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DFW Horn

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Posts posted by DFW Horn

  1. 57 minutes ago, statsman said:

    That didn’t work out. I wasn’t so enthused about Sark. The way I saw it-Saban was the gold standard, and Kirby Smart was his only assistant to recreate the magic elsewhere. I didn’t like Sark’s chances of being the second (I don’t count Fisher, who I see as more off Bowden’s tree than Saban’s). 
     
    I am very happy to be wrong on this. 

    Me too

    The good news is we got Sark relatively cheap on the front end at $5M+ per year. I'm glad he's proven himself.

  2. 24 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

    So a paleolithic human tribe is scratching out an existence, foraging for food, killing wounded animals, following herds, with what would be considered a horrific infant mortality rate. They're competing against a nearby tribe for resources. Which tribe ends up existing into the next generation, and the generation after that? The tribe with the well balanced leader, with great work life balance, little ego, who wants peace and harmony? Or the tribe with the leader who wants to annihilate all opposition, who demands obsessive devotion to no quarter. Who regularly calls out the manhood of members of the tribe when they're not sufficiently ruthless?

    There is something very basic in us, cultivated over tens of thousands of years, that rewards the most ruthless among us. There is also something in the rest of us that recognizes that, and tends to want to team up with that kind of leader, because we feel like he has the best chance to win so we can pass down on genes to the next generation and the generation after that as well. 

    If ruthlessness didn't serve some kind of real purpose, it would have ceased to exist long ago. The truth is, the ruthless among us tend to win, because they want it more, and they're willing to do things to accomplish victory the rest of us end up not having the appetite for. "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." "Winners go home and fuck the prom queen."

    Being successful isn't all about being ruthless. It's about being able to identify talent, cultivate it, make it loyal. It's about having resilience. About making other people believe in you. But there are times when a certain sense of ruthlessness trumps other qualities. 

    I would guess that every single one of the most successful football coaches in the history of the game had a certain amount of ruthlessness about him. John Wooden certainly did, who was mentioned above. 

    Labels like sociopath, narcissist, etc. are helpful. But all of these are on a spectrum. Heck, dysfunction (I can't tell you how much it bothers me that's been misspelled twice now in this thread) is on a spectrum. I would argue by definition a successful head coach is not dysfunctional in a clinical sense of the word. These are qualities that have always existed, that modern psychology has now put a label on to make it more easily identifiable and analyzed. But all of these qualities contributed to the human race existing as the species it is right now, otherwise they would have died out. We too easily want to throw out these qualities as harmful or destructive, as if people who exhibit them should be erased from the gene pool, when that's not actually possible. 

    If I'm in a contest where extinction is the penalty for losing, I will gladly take the most ruthless psychopath to be my leader. Better for the opponent to face extinction rather than me. At the end of the day, that instinct for survival is what we're tapping into with any confrontation or challenge. It may not seem like the outcome is of that kind of importance, but the person who is able to convince themselves on some level that what is in front of them is an existential threat has an edge on someone else who is not able to do that, all other things being equal. 

    I don't want an Art Briles level of sociopathy to be the head coach at Texas. But I do want a certain amount of single mindedness that winning is critical for their job security and emotional well being. It's not the only quality that's important. But it is important. 

    I like Steve Sarkisian as a person, at least what I see from him. But I do not need to. I need him to win at a very high level without embarrassing the university while doing so. There's the video out there of him screaming at the official, "Don't fucking touch me." It's probably my favorite Sarkisian clip. I also liked the psychopathic smile and snarky attitude he answered Kirk Bohls with when asked about red zone deficiencies in a recent press conference. Nice Guy Steve is fine, but I like a little asshole rolled in there, too. 

    Which is not to say coaches shouldn't be judged for crossing lines. I was and am in favor of Chris Beard getting fired. I thought it was horse shit when Tom Herman hired Casey Horny on the staff. But there's a lot of behavior that many of us would classify as abusive that's meant to bring out the best in each individual player and the team as a whole. A lot of that is how the world actually works, particularly in highly competitive environments. 

    Probably my favorite movie on this dynamic is Whiplash, because it shows the titular villain in the worst light, and then at the end of the movie it turns out the methods worked. Band of Brothers shows something similar. More than anything, we get the same behaviors and the same mindsets because they work. 

    Do you post while drinking or after you get high?

    Just curious

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  3. 2 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

    Aggies247 writer predictions for the UTSA game? Pain, brother. A whole lot of fucking pain. All 3 writers have the aggies mauling UTSA by 20+ points. 

