Ten more days.
We’re almost into single-digit days until National Signing Day and Charlie Strong’s Longhorns happen to be sitting on a mere 13 commitments. At this point, quarterback and the offensive line have been addressed, but the major needs on the defensive line have not yet been addressed in any kind of satisfactory way and there’s not a single Rivals100 selection on the commitment list.
With national reporters like Bruce Feldman positioning the current state of the class as an indictment on Strong’s future in Austin, a surprisingly quiet confidence exists on the 40 Acres, suggesting that those on the inside know a lot more about the next 240 hours or so than those on the outside.
Amazingly, Strong seems to be channeling his inner-Bobby Bowden following any one of his million or so top-five finishes at Florida State when his cupboard wouldn’t be filled until a frantic player shopping spree happened in the final hours of the recruiting process. Except Strong isn’t coming off of a season with double-digit wins, as all of this is occurring in the aftermath of a 5-7 disaster of a season.
Make no mistake about it, I’ve never seen anything like this in the two decades I’ve been covering the Longhorns. If we’re to believe the behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt, we’re about to witness the greatest closing finish in at least a quarter century around these parts.
At least a quarter century.
All that’s left now is for the onslaught of announcements to take place and the more days that pass without an announcement, the more anxiety, excitement, caution and a few other emotions continue to build.
If the whispers inside of the recruiting shadows come out into the light of day, as expected inside the Texas coaching offices, then one of the big stories nationally in 10 days will be the rise from the ashes that will have taken place in the direct aftermath of so many national pundits reading Strong’s staff its last recruiting rites.
From an anticipation standpoint, the meter is pretty maxed out. What awaits is either glory or the ultimate recruiting cautionary tale. Should Strong pull off a top 10-level class for the second straight year, all questions about his recruiting methods will need to be put to bed, as the only question left about Strong at that point will be centered on his ability to actually win games in Austin.
I suppose the only question I’ll have on Signing Day if the Texas staff pulls off a coup that includes the likes of Brandon Jones, Jeffrey McCulloch and a host of defensive tackles is the most obvious one.
If Strong can recruit at this level when his team is stumbling around on the field with a losing record, what happens if he ever fully turns it around and starts to win big?
No. 2 – The free-for-all is coming …
What might be the most fascinating aspect of these next 10 days is the fact that few of the final 16-19 prospects on whom Texas has its eyes plan to announce decisions before National Signing Day.
Oh, you can probably count on a few of the remaining names to pull the string before the final day, especially if Charlie Strong asks a few of them to in an effort to light the match that kick-starts its final push, but for the most part we’re heading for a Signing Day perhaps never seen in the history of the state of Texas.
Every day that passes without an announcement from this group only adds to the wave of suspense that will arrive by Signing Day. Take a look at the list:
RB Kyle Porter (Katy): Expected to have a ceremony at his high school, possible on National Signing Day
WR/TE Lil’Jordan Humphrey (SL Carroll): Expected to announce on January 30th, but he might wait until National Signing Day
TE Irvin Smith (New Orleans): Planning to announce around or on National Signing Day
DT D'andre Christmas-Giles (New Orleans): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Stephon Taylor (New Orleans): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Jordan Elliott (Houston Westside): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Marcel Southall (Duncanville): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Mike Williams (Fort Worth All Saints): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Chris Daniels (Euless Trinity): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DE Mark Jackson (Cibolo Steele): Planning to announce around or on National Signing Day
LB Jeffrey McCulloch (Aldine Davis) Planning to announce on National Signing Day via ESPN
LB Dontavious Jackson (Houston Elsik): Planning to announce on National Signing Day via ESPN
LB Eric Fowler (Manor): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DB Eric Cuffee (Waco): Expected to announce at the end of January, possibly in a Bleacher Report announcement.
DB Brandon Jones (Nacogdoches): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DB Deontay Anderson (Manvel): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DB Chris Brown (Houston Elsik): Planning to announce on National Signing Day via ESPN
No. 3 – Scattershooting on Texas recruiting …
… With word circulating that Katy running back Kyle Porter could be leaning to TCU, I thought I haven’t heard of anyone behind the scenes inside the Texas coaching offices freaking out if the team doesn’t sign a running back in this class. On one hand, I think you’d love to have more depth at the position, but on the other hand, is there really a difference-maker left in the class that would be certain to make a 2016 impact?
… I believe we’ve seen the last of Eric Cuffee taking official visits to schools not named Texas…
… If Erick Fowler is really not going to take any more n-home visits, you have to hate LSU getting the last word in his recruitment this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if Texas can fight through for one more in-home this week.
… It’s hard not to feel like Texas has separated from the pack for Nacogdoches safety Brandon Jones.
… For so long I thought that Patrick Hudson would eventually flip to another school away from Baylor, but it looks like I’m wrong and Art Briles is going to make it to the finish line. Baylor’s offensive recruiting is pretty lights out this year.
