The Catfish Hole and recruiting

[JHicks3636]

In another thread, someone asked(tongue in cheek or otherwise)whether or not The Catfish Hole was an appropriate choice for recruit dinners. I found this story which is about 2 1/2 years old from ESPN that I think is interesting. It was probably alluded to here when it came out, but due to the passage of time, the aforementioned question, and the number of new posters in the last few years, I thought some might like to read it. My interest would be were other SEC schools take their recruits to eat. If you know where another SEC school chows down, tell us.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/9863728/food-plays-important-role-college-football-recruiting

[secneahog]

Lsu chows down on those delicious corndogs, just add a lil mayo at the end.

[hawginbigd1]

Listened to Deon Edwards go on and on about the catfish hole last week. He is a vegetarian, and it made a mark with him!

[redeye]

Seems like I remember hearing that Missouri recruits have steak and lobster.

[ricepig]

You do know we feed them at more than one place?

[Justagp]

Never been to the Catfish hole - next time in Fayetteville, I will certainly give it a try. When I was in school, back in the day, it was all about Herman's - that was the best!

[Pig in the Pokey]

Seems like I remember hearing that Missouri recruits have steak and lobster.

they should be at Does

[The Boar War]

Seems like I remember hearing that Missouri recruits have steak and lobster.

DGB was excited about the fried sushi.

[Smokehouse]

Seems like I remember hearing that Missouri recruits have steak and lobster.

They took everyone in on the 22nd out for steak on Friday and then did Catfish Hole on Saturday. I'm sure it's normal to mix in a much more expensive dinner over the weekend along with CH.

[Boardon Hamsay]

Never been to the Catfish hole - next time in Fayetteville, I will certainly give it a try. When I was in school, back in the day, it was all about Herman's - that was the best!

Nothing wrong with Herman's but yes, you gotta have some Catfish Hole hush puppies and catfish.

[hoglady]

Lsu chows down on those delicious corndogs, just add a lil mayo at the end.

If there's one school I could choose to tag along for the food - it would be LSU.
It's really, really hard to beat that South Louisiana cooking.
Cajun and Creole food is my favorite.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

If there's one school I could choose to tag along for the food - it would be LSU.
It's really, really hard to beat that South Louisiana cooking.
Cajun and Creole food is my favorite.

Shhhhhhh!!!

[AirWarren]

Might as well take them to captain D's.


Furthermore. How are you going to impress a south LA, Mississippi kid or any other true southern kid with catfish and hush puppies with the Midwest flare on it?


I agree with another poster. Can't go wrong with a juicy Doe's steak and baked potato.

[HogNDas]

Catfish Hole?  Really?  Is this the best we can do to impress?   Herman's or Doe's, IMO.... :razorback:   

[hoglady]

I'm sure they go out to eat at a finer restaurant on the other night.
Fine restaurant one night / Catfish Hole the next.
The players seem to like it - Alex Collins worked there.
I can remember hearing about Ky Madden eating there regularly.
People including young people respond to friendly, welcoming people and from what I understand it doesn't get much friendlier than the staff and patrons at this restaurant.

[HogNDas]

I'm sure they go out to eat at a finer restaurant on the other night.
Fine restaurant one night / Catfish Hole the next.
The players seem to like it - Alex Collins worked there.
I can remember hearing about Ky Madden eating there regularly.
People including young people respond to friendly, welcoming people and from what I understand it doesn't get much friendlier than the staff and patrons at this restaurant.

[Now that makes sense...can't buy "atmosphere" and CH has it!!!]

[Hawgndaaz]

I'm sure they go out to eat at a finer restaurant on the other night.
Fine restaurant one night / Catfish Hole the next.
The players seem to like it - Alex Collins worked there.
I can remember hearing about Ky Madden eating there regularly.
People including young people respond to friendly, welcoming people and from what I understand it doesn't get much friendlier than the staff and patrons at this restaurant.

