ADVERTISEMENT

Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (The worst part of all...)

CDC has a few angels in his corner.
Is this on the BMD also to not make it clear that TH has to go and has to go now? CDC does not have a lot of guts to make the right class and must be pushed to do it or have his job on the line. It's 60% talent and recruiting to me and we are way behind OU and A&M is kicking our butt with OL/DL. From the sounds of things we might be short in the QB room soon also. They need to land more than 1 RB and need some talent at WR and a ton on the OL but I don't see anything good on the way.
 
If we are standing here on 1/5/21, CTH is "the coach in 2021."
That fact doesnt unequivocally translate to him coaching FB in September2021 .
Both can be true statements.
CTH can, at once, be the coach in 2021 and then ....depending on actions ....NOT be the coach (any longer) in 2021.
Maybe you aren't trying too hard, but you are being a lawyer.

I'm looking at this through the prism of a journalist and it just doesn't add up.

I've had sources not tell me everything about a situation, but outright lying? There will be some seriously hurt feelings if a few of these folks feel like they were used in that way and I'm not sure burning those that make it a mission to insulate you from damage is a great long-term play.
 
Something about all of this isn’t adding up.

This can’t be the final resolution for this coaching situation.

I don’t believe it.

It just can’t be. It makes no fvcking sense whatsoever.
What doesn't make sense?
1) We can't get the guy we wanted and were willing to pay for; so,
2) Its' not worth paying the heavy buyout to hire another unproven up and comer like Strong & Herman. There is simply no "can't miss" guy out there.
Makes perfect sense to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: J Tull and batmang
Maybe you aren't trying too hard, but you are being a lawyer.

I'm looking at this through the prism of a journalist and it just doesn't add up.

I've had sources not tell me everything about a situation, but outright lying? There will be some seriously hurt feelings if a few of these folks feel like they were used in that way and I'm not sure burning those that make it a mission to insulate you from damage is a great long-term play.

All due respect, who cares about hurt feelings? This happens all the time. He could even say specifically that Herman is our guy and will definitely coach here next year. If a better option comes along, he should and likely will take it. Nobody is going to care what he said on December 12th.
 
CDC didn't call us back, but he called his boy C hip back. He loves him some Chip.



There's no question that the statement itself was weaker than .30 toilet paper.

The first week of January is technically 2021.

Extremely curious moves by CDC this past week. Disappointed. The unnecessary and poorly thought-out statement followed by phone calls to Bohls and Chip?
 
I'm telling you as strongly as possible, CDC has been working his guys to promote the Tom coming back angle for weeks.

I wondered when it first started happening if CDC had gone rouge and was playing both sides of the fence, so I checked with some sourcing about it and they supported what he was doing.

It would make total sense if there was some secret plan between CDC and Eltife, but so many little mistakes have been made that it's hard for me to believe that there's a true wizard inside of Oz.
Finally. What ive been saying. Cdc played the BmD. He led them to believe we were all straight ahead at removing Herman, but in the back CDC was creating support for him and Hartzell with the BoR to keep Herman.
 
Maybe you aren't trying too hard, but you are being a lawyer.

I'm looking at this through the prism of a journalist and it just doesn't add up.

I've had sources not tell me everything about a situation, but outright lying? There will be some seriously hurt feelings if a few of these folks feel like they were used in that way and I'm not sure burning those that make it a mission to insulate you from damage is a great long-term play.

To be fair, it is Bohls and Chip.
 
The first week of January is technically 2021.

Extremely curious moves by CDC this past week. Disappointed. The unnecessary and poorly thought-out statement followed by phone calls to Bohls and Chip?
I totally agree that there's room here, probably even hopeful room, but it hasn't materialized yet IMO.

How to handicap it?

Good question.
 
To be fair, it is Bohls and Chip.
Yeah, but those are two of HIS guys. Look at how TEOT situation played out and who took those quotes from the three head coaches at UT with no followup questions or added context.

It doesn't make sense to me that he would mislead his inner media circle to the extent that they become collateral damage along the way.

JMO.

