FromtheBench-Cheap Pops: Time to Wipe Away the Tears of Last Season and Get Ready for Winning Again

[Robert Shields]

Cheap Pops: Time to Wipe Away the Tears of Last Season and Get Ready for Winning Again

Robert Shields

Since it is spring practice and all you can have right now as a fan is hope, this column will take the positive spin to bring you new expectations of promise.  After leaving the silvery white winter of the Razorback football team's worst season in history, it's time for it to melt away into a blooming spring.

Speaking of blooming, Brandon Allen has blossomed into an SEC-caliber quarterback. Back in the fall of 2013 when Allen was struggling mightily on the field, Bo Mattingly made the proclamation on his radio show that before Allen left Fayetteville he would be as good as or better than Connor Shaw was at South Carolina. Allen's trip to that high point starts now. His marks during spring have been good, and he has been deadly accurate. Looks like Mattingly is on the money as usual.

Let's assume that Allen has become an extremely proficient passer even as the Razorback defense has become even stronger in its coverage. Both may be happening simultaneously, but Allen is progressing at a faster rate, which is a bad sign for Auburn and the rest of the schools in line for an upcoming air raid. Turn on the sirens because the Razorback offense is fixing to blow through the SEC.

Running back Alex Collins is back in the coach's good graces after violations of team rules and Twitter policies and is going to be a more polished runner improving on the high bar he set last year as a true freshman. He will be one of the elite running backs in the SEC next season. Any talk of him ever thinking about transferring is hogwash and was probably hatched by someone in Wisconsin shut in for the winter with nothing better to do.

Tight end Hunter Henry is going to be even more solid than he was last season and will probably be one of the best tight ends in the SEC next year in spite of playing catch up after coming in from the playground attack of Pulaski Academy. Henry will be an easy target for Allen and gather several touchdowns in his sophomore campaign. Along with Henry, receiver Keon Hatcher will continue to come on and be a dependable receiver who fans can complain doesn't get enough touches.

Last season, Arkansas was very close to going to a bowl game, but the breaks just went against them. We all know the Razorbacks easily could have been 6-6 last season and enjoying the spoils of a trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl along with a busload of grateful fans.

If Allen is healthy, the Razorbacks would have clobbered Rutgers, which finished the season 6-7 in the always tough American Athletic Conference. Even with Allen out and using a quarterback with no experience on the road, the Scarlet Knights still had to mount a furious fourth-quarter comeback including a punt return to upset the Hogs. The game could have gone the other way if just a few breaks would have gone the Razorbacks' way. The first break would have been for the athletic director not to schedule this game.

The Razorbacks definitely showed improvement in the last two games of the season. In Little Rock, they had Mississippi State on the ropes and were about to put the game away. The Hogs drove the field and had victory in their grasp but fumbled it away at the goal line. The game should have been a win right there with fans emptying out into the golf course to set fire to every porta-potty in the way. Instead, Mississippi State drove the field and sent the game into overtime. And in overtime, the Bulldogs used their third string quarterback to score the game-winning touchdown and no porta-potties were harmed.

The next week against a much more talented LSU team on the road in Baton Rouge, the Razorback led the Tigers throughout most of the game. They had LSU pinned deep with 99 yards to stop them. They had the victory until LSU got some breaks and their second-string quarterback drove them the distance with much of it coming on blown defensive coverage in the secondary.

Had those three games turned out as they should have, the Hogs go to a bowl game and the outlook for most fans would be much rosier right now. So for the Hog faithful, wipe away the reasons why the losses happened and pretend the Razorbacks won as they really should have in the first place. The reward of buying tickets and making a trip to a mid-level bowl will be there next season.

In September when the ball is kicked off for the first game in front of sellout in the luxury boxes, the Razorback coaching staff on the defensive side will have its act together and the defense will improve to make Texas A&M the worst defense in the SEC. They will get the younger players to step up and limit their mistakes to improve from the disaster of last season that you should forget about right now.

There is only one place for this team to go, and that is up where Petrino had them.



Send your reasons why I am wrong about the positive outlook for next season to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[PorkRinds]

Wow.  I'm impressed.  You were positive for once! +1

[Vantage 8 dude]

Cheap Pops: Time to Wipe Away the Tears of Last Season and Get Ready for Winning Again

Robert Shields

Since it is spring practice and all you can have right now as a fan is hope, this column will take the positive spin to bring you new expectations of promise.  After leaving the silvery white winter of the Razorback football team's worst season in history, it's time for it to melt away into a blooming spring.

