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Contact Austin to book your trip today!
(985) 264-5003
saltysouthfishingcharters@gmail.com
===========================================================================
REPLACING BIJAN & ROSCHON
The Longhorns are hard at work practicing ahead of the upcoming Alamo Bowl. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian had said the first half of the 15 extra practices would be geared toward getting younger guys some snaps before transitioning to game preparations.
When it comes to the running back room, those two things will be the same.
Texas running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson are moving on - headed to the NFL. Those two have meant so much to this Texas team - they will be impossible to replace.
I spent an entire column writing about the sheer freak of nature that is Bijan Robinson the running back and the incredible leadership, toughness and tenacity that is Roschon Johnson. There will never be another Bijan come through the 40 Acres again. He is a singularly unique individual. Roschon will be equally hard to replace - especially for a one-game bowl matchup against a very good University of Washington run defense.
But just because you won't have a freakishly talented running back and a locker room leader with you, that does not mean that UT won't be able to be just as productive in San Antonio rushing the ball as they have been all season.
Let's look at what Robinson and Johnson did this year. Bijan averaged 6.1 yards per carry en route to being named the Doak Walker award winner as the best running back in the country. His body control, size, speed and agility make him so hard to tackle.
Roschon is nothing like Bijan as a runner. Roschon is a runner who is fast, yes, but picks up a lot of extra yards by fighting for them and always falling forward. Seriously, he probably picks up one to two extra yards on just about every run because he's falling forward when he gets tackled. That's not an easy thing to do. So what did he do this season? How about 6.0 yards per carry. He did not win any national awards but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve them.
Two very different runners but the results are almost identical.
Now it's time to hand the ball off to Jonathan Brooks, Keilan Robinson, and Jaydon Blue.
Can they possibly duplicate the results of Bijan and Roschon? That's not likely. But they very well could have big games setting themselves up nicely for big seasons next year.
Brooks, a redshirt freshman, saw extended carries in two games this season, against OU and Kansas.
Against the Sooners, Brooks ran the ball seven times for 39 yards and a touchdown (an average of 5.6 ypc). Against the Jayhawks, he got 11 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns (9.8 ypc.)
Brooks' 70-yard touchdown run against Kansas was a thing of beauty.
Meanwhile Keilan Robinson is a definite satellite player (good in space). His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield could be key to keeping the chains moving against Washington.
Combine their skills with the fact that the offensive line got better and better and better at run blocking as the season went along and I think it's fair to assume that the running game will still be a very critical component of the game plan in the Alamo Bowl.
PUNTER? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PUNTER?
Ryan Sanborn committed to Texas this week after taking his official visit over the weekend.
There were three pages of debate about whether Sanborn was good enough for UT when his official visit was announced.
And while I know everyone on OB is a special teams expert (as well as being experts in just about every other facet of life), I do not feel qualified to say whether he is or is not good enough. But I know how to ask those who are qualified so that's what I did.
Jamie Kohl is, and I don't use this word lightly, a punting expert. He trains many kickers who are in the NFL today. He also runs numerous kicking camps and has clients from the high school ranks on up. He's also currently a special teams advisor for the Carolina Panthers. In other words, he knows more about kicking than all of the Orangebloods experts combined.
"Hang time, direction, ability to get the ball off quickly and consistent, those are attributes that are very, very hard to find," said Kohl. "Ryan, having been coached at Stanford, having gone through a number of years already, you're getting an experienced player that should be able to help Jeff (Banks - Special Teams Coordinator) accomplish some of the things he wants to accomplish from a special teams perspective.
"If he performs the way he's performed in his past and makes the natural progression or gains that most punters make as they get more and more experience, as they catch more snaps from different angles and see rushes come at them from different angles, they should improve."
While Kohl had nothing but praise for Sanborn, who has kicked at Kohl's camps in the past, he was even more effusive in his praise for Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Banks.
"In today's day and age, special teams and yards are always important in winning the field position and in my mind, Jeff Banks is one of the best around doing it," Kohl said. "Banks being a former punter and me, interacting and working with Jeff the last 10 to 15 years, I've gotten to know him. He's had a lot of my guys come through his teams at Texas A&M and Alabama. He's probably as good as anyone with working with specialists."
Banks took on Daniel Trejo as a transfer punter during fall camp in August. Trejo, who averaged 39.1 yards per punt at Texas Wesleyan, gained two more yards per punt for a 41.5 ypp average during his one season working with Banks at UT.
