Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (If I never left, can I really come back?)

[txfight]

Damn, the season can't get here soon enough so we can squabble over each play of every game instead of squabbling over punctuation, errors, hyperbole, semantics, and reports from last year.

I received a journalism degree from Texas 20 years ago and I'm often a little surprised that the columns have errors as if they weren't proofread. But I'm not on OB for perfect AP style. I love the insight and reporting which is much, much more complete than I can find anywhere else. I also love the humor and full range of reaction in the comments sections.

Is Anwar a world class journalist? I don't know who is qualified to say he is or isn't but more importantly I don't care if he is or isn't. Seriously; who gives a shit? I'm so much more concerned about Herman and Malik getting on the same page and Malik becoming a defensive human highlight film at LB the likes of which have not been seen since Derrick Johnson backside-ball-punched his way into our hearts!

 

[slothrop]

Damn, the season can't get here soon enough so we can squabble over each play of every game instead of squabbling over punctuation, errors, hyperbole, semantics, and reports from last year.

I received a journalism degree from Texas 20 years ago and I'm often a little surprised that the columns have errors as if they weren't proofread. But I'm not on OB for perfect AP style. I love the insight and reporting which is much, much more complete than I can find anywhere else. I also love the humor and full range of reaction in the comments sections.

Is Anwar a world class journalist? I don't know who is qualified to say he is or isn't but more importantly I don't care if he is or isn't. Seriously; who gives a shit? I'm so much more concerned about Herman and Malik getting on the same page and Malik becoming a defensive human highlight film at LB the likes of which have not been seen since Derrick Johnson backside-ball-punched his way into our hearts!

Well spoken. Hear hear.

 

[txfight]

I'd like to submit a B/S for next week:

Sandor Clegane has better hair than Dana Holgerson

 

[Ketchum]

You know that's not entirely accurate. There was another group....A majority group, actually, that simply wanted you guys to explain the beef about which we were reading. We also didn't appreciate being addressed like children, or spoken to in an otherwise condescending manner, when we were simply asking for information. We've gone round and round about this and, if you're still talking about it like this, you missed the point entirely.

"A majority group"

 

[Ketchum]

I'd like to submit a B/S for next week:

Sandor Clegane has better hair than Dana Holgerson

good one

 

[Ketchum]

Is Anwar a world class journalist? I don't know who is qualified to say he is or isn't but more importantly I don't care if he is or isn't.

Before coming to Orangebloods, he reached heights covering the NFL that very few ever reach.

That was the basis for my comment.

 

[txfight]

Before coming to Orangebloods, he reached heights covering the NFL that very few ever reach.

That was the basis for my comment.

Hey that's good enough for me. Seems like a reasonable bar to measure against.

By the way, I'd like to say that while I was disappointed by the lack of a GOT section, it was offset by your not discussing various Philly team sports or soccer of any sort so... thanks for that

 

[Ketchum]

Hey that's good enough for me. Seems like a reasonable bar to measure against.

By the way, I'd like to say that while I was disappointed by the lack of a GOT section, it was offset by your not discussing various Philly team sports or soccer of any sort so... thanks for that

GOT thoughts will follow next week. I just wanted to be done with work and watch the return episode last night.

 

[PaulieD]

Glad to hear it.



I've literally never had anyone write this as far as I can tell. Weirdly insulting. His style is his style, but I've never had anyone suggest he can't write and that he's essentially an inferior writer.

I find the charge to be outlandish.



I find your reaction to his writing filled with more drama than his actual output.



So, you're basically pulling rank over him as a reporter. You know better. I've spoken with people at all levels of college and pro football and none of them have listed this as an issue with him. Interestingly, you didn't use any examples to back up your claim, which is odd... yanno... considering that you are a reporter in your own right. Odd, I tell you.



I spoke to Charlie Strong less than 24 hours before the Notre Dam,e on the phone. He was dismayed at the reaction to Anwar's reporting and said that everything he reported was 100-percent true.

On top of that, once other sites laughed off the information, almost every reporter on the Texas beat reported exactly what Anwar wrote. A better reporter would know that, but I feel like your response in general is speaking to your depth as a reporter. Few facts. Few examples. The ones you use are factually incorrect.

You should be glad I'm not your boss.



You really need to go back and do some homework about what was written. You're embarrassing yourself.



I can when they are insulting and full of inaccuracies.



Anwar dominated his market in Tampa. He dominated his market in Detroit. Anwar's profile in the NFL was such that he was an actual NFL Hall of Fame voter. He's won awards. He's worked on the national beat. He's dominated on this beat.

Your post has proven you to be unfit to say a negative word about him, not as someone who claims to be a reporter. You've failed in car crash fashion in this post.Before you spout off in the future, maybe get your facts straight, even if just a few.

