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  1. By Billy Liucci August 5, 2024 TexAgs co-owner and executive editor Billy Liucci joined TexAgs Radio on Monday morning to discuss all things surrounding college football as Texas A&M's fall camp continues. Liucci discussed who around the country has the most to prove, A&M's position groups and more. Segment 1 (00:00:00 - 20:35:21) I think Ohio State would be making a mistake if Ryan Day went 11-1, lost to Michigan, and maybe lost one in the playoffs. I think Ryan Day and Lincoln Riley have the most to prove. To me, Ryan Day has proven that he can have Ohio State as an elite program in college football year in and year out. He has beaten the big boys. He has a Michigan problem, and I think that is where the pressure comes from. There is no Nick Saban, and there is no Jim Harbaugh, so I do think the pressure on him is at a ridiculous level. Lincoln Riley, to me, has the most to prove. Their competition level is about to go way up on a week-to-week basis. He inherited a roster with so much more talent than anybody in his league, and we don’t want to say this, but he has given a lot of Les Miles’ vibes right now. He inherited so much more from a legend like Bob Stoops, and I would have believed that Riley would have done that at Oklahoma. The reality is he hasn’t done a damn thing at USC. I think the perception of him is that he is overhyped. If I’m doing a top five of who has something to prove, I would throw Steve Sarkisian in there too. I think he is equipped to do it, though. I am kind of torn on Quinn Ewers because I watch him, and it’s like when he puts it together, it is incredible. I saw Michael Penix and Dillon Gabriel outduel him. Sarkisian has had one really good year, and I brought out the stat, he is 2-7 against teams that Texas isn’t way more talented than. I think Texas and Sarkisian's momentum as a coach might be a bit too much hype. I kind of get it. I can see Sarkisian living up to it, whereas I don’t see that with Lincoln Riley. If I had to pick a national champion today, I would go with Georgia and then Ohio State. I think Ryan Day and the talent he has, along with Sarkisian, are in better spots than Lincoln Riley. Another interesting head coach and quarterback combination is Dabo Swinney and Cade Klubnik. I always say how Klubnick, Ewers and Conner Weigman came from the same position. Conner has that kind of potential, but because of his injury, people aren’t talking enough about him. I think if not for the injury, he would be in the All-SEC conversation. Dabo and Klubnik in the ACC can surprise some people. I do think that Dabo has kind of lost his grip on it. He can prove the doubters wrong, but I don’t know if he can get it back. I got to know James Franklin, and I really enjoyed talking to him. He was very much in play for that Texas job. There is some pressure on Penn State to get into the playoffs. Michigan and Ohio State have done it, so when are they? Mario Cristobal, to me, has accomplished nothing as a head coach at Oregon and Miami. The way they recruit and how boastful they are... The way Texas A&M got torn up for their 2022 class, with people saying that they were paying $30 million for their team when now the highest NIL in college football has yet to even hit $20 million. Do you think those guys would be gone if we were paying that? It made no sense, and it makes no sense now. Miami has nothing to show for their recruits under Mario Cristobal. Look at what Dan Lanning is doing at Oregon that Mario Cristobal couldn’t. Miami should be pretty good this year. I like their quarterback and receiver, and they have been recruiting. The state of Florida, especially Miami, is some of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country. I want Miami to be good again. I like the dynamic of the rest of the SEC going, “These guys look like they’re good. We can’t let them come into the SEC and win,” because that is what makes college football fun. I hate to say this, but I want to see Mack Brown and North Carolina get their asses kicked. They haven’t done much, but I would like to see them get pummeled. What are their expectations? I don’t think it is much. I would enjoy him getting kicked around in those Jordans. I don’t think Billy Napier will get too much grace because of their schedule. It is not a fair expectation that he is supposed to get into the playoffs in year three. I think that Florida will fire him. If they go 6-6, I think they should fire him. They are getting good players through NIL, and he is just hanging on. I think it is going to be a tough game for Texas A&M. It’s going to be hot as hell, and it is going to be a war of attrition. If Florida goes 0-2 against Miami and Texas A&M, he is done. I heard you guys talk about how if we beat Notre Dame, it changes the outlook of the season. To me, that game is Florida. Notre Dame is a legit top-10 team, but Florida is going to be a desperate, hungry team. I think the Florida game on the road is equally as daunting of a task. Segment 2 (20:35:22 - 30:15:22) 24 Players in 24 Days: #15 Tyreek Chappell I look at the defensive line, and if Shemar Stewart makes the jump... I think you can have three guys with top-two-round potential in Nic Scourton, Shemar Turner and Shemar Stewart. DJ Hicks has that potential, but he is young. He is explosive inside. I think they have at least four linebackers that they feel really nice about. Daymion Sanford, Taurean York, Solomon DeShields and Scooby Williams are a nice core. How about Cashius Howell at edge with Malick Sylla and Solomon Williams. You start to look for the weaknesses, so you look at the secondary. Tyreek Chappell and Bryce Anderson have a lot of experience, and they have to hold off guys like Dezz Ricks, Terry Bussey and Dalton Brooks. Those guys have a different level of range and athleticism. I think Bryce is like the quarterback of that secondary. He has that “It-Factor,” and then there are Jayvon Thomas and Bravion Rogers. Now, they are part of a deep unit that can elevate their play. People forget that last year, Jimbo Fisher was saying that he hit home runs with those guys. He was talking about how we were lacking in the secondary. If those guys are playing, then you know they are good because they have to get past all of those