… If Nostraketchus is projecting after this weekend, the Texas recruiting class would finish up on Signing Day like this:
WR/TE Lil’Jordan Humphrey (SL Carroll)
TE Irvin Smith (New Orleans)
DT D'andre Christmas-Giles (New Orleans)
DT Stephon Taylor (New Orleans)
DT Chris Daniels (Euless Trinity)
DT Jordan Elliott (Houston Westside)
DE Mark Jackson (Cibolo Steele)
LB Jeffrey McCulloch (Aldine Davis)
LB Dontavious Jackson (Houston Elsik)
DB Eric Cuffee (Waco)
DB Brandon Jones (Nacogdoches)
DB Chris Brown (Houston Elsik)
Note: It’s just sounds so homerish to think Texas could sweep the board at defensive tackle, but it’s not impossible. I could easily see Mike Williams in burnt orange. The Dontavious Jackson projection is predicated on him making his unofficial visit to Austin this week. The Mark Jackson pick is the one I probably feel shakiest about... don't hold that one against me if I'm wrong, but I just think that kid will flow with the momentum when the dust settles.
… Don’t look for any major out of the blue surprises this week/weekend. It appears that the Texas coaches are content with the recruiting board exactly the way it is.
No. 4 – It’s time to get out and support Shaka Smart and Co ...
Considering the amount of attention, hype and in some cases immense hyperbole that showered down on him upon his arrival, perhaps the greatest compliment one can give new Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart in year one of his Longhorn Project is also the most unlikely one.
Smart is better than was advertised, which seems impossible considering the fanfare he walked into Austin with, and yet it is true.
As the final seconds ticked off the game clock in Lawrence on Saturday afternoon, a surreal feeling existed in the wake of one of the best team’s in the nation holding serve on its own court.
Disappointment.
Left for dead and the NIT following the injury to Cam Ridley just a few weeks ago, Smart’s mix-and-match collection of parts isn’t just surviving in the final seven weeks of the season without one of its critical pieces … it’s emerging … it’s growing … it’s surging … it’s raising expectations.
Even as recent as seven days ago, you might have been able to chalk up Saturday’s performance as a moral victory because, hey, the team didn’t get run out of Allen Fieldhouse by a Kansas squad smarting from a combination of disappointing performances. Yet, a tinge of disappointment existed in the cold Kansas air because moral victories be damned, this was yet another game that the precocious Longhorns could have won.
In a 40-minute game, this Texas team outplayed its storied opponent for more minutes than it didn’t, but the inability to defend the three-point shot a little better, rebound a little better on the defensive side of the floor or answer the Jayhawks’ big second-half run left a little bit of a bad taste in the mouth. After years of watching Texas basketball suffer from spinal conditions that always seem to pop up at this point in the season, Smart’s team operates on what might be the most endearing of all adjectives.
Fearlessness.
Regardless of the opponent or the location of the game or the players available for action, Smart’s team takes the floor with attitude and while it doesn’t always play at the levels we’ve watched in the last two weeks, it is always prepared to fight its guts out. When you combine that truth with continued evolution throughout the line-up, you end up with a team that’s much more capable than almost anyone would have thought.
As a byproduct, I personally find myself wanting to see what this team has up its sleeve next, as I’m captivated by the direction of this season and where it still might go.
For years we’ve talked about basketball attendance and what has to occur in order for burnt orange faithful to show up in better-than-respectable numbers, and I would contend that this is the team that deserves such attention.
Oh, it’s not the most talented team these parts have seen, but it might be its most tenaciously fun team in a long while, which should be enough for everyone. Smart has delivered the goods and given Texas fans the team it said it so desperately wanted.
Now it’s your turn.
No. 5 – Three thoughts on the Texas women’s win over No.19 Oklahoma ...
1. My goodness, the Longhorns have to start taking better care of the basketball. A week ago against Baylor, the inability to take care of the ball played a crucial role in the team’s first loss and the 25 turnovers on Saturday is almost an embarrassment for a team of this quality. This team won’t make it out of the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament if it can’t take better care of the basketball. No team in the Big 12 averages more the UT’s 17.0 per game and only two teams have a worse assist-to-turnover ratio.
2. Senior Imani Boyette has emerged as a serious Big 12 Player of the Year candidate at center. Consider her following ranks in the Big 12: 11th in scoring (13.6), 2nd in rebounding (10.1), 6th in FG percentage (56.4), 13th in FT percentage (75.0) and 1st in blocked shots. The trio of Boyette, Oklahoma State’s Brittney Martin and Iowa State’s Seanna Johnson are going to make for an interesting conversation at the end of the season.
3. Circle Monday, February 29 on your calendar. That’s when the Longhorns face the Bears in the rematch in Waco.
No. 6 – Buy or sell …
(As always, these are questions submitted by Orangebloods subscribers)
BUY or SELL: The issue with Joe Wickline was that he really thought he was going to be a true Co-OC. When he found out he wasn't, he felt trapped into the job and gave up?
(Sell) This issue with Joe Wickline was that there were countless issues during his two seasons and not just that he thought he was going to be the true Co-OC. That’s literally one of the last things I think mattered when I think about the issues that were in play.
BUY or SELL: Will try asking once again. Will one QB, not asking for a name, step up and start every game ( barring injury) for Texas this season?
(Sell) That seems like sooooo much wishful thinking right now.
BUY or SELL: You should share more from what you are hearing from "sources" (not saying you don't but it seems you used to share a lot more in years past)?
(Sell) I feel like our staff shares more now than we ever have before. On top of that, our staff is more active on our message boards than ever before. There’s very, very little we hold back, hence the very high quality of our work.
BUY or SELL: It appears the upper leadership made some big promises to Sterlin Gilbert about Strong's future. Buy or Sell they keep those promises even if next year is another bad one?
