Elsewhere, there has been speculation about what kind of trophy David Bazzel will come up with for this new game against ASU. That got me to thinking…and here’s what I’ve come up with.
There will be two trophies.
One for the winning time, which will reside in Fayetteville 90%+ of the time. I have no idea about the concept for that one.
The second one will only be given out only when trophy #1 is in Jonesboro.
It will be given to the U of A Athletic Director. It will be a replica of his desk with a copy of a “pink slip” on it.
The trophy will be named the “Ahhhh told you so” trophy.
I’ve never been in favor of playing ASU. But I’m also not going to lose sleep over it. I’ve see a few posts about this putting HY’s job in jeopardy. I don’t that being a factor in him staying long term or getting canned. My take is that the success of CSP and CEM will determine how long HY stays in his current position. Picking winning coaches is great job security. IMO
I’m sure if it bothers you that much, you could spend as much time on it as David Bazzel does reviewing everyone’s ideas and suggestions and try to come up with your own version to submit. But I’m sure it’s probably just easier to make a one sentence complaint.
It’ll probably be something like the Rice Bowl, or the Chicken Bowl, like the Egg Bowl. Not sure, but hopefully it’s some type of bowl that honors the state as a whole.
There are so many trophy games that I wouldn’t rule out one being created, but it would be odd to have a trophy for a game that is going to be played so infrequently. As of now I can’t see Arkansas-Arkansas State being anything more than a game played every 4-6 years, assuming it is played again after 2025.
I remember reading about a “battle” (didn’t end up being one, as noted in this overly long story) back in history. I don’t remember all the details, but it something like this. Army “A” had about 20,000 troops. Army “B” had about 1,500 troops. “:A” had a fortified city and lots of supplies. The general of “B” approached the city and said “surrender by tomorrow or we will sack your city and kill you all.” There was no way it was going to happen, and the general of “B” knew it. The leaders of “A” panicked an surrendered.
That story reminds me of the Little Rock newspaper war between the Gazette and the Democrat 30 years ago. Both papers were losing money, but the Democrat was losing more, had less ad revenue, and a lot fewer readers, and was regarded as an inferior paper. However, the Gannettoids that owned the Gazette waved the white flag. If Boo Hussman hadn’t bought the Gazette on October 18, 1991, Gannett would have just closed the paper outright that same day.
As I recall, Hussman just had more money he could afford to lose. His publishing & broadcasting properties subsidized the Democrat’s losses. The Gazette was family owned, but it was the only thing. They sold to Gannett to cut losses. Then, as you said, Gannett wasn’t in the mood to compete in the newspaper war, so they sold it to Hussman. The Gazette was an excellent paper, but Gannett ruined it. By the time Gannett sold to Hussman, it was a shell of what it once was.
True, alas. I joined the Gazette after the Pattersons sold to Gannett. We had good people and good journalists, but leadership was clueless about what had made the Gazette such an outstanding paper (including editorial courage).
Little known detail: Hussman asked Gazette publisher Hugh Patterson in 1977 for a joint operating agreement, in which two papers combine some aspects of operations to cut costs. A JOA was a specific exemption from antitrust laws, authorized by Congress in 1970, in order to preserve competing newspapers. Tulsa had a JOA for years, but the afternoon paper in a JOA was pretty much doomed to eventual failure (which is why the Tulsa Tribune is no more).
Patterson refused. Hussman started the newspaper war the next year, which included going to morning publication in 1979. He won the war 13 years later. But if Patterson had accepted the JOA, the Democrat- would have eventually gone under just like the Tribune did in 1992.
You’re right about WEHCO subsidizing the war. He was running his smaller properties into the ground to keep going in Little Rock.
I would just as soon we not try to hype this game up into something bigger than it is. Just another game against an NCO. Prepare. Execute. Give the wolves something to howl about and send them home with they tails between they legs. If we can avoid anymore disastrous coaching hires, we really shouldn’t have much to worry about.
I agree. Please no trophy. We’re going to need to improve to do it & ASU will need to fall back a bit, but I’d love to be up on them by 35-45 points by halftime. That’d have the effect of shutting them up for a long time, would dampen interest in a follow up game, and remind people the difference between an SEC team & an SBC team. I’m just thankful this game wasn’t scheduled for 2018 or 2019
I just don’t see much excitement to be generated over a trophy for beating an instate Sun Belt team.
Maybe during the CCM years but Ar St may still be holding the trophy from then.
Already have a rivalry forced on us from the SEC and an insurance company dictating the rest on that.
Hey guys…I don’t really think there will be a trophy (although with Bazzel lurking, one can never be sure)…nor do I want one. It was just a vehicle for a joke (at least, an attempted joke).
