired, right? Even though he practically begged for the Clemson job at one point.

Nutt was an average HC at best, but had a really good team dropped into his lap and fooled many fans his first few years, then had some exceptional talents like Shawn Andrews and Matt Jones carry him for the next few. He then rode McFadden to a SEC West title only to come up short with that '06 team due to his bungling. He was nothing to "Bragg" about.

No sense in reliving Bobby's off the field drama but the guy had a two year record of 12-4 in his last 2 years. A good HC CAN and WILL win here. It HAS BEEN DONE. It just has to be the right guy who can recruit and play a style that can mask certain built-in weaknesses, mainly not being able to build the kind of depth the top of the league has.

Do the negative naysayers not realize we are in a division that has been won by a nationally dominant team 6 of the last 10 seasons? That same team won the SECCG in 5 of those 6 years. In the 4 years that 'Bama didn't win the West, they won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP once and will possibly add a 2nd! The other two? They went to the Sugar Bowl and only in 2010 lost as many as 3 games.

If not for one of the luckiest plays in CFB history, that "kick 6" at Auburn, 'Bama likely would have won the NC that year too and would have won the West a 7th time in 10 seasons. We are stuck in a division with the most dominant team and program in CFB history. Look it up, no program has ever dominated to the extent that 'Bama has for the last 10 seasons.

The good news is: Saban can't coach forever and not many will want to replace him when he does leave. We are never going to do what they have done the last 10 years, but guess what? No one else has ever done it and no one else will do that either!

Whether Morris is the "right guy" to win consistently in the SEC and contend once every 3-4 years I don't know. We won't begin to find out about that for awhile, maybe 2-3 years. I do know he appears to fit, unlike Bielema, so we need to wait awhile before we trot out the "poor lil' ol' arkinsaw" crap about how we can't win, can't compete, boo hoo, woe is us.

The guy is not a "savior" but he's not a flip-flop wearing, seat cushion destroying dunce either.

[870hogfan]

Wally got up from underneath Gustoff's desk long enough to write a column?

[Hog N Bama]

Subscribers?? Print advertising??

Everbody that hasn't had their head buried in sand knows that. I mean purely as a writer who attracts attention or should I say, is given, attention, worthy or not.

[hogsanity]

Wee Wally is nothing more than a hack-never has been and apparently never will be. He is turning into an old curmudgeon who wants to cover a contending team, or at least a winning team, consistently in the "world of the perspiring arts" before he croaks from choking on "Grandma's biscuit recipe" that every third column contains a lame reference to.

You can call it cherry-picking if you want, but here goes:

Why is it so hard for some to understand that we were the FIRST major college to switch from one Power 5 conference to another in the early 90s? Therefore, there was no blueprint for making a quick transition as there is now.

The 90s was one of the most, if not THE most turbulent period in the history of UA football. Before Nutt anyway. The Hatfield departure without even visiting Clemson's campus. The Citadel fiasco and subsequent firing of Crowe. The acrimonious conference switch. The "consultant" thing with Ford, who was not a candidate for permanent HC, until he was named HC. Two player suicides...

If there was a good time to change conferences, the early 90s certainly wasn't it, but the move has paid off financially in a big way and had been planned for over 2 years when it came about.

Yet, in the '92 season, the supposedly overmatched Hogs went 3-4-1 in the SEC despite a loss to the Citadel in non conference play. Won the SEC West in the 4th season in the conference.

The negative cherry-(nose) pickers point to that overall SEC record of 90-116-2 in conference play since '92. That's 26 games under .500 and then they say something meant to sound profound like "let that sink in."

What they don't tell you is: before the 13-35 SEC mark of the last 6 years, the record was 77-81-2 or right at .500. There's no need to expound on what has happened the last 6 years, we all know that John L. Smith and Bielema were major downgrades from Petrino and even (gasp!) Nutt.