Or, you know, a place with a college atmosphere. Ive said this before. I went to school there and ate out 5 nights a week. Never once stepped foot in the catfish hole, or wanted to. Of course some of the recruits talk highly of it. You think the ones that don't like it are going to say anything?

Take them somewhere with a college atmosphere, coeds, and decent food on the "fun" dinner night. Everyone else does it.

[BearsBisonsBoars]

If there's one school I could choose to tag along for the food - it would be LSU.
It's really, really hard to beat that South Louisiana cooking.
Cajun and Creole food is my favorite.

Yeah, but then you have to put up with Cajuns. Hardly worth it. 

[hoglady]

Or, you know, a place with a college atmosphere. Ive said this before. I went to school there and ate out 5 nights a week. Never once stepped foot in the catfish hole, or wanted to. Of course some of the recruits talk highly of it. You think the ones that don't like it are going to say anything?

Take them somewhere with a college atmosphere, coeds, and decent food on the "fun" dinner night. Everyone else does it.

I don't really know what other schools do.
I understand the "college atmosphere" - most of these kids have parents with them.
So it has to be a place that is acceptable in a family context - not sure a bunch of coeds hanging around their sons would be a good fit.

[ricepig]

Or, you know, a place with a college atmosphere. Ive said this before. I went to school there and ate out 5 nights a week. Never once stepped foot in the catfish hole, or wanted to. Of course some of the recruits talk highly of it. You think the ones that don't like it are going to say anything?

Take them somewhere with a college atmosphere, coeds, and decent food on the "fun" dinner night. Everyone else does it.

They do??, have you been on an official recruiting trip with your parents, grandparents, or siblings?

[Vantage 8 dude]

I'm sure they go out to eat at a finer restaurant on the other night.
Fine restaurant one night / Catfish Hole the next.
The players seem to like it - Alex Collins worked there.
I can remember hearing about Ky Madden eating there regularly.
People including young people respond to friendly, welcoming people and from what I understand it doesn't get much friendlier than the staff and patrons at this restaurant.

I was going to suggest that they might consider alternating restaurants between the Catfish Hole and perhaps a more upscale one during recruit's visits. However, then I realized that these kids only get to a limited number of meals; that's especially true if they're arriving on Friday afternoon/evening and leave sometime during the day on Sunday. The problem might be in fitting two major meals into their 48 schedule. Perhaps what they could do is try the Catfish Hole on Saturday during the day and the other-like Doe's or somewhere else-on Saturday evening. Of course, if they wanted the staff could flip the order. I realize too that one of the things that makes the CH so attractive is the large fan participation and attendance. Might have to sacrifice some of that if two "chow halls" around town were chosen.

[Torqued pork]

The Catfish Hole sounds pretty hokey, but I have to think the coaches would've noticed any dislike of the place by recruits long ago even if those recruits were just being polite.

[jacobp]

Catfish Hole?  Really?  Is this the best we can do to impress?   Herman's or Doe's, IMO.... :razorback:   

Hermans is a hole and they've been going downhill for years.
Doe's, you can get something comparable anywhere.

[SONofHAM]

LMAO at all the recruiting/restaurant experts. 

The Catfish Hole is an excellent place to eat, with more than just catfish and hushpuppies.  There's a reason so many recruits and parents love it.  Half of the restaurant is decorated in Razorback red and even has stain glass windows of Hogs.  When they bring in recruits the place is packed with fans greeting the kids and their parents and there's always a waiting list and long line out the door.  If you enjoy the recruiting of these players and have never been for a dinner while recruits are there you should really check it out at least once. 

Sure, recruits get to eat at other places while they are in town.  That seems obvious.  Lot of assumptions in this thread.

[ricepig]

LMAO at all the recruiting/restaurant experts. 