guys to get on the field. Segment 3 (30:15:23 - 35:04:00) Jabre Barber has had this foot thing, and you never know how long those can go for. He was here last week and he was saying that he is a month and a half ahead of schedule. He was really fired up about it. That’s pretty exciting news for him, and for the team and that offense as a whole. I am still not sold at that position. I think there's a lot to prove at receiver and tackle. I love Trey Zuhn III. Dametrious Crownover, Reuben Fatheree II and Aki Ogunbiyi get reps at the tackle position. That’s their depth. There is something to prove at the tight end position as well, but not to the same concern. As Donovan Green gets better and better, so does the position. He looks good. How are things going to play out at receiver and tackle? Somebody is going to have to step up. Barber is an explosive weapon and is a playmaker. People know how good he is. He walked in here and put his tape onto practice on the field. I don’t think people really realize how big it will be if they can get him back in time for conference play. If he can be healthy for seven of your conference games, the offense will have game-changing potential. Segment 4 (35:04:01 - 36:29:09) I haven’t been to the East Coast in about 10 years. Nantucket was a blast. The people were super fun, and the town was nice. I don’t know how many of those little beach towns I have been to, so it reminded me of a little mountain town on the water. The Atlantic felt great. I didn’t see any whales or great white sharks, so I was disappointed, but we had a great time
  2. Bobby Burton Administrators 2.2k Posted 3 hours ago I'm headed over to the University this morning for the media window that begins as 9am. Here's a quick what-we-learned from week one: - Silas Bolden will have a significant role in 2024. Expect Bolden to win the punt returners job and expect him to find a way into the rotation as a receiver. "Fearless" has been the way some have described the diminutive transfer receiver from Oregon State. - Ryan Wingo is better than advertised. He has continued his ascent and did not hit the freshman wall over the summer. - Trey Moore is making lots of plays. But he doesn't look like he should. He is clearly the smallest of the Texas edge players. - Texas is trying to manage the secondary to get their best 11 on the field. That means Jaylan Guilbeau has seen the majority of starting action at nickel with Jahdae Barron potentially filling a role opposite Manny Muhammad at one cornerback spot. - This has the makings of a really good transfer class. If I'm guessing who would be drafted first among the transfers, I'd maybe pick Amari Niblack at this point over Isaiah Bond. Niblack has looked like a major weapon early in camp. - The Texas WR room has the most depth I've ever witnessed during my time covering or following the Longhorns. - The Texas QB room is ridiculously talented. Go back ~10 years and my guess is Trey Owens would be pushing to start for Texas just like David Ash did. Yet now he's comfortably third string and can bide his time. - Gavin Holmes is not going to give up the starting corner spot to Jay'Vion Cole willingly. Holmes put in some real work this off-season and it shows. - Anthony Hill appears to be taking the next step as a leader and true middle linebacker. Multiple coaches are high on him and think he has not only the physical skills but the mental aptitude to pull off leading a defense. - Derrick Williams is poised for a big season. In fact, the entire Texas sophomore class looks like it could be one for the ages. They are that talented across the board. More after today's practice. Hope everyone has a good week!
  3. this will definitely be their go-to excuse after we win the SEC before they ever sniff a championship game appearance.
  4. MAGA has already turned on the GOP a bit, between Trump’s rants in Georgia this weekend (I think he hates Kemp and Raffensperger and their wives more than he hates Democrats), Trump ranting on social media about needing to purge the GOP of anybody who doesn’t like him, and things like Greg Abbott trying to purge the Texas House of Republicans who won’t do what he says. Right now, MAGA (the concept) can’t win without the old-school Republicans, aka the GOP, and the GOP can’t win without MAGA. With that said, we are reaching a point where MAGA can’t win with them either, but MAGA doesn’t care about anything other than being MAGA and shitting in their hands and putting it on a t-shirt. The old-school GOP is reaching a point where it can’t win with MAGA, but it actually cares and would actually tone down the racism and the misogyny and back off on things like trying to stop birth control in order to win. And I know they are closely intertwined, and I know MAGA came in part from the GOP, but the difference between the two is that the old-school Republicans in the GOP would roll the clock back to pre-Trump policies and platforms if it meant they had a chance at winning every few elections going down the road. Sure, plenty are racist and homophobic, but they will keep it hidden if it helps them win. MAGA is all in on openly being shitheads and refusing to compromise, and they can keep the GOP down for many years to come and they won’t care as long as they can apply their purity tests to candidates.
  5. Sure I have. I have a stack of thanksgiving turkey art from the early 1970s to prove it. Sorry you suck at art, I even got a gold star and a “good job!” sticker for one of them. This is the broader issue. If we can get past the immediate “Trump era,” we have two big tasks. First, society as a whole needs to shove the shitheels back under the rock where they had lived for decades. “Make being a huge piece of shit socially unacceptable again.” Second…the right is going to have to figure out a way to define itself that doesn’t involve - and numerically require - open appeals to hate, authoritarianism, and shittiness. Right now, they can’t win elections WITHOUT the “giant piece of shit” vote. If we can get them to a place where the next thing becomes true (they can’t win elections WITH the “giant piece of shit” vote), then we’ll be at an interesting place. I’m not holding out hope that we can get there anytime soon. They are all-in on this, and they’ll be there for decades to come.