By the way, I'm not hating on those guys having access to CDC. I'm just acknowledging it.
 
It's just that we've never seen a university that touts "what starts here changes the world" be afraid to be the Joneses because it's easier to live in fear than to act fearlessly.

This is what happens when the direction of the football program and selecting head coaches are left in the hands of whatever college professor is currently serving as university president.
 
This is what happens when the direction of the football program and selecting head coaches are left in the hands of whatever college professor is currently serving as university president.
I'm not sure that's been UT's problem.
 
True, but mentioning it 10 days ago is the only reason why I thought of it yesterday.

I'll retire it.
I’d probably be reliving that history too. Actually, I did. She wasn’t a Playboy girl, but I got a safe for work date out of it. Kinda fun walking into a joint with easily the most beautiful girl in the house on my arm. She actually had a bachelors degree and could carry on an intellectual convo. She was from AZ, but was dancing in Laredo at the time. Ahhhh, the good times!
 
What about Catherine McFee’s cover of Rainbow on American Idol? Judy Garland wishes she could sound like that!
 
Firing Herman for the sake of firing Herman doesn’t make any sense. I am NOT in favor of firing Herman until another coach is signed up. How many candidates are realistically available? Take every coach that has already won a national championship off the list because they aren’t available or we don’t want them. How many proven candidates are there that are less of a risk than Herman was when hired or is by keeping him? Four? I do not include the likes of James Franklin or Christoph on the list. They aren’t less risky than keeping Herman. I am no Herman apologist. I am a realist. Ketch, you would rather hire Art Briles than keep Herman wouldn’t you?
 
I’d probably be reliving that history too. Actually, I did. She wasn’t a Playboy girl, but I got a safe for work date out of it. Kinda fun walking into a joint with easily the most beautiful girl in the house on my arm. She actually had a bachelors degree and could carry on an intellectual convo. She was from AZ, but was dancing in Laredo at the time. Ahhhh, the good times!
She probably was going to rob me and steal my kidneys.

She was so far out of my league it's not even funny, but I was a charming sonofabitch that night. We hung out in VIP for hours and she never charged me beyond my first $200.

Another person from Rivals spent thousands that night right next to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: J Tull
@Ketchum - is the Mickey Mouse way in which CDC is handling the Herman situation indicative of how he handled any negotiations with UM?

You said he has been dropping this for “weeks“ to his preferred outlets. What does this say about how discussions with UM were going?

Bluntly, did he F’ this up?
 
Last edited:
ee0e3a40b744e2eebc3b4d949eaa9055x.jpg

source.gif


As much as I have proven that I love the sound of my own voice, I've spent 24 hours trying to avoid repeating myself, and I just can't quite do it.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about this snapshot in history representing a moment of truth for the Texas program.

Last week, my message was simple... Texas was too far down the road to turn back.

Now? I've spent the last 24 hours digesting the apparent announcement from Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte that Tom Herman will return in 2021 for his fifth season as Texas head coach, and I'm struggling to come up with words that I personally haven't already been said.

Oh, I could rant and rave about the state of recruiting and the dangers of the status quo, but I've already covered that ground (for the record, only during Charlie Strong's final couple of months has the state of Texas' recruiting and its outlook for improvement been worse).

There's certainly a column to be written about the set of decisions over the last few months that Del Conte has made, but I've already written so much about those that some folks believe I have a vendetta against him. But I've mostly been pointing out things that are obvious to anyone with their eyes open.

Hell, part of me considered putting together the most condescendingly positive spin that my demented brain could create, but the wounds still feel way too fresh to think that you guys are ready to chuckle about a single damn thing.

Therefore, I'm just going to say a few things that I need to get off my chest, starting with the central theme of my current state of mind... THIS HAS DISASTER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT.

There's a side of me that wants to say that none of this is smart, but I can conceptualize that spending $25-35 million in buyouts during a pandemic is risky; as someone who has preached about the seriousness of the fiscal issues the athletic department might face in the next year, I would understand that line of thinking if these were remotely normal circumstances. But that's not the case.

