Mack Brown Tarheel Football: The Orange Slice Boogaloo

[NBHorn7 86]

2 hours ago, Horn80 said:

As I recall, Switzer really got under DKR’s skin and the frustration probably got to much for him.  Texas won the last game of his final season against Arkansas which kept him from going out with losing season and considering he was on top of CFB in 1969-70 to almost having losing season six years later was sad ending.

I will never understand why Mack wanted to blow everything up after the NC Bama loss considering Texas very likely would have won but for Colt’s injury.   However, I do think he probably brought much of the loss on himself by refusing to give Gilbert practically zero playing time during the season.  Guess he wanted to pad Colt’s stats as much as possible to increase his chances to win the Heisman.  

It was the cheating that got under DKR"s skin, OU would just cheat their way to championship and didn't care if anybody knew it. They would trade probations for titles gladly. Too bad DKR didn't stick around one more year for the 1977 season. Earl was finally healthy, and the defense was pretty loaded. Akers got the benefit of this season. Nobody thought Texas would be any good that year, but after some surprising big early wins it set up a showdown with highly ranked OU in the Cotton Bowl. After two quarterbacks go down for Texas a surprising third stringer came in and Texas won on Earl's big legs and that strong defense. It was a magic season, but I believe it was starting middle linebacker Lance Taylor went down in a big season ending win over the Aggies at College station as Earl shined. Texas had to start a freshman at middle linebacker against Notre Dame and they ran the ball up the middle all day, with I think his name was Vegas Fergason, in the Irish win. Earl got over a hundred yards on the ground, but it wasn't nearly enough. 

Unlikely Hero: The career of Randy McEachern | Brenham 360 | brenhambanner.com

Then the SWC went wild with nearly all teams getting in on the cheating bandwagon. Akers couldn't cope with that in the 80's along with his no offense minded strategy and Texas started to slide. With a couple of exceptions like in 1990, it was dark times till Mack showed up. You know what happened after that both good and bad.

[billfromlaketravis 11529]

After Cigs Unfiltered got a $72 million deal, the basketball school excuse doesn’t fly anymore. I’m sure the UNC admins are straining rotator cuffs patting themselves on the back for “taking football seriously.” But they had to do it to try and move forward.

I think they’re hopeless. Sumrall is the absolute best they can, and I’m not sure he can do better than 8&4 every year.  
 

On Mack, I think the UNC redux stirred up a lot of bad feelings from afar. I think the forgive and forget segment of the Texas fanbase is down to 10 posters on Orangebloods. 
 

But he’s a greedy motherfucker with fuck up step kids to take care of, so he gladly got paid again. He left UNC in shambles. Their 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked 78th.

[Horn80 6133]

56 minutes ago, NBHorn7 said:

It was the cheating that got under DKR"s skin, OU would just cheat their way to championship and didn't care if anybody knew it. They would trade probations for titles gladly. Too bad DKR didn't stick around one more year for the 1977 season. Earl was finally healthy, and the defense was pretty loaded. Akers got the benefit of this season. Nobody thought Texas would be any good that year, but after some surprising big early wins it set up a showdown with highly ranked OU in the Cotton Bowl. After two quarterbacks go down for Texas a surprising third stringer came in and Texas won on Earl's big legs and that strong defense. It was a magic season, but I believe it was starting middle linebacker Lance Taylor went down in a big season ending win over the Aggies at College station as Earl shined. Texas had to start a freshman at middle linebacker against Notre Dame and they ran the ball up the middle all day, with I think his name was Vegas Fergason, in the Irish win. Earl got over a hundred yards on the ground, but it wasn't nearly enough. 

Unlikely Hero: The career of Randy McEachern | Brenham 360 | brenhambanner.com

Then the SWC went wild with nearly all teams getting in on the cheating bandwagon. Akers couldn't cope with that in the 80's along with his no offense minded strategy and Texas started to slide. With a couple of exceptions like in 1990, it was dark times till Mack showed up. You know what happened after that both good and bad.

Yes the cheating is what got under DKR’s skin and Switzer’s comments about Royal should spend less time listening to guitar pickers.  I went to the 1978 Cotton Bowl game, and most games that season, and it was a long, cold day and ND QB Joe Montana turned out to be pretty good too.

Edited 2 hours ago by Horn80

[Funk Doctor Spock 12522]

14 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Every year I was on campus and years afterward as a fresh alum, "my team" was one of the best in the country and could beat any team in any given week.

Very few UT cohorts, or any other program's cohort, have the luxury of that feeling.

For that, I'll be forever grateful to ole Mack.

We must have been there at the same time. However, unlike you, I will not like Mack just because he's such a slimy glad handing used car salesman who wanted talent that could have won so many more CC's and trips to the MNC. 

The more I learn about him, the more I hate him. The fact that when he was fired and told the recruits to looks around will for always make me loath that fucking bastard. 

[SamMan 1373]

Guys, I am a Mack Brown defender. Why? If you are interested, see below:

Spoiler

In the early morning hours of January 5, 2006, somewhere around Pasadena, CA, I made a drunken pledge to name the next dog I owned after the man who brought a national championship back to Austin for the first time in 35 years (the sorority girl I was seeing at the time had made me watch Sweet Home Alabama like four times and the guy had dogs named “Bear” and “Bryant”). I kept that promise. When little Mack was a pup, I used to joke that he was just like his namesake—never met a stranger, good with the mommas, and occasionally shit the bed. He was the best, and, in my mind, both Mack’s are inextricably linked. So, hating Mack Brown would be like disowning my best bud…never gonna happen.

Did shit get fucked up in the end? Sure. But the highs were really fucking high, and I appreciate the fact that I can confidently say that the collective sports experience I got during my time on campus was about as great as anybody could have…Mack was a big part of that. It afforded me the opportunity to see the greatest CFB player ever, on one of