Sanborn had a similar average at Stanford last season (41.68 ypp).
"Those are things that if he's in that system, he's worked and progressed and then he gets a chance to go with Jeff and be able to punt at Texas, I see those numbers being better," Kohl said. "I know sometimes guys are only judged by numbers but again, starts are part of the story, not the whole story."
Kohl has also seen new punter/kicker Reed Malphurs who announced Tuesday he's committed to Texas as a preferred walk-on.
"He had one of his best seasons, I think it was last year, going 18 for 20 with a long of 57," Kohl said while looking through his notes at Malphurs. "He's done that in games which is very, very impressive. To be able to do that during the games and then have success in game is very, very big."
Malphurs is a big boy at 6-6. Most of his Hudl film is of him kicking field goals...and he definitely puts those big legs to good use.
I don't normally gush over Hudl films of kickers, but for a preferred walk-on, he could end up developing into a good one.
Banks is definitely kicking the tires on a number of guys trying to get the best kickers he can get on campus.
UT & OU TO THE SEC IN 2024?
"Despite some obstacles, momentum is growing for Texas & Oklahoma to leave Big 12 early & join SEC in 2024, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. "There is a desire on many fronts to get this done" & decision could be made as early as next month, sources said"
Negotiating an early exit for UT and OU to go to the SEC has always been in the cards. Still, there are a lot of interested parties in this kind of deal which means playing in the SEC in 2024 was never a "sure thing."
THE PLAYERS:
UT & OU: This one is obvious. Both would obviously prefer to play with the new SEC partners than the jilted exes and their new beaus in the Big 12.
BIG 12: The advantage for the Big 12 may be as simple as they will be able to trigger the new media rights deal a year earlier, giving each of their members more money.
ESPN: ESPN is going to have full control of the SEC media rights beginning in 2024. Getting UT & OU into the conference at the start of the new deal makes a lot of sense. The Horns and Sooners provide more premium content, giving ESPN bigger ratings (and therefore higher ad fees) to compensate them for their investment.
FOX SPORTS: This is the trickiest partner to satisfy.
The only thing Fox is gaining as part of the new media rights deal is a package of Big 12 basketball games. That doesn't even come close to offsetting the loss of UT & OU football games (much less the Red River Shootout which is worth a ton of eyeballs and ad revenue). So this is where the negotiators have to get creative to make Fox Sports "whole" for their loss.
Still, Bob Thompson, the former head of Fox Sports, who has negotiated many of these deals, says it's entirely possible.
Now let's take a look once more at the "desire on many fronts to get this done" section of McMurphy's tweet.
From a technical standpoint, Big 12 bylaws lay out exactly what has to happen for UT & OU to leave the conference.
What that means is that in order for UT & OU to play in the SEC in 2024, they need to give a "notice of intent to withdraw" by December 30. That certainly jibes with McMurphy's sources saying a "decision could be made as early as next month." It also jibes with the fact that the Big 12 board of directors have yet to approve the new media rights deal - something that was supposed to happen in early December.
The new deal between the Big 12, ESPN and Fox Sports basically extends the current deal from June 30, 2025 to June 30, 2031 and it includes a bump in pay for the newly constituted Big 12 (the remaining eight plus Houston, BYU, UCF, and Cincinnati).
It's entirely possible that the "delay" ... if there is, in fact a delay ... is a result of ongoing negotiations over UT and OU's exit and a desire from the new Big 12 to access its new rights deal sooner than later. To do so would require a new "grant of rights" for the member schools (the current GOR expires on June 30, 2025 ... hence the reason UT & OU have said they will make the move in 2025).
Regardless of what is going on behind the scenes, if UT and OU are going to make the move to the SEC in 2024, we should know something sooner than later.
One note of caution here...missing the December 22, 2022 deadline to provide a "notice of intent to withdraw" does not mean an early move is off the table. The bylaws also state that a move can be expedited with a super majority vote (75%) of "disinterested partners." In other words, if 75 percent of the conference members - other than UT and OU - approve an earlier move, it could happen even after the 18 month deadline.
FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS TO THE PIRATE ...
Orangebloods made a trope out of Mike Leach being a "national treasure." But there is no denying that Leach was a unique figure within college football who was worthy of the praise being sung about him in his honor today.
Leach was a lawyer who decided he hated practicing law and somehow made the transition to being a college football head coach. His Hal Mumme-inspired offenses racked up big numbers and more than a few wins (though not many titles).