(Sell) Nothing said right now will matter if this team is 2-3 after five games. Gilbert will be taken care of, and who knows, maybe he’ll be grandfathered onto the new staff as the offensive coordinator, but promises made in January can look like forgotten rhetoric if there’s another 30+ point loss in the Strong era before there’s a 10-win season.
BUY or SELL: Chris Warren should be the starter and D’Onta Foreman is better served as the backup/something to prove role?
(Sell) You and I would have been good for 130+ yards against that Tech defense. Foreman deserves more respect than that.
BUY or SELL: The troubles at A&M allow Texas to pick up three commitments that wouldn't have happened without those issues?
(Buy) Brandon Jones, Jeffrey McCulloch and Irv Smith
BUY or SELL: We will average 80 plays or better per game on offense in 2016? For reference, 80 plays per game would have ranked 19th in the nation last season, and Tulsa was tops with 86.3 plays per game.
(Buy) I’ll give Sterlin’ Gilbert the benefit of the doubt in this department.
BUY or SELL: Suchomel will sleep approximately 38 combined hours between now and NSD but then 38 straight hours when it's over?
(Buy) That’s an average of 3.8 hours per day and that ain’t likely happening between now and next weekend, which means he’ll get there, but barely.
BUY or SELL: RG3 or Manziel will be signed by a Texas NFL team?
(Buy) Vegas has the Texans and Cowboys as the betting favorite to land Griffin and we’re not even talking Johnny Homecoming yet.
BUY or SELL: Can the Horns make it past the Sweet 16 without Cameron?
(Sell) But, I could still see them making the Sweet 16 in the right bracket because March is about guards and the Horns have the guard play to get it done.
No. 7 – From A-Z: 26 Championship Sunday Thoughts ...
a. For the better part of the last decade, one of the big running narratives on the one-sided Tom Brady/Peyton Manning debate is that Brady has owned Manning when it matters most. Well, Mannng now has a career 3-2 record versus Brady in the post-season, which means Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the game, but that specific narrative has to die forever. Also, if even one of you makes a comment about Brady’s record vs, Manning, I’m going to suspend you for seven days. These two have officially played five games that matter.
b. No player on the field wanted to win more in the final seconds of that game than Demarcus Ware. He simply would not allow himself to be blocked. As a Cowboys fan, I haven’t felt this good about an ex-player making the Super Bowl since Everson Walls got a ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XXV.
c. That fourth and 10 connection from Brady to Gronk with the game hanging in the balance was one of the best plays in NFL history that will never really matter. What a play by both.
d. Can we just drop Gronk out of a plane over the Middle East and let him defeat ISIS all by himself? Who would stop him? What could stop him? He’s Gronk.
e. Good for Peyton Manning. There’s still a game to win to truly make Sunday matter, but damn, that had to be incredibly rewarding.
f. Von Miller has a chance to be a Hall of Fame player one day, which pretty much makes him the best Aggie football player of all-time. No offense, Johnny. In typing that, I’m reminded how much he wanted to be a Longhorn, but Mack Brown didn’t recruit DeSoto players at the time because DeSoto was historically a no-fly-zone for the Longhorns.
g. Injuries at running back finally caught up to the Patriots in the worst way. LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis not being in that game mattered a hell of a lot.
h. Demaryius Thomas caught two passes for 12 yards. High-prices wide receivers didn’t feel very important on Championship Sunday.
i. Don't worry, Malcom Brown, you guys will be back.
j. New England might want to invest in offensive line infrastructure in the off-season.
k. I’m really worried about this Jesse Owens movie that is being advertised throughout the day. They’re going to mess that up, huh?
l. The coronation of Cam Newton as the game’s greatest quarterback is almost complete. One more game.
m. Carson Palmer is what Carson Palmer is. He’s Andy Dalton in the playoffs on steroids.
n. Suddenly, Ted Ginn’s entire NFL story changed in one season in Carolina.
o. David Johnson reminded me of Butch Hadnot in the 1991 Cotton Bowl. There were some guys on that Cardinals roster that weren’t ready for the action, but the rookie from Northern Iowa most certainly was.
p. How silly is that some folks were putting Palmer and Newton in the same sentence together a few weeks ago when discussing the league MVP?
q. Josh Norman is the real Defensive Player of the Year.
r. NFL kickers will vote for any presidential candidate that issues an executive veto of the NFL’s new extra-point rules.
s. Fozzy Whittaker going to the Super Bowl is all kinds of awesome. Cory Redding, Alex Okafor and Lyle Sendlein not going to the Super Bowl is all kinds of not awesome.
t. Larry Fitzgerald dropped a ball on third and two in the second half. Nothing better can represent the kind of day the Cardinals had than that.
u. My favorite Tweet of the night:
v. Damn, I hated to see Thomas Davis get hurt. That guy deserves to play in the Super Bowl
w. Greg Olsen is freaking good.
x. I still love Bruce Arians.
y. Carolina’s defense somehow survived the loss of Greg Hardy. So can Dallas.
z. Prediction: Carolina 27 Denver 17. Dab on them, Cam.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… The more LeBron James tells me that he nothing to do with David Blatt losing his job, the more I’m convinced his fingerprints were all over that situation. You can make the case that LeBron has earned the power to have his fingerprints on such situations, but own up to the role in the situation instead of pretending that your actions for the last 18 months didn’t lead up to the moment. Just own it, LeBron, and stop pussyfooting around.