  6. I'm in need of a good, bad, and ugly tutorial on select/travel ball. My oldest son just finished 7U and moving to 8U this fall with a very good group of rec players. We lost two to select this upcoming season, and at least half the other parents have FOMO about it. I've been in the national and Houston area select facebook groups for a year and read a lot of their drama. My mostly ignorant summary is as follows and is where I need education and correction. Select ball started with American Legion etc. at the high school level 1980's and before, then spread to other select tournaments at the high school level, then at some point permeated down to the youth level as young as 6U. Select ball is now a necessary, or at least unavoidable, evil because "rec ball sucks." Basically if you don't go select, you are making a decision today that your son will never play high school ball down the road (short of freakish natural talent). [The most level headed select parents I've spoke to say it is out of control but you don't really have a choice. If everything has become money driven, from the coaches and programs down to the tournament directors, is there a need for some Daenerys Targaryen to come in and "break the wheel" of select baseball and get it back to the basics of higher talent kids getting more reps?] Select ball is no longer select. Any kid of any talent can play as long as the parents shell out the $$$. Select ball doesn't have to bankrupt you, except you get what you pay for. You need professional paid coaches. "Daddy ball" select is basically as bad as rec ball? [We are in the Woodlands area, and it seems most teams/programs cost $300-350/mo with tournament fees, and there is an expectation that you will stick with any program for 12 months (no "spring only" or "spring and summer" option). There's also an expectation that you take paid private lessons with the coaches, or unofficially the kid's playing time is going to get docked. The facebook groups say there are teams closer to $175/mo, but I don't see them in our area plus we are told to avoid "daddy ball", so I don't understand how pro coaches can afford to charge $175 including tournament fees.] [Stereotype select parent]: "Select ball is really about player development, but..." conversations quickly turn to which teams win the most, and when a parent makes a comment about developing multiple positions or getting more playing time, mob mentality comes in and tells the parent to STFU because their kid clearly isn't good enough. I've also seen 7U and 8U teams in my area recruit for a few spots and mention that they already have a [insert positions here]. So at 8U, you already know Sammy is going to be a SS and Ricky is going to be a RF when they grow up? Does Ricky getting game reps at SS (at 8U mind you) hurt Sammy's overall development especially if Sammy is getting reps at other non-SS positions? [The facebook talk sounds toxic AF. Parents screaming at each other on social media, and sounds like there's a lot of parents screaming at each other and the umpires during games. The mentality above I've seen several times, where parents will tell others that their "weaker" kids should savor their development opportunities in practice, but leave the game reps for the best kids. Do the kids' futures and the parents' joy hang on the team W/L outcome of every single pool play game? This toxicity has trickled down to rec ball even at young ages, with parents screaming at the coaches and umpires and losing their shit over close calls in a regular season game, or which kids shouldn't be allowed infield reps. Sounds like a lot, or most, or all paid coaches are the same, because the more their teams win, the more new families they attract. Parents at 12U will say that's the appropriate age to take competition seriously and focus kids on one position and winning, but younger ages are more for fun and rotation. But if you talked to them at 10U they'd say that about 10U. Then parents of 9U will say that 9U is when it turns serious and 7/8U is for fun and development. Most of these parents and coaches can't get away from MUST WIN mode at any age it seems.] "Kids should play multiple sports..." but if you don't make the 2x/week practices because of a conflict or try to sit out summer or fall ball to play other sports, you are dead to us and will be the 12th man on an 11 man roster. [Many parents with kids playing 9U-12U select that I've talked to state their kids are "focused on baseball only" like a source of pride. Ok, great for little Billy. My son likes several sports]. These points are generalized and (a tiny bit) exaggerated, and I mean no offense to y'all in the travel ball game. I come here as a concerned dad. My son just turned 7 about to start 2nd grade. It seems absurd to me that my wife and I are already "deciding he won't play HS ball" by keeping a 2nd grader in little league. He plays flag football and soccer simultaneous to fall and spring rec baseball and has expressed an interest in basketball. He was 3rd or 4th strongest kid on his very good rec team, and he made All-Stars, but I don't have an expectation that he'd be top end on a select team. It sounds like several of his best buddies come from families with no financial limitations and the parents have FOMO, so most will go select by spring 8U. I coach his baseball and flag football team and assistant coach my younger son's baseball team. The coaching alone in my "spare time" is getting overwhelming, but dealing with the drama of parents and having to play Mack Brown recruiting them to stay season after season just so my kid can keep playing with his school buddies is exhausting. I'd almost be willing to pay the select ball money just to be free of it, plus to just focus on my son who has probably gotten the shaft over the seasons as I attempt to avoid the perception of "daddy ball" and give him fewer reps than he deserved and never bat him higher than 4th in the lineup. I come to this thread because y'all are my people and have the knowledge. It feels like I'm Don Quixote and pushing against the unstoppable ocean of disagreeing with a culture I have no hope of changing, even on as small a scale as my own rec ball team. Here are the TLDR questions, TIA: My wife and I could probably budget for it, but is it worth it, is it necessary? If so, at what age is the real ROI over rec ball? What is the point of no return age that you must start select ball by? Am I going to shell out $350/mo for 12 months a year, plus another $85/week in lessons to the coach, just to be on a team where we have no clue how much playing time or which positions my son will have an opportunity to play? Most teams in our area require 12 month contracts and the coaches say what they need to at try outs to convince you to join. I talked to parents at two tryouts we attended, but I feel their feedback is biased since they are the parents who stayed, not the parents who bailed. ^ continuing, is it really about development, or does testosterone and competitiveness ultimately always take over and it's about winning more than developing the bottom half of the roster? Will the schedule impede my son's ability to play other sports and extracurricular activities? Can a hodgepodge group of rec players just sign up in the AA division of a tournament and play for reps and competition, or must you be part of a recognized program to enter? A few of my parents who don't have the $$$ have asked me about this option.
