It is about damn time.
There is no need to continue engaging in threads debating Hilary Clinton vs. Donald Trump. We can mostly get past the LeBron James legacy conversations. The risque “Girl of the Day” threads can safely fly under the radar. It is finally time to ignore baseball – excluding the 10 people who watched the All-Star game – and move onto our favorite sport.
Get the San Antonio crew together for another happy hour, y’all
Texas football is back.
Big 12 Media Days will begin in Dallas on Monday, and we will learn what this year’s meaningless conference motto will be. Anybody remember “One True Champion” until commissioner Bob Bowlsby borrowed a page from the i9 Sports playbook and split the title between Baylor and TCU? Last year, the slogan was “Every Game Matters," which was clearly not the case since the conference added a championship game. Of course, this is the same league that was not in favor of granting Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield an extra year of eligibility before magically give him one more season after a huge backlash. At this rate, the league might switch media days from Dallas to Houston just to remain consistent.
There goes my media credential.
Texas coach Charlie Strong will participate in his third Big 12 Media Day on Tuesday. He will address the room during a press conference at 10:05 a.m. before a breakout session from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Strong has dealt with the media for a long time, which means nobody can bait him into answering questions. He will either give a direct answer to the question, or deliver a playful laugh and avoid the topic. From a reporter’s perspective, Strong’s style beats the confrontational exchanges with coaches many of us have endured at some point in our career. Imagine having to walk on pins and needles covering Nick Saban.
Strong will receive plenty of questions this week with training camp on the horizon. Here is a list of questions Strong must be prepared to answer during Big 12 Media Days (sorry, I banned myself from “Top 10 reasons why …” headlines a while ago, and it has been liberating).
Are you prepared for Shane Buechele to start? – UT followers know Strong will attempt to downplay his freshman quarterback. However, Strong is seemingly following a script to keep Buechele and the other quarterbacks motivated before the freshman is eventually named the starter. Strong will receive plenty of questions about Buechele during his press conference and breakout session. All you need to know about this competition is Tyrone Swoopes was not asked to participate in Big 12 Media Days. If a senior quarterback is not associated with a major preseason media event, it means there is a good chance he will not play much this year. If Strong delivers another story about Buechele's work ethic this offseason, the commute to work for UT fans on Wednesday morning will be less stressful.
Are you concerned about your job security? – This topic is not the elephant in the room anymore. After compiling an 11-14 record during two seasons at Texas, the speculation about Strong’s job security will be a huge topic this season. Strong can point at his outstanding recruiting classes to show there might be brighter days ahead. Strong has said numerous times he just needs to win, which means he knows this question is coming.
How many wins will save your job? – What is the magic number? Is it seven wins? Eight wins? Every UT follower has an acceptable win total in his or her head. Obviously, Strong wants to win them all. Strong cannot say he is aiming for a 7-5 record because the backlash for not trying to win a conference title will be overwhelming. Instead, Strong has to sprinkle some optimism into his answer without painting himself into a corner.
How important is the season opener against Notre Dame? – This is a question on which Strong can really expand. There was so much excitement about the program prior to last year’s season opener against Notre Dame. Texas’ loss was so disappointing, Strong demoted former play-caller Shawn Watson and benched Swoopes in favor of Jerrod Heard. Clearly, Texas wants to avoid a repeat of last season, especially since this year’s game will be nationally televised on a Sunday. This will be another opportunity for Strong to provide his fan base with some hope.
Is the defense going to be better than last season? – Sure, Texas ended last season with an impressive win against Baylor. However, Texas gave up 395 rushing yards against a team without a quarterback and zero intent to throw. The secondary should be better than last season, but it will mean nothing if the defensive line fails to stop the run, or apply a pass rush, for a second consecutive season. This will be Strong’s opportunity to talk about his freshmen defensive lineman and their immediate impact. Just like last year’s season opener against Notre Dame, Texas cannot afford to have a defensive performance similar to what occurred in 2015.
How can you get the Longhorns to perform better on the road? – Inviting friends over to watch Texas play on the road only ended well one time last year. Texas was 1-4 on the road last season (not including its victory against Oklahoma). More importantly, the Longhorns were outscored 167-53 during those games. For those not interested in doing the math, Texas’ average road loss was 33-11. Maybe the team needs to stay at Marriotts, invest in body pillows, or ask each player to download a sleep sound on his phone (rainforest is very soothing). Regardless, this will be another area of inquisition.
Are D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren ready to lead this team? – This "thunder and thunder" combination of running backs has the potential to bring plenty of offensive excitement this season. Foreman finished last season with 685 rushing yards and five touchdowns before a hand injury sidelined him for the final two games. Warren rushed for 276 yards and four touchdowns against Texas Tech and 106 yards in the season finale against Baylor. It will be up to both running backs to take pressure off Buechele this season.