At this point, I find you incapable of doing that. Your post speaks for itself.

Be better.

Thank you!

 

[txfight]

c. Always remember that you have more to lose than anyone you hang out with.

Every coach at every college in any sport needs to put this on the wall of every locker room.

Every pro sports agent should have it in their email auto-signature.

 

[PaulieD]

Name Pos Stars
Al'Vonte Woodard WR 4*
Ayodele Adeoye LB 4*
B.J. Foster DB 4*
Caden Sterns DB 4*
Cameron Rising QB 4*
Casey Thompson QB 4*
DeMarvion Overshown LB 4*
Keaontay Ingram RB 4*
Byron Hobbs LB 3*
Cameron Dicker K 3*
Reese Moore OL 3*
Rondale Moore WR/RB 3*
WR: Brennan Eagles (70%)
WR: Tommy Bush (35%)
TE: Malcolm Epps (65%)
TE: Luke Ford (30%)
OL: Rafiti Ghirmai (60%)
OL: Cameron Wire (40%)
DE: Joseph Ossai (40%)
DE: Max Wright (N/A)
DT: Keondre Coburn (75%)
DT: Bobby Brown (40%)
DB: D'Shawn Jamison (75%)
DB: Jalen Green (65%)

DB 4 FOUR STARS
WR 3 FOUR STARS 1 3 STAR
QB 2 4 STARS
We still needed another 4 or 5 star RB and we needed to have a top DE and OL.
I could see on the OL and DL the Juco kids might be a better option.
They could use another top LB also.

Awesome, good metrics. TY

 

[Ketchum]

You know that's not entirely accurate. There was another group....A majority group, actually, that simply wanted you guys to explain the beef about which we were reading. We also didn't appreciate being addressed like children, or spoken to in an otherwise condescending manner, when we were simply asking for information. We've gone round and round about this and, if you're still talking about it like this, you missed the point entirely.

There was plenty of detail.

The only detail we didn't go into was what specifically happened between the Texas assistant coach and Jefferson from the weekend. We felt like, for a variety of reasons, that it was best to not go into detail. The reasons were varied, but ultimately we believed the best decision was to not go into vast detail.

What's funny is that the true majority of the site would have zero issues with me stating that at times this board can act like a bunch of children.

 

[longhornms]

There was plenty of detail.

The only detail we didn't go into was what specifically happened between the Texas assistant coach and Jefferson from the weekend. We felt like, for a variety of reasons, that it was best to not go into detail. The reasons were varied, but ultimately we believed the best decision was to not go into vast detail.

What's funny is that the true majority of the site would have zero issues with me stating that at times this board can act like a bunch of children.

I enjoyed the Anwar article. We should all understand that he can't always give the detail that we all would love to hear.

Bottom line, Malik has been perceived as being to soft by UT coaches. This coaching staff is rightfully challenging him. Is it a coincedence that our 2 5-star players (Malik and Fowler) have acted the most entitled?

Hats off to Herman and staff by holding them accountable. Wheeler and Johnson will at least hit someone and give it 100%.

 

[Ketchum]

I enjoyed the Anwar article. We should all understand that he can't always give the detail that we all would love to hear.

Bottom line, Malik has been perceived as being to soft by UT coaches. This coaching staff is rightfully challenging him. Is it a coincedence that our 2 5-star players (Malik and Fowler) have acted the most entitled?

Hats off to Herman and staff by holding them accountable. Wheeler and Johnson will at least hit someone and give it 100%.

I think it's 100-percent unfair to refer to Jefferson as entitled.

Needing to get tougher-minded doesn't mean he's entitled. He works his ass off, as much as anyone in the program.

 

[bbussell1]

So if history tells us TH is too good not to pull a mjair upset this year, then that same history tells us there will be an SMU/Memphis/Navy clunker. What will it be?

Both.

 

[longhornms]

I think it's 100-percent unfair to refer to Jefferson as entitled.

Needing to get tougher-minded doesn't mean he's entitled. He works his ass off, as much as anyone in the program.

You may very well be right, but that is my perception. The three star guys usually aren't asking for a family meeting. I hope Jefferson knocks it dead this year and gets drafted in the first round.

 

[bbussell1]

I'd like to submit a B/S for next week:

Sandor Clegane has better hair than Dana Holgerson

Why men in America cannot figure out when they have lost a lot of their hair and what is left is thin and stringy that they would look much better just shaving it off versus doubling down and growing out the stringy thin stuff to twice the length to draw attention to it is beyond me.

European Men figured this out a while back and at least those with some dignity regarding their physical appearance never sport this look.

 

[SMS777]

Solid stuff. I share your thoughts on how I would have handled Jefferson, but Herman and these guys have been working with kids this age for close to 20 years, and nothing I have seen from him thus far makes me doubt his approach. I think the man knows what he is doing, and then some.

