Arkansas Razorbacks

[Mith242]

Man, this has got to be some sort of sick joke. It sounds like the soap opera of an athletic program just keeps on going. KNWA interrupted the Natl news to say it sounds like Altman won't be coach after all. Supposedly he's either had a change of heart or some sort of problem popped up. I don't think this is confirmed yet, but sounds like there's got to be something going on or KNWA wouldn't interrupt programming just to mention some wild rumor.

[Mith242]

Unfortunately this is sounding like it's for real. Bo Mattingly on KNWA is reporting that it's true now. Altman decided he really didn't want to leave after all after spending so many years there. Sounds like Creighton also offered him more money to stay as well. Supposedly Altman also wasn't happy about the academics after looking more into it after yesterday's press conference. Creighton is a private school and has rather high standards compared to a large public university.

[cowbreath]

Unfortunately this is sounding like it's for real. Bo Mattingly on KNWA is reporting that it's true now. Altman decided he really didn't want to leave after all after spending so many years there. Sounds like Creighton also offered him more money to stay as well. Supposedly Altman also wasn't happy about the academics after looking more into it after yesterday's press conference. Creighton is a private school and has rather high standards compared to a large public university.

Well I declare we should suspend our athletic programs for a year for all of this. I mean..hey, c'mon, I don't think God likes the university of arkansas right now.

[strmchsr77]

Alright. did anyone watch channel 40/29? They found me and interviewed me about the coaching situation. I was on at 10. They must have seen my weather underground interview and thought that I knew more about Razorback Basketball that they thought. My friend Jon Medders was on there as well. Let me know if anyone picked it up.

[KJW]

strmchsr77,

Were you the guy who said that Coach Altman was safely escaping somewhere northwest of the beaver tail and away from the "tail-end Charlie" directly over the U of A athletic offices at the southwest end of the dry line that was the Stan Heath tenure, while Frank Broyles was in a "Bear's cage" and was just about to find himself directly under a massive, violently rotating wall cloud of negative fan support?

[strmchsr77]

strmchsr77,

Were you the guy who said that Coach Altman was safely escaping somewhere northwest of the beaver tail and away from the "tail-end Charlie" directly over the U of A athletic offices at the southwest end of the dry line that was the Stan Heath tenure, while Frank Broyles was in a "Bear's cage" and was just about to find himself directly under a massive, violently rotating wall cloud of negative fan support?

That is great! I don't even remember what I said actually. Something about being dissapointed about the whole situation in just about every sport over the past year or so.

So what is next? Who will it be, anyone have any ideas? I would like to have Mike Anderson come back from Missouri. He is a great coach in my opinion.

[Mith242]

Sorry Colby, guess I didn't see you. You're certainly becoming rather popular. Anyway back to the soap opera news. While many fans aren't too happy with Altman Wally Hall portrayed him as the good guy with the university being the ones to blame, in today's Dem-Gaz. He suggested there's some 'dirty laundry' in the program and he came across it and suddenly decided this wasn't the place to be. Not just academic problems that could make some players potentially not be eligible next year but other things like possible positive drug tests and such. I have no idea where he got that from. I don't know if he really has anything to back that up or if rumors are going wild. From his little article you'd think the NCAA should be coming to investigate us any minute now. Then again with the way things have been going I don't think any of us would be very surprised.

[strmchsr77]

Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie is now going to Kentucky. I guess they gave him a much better deal than Arkansas could have, and they probably don't have all of the problems that we have. Two Razorback players are in trouble for drugs now, and one has bad grades apparently. So we don't have a coach, and we will probably be short a few players. I still don't know who these players are, has anyone heard?

At least the baseball team is still doing good...so far.