  7. Did the Met’s Sleeping Beauties exhibit this morning. Joined as a member last wen and used the member hours to skip the line today. The line was an hour long by 10:30 so fair warning. Go early. Saw Oh Mary last night. A brilliant romp. Saw Stereophonic this afternoon and it was very good. I don’t think it’s as good as the number of Tonys it win, and it’s way too long, but it’s well done. It’s currently pouring fucking rain as we sit here at Quality Italian. Illinoise tonight, Titanique and Gramercy Tavern tomorrow.
  8. If he's the pick, get ready for Trump and the GOP focusing more on what constitutes a "good" Jew and a "bad" Jew and the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the media lapping it up for views/engagement. Since Rs are having a hard time figuring out how to attack Kamala, they will zero in on Shapiro. Do we really want to invite this situation right now while trying to unite the party to win an election? Still have faith that Kamala and her team will go with Walz or Beshear.
  9. The big argument for the SEC to go to a nine game schedule is that, if they (we? Gotta get used to this) did, the networks might close the revenue gap the SEC has with the B1G. Argument against- the middling and less SEC programs are afraid to surrender a gimme win. Oh, well. I can’t imagine any eight game schedule format where Texas plays OU, TAMU and Arkansas every year. It’s understood that the RRS is the game we’re not giving up. The league wants us to play the Ags, and the Hogs are dying for regular games against Texas. If they refuse to go to nine games, we’ll just have to get by without playing g the Ags or Hogs.
  10. Absolutely. All I mean is that Biden is a better pick to be POTUS today and likely will be until Kamala gets her time in the "big"chair to show us who she is. It isn't going to be easy being a better POTUS than Biden -- and I'm extremely surprised to be saying this in 2024. Look, I would've voted for a used condom over Trump in '20. Biden was the nominee so he got my vote. But he's way surpassed my expectations of what he'd accomplish. P3 at best. Beat me to it. Trump is a much shittier candidate than he was in '20. I know people who voted "with their pocketbooks" in '20 who have no doubt been completely turned off by his criminal actions and his countless other misdeeds since leaving office in '20. Also, J6 came several months after they went to the polls. I have to think those things combined with an exciting, "young" opponent on the other side will equal a resounding blue victory in November. We must be vigilant because Trump and the hard-core believers are going to pull every trick in the book to unjustly take Kamala's win from her.
  11. I may end up regretting this post, but fuck it. I have no problem with responsible, sensible, well thought out regulation of trans women in sports. I've stated that from the beginning. Some progressives in my life have expressed dissatisfaction with that. But the idea that the issue is simple or that there should be a complete ban is laughable. I know some trans women (who are not competitive and not athletes) that say fuck it, just resign from it all to a complete ban, agree with those that want the complete ban and let's move on. Their reasoning is that there are bigger issues to address. I say fuck that. They are all big issues. I will go to my grave believing the right to compete is as important of a fundamental human right as any other. I also think the innate need to compete as a hallmark of being human goes back to the beginning. All you have to do is look at some of the earliest depiction of human civilization to find humans competing in athletic events against each other. It's wired into us. and for those of us who do wish to compete, it's worthy of finding a way that - and this is the key - works for everyone. The desire for an outright ban is based in prejudice and discrimination, pure and simple. Almost all of the people who advocate for a complete ban also advocate for a complete ban on transition before 18 years of age predestining trans women to a complete ban in athletics by fiat and by law. I've even heard people talk about socialization as an advantage in athletics and that should also prevent trans women from competing with other women. That's absurd. Raise your girls to be as competitive as you can, it's a cut throat world out there. Even among AFAB women, those who have cultivated a competitive drive at the highest level are the ones that will win. Granted that's not a physical trait but I've heard it used many times. Again, absurd. However, there are things that should prevent trans women from competing in women sports, namely time to complete their transition, and this is controversial - effectiveness of transition. Completion and effectiveness of transition cannot be a hard and fast rule at 1 year (NCAA rule). That's preposterous. The problem with Lia Thomas is she met the bright line test from the NCAA. The NCAA set that rule a while ago probably under pressure, probably without a lot of knowledge and certainly from the standpoint that they didn't want to be seen and didn't want to be discriminatory. But in the end, Lia Thomas hurt the cause in ways that have become nearly unrecoverable. She was already an athlete and good enough to be a college athlete, she transitioned for 1 year and I think still trained. I don't think she had any surgery, if she did she would have undoubtedly had to stop training and she would not have been back in the pool competing within 12 months. Surgery has a tremendous recovery time and she wouldn't likely be cleared to jump in a pool for months, let alone train vigorously. Point is, 1 year is definitely not enough time for nearly anyone except those transitioning really early, if even then. This may harm trans women who are staring at the athletic clock whether it be age or college eligibility, etc. but fairness is fairness, it has to work for all. I think AFAB women should be protected from trans women who are in transition. Lia Thomas was still in transition, she had not completed transition. At age 36 I began my transition. I don't think I was finished for at least 4 years. But by the time I was 40 when I picked up the tennis racket, it was clear while athletic I was not a man playing women's tennis. I have a coach who coaches D1 players from time to time when they are in town for vacation or the summer. He laughed out loud when I asked if I could compete with men at the same USTA rating I had. I also play women who hit harder, run faster, and are mentally tougher than me. I