1leggedduck

You miss my point. I'm happy to have gotten old. I had no right. And every generation of Austinite tells the following generations of Austinites how much better it was. The backdrop to that stadium wise, was the way the stadium was the students' to use and enjoy when not needed. It can't be that way anymore. I get that. But in a way, the continuous updating of the stadium is analogous to the entire campus, and Austin experience over time. Whatever was there when you were a student is a fond memory. I don't begrudge change. I just don't care for mandated population density and high rises. Everything must change.

Saigon Eggrolls were the bomb. Coming to your senses just enough to realize you are in no condition to be piloting a motorcycle as you're crossing Mansfield Dam, exciting to think about now, should have been more of a milestone then. Here I am MFs. Still breathing, and such. But I digress. The old stadium had its "charms" but the improvements have generally been improvements. The Tron had to go, but when it first went up, and the number of commercials you can possibly squeeze into one game hadn't been explored, it was cool to have something almost no one else had. The replays are now expected. People had to bring tiny televisions to the stadium to get that before the screens went up at stadiums. I'm trying to remember what the replay screens were like pre-Tron. Seems like they were on a big concrete structure that looked like a hurricane proof billboard.

From our perspective, we were able to pull shit that would get you arrested and/or tazed these days, and we lived to tell about it. Those fucking condo/retail abominations are scarce on friendly front porches with beers offered by fellow students you've never met before simply because you said "evening" as you were walking by.

Shakes at Mad Dog's & Bean's

Who else is old enough to remember pick up football games on the weekends in the stadium, on the astroturf? No locks, no security, no problems. Just another place to walk to to get out of your West Campus roach motel for a few hours.

Probably not even in a city I'm not ever planning to return to. I said probably, as I have been known to take a drink.

When TH was all shiny and new, when he was the up and coming HC who we beat out LSU for, he could have struck while the iron was hot and probably hired a group of bad ass coaches. Mack was sent packing when to outsiders, he still seemed to be having some success, Strong had to fly to Tulsa to woo Giblets, and TH appears to have been told to clean house or not let the door hit him on the ass on the way out. Even with this recent history, he still managed to hire a decent, if not star studded, group of coaches going forward. I'm not giving him any attaboys, because he and the program could have been so much farther ahead if he hadn't brought along his UH crew. He had some HC experience, but not much, and not at this level, so he still had a lot to learn. I hate that he's learning on the $5mil/yr job, but there you go. These guys he's hired need to appreciate the opportunity they've been given. A few really good seasons (conference champ level at minimum) and their career situation changes dramatically. I'm guardedly optimistic; I don't see an Orlando type block head in this group. At the end of the day, I believe TH got the best that were willing to take the job.

So a position coach at Clemson, tOSU, Bama, should come to Texas for more money to bet their family's situation on Tom Herman's future? Have you got kids and a wife? Own a house? I'm not saying the guys Herman got are the best that were available. I have no training or experience to evaluate that. But right now, given the thread Herman is hanging by, and as much as you may want to deny it, the current impression people have of Texas, I can see why the very cream of the established cream does not see Texas as a great career move.

I'm not sure why a coach at a big name school that is currently winning and either going to, or just missing the playoff, would trade making a shit ton of money for the foreseeable future and maybe advancing where he is, for making a shit ton 1/2 of money for potentially one season, and then being in the market for a new job. I assume the spectacular hires being clamored for would come from Bama or Clemson, etc. I just don't see Herman having a product those kind of guys are going to bolt for. Those guys line up at your door when your coaches get offered coordinator or HC jobs at other schools and have to be replaced. That aint us right now.

Hitting the old Universal Gym? I thought all of those ended up in apartment complex washaterias as the "workout facilities"

I played tackle football from age 7 (I was a huge 7 year old) to age 17 when I was passed athletically by guys who could play at the next level. My middle son played from 7th grade through high school and could have played longer, though not at the highest level, and decided not to. I love the physical aspect of the game, but I was glad he decided he was done. Both of us sustained multiple concussions playing. All of that being said, I would still do it again, and would still allow him to decide for himself, if he wanted to play. It was a fundamental part of my experience growing up. Being a big kid, other sports are frustrating. Football is the sport where your shear size and strength can make you valuable. Along with the changes to the game there needs to be a reality check on the adults who treat high school football as a religion. In the town we lived in, my kid and his team mates were elevated to hero status, by a football crazed culture. It all adds in to it.