Yes, Mumme was the originator of the offense, but Leach became its most charismatic disciple. It is not hyperbole to say Leach transformed not just college football - but all of football.
How many Texas high school coaches learned their system from Leach? Hundreds? Thousands?
What would 7-on-7 be without him?
Would Patrick Mahomes have flourished like he did had Kliff Kingsbury not learned Leach's offense and taken it for himself?
Off the field, Leach was just as big a figure. His stream of conscious speaking style combined with a sharp wit made him the Orangebloods "national treasure" that he is.
One of the best ways to get a glimpse into what it was like to play for Mike Leach is to go back and read The Athletic's excellent article: 'What the #&$@ is going on right now?': Inside Mike Leach's QB meetings.
theathletic.com
That piece, more than anything else I've ever read, shows just how weirdly fantastic Mike Leach's mind operated.
Leach was not perfect. His foibles are well documented. But his generosity and kindness are well documented too. So let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Even those with whom he had problems are mourning his loss.
Former Mississippi State player Dillon Johnson took a shot at Leach on his way out the door via the transfer portal.
Johnson, who has had multiple offers including Auburn, Washington and Illinois, offered up this response to the tragic news about Leach.
That's a pretty fitting way of saying that no matter what you may have thought about Leach, he was still a man worthy of respect. His accomplishments will not soon be forgotten. College football is worse today than it was yesterday now that Mike Leach is no longer in our lives.
Of course, Leach will never truly be gone. Much like the great Yogi Berra, Mike Leach's quotes about "fat little girlfriends" and "candy corn" will outlive us all.
By the way, I suggest giving The Audible podcast a listen this week. Bruce Feldman, who co-wrote Leach's book "Swing your sword" had some tremendous stories about Leach. One story, which I was either unaware of or had forgotten over time, had to do with what Leach was doing ahead of the 2008 Texas-Texas Tech game (which I know is still painful for many of you).
The night before the game, Leach wasn't holed up in a hotel room going over plays, scheming a way to win. No, that night, Leach was on the set of "Friday Night Lights," shooting a cameo on the tv show.
How many college coaches do you know would agree to do anything the night before the biggest game of the year? Hell, most coaches won't even go to dinner with their wives that night, much less shoot a television show.
But Leach was a unique man.
So I offer up this simple prayer. God be with his family and friends.
GRANT WAHL GOODBYE ...
I have to also acknowledge the sad farewell of the legendary soccer writer Grant Wahl. Wahl's passionate writing about the sport helped deepen the love of the game for many Americans.
Of course, like all sports, Wahl didn't just view soccer as a game. For him, it was a way to connect with people from around the world. The sport is the most popular sport in the world and it is a way for millions of people to have a shared bond. Frankly, anything in this world that brings people together is alright in my book.
Football, and Orangebloods in particular, is the same thing for me.
I know that if I see someone wearing the iconic Longhorn logo, no matter where I am in the world, I can flash the "hook 'em" hand signal and they'll get it. It brings us together, even if it is just in passing. If I meet someone who is a fan of another team, I know that we can still connect over football and have a good talk.
I hadn't planned to write about Wahl but his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, in a very moving interview this morning, announced that the autopsy done on her husband showed that he died of an aortic aneurysm.
Those who were in the press box when Wahl died reported him going pale and slumping over. He was likely dead before he even made it to the hospital.
My father nearly died in the exact same way. He had an aortic aneurysm erupt and had to be flown to the hospital one night. The aneurysm blew down his aorta creating perforations as it went. The doctors said that had the aneurysm blown out instead of down, he would have bled out before he could have gotten to the hospital. Thankfully, my dad survived that night and is still alive and doing well two decades later.
I'm really writing about Grant Wahl today as a way to say that even if you do take care of yourself (Wahl was 48-years-old and in good shape), it's important to still get checkups.
Because of my family history of heart problems, I've recently gone through an extensive checkup as well that did find an issue. I'm ok, but it is something that I will have to have monitored as I move forward in life.
So let me finish by urging you all to make sure you don't ignore any warning signs. Go to your doctor (or get one if you don't have one) and be seen. If not for yourself, at least do it for the people that love you.
Contact Austin to book your trip today!
(985) 264-5003
saltysouthfishingcharters@gmail.com
===========================================================================
REPLACING BIJAN & ROSCHON
The Longhorns are hard at work practicing ahead of the upcoming Alamo Bowl. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian had said the first half of the 15 extra practices would be geared toward getting younger guys some snaps before transitioning to game preparations.
When it comes to the running back room, those two things will be the same.