think what a lot of men fail to realize is that there are some wickedly athletic and fiercely competitive women out there. This shows up in the number of men who think they could return a serve from a pro tennis player like Coco or Serena. Same probably would be the case for hitting a fast pitch softball off Canady. The list goes on. My tennis record post-transition is mixed, as I gained experience and skill I got better, I won more. As I approached next level I was winning a lot, and no doubt some would say because I'm trans. That's complete bullshit. When I moved to the next level I got my ass kicked. Some of these women were 10+ years older than me, some 10+ years younger. I've lost 0-6 / 1-6 and I've won 6-0 / 6-1. My anecdotal story is only that, but it's indicative of 99% of trans women in sports, who already represent a tiny fraction of the athletes in women's sports. But when it comes to participation and when it comes to winning at the highest levels, there is a scenario where trans women can win and should not be penalized and be told it's just because you're a man or just because you were a man or because of testosterone or whatever. And if we figure out how to measure effectiveness of transition, then I really believe we have a solution. I have friends who were not sensitive to estrogen, even after the testosterone was removed, they did not shed muscle mass, they did not gain fat weight. Did you know there are at least 4 ways to take estrogen? and that doesn't take into account dosages. Some of my friends have had to cycle through those methods to find what works, and different dosages. Some trans women have an underdeveloped sensitivity to testosterone (some have postulated it's one of the many factors in what causes a person to be trans) making estrogen take faster. The point being, transition is complex, it's not one size fits all and I think we need to take the time to ask two questions of trans women athletes - are you done with transition and was your transition effective? The IOC and NCAA have no framework to determine how receptive a body is to hormones or other aspects of medical transition. And this is the controversial part - if your medical transition isn't taking, you shouldn't be able to compete. It sucks, it may not be fair, but it's not fair to others either. And by effectiveness of transition, I don't mean do you look hot, I mean did you shed the physical traits that would be akin to the doping East Germany swim team or not? If you didn't, not sure it's fair to compete. What does that framework look like? I don't know. But I do believe it's doable. I also think the standard should be heightened for sanctioned high school, college, pro and Olympic sports and events and can be relaxed for club, recreational leagues and play, especially where there are inherent levels so that competition is structurally organized by talent/skill level. In the end, trans women and progressives need to be more understanding, but the latent and in some cases overt -isms run rampant on this issue as much as any other and for those of us who believe there is a way to get this done and who believe the right to compete is a fundamental human right, it's severely damaging. I do believe reason, logic and sound judgment can be used here to create a system that is inherently fair to everyone, and I think the importance of athletic competition demands we do it. Unfortunately, I'm afraid we are at least decades away from having the will as a society to find that solution that works for everyone. That deeply saddens me and is one of the most troubling aspects of living in this world as an (admittedly aging) trans-athlete.
  12. We talked on our podcast and crunched some numbers about a month ago and it’s uncanny- like every time they give up runs we lose- and that’s just not normal. You’d probably expect to win about 40 or 50% if the games your leverage guy gives up a run and we were running like 15% or something. lots of times a set up man comes in with a 2 run lead, gives up 1, no big deal. Or they tie it in the top and we go ahead in the bottom. Nope. part of it has been when they give up runs many times it’s multiple. If your guy is going to have a 4.5 era you want him to give up a run every other game and that’s a lot more likely to win than 8 perfect, 3 runs and 2 runs in 10 games.
  13. If your goal is to “energize the base” at the expense of getting independent/swing voters, your plan is brilliant. I’m never ever going to look to a fringe that is only good at losing elections for a winning electoral strategy. Y’all won’t be happy till we elect a Chavez. Most Americans want nothing to do with that maximalist idiocy. Sorry you’re a fringe group who nobody else likes, but them’s the breaks. Get real, and there’s a seat at the table for you.
  14. I tend to agree with this. Kamala Harris can freely say she will sign it because it will never come up again. Democrats in Congress won't put it in front of her, and if she wins Democrats very likely control at least the House and maybe even hold the Senate by the skin of their teeth. Even in the world where we end up with Republicans flipping the Senate and holding the House, but Harris is President (this has to be like 2% probability), it isn't going to get 60 votes in the Senate.
  15. Im 54 and been pounding Index funds since i got out of Texas. I didnt start being able to save money until I was 25, so figure appx 30 years of Index buying and holding. Almost entirely S&P 500, with the exception of 10% of the nest egg in cash (probably more than what is recommended). The strategy has served me well; without going in to too much detail, we should be fine. Buy and hold, dollar cost averaging, only time I sold was right after 9/11 and I was late to sell. Got it all back of course. Fortunately my company has a defined pension...that plus SS and savings and wife is realtor (she'll do that forever).... trying to go another 7 years before heading to the house. I think the Boglehead strategy is not sexy and wont win the dinner conversation, but i come from the millionaire next door ethos where its best to sit back and let others discuss the next big stock pick and bide my time. Full disclosure, I will say i have one IRA from my wife's previous employer where i own microsoft, Meta, apple , amazon and AMC (got caught up in the meme options mania), plus an inherited IRA with Vanguard in their inflation protected bond fund tied to 10 yr.... been a dog lately but with the 10yr under 4, it should start a price increase trend. Other than that, im all S&P. Good luck!
