As my subject topic read. CBB’s buyout is still too large and Long still thinks He can get it done. But I do have a few questions for those of you with a bit of a man crush for CBB. At what point do you say enough? Year six? Seven? Eight? Or do you fall into the category that this is as good as Razorback Football is going to get? I would like to believe that CBB can turn it around. But the evidence over the past 18 months seems to indicate otherwise. Does anyone really believe we will beat AM this weekend? This team can’t finish off opponents. The offensive line is still a “Work in Progress”, Allen and the receivers are not on the same page, and the defense still can’t stop the run or give a consistent pass rush. I won’t even mention Special Teams. And we can only sign up to maybe 18 players in each class over the next two seasons. Yeah I know. “TROLL!”. Do you fall into the category of 6 to 7 wins a year is the best we can hope for? Being mediocre is good enough? Would you settle for that in your own lives? If not, then why settle for it from our taxpayer funded University? By the way, as long as the University insists on taking a portion of our hard earned money, then we do have a right to voice our opinions. If you don’t want to hear it, then don’t read the posts.
A few thoughts…
Just because some of us are not ready to throw the in the towel on the season doesn’t mean any of us have a man crush on Bielema.
Do I believe we can beat A&M? yes.
At what point is enough? I don’t know. I guess when Long decides it’s enough. It’s not my call and thankfully not our fans call or we’d have a new coach every 2 years.
I don’t believe anyone accepts mediocrity or doesn’t think we can do better, but constantly whining about things that are outside our control is foolish.
Taxpayer funded university? The school is fine. And the coaches salary is largely donor based.
You have a right to voice your opinion, but SHOULD you voice it? Considering most fans are completely ignorant of the inner workings of the athletic program, the coaches, and the players, I’d say most of the time fans need to shut up with their negativity. Just like you have every right to voice an opinion, I have the right to tell you if your opinion is stupid and not helpful. Seriously, what is listing replacement coaches going to accomplish? What is blasting the coach or players accomplishing? We are fans, so be a fan or move on.
6 or 7 wins, imo, is not mediocre; it is pathetic. HDN was not that bad and we are now playing 13 games schedules, so I think you have to have at least 7 or closer to 8 wins to qualify.
But you are right, CBB will be back next year, no matter what happens. Too many people are unwilling to admit that they made a mistake and the buyout prevents him being fired.
So General, blind faith is the only faith. And yes, we have a right and obligation to voice our opinions. Especially when our tax dollars are in use. People need to question those who have been given power and influence and not just trust that they are the “Experts” who know what their doing. And not just sit back and shut up because we, the great unwashed and uninformed, clearly need to blindly follow those who know better than we.
I didn’t say blind faith. But the fact remains that most fans are completely ignorant about what the athletic department and it’s inner workings.
You have a right but not an obligation.
Tax dollars? Very, very, very, very little of your tax dollars are being used in any way towards the football program. If it’s your tax dollars you’re worried about, then I can list a lot of other problems in this state that are more pressing.
Questioning people is fine. Bashing said people with incorrect or outrageous claims isn’t logical, yet many of our fans do it.
So no, you don’t have to follow blindly, but at least gather as much information you can to make an objective and informed opinion. Do not run off on emotion or what YOU think should be done as an absolute fact. In short, gather some perspective. If you refuse, then shut up.
I’ve had this comment a few times, about mediocre.
In the 60’s. AR avgd 8-2 with 7 bowl games. That’s the equivalent of 11-2 now.
In the 70’s. AR avgd 8-3 with 5 bowl games. One of those missed years, they actually finished 9-2, that’s the equivalent of 10-2 with no bowl game. 8-3 is the equivalent of 10-3 now.
In the 80’s. AR avgd 9-3, with 9 bowl games. The one year they missed was Holtz’ final year, and they finished 6-5, which would be bowl eligible now. That’s (9-3) the equivalent of 10-3. Yet we have people saying we were never relevant in football. 10 win seasons is pretty relevant.
We fell off in the 90’s. We avgd 5-7. In the 00’s we avgd 8-5 (trending up). In 10, 11 BP had us winning 10 wins, then 11 wins. That wasn’t new heights, it’s where we were for 30 years. Since BP wrecked, we’ve avgd 6-7. That’s going backwards. I know people don’t like that, but that’s actually what it looks like.
Now, I agree with you, Bret won’t be fired this year, and honestly I don’t think he will be fired next year, with 7/8 wins. He has an excuse (legitimately) for both years. Now, year after next, I think there is a legitimate chance, if the W/L record hasn’t improved.
The athletic department operates its own budget, free and clear of taxpayer money. In fact, it gives annually from its funding to the university.
I wouldn’t use the word “obligation” when it comes to fans giving their opinions. However, if one chooses to do so, they have the “right” to do it. I’ve always tried to live by the rule my mother taught me which is (and I’m sure she wasn’t the first to say it), “If you haven’t nothing good to say about a person, don’t say anything at all.” Sometimes silence is golden and much more effective. Some ways you can be silent and make a big statement is by not buying tickets and not attending games. That speaks volumes.
General is right in that most people don’t know the inner-workings of the athletic department. Many on this board have played football, some have even coached it. They at least have an idea about it, but unless they are on the inside of this particular program, then it’s unlikely they know all the ins-and-outs of it, so telling the department how to do its job may be above our pay grade.