Texas running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson are moving on - headed to the NFL. Those two have meant so much to this Texas team - they will be impossible to replace.
I spent an entire column writing about the sheer freak of nature that is Bijan Robinson the running back and the incredible leadership, toughness and tenacity that is Roschon Johnson. There will never be another Bijan come through the 40 Acres again. He is a singularly unique individual. Roschon will be equally hard to replace - especially for a one-game bowl matchup against a very good University of Washington run defense.
But just because you won't have a freakishly talented running back and a locker room leader with you, that does not mean that UT won't be able to be just as productive in San Antonio rushing the ball as they have been all season.
Let's look at what Robinson and Johnson did this year. Bijan averaged 6.1 yards per carry en route to being named the Doak Walker award winner as the best running back in the country. His body control, size, speed and agility make him so hard to tackle.
Roschon is nothing like Bijan as a runner. Roschon is a runner who is fast, yes, but picks up a lot of extra yards by fighting for them and always falling forward. Seriously, he probably picks up one to two extra yards on just about every run because he's falling forward when he gets tackled. That's not an easy thing to do. So what did he do this season? How about 6.0 yards per carry. He did not win any national awards but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve them.
Two very different runners but the results are almost identical.
Now it's time to hand the ball off to Jonathan Brooks, Keilan Robinson, and Jaydon Blue.
Can they possibly duplicate the results of Bijan and Roschon? That's not likely. But they very well could have big games setting themselves up nicely for big seasons next year.
Brooks, a redshirt freshman, saw extended carries in two games this season, against OU and Kansas.
Against the Sooners, Brooks ran the ball seven times for 39 yards and a touchdown (an average of 5.6 ypc). Against the Jayhawks, he got 11 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns (9.8 ypc.)
Brooks' 70-yard touchdown run against Kansas was a thing of beauty.
Meanwhile Keilan Robinson is a definite satellite player (good in space). His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield could be key to keeping the chains moving against Washington.
Combine their skills with the fact that the offensive line got better and better and better at run blocking as the season went along and I think it's fair to assume that the running game will still be a very critical component of the game plan in the Alamo Bowl.
PUNTER? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PUNTER?
Ryan Sanborn committed to Texas this week after taking his official visit over the weekend.
There were three pages of debate about whether Sanborn was good enough for UT when his official visit was announced.
And while I know everyone on OB is a special teams expert (as well as being experts in just about every other facet of life), I do not feel qualified to say whether he is or is not good enough. But I know how to ask those who are qualified so that's what I did.
Jamie Kohl is, and I don't use this word lightly, a punting expert. He trains many kickers who are in the NFL today. He also runs numerous kicking camps and has clients from the high school ranks on up. He's also currently a special teams advisor for the Carolina Panthers. In other words, he knows more about kicking than all of the Orangebloods experts combined.
"Hang time, direction, ability to get the ball off quickly and consistent, those are attributes that are very, very hard to find," said Kohl. "Ryan, having been coached at Stanford, having gone through a number of years already, you're getting an experienced player that should be able to help Jeff (Banks - Special Teams Coordinator) accomplish some of the things he wants to accomplish from a special teams perspective.
"If he performs the way he's performed in his past and makes the natural progression or gains that most punters make as they get more and more experience, as they catch more snaps from different angles and see rushes come at them from different angles, they should improve."
While Kohl had nothing but praise for Sanborn, who has kicked at Kohl's camps in the past, he was even more effusive in his praise for Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Banks.
"In today's day and age, special teams and yards are always important in winning the field position and in my mind, Jeff Banks is one of the best around doing it," Kohl said. "Banks being a former punter and me, interacting and working with Jeff the last 10 to 15 years, I've gotten to know him. He's had a lot of my guys come through his teams at Texas A&M and Alabama. He's probably as good as anyone with working with specialists."
Banks took on Daniel Trejo as a transfer punter during fall camp in August. Trejo, who averaged 39.1 yards per punt at Texas Wesleyan, gained two more yards per punt for a 41.5 ypp average during his one season working with Banks at UT.
Sanborn had a similar average at Stanford last season (41.68 ypp).
"Those are things that if he's in that system, he's worked and progressed and then he gets a chance to go with Jeff and be able to punt at Texas, I see those numbers being better," Kohl said. "I know sometimes guys are only judged by numbers but again, starts are part of the story, not the whole story."
Kohl has also seen new punter/kicker Reed Malphurs who announced Tuesday he's committed to Texas as a preferred walk-on.