  16. Scheduling never gets enough scrutiny from the media, yet schedules make or break title contenders every season. Last year, Michigan opened with 4 games at home: ECU, UNLV, Bowling Green and Rutgers. They also missed Iowa. I know that they were damned good and also cheating motherfuckers, but how different is the Michigan 2023 season if they catch Texas, or go on the road to ND, or play Iowa a week before Penn State? Maybe they still win it all, but that is very, very debatable. As an alternative, think about Liberty* in 2023. They played the shittiest schedule in FBS. Yet they go undefeated and, basically by default, wind up as the highest ranked G5 team and got to go get blown out in the Fiesta Bowl. Does that game look different if SMU or Tulane plays Oregon instead? I'm sure Oregon still wins, but many more of us might have at least been inclined to have watched it. I didn't. I watched most bowl games and skipped that bullshit. Or how about something altogether different, such as Texas in 2023. If Texas went the Oklahoma/Michigan route and hid behind their brand in the hopes of making the playoffs, rather than doing something worthwhile in the non-con, does Texas get in with a 12-1 record but a win over, say, Appalachian State instead of a road win versus Alabama on their resume? No, they don't. Either both Bama and Georgia get in, or FSU gets in and UGA bawls. Either way, no one but Texas fans would have been whining for 12-1 Texas. So what about this year? Who's got a spine and who doesn't? And what might the consequences be? If not discussed here heading towards the season ramp-up, we won't see much discussion elsewhere or properly given its due, at least. The Jellyfish 1) The SEC and ACC - look, I understand why we are still dealing with this weak shit regarding 8 conference games, but I don't have to like it. I hated it when Texas wasn't in one of these conferences and I hate it now. It's spineless schedule manipulation done to get more teams into the playoffs. Add to that that in replacement of the 9th conference game, these teams all (except for Texas and Va Tech), that's 31 out of 33 conference teams, they each play a FCS program and you've got vomit-inducing, cheating-esque garbage being pushed our way as fans. No one wants to watch that shit. Further, neither conference has an argument for a bubble playoff team over a high quality alternative from the Big 12 or Big 10 getting in instead. Fucking joke. 2) Ohio State - Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall - fuck these guys. They better win out or there will be plenty to argue against their entry to the CFP. 3) Ole Miss - Furman, MTSU, @Wake, Georgia Southern. When Ole Miss is sitting at 10-2 with a loss to Georgia and another random, SEC honks everywhere will be pleading about their grind of a schedule and getting them in as the 11th seed over some 11-2 Big 12 team, laugh at them. They get 5 of the bottom projected 7 SEC teams and skip Texas, Bama, Tenn, and Mizzou. 4) Oklahoma - Temple, Tulane, UH, Maine! - at one point in time, OU would schedule anyone, anywhere. Those days are gone. Now, they crouch behind their history and hope for the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately for them, too many benefits of the doubt have been given to them in the past, only to watch them just get fucking mauled in title games and the like. Fuck OU. (I don't give a shit about the Georgia game cancellation - they could have found a P4 opponent and chose Maine and Temple instead.). 5) Notre Dame - ND gets to pick who they play every year. They know they'll get the benefit of the doubt in a close call against any conference's 3rd or worst candidate for a playoff spot if they're 10-2 or better. It appears as though they said, "yeah, fuck it, stop scheduling teams with a pulse" once the playoff expansion was announced. This year they go: @ATM, Northern Illinois, @Purdue, Miami of Ohio, Louisville, Stanford, Ga Tech (@Mercedes Benz in ATL), Navy (Met Life Stadium), FSU, Virginia, Army (in the Bronx), and @ USC. Who is the toughest team on that schedule? An overranked ATM? A weak USC? A top 20-ish FSU team? If Notre Dame is anything below 11-1 this season, they should be eliminated from the conversation unless multiple teams on their schedule really surprise with amazing seasons. Anyway, all 5 of these scheduling approaches have serious consequences for the CFP this year. Deserving teams sitting at 10-2 or 9-3 playing harder schedules are likely to get pushed out because of some of this bitch-made shit. I'm curious to see how it all plays out and figured it was worth hearing anyone else's thoughts as well. *Liberty again stands to gain the most out of everyone with their scheduling nonsense. For one, they play in the worst G5 conference - Conference USA. It's a pathetic overall group of teams that have arguably no business remaining at the FBS level. In addition to their pathetic in-conference slate, which includes 3 recent ascendants from FCS (Sam, Jax State, Kennesaw State), their non-con includes an FCS school (Campbell), ECU, App State, and UMass! Wretched. App State is at least favored to win the Sun Belt, so maybe they can save everyone from having to watch the #5 CFP seed simply walk over #12 Liberty on their way to the quarters.
  17. There was a former GOP election advisor on MSNBC hosted by Michael Steele (guest makes sense) - and he said that he hasd been involved in a number of races where the candidate who was winning bigly ran into some kind of situation where it was clear they were no longer the front runner. He said that it took an unusually emotionally mature and capable candidate to be able to weather that situation, and that most candidates stumble when things went bad. He further said that Trump was incapable of handling the problems he was facing, as Trump blames black women for his losing in 2020 and that he is terrified of black women. He more or less said that Trump was such an angry toddler and emotionally stunted man that anything other than lashing out for the rest of the campaign was going to be as we expect - no change despite being behind with Trump grievance dialed to 11 - with Donny insulting everybody who denies him his rightful place as dictator for life, with black women getting the worst disgusting insults that his limited vocabulary can come up with.