      Hide contents

    GigEm247 staff predictions: Texas A&M vs. UTSA in Kyle Field

    Reply
     
    • Carter Karels avatar
       Carter KarelsStaff
      Posted on 29 mins, , User Since 90 months ago, User Post Count: 13731
      • 29 mins
      • 90 months
      • 13731

       

       

      It's prediction time. GigEm247 staff members Jeff Tarpley, Carter Karels and Andrew Hattersley are ready to project what they think will happen when No. 19 Texas A&M clashes with UTSA at home Saturday in Kyle Field (6 p.m. on ESPN).

      As of Thursday afternoon, BetOnline Sportsbook has the Aggies as a 24.5-point betting favorite over the Roadrunners. The over/under scoring total is at 56.5. Here is how we think the game will go, along with a score prediction. 

      Jeff Tarpley

      Texas A&M brings back most of its 2024 team while UTSA lost its entire defense but still wants to take chances on that side of the ball (which translates to more big plays and points than you would normally expect). In addition, this is a program that didn't play very well away from home.

      On the surface, this sets the contest up to be a mismatch, but it's the first game of the season, which usually leads to miscues on both sides and may enable UTSA to stay in the game for a while … but not long enough.

      Score prediction: Texas A&M 45, UTSA 20.

      Carter Karels

      Season openers can be a mirage, but I expect this game to set the tone for what to expect from the Aggies in 2025. There are plenty of reasons to feel more optimistic about their offense than their defense this fall, and it should show up vs. the Roadrunners.

      With its new-look defense, UTSA will probably struggle to contain A&M, particularly its vaunted ground game and improved wide receiver unit. But for the Aggie defense, which enters the season with a lot of questions, their showing likely will not be nearly as strong. The Roadrunners should have one of the better offenses in the American Athletic Conference, making them a challenge.

      Score prediction: Texas A&M 41, UTSA 17.

      Andrew Hattersley

      Openers are always tricky as Mike Elko outlined during his Monday media availability, especially with UTSA featuring 11 new starters on the defensive side of the ball. That could pose some challenges for A&M early on, but as the Aggies make adjustments, I expect Marcel Reed and Co. to be able to move the ball and get rolling offensively. A&M certainly went through some inconsistent play last year with new faces on the defensive side of the ball, and the Roadrunners will have to deal with this as well.

      I do expect UTSA to be able to move the ball at times, though I don't think it will be enough to keep up with A&M. Though this game could be closer than anticipated in the first half, I expect the Aggies to pull away down the stretch for a relatively comfortable win.

      Score prediction: Texas A&M 38, UTSA 14.

     

    Fantastic

    Now I feel even better about taking UTSA +24.5 - Birds Up!

  4. Just now, PittsburghTiger said:

    I reckon so but, none from me. 

    Nike isn't marketing any of this shit to us old guys.

    Watch the video stories for each of the "Rivalry" jerseys. It's amazing how much thought went into some of these designs. Funny as hell, too.

  5. 1 minute ago, PittsburghTiger said:

    I get what you are saying but, it is crazy that to me the horrible Storm Uniform actually looks better than that shit they've been wearing since they got rid of the Steve Grogan uniform and helmet.

    Both are awful compared to these.

    Throwback Uniforms: Boston Patriots (1963) | SB Nation

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  6. When your rival shows up at the door - change your brand and uniforms!

    It's all about merchandising! Sell more replicas MF'ers! Mo' money!!!

     

  7. The most amusing aspect of Nike's marketing is their "stories" for every uniform. If you've gotta explain why, it's probably over-designed, IMO. 

     

  8. 1 minute ago, TheStoicPaisano said:

    Ill have you know there are still 4 NFL players older than me,

    But you’re right about demographics.

    But AZ and Miami are still ass. Buffalo would be good for Detroit, but I feel for spotters.

    Silver on white is almost impossible to see under the lights.

    I officiated a game with a team with similar colors. Who was the penalty on ref? I have no fucking idea...

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  9. 9 minutes ago, Lidig8r said:

    If a bald headed, 66 year old, cigar smoking, 1792 small batch bourbon drinking, vizsla owning, cantankerous, asshole attorney with a reputation for pissing off people can be classified as a "snowflake," then Snowflake me into Bolivia!

    Fucker Bitches. (with all due respect)

     

  10. 52 minutes ago, texifornia said:

    I love the crossed swords, I think it matches the mascot and general vibe of the university really well vs a generic varsity V.

    Vintage Virginia Cavaliers Mascot Art ...

    Old Virginia Cavaliers Logo, HD Png ...

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