… Tyron Lue less than 12 hours before Cleveland was taken to the woodshed at home by Chicago in his head coaching debut…
… Walter Payton has nothing on the Washington D.C. cop.
.. Scattershooting on the EPL weekend.
a. I’m still trying to process the events from Liverpool’s out-of-this-bonkers-universe 5-4 win over Norwich. If you blinked, as I did while chasing my twins around the house, you might have missed a game-tying goal from Norwich, which caused every Reds supporter (including Jurgen Klopp) to have a conniption fit. If you blinked twice, as I did while chasing twins around the house, you might have missed a ridiculous winner in the final minute, which caused every Reds supporter (including Jurgen Klopp) to have a second conniption fit … but in the best way possible. Yes, the Reds defense was a complete train wreck, but sometimes you just have to enjoy the damn thrill of things.
b. Leicester City. Just. Won’t. Die.
c. Sergio Aguero will lead Man City to the title if his teammates will simply follow his lead. There’s just too much talent on the field to play as ragged as this team does on the road and without Aguero on Saturday, West Ham would have rolled them.
d. I’m guessing Manchester United fans still haven’t put Saturday behind them. Man, that was hard to watch.
e. Was really hoping that Tottenham would drop a match on the road at Crystal Palace, but the Spurs completely outclassed its opposition, including one of the sickest goals of the year from Deli Ali. FYI … he’s 19.
No. 9 – 34 Days Until Oscar Night ...
For the second straight week, life provided me zero opportunities to get to the theater, which means my following need-to-watch-list looks like this:
45 Years, Brooklyn, Carol, The Danish Girl, The Revenant and Trumbo.
That’s a movie every six days until the big non-diverse ceremony, so I’ve got my work cut out for. In the meantime, my personal rankings continue to look like this:
My Current Oscars Leaderboard
Best Picture (based on movies I have actually seen)
1. Spotlight
2. Room
3. The Big Short
4. Sicario
5. Creed
Best Actor (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
2. Michael B. Jordan (Creed)
3. Matt Damon (The Martian)
4. Steve Carrell (The Big Short)
5. Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight)
Best Actress (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Brie Larson (Room)
2. Jennifer Lawrence (Joy)
3. Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
4. Emily Blount (Sicario)
5. Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Supporting Actor (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
2. Jacob Tremblay (Room)
3. Benicio del Toro (Sicario)
4. Christian Bale (The Big Short)
5. Sly Stallone (Creed)
Best Supporting Actress (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Joan Allen (Room)
2. Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
3. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
4. Tessa Thompson (Creed)
5. Rachel McAdams (Spotlight)
Best Director
1. Lenny Abrahamson (Room)
2. Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
3. J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
4. George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
5. Ridley Scott (The Martian)
No.10 - The List: Glenn Frey
In the mood to listen to some music this week, while working on the 2017 LSR Top 100 (coming to you soon this week), focusing on one of the greatest American rock and roll singer/songwriters of all-time became an obvious call after Glenn Frey surprisingly passed away last week.
While The Dude might not have been a fan, there’s no getting around the fact that the special quality that Frey possessed was the ability to make timeless music. More than 40 years after some of his greatest work was ever created, his songs are just as listenable today as ever. As I started listening to The Eagles this week, it struck me how easy it was to listen to one of their albums and easily slide right into the mood those songs created.
It’s like heading home after so many years and still being able to tap into the emotions that filled the soul a lifetime ago.
He created music that made you feel something. Moments in life were marked by the songs that he penned.
When my mom changed my life in 1986 by moving us to Austin, the song she had dedicated at the radio station she used to work at as we left town on I-35 was “Already Gone” and all these years later that moment has forever been bookmarked by Frey’s voice.
At its best, music can provide a window into one soul’s and few ever did it better than this Detroit legend.
Rest in peace, our friend.
Let’s get on with the list (only solo songs or lead vocals with The Eagles are included).
Last five songs out: The One You Love, True Love, James Dean, Smuggler’s Blues and The Girl From Yesterday
(Listen/Subscribe to the Spotify Playlist)
10. After the Thrill is Gone
Although it was never a hit, it ranks as one of my favorite songs from the group’s second album.
9. New Kid in Town
A criminally underrated song that is almost certainly underrated on this list.
8. The Heat is On
One of the all-time great soundtrack sounds of the 80s.
7. Lyin Eyes
Per Wikipedia: During the Eagles 2009 concert tour, Glenn Frey talked about the origin for the song stating that he and Don Henley frequented an LA restaurant/bar, Dan Tana's, which the most beautiful of beautiful women frequented. They witnessed a meeting between a man and a woman and made up a scenario of secret love and thus the song arose.
6. Heartache Tonight
The Eagles' final No. 1 song and a great rock jam.
5. Peaceful Easy Feeling
One of two songs from The Eagles’ debut album that make the top five.
4. Already Gone
The Eagles played this song on tour for pretty much all of the last 40 years or so it was actually on tour.
3. You Belong to the City
One of my favorite songs from the decade of the 80s and his best solo piece.
2. Tequila Sunrise
One of the best from the group’s country rock era.
1. Take it Easy
The first song on the very first Eagles album. All these years later, it’s still one of the great rock anthems and Frey’s charisma carries the entire song.
“Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me.”
What a lyric. What a song. What greatness.