  18. I think this is a very astute and accurate take. And it's exactly what Harris digs into with "We're not going back." It's not just about abortion rights and gay rights and voting rights, though that's definitely the intellectual and policy part of it. But it plays on a more emotional level. We're not going back to the stress-inducing and emotionally exhausting era of watching Trump spew shit on our television every fucking day for four fucking years. Joe Biden hasn't been perfect. But I'll say this for him: for most of the days of his term, I haven't even thought about who was in the White House. Who the president is or what he is doing isn't a thought that even crosses my mind most days. And I--and I suspect most people--like it that way. We're not going back. Let me tell you something as a former Republican: The Democrats are fucking ruthless when it comes to failing candidates; the Republicans are not. We just saw it with Biden. But before that we saw it with everyone who wasn't Biden in 2020 two days before the South Carolina primary. And before that you saw it with Bernie Sanders. And I can go back to Gary Hart and, ultimately, to LBJ. If you're not going to win the White House, and particularly if you're going to do so badly that you're going to threaten Congressional and state-level Democrats, the party establishment will slit your fucking throat at the drop of an uneaten hat. The Republicans don't do that. That's how Trump got the nomination in 2016--they couldn't force Rubio or Cruz or any other non-Trump candidate out of the race. They couldn't force Palin to withdraw from the ticket (even when she had a pretty good built-in excuse of having to deal with her family (i.e., her teenaged unmarried daughter's pregnancy)). And they sure as shit couldn't do to Bush or Dole what the Democrats just did to Biden, notwithstanding the fact that it was equally apparent that they were going to end up how Biden would've ended up. Instead, Republicans just distance themselves from the disaster so that they can say later that others fucked it up and they would've run a better campaign. The recriminations often begin well before Election Day--just remember back to 2008 and all of the strategists pointing fingers at one another over Palin and McCain's stupid idea of suspending his campaign when AIG failed. Because--and this is the important thing to keep in mind--Republicans are rats. And rats will always flee the sinking ship.
  19. i’m the first to admit that my poli-sci degree from Florida does not give me any better opinion on a race in 2024 after these 40-odd years than yours - but I have been a political junkie all of my life, and it strikes me that the never ending buzz about Trump attacking people and Vance attacking people, and all of the emotional energy that goes with Trump’s version of grievance politics is so fucking tiring to any normal person, that the continued Trump drama will encourage people to vote for Harris. Just so they don’t have to listen to this shit every day for four years. Given that Trump feels this attack mode is the only way for him to campaign, and as polls are trending down, his Pavlovian response will be to get even uglier and more emotional. Forget all of the policy position stuff, I am here to say Trump will lose because - overall - people just don’t want to listen to his constant shit slinging anymore. They want happy smiling chirpy Harris to tell them things are going to be fine, and are in fact fine right now, but we are working on the things that aren’t and we will work with Republicans and listen to their ideas. I think voters - more than anything - want a break from the anger and the drama. It’s as simple as that. During the recent Biden doldrums we were not getting the full on shit slinging Gibbon that is Trump. Some people forgot how it was when he was president. Like PTS, people are remembering the constant negativity and insulting attacks on everyone who disagrees with Trump. I think the PTS is being triggered and will result in a Harris win.
  20. That's the vibe I'm getting from my small handful of acquaintances who are Republicans or Republican-leaning. I just had a coworker who leans heavily Republican tell me that there was "no chance" that Trump wins. Really? "Yeah," he said--"no chance Kamala doesn't win." Honestly, it feels a lot like the level of despair we had three weeks ago. But maybe without the hope that their candidate could be persuaded to drop out. And on their side, I think you can't discount the number of people who treat electoral politics as entertainment or sport. Voting for Trump is just a mechanism to make the libs cry and whoop it up after you win. But if Trump isn't going to win, then it's no fun. And beyond that, there's no real point. Why bother supporting a team if you know it's going to lose? And if you're a person who votes only infrequently, why go out and vote if you know you're just going to be on the losing side? With a little luck and some good work on the campaign, we can get a snowball rolling downhill to bring about an electoral thumping.