Speaking of blooming, Brandon Allen has blossomed into an SEC-caliber quarterback. Back in the fall of 2013 when Allen was struggling mightily on the field, Bo Mattingly made the proclamation on his radio show that before Allen left Fayetteville he would be as good as or better than Connor Shaw was at South Carolina. Allen's trip to that high point starts now. His marks during spring have been good, and he has been deadly accurate. Looks like Mattingly is on the money as usual.

Let's assume that Allen has become an extremely proficient passer even as the Razorback defense has become even stronger in its coverage. Both may be happening simultaneously, but Allen is progressing at a faster rate, which is a bad sign for Auburn and the rest of the schools in line for an upcoming air raid. Turn on the sirens because the Razorback offense is fixing to blow through the SEC.

Running back Alex Collins is back in the coach's good graces after violations of team rules and Twitter policies and is going to be a more polished runner improving on the high bar he set last year as a true freshman. He will be one of the elite running backs in the SEC next season. Any talk of him ever thinking about transferring is hogwash and was probably hatched by someone in Wisconsin shut in for the winter with nothing better to do.

Tight end Hunter Henry is going to be even more solid than he was last season and will probably be one of the best tight ends in the SEC next year in spite of playing catch up after coming in from the playground attack of Pulaski Academy. Henry will be an easy target for Allen and gather several touchdowns in his sophomore campaign. Along with Henry, receiver Keon Hatcher will continue to come on and be a dependable receiver who fans can complain doesn't get enough touches.

Last season, Arkansas was very close to going to a bowl game, but the breaks just went against them. We all know the Razorbacks easily could have been 6-6 last season and enjoying the spoils of a trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl along with a busload of grateful fans.

If Allen is healthy, the Razorbacks would have clobbered Rutgers, which finished the season 6-7 in the always tough American Athletic Conference. Even with Allen out and using a quarterback with no experience on the road, the Scarlet Knights still had to mount a furious fourth-quarter comeback including a punt return to upset the Hogs. The game could have gone the other way if just a few breaks would have gone the Razorbacks' way. The first break would have been for the athletic director not to schedule this game.

The Razorbacks definitely showed improvement in the last two games of the season. In Little Rock, they had Mississippi State on the ropes and were about to put the game away. The Hogs drove the field and had victory in their grasp but fumbled it away at the goal line. The game should have been a win right there with fans emptying out into the golf course to set fire to every porta-potty in the way. Instead, Mississippi State drove the field and sent the game into overtime. And in overtime, the Bulldogs used their third string quarterback to score the game-winning touchdown and no porta-potties were harmed.

The next week against a much more talented LSU team on the road in Baton Rouge, the Razorback led the Tigers throughout most of the game. They had LSU pinned deep with 99 yards to stop them. They had the victory until LSU got some breaks and their second-string quarterback drove them the distance with much of it coming on blown defensive coverage in the secondary.

Had those three games turned out as they should have, the Hogs go to a bowl game and the outlook for most fans would be much rosier right now. So for the Hog faithful, wipe away the reasons why the losses happened and pretend the Razorbacks won as they really should have in the first place. The reward of buying tickets and making a trip to a mid-level bowl will be there next season.

In September when the ball is kicked off for the first game in front of sellout in the luxury boxes, the Razorback coaching staff on the defensive side will have its act together and the defense will improve to make Texas A&M the worst defense in the SEC. They will get the younger players to step up and limit their mistakes to improve from the disaster of last season that you should forget about right now.

There is only one place for this team to go, and that is up where Petrino had them.



Send your reasons why I am wrong about the positive outlook for next season to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

I now know for sure that almost anything is possible! That's just been confirmed by an actual POSITIVE post by RS. Will wonders never cease!? Good job for finding something upbeat to write about. I'll tag this as a "moment to remember" post. An actual +1.

[Hoggish1]

Shields turns the page, he's seen the light... LMAO

[bigbadhog]

Cheap Pops: Time to Wipe Away the Tears of Last Season and Get Ready for Winning Again

Robert Shields

Since it is spring practice and all you can have right now as a fan is hope, this column will take the positive spin to bring you new expectations of promise.  After leaving the silvery white winter of the Razorback football team's worst season in history, it's time for it to melt away into a blooming spring.

