At the game yesterday

Football Insider Board
#1

Our tailgate area is usually bustling and crowded, adults having fun, kids throwing footballs, a few dogs running around making friends and getting food. Yesterday it was deserted. Literally 3 tents had anyone at all. We are tent 52, and only had 6 people, no tv, no ice chests or food laid out. Friends brought bloodies, I brought chic filA. the other 9 or so tents were completetly deserted.

Driving in, the traffic was very light. The Chic Fil A folks were commenting how slow business was, for a game day.

In the stadium, the south end zone club area for concessions was deserted. we walked up for hot dogs and pops with NO wait. my buddy got a beer from the barbq place with NO wait. No wait for bathroom. most seats were empty, I video’d it for posterity sake. The few of us who were there were joking about getting down 17-0 before we started playing. at theINT, and subsequent score, people were just chuckling. several of us were happy for Ty. He’s a lot more Arkansas than most of our coaching staff.

we sure cheered for Rakeem’s runs, but there was literally NOTHING else to cheer about, until half time when that awesome Baton twirler lady came out and was awesome as always. wish our team played as well as she twirls.

Anyway, had fun on a beautiful day, Catfish hole Friday and Cheers on the square after the game, time with my son, then the twins and I got back to LR in time to watch John Wick 3.

As you all know, it could not be more clear that we need a new coaching staff. to be so completely out-coached by San Jose state and WKU, to have Ty struggle so much with our “system” and thrive so much with theirs…it is just black and white.

Contrast it with Muss-that guy shows up and IMMEDIATELY starts recruiting and coaching and our basketball team is in mid-season form on the first game. Clearly coaching is the key to winning.

I’m soooo glad that I’m not Hunter Yuracheck, as I have no idea who to hire, and man, is it an important hire.

GHG

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#2

But but but…he recruited Watson…

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#3

Great, great post Harley. It describes basically how I feel. As my wife and I watched last week, I was laughing at what has become a strange sort of comedy. I’m proud for Ty even though I would rather the score been reversed.

#4

My in-game experience was similar. I turned off my radio late in the second quarter. Those of us in my area watched the game with little or no passion. We discussed who we would NOT want as a coach (Briles, Petrino, John L, for example) and watched as though it was not Arkansas playing that badly.

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#5

we were the same way, just a very odd experience, to watch our hogs lose so terribly, yet to be strangely detached emotionally. surreal.

GHG

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#6

I said something very similar in a thread posted yesterday. There was no excitement outside the stadium before the game (and a deserted look) and no excitement during it. I stayed until the WKU pick 6 even though I knew the game was over mid-way through the 2nd qtr.

I didn’t even feel sick or disgusted. Just sorta stunned. I just never thought I’d see Razorback football like this. I’ve been watching & attending games since the early 60’s & it’s never been like this. Even the bad years were better.

#7

NEA, you know how long I have been a passionate fan, and a donor and season ticket holder. I described yesterday as historically bad. I admit I quit on them but just wasn’t tough enough to trek up there and attend yesterday’s game. I never knew rock bottom had so many levels.
I feel bad for Chad the man but am convinced it needed to happen.
I do think it’s important to show up at WMS and let the players & program know we support them.WPS!

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#8

As I left my seat in the south end zone with 2 minutes remaining in the second quarter I was disappointed in the effort on display by our defense. It’s also hard to understand why you struggle to move the ball when Boyd had 7 carries and Whaley has 1 or 2!
I just know Chad Morris couldn’t get the performance on the field to a point that there was any hope for fans or the players. I’m glad it’s over and waiting to see who the next head coach will be.
At some point to dig out of this hole a coach is going to have to remain in place for an extended period of time maybe 10 years.
I’ve never seen the hill dead like yesterday.

#9

And this is why HUUUUGE bucks need to be spent for the right guy, whoever he is. Don’t spare the funds, but make most payments payable in bonuses, not salary–for all staff.

Tuscaloosa yesterday was teemning with 150,000 extra folks, and only 101,000 could get in the game. Business in and near town, even Birmingham, benefited with monster business.

Contrast Tuscaloosa yesterday to Fayetteville to see how spending huge bucks on a coach brings mega-millions to the whole community. Had a hard time getting into Waysider Restaurant even today (heard Fox was there filming this morning for their morning show); lotsa traffic still in town this late afternoon. Saban is worth every dime he is paid, says this whole commuinity called SabaNation. And, it’s been this way for years, not just for that one game with LSU.

If Gundy wants $7M, pay him $8M (in bonuses, not salary)! He will be worth every penny for all of NWA and Razorback Nation.

#10

Gundy doesn’t win that much at oSu, what makes you think that he could win at Arkansas?