"He had one of his best seasons, I think it was last year, going 18 for 20 with a long of 57," Kohl said while looking through his notes at Malphurs. "He's done that in games which is very, very impressive. To be able to do that during the games and then have success in game is very, very big."
Malphurs is a big boy at 6-6. Most of his Hudl film is of him kicking field goals...and he definitely puts those big legs to good use.
I don't normally gush over Hudl films of kickers, but for a preferred walk-on, he could end up developing into a good one.
Banks is definitely kicking the tires on a number of guys trying to get the best kickers he can get on campus.
UT & OU TO THE SEC IN 2024?
"Despite some obstacles, momentum is growing for Texas & Oklahoma to leave Big 12 early & join SEC in 2024, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ. "There is a desire on many fronts to get this done" & decision could be made as early as next month, sources said"
Negotiating an early exit for UT and OU to go to the SEC has always been in the cards. Still, there are a lot of interested parties in this kind of deal which means playing in the SEC in 2024 was never a "sure thing."
THE PLAYERS:
UT & OU: This one is obvious. Both would obviously prefer to play with the new SEC partners than the jilted exes and their new beaus in the Big 12.
BIG 12: The advantage for the Big 12 may be as simple as they will be able to trigger the new media rights deal a year earlier, giving each of their members more money.
ESPN: ESPN is going to have full control of the SEC media rights beginning in 2024. Getting UT & OU into the conference at the start of the new deal makes a lot of sense. The Horns and Sooners provide more premium content, giving ESPN bigger ratings (and therefore higher ad fees) to compensate them for their investment.
FOX SPORTS: This is the trickiest partner to satisfy.
The only thing Fox is gaining as part of the new media rights deal is a package of Big 12 basketball games. That doesn't even come close to offsetting the loss of UT & OU football games (much less the Red River Shootout which is worth a ton of eyeballs and ad revenue). So this is where the negotiators have to get creative to make Fox Sports "whole" for their loss.
Still, Bob Thompson, the former head of Fox Sports, who has negotiated many of these deals, says it's entirely possible.
Now let's take a look once more at the "desire on many fronts to get this done" section of McMurphy's tweet.
From a technical standpoint, Big 12 bylaws lay out exactly what has to happen for UT & OU to leave the conference.
3.3 Notice Date and Interim Period.
The "Notice Date" of the Withdrawal shall be the date of the occurrence of the event that causes the Withdrawal under Section 3.2 above. The "Effective Date" of the Withdrawal shall be the June 30 that next follows the end of the period that is 18 full calendar months following the Notice Date, unless an earlier date is established by a Supermajority of Disinterested Directors in its sole discretion. The period from the Notice Date to the Effective Date is referred to herein as the "Interim Period."
What that means is that in order for UT & OU to play in the SEC in 2024, they need to give a "notice of intent to withdraw" by December 30. That certainly jibes with McMurphy's sources saying a "decision could be made as early as next month." It also jibes with the fact that the Big 12 board of directors have yet to approve the new media rights deal - something that was supposed to happen in early December.
The new deal between the Big 12, ESPN and Fox Sports basically extends the current deal from June 30, 2025 to June 30, 2031 and it includes a bump in pay for the newly constituted Big 12 (the remaining eight plus Houston, BYU, UCF, and Cincinnati).
It's entirely possible that the "delay" ... if there is, in fact a delay ... is a result of ongoing negotiations over UT and OU's exit and a desire from the new Big 12 to access its new rights deal sooner than later. To do so would require a new "grant of rights" for the member schools (the current GOR expires on June 30, 2025 ... hence the reason UT & OU have said they will make the move in 2025).
Regardless of what is going on behind the scenes, if UT and OU are going to make the move to the SEC in 2024, we should know something sooner than later.
One note of caution here...missing the December 22, 2022 deadline to provide a "notice of intent to withdraw" does not mean an early move is off the table. The bylaws also state that a move can be expedited with a super majority vote (75%) of "disinterested partners." In other words, if 75 percent of the conference members - other than UT and OU - approve an earlier move, it could happen even after the 18 month deadline.
FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS TO THE PIRATE ...
Orangebloods made a trope out of Mike Leach being a "national treasure." But there is no denying that Leach was a unique figure within college football who was worthy of the praise being sung about him in his honor today.
Leach was a lawyer who decided he hated practicing law and somehow made the transition to being a college football head coach. His Hal Mumme-inspired offenses racked up big numbers and more than a few wins (though not many titles).
