Wally’s Accurate Observation Today

Football Insider Board
#1

Today, Wally accurately gauged the collective depression and hopelessness of Razorback Nation.

Football has gotten so bad, the conventional view amongst fandom extolls the winning qualities of a head football coach as he guides the Razorbacks to a 2-10 season that put the absolute worst Arkansas football product on the field in over 50 years. Optimism is now found in mediocrity of the worst kind. That’s telling.

This is NOT a criticism of those fans who believe such things in earnest, they just want their Hogs to win and will find a silver lining any way that they can. That was me for so long, and I sure cannot be critical of anybody who still feels that way. It is just an observation of how bad things really are and how far the program has fallen in 30 years.

I now accept the truth that I will not live long enough to see Arkansas football and basketball return to those glory days of old. It’s relegated to a fond memory of youth where it will forever remain, the past and never to return. I am thankful those days of big winning happened when I was young and my options for entertainment were limited. The new reality is the best Arkansas will do is patch together some slightly above 500 season runs here and there with 1 or 2 break-through seasons every 20 to 30 years; only to collapse again and go back to losing.

I find myself asking more and more how I want to spend my spare time in the Fall for the rest of my life, when I have more yesterdays than tomorrows… Why do I continue to pour thousands of dollars into this, and the most precious commodity of all, time?

During those rare seasons the Hogs are winning, fact is you can always get great tickets, always get in a box on the 50. The U of A is always going to try and woo your dollars back.

Maybe the path to a better life is to just let it go and get on with living a life without all the negativity and bad feelings. We can always come back for the season or two the Hogs are winning.

Now that more people have come to that realization, that’s the real threat to Razorback athletics. Some call it apathy. Though the seats may be empty, the donations will still be made and the tickets will be sold regardless. Big corporate is standing by to make the purchase and investment. Once big business gets the tax laws changed back to where they write it all off — and they will, just need a year or two of good lobbying — it will happen.

The times have changed, and it’s never going back to the good old days. Some times progress is good, but it’s been horrible for Arkansas football and basketball.

#2

Spot on - I’m hopeful for the future under Morris but agree last year was the biggest train wreck in memory. Largely the result of the soft, losing, weak minded culture created by a coach bereft with bad habits, but Morris made mistakes that exacerbated it.

Years of poor leadership and little oversight have created a sink hole that will take years, if ever, to get out of.

#3

I think it has more to do with the BOT’s. I know how you feel about both Bret and Long, but honestly they fired Long, fired Bret and offered the bank to Gus. Gus said no, then they tightened up the money and got Morris. I’m not bashing Morris here, but if they would have offered the same money they offered to Gus to other big names, they may have pulled a Grand Slam hire, and I’d be more excited than I am now.

I feel the same way about basketball, if they do Fire Mike, and one of the reasons they’re saying no is his buyout, it appears they aren’t gonna break the bank. So, we may end up with an up and comer, or a coach that many think is an upgrade that’s really not (Sampson, Buzz, I posted their records compared to Mike’s on the b-ball board, not upgrades).

I don’t like saying “Man I hope I’m wrong and these guys prove me wrong,” I’d rather say, good job HY and BOT you just raised my expectations and brought us back to respectability.

#4

I’ve been having similar thoughts for several years, but then I think the opposite. I know this much, when I have been successful in just “tuning out” Razorback sports, it has made life easier. But, is that really what I want? I don’t know.

I am not one (God bless those who can do it) that can follow the Hogs, be happy when they win but just blow off the losses. My personality is to be all in or all out. That is NOT a good trait. It is me.

I don’t think Arkansas will ever ever ever be the football program we were in the 60’s. The world has changed and the demographics are just such that it can’t happen again. Can we at least get back the HDN days? Maybe. Even a little better that that? Maybe, more doubtful, but maybe.

Basketball? I thought up until the last couple of years that we could become a big time program again. I no longer really think that. I have more hope there than in football, but not much. It seems that the best we can hope for is about what we have been the last 4 years. Make the NCAAT more times than not, but not be on anyone’s radar to make the Final 4.

It is what it is.

I KNOW that in my head. Can I get it into my heart and disconnect? Maybe. I am closer today than I was this time last year.

#5

I do blame the collective leadership ( BOT, RF, Chancellor) going back to the ridiculous one sided buyout that was given to Bielema. Somebody should have told Long he was an idiot for even suggesting it. And whoever either 1) screwed up and made the RF more lucrative than the public contract or 2) did it on purpose in hopes the subterfuge would never see the light of day has hopefully been fired. My guess is Varady was brought over to clean up a mess orchestrated by RF leadership working at the direction of Long.

#6

I don’t want to totally hijack this thread, but I’ve got to mention the cheap shot that Wally took at the late Frank Broyles in his column. He wrote:

"Exactly how UA got here is a little mind-boggling. Granted, baseball and track are doing great. Softball also is ascending, but those are not revenue-producing sports.

Can it be traced back to when Frank Broyles started to suffer memory loss and had to have help doing his job? Like Broyles or not, he was a great leader. Not perfect, but he built a successful athletic department in a small corner of a mostly poor state."

The fact that Frank may have had some memory lapses may (if true) be common knowledge among those who cover the U of A scene - I don’t know. And it might be different if Wally went on to discuss specific lapses and their effect on the current status of the U of A athletics department. But I don’t see any of that in the column. Just dropping that in, unless he was using it as a basis for further points, seems unnecessary and out of place. What’s the point?