#11

He’s 127-62.

In 14 years at OSU he’s won at least 10 games six times.

He’s won at least 9 games eight times.

He’s won a BCS bowl.

He’s gone to a bowl game 13 times in 14 seasons.

What’s your definition of winning much?

#12

The only game I went to this year was Auburn, and it was surreal. (I have a legitimate excuse for missing games because of a child in college in the East.). For a major SEC game even in a down year, nobody was there.

Sorry to tell it like it is, but we have become like the Kansas State of old like when they went 1-10 or 2-9 every year; we are like the TCU/Rice of the old SWC days when they did same.

I am doubtful Arkanas football can recover from this any time soon, but I am hopeful.

I agree with others who have said to remedy this situation, it’s going to take a monumental move that will take a lot of money. Alabama had fallen into mediocrity a few years back, and they finally said “enough” and decided no matter how much money it took, they were going to bring in the best college football coach in the nation. Alabama was not taking no for an answer, and the with every “no”, they put more money in the pot. It worked. When you pay for the best, you are going to be get the best results.

Unfortunately, I don’t expect that to happen. Unloading the big bucks is just not the Arkansas way. No matter what folks tell you about “they don’t want to come here”, this is all about the money. College coaches have a limited window to earn, and they are a small and collegial fraternity and consider themselves a transient bunch. They go where they can get the money and retire to the good life. College coaches expect to be run off from any school after about 5 years. That’s the world today. The college coach only loyalty is to the almighty dollar. They are not driven by “where I can win a national title”; it’s simple — “who is going to make me the richest” is the gold standard. Usually the schools willing to unload the money are the ones who can win a national title, but in super-rich conferences that’s not a haves and have nots problem, it’s a philosophy about how much money to spend on the program. It’s not coincidental that the programs willing to pay get the best results.

This is how it works — a program likes Arkansas comes with a Brinks truck to an established coach, then the established coach employer matches and gives him a huge raise — then the media spin is “he stayed there because he thought he could win a national title there, had nothing to do with the money…”… The Arkansas response should instead be, up the ante and keep upping until the other school throws in the towel.

Arkanas still plenty of money and resources, but this entire mismanaged mess is going to cost about $20 million, just to get rid of the past. I sense donor fatigue all around. Finding the funds needed to make the monumental move could be challenging. At some point boosters get tired of pouring money down a bottomless drain.

#13

I’m not so sure about this. Several names I’m seeing and hearing all have 8 figure ($10 mil minimum) buyouts, with Gus’ name again surfacing ($6.7 million a year, $27 million buyout), we should have the money if they (big money boosters) really want to fix the program

#14

I don’t. It’s the principle that we should not fear opening the checkbook for a quality coach, for VERY good NWA reasons.

#15

Gus knows he can’t win at Arkansas. He might win 7 games in a good year but that won’t keep people happy very long. Do you think he can recruit Auburn type talent here? If he is so great, why are so many at Auburn ready for him to go. It would be foolish to spend the kind of money it would take to get him here even if he would come. Gus only wins if he has the better talent. Arkansas needs someone who can do more with less. Someone who can develop players. Gus doesn’t develop at all. So his path to winning at Arkansas is one of recruiting a bunch of 4 and 5 stars. I don’t think that’s going to happen here.

Mike Leach is the best option.

#16

I don’t agree Leach can win in SEC, but totally agree that Mahlzahn does not believe he can win at Arkansas like he could at Auburn.

#17

Leach is a horrible option

No, I do not want Gus, what I was showing, if you would have read my entire post, is money should not be an issue, but it will be. PTB can’t get out of their own way

#18

The real problem with the current state of our program is the hire that People’s made in hiring CCM! The past 2 years could have been used building with a more qualified and experienced winner!
Throw the brinks truck at a coach like Venables or Norvell and sit back and watch there would be improvement.
Sometimes it’s not just about the record but the way a team competes and show the never quit attitude. We haven’t seen that since Since Hiuston Nutt was our coach he could motivate and get players to give 110%! Where has that gone?

#19

I’m afraid Arkansas has become a coaching graveyard. A place where a guy can come to ruin his head coaching future. Some of the coaches at non power five schools who have been successful may come here for the money and some may even think they can succeed here. But I think anyone with a lick of sense can look at the schedule and see 4 likely losses so they must win the lesser conference games and all non-conference games. Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Texas AM is a gauntlet. Then you have to hope Ole Miss, Miss State, and Mizzou don’t get any better. Some years they will have Georgia or Florida on the schedule. I can’t imagine a realist believing he can win big and that just getting to a bowl game would be a tough job most years. However when I think back to Petrino’s years I guess it might not be as futile as it seems.

#20

And I failed to mention LSU.