[Mith242]

Yeah I was a little surprised Barnes from Texas didn't take it. Maybe this is part of the reason Gillispie turned us down. But anyway has anyone else been hearing all the rumors about Houston Nutt? Seems like everywhere I go people are talking about it around here in Fayetteville. But it hasn't popped up in the media. So I suppose it is just rumors, but I haven't seen something that was 'only' a rumor being talked about so much. But anyway the rumors are about Houston Nutt's phone calls. Disputing some of what he's said about contacting David Lee before Malzahn left. A lot of phone calls to Teresa Pruitt who sent that nasty e-mail to Mustain. But what seems to really be getting everyone's attention is all his phone calls to 40/29's Donna Bragg. A lot of people think there's an affair going on between the two of them. But like I said before I haven't seen any real proof of these phone records. But anyway I was wondering has everyone else been hearing all about this as well?

[zman9810]

Looks like John Calipari is back in the mix. KNWA just aired a clip where he said he couldn't believe no one taken the job and he thought it was one of the top 10-15 jobs in the country. Hiring him would be a great way to salvage this fiasco.

Ugly rumors do a disservice to everyone. The ones rumored about can't refute the rumors without looking guilty and defending themselves just encourages more gossip.

[Mith242]

Looks like John Calipari is back in the mix. KNWA just aired a clip where he said he couldn't believe no one taken the job and he thought it was one of the top 10-15 jobs in the country. Hiring him would be a great way to salvage this fiasco.

Ugly rumors do a disservice to everyone. The ones rumored about can't refute the rumors without looking guilty and defending themselves just encourages more gossip.

I guess what just surprised me about the rumors was more the fact of how it seemed everywhere I went people were talking about it. I could be just walking by some people and I would overhear them talking about it. But anyway, back to the basketball coaching vacancy. I was a bit surprised to hear KNWA report that supposedly Larry Brown is somewhat interested in the job. But yeah I've heard the mention of Calipari as well. I wonder if for some reason Broyles was just trying to 'feel him out' and never actually offered him the job earlier.

[zman9810]

I guess what just surprised me about the rumors was more the fact of how it seemed everywhere I went people were talking about it. I could be just walking by some people and I would overhear them talking about it. But anyway, back to the basketball coaching vacancy. I was a bit surprised to hear KNWA report that supposedly Larry Brown is somewhat interested in the job. But yeah I've heard the mention of Calipari as well. I wonder if for some reason Broyles was just trying to 'feel him out' and never actually offered him the job earlier.

I think hiring Larry Brown, Rick Majerus, Sidney Moncrief or other non-mainstream coach would be a mistake. Only a coach who had a team in the NCCA tournament this year will satisfy the masses at this point.

One thing is for sure- if publicity either positive or negative is good, then the UA has scored.

[strmchsr77]

I guess they are going to name John Pelphrey as the next basketball coach. He is currently the head coach at South Alabama. I have never heard of South Alabama University and I certainly have never heard of this guy. So I am very concerned about what makes this guy qualified to coach for a legendary basketball program. I certainly hope he does very well but Who is he???

[jim9251]

At least he put the Razorbacks cap on and seemed excited.

[astrife]

I honestly think that the UA should stop focusing so much of their money and resources on athletic championships that they are probably never going to win, and instead focus on the students and education which is the primary reason the institution is there.

Houston Nutt makes millions of dollars a year, how much does a professor make whose education probably doubles the amount that guy received? Arkansas' priorities are really messed up? I honestly hate the thought that tax dollars paid for that bloated stadium and jumbotron. It is honestly ridiculous.

[cowbreath]

I honestly think that the UA should stop focusing so much of their money and resources on athletic championships that they are probably never going to win, and instead focus on the students and education which is the primary reason the institution is there.

Houston Nutt makes millions of dollars a year, how much does a professor make whose education probably doubles the amount that guy received? Arkansas' priorities are really messed up? I honestly hate the thought that tax dollars paid for that bloated stadium and jumbotron. It is honestly ridiculous.

It is honestly ridiculous how much sports figures makes these days in the pros...it's kind of mind-boggling. It's just our obsession with sports and entertainment I guess reflected onto Arkansas' biggest stage of its own. In regards to the stadium and jumbotron and such I don't know where the money came from or if it was designated to be donated straight to the athletic department. A lot of the coaches salaries may come from booster groups or the Razorback foundation. I think someone else could explain the intricacies.

