Today’s game was a joke and you are correct that there is a complete lack of leadership on this team.
That said, I’m not going to remember Drew Morgan for his worst game by far. He has almost, without fail, done things the right way.
He tried to do too much and it started the collapse. If he doesn’t fumble the long catch or they get the non touchback call right, we probably go up 31-7 and win.
But, it didn’t happen and we collapsed.
I think Drew knew a big part of it was on him and let the frustration get to him in the end because it matters a lot to him.
So, I’m not going to lump him in with the others and suggest he’s the problem. He’s probably the last guy I would point to, if looking at the big picture, as the problem.
But, tonight he coughed it up and I bet he’s inconsolable about it.
It means that everything is moving along just fine as long as the police blotters are clean, the GPAs and graduation rates are acceptable to the AD. Has nothing at all to do with winning football games.
And it’s a cop-out for folks who have realized that BB will never win consistently at Arkansas and can’t admit they were wrong about his hiring. They know he can’t build a team that can compete for championships in the SEC. He cannot recruit to those standards at Arkansas.
Now, having said that, as long as the team continues to qualify for bowl games, the money keeps rolling in and the AD can keep his building program on target, his seat is likely the coolest in the SEC outside of Saban.
" Building it the right way" is a con job that many have bought in to. It implies that it takes a long time to build a program successfully and fans just need to be patient and everything will be alright at some point in the future. In truth it’s a cover for poor recruiting which has Arkansas mired in mediocrity now and in to the foreseeable future.
That’s certainly your right. There’s nothing cool about it. But, I don’t know the details. My educated guess is something happened and he retaliated.
Not cool. Not excusable. A very bad look.
But, Morgan has been a great Hog and (at least as far as we know) a model citizen.
I bet today was one of the worst days of his life and spitting in the guy’s face and getting ejected from his last game as a Hog has caused him great embarrassment and will for the rest of his life.
So, I’m not going to make a snap judgment and trash him.
I know that I have done things of which I was ashamed and I’m glad they didn’t happen on national TV tarnishing the thing about which I am most proud.
What he probably needs is for his family (actual and Hog) to let him know that it was very uncool, but this, too, shall pass and the one, major mistake won’t define him.
It means being happy with: few arrest, good graduation rate and being happy with a 5-7 to 7-5 record. Thinking a very occasional 8-4 is out of this world.
Paying 4 and 5 star recruits under the table and furnishing them with nice cars and loose women that they can abuse physically, allowing them to commit 2 misdemeanors and 1 felony per season.
3 star and below recruits only get pocket change, a moped, no women, allowed 1 misdemeanor per season.
These are the kind of threads and posts that make me wonder why I even read these boards…as if you should have to apologize for being glad that, today notwithstanding, we seem to have a decent group of people on the team.
Nobody is happy with this season. Nobody. Nobody is happy with 5-7 wins. Nobody thinks 8-4 is out of this world. Everyone is embarrassed by the Sprinkle arrest and (on the surface) the Morgan ejection (we don’t know what happened).
It makes for a good zinger when we are disgusted with the team’s performance.
I can’t, and never will, understand why you all think it’s so funny to slam what seem to be pretty reasonable off-field ideals.
Yes, they have to win. And if they don’t it’s a business and people will lose their jobs.
Count me as one who is glad that we at least seem to try to win and do it the right way. What’s the right way? It’s no big mystery. Don’t cheat. Don’t get arrested. Don’t sexually assault women. Go to class. Make decent grades.
Today proved that sometimes players are going to do really dumb things. And, none of those off-field standards matter if they don’t win. But, good grief–how or why those ideals are the object of scorn or mockery is beyond me.
Why wouldn’t we want to win AND try to have some ethics while doing it?
And, for the millionth time, it is also something they use as a recruiting angle. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it is a factor in helping them land recruits whose parents care about those things (along with all the other factors they consider).
It is sad that this board is invaded with the hogville character in some posters. I agree with all of your post. I have seen fan culture changing in all sports as everyone young thinks they can talk trash to people any time, any place.
Very happy that we have few arrest. When did I ever make fun of it?
Look at our record the last 25 years. This is who we are.
Long is NOT going to fire BB with season after season like the last 3.
BB is not going to do better than last season (that part is my opinion, hope I am wrong, but don’t see us becoming a 9, 10, 11 or 12 win type team under BB, that was my position when he was hired, this isn’t some reaction to this year)
I don’t know that ANY coach will be able to turn us into an Auburn (no one thinks we can ever be a Alabama, I used to think we could be an Auburn, I don’t anymore.) I am not knocking BB. I am knocking my own unreasonable expectations. I have been saying for a year now that we have to readjust our expectations. 5-7 is not good, but to be expected from time to time. 6-6 is OK, not great, but nothing to complain about (we will get to a bowl at 6-6), 7-5 is good, do that and win a bowl game it is a great year. 8-4? Jump for joy.
You posted:
It means being happy with: few arrest, good graduation rate and being happy with a 5-7 to 7-5 record. Thinking a very occasional 8-4 is out of this world.
Welcome to Arkansas football.
That certainly gave me the impression you were mocking it–8-4 being “out of this world” and being “happy” with few arrests, good graduation rates and 5-7 wins.
If you weren’t mocking those things, what was your point because you surely don’t think that very many people at all (if any) are happy or jumping for joy with that program description.
The question wasn’t “what would make you happy.” The question was what does “building it the right way” mean, which is a catch phrase for UofA football under BB. I stand by my answer. Whether those results make you happy or not is a different question.
To be frank, in all our post back in forth over the past few years, you will always assume the worst about anything I say.
You ASSUMED I was mocking the running a clean program. Nope. Try again.