Dear Art Briles, we’re a mere 56 days away from the beginning of the 2016 Big 12 Media Days in Dallas.
Perhaps you remember the place?
You played in nearby Arlington just a few seasons ago with a number of players on your team who'd been charged, accused and/or criminally associated with a myriad of violent accusations.
After nearly 12 months of watching you duck questions and fail to defend yourself against a single allegation in the current Baylor rape scandal, it’ll be good to see you on a stage ready to address a few things. Unlike press conferences you held directly after another rape conviction last fall as the season was getting started, you won’t have a legend like Dave Campbell there among the media badgering them about their presence at the proceedings.
You know why we’ll be there.
In the event that you’re completely confused as to why we’re still talking about this string of sexual assaults and violent actions by your players that appears to have been directly enabled (and protected) by your own decision-making; or why we’re interested in protecting women and victims of sexual assault at all, I’ve got you covered.
Below is my personal list of questions I’m dying to see you answer. Keep in mind, that these aren’t all the questions folks will want to ask, it's just my own personal list.
1. Do you feel like you’ve done right by the women at Baylor University in terms of keeping them safe?
2. Do you hate women?
3. Can you explain your policies as a coach as they pertain to your players raping women? In your answer, can you please detail how many rapes you allow your players to commit before there is a problem in your eyes? For instance, do your players get three Get-Out-of-Jail-for-Rape cards that they can turn in before you will take action, or is the number higher?
4. Is it true that when families of victims reached out to you and the athletics department, you completely ignored them?
5. Do you feel like it’s fair to say that Baylor chose to protect football player Tevin Elliott over the scholarship female athlete that he is reported to have raped, reportedly the sixth known sexual assault victim he was responsible for?
6. Can you explain how Elliott received a sexual-related assault citation in November 2011 over a situation involving a woman who claims that Elliott trapped her in a room, held her against her will and used a broomstick in his advances towards her, and no action was apparently ever taken by you or your staff, despite the fact that the school’s judicial affairs department was aware of the situation?
7. Elliott ended up playing after he received a sexual-related assault citation. Can you explain how that was allowed?
8. Elliott claims that you and none of your assistants ever spoke with him about the situations. Can you explain how that could possibly occur?
9. When you brought in Shawn Oakman as a transfer, were you aware that part of the reason he transferred is that he was involved in a petty theft where he assaulted a woman who tried to stop him?
10. With transfers like Oakman, who arrived on campus with a history of physical violence towards women, do you make an effort to pay special attention to their behavior while they are on campus? What kind of parameters are established for these troubled players that you are responsible for bringing inside the Baylor “bubble”?
11. When Oakman was involved in a 2013 incident with a former girlfriend, were you aware of the incident? Because multiple sources with close knowledge of the incident told Orangebloods.com that you were absolutely aware of the incident.
12. As a follow-up to that 2013 incident, did you or any of your coaches reach out to the alleged victim at any time?
13. Are you aware that Pepper Hamilton reached out to the alleged victim in Oakman's 2013 incident and received details of what happened after the incident and that includes a paper trail that indicates that both you and members of your staff were aware of the incident?
14. Did you personally speak with the alleged victim of the Oakman's initial 2013 incident and ask her not to press charges? Did you promise her mother that Shawn Oakman would take anger management classes or be gone?
15. Outside of this incident with Oakman in 2013, have you ever reached out to any of the victims (of any of these types of allegations) and ask the women involved not to press charges because of Baylor football-related reasons?
16. Was any disciplinary action taken with Oakman as a result of the 2013 incident, because he played every game in the 2013 season?
17. You’ve stated that when Sam Ukwuachu transferred from Boise State to Baylor in 2013, you were not aware of the allegations that were made against him while at Boise, which included an incident with his girlfriend. Is that still your official position? That you spoke with Boise State head coach Chris Peterson and he didn’t tell you any of Ukwuachu’s issues? Can you respond to Peterson’s claims that he didn’t leave you in the dark?
18. If the answer is, "no," isn’t it your job to know?
19. A few months after Ukwuachu stepped foot on campus, he committed a rape that he eventually was convicted of. The details of the Baylor investigation that took place in regards to the rape indicate that a number of critical mistakes were made. Can you speak about your role in this situation? Did you speak with school officials over the matter? Did you speak with investigators?
20. Can you explain why you chose to allow the details of Ukwuachu’s indictment to stay hidden from the public, while allowing him to stay inside the football program, which provided protection and allowed him to earn his degree -- quite a different outcome than the one that met his victim?
21. Can you explain how Ukwuachu’s victim was forced to change her classes, while Ukwuachu was allowed to attend his classes uninterrupted?