Is education being missed? Well, the truth is if our education is so bad and deters too many students then education here will increase too. They don't like money going somewhere else. I think they have been getting the enrollment numbers that they want, and as they try to increase it dramatically in the next 5 years the education will get much better (more money will be poured into it) to attract more students. However the core groups highly indicative to our region (business, architecture, transportation logistics, agriculture, poultry science) had to be strong already because of the business influence on those things in our area.

[strmchsr77]

I honestly think that the UA should stop focusing so much of their money and resources on athletic championships that they are probably never going to win, and instead focus on the students and education which is the primary reason the institution is there.

Houston Nutt makes millions of dollars a year, how much does a professor make whose education probably doubles the amount that guy received? Arkansas' priorities are really messed up? I honestly hate the thought that tax dollars paid for that bloated stadium and jumbotron. It is honestly ridiculous.

The sports programs (like football) bring millions of dollars into the universtiy. They also provide advertisement for the school when they are on TV or when people wear Razorback sports clothing. I don't think that the UofA spends anymore than most state schools in the country. It would be great if they spent more on education and I think that they are beginning to do that. I also love the stadium, I think they should add more seats and get a larger jumbotron!

[strmchsr77]

The Razorback baseball team is still doing very well. They won the series at Georgia last weekend and moved up in the polls to #3 behind Florida State and Vandy. We have a test on Wednesday night when #7 Wichita State comes to town.

Here is the poll: College Baseball Poll

[jim9251]

Hopefully we'll have a Regional if not a Super Regional here.

[strmchsr77]

Hopefully we'll have a Regional if not a Super Regional here.

That is exactly what I am hoping for Jim. I remember when we had one back a few years ago and it was great. It also really helped bring tax dollars in as well. So lets hope we can continue the next few weeks and make it to the super regional.

[zman9810]

Not to jinx them, but this could be the year the Diamond Hogs go all the way. The downfall of most college baseball teams is pitiching and with Schimdt, Welker and Todd as starters this team has a solid rotation. Everybody in the lineup can hit and they are a good defensive team. The only remotely weak area is the bullpen and they generally have came through. Can you say College World Series Champions???????? Go Hogs!!!!!!!!!

[strmchsr77]

Well, after losing before a record crowd of over 10,100 on Friday night 6-5, the Razorbacks did much better on Saturday afternoon. The Hogs threw a shutout beating LSU 5-0 before another record crowd of over 10,500. Vandy also lost yesterday putting both teams at #1 in the SEC. Hopefully the Hogs can win one more today so that we win the series and hopefully move up in the polls.

Here is a link to last weeks polls: College Baseball Polls

[Mith242]

Even when LSU isn't having a good season they always seem to give us problems. Just another foot on that last hit and it would have been a different story.

[KJW]

Tonight they said the big kid from Har-ber high committed to Coach Pelphrey...that makes two Har-ber players who will be U of A men's bball frosh next year.

40/29 also said that Houston Nutt's part of a parade of coaches recruiting the Greenwood, AR (town immediately south of Fort Smith) quarterback. Rogers has a highly recruited TE as well that the 'backs are interested in.

The continuing NWA talent pool is alive and well...I wonder how many athletes combined from NWA and FSM are going Division I this year? Lots of them...

[Mith242]

Tonight they said the big kid from Har-ber high committed to Coach Pelphrey...that makes two Har-ber players who will be U of A men's bball frosh next year.

40/29 also said that Houston Nutt's part of a parade of coaches recruiting the Greenwood, AR (town immediately south of Fort Smith) quarterback. Rogers has a highly recruited TE as well that the 'backs are interested in.

The continuing NWA talent pool is alive and well...I wonder how many athletes combined from NWA and FSM are going Division I this year? Lots of them...

Yeah I heard Pelphrey got his first recruit. The baseball Hogs also dropped another series. One left and they'll have to have some help for them to win the SEC now.