Speaking of blooming, Brandon Allen has blossomed into an SEC-caliber quarterback. Back in the fall of 2013 when Allen was struggling mightily on the field, Bo Mattingly made the proclamation on his radio show that before Allen left Fayetteville he would be as good as or better than Connor Shaw was at South Carolina. Allen's trip to that high point starts now. His marks during spring have been good, and he has been deadly accurate. Looks like Mattingly is on the money as usual.

Let's assume that Allen has become an extremely proficient passer even as the Razorback defense has become even stronger in its coverage. Both may be happening simultaneously, but Allen is progressing at a faster rate, which is a bad sign for Auburn and the rest of the schools in line for an upcoming air raid. Turn on the sirens because the Razorback offense is fixing to blow through the SEC.

Running back Alex Collins is back in the coach's good graces after violations of team rules and Twitter policies and is going to be a more polished runner improving on the high bar he set last year as a true freshman. He will be one of the elite running backs in the SEC next season. Any talk of him ever thinking about transferring is hogwash and was probably hatched by someone in Wisconsin shut in for the winter with nothing better to do.

Tight end Hunter Henry is going to be even more solid than he was last season and will probably be one of the best tight ends in the SEC next year in spite of playing catch up after coming in from the playground attack of Pulaski Academy. Henry will be an easy target for Allen and gather several touchdowns in his sophomore campaign. Along with Henry, receiver Keon Hatcher will continue to come on and be a dependable receiver who fans can complain doesn't get enough touches.

Last season, Arkansas was very close to going to a bowl game, but the breaks just went against them. We all know the Razorbacks easily could have been 6-6 last season and enjoying the spoils of a trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl along with a busload of grateful fans.

If Allen is healthy, the Razorbacks would have clobbered Rutgers, which finished the season 6-7 in the always tough American Athletic Conference. Even with Allen out and using a quarterback with no experience on the road, the Scarlet Knights still had to mount a furious fourth-quarter comeback including a punt return to upset the Hogs. The game could have gone the other way if just a few breaks would have gone the Razorbacks' way. The first break would have been for the athletic director not to schedule this game.

The Razorbacks definitely showed improvement in the last two games of the season. In Little Rock, they had Mississippi State on the ropes and were about to put the game away. The Hogs drove the field and had victory in their grasp but fumbled it away at the goal line. The game should have been a win right there with fans emptying out into the golf course to set fire to every porta-potty in the way. Instead, Mississippi State drove the field and sent the game into overtime. And in overtime, the Bulldogs used their third string quarterback to score the game-winning touchdown and no porta-potties were harmed.

The next week against a much more talented LSU team on the road in Baton Rouge, the Razorback led the Tigers throughout most of the game. They had LSU pinned deep with 99 yards to stop them. They had the victory until LSU got some breaks and their second-string quarterback drove them the distance with much of it coming on blown defensive coverage in the secondary.

Had those three games turned out as they should have, the Hogs go to a bowl game and the outlook for most fans would be much rosier right now. So for the Hog faithful, wipe away the reasons why the losses happened and pretend the Razorbacks won as they really should have in the first place. The reward of buying tickets and making a trip to a mid-level bowl will be there next season.

In September when the ball is kicked off for the first game in front of sellout in the luxury boxes, the Razorback coaching staff on the defensive side will have its act together and the defense will improve to make Texas A&M the worst defense in the SEC. They will get the younger players to step up and limit their mistakes to improve from the disaster of last season that you should forget about right now.

There is only one place for this team to go, and that is up where Petrino had them.



Send your reasons why I am wrong about the positive outlook for next season to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[PorkRinds]

Shields turns the page, he's seen the light... LMAO

I'm afraid this was sarcasm...

[The_Iceman]

[LZH]

I'm afraid this was sarcasm...

100%

[Cotton]

Who is Robert Shields?

[bigbadhog]

I'm afraid this was sarcasm...

Bingo, the "upcoming air raid" was a pretty good indication...

[PorkRinds]

Bingo, the "upcoming air raid" was a pretty good indication...

That and the complete 180 in his overall outlook...

[bigbadhog]

That and the complete 180 in his overall outlook...

Correct, it would be like me posting all the reasons I like BB and actually having some...

[PorkRinds]

Correct, it would be like me posting all the reasons I like BB and actually having some...

Lol.  There's some truth to that.  I may have to take you off my ignore list BBH.  You've redeemed yourself.   

[TheRazorbackGuy]

Lol.  There's some truth to that.  I may have to take you off my ignore list BBH.  You've redeemed yourself.   

PorkHinds, Have you seen our schedule?