Yes, Mumme was the originator of the offense, but Leach became its most charismatic disciple. It is not hyperbole to say Leach transformed not just college football - but all of football.
How many Texas high school coaches learned their system from Leach? Hundreds? Thousands?
What would 7-on-7 be without him?
Would Patrick Mahomes have flourished like he did had Kliff Kingsbury not learned Leach's offense and taken it for himself?
Off the field, Leach was just as big a figure. His stream of conscious speaking style combined with a sharp wit made him the Orangebloods "national treasure" that he is.
One of the best ways to get a glimpse into what it was like to play for Mike Leach is to go back and read The Athletic's excellent article: 'What the #&$@ is going on right now?': Inside Mike Leach's QB meetings.
‘What the #&$@ is going on right now?’: Inside Mike Leach’s QB meetings
"He really wasn’t into pirates as much as I thought he was going to be."
theathletic.com
That piece, more than anything else I've ever read, shows just how weirdly fantastic Mike Leach's mind operated.
Leach was not perfect. His foibles are well documented. But his generosity and kindness are well documented too. So let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Even those with whom he had problems are mourning his loss.
Former Mississippi State player Dillon Johnson took a shot at Leach on his way out the door via the transfer portal.
Johnson, who has had multiple offers including Auburn, Washington and Illinois, offered up this response to the tragic news about Leach.
That's a pretty fitting way of saying that no matter what you may have thought about Leach, he was still a man worthy of respect. His accomplishments will not soon be forgotten. College football is worse today than it was yesterday now that Mike Leach is no longer in our lives.
Of course, Leach will never truly be gone. Much like the great Yogi Berra, Mike Leach's quotes about "fat little girlfriends" and "candy corn" will outlive us all.
Mike Leach's best quotes and one-liners, from Bigfoot to Halloween candy corn
Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach is known for the Air Raid on the field and his colorful personality off the field.
www.clarionledger.com
By the way, I suggest giving The Audible podcast a listen this week. Bruce Feldman, who co-wrote Leach's book "Swing your sword" had some tremendous stories about Leach. One story, which I was either unaware of or had forgotten over time, had to do with what Leach was doing ahead of the 2008 Texas-Texas Tech game (which I know is still painful for many of you).
The night before the game, Leach wasn't holed up in a hotel room going over plays, scheming a way to win. No, that night, Leach was on the set of "Friday Night Lights," shooting a cameo on the tv show.
How many college coaches do you know would agree to do anything the night before the biggest game of the year? Hell, most coaches won't even go to dinner with their wives that night, much less shoot a television show.
But Leach was a unique man.
So I offer up this simple prayer. God be with his family and friends.
GRANT WAHL GOODBYE ...
I have to also acknowledge the sad farewell of the legendary soccer writer Grant Wahl. Wahl's passionate writing about the sport helped deepen the love of the game for many Americans.
Of course, like all sports, Wahl didn't just view soccer as a game. For him, it was a way to connect with people from around the world. The sport is the most popular sport in the world and it is a way for millions of people to have a shared bond. Frankly, anything in this world that brings people together is alright in my book.
Football, and Orangebloods in particular, is the same thing for me.
I know that if I see someone wearing the iconic Longhorn logo, no matter where I am in the world, I can flash the "hook 'em" hand signal and they'll get it. It brings us together, even if it is just in passing. If I meet someone who is a fan of another team, I know that we can still connect over football and have a good talk.
I hadn't planned to write about Wahl but his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, in a very moving interview this morning, announced that the autopsy done on her husband showed that he died of an aortic aneurysm.
Those who were in the press box when Wahl died reported him going pale and slumping over. He was likely dead before he even made it to the hospital.
My father nearly died in the exact same way. He had an aortic aneurysm erupt and had to be flown to the hospital one night. The aneurysm blew down his aorta creating perforations as it went. The doctors said that had the aneurysm blown out instead of down, he would have bled out before he could have gotten to the hospital. Thankfully, my dad survived that night and is still alive and doing well two decades later.
I'm really writing about Grant Wahl today as a way to say that even if you do take care of yourself (Wahl was 48-years-old and in good shape), it's important to still get checkups.
Because of my family history of heart problems, I've recently gone through an extensive checkup as well that did find an issue. I'm ok, but it is something that I will have to have monitored as I move forward in life.
So let me finish by urging you all to make sure you don't ignore any warning signs. Go to your doctor (or get one if you don't have one) and be seen. If not for yourself, at least do it for the people that love you.