Good post. Agree completely with this. At this point, with Herman's resume, with the alignment he's been able to bring, and the unreal recruiting he & his staff have done, everybody ought be giving him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[DKR2005]

I can assure y'all that Malik couldn't be happier about the coaching staff.

 

[bbussell1]

Ketch - I'd like to see an analysis of which teams we most need to beat this year to start reestablishing our position as leaders in the conference.

 

[trophies2]

I think it's 100-percent unfair to refer to Jefferson as entitled.

Needing to get tougher-minded doesn't mean he's entitled. He works his ass off, as much as anyone in the program.

I agree about it being unfair to label MJ as entitled for the reasons you mentioned.

Perhaps a more fair question given the issues with two different staffs now, is how important is football really to Malik?

He didn't play with much passion and enthusiasm until being benched by Strong vs Baylor, suddenly, he played a lot better before getting hurt.

How important is football to Malik? Tom has made it clear repeatedly, that it needs to be important to the player, and that may be a point of contention.

 

[slothrop]

I think it's 100-percent unfair to refer to Jefferson as entitled.

Needing to get tougher-minded doesn't mean he's entitled. He works his ass off, as much as anyone in the program.

I agree; it has always been my view that the lad works very hard. But I am kind of unclear about the "tougher-minded" part. Can you help me with that Ketch?

 

[Ketchum]

You may very well be right, but that is my perception. The three star guys usually aren't asking for a family meeting. I hope Jefferson knocks it dead this year and gets drafted in the first round.

If you were a parent of Jefferson, you'd be asking for a meeting to talk about things as well.

 

[Ketchum]

Why men in America cannot figure out when they have lost a lot of their hair and what is left is thin and stringy that they would look much better just shaving it off versus doubling down and growing out the stringy thin stuff to twice the length to draw attention to it is beyond me.

European Men figured this out a while back and at least those with some dignity regarding their physical appearance never sport this look.

some men just LOVE their hair, even more if they have very little.

 

[Ketchum]

I can assure y'all that Malik couldn't be happier about the coaching staff.

k.

 

[Ketchum]

Ketch - I'd like to see an analysis of which teams we most need to beat this year to start reestablishing our position as leaders in the conference.

OU
OSU
TCU

 

[Ketchum]

I agree about it being unfair to label MJ as entitled for the reasons you mentioned.

Perhaps a more fair question given the issues with two different staffs now, is how important is football really to Malik?

He didn't play with much passion and enthusiasm until being benched by Strong vs Baylor, suddenly, he played a lot better before getting hurt.

How important is football to Malik? Tom has made it clear repeatedly, that it needs to be important to the player, and that may be a point of contention.

Very, very, very important from what I can tell.

I think we take for granted the mental toll these young guy go through.

 

[Ketchum]

I agree; it has always been my view that the lad works very hard. But I am kind of unclear about the "tougher-minded" part. Can you help me with that Ketch?

He's been a kid and he's being asked to become a man.

 

[trophies2]

Very, very, very important from what I can tell.

I think we take for granted the mental toll these young guy go through.

Well... then what the hell is the problem?

The mental toll is the excuse that Charlie used at the end of last season. Losing to Cal and Kansas is why there's a mental toll.

Texas isn't the only program with high expectations and a state and national spotlight.

 

[trophies2]

He's been a kid and he's being asked to become a man.

Then Tom Herman is the right guy to lead him, because as you correctly stated, nobody in the NFL is going to hold his hand when he gets to the NFL. It's a man's league. Tom being demanding of him is exactly what he needs in a football sense, even if he can't see that clearly now.

Since 2009, it's been predominantly the coaches fault, but at some point the players have to participate in the program's recovery towards being elite again. The players have to give a shit about winning. I'm not saying that about Malik, but at some point, it can't always be the coaches fault.

 

[PaulieD]

Why men in America cannot figure out when they have lost a lot of their hair and what is left is thin and stringy that they would look much better just shaving it off versus doubling down and growing out the stringy thin stuff to twice the length to draw attention to it is beyond me.

European Men figured this out a while back and at least those with some dignity regarding their physical appearance never sport this look.

Amen.
I get my noggin shaved every other week. I really like it - no hair dryer, no worrying about how it looks, it looks the same every time LOL

 

[PaulieD]

OU
OSU
TCU

I want to throw in WV and Kansas (latter in spite)

 

[PaulieD]

Ketch - re #6 - your questions of Rhule and Holgorsen - priceless.

 

[Okie4horns]

My biggest concern on how he finishes out the recruiting class is interior linemen and TE's.

 

[McGuapo]

Thanks man, good to have the column back.