Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (I have something to say about The Eyes of Texas...)

[StudRunner1]

I agree that this year has been a big mess. We have to solve this with a strong solution. I think we need to go through every sports team and let each player know that they will be expected to raise the horns and sing the EYES at the end of games and events as always. If they don't agree with that then they need to find another school. If there are not enough players left then that sport is closed for the next two years to recruit some new players who are loyal to the University. I will miss watching several of these teams but if they are not loyal to the University then why are they here or even more why do we have them here ?
How many of our football players knew they were playing for The University of Texas before the first game ? The EYES is part of that as far as I am concerned. From that pic it seems Sam is the only player loyal to UT.

 

[Horn1515]

Ketch, one request and one thought. May we see more pictures of our Goddess queen each week?

My thought. I find it interesting no one discussed what it means to the team dynamics that the leader of our team was not followed by his teammates to sing "The Eyes of Texas". Doesn't it beg the question of what is going on in the locker room. Do we have a divided locker room. Do players care? I can tell you from my own experience that players play hard for good coaches and players don't care when they know they are getting out coached.

I would enjoy reading your thoughts on this.

 

[PuroTexas]

Wow, great article! Thanks, Ketch.

 

[liturgical orange]

My thoughts:
1. Outstanding article and piece of writing. You have an extraordinary gift. A BOOK NEEDS TO BE IN YOUR FUTURE!

2. As I read and interpret the tea leaves, and that is what I do regularly and probably my only true gift in life, I think the part of the professors is far too under played in your article. They have a hand in creating this and a responsibility in solving it as well. JMO

2. Good luck getting millennials to see the larger historical value of The Eyes. They care very little for what has come before them and usualy only appreciate what is currently in the moment. Part of that is just being young but part is what uniquely defines their generation.

3. This issue is bigger than the football team and getting all to see the excellent points you make and on board will be tough.. This includes basketball, volleyball, band, cheerleaders, professors. students, etc. Tall order!

3. This generation struggles with nuance and discernment. If it can't fit on a bumpersticker or meme it is a challenge. Your argument is excellent but can it transcend to the masses?

4. Race is an important issue for this generation. Getting them to see the greater context and set that issue aside regarding The Eyes (real or perceived) will be difficult.

5. The Eyes does not mean that much to them... yet. Their experience and thus value of it is limited. That will change if they give it a chance.

6. For a generation that has invested itself in indescriminatingly tearing down the past looking past The Eyes will seem duplicitous. They hate hypocrisy.

7. I'm not really confident a solution can be reached. I hope it will. From my perspective, as I watch an entire generation narrowly look at something so formative and pervasive in history as religion and shrug its shoulders and head off into the fog of a new future I wonder why The Eyes would be any different.

As my favorite band from the '80s, the little known Rainmakers, sang, " The generation that would save the world is still looking for its car keys."

Finally, one of the greatest qualities of youth that I often wish I possessed more of now is the ability to be distracted, forget and move on to the next thing. Its a powerful part of being young and keeps us from losing our minds in this crazy world. I think this is our best hope for the long run. As St. Paul said, This too shall pass.

 

[USMAPS82]

I stand with Sam

 

[FrancoBevo]

Can’t disagree with anything you said on the subject of The Eyes. That’s been my perspective from the very beginning of this ridiculous discussion. The history and meaning are defined by the millions that have sang it with with love and pride as motivation.

Im no longer sure the University is going to survive this moment.

 

[Bevo1992]

I don’t post often. Enjoy reading a lot. Not so much recently. Every week, I look forward to reading both Sunday articles on OB. Can imagine it was a bit tougher than normal for you and Anwar the past few weeks. With that said, this Sunday may have been one of the hardest / best reads in a while. Spot on Ketch. Same for Anwar. Well said by you both. Really disappointed in CDC and TH for reasons that go beyond W/L, although the sloppy play on field makes it 10x worse.

Have read/heard positive things about Hartzell. Think it all starts at the top, him sitting down with CDC and laying out a plan proactively. Time for healing to begin. Time for discipline, respect, putting others before self, looking forward as one aligned school/team. Address the issues head on with the players of all sports and with with student body leadership. Goes beyond just sports. Time to remember how good it feels to be a Longhorn.