Even with the last 6 dismal years included, this program has 7 more SEC wins since '92 than OM and 8 more than MSU. Let that sink in.. I guess those programs shouldn't bother with fielding a team according to the Wee Wally Winkies of the world.

The two Head Hogs who followed Ford were a combined 59-53 in SEC play, not great, but how many games were given away due to Nutt's lack of poise or preparedness, bungled clock management and so on?

Wally is wrong on another count. All 5 of the last 5 HCs were fired, not counting Johnell who everyone except maybe him knew would not be the permanent HC. Crowe was an emergency hire due to the abrupt way Hatfield left.

Ford looked like a good hire due to his record at Clemson, he still did much better than the Dancing Dunce Bielema. Ford just didn't get the way the game had changed and didn't fit. You notice no one else hired him after he was fired, right? Even though he practically begged for the Clemson job at one point.

Nutt was an average HC at best, but had a really good team dropped into his lap and fooled many fans his first few years, then had some exceptional talents like Shawn Andrews and Matt Jones carry him for the next few. He then rode McFadden to a SEC West title only to come up short with that '06 team due to his bungling. He was nothing to "Bragg" about.

No sense in reliving Bobby's off the field drama but the guy had a two year record of 12-4 in his last 2 years. A good HC CAN and WILL win here. It HAS BEEN DONE. It just has to be the right guy who can recruit and play a style that can mask certain built-in weaknesses, mainly not being able to build the kind of depth the top of the league has.

Do the negative naysayers not realize we are in a division that has been won by a nationally dominant team 6 of the last 10 seasons? That same team won the SECCG in 5 of those 6 years. In the 4 years that 'Bama didn't win the West, they won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP once and will possibly add a 2nd! The other two? They went to the Sugar Bowl and only in 2010 lost as many as 3 games.

If not for one of the luckiest plays in CFB history, that "kick 6" at Auburn, 'Bama likely would have won the NC that year too and would have won the West a 7th time in 10 seasons. We are stuck in a division with the most dominant team and program in CFB history. Look it up, no program has ever dominated to the extent that 'Bama has for the last 10 seasons.

The good news is: Saban can't coach forever and not many will want to replace him when he does leave. We are never going to do what they have done the last 10 years, but guess what? No one else has ever done it and no one else will do that either!

Whether Morris is the "right guy" to win consistently in the SEC and contend once every 3-4 years I don't know. We won't begin to find out about that for awhile, maybe 2-3 years. I do know he appears to fit, unlike Bielema, so we need to wait awhile before we trot out the "poor lil' ol' arkinsaw" crap about how we can't win, cai't compete, boo hoo, woe is us.

The guy is not a "savior" but he's not a flip-flop wearing, seat cushion destroying dunce either.

OR, in the real world, Arkansas is a average program in a above average league.

[Dark Helmet Hog]

Everyone in the thread so far has overlooked the root cause of the athletic woes since joining the SEC. John White.

White nearly destroyed all things athletic at the UofA. He forced Broyles into a search committee that resulted in Nutt when Tuberville was the guy. Instituted the infamous "D" rule that ruined several JC transfers and hampered recruiting against the rest of the SEC. In basketball, we could have had Self after Nolan left if not for White. My God, the list just goes on and on with all things White did to harm the University. The worst thing lingered up until this year, his greatest prize. He brought us Jeff Long. In true White fashion, Long did exactly what he was hired to do.

[porkrindjimmy]

Everyone in the thread so far has overlooked the root cause of the athletic woes since joining the SEC. John White.

White nearly destroyed all things athletic at the UofA. He forced Broyles into a search committee that resulted in Nutt when Tuberville was the guy. Instituted the infamous "D" rule that ruined several JC transfers and hampered recruiting against the rest of the SEC. In basketball, we could have had Self after Nolan left if not for White. My God, the list just goes on and on with all things White did to harm the University. The worst thing lingered up until this year, his greatest prize. He brought us Jeff Long. In true White fashion, Long did exactly what he was hired to do.

Yep.

PRJ