I might be in the minority, but I really like the Irishman--watched it multiple times. I agree with you on Raging Bull as well.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (What happens next will define Sark's 3-year tenure)
- Thread starter Ketchum
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Solid solid Scorsese list! I was about to nitpick Gangs of New York at number 5, then read 1-4. I wouldn't replace any of those 1-4, but I loved Gangs of New York. Everyone always rags on Camron Diaz' role, but I thought she was fine, regardless of the weaker accent. My one Scorsese comment is that I thought The Irishman was the worst piece of crap movie, just in general - not considering it came from Scorsese. It was so boring and the decision to use the crap out of the de-aging tech on Bobby D was terrible! It was so distracting for the entire film! Maybe the film wasn't boring, but I was so distracted by the crappy de-aging that I didn't notice the plot or acting. Rant over.
That game last weekend!! Woof!! We have to find some kind of solution in the CB/DB group. Watts is definitely missed, but I agree with your assessment of Catalon. He's mostly been a non-issue this year, unfortunately. I'll be curious to see how Maalik will perform given a full week of QB1 snaps. He certainly throws a pretty ball and can throw it a mile and at 1000 mph, but I'm hoping he pulls more of a Spring game performance with a week of knowledge that he's starting the game. I also hope to see Arch this weekend.
I've also had enough of the "totally new defense thrown at us" spiel. If we're having issues with that, it suggests to me that either QE's football IQ isn't high enough to think outside of the box that he'd been preparing for during the week OR Sark continues his stubborn adherence to the plan instead of recognizing the new defense himself and pivoting the game plan OR both.
That game last weekend!! Woof!! We have to find some kind of solution in the CB/DB group. Watts is definitely missed, but I agree with your assessment of Catalon. He's mostly been a non-issue this year, unfortunately. I'll be curious to see how Maalik will perform given a full week of QB1 snaps. He certainly throws a pretty ball and can throw it a mile and at 1000 mph, but I'm hoping he pulls more of a Spring game performance with a week of knowledge that he's starting the game. I also hope to see Arch this weekend.
I've also had enough of the "totally new defense thrown at us" spiel. If we're having issues with that, it suggests to me that either QE's football IQ isn't high enough to think outside of the box that he'd been preparing for during the week OR Sark continues his stubborn adherence to the plan instead of recognizing the new defense himself and pivoting the game plan OR both.
totally agree!
Unfortunately, Sark's coaching really has been shaky, at best. That ultimately may do us in.
It’s very concerning because like I said this staff is recruiting great, I mean we don’t have a chance at landing Ewers, Arch or Malik without Sark or Flood with the OLine haul he’s brought in.
They both would be unemployed all of five minutes, but it’s the age old problem Texas is snake bit, but if the talent doesn’t get developed to their level of rating, five stars and four stars.
I said this when they hired Sark, he’s a really likable coach that the players really like playing for, but he won’t be the coach with fire in his belly, his laid back demeanor is what the players will see and adapt to good or bad that’s who he is, great coordinator, not great coach, but I think many schools would love to have him as their coach in this type of environment we live in these days in Coaching.
Years ago the Urban Meyer types is what you wanted, but I’m not sure that style works any longer with these kids.
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Ketch - This may be the best 10 Thoughts... I've ever read on this site (and there have been some doozies). Or maybe it just makes the most sense to me, personally.
Starting with the least important: I have no idea how anyone could argue with Gangs of New York being top-5 or Aviator top-10. Both are in that tier of movies that, if on cable, I'm watching unless there's a serious sports conflict.
But more importantly, the "Nitpicking Sark" section was necessary, harsh but fair, and made me feel like I'm not going crazy. The quoted parts from Sark's postgame presser make me think he needs a better PR team to coach him up onn what NOT to say, more than anything else. It's beyond mere concern to hear a coach acknowledge, publicly, that he struggles with teams who don't entirely conform to what their tape shows their tendencies are.