We’re almost into single-digit days until National Signing Day and Charlie Strong’s Longhorns happen to be sitting on a mere 13 commitments. At this point, quarterback and the offensive line have been addressed, but the major needs on the defensive line have not yet been addressed in any kind of satisfactory way and there’s not a single Rivals100 selection on the commitment list.
With national reporters like Bruce Feldman positioning the current state of the class as an indictment on Strong’s future in Austin, a surprisingly quiet confidence exists on the 40 Acres, suggesting that those on the inside know a lot more about the next 240 hours or so than those on the outside.
Amazingly, Strong seems to be channeling his inner-Bobby Bowden following any one of his million or so top-five finishes at Florida State when his cupboard wouldn’t be filled until a frantic player shopping spree happened in the final hours of the recruiting process. Except Strong isn’t coming off of a season with double-digit wins, as all of this is occurring in the aftermath of a 5-7 disaster of a season.
Make no mistake about it, I’ve never seen anything like this in the two decades I’ve been covering the Longhorns. If we’re to believe the behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt, we’re about to witness the greatest closing finish in at least a quarter century around these parts.
At least a quarter century.
All that’s left now is for the onslaught of announcements to take place and the more days that pass without an announcement, the more anxiety, excitement, caution and a few other emotions continue to build.
If the whispers inside of the recruiting shadows come out into the light of day, as expected inside the Texas coaching offices, then one of the big stories nationally in 10 days will be the rise from the ashes that will have taken place in the direct aftermath of so many national pundits reading Strong’s staff its last recruiting rites.
From an anticipation standpoint, the meter is pretty maxed out. What awaits is either glory or the ultimate recruiting cautionary tale. Should Strong pull off a top 10-level class for the second straight year, all questions about his recruiting methods will need to be put to bed, as the only question left about Strong at that point will be centered on his ability to actually win games in Austin.
I suppose the only question I’ll have on Signing Day if the Texas staff pulls off a coup that includes the likes of Brandon Jones, Jeffrey McCulloch and a host of defensive tackles is the most obvious one.
If Strong can recruit at this level when his team is stumbling around on the field with a losing record, what happens if he ever fully turns it around and starts to win big?
No. 2 – The free-for-all is coming …
What might be the most fascinating aspect of these next 10 days is the fact that few of the final 16-19 prospects on whom Texas has its eyes plan to announce decisions before National Signing Day.
Oh, you can probably count on a few of the remaining names to pull the string before the final day, especially if Charlie Strong asks a few of them to in an effort to light the match that kick-starts its final push, but for the most part we’re heading for a Signing Day perhaps never seen in the history of the state of Texas.
Every day that passes without an announcement from this group only adds to the wave of suspense that will arrive by Signing Day. Take a look at the list:
RB Kyle Porter (Katy): Expected to have a ceremony at his high school, possible on National Signing Day
WR/TE Lil’Jordan Humphrey (SL Carroll): Expected to announce on January 30th, but he might wait until National Signing Day
TE Irvin Smith (New Orleans): Planning to announce around or on National Signing Day
DT D'andre Christmas-Giles (New Orleans): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Stephon Taylor (New Orleans): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Jordan Elliott (Houston Westside): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Marcel Southall (Duncanville): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Mike Williams (Fort Worth All Saints): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DT Chris Daniels (Euless Trinity): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DE Mark Jackson (Cibolo Steele): Planning to announce around or on National Signing Day
LB Jeffrey McCulloch (Aldine Davis) Planning to announce on National Signing Day via ESPN
LB Dontavious Jackson (Houston Elsik): Planning to announce on National Signing Day via ESPN
LB Eric Fowler (Manor): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DB Eric Cuffee (Waco): Expected to announce at the end of January, possibly in a Bleacher Report announcement.
DB Brandon Jones (Nacogdoches): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DB Deontay Anderson (Manvel): Planning to announce on National Signing Day
DB Chris Brown (Houston Elsik): Planning to announce on National Signing Day via ESPN
No. 3 – Scattershooting on Texas recruiting …
… With word circulating that Katy running back Kyle Porter could be leaning to TCU, I thought I haven’t heard of anyone behind the scenes inside the Texas coaching offices freaking out if the team doesn’t sign a running back in this class. On one hand, I think you’d love to have more depth at the position, but on the other hand, is there really a difference-maker left in the class that would be certain to make a 2016 impact?
… I believe we’ve seen the last of Eric Cuffee taking official visits to schools not named Texas…
… If Erick Fowler is really not going to take any more n-home visits, you have to hate LSU getting the last word in his recruitment this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if Texas can fight through for one more in-home this week.
… It’s hard not to feel like Texas has separated from the pack for Nacogdoches safety Brandon Jones.
… For so long I thought that Patrick Hudson would eventually flip to another school away from Baylor, but it looks like I’m wrong and Art Briles is going to make it to the finish line. Baylor’s offensive recruiting is pretty lights out this year.