[PorkRinds]

PorkHinds, Have you seen our schedule?

TheRazorbackGay, yes.  WHy?

[bigbadhog]

Lol.  There's some truth to that.  I may have to take you off my ignore list BBH.  You've redeemed yourself.   

Your not so bad either PR...

[Turminator]

It's a trick..  Get an axe

[goodguytex]

Yeah... As soon as I saw the words air raid from him.... I knew there was a huge flag on the play. More Bs from shields.

[Sed76]

Would still like to know why we are subjected to this stuff every week.

[chitwnhog]

I'm afraid this was sarcasm...

You are correct. I am surprised RS didn't bite his tongue off while he typed.

[Rey Pygsterio]

I have to agree with Shields on cause for optimism. I have been pleasantly surprised with how well spring practice is going based on what the UA allows to be released.

[Hawgboy64]

Shield's must have a intern writing for him this week.....

[Hogfaniam]

Well, I guess it's a start Robert.

I know that had to hurt, but there was enough sarcasm amongst some rosy truth to keep me from worrying about you slitting your wrists over printing what you did.

I appreciate you trying.

[kingofdequeen]

"renewed optimism".  better than coke.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Ahem...

[attachment deleted by admin]

[kingofdequeen]

Ahem...

BUT OPTIMISM IS RENEWED!!!!

[razoredge178]

Shields turns the page, he's seen the light... LMAO

No..he's just put on his hog-colored glasses to shield the tar and feathering that comes with the truth that next season shall bring.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

TheRazorbackGay, yes.  WHy?

PorkHinds, take a look at the schedule. 5-7 would be a good record looking at next years schedule.

[mbd1475]

+1 to the both of you for the clever insults. 

[DeltaBoy]

Cheap Pops: Time to Wipe Away the Tears of Last Season and Get Ready for Winning Again

Robert Shields

Since it is spring practice and all you can have right now as a fan is hope, this column will take the positive spin to bring you new expectations of promise.  After leaving the silvery white winter of the Razorback football team’s worst season in history, it’s time for it to melt away into a blooming spring.

Speaking of blooming, Brandon Allen has blossomed into an SEC-caliber quarterback. Back in the fall of 2013 when Allen was struggling mightily on the field, Bo Mattingly made the proclamation on his radio show that before Allen left Fayetteville he would be as good as or better than Connor Shaw was at South Carolina. Allen’s trip to that high point starts now. His marks during spring have been good, and he has been deadly accurate. Looks like Mattingly is on the money as usual.

Let’s assume that Allen has become an extremely proficient passer even as the Razorback defense has become even stronger in its coverage. Both may be happening simultaneously, but Allen is progressing at a faster rate, which is a bad sign for Auburn and the rest of the schools in line for an upcoming air raid. Turn on the sirens because the Razorback offense is fixing to blow through the SEC.

Running back Alex Collins is back in the coach’s good graces after violations of team rules and Twitter policies and is going to be a more polished runner improving on the high bar he set last year as a true freshman. He will be one of the elite running backs in the SEC next season. Any talk of him ever thinking about transferring is hogwash and was probably hatched by someone in Wisconsin shut in for the winter with nothing better to do.

Tight end Hunter Henry is going to be even more solid than he was last season and will probably be one of the best tight ends in the SEC next year in spite of playing catch up after coming in from the playground attack of Pulaski Academy. Henry will be an easy target for Allen and gather several touchdowns in his sophomore campaign. Along with Henry, receiver Keon Hatcher will continue to come on and be a dependable receiver who fans can complain doesn’t get enough touches.

Last season, Arkansas was very close to going to a bowl game, but the breaks just went against them. We all know the Razorbacks easily could have been 6-6 last season and enjoying the spoils of a trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl along with a busload of grateful fans.

If Allen is healthy, the Razorbacks would have clobbered Rutgers, which finished the season 6-7 in the always tough American Athletic Conference. Even with Allen out and using a quarterback with no experience on the road, the Scarlet Knights still had to mount a furious fourth-quarter comeback including a punt return to upset the Hogs. The game could have gone the other way if just a few breaks would have gone the Razorbacks’ way. The first break would have been for the athletic director not to schedule this game.

The Razorbacks definitely showed improvement in the last two games of the season. In Little Rock, they had Mississippi State on the ropes and were about to put the game away. The Hogs drove the field and had victory in their grasp but fumbled it away at the goal line. The game should have been a win right there with fans emptying out into the golf course to set fire to every porta-potty in the way. Instead, Mississippi State drove the field and sent the game into overtime. And in overtime, the Bulldogs used their third string quarterback to score the game-winning touchdown and no porta-potties were harmed.