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am disappointed.

#7

I thought it was a cheap shot, too. It’s typical of him.

As to the subject of this thread, I, too, am resigned to the belief we won’t get back to where we were in the 60’s in football or to the 90’s in basketball, although I think it’s more doable in basketball. However, I am not worried about Morris. In fact, I think if we have a chance of getting competitive again in the SEC, he’s giving it to us. Yeah, last year was awful, but no one should put that on Morris. He plays a different style than Beilema & we now know just how bad recruiting got under CBB. This year is as good a recruiting class as any we’ve had in memory. That might not translate into more than 5-6 wins, but I believe it will. At least I think 6 is a strong possibility.

Six wins is hardly a long term goal, but it’s the kind of year that can give 2020 & 2021 recruits the belief that we’re on an upslide. I have no reason to believe we’d have better success with a well-known proven name coach. Beilema was that. So was Petrino, a guy who understood the game, but whose character flaws made him eventually untenable. Frank Broyles was not a known commodity. Neither was Holtz. Both were bright coaches with high upsides. (Holtz blew his, but that’s another story.) Morris might or might not be the next Broyles, but I’m not going to rely on his name recognition to predict it. Like it or not, we won’t know for at least 2-3 more seasons. Right now, I at least like our chances.

#8

In no way picking on NE but he used a word that amused me “upslide”— up is obvious but slide to me means an opposite direction— not sure have ever seen that— however I do believe we are gonna see an upside— now that I know what that means

#9

This might be the first time we’ve seen “Wally” and the word “accurate” ever in the same sentence.

#10

Which is why I laughed at the OP

#11

After seeing the recruiting results, while we may have been 9th out of 14, we were by far the worst team in the conference and ended the year with a loud thud, so that was pretty impressive. I am thinking that Coach Morris has a very high drive when it comes to achievement, and while the coaching was nothing to look back on last year, I believe that we learn more from bad experiences than good. The old saying that its better to be lucky than good, does not hold up in the long run. I am going to hold out hope that Morris can keep up his recruiting magic, while using his amazing logic to becoming a successful football coach. Did all great football coaches have great years every year or did they learn and hone their craft as they went along, it’s like Anthony Perkins said on the The Edge, “What one man can do, another can do!!”

#12

Giving Wally way too much credit. His cheap shot at Broyles made my blood boil. Maybe our problems go back to them pushing Broyles out. Broyles no matter his age, always knew more than the pompous administration.

#13

My take away from the wh article was that the small minded man is still miffed
that he didn’t and still doesn’t cast even a shadow from the likes of the men
that were instrumental in creating our Arkansas Program, namely Frank Broyles
and Orville Henry.

#14

I’ve not been on the board much because I’m so disheartened about Arkansas Football and Basketball

I no longer expect Arkansas to win

I expect them to loose and even when they are competing - like they did vs KY this year in Basketball- I anticipate they will snatch defeat from the jaws of Victory - Arkansas seemed snake bit - even that wonderful Baseball College World Series ended in predictable Arkansas “choke” fashion (I know that’s an unfair representation - but the close and no cigar is a reoccurring Arkansas script that’s worn out)

I have most to of this years HI’s still in the white mailing envelope - why read about defeats ?

It’s disheartening- I don’t wear Razorback gear anymore nor display my Razorback flags on game day - what’s the use?

I’m not an Allumi - I’m an Arkansan who once took great pride in Arkansas football and basketball as an ambassador of our beloved home

I’ll give Mike Anderson another year

I’ll give Coach Morris 2-3 but this fan is hanging by a thread - frankly I fear Arkansas is becoming my Wife’s Alma-mater KS University - where defeat in football is expected

NEArkie your post resounds with me - I’m hate it but We just may have to accept that Arkansas isn’t capable of being a champion program - that makes me very sad

#15

Frank with half his memory gone was the best AD that ever graced the Hill. He absolutely refused to accept losing and would find someone that could lead that sport to a better place. Wally’s IQ hovers somewhere between that of a bee and the flower its trying to pollenate.

#16

I remember something Jerry Jones said at Franks retirement ceremony. If I remember it right, he said in years to come we all would REGRET not having a Frank Broyles around running the athletic department.

#17

Wally’s comment in today’s column that Gafford did not improve while on campus is ridiculous.

#18

[quote=“DudleyDawson”]

nm

#19

I think Wally should take his thoughts elsewhere.

#20

There is no doubt that Gafford made great changes from his arrival to his departure to the NBA. He is much better with the ball at the block. He is much stronger than when qqaaqqqhe was a freshman He even raised his free throw percentage.

Now he didn’t provide much offense from 15 feet. He still made too many stupid fouls. His stamina did not seem as good as it was last year. He was still a raw player who needs to go against better and I don’t think that he will start in the NBA right away, I do think that he will have a long career and maybe a well respected starter on a play-off team.

The Razorbacks played good tonight against a not very good Providence team without Gafford. I guessed that we may not as bad next year as I had thought. The fear that I have is that Anderson wins just enough to keep his job.

I do think Hunter Yurachek needs to make a decision about Anderson whenever the NIT run ends. If he has a strong endorsement from the AD, maybe he can recruit enough talent to compete in the SEC. If he replaces Anderson, the quicker the new coach can get on the recruiting trail and salvage some good players.

WPS