22. Were you prepared to play Ukwuachu in the 2015 season, less than a month after his rape trial and more than a year after you began to deceive the public about his status? Is it common for you to allow players charged with sexual assault to have full access to off-season training?
23. Can you go into detail what you knew about the alleged sexual assaults committed by Baylor players Tre'Von Armstead and Myke Chatman?
24. The police report indicates that Baylor officials were contacted and notified of the Armstead/Chatman incident, but Armstead played in 2013 and there’s not any evidence that any action was taken by the coaches. Can you explain how that happens, because it does seem to happen a lot?
25. Were you aware that police told the victims in the 2013 incident that they should wait for Baylor officials to call her, but that no one from Baylor actually reached out to her? Can you detail your thoughts on that specific situation? Are you of the opinion that a grave error occurred?
26. Can you discuss the incident that led to Armstead’s dismissal from the program, two years after he was alleged to have committed sexual assault and after he had played two years on the field for you? What happened? What changed?
27. Former Abilene Cooper athlete Cordell Dorsey was alleged to have sexually assaualted an 11-year old girl, a charge that the nursing exam supported, yet you allowed him to join your program just a few months later. Can you discuss the incident? Were there any concerns at all about letting him come to Baylor with such a serious and disturbing cloud of allegations following him around?
28. Did you ever speak to the family of the 11-year old girl?
29. Given that you let Dorsey (and Ukwuachu… and Oakman) into your program, despite such a serious allegation, is it fair to say that you’ll let anyone join your program, regardless of their background? Short of murder, what would given you reason for pause? Wait, I shouldn’t assume an alleged murder would stop you from allowing someone into your program if the case fell apart.
30. Would you let someone accused of murder into your program, if the case against the athlete fell apart for any reason at all?
31. Do you understand the purpose of Title IX laws?
32. What are your thoughts on Baylor breaking federal laws by not having a Title IX office in place until very recently? At any point, did you ever ask any Baylor officials about the lack of a Title IX office in place? Did you play any role at all in the lack of Title IX help for the victims over the years?
33. Do you personally feel any guilt over more women being savagely attacked and raped as a direct result of your decision-making?
34. Have you ever known a woman in your life who was sexually assaulted? What have they said to you about this scandal? What have you said to them?
35. Do you agree that your request last September that we all "talk about football," instead of discussing these matters, was in very poor taste?
36. Are you a proponent of full transparency in these matters? Do you believe the Pepper Hamilton report should be released in full?
37. What would you like for the women of Baylor that are victims of sexual assault to know after losing faith in their school over the scandal that has consumed your program (and the nation at this point)?
38. Does the buck in the Baylor football program stop with you? If the answer is yes, what does that mean to you, given the circumstances?
39. What is your biggest regret in all of this?
40. Do you feel like you're a victim in all of this?
No. 2 – Ranking the wide receivers in the Big 12 ...
Josh Doctson is gone. Corey Coleman us gone. Jakeem Grant is gone. Sterling Shepard is gone.
When measuring up the wide receiver units in the Big 12 going into the 2016 season, the first thing that everyone has to understand is that the conference is in a bit of a rebuilding mode, as arguably the best four wide receivers from the 2015 season are currently being paid for their skills in the NFL.
Elite talent remains, but quite a bit of it is unproven, which makes rating the league’s best units even more subjective than normal.
With that being said, here’s how I would rate the conference (minus the Longhorns) going into the season:
1. Oklahoma State: James Washington (53/1,087/10), Marcell Ateman (45/766/5 and Jhajuan Seales
2. Baylor: K.D. Cannon (50/868/6), Chris Platt (11/151/1) and Davion Hall
3. West Virginia: Shelton Gibson (37/887/9), Daikiel Shorts (45/528/5) and Jovon Durante (24/378/5)
4. Oklahoma: (Dede Westbrook (42/674/4), Mark Andrews (17/286/6), Jeffrey Mead and Geno Lewis)
5. TCU: KaVontae Turpin (45/649/8), Jarrison Stewart (21/265/1) and Emanuel Porter (14/213/3)
6. Iowa State: (Allen Lazard (56/808/8), Jauan Wesley (30/301/2) and Dondre Dailey (24/224/2)
7. Texas Tech: Ian Sadler (42/596//3), Cameron Batson (29/327/1) and Derrick Willies
8. Kansas: Steve Sims (30/349/2), Tyler Patrick (30/255/2) and Darious Crawley 18/244/2)
9. Kansas State: Deonte Burton (38/510/4) and Dominique Heath (28/313/3)
All things being equal, I’d rate Cannon as the top wide receiver talent in the league, but it’s hard to ignore that the Cowboys return the most productive returning receiver in the league in Washington and the league’s most-productive No.2 receiver in Ateman.