Great name for a race horse, though.

It would be really cool if we could come to love how much everyone else hates TH's smirky arrogance. I like the changes. And, as a lifelong fan, I've had to suffer a lot of shitty Longhorn football to get to those few seasons of excellence. So Tom, I think you made the right changes on your staff, and if you begin crushing the souls of our opponents, I will forgive and climb onto your wagon. I'm sure you're relieved to hear that. But you have to understand that Urban was hands on, and he had good coaches he could trust working for him. You needed to study his decision making, not just his interview style. If you're going to emulate that prick, you have to win before you become a smirking asshole. So win, and we will enjoy everyone else's fans hating you.

Maybe it will be one of those tri-toons with a 300 Yamaha, that thinks its a real boat. Rev that bitch up and let's make us some memories! Could make all of Evil's wrecks outs look like child's play. But no, it'll be a Bass Buggy with a 40 horse chugging out to the stage. It will take forever. What a dumb fucking idea. The draft is way past out of hand.

I wonder if Baylor is insignificant enough to take their medicine the next time LSU or tOSU egregiously violate the rules? They are sticking their heads up pretty high.

I was optimistic. I want to believe we are only competent coordinators and injury resistant depth away from being relevant. But this extended game of Clue has kind of hammered it out of me. If I thought TH was really taking his time to be sure he got the right fit at OC, or whatever limited BS they're pitching, it would be fine. But I'm beginning to think TH is having trouble getting the quality OC he wants to consider taking the job. That may be indicative of what its like to work for TH, or it may be indicative of the perceived hot seat. Either way, if there is any reality to that perception, he's on borrowed time. If he cannot attract quality coaches, then we will be repeating this all over again, very shortly, when we have to get a new HC. I think I'll give a shit about that when and if it happens. I think I'm done giving a shit who gets hired as OC. Hope its someone great. I'll read about it when it happens. Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.

Your not building a rocket engine. There isn't a schematic. If we get better coordinators and they're allowed to do their jobs, and we get deep enough that the injuries aren't as lethal to a season, we're a 10+ win program. I'll agree that the HC needs to mature a little. Seasons like this one should be learning experiences for him. If you can't celebrate a great kid who is also a great athlete, picking our university over many others, then I'm probably wasting my time.

Can’t hear that song anymore and not flash to the cop torture scene from Reservoir Dogs. Most unpleasant.

It really goes down so smooth, really puts you in the groove.

Sometimes I think we get so bummed about our own program that we forget how great it has been over time. Our perspective gets too limited. We're nearing the end of a long drought. That's all. I give the kid credit for being a student of college football history. And, for wanting to be instrumental in putting it back into present tense. Hearing a young person speak with such confidence about our future makes me feel a lot better.

Taylor, get your sweet little ass back in that got damned kitchen and get me a sandwich! And stop trolling those wired up college football junkies. You don't know shit. Neither do those geek sons of bitches you work with.

I love this kid. I want the program to rear up and earn this kind of mentality.

Blair is a hell of a trial lawyer. He was my mentor for the first 11 years of my career. He is also a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, and the U.T. School of Law, which makes it all the better.

Just trying to throw some more shit at the wall, it could be that the reaction to all the flapping of wings and squawking about Ash and Harrell by $9.95ers scratching for anything to sell caused TH and his search to go even deeper and quieter. When confronted with nothing new to sell, "the leaks are harming the program" sells better than "us $9.95ers jumping on every scrap of news like a dog on a junebug pissed off the adults". One implies that Montcrief even bothers talking to the idiots, the other suggests the idiots are just an ass pain to be dealt with. I, for one, do not believe that Herman makes any use of the alleged media hacks charging $9.95 for complete fabricated bullshit.

If this shit is making you crazy, and you're an Astros fan, go over to the baseball board and check out the trades in the works. Mind blowing. Helpful for mental health, unless you just want to be that way.