For me, this is a “break glass in case of emergency” moment. Things weren't this bad in 2013 when the Red Banquet forced Mack Brown out of town. Things were in this neighborhood in the fall of 2016 when Strong was fired, but a stand-in athletic director and a school president that wanted nothing to do with managing football stepped in before it reached where we are now.

No one wants to eat millions during a pandemic, but in a dog-eat-dog world where billions are earned every decade, programs that place winning above all else do what they have to do.

Arizona is spending nearly eight figures to buy out Kevin Sumlin. South Carolina is looking to get out of all the money it owes Will Muschamp, but it is prepared to swallow $13.2 million (not including any staff buyout costs). Hell, Auburn is literally setting fire to $20+ million to get rid of a coach that led the Tigers to a national championship game seven years ago because Auburn can't handle a 6-4 season within the context of Alabama being Alabama.

Auburn isn't a true blueblood or even the No. 1 school in its own state, yet it appears to have significantly more urgency to succeed in football than Texas.

Yes, Urban Meyer is the only surefire, game-changing option that seems to be available, and missing out on him is incredibly disappointing, but the urgency for change isn't reduced just because the first choice declined. The idea that the biggest money-making athletic department in NCAA history is going to let something like 3 percent of its earnings over the past decade keep it from doing what absolutely must be done is small-time.

That's the part that is so upsetting to Texas football fans right now.

It's not the sloppy work from the athletic director. It's not the head football coach that can't get it done. It's not a collective group of university power players missing out on its white whale.

We've all seen that stuff before. Hell, we've seen it all happen at the same time before.

It's just that we've never seen a university that touts "what starts here changes the world" be afraid to be the Joneses because it's easier to live in fear than to act fearlessly.

That's the part that kills the stuff that dreams are made of.

No. 2 - A quick note about Chris Del Conte...

For the record, Del Conte still seems to have full university backing through all that has happened.

Even after the pursuit of Meyer failed and the idea of Herman returning became a realistic possibility, I haven't spoken to anyone whose opinion matters in the grand scheme of things that has done anything but support Del Conte.

In fact, when word started to spread two weeks ago that Texas Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife was becoming more active behind the scenes, multiple university officials made a point to stress that Del Conte was the person ultimately driving the bus.

I'm fascinated to see how this pans out, but no one should be under the impression that Del Conte is feeling pressure for his job because that isn't an active threat. His Q score still seems very high among the most important voices on campus.

There's a part of me that believes that power brokers within the university still want to make a big move (not a marginal one) and I fully expect for the tires to be kicked on every possible premium car. I'd guess that they cringed upon reading Saturday's statement.

You won't see me say that anything about what just happened is 100-percent final.

If Del Conte turns out to be the second-coming of Walter White, I'll be the first person to give him his props. Hell, I'll give his props if he turns into Jesse Pinkman by accident. From my perspective, I see an athletic director that has quietly been setting the stage for a possible Herman return from the moment Oregon lost its first game, which was also about 48 hours after his name was being floated by some folks behind the scenes as a legit option.

Could there be more to it all? Sure, but benefit of the doubt is no longer given around here.

It's earned.

No. 3 - Moments of absolute positivity ...

Given that you might be ready to scream now, if you haven't already, I thought I would write a few positive opinions just to remind you that hope springs eternal.

* I'm convinced that Hudson Card has a chance to be a big-time star. I'm not going to go overboard with hyperbole because I've already done that with a former Lake Travis prep star during this 11-year run of mediocrity, but just know that my instincts tell me to say some really hyperbolic stuff about the young man. From what I hear behind the scenes, my optimism with Card isn't unfounded.

* Bijan Robinson could become a weekly get-out-of-jail-free card for an offense with growing pains in other areas (similar to what OU went through this year).

* The continued evolution of Jake Majors at center and Andrej Karic at left tackle gives the offensive line more hope than I had a month ago. Those two are more advanced than their experience and age would indicate.