Hook Em!

 

[Ketchum]

Marvelous piece @Ketchum

What can CDC and the department do to ensure a “resolution” to this issue? If a player (or players) are simply set in stone (as I believe some or all are) on this issue, no amount of talking it out will change their mind. If anything, someone in the players’ position will feel attacked and will double down on their irrational position.

Is there a place in this conversation for past legends like Vince Young, Ricky Williams, Derrick Johnson, Colt McCoy, Eric Metcalf, Earl Campbell, Aaron Ross, James Brown, etc? What about Michael Huff who has obvious cred as a Thorpe winner and national champion and should have cred as a current staff member? Would the current players give a damn what these people have to say (all of whom I’d presume to look at these players with the stink-eye on this issue)?

Certainly the department wouldn’t pull scholarships (or threaten not to renew them). So what leverage is there? I’m worried that this is already over and can only be rebuilt through a complete teardown.

It needs to be made clear that the expectation is that they respect the tradition of the song or they should probably go play somewhere else.

That should have happened months ago.

It's not a massive, out of control expectation. It's asking for respect and the players are not giving it.

 

[Ketchum]

@Ketchum this is your best writing that I have read. Two things:

1. Would you allow this to be shared? I’d love to put this on my FB with full credit to you obviously. There’s not a ton of people but some Longhorns that really need to read this.

2. People in influential positions tend to be their best and their most loved when they’re trying to unite. In June that was not the case. I thought about cancelling but I like this community too much. Tonight was an outstanding effort of unity and Longhorn love from you. Great job. Keep up the good work.

I'm going to make it a free story this morning that you can share.

 

[Ketchum]

Chills. I was 10 sitting in my living room jumping up and down, enjoying the best moment of my life. The only reason we weren’t at the game is because my grandpa said we’ll make it again and catch the next one. He passed away in August of 2009....we would play for the title that year. The Eyes makes me think of all the games we enjoyed together from all Horns sports whether we attended in person or watched on the TV, whether we won big, won by one score, or got blown out...we sang that song together.

Great post.

 

[Ketchum]

Not that it means much of anything to you, but this is the best article you have written IMO. I’ve been one to verbalize my displeasure about the way you’ve handled a lot of issues through the years, but this was fair on all sides and totally on point in my opinion. Respect.

Why wouldn't it mean anything to me? Your words war my heart, my man.

 

[Ketchum]

@Ketchum I’ve been around here for a while. I’m not a day-one certainly, and there have been times I’ve taken a break. I don’t post much. I go all the way back to those Dallas Lunch Bunch visits you used to occasionally make.

In my opinion, this is the best thing you’ve ever written, and I really appreciated it. I too was at the Rose Bowl on that magical evening. I stuck around a long time in the stadium just taking it all in. I wish I could relive it. But even if Texas won another Championship, it’s not possible to match that night. Having not won for so long and then to do so in what many still call the greatest college game ever, it will never be matched. There may have been some dry eyes during the “Eyes” that night, but they were in the minority, and not mine.

Thanks, Bigg Dan

 

[KanyeTwitty]

Great post.

This 10 thoughts is the best one yet ketch...hats off to you for handling all this well and I hope it get easier to cover this program going forward

 

[Ketchum]

Ketch I’ve been around along time and I think this is the best thing you’ve ever written!

Bella Vista, holla!

 

[Ketchum]

So UT is happy with the profits of being a financial cow but unwilling to pay what it might take to be the best?

Where is that money going then?

Everywhere, so that the impression can be that there's not a lot around. The issue is that when you spend what you make, and then there's a shortfall.... problems.... big ones... materialize.

 

[rtr24]

Great article and Sam shows how class is handled. Stopped watching UT after many years(UT 1974) and will not watch or support again. Great pride in attending UT and wear my class ring proudly,my wedding ring comes in 2nd.

 

[Ketchum]

I have given you a hard time in the past on some of the SJW stuff. This is your best work at the biggest time of need. At a time when it seems we have no voice and the athletes at Texas are shitting on us every time they hit the field.......you summed up our frustrations and I know the eyes that need to see it will see it. This along with a lot of pulled donations (mine included) may right the ship but I fear it is too late for us. This isn't just a football problem it is University wide......even the volleyball players are biting the hand that feeds them. It is a slap in the face and I would rather suck in every sport and send these entitled athletes out the door and play with walk-ons and lesser players that embrace our history and traditions. Thanks for taking up for the EYES..........it is huge that you did that.