Starting with the least important: I have no idea how anyone could argue with Gangs of New York being top-5 or Aviator top-10. Both are in that tier of movies that, if on cable, I'm watching unless there's a serious sports conflict.
But more importantly, the "Nitpicking Sark" section was necessary, harsh but fair, and made me feel like I'm not going crazy. The quoted parts from Sark's postgame presser make me think he needs a better PR team to coach him up onn what NOT to say, more than anything else. It's beyond mere concern to hear a coach acknowledge, publicly, that he struggles with teams who don't entirely conform to what their tape shows their tendencies are.
Sark reminds me of Mack in some ways--and it makes me nervous.
I'm not disagreeing with you, but Taaffe committed to Rice before accepting a PWO from UT.
I don't ever know what to think anymore. The tone changes every week. It wasn't but a few weeks ago that you went on and on about how certain players had taken huge leaps and they were getting high play out of low ranked talent. Now the theme is we're not improving. And the problem is, I don't disagree with either of your takes. I just want one narrative that actually sticks, but I'm afraid that it won't be the narrative I want.
This Jekyll and Hyde thing gets old.
Probably will happen.
You know what is really interesting about Bohls?--he's covered this program for 50 years, and he actually picked this team to go undefeated--which I guess, is ok, but you would think he'd be more cynical about Sark, given the disparity of what Sark says and what we see on the field.
I don't think they've been aggressive enough.
Defo give Gangs another view. I've probably watched it 100 times in parts or whole.
Somebody please rile him up. I'd like to see an angry team play for once. You don't get penalized for winning by too much
They kept wanting to go deep, but Ewers saw that it wasn't there and never really pressed the issue.
I think as a rule, this team should probably try to play their A game week in and week out.
Seems like he has been injured at least 3 times in the last 3 years. Arch better be ready.
I've only see it once from start to finish and it took me a couple of days. I need to return to it.
Fair enough. They certainly didn't play a great game so they failed in that aspect. And they weren't even close to covering. If the standard is covering the point spread and Texas loses by 10 when they are a 10.5 point dog then I guess they have met that standard.
If the standard is winning then they succeeded. Probably too simplistic I know. I like simple in sports.
I was afraid you'd say that. Lack of self awareness and stubbornness has cost many coaches their jobs. Just ask Tom Herman
Absolutely right--it ultimately cost Mack his job--and it will cost Sark his job--maybe not now, not next year, but eventually, because it has, and is, affecting his team's performance--and he simply won't win enough because of it.
There's quite a bit of good content in this 8-page thread, but I haven't seen anyone zero in what I feel like the is the root of our offensive decline: our pass blocking. It's why Ewers got hurt. When the confidence in pass protection is low it changes the playcalling options dramatically and while our OL played lights out against Bama, I feel like it was much more brutal against OU (I give them a bit of a pass with Majors going down early)...but with him returning this week, I just don't understand how our OL isn't dominating. We have a lot of experience now that we're halfway through this season and the same crew played together last year...and it's loaded with 4 and 5 star recruits. If our OL dominates and Sanders/Helm do their part (and Brooks and Baxter pick up blitzers), we should have our way with any defense, regardless of 3-3-5 or any other formation.
Our offense is so loaded with weapons that it's good enough, particularly if our OL is leading the charge, to truly be our best defense too. We should have a balanced attack through 2 1/2 quarters and then pound Brooks/Baxter the last 1 1/2 quarters...and score upper 40's on the rest of our schedule...and our D is good enough to keep opponents under 32 (should be good enough to keep them under 22).
Our offense is so loaded with weapons that it's good enough, particularly if our OL is leading the charge, to truly be our best defense too. We should have a balanced attack through 2 1/2 quarters and then pound Brooks/Baxter the last 1 1/2 quarters...and score upper 40's on the rest of our schedule...and our D is good enough to keep opponents under 32 (should be good enough to keep them under 22).
Good point on Mack Brown. I can't believe he didn't come to mind as an example. Must be the battered fan syndrome kicking in...
If it were easy to be elite, everyone would be elite.
There are only a handful of guys that are truly elite.