  21. Fat Hamm with word salad TexAgs' recruiting analyst Ryan Brauninger joined TexAgs Radio on Wednesday morning for another edition of Recruiting Country, highlighting the latest news and notes from the recruiting trail surrounding Texas A&M. Key notes from Recruiting Country Everything that Mike Elko has done has been almost 180 degrees different than the way things were happening a year ago. When the pool party looks different than it has in the past, everybody in the fanbase, up to this point, has been on board with these changes. What Mike Elko said yesterday about nobody having missed a workout last summer when last year we had guys missing multiple workouts a week. All of that has changed. When they have a different feel for the way they want to run these recruiting events, shouldn’t this guy get the benefit of the doubt? Everything he does has been done with a purpose. To me, I’m confident that whatever Mike Elko does. There is a real thought process, strategy and reasoning for it. In a month, you are going to host a massive home game in front of the national audience, and that is going to portray what Texas A&M is better than a late-July pool party with nobody on campus. It would be great if they went out and got Trey McNutt III‍, Jonah Williams‍ and Kaliq Lockett‍, but if they don’t, just stick with Mike Elko. There is a method to what he is doing. He has a lot of his class done, and a lot of the work is already done. I think this party was more of a jump start for the class of 2026 rather than creating more momentum for the class of 2025. Noah Mikhail‍ and a bunch of the California guys were able to come. I believe there were only two from in-state that didn’t make it. Deondrae Riden‍ had a test to graduate early, and Tyler Thomas‍ at Dickinson had it hard due to all the rain. This was the first time that this mass group of commitments was all together in one place. It was about making a bond. The group chat got so much better, I bet. Getting them together was the important thing here. To learn to be tight-knit and loyal to each other so in a month, you have those guys coming in with that bond formed already. Texas A&M’s best selling point in the fall is what Saturdays look like in Kyle Field. To open this season with a marquee matchup, they’re going to take every advantage. From what we are hearing right now, that guest list is going to be star-studded. There are going to be some elite players from the class of 2025 and 2026 on campus. Trey McNutt is the big one. He came in the day before the pool party and went to Oregon for an unofficial visit. A&M did a fantastic job. They had a very personable and personalized visit. There were a lot of one-on-one talks about how Texas A&M would serve Trey McNutt and vice versa. The Aggies did a really good job heading into that Oregon visit. It was massively important that he moved his commitment date back. I truly believe that it is a coin flip. This is a kid that, if A&M lands him, will be Mike Elko’s best recruiting job. When a kid gets set in his mind that he is favoring one place, it is hard enough to break into that line of thinking, much less to surpass it. It is hard enough to find a crack in the door to get in. If A&M wins out, not only have they come from behind, but they have completely changed this kid’s mind on what his future is going to look like. From what I’ve heard, I think his family is very comfortable with him playing football in the state of Texas. Trey McNutt has been in Houston a lot this summer training. That could play a factor in this thing. I’m not sitting here saying who is going to win, I am just giving you the reasons why it could be Texas A&M. Jonah Williams’ decision is going to be 99.99 percent a football decision because of what has happened to the baseball rosters. You only get 34 players. Jonah is a legitimate dual-sport athlete. I think he is a professional baseball prospect, but he is also an NFL player. He is a rare breed of athlete. For Texas A&M, they have always been in it. They have been kind of under the radar. It goes to what Mike Elko was talking about at SEC Media Days. All the work is being done behind the scenes. I feel the same way about Michael Fasusi‍. I have a feeling that Texas A&M is closer to those guys than people are saying. Do not throw your toys out of the bin if Texas A&M doesn’t land any of those guys. There is so much time now. Talent acquisition and roster management is almost a year-round thing. The Aggies could start a linebacker that didn’t even play spring ball in Solomon DeShields. A&M will be able, under this coaching staff, to put a plan in place if you don’t land your big high school guy. Obviously, that is the priority, but if we don’t, there is a plan to mitigate that. People freaked out about some Snapchat Kiotti Armstrong‍ posted from his Texas visit. He was wearing A&M stuff the same day. Kiotti is fine with Texas A&M. I have heard nothing else
  22. The problem with the far left is they dont realize they need to get off their fucking soapbox for long enough to realize they are fucking losers and need to adapt to the game. The game has changed and you need to realize what it takes to win. They go low and you fucking go high! It worked so well that we have a fascist at our doorsteps. I am a gun nut, free market, bitches about the work ethic of my employees psychopath that has donated the max to a Black/Indian female presidential candidate to stop fascism. Yet you bitch about the compromises. That is why democrats are losers. Fuck it is tough dealing with you fuckers. Now I am in your camp and it is embarrassing.
  23. This. It's annoying as fuck, but win the election first and then we can try to re-educate these idiots about what the real dangers are. You aren't going to convince them the border isn't a problem in 3 months.
  24. Gave myself nearly 24 hours before commenting on the trade and while it was an overpay, it is not nearly as bad as I originally thought. Maybe this is me trying to huff some copium but it does give some perspective in my eyes. Reminder our farm system is ass -Wagner is an org bat with no real position and zero power plus hes 26. Those dudes are a dime a dozen plus the only position he can actually play is second base, which is pretty occupied -Loperfido is 25, strikes out a ton and is probably a utility dude in the long term. Definitely will miss him but its not like we traded Jose Ramirez. I also dont think Brown makes this move if he thinks anyone but Tucker will be in right in the next few years...thats how you get the goodwill back Dana. Sign the mother fucker -Bloss had a fantastic year in the minors but has never thrown over 76 innings in the minors and just dealt with shoulder issues (I am unaware of the rest of his medical history). He also has a major problem walking lefties. Could he be a #2, sure, could he be a righty only bullpen guy, sure. Its a high upside arm and IMO really the only major loss in this deal -Kikuchi...Numbers dont look great, results dont look great. Stuff is excellent, dude averages 96 on his fastball from the left side, only Ragans Skubal and Crochet average higher from the left side. He Ks people, doesnt walk people. The issue is contact, I think a lot of that is fixable and a lot of that has to do with luck as well. Is he going to suddenly change what he is and become The Big Unit, no, but I think he will give some solid innings and probably start in the postseason or be one hell of a bridge to abreu, pressly, hader. Just help get us to the dance and lets party! Again this is probably copium and who knows what this looks like in 5 years. Win another ring and who gives a fuck about the rest Caleb Ferguson is ass
  25. that's not good enough. there has to be more. I am no way saying we don't need everyone (insert gary oldman gif here) to win this election for the sake of sanity. I just can't rectify the going back part. what's to go back to?
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