It's not too late to do the right thing.

It's never too late to do the right thing.

Texas athletics needs to do a lot of right things.

 

[Ketchum]

Ketch, one request and one thought. May we see more pictures of our Goddess queen each week?

My thought. I find it interesting no one discussed what it means to the team dynamics that the leader of our team was not followed by his teammates to sing "The Eyes of Texas". Doesn't it beg the question of what is going on in the locker room. Do we have a divided locker room. Do players care? I can tell you from my own experience that players play hard for good coaches and players don't care when they know they are getting out coached.

I would enjoy reading your thoughts on this.

It suggests real problems inside the culture of the program.

 

[Ketchum]

This 10 thoughts is the best one yet ketch...hats off to you for handling all this well and I hope it get easier to cover this program going forward

You and me both! Thanks for the kind words!

 

[KanyeTwitty]

You and me both! Thanks for the kind words!

I feel that if a change is not made this place is going to go south in a hurry. A lot of pissed off Horn fans.

 

[Ketchum]

I feel that if a change is not made this place is going to go south in a hurry. A lot of pissed off Horn fans.

This gets settled in the next two weeks, I 'm convinced of it.

 

[NativeTex]

We butt heads a lot, but you've been fantastic the past 24 hours. Great article. I look forward to telling you to eat shit in a few days as we transition back to normal business.

I told him the same yesterday, with almost the exact same context. Yessir.

 

[Evytime]

On December 6, 1969, in Fayetteville Arkansas, my late father stood on a chair at a restaurant and proudly sang The Eyes of Texas. Almost got him killed. To say that the Eyes is important to our family is a gross understatement. It knits our family together. The silliness over the way this has been handled is disgusting, and it breaks my heart. It is incumbent upon Herman, Hartzell & CDC to flip the current script. Now. Sharing a podium, wearing burnt orange, singing the Eyes of Texas, with horns held high.

 

[RLong68]

It's my personal list and for me, Beat It is what introduced me to EVH and the idea of a sick ass guitar solo. Even now, it's just a blazer on an all-time jam.

DLR couldn't believe Eddie did it for free.

 

[Ketchum]

DLR couldn't believe Eddie did it for free.

I'd never heard that.

 

[RLong68]

I'd never heard that.

Some good stuff out there on it. Eddie didn't really even twice about it. When he got to the studio he asked Q what he wanted and Q told him whatever he wanted to lay down. Not flippant, just in a "your the guitar god" way. To be clear the work on Beat It helped VH continue their growing crossover appeal which had started a year or two earlier with Diver Down and the Pretty Woman single. And soon they would explode with 1984.

 

[MEP1992]

Having gone to Texas games for 32 years and only missing 3 home games. Having been at the Rose bowl sitting near the band for the national championship game. Having been in Dallas yesterday and for more than 2 dozen TX / OU games. Your impassioned statement on the eyes of Texas encapsulates why I am so pissed off. Thankyou for your eloquence Ketchum.

 

[losthorn]

Everyone has had numerous moments when their feelings were hurt they were humiliated, laughed at, targeted.... That isn't the issue. The issue is where do you go from there.

 

[Ketchum]

Some good stuff out there on it. Eddie didn't really even twice about it. When he got to the studio he asked Q what he wanted and Q told him whatever he wanted to lay down. Not flippant, just in a "your the guitar god" way. To be clear the work on Beat It helped VH continue their growing crossover appeal which had started a year or two earlier with Diver Down and the Pretty Woman single. And soon they would explode with 1984.

Saw saw this.

 

[Ketchum]

Having gone to Texas games for 32 years and only missing 3 home games. Having been at the Rose bowl sitting near the band for the national championship game. Having been in Dallas yesterday and for more than 2 dozen TX / OU games. Your impassioned statement on the eyes of Texas encapsulates why I am so pissed off. Thankyou for your eloquence Ketchum.

Thanks for taking the time to share and I'm glad I could get my finger on the pulse.

I have to ask... what three games have you missed in 32 years?