Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Wrapping up the weekend and addressing DFW...)
- Thread starter Ketchum
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Just shut up and act, amiright?I know you're screwing with me, but I'll defend my stance anyway
It's not a bone to pick. It bores me, so that's why I don't watch it.
Look, I expect them to thank their wives, or their parents who put up with hardships to help them reach their dreams. All that stuff is endearing and interesting to me. But thanking an agent and a manager and countless other people nobody knows... it's boring to me.
The political statements are off-putting. Regardless of who they are bashing. I don't care which movies my politicians like. Why should I care about the politics my movie-makers endorse? Telling me how to think politically is very annoying, especially if your qualifications are your ability to pretend you're someone you aren't.
I understand why they do it, because they have a huge platform. I'm not even suggesting you take that platform away from them. I'm just saying put that in a press release that I can choose to read it or not and I'll still watch the event. If you make me watch it on TV, then I'm going to choose not to watch at all.
. They were getting high three stars and low four state. He showed up and they started getting multiple top 20 players in California yearly
This is his second stint with OU. He came back to Norman last year after being the CB coach at Nevada with jay norvell. He was with OU from 2013-2016. He played a big role is OU getting 3 top 10 players in California in 2014. He did all this while only a GA.
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and yet his name has never been mentioned on this site and when I spoke to an OU recruiting reporter about the OU difference makers in recruiting, his name wasn't mentioned...
. Why would his name ever show up on this board? Texas didn’t have strong footprint in CalifornIia from 2013-2016.
While I’m not saying that he’s one of the best recruiters in the country I would say about 90% of the name in the top recruiters in the nation have never once been mentioned on this board
do a google search for any article with his name mentioned for any reason during that time.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sb...mitment-highlights-oklahoma-notre-dame-oregon
I found five updates from two top 10 players that committed to OU who specifically mention viney as a big reason they chose OU. They are from other services and I didn’t feel it was oppropiate to link those here without your permission
I found five updates from two top 10 players that committed to OU who specifically mention viney as a big reason they chose OU. They are from other services and I didn’t feel it was oppropiate to link those here without your permission
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Actually no. I don't mind them having opinions, we all do. And they are as free to share theirs as anyone.
I'm just not going to watch an Awards show to see them.
Now quit trolling me!
Fair enough. His impact as it relates to competing in Texas is limited it would seem. Perhaps he'll cross hairs with Carrington in Cali this year.
But, you won't watch an awards show to avoid them.
I'm not trolling you. All tongue in cheek fun.
LOL. Weak. BTW, if "context" matters and rationalizes "pretty decent" then WTF does it matter what you said before? I mean, it's not as if anything about your "context" changed between then and now. That being said, I have little idea about what you've said this season about Shaka and the season or this and that. I know a year ago, he was a "pretty damn good coach." Has that changed?
From an article just a couple of weeks ago... Weird that you'd ignore...er... forget it since it's the only time all season I've led my column off with basketball talk.
Context... be better at this.
******
As a twelve-year old living in Austin in early 1989, I didn't really pay much attention to Texas Longhorns athletics because at the time I was about as devout of a Baylor fan as a kid born in Waco (who started going to Baylor football games by himself at age seven) could be.
Although I attended a number of Texas home games in 1987 and 1988, it was hard to feel anything towards the Longhorns because I always seemed to show up on Saturdays when the football was really bad (a 66-15 loss to Houston stands out).
Then, Tom Penders happened, along with Travis Mayes, Lance Blanks and Joey Wright. And then Panama Myers blocked that shot against Purdue and I was beyond hooked.
Way before the idea of covering Texas athletics ever became a dream, I loved Texas basketball.
It's why what's happening and has been happening with the Texas basketball program is so disappointing. Once upon a time, Texas basketball was a passion, but over the last 10 years or so it's a little like jury duty ... you'll show up because you're obligated to, but by God, if there's a way to get out of it, you'll do it.
Changes are needed. Big ones.
No one could accuse me of disliking Shaka Smart. On the contrary, some would accuse my respect for him as some sort of love-fest. Certainly, I'd admit to wanting it to work out because all things being equal, if I'm going to watch roughly 80 hours of Texas basketball each year, I'd like for it to be interesting.
Yet, it's not working out. Smart might still be a damn good coach, but sometimes fit matters quite a bit and the fit here has proven to be poor. Oh, it's quite possible that this Texas basketball team will still find a way to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but that's the lowest possible bar of success that can be met around these parts. The bare minimum.
What matters is that we're living in the worst stretch of Texas basketball by a long shot since the Dark Days of Weltlich. It's been so long since Texas played on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, that I've lost track of how long it’s been.
More than anything, I just don't know what giving Smart another year is supposed to accomplish besides owing one less year on a contract you'd have to otherwise pay off. It's been the same week-to-week questions for the last four years with few real answers seemingly ever emerging. What's different about this season from the last? You know what that kind of support of that ideology is called?
Uninspiring.
Barring something almost impossible to foresee occurring with this team in the next eight weeks, change must be made. Texas can do better than this. In a new spot, Smart likely will as well. For whatever reason, this hasn't worked out and it's ok to acknowledge it. Frankly, it's a healthy thing to do.
If it doesn't happen, you'll forgive me if I find something else to do with my 80+ hours this year.
So again, what about "context" has changed since then? FWIW, it was even hilarious you wanted to rationalize his failure as a "bad fit."
If by "bad fit" you mean a coach who is not good enough for Texas, then I agree.
You mean besides the fact that Shaka is in year 4 of his program with his best team in a Big 12 conference that is at least a little bit down than recent years and we are just 7-6?
decent isn't good, let alone very good/damn good, let alone great.
It's about the bare minimum of ok.
Maybe the staff doesn’t rate your LSR DBs #6-8 as high as you do. If he gets Thompson, Jackson, Washington and Ringo he might scoff again at the Metroplex “problem”.
IMO, the two things aren't mutually exclusive. I do think @Ketchum point is pretty much that in a state like Texas and football recruiting, the flagship school really needs a consistent recruiting presence in a market that clearly has one of the deepest talents in, not just the state, but the nation.
I'm just saying "decent" in any fashion isn't any reall hyperbole-soaked praise.Depends on context. Probably better than a small but dedicated minority would offer.
It is pretty simple. They are ok with being average because they don't care about the basketball program.
IF Hayes is a lottery pick this year that will mean that Shaka will have had one lottery pick in each of his first four seasons at Texas and will have not made it into the second round of the tourney with any of those players. 0-4 with four lottery picks. That is NOT pretty decent.
Anyone that thinks 7-6 in the fourth year as HC at Texas is ok. One poster just said "it's not Shaka's fault" that no one cares about the basketball program.
ok, ok , ok. Sorry for the quotes. For the record, I think we do have a problem in DFW, and it predates Herman. It will probably take missing out on Houston and national targets for him to make changes to address the problem.
King of cliffs @SpaceCityWrangler great synopsis. This staff does not bend to the winds of public opinion. Really becoming more & more impressed with their evaluations and due diligence.