The Catfish Hole is an excellent place to eat, with more than just catfish and hushpuppies.  There's a reason so many recruits and parents love it.  Half of the restaurant is decorated in Razorback red and even has stain glass windows of Hogs.  When they bring in recruits the place is packed with fans greeting the kids and their parents and there's always a waiting list and long line out the door.  If you enjoy the recruiting of these players and have never been for a dinner while recruits are there you should really check it out at least once. 

Sure, recruits get to eat at other places while they are in town.  That seems obvious.  Lot of assumptions in this thread.

Can't be right.....they eat food trays from Harps, wait, that's basketball. The have a nice dinner one night, and the CH one night or at lunch time. It's a tradition, I guess some of those complaining think we should quit the Hog Call because it isn't done at other universities.

[ThisTeetsTaken]

Seems like I remember hearing that Missouri recruits have steak and lobster.

Missouri knows what's good apparently.

[buldozer]

LMAO at all the recruiting/restaurant experts. 

The Catfish Hole is an excellent place to eat, with more than just catfish and hushpuppies.  There's a reason so many recruits and parents love it.  Half of the restaurant is decorated in Razorback red and even has stain glass windows of Hogs.  When they bring in recruits the place is packed with fans greeting the kids and their parents and there's always a waiting list and long line out the door.  If you enjoy the recruiting of these players and have never been for a dinner while recruits are there you should really check it out at least once. 

Sure, recruits get to eat at other places while they are in town.  That seems obvious.  Lot of assumptions in this thread.

^^^^This^^^^

[Hawgndaaz]

They do??, have you been on an official recruiting trip with your parents, grandparents, or siblings?

look, I get it that it is a sacred place for a lot of you.

I've been to recruiting parties with friends back in high school. Sorry, I never went to the catfish hole. If you pay attention to other school's recruiting tactics, you can formulate your own opinion. I don't have a problem with the catfish hole, I just wish they'd try other places.

This thread reeks of the same threads where the baby boomer types whine about new uniforms and rap music at games.

[ricepig]

Missouri knows what's good apparently.

Yeah, they sign top rated classes, always ahead of ours. ....

[ThisTeetsTaken]

Yeah, they sign top rated classes, always ahead of ours. ....

I was referring to their food choices.

[Deep Shoat]

#4 is still not high enough...

[ricepig]

I was referring to their food choices.

They can get a steak at the CH, and we either have a catered meal with steak, or we take them to another restaurant the other night. You also have to take in consideration that we aren't allowed to pay for their family's meals. Now, going forward from next year, we will be allowed to pay for meals and lodging for parents/guardians.

[AirWarren]

look, I get it that it is a sacred place for a lot of you.

I've been to recruiting parties with friends back in high school. Sorry, I never went to the catfish hole. If you pay attention to other school's recruiting tactics, you can formulate your own opinion. I don't have a problem with the catfish hole, I just wish they'd try other places.

This thread reeks of the same threads where the baby boomer types whine about new uniforms and rap music at games.

Don't argue with them. Most still want to do things the way Frank Broyles did things.

[ricepig]

look, I get it that it is a sacred place for a lot of you.

I've been to recruiting parties with friends back in high school. Sorry, I never went to the catfish hole. If you pay attention to other school's recruiting tactics, you can formulate your own opinion. I don't have a problem with the catfish hole, I just wish they'd try other places.

This thread reeks of the same threads where the baby boomer types whine about new uniforms and rap music at games.

Parties? Were their parents there? It's a meal that's orchestrated for fan/recruit interaction, we have other meals that aren't. Their host takes them out later on, after the meal, seems understandable to me.

[ThisTeetsTaken]

They can get a steak at the CH, and we either have a catered meal with steak, or we take them to another restaurant the other night. You also have to take in consideration that we aren't allowed to pay for their family's meals. Now, going forward from next year, we will be allowed to pay for meals and lodging for parents/guardians.

I was just saying that I like steak and lobster.

[Polecat]

take them to Herman's instead?

[ricepig]

I was just saying that I like steak and lobster.

I do too. They have that on the night the don't eat at the CH.