When attempting to determine where the Longhorns should slide into the list, it probably depends on whether you’re looking at stats or raw talent. If it’s the former, there are eight schools with receivers that return with better stats than John Burt, who is UT’s leading returning receiver. Meanwhile, the Collin Johnson/Armanti Foreman duo was responsible for 11 catches last season.
If you’re focusing more with the latter, the trio of Burt, Johnson and Foreman has to rate with any trio you want to compare it against.
Personally, I prefer to combine the two methods and I’d probably rate the group in the top half of the conference -- probably in line with the groups that West Virginia and Oklahoma bring to the table.
No. 3 – A blind spot in my historical rankings...
With the announcement this week that sophomore defensive end Derick Roberson was departing the Texas program, I find myself forced to admit that over the last few years I’ve noticed that over the course of the last 20 years that I’ve been producing rankings from the Lone Star State, there’s a type of prospect that I’ve been falling for the okey doke on time and time again.
Call if the “Lure of the Tweener Pass-Rusher”.
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about when it comes to tweeners at the defensive end position, I’m talking about the weak-side types that come in at 6-3 and under, while weighing no more than 225-240 pounds.
As it relates to Roberson, he was likely generously listed at 6-3, 225 pounds as a prospect according to Rivals.com, which fits the type of profile that has been failing way more than it succeeds at the highest college levels.
Take a look at the weak-side defensive ends from the Lone Star State since 2002 that fit under my definition of a "tweener."
2005: Paul Freeney (6-3, 229 pounds/Signed with A&M)
2005: McKinner Dixon (6-3, 240 pounds/Signed with Texas Tech)
2006: Eddie Jones (6-3, 240 pounds/Signed with Texas)
2007: Richetti Jones (6-3, 234 pounds/Signed with Oklahoma State)
2007: Russell Carter (6-3, 230 pounds/Signed with Texas)
2007: Von Miller (6-3, 210 pounds/Signed with Texas A&M)
2007: Levar Brown (6-3, 240 pounds/Signed with Arizona)
2008: Andrew Wolridge (6-2, 235 pounds/Signed with Texas A&M)
2010: Reggie Wilson (6-2, 240 pounds/Signed wqith Texas)
2013: Torrodney Prevot (6-3, 201 pounds/Signed with Oregon)
2014: Derick Roberson (6-3, 225 pounds/Signed with Texas)
That’s a Super Bowl MVP/potential Hall of Famer ... and a bunch of JAGs for the most part.
What’s most troubling to me is that Eddie Jones, Reggie Wilson and Roberson are essentially the same prospects -- and each time I fell in love with the speed, quickness and playmaking skills off the edge that can change games when you put it all together. However, all of that sexy athletic ability clouds the reality that these tweeners rarely work out, at least when it comes to evolving into a top-level college player.
Guys like Eddie Jones and Richetti Jones were solid college players, but neither was ever difference-makers and that’s what they were projected to be. Same with Freeney, Wilson and Roberson. We’re talking national top 50-100 level prospects.
Moving forward, I won’t fall for the okey doke of the tweener defensive end so easily.
No. 4 – Nothing but love for UT’s newest commit...
Some guys are just kick-ass football players.
Enter Hooks athlete Montrell Estell, who ranks No.17 on the current LSR Top 100 (Debuted at No.10), and became the newest member of UT’s 2017 recruiting class.
From the moment I first laid eyes on his film last spring while putting together the initial LSR Top 100 list, Estell has been one of my favorite players in the state. Hand him the ball, throw him the ball, put him anywhere on the defensive side of the ball… he just makes plays. Huge plays. Game-changing plays.
At 6-2, 177 pounds, Estell is the perfect example of a guy that might have high three-star physical tools, but high four-star ability as a football player. If you’re wondering who he reminds me of, he’s a bigger version of former Oklahoma All-American Derrick Strait, a player that remains one of my favorite recruits of all-time.
From a ball-skills standpoint, Estell ranks as highly in that department as anyone in the state, as his catch radius expands to wherever it needs to when it’s in his area. The kid has a 13-plus minute highlight film from his junior season alone and none of the plays are throw-ins.
Estell just keeps balling and balling and balling.
I don’t care where anyone else has him ranked, he’s an East Texas stud and exactly the kind of kid that Charlie Strong has traditionally turned into football-playing machines dripping in NFL potential.
In case you can’t tell, I’m pretty much the captain of this kid’s fan club.
No. 5 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns ...
... If this was Augie Garrido's last rodeo in Austin, I'm glad his team found a way to scratch out a win in the final home game. This season has just been sad.
... I've always been a fan of Connie Clark because she's enjoyed measures of success and is a stand-up human being, but is her program reaching the bar?