* Chris Ash, Mike Yurcich and the rest of an improved coaching staff should have a more normal offseason compared to 2020. Considering how close the losses have been this year, it's fair to wonder if Texas would have been just a little bit better with more preparation.

* DeMarvion Overshown has indicated he might just stick around for another season, and if that happens, he could emerge as one of the best defensive players in the Big 12.

* Texas returns a lot of quality interior players on the defensive side of the ball. I'm not sure where the pass rush is going to come from, but the run defense is promising.

* Texas should return all of its cornerbacks from the season, and that doesn't feel like a small detail.

No. 4 - About the arrest of Ishmael Ibraheem ...




No. 5 - A small recruiting rant ...

I have to say that I don't have many bones to pick with the current Texas rankings in the Class of 2021, but I am mystified by the current No. 13 ranking of Denton Ryan star Ja'Tavion Sanders.

Yes, I know it's an incredibly deep year of talent in the Lone Star State. Yes, I know he's ranked No. 62 overall in the nation, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Still, for my money, he's closer to being the No. 1 ranked prospect in Texas than he is to being the No. 13 prospect.




No. 6 - Truth be told ...

Of all the COVID-related cancellations/postponements this weekend, none disappointed me more than seeing Texas' trip to Waco on Sunday for a matchup against No. 2 Baylor called off.

I'm not sure I thought that Texas was going to win on Sunday, but I sure as hell was looking forward to seeing the Longhorns try.

At the risk of jinxing the season, I'm going to confess that watching Texas basketball is kinda fun at the moment. Long may it continue.

No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
penny-stocks-to-buy-or-sell-august.jpg



(Buy) I said it earlier in the week, and I'll say it again, I think we'll see a very quiet approach to Urban in hopes that if he says no, public embarrassment won't follow. In the meantime, regroup and try again, especially if this is the only option you're willing to make a move for.


(Sell) I think Texas fans have an obsession with not accepting mediocrity.


(Sell) Is this the only thing I can do with the time machine? What if I went back to the Rose Bowl in 2010 and forced Greg Davis to call another play instead of the one that injured Colt? What if I can go back and put stick'em all over Blake Gideon's body in Lubbock in 2008? Part of me just wants to go back to Las Vegas in 2000 and answer the phone when a former Playboy Playmate called my phone while I was watching "Gladiator.”

Can't Del Conte keep his job, start making better chess moves and let me use my "gift certificate" on something else? I just feel like I'm going to be quite resentful if I have to use it on him.


(Sell) The Texas admin doesn't believe you will.


(Sell) That seems unlikely.


(Sell) I'm not even sure what public narrative exists about the UM saga that is incorrect. Texas swung for the fences and appears to have hit a ball to the warning track. I never sensed that our sources over-hyped the pursuit or under-hyped it. They were pretty tight-lipped and kept details to themselves.


(Buy) It's all about the dollar, dollar bills.


(Sell) Great question. I might need some time to fully digest everything at play, but those odds seem way too high at the moment.


(Sell) I expect Ossai to leave early.


(Sell) His best chance is for me to be right about Hudson Card.


(Buy) Call me naive, but I'll go with A. I'm not sure that anyone could justify going with an up and comer when that same option exists right now and is being bypassed. They'll have to do something dramatic.


(Sell) Texas has nowhere near as much raw talent in the program as that LSU squad did.


(Sell) Bowl games typically don't have big impacts on recruiting, especially the non-playoff, non-major bowl games.


(Sell) Recruits questioning Herman's sales pitch of Texas returning to greatness under him is what is setting the tone in 2021 and 2022.


(Buy) Good feels like a very low bar, though.


(Sell) He feels more like Sonny without fighting skills than Fredo.

No. 8 - Scattershooting on the world of sports...

... I kind of enjoyed Florida losing this weekend because of a play that involved someone throwing a shoe 20 yards down the field. Of course, LSU won that game.

... Mack Brown having a team rush for 554 yards against a Manny Diaz defense feels like one of those things that the universe just had to make right.

... Ty Jordan looking like a guy that could compete with Bijan Robinson for carries is not something I expected to see.