The next week against a much more talented LSU team on the road in Baton Rouge, the Razorback led the Tigers throughout most of the game. They had LSU pinned deep with 99 yards to stop them. They had the victory until LSU got some breaks and their second-string quarterback drove them the distance with much of it coming on blown defensive coverage in the secondary.

Had those three games turned out as they should have, the Hogs go to a bowl game and the outlook for most fans would be much rosier right now. So for the Hog faithful, wipe away the reasons why the losses happened and pretend the Razorbacks won as they really should have in the first place. The reward of buying tickets and making a trip to a mid-level bowl will be there next season.

In September when the ball is kicked off for the first game in front of sellout in the luxury boxes, the Razorback coaching staff on the defensive side will have its act together and the defense will improve to make Texas A&M the worst defense in the SEC. They will get the younger players to step up and limit their mistakes to improve from the disaster of last season that you should forget about right now.

There is only one place for this team to go, and that is up where Petrino had them.



Send your reasons why I am wrong about the positive outlook for next season to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

Good read today.

[secneahog]

Very vanilla post. Crappy post. Gets into details why we are horrible so you write a somewhat positive post that is vanilla.

[goodguytex]

Good read today.

141 to go Delta.

[aar0n]

Good read today.

Have you ever NOT liked one of his "articles?"

[wacohogbill]

Good column. Sensible and well written. Thank you.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

+1 to the both of you for the clever insults. 

Thanks Cattle, I like PorkRinds. I just like to pick on him and I got a sense of humor on his nickname for me too. PorkRinds is knowledgable at football. I will give him that

[PorkRinds]

Thanks Cattle, I like PorkRinds. I just like to pick on him and I got a sense of humor on his nickname for me too. PorkRinds is knowledgable at football. I will give him that

Lol.  I don't consider them insults.  There more like terms of endearment. 

[TheRazorbackGuy]

Lol.  I don't consider them insults.  There more like terms of endearment. 

PorkHinds, Not at all endearment but a matter of comic humor.

[MJ2]

Hummm.... I don't know what to think.   Guess all writers eventually wander into writing fiction.

Will DGB go to Louisville?

[Chic-Hog-Oh]

It's possible it's sarcasm. The numerous references to "BBVA" and "mid-level bowls" as being the high ceiling (and also as being appealing to "grateful" fans....??) is a giveaway....

[Professor Psychosis]

One man's positive is another man's pandering.

But hey, you gotta throw your audience a bone every now and then.  It's always good to mix it up.

[chitwnhog]

Hummm.... I don't know what to think.   Guess all writers eventually wander into writing fiction.
Will DGB go to Louisville?

Lolz...I wondered when someone would bring up DGB to Arkansas or Louisville.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

Lolz...I wondered when someone would bring up DGB to Arkansas or Louisville.

PorkHinds knows more about the DGB situation on where he is transferring to. I think he said 1-AA Missouri State recently

[chitwnhog]

PorkHinds knows more about the DGB situation on where he is transferring to. I think he said 1-AA Missouri State recently

No way!!! Auburn Lock!!!

[Pork Twain]

I...just...can't...bring...myself...to...read...it...

[Johnny Razorback]

I knew it was sarcasm when he said Bo was on the money as usual.

[#1Fan]

100% unadulterated sarcasm.

[PygmalionEffect]

If Allen is healthy, the Razorbacks would have clobbered Rutgers, which finished the season 6-7 in the always tough American Athletic Conference. Even with Allen out and using a quarterback with no experience on the road, the Scarlet Knights still had to mount a furious fourth-quarter comeback including a punt return to upset the Hogs. The game could have gone the other way if just a few breaks would have gone the Razorbacks' way. The first break would have been for the athletic director not to schedule this game.

Man o Man, I almost spewed coke all over my computer monitor when I read that line. 

Wow.... let me catch my breath....... funniest thing I've read in quite some time.





Am I doing it right?

[Delicious~Dreams]

Shield's must have a intern writing for him this week.....

Hmmmmm......It's possible..........or it could be that maybe he is starting to have hope for the new season. 

I happen to think that "maybe" he's not the grinch after all........ 

Who IS Robert Shields?!?! 

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

This...    Will somebody give Bobby his meds..?

[bphi11ips]

Shields reeling in the mulletts .  .  .