... After this past week, I don't expect the Big 12 to be around beyond 2024. No one knows what will happen yet, but everyone has their eyes on that TV rights deal expiring.
... Funniest Tweet of the weekend
No. 6 – Buy or sell …
(As always, all of these questions were submitted by actual Orangebloods subscribers.)
BUY or SELL: Either Art Briles OR Ken Starr walks the plank but not both?
(Sell) There will be more allegations. There are more victims. There will be more headlines. The Baylor BOR has to know that as soon as they make an announcement, they’ll put their heads on pillows every night thereafter knowing that the next day could be the day when it all blows up in their face. Eventually, errrrbody goes.
BUY or SELL: Texas will be better on offense this year at QB, RB, OLine and WR than they were last year?
(Buy) I think.
BUY or SELL: By the middle of the season, the defensive tackle position will be a strength of the defense?
(Sell) I don’t really believe that at all.
BUY or SELL: Jarrett Allen commits this year?
(Buy) Relax. It’s going to happen. Allen will be a Longhorn. I’m at least 84.8-precent sure.
BUY or SELL: Jerrod Heard closes the gap over the Summer and Fall to compete with Buechele for the starting QB against Notre Dame?
(Sell) It’s not impossible, I suppose, but I just don’t see it happening.
BUY or SELL: The 2017 class will be smaller than the 2016 which was 24?
(Buy) If this team has a good season, the coaches are going to want to take as many big-time kids as they can. There’s no reason to think they can’t take 25.
BUY or SELL: We should be scared death about our current place kicking situation?
(Buy) Oh yeah.
BUY or SELL: No player truly separates and gets the majority of playing time at the fox position? It will be a committee rotation of Naashon Hughes, Hager, and Fowler all receiving equal reps and accumulating approximately equal stats?
(Sell) I think Hager and Fowler are going to supplant Hughes, I think becomes a spot player this year.
BUY or SELL: Despite all of the boisterous posturing about Big 12 expansion the last few weeks by OU administration, the Sooners actually have very little leverage in this situation and will once again be reacting to Texas eventual move whenever the rubber meets the road on conference realignment?
(Buy) All of the OU rhetoric is just a ploy by the administration to convince the fans that they aren’t being taken in the direction Texas wants to take them… at least until 2024.
BUY or SELL: At the end of GOT someone other than Tyrion, Dany, or Jon Snow takes the Iron Throne?
(Sell) It’s going to be one of these three.
No. 7 – Texas Baseball Weekend in a Gif …
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… I’m going on the record right now… the Summer Olympics in Brazil should not take place and if they do, I’m not comfortable sending America’s best there to compete.
... Holy hell, Oklahoma City put a beat-down on Golden State in Sunday night. Talk about setting the stage for a critical game four... the world champions are in a must-win situation and it is facing a team that has won six of its last eight games against San Antonio/Golden State, which is pretty incredible when you think about it.
… Call me jaded, but I think David Blatt would have the Cavs in exactly the same position as Tyronn Lue if he were still the coach.
… Am I crazy for thinking Mike D’Antoni would be a good hire for the Rockets?
… My Sixers have the first pick in the draft and as much as it makes me nvervous, I’m leaning towards wanting them to take Ben Simmons. The kid is just dripping with next-level, game-changing talent.
… Bob Kraft and Jerry Jones are proponents for the Raiders moving to Las Vegas? Yeah, that’s going to happen.
No. 9 – Game of Thrones - Live blog stream of conscious thoughts...
The following are my stream of conscious thoughts on season-six, episode five of Game of Thrones.
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a. Here's to more Tormund/Brienne scenes. Can't you just feel the sexual tension? Just wanted to get that out of the way.
b. Pre-show confession. I saw the following Tweets on accident before the show started. "Hodor" and "Direwolves be in trouble". Uh oh.
c. Hey, Littlefinger, when you've left a young woman in the clutches of Ramsay Bolton, you better leave the word "unharmed" out of your vocab. Who are you, Art Briles?
d. Sansa was a precocious little girl when this series started, but she is no longer precocious and she is not a woman to be trifled with. I hope she's the one that murders Ramsay.
e. Cyborg wants no part of Arya's Faceless nemesis.
f. Wow. The birth of the White Walkers came out of nowhere.
g. Theon is the best hype-man in Westeros... and the best ship thief.
h. Did Jorah just get out of the friend zone?
i. Varys for served.
j. The Bran/White-walker scene gave me the creeps.
k. Tormund is in love!
l. Damn, the second Bran/White-walker scene... damn. RIP Hodor. Damn.
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No. 10 - And finally…
While I work on the debut of the 2018 LSR list, it’s time to do another musical focus. Nothing has been decided, but I’ve kind of been in an INXS mood this weekend.
We’ll see. Stay tuned.
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