… If Nostraketchus is projecting after this weekend, the Texas recruiting class would finish up on Signing Day like this:
WR/TE Lil’Jordan Humphrey (SL Carroll)
TE Irvin Smith (New Orleans)
DT D'andre Christmas-Giles (New Orleans)
DT Stephon Taylor (New Orleans)
DT Chris Daniels (Euless Trinity)
DT Jordan Elliott (Houston Westside)
DE Mark Jackson (Cibolo Steele)
LB Jeffrey McCulloch (Aldine Davis)
LB Dontavious Jackson (Houston Elsik)
DB Eric Cuffee (Waco)
DB Brandon Jones (Nacogdoches)
DB Chris Brown (Houston Elsik)
Note: It’s just sounds so homerish to think Texas could sweep the board at defensive tackle, but it’s not impossible. I could easily see Mike Williams in burnt orange. The Dontavious Jackson projection is predicated on him making his unofficial visit to Austin this week. The Mark Jackson pick is the one I probably feel shakiest about... don't hold that one against me if I'm wrong, but I just think that kid will flow with the momentum when the dust settles.
… Don’t look for any major out of the blue surprises this week/weekend. It appears that the Texas coaches are content with the recruiting board exactly the way it is.
No. 4 – It’s time to get out and support Shaka Smart and Co ...
Considering the amount of attention, hype and in some cases immense hyperbole that showered down on him upon his arrival, perhaps the greatest compliment one can give new Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart in year one of his Longhorn Project is also the most unlikely one.
Smart is better than was advertised, which seems impossible considering the fanfare he walked into Austin with, and yet it is true.
As the final seconds ticked off the game clock in Lawrence on Saturday afternoon, a surreal feeling existed in the wake of one of the best team’s in the nation holding serve on its own court.
Disappointment.
Left for dead and the NIT following the injury to Cam Ridley just a few weeks ago, Smart’s mix-and-match collection of parts isn’t just surviving in the final seven weeks of the season without one of its critical pieces … it’s emerging … it’s growing … it’s surging … it’s raising expectations.
Even as recent as seven days ago, you might have been able to chalk up Saturday’s performance as a moral victory because, hey, the team didn’t get run out of Allen Fieldhouse by a Kansas squad smarting from a combination of disappointing performances. Yet, a tinge of disappointment existed in the cold Kansas air because moral victories be damned, this was yet another game that the precocious Longhorns could have won.
In a 40-minute game, this Texas team outplayed its storied opponent for more minutes than it didn’t, but the inability to defend the three-point shot a little better, rebound a little better on the defensive side of the floor or answer the Jayhawks’ big second-half run left a little bit of a bad taste in the mouth. After years of watching Texas basketball suffer from spinal conditions that always seem to pop up at this point in the season, Smart’s team operates on what might be the most endearing of all adjectives.
Fearlessness.
Regardless of the opponent or the location of the game or the players available for action, Smart’s team takes the floor with attitude and while it doesn’t always play at the levels we’ve watched in the last two weeks, it is always prepared to fight its guts out. When you combine that truth with continued evolution throughout the line-up, you end up with a team that’s much more capable than almost anyone would have thought.
As a byproduct, I personally find myself wanting to see what this team has up its sleeve next, as I’m captivated by the direction of this season and where it still might go.
For years we’ve talked about basketball attendance and what has to occur in order for burnt orange faithful to show up in better-than-respectable numbers, and I would contend that this is the team that deserves such attention.
Oh, it’s not the most talented team these parts have seen, but it might be its most tenaciously fun team in a long while, which should be enough for everyone. Smart has delivered the goods and given Texas fans the team it said it so desperately wanted.
Now it’s your turn.
No. 5 – Three thoughts on the Texas women’s win over No.19 Oklahoma ...
1. My goodness, the Longhorns have to start taking better care of the basketball. A week ago against Baylor, the inability to take care of the ball played a crucial role in the team’s first loss and the 25 turnovers on Saturday is almost an embarrassment for a team of this quality. This team won’t make it out of the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament if it can’t take better care of the basketball. No team in the Big 12 averages more the UT’s 17.0 per game and only two teams have a worse assist-to-turnover ratio.
2. Senior Imani Boyette has emerged as a serious Big 12 Player of the Year candidate at center. Consider her following ranks in the Big 12: 11th in scoring (13.6), 2nd in rebounding (10.1), 6th in FG percentage (56.4), 13th in FT percentage (75.0) and 1st in blocked shots. The trio of Boyette, Oklahoma State’s Brittney Martin and Iowa State’s Seanna Johnson are going to make for an interesting conversation at the end of the season.
3. Circle Monday, February 29 on your calendar. That’s when the Longhorns face the Bears in the rematch in Waco.
No. 6 – Buy or sell …
(As always, these are questions submitted by Orangebloods subscribers)
BUY or SELL: The issue with Joe Wickline was that he really thought he was going to be a true Co-OC. When he found out he wasn't, he felt trapped into the job and gave up?
(Sell) This issue with Joe Wickline was that there were countless issues during his two seasons and not just that he thought he was going to be the true Co-OC. That’s literally one of the last things I think mattered when I think about the issues that were in play.
BUY or SELL: Will try asking once again. Will one QB, not asking for a name, step up and start every game ( barring injury) for Texas this season?
(Sell) That seems like sooooo much wishful thinking right now.
BUY or SELL: You should share more from what you are hearing from "sources" (not saying you don't but it seems you used to share a lot more in years past)?
(Sell) I feel like our staff shares more now than we ever have before. On top of that, our staff is more active on our message boards than ever before. There’s very, very little we hold back, hence the very high quality of our work.
BUY or SELL: It appears the upper leadership made some big promises to Sterlin Gilbert about Strong's future. Buy or Sell they keep those promises even if next year is another bad one?