... BYU has somehow squeezed in 11 games this season.

... Deep down, Michigan fans are glad the Ohio State game was cancelled.

... I've never cared less about the Dallas Cowboys winning a game than I did on Sunday, but good for Andy Dalton, I guess.

... I actually applaud how poorly the Texans played on Sunday. That's how you tank for a better draft pick.

... Can't say I missed fantasy football this weekend.

No. 9 - The List: Cover Songs



After making this statement on Friday, I thought this would make an excellent topic for a Top 10 list.

The idea behind this isn't that I'm claiming this to be a list of the best cover songs of all time. Instead, the premise is to come up with cover songs that have been covered the most times with the most quality versions.

For instance, "All Along the Watchtower" doesn't make the list because Jimi Hendrix covered a Dylan song in epic fashion, but it does get consideration because U2, Eddie Vedder and Neil Young (among others) have added versions of the song.

10. Imagine (John Lennon, Neil Young, Eva Cassidy, Lady Gaga, Chris Cornell and A Perfect Circle)

9. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Guns and Roses, Tracy Chapman, Roger Waters and Dolly Parton)

8. Jolene (Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Alison Krauss, The White Stripes and Norah Jones)

7. Respect (Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Kelly Clarkson)

6. All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, Eric Clapton and Neil Young)

5. Stand By Me (Ben E. King, Otis Redding, John Lennon, Mickey Gilley, U2, Imagine Dragons and Tracy Chapman)

4. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Damien Rice, Willie Nelson, K.D. Lang and Regina Spektor)

3. Yesterday (The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Elvis, Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra)

2. A Song For You (Leon Russell, Donny Hathaway, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, The Temptations and Whitney Houston)

1. Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Patti LaBelle, Willie Nelson, Eva Cassidy, Pink and Ariana Grande)

No.10 - And finally...

One of the best friends that this site has ever known is Austin artist Robert Hurst.

Any time we've ever had a cause and needed donations, Robert has been there because more than anything else, he's a good human being who wants to look out for others.

A little piece of my heart broke a few weeks ago when he announced that he was battling cancer, and in trying to think of how we can help him, I figured I would begin by listing a link to his website so that anyone that wants to buy his available work or see this spectacular artwork for the first time knows where to go.

Therefore, please... please.... please...

visit Adamnfineartist.com


Omissions from your list as I see it:
-Angel from Montgomery
-Desperados Waiting for a Train
-Im So Lonesome I Could Cry
 
Sadly, I agree with with your point that fans won't withhold the donations and support of the team in a way that will cause leadership to take action. That is why CDC is entirely comfortable keeping a lame duck coach who we know cannot recruit, develop, or win at a championship level going forward.
Never gotten more coupon ads from Co-Op in my time as a UT Grad. They are already hurting. Didn't bother trying to get a tkt this year, haven't bought sht from the Co-Op. I love my University but I'm done with mediocre football. I think our reign as top revenue college program is over. Or will be soon. I get it, absent options, go with what you know, CTH. Opposite of love isn't hate its apathy. I'm apathetic towards our team because I question our true desire to win and to do what is necessary to win. Flame away. Just sharing a perspective. Wouldn't be getting these ads if some of what I'm saying isn't settling in with a section of our fanbase that feels the same.
 
Eva Cassidy's version of Fields of Gold is also amazing. But her Over the Rainbow is absolutely sublime. Bob Schneider's version of SOTR is also quite good - understated but really well done.

And special consideration to "A Change is Gonna Come" which, while not featuring a huge lineup of memorable cover artists, has been sung by the only 2 vocalists who are good enough to even attempt to sing it (Cooke & Redding).
 
Eva Cassidy's version of Fields of Gold is also amazing. But her Over the Rainbow is absolutely sublime. Bob Schneider's version of SOTR is also quite good - understated but really well done.

And special consideration to "A Change is Gonna Come" which, while not featuring a huge lineup of memorable cover artists, has been sung by the only 2 vocalists who are good enough to even attempt to sing it (Cooke & Redding).
Love this post.
 
ADVERTISEMENT