CBB makes $4-plus million annually. It’s the going rate in the SEC West. Whoever gets the job next–whenever that is–likely will be given that much or more, and yet his chances to win “big” at Arkansas will be one in seven. I keep seeing people bring up replacement names like Scott Frost, Major Applewhite and others who have not proven themselves in Power-5 conferences. They may be “up and comers,” yet it is a crap-shoot at best to know whether they can win at Arkansas or not. Nobody knows.
Fans are growing restless. It’s understandable. This week’s game is big. The Hogs are 0-0 in the SEC right now. My focus and desire is that by this time next week, they will be 1-0 in the SEC and 2-1 overall. And I’ll let Mr. Long worry about the consequences if by chance the record is 0-1 and 1-2.
Good point
Depending on how this season ends, in my opinion, firing and Bielema and paying the buyout would better for the long term than 7 years of failure. There are already fans of other teams saying how Bielema has ruined the program. To me that is just embarrassing.
Who cares what fans of other teams are saying? You really expect them to say something good about Arkansas? How often do our fans say anything good about other programs?
Well I can assume no one really knows the inner workings of the Ark athletic program, even the General. I don’t get emotional, at my age I can’t afford to. I look at facts and the fact is CBB needs to make some changes in philosophy for the Ark offense and defense or we’ll continue to lose. That’s what he’s paid to do!
Bielema is approaching a critical time in his tenure at Ark to prove he can win and if he fails that loser label might be stuck on him forever. Will he be fired this year? NO. Next year? Well that depends on his record, attendance and the boosters. I’m rooting for him because basically I like him and want him to succeed but this is major college football and it’s no game for the weak! Our past success or failures have nothing to do with the present. We can become a consistent winner and there is no reason why we as fans can’t expect that from the flagship school in the state.
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Well I can assume no one really knows the inner workings of the Ark athletic program, even the General. I don’t get emotional, at my age I can’t afford to. I look at facts and the fact is CBB needs to make some changes in philosophy for the Ark offense and defense or we’ll continue to lose. That’s what he’s paid to do!
Bielema is approaching a critical time in his tenure at Ark to prove he can win and if he fails that loser label might be stuck on him forever. Will he be fired this year? NO. Next year? Well that depends on his record, attendance and the boosters. I’m rooting for him because basically I like him and want him to succeed but this is major college football and it’s no game for the weak! Our past success or failures have nothing to do with the present. We can become a consistent winner and there is no reason why we as fans can’t expect that from the flagship school in the state.
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I believe this goes hand in hand. Our past proves you can be a successful coach at AR. We can expect to win and win 9. 10, 11 games, and it proves we should expect to be consistent winners. There are some on the board, that ignore the past (when we were consistently winning), and claim the 90’s and 00’s prove we have always been mediocre.
I’m not sure CBB will ever win like that here, I think his seats warm, but I think Long will give him at least next year. As I said he has an excuse this year (all the skill positions with the exception of QB are inexperienced) and he has an excuse next year (New QB, no real game experience). The year after they should all be on par.
Our recruiting the offensive line has severely dropped off when we have two walk ons in the mix. Kudos to them young men for taking scholarship athletes jobs. When you have a running offense and a make shift O Line you get what us as fans are seeing week in and week out. For our lack of recruiting the development hasn’t been there either. Should the man be fired… not my call to make… should he live up to his salary… absolutely but Jeff long sure made it easy to look towards that buy out money.
JIMMY JOHNSON may be ready to move away from the beaches of Florida now that hurricane season is in full effect… who wouldn’t want to play for a 3 times superbowl coach and a ncaa championship coach that also won a ring for the Hogs in his playing days… we should recruit this man to coach with reckless abandon and pay him what ever he asked!
The guy is approaching 80 and has not coached in almost 30 years… just no.
Lolz…my thoughts exactly. I would go after P.J. Fleck except for …well you know he’s one of them carpetbagging Northerners Arkansas “fans” hate.
I’m tired of being called stupid by certain individuals on here because we question where the program is going or has gone. One don’t have to know all the inner workings of the AD to see what is happening on Saturday. Results are results!!! I hope CBB can turn things around and end up with a respectful year, but I need to see a reason to rekindle my faith. He is the Head Hog and the one that needs to make it happen. He could start by showing some fire on the side line during the game. Go Hogs!!!
Did you realize that Arkansas was about to lose scholarships because Petrino made no effort to graduate players? Look it up. Bilema was tasked with getting the house in order, graduating players and recruiting players that stay out of trouble. This year was the first year Bielema has taken a (Montaric Brown) risk with a recruit that might not qualify because he has been tasked with keeping academics in order above all else. Oh and Brown still isn’t eligible. Can he win here? I honestly don’t know but I do know he has been hamstrung in recruiting and recruiting to Arkansas is no picnic. “Fans” trashing Bielema only hurts the program.
Woo Pig!!!
As a fan, I don’t need to be an expert nor do I need to understand the inner workings of the football. The win/loss record over 4 or 5 years is all I need to know if we need to replace the head coach.
We fired a great coach that was wining and replaced him with a loser all over a little sex.
DTH, I never mentioned CBP. I thought he needed to go after what he did. I know CBB has cleaned up the program but he was also hired to win games and make improvement when he got his own players. Two steps forward and two steps back is not improvement. If we only wanted to clean the program up, we could have hired someone to just do that for a lot less money. Get my point???
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I realize you didn’t bring up Pretrino…I did for context. Do I get your point? Of course I do however I disagree. Do you get my point??? Bielema has taken us to a bowl game three of the four years he has been here and won two in a row (unprecedented ). Like Frank Beamer said recently “patience” if Va Tech had your attitude there would have been no Beamer Ball.