(Sell) Nothing said right now will matter if this team is 2-3 after five games. Gilbert will be taken care of, and who knows, maybe he’ll be grandfathered onto the new staff as the offensive coordinator, but promises made in January can look like forgotten rhetoric if there’s another 30+ point loss in the Strong era before there’s a 10-win season.
BUY or SELL: Chris Warren should be the starter and D’Onta Foreman is better served as the backup/something to prove role?
(Sell) You and I would have been good for 130+ yards against that Tech defense. Foreman deserves more respect than that.
BUY or SELL: The troubles at A&M allow Texas to pick up three commitments that wouldn't have happened without those issues?
(Buy) Brandon Jones, Jeffrey McCulloch and Irv Smith
BUY or SELL: We will average 80 plays or better per game on offense in 2016? For reference, 80 plays per game would have ranked 19th in the nation last season, and Tulsa was tops with 86.3 plays per game.
(Buy) I’ll give Sterlin’ Gilbert the benefit of the doubt in this department.
BUY or SELL: Suchomel will sleep approximately 38 combined hours between now and NSD but then 38 straight hours when it's over?
(Buy) That’s an average of 3.8 hours per day and that ain’t likely happening between now and next weekend, which means he’ll get there, but barely.
BUY or SELL: RG3 or Manziel will be signed by a Texas NFL team?
(Buy) Vegas has the Texans and Cowboys as the betting favorite to land Griffin and we’re not even talking Johnny Homecoming yet.
BUY or SELL: Can the Horns make it past the Sweet 16 without Cameron?
(Sell) But, I could still see them making the Sweet 16 in the right bracket because March is about guards and the Horns have the guard play to get it done.
No. 7 – From A-Z: 26 Championship Sunday Thoughts ...
a. For the better part of the last decade, one of the big running narratives on the one-sided Tom Brady/Peyton Manning debate is that Brady has owned Manning when it matters most. Well, Mannng now has a career 3-2 record versus Brady in the post-season, which means Brady is the greatest quarterback in the history of the game, but that specific narrative has to die forever. Also, if even one of you makes a comment about Brady’s record vs, Manning, I’m going to suspend you for seven days. These two have officially played five games that matter.
b. No player on the field wanted to win more in the final seconds of that game than Demarcus Ware. He simply would not allow himself to be blocked. As a Cowboys fan, I haven’t felt this good about an ex-player making the Super Bowl since Everson Walls got a ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XXV.
c. That fourth and 10 connection from Brady to Gronk with the game hanging in the balance was one of the best plays in NFL history that will never really matter. What a play by both.
d. Can we just drop Gronk out of a plane over the Middle East and let him defeat ISIS all by himself? Who would stop him? What could stop him? He’s Gronk.
e. Good for Peyton Manning. There’s still a game to win to truly make Sunday matter, but damn, that had to be incredibly rewarding.
f. Von Miller has a chance to be a Hall of Fame player one day, which pretty much makes him the best Aggie football player of all-time. No offense, Johnny. In typing that, I’m reminded how much he wanted to be a Longhorn, but Mack Brown didn’t recruit DeSoto players at the time because DeSoto was historically a no-fly-zone for the Longhorns.
g. Injuries at running back finally caught up to the Patriots in the worst way. LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis not being in that game mattered a hell of a lot.
h. Demaryius Thomas caught two passes for 12 yards. High-prices wide receivers didn’t feel very important on Championship Sunday.
i. Don't worry, Malcom Brown, you guys will be back.
j. New England might want to invest in offensive line infrastructure in the off-season.
k. I’m really worried about this Jesse Owens movie that is being advertised throughout the day. They’re going to mess that up, huh?
l. The coronation of Cam Newton as the game’s greatest quarterback is almost complete. One more game.
m. Carson Palmer is what Carson Palmer is. He’s Andy Dalton in the playoffs on steroids.
n. Suddenly, Ted Ginn’s entire NFL story changed in one season in Carolina.
o. David Johnson reminded me of Butch Hadnot in the 1991 Cotton Bowl. There were some guys on that Cardinals roster that weren’t ready for the action, but the rookie from Northern Iowa most certainly was.
p. How silly is that some folks were putting Palmer and Newton in the same sentence together a few weeks ago when discussing the league MVP?
q. Josh Norman is the real Defensive Player of the Year.
r. NFL kickers will vote for any presidential candidate that issues an executive veto of the NFL’s new extra-point rules.
s. Fozzy Whittaker going to the Super Bowl is all kinds of awesome. Cory Redding, Alex Okafor and Lyle Sendlein not going to the Super Bowl is all kinds of not awesome.
t. Larry Fitzgerald dropped a ball on third and two in the second half. Nothing better can represent the kind of day the Cardinals had than that.
u. My favorite Tweet of the night:
v. Damn, I hated to see Thomas Davis get hurt. That guy deserves to play in the Super Bowl
w. Greg Olsen is freaking good.
x. I still love Bruce Arians.
y. Carolina’s defense somehow survived the loss of Greg Hardy. So can Dallas.
z. Prediction: Carolina 27 Denver 17. Dab on them, Cam.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… The more LeBron James tells me that he nothing to do with David Blatt losing his job, the more I’m convinced his fingerprints were all over that situation. You can make the case that LeBron has earned the power to have his fingerprints on such situations, but own up to the role in the situation instead of pretending that your actions for the last 18 months didn’t lead up to the moment. Just own it, LeBron, and stop pussyfooting around.