How did you get those Baylor players? – The conspiracy theorists/Art Briles apologists in Waco had a lot to say about Texas acquiring players who were previously committed to Baylor. Instead of trying to understand why those young men did not want to attend a program that enabled sexual assaults, and removed Briles as a result of his actions, some Baylor supporters were content to accuse Texas of plotting to bring down their program the entire time.
Today, the Longhorns take over Baylor. Tomorrow, Red McCombs leads the troops into Turkey.
Strong will be asked about his new players, and some Baylor fans will act like they are the victims instead of … you know … the women who were sexually assaulted.
Is Malik Jefferson ready to command Texas' defense? – I think the majority of people who follow the program believe the answer is yes. Jefferson has quickly become the face of UT’s program. He is the team’s best pass rusher, and the young man is not afraid to lay a hit. More importantly, he is extremely mature and been one of UT’s best recruiters. Jefferson leads a group of young and talented linebackers. There probably are not enough positive things Strong can say about Jefferson.
Other questions he might hear:
What are you expecting from Sterlin Gilbert’s offense in year one?
Will you move Kai Locksley to receiver at some point this year?
Is Collin Johnson the real deal?
Where did you go on vacation this summer?
Have you heard anything about that kicker who wants to walk on?
Can Charles Omenihu have an impact this year?
Does the addition of former Baylor commit Patrick Hudson strengthen your offensive line?
Who will start at nickel cornerback?
Is there any chance you ditch the mock turtle neck this season?
What about Jerrod Heard?
How do you feel about the Big 12 Championship Game?
Who will be in the mix to return punts and kickoffs?
Coach, will you win national championship this season and eat Amy’s Ice Cream to celebrate? (that will be from my man Anthony Geronimo).
Is the pressure to win at Texas getting to you?
Can you identify any similarities between year three at Louisville and Texas?
There are probably good questions I missed. You are ready to pound the keyboard and post your thoughts under this column. Go for it.
Texas football is back.
It is about damn time.
Funniest Thing You Will See This Week
If you have heard about the latest Pokemon Go fad, it is impossible not to laugh:
Sports On A Dime
1. Will Baylor coach Jim Grobe receive waterboard treatment during his media session this week? I doubt it. Grobe is a one-year replacement, and I find it hard to believe he was given the authority to fire any of Art Briles’ assistants. His job is to keep Baylor competitive until a new coach is hired. Houston’s Tom Herman may deny any conversations with Baylor, but let us see what everyone is saying in December.
2. That being said, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops needs to be asked about his unwavering support of running back Joe Mixon, a guy who assaulted a woman in 2014. Once the video is released, there will be a backlash.
If Briles was held accountable, the same rules should apply to Stoops.
3. TCU, Kansas, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Oklahoma State on day one? Not the best lineup, but Kansas coach David Beaty is entertaining and TCU’s Gary Patterson is solid. However, they are still opening acts for the day two headliners (Texas, West Virginia, Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma).
4. There were two winners in the Deflategate debacle: Rogel Goodell and Tom Brady’s attorneys. I know Goodell is not popular, but the owners are paying him over $30 million a year to be the bad guy, and he rarely loses. Meanwhile, Brady’s attorneys benefited from those billable hours. Now we can finally move on.
5. Jimmy Garoppolo has been compared to Matt Cassell, and it makes sense. Cassell had future Hall of Famer Randy Moss in 2008, while Garoppolo has Rob Gronkowski – assuming he stays healthy. If Garoppolo does not take advantage of his opportunity, New England will be forced to draft another quarterback to eventually replace Brady.
6. Here is what I wrote about Von Miller’s contract negotiations last month: “This NFL player is allegedly upset about his contract offer. He wants more guaranteed money. The player appears to be mad at management. If the team does not cave, he may not play this season. Sound familiar? Yeah, Von Miller’s contract negotiation is going like most talks. As the season gets closer, a deal will get done, and everyone will sing Kum Ba Yah.” Well, everyone in Denver is happy again, and Miller has $70 million reasons to never cut John Elway out of a photo again.
7. Heck, even the Baltimore Ravens gave kicker Justin Tucker a four-year deal worth $16.8 million ($10.8 million guaranteed). Who knew kickers were players, too?
8. I get the feeling this jersey will be shipped to a developing country by the end of this month:
9. This might be the best summer camp … ever?
10. I was not initially impressed with Deontay Wilder using Chris Arreola as a punching bag for eight rounds. Arreola is an average fighter who is usually out of shape for every fight, and took this bout on short notice. However, after discovering Wilder fought with a broken hand and torn biceps, I will give the man his props. Let Wilder recover and face Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua early next year.