[jkstock04]

Or, you know, a place with a college atmosphere. Ive said this before. I went to school there and ate out 5 nights a week. Never once stepped foot in the catfish hole, or wanted to. Of course some of the recruits talk highly of it. You think the ones that don't like it are going to say anything?

Take them somewhere with a college atmosphere, coeds, and decent food on the "fun" dinner night. Everyone else does it.

Agree with you completely. I've wondered for years about the allure of the Catfish Hole as a recruiting tool. The brand of the Razorbacks has made them a huge name and tourist destination to folks visiting Fayetteville. Unfortunately, Catfish Hole is not even a true Fayetteville experience. It's akin to going to the hofbrauhaus in munich Germany (on a much smaller scale). Got a very tourist type vibe to it and isn't that close to campus.

If you wanna just serve em comfort food like the catfish hole I think it would be better take them to a place like Grubs off Dickson st. Get some preferred music pumping and the A list coeds to serve them...at a place that is a couple hundred yards from campus.

[Hogfly]

Parties? Were their parents there? It's a meal that's orchestrated for fan/recruit interaction, we have other meals that aren't. Their host takes them out later on, after the meal, seems understandable to me.

Right. Orchestrated for fan interaction. Which is great if your "fans" are young coeds (Ole Miss) and other college students who they want to hang out. When your "fans" are a bunch of overweight gray haired retirees ogling the athletes and telling them their twitter handle, it might not be such a great experience for everyone.

I have no problem with the Catfish Hole, but we might show them that some of our "fans" are close to their age and "cool." I'd be curious to see the way other schools do it, but I'd think we could get our student body more involved. Think a Greek Theater pep rally experience for the recruits....

[ricepig]

Right. Orchestrated for fan interaction. Which is great if your "fans" are young coeds (Ole Miss) and other college students who they want to hang out. When your "fans" are a bunch of overweight gray haired retirees ogling the athletes and telling them their twitter handle, it might not be such a great experience for everyone.

I have no problem with the Catfish Hole, but we might show them that some of our "fans" are close to their age and "cool." I'd be curious to see the way other schools do it, but I'd think we could get our student body more involved. Think a Greek Theater pep rally experience for the recruits....

So, when Johnny Superstar shows up with his Mom and Grandma to a meal, you want a bunch of co-eds fawning over them? They'll find out about the "college" scene when they go out later with their player host, the meal is for Mom and Grandma, as much as it is for Johnny.

[Sir Oinksalot]

...I really think the 'catfish hole' as a showpiece and focal point for our high level recruits
comes off basically as amateur night...sure, a lunch, but, I mean come on, these
e l i t e athletes know they are going to get slimed w/grease, and...the word
is out - go to Arkansas and you'll get greasy catfish on Sat. and wait till
those hicks really go into Hog Heaven for that fried corn meal, y/k ?

Give them health, and explain why, that's real love, and they will love you..

They work all week on their bodies, let's give them lean healthy 100% grass fed
protein and the best organic trim we can imagine...make it an athletes diet...
best we can provide, and explain why...if we can't or don't know how we are ignorant.

But hey, we are not professionals here, I know I'm not in 'dining and entertainment'
for guys who are 18, that's why we need to scrap this amateur hour and
HIRE SOME PROS. - in tune w/ NW Ark. who can deliver a powerhouse weekend

that an 18 year old mind can only dream about..

[factchecker]

Do ya'll seriously think that the Catfish Hole is the ONLY place they take recruits?

It's like none of you have ever been on a recruiting trip. 

Recruits spend a good portion of their time with their host (a current team member) and hostess (female Razorback Ambassador:

https://www.instagram.com/p/68_A5YDmEl/?taken-by=razorbackfbamb). 

This time is spent away from family on campus or on Dickson.  During this time the family members are either on an campus tour or meeting with the coaching staff.  The recruits have plenty of time to see what they need to see.