… Tyron Lue less than 12 hours before Cleveland was taken to the woodshed at home by Chicago in his head coaching debut…
… Walter Payton has nothing on the Washington D.C. cop.
.. Scattershooting on the EPL weekend.
a. I’m still trying to process the events from Liverpool’s out-of-this-bonkers-universe 5-4 win over Norwich. If you blinked, as I did while chasing my twins around the house, you might have missed a game-tying goal from Norwich, which caused every Reds supporter (including Jurgen Klopp) to have a conniption fit. If you blinked twice, as I did while chasing twins around the house, you might have missed a ridiculous winner in the final minute, which caused every Reds supporter (including Jurgen Klopp) to have a second conniption fit … but in the best way possible. Yes, the Reds defense was a complete train wreck, but sometimes you just have to enjoy the damn thrill of things.
b. Leicester City. Just. Won’t. Die.
c. Sergio Aguero will lead Man City to the title if his teammates will simply follow his lead. There’s just too much talent on the field to play as ragged as this team does on the road and without Aguero on Saturday, West Ham would have rolled them.
d. I’m guessing Manchester United fans still haven’t put Saturday behind them. Man, that was hard to watch.
e. Was really hoping that Tottenham would drop a match on the road at Crystal Palace, but the Spurs completely outclassed its opposition, including one of the sickest goals of the year from Deli Ali. FYI … he’s 19.
No. 9 – 34 Days Until Oscar Night ...
For the second straight week, life provided me zero opportunities to get to the theater, which means my following need-to-watch-list looks like this:
45 Years, Brooklyn, Carol, The Danish Girl, The Revenant and Trumbo.
That’s a movie every six days until the big non-diverse ceremony, so I’ve got my work cut out for. In the meantime, my personal rankings continue to look like this:
My Current Oscars Leaderboard
Best Picture (based on movies I have actually seen)
1. Spotlight
2. Room
3. The Big Short
4. Sicario
5. Creed
Best Actor (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
2. Michael B. Jordan (Creed)
3. Matt Damon (The Martian)
4. Steve Carrell (The Big Short)
5. Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight)
Best Actress (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Brie Larson (Room)
2. Jennifer Lawrence (Joy)
3. Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
4. Emily Blount (Sicario)
5. Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Supporting Actor (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
2. Jacob Tremblay (Room)
3. Benicio del Toro (Sicario)
4. Christian Bale (The Big Short)
5. Sly Stallone (Creed)
Best Supporting Actress (based on the movies I have actually seen)
1. Joan Allen (Room)
2. Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
3. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
4. Tessa Thompson (Creed)
5. Rachel McAdams (Spotlight)
Best Director
1. Lenny Abrahamson (Room)
2. Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
3. J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
4. George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
5. Ridley Scott (The Martian)
No.10 - The List: Glenn Frey
In the mood to listen to some music this week, while working on the 2017 LSR Top 100 (coming to you soon this week), focusing on one of the greatest American rock and roll singer/songwriters of all-time became an obvious call after Glenn Frey surprisingly passed away last week.
While The Dude might not have been a fan, there’s no getting around the fact that the special quality that Frey possessed was the ability to make timeless music. More than 40 years after some of his greatest work was ever created, his songs are just as listenable today as ever. As I started listening to The Eagles this week, it struck me how easy it was to listen to one of their albums and easily slide right into the mood those songs created.
It’s like heading home after so many years and still being able to tap into the emotions that filled the soul a lifetime ago.
He created music that made you feel something. Moments in life were marked by the songs that he penned.
When my mom changed my life in 1986 by moving us to Austin, the song she had dedicated at the radio station she used to work at as we left town on I-35 was “Already Gone” and all these years later that moment has forever been bookmarked by Frey’s voice.
At its best, music can provide a window into one soul’s and few ever did it better than this Detroit legend.
Rest in peace, our friend.
Let’s get on with the list (only solo songs or lead vocals with The Eagles are included).
Last five songs out: The One You Love, True Love, James Dean, Smuggler’s Blues and The Girl From Yesterday
(Listen/Subscribe to the Spotify Playlist)
10. After the Thrill is Gone
Although it was never a hit, it ranks as one of my favorite songs from the group’s second album.
9. New Kid in Town
A criminally underrated song that is almost certainly underrated on this list.
8. The Heat is On
One of the all-time great soundtrack sounds of the 80s.
7. Lyin Eyes
Per Wikipedia: During the Eagles 2009 concert tour, Glenn Frey talked about the origin for the song stating that he and Don Henley frequented an LA restaurant/bar, Dan Tana's, which the most beautiful of beautiful women frequented. They witnessed a meeting between a man and a woman and made up a scenario of secret love and thus the song arose.
6. Heartache Tonight
The Eagles' final No. 1 song and a great rock jam.
5. Peaceful Easy Feeling
One of two songs from The Eagles’ debut album that make the top five.
4. Already Gone
The Eagles played this song on tour for pretty much all of the last 40 years or so it was actually on tour.
3. You Belong to the City
One of my favorite songs from the decade of the 80s and his best solo piece.
2. Tequila Sunrise
One of the best from the group’s country rock era.
1. Take it Easy
The first song on the very first Eagles album. All these years later, it’s still one of the great rock anthems and Frey’s charisma carries the entire song.
“Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me.”
What a lyric. What a song. What greatness.
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