The Catfish Hole might be focused on by the media and fans but I can promise you that it is not the selling point of our coaching staff. They eat at other restaurants than the Catfish Hole.  They also have a private catered dinner in the stadium at some point during the visit.  The Catfish Hole is primarily used to show the family members how supportive our fans are.  If fat and old fans turn off recruits then college football would cease to exist.  Seems like it's not causing too many problems:

https://twitter.com/FSRArkansas/status/695389268164767749

https://twitter.com/FSRArkansas/status/695405259846393856

https://twitter.com/theneptunes_/status/693614157304705024

[factchecker]

https://twitter.com/FSRArkansas/status/692887861637459968

https://twitter.com/FSRArkansas/status/692884180208738304

https://twitter.com/Scoooota2/status/691016347967356928

And of course our favorite uncle:

https://twitter.com/TerryRo61625135/status/690699530417778689

[Sir Oinksalot]

...all this other stuff they do prolly gets lots of tweets too huh ?

We need to look at the whole process and get some real pros. in who can
pull off the best weekend these thoroughbreds have ever had
in every way imaginable !!

I got no problem w/da 'hole'....but NW Ark. is an amazing place - maybe
one of the more interesting places in the US right now...
write a script for more of the best of everything...

[Sir Oinksalot]

...THEN if they sign elsewhere, anyone asked them how was "Hicksville"

they will answer w/tears, man UA straight up blew me away, it's a true
paradise, but, I had this girlfriend and......

This is doable...

[Deep Shoat]

Recruits love the Catfish Hole.   Seriously.  What are you not understanding?

[wildhogman]

I see where someone mentioned the family coming with the recruit does it on their own dime. I wonder how many of the people here wanting to take the kids to "upscale" places that are expensive could afford to do it 5 times in a 6 month time frame(assuming most recruits take their officals from August to January).  Seems to me between travel, either flying or driving, and hotels that you wanna save where you can and food is one place you can save if you eat thrifty.  Hard to do this when your taking them to one of the most expensive places to eat.  Now if its true that starting next year we can pay for travel and food for the families then it might be worth looking into.

However, another thing to consider is this. the Hole is prolly the closest to a game day atmosphere they will get with fans calling the hogs and getting pumped with excitement.  Remember Programs can no longer do anything to resemble game day experiences such as running out of the tunnel to your name being called on loud speaker and what not.
Just a few things to consdier

[Theolesnort]

Many years ago I started eating at the Catfish Hole in Alma on old 71 hwy north of Alma (closed for years now) and I loved it. Now to be honest I have been to several places through the years that have catfish just as good (but not better) but when it comes to the hush puppies well, they are to die for and no one else comes close. I consider, since I like to cook myself, a fine cook, and I would love to get my hands on the batter recipe of those hush puppies. As for the Catfish Hole, don't knock it until you've tried it. Some people turn their nose up at certain things and miss out on some extraordinary experiences. This could be right up their alley and they don't know it.

[nwahogfan1]

In another thread, someone asked(tongue in cheek or otherwise)whether or not The Catfish Hole was an appropriate choice for recruit dinners. I found this story which is about 2 1/2 years old from ESPN that I think is interesting. It was probably alluded to here when it came out, but due to the passage of time, the aforementioned question, and the number of new posters in the last few years, I thought some might like to read it. My interest would be were other SEC schools take their recruits to eat. If you know where another SEC school chows down, tell us.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/9863728/food-plays-important-role-college-football-recruiting

I think the Catfish hole is an appropriate place to dine for football players who usually are big eaters and not too many do not like Fried Catfish and all the trimmings.  Also I think the Catfish Hole owner gives quite a bit of money to the Razorback Foundation so it is scratch my back type thing.

[longtimeHogfan]

If there's one school I could choose to tag along for the food - it would be LSU.
It's really, really hard to beat that South Louisiana cooking.
Cajun and Creole food is my favorite.

Don't like LSwho but those folks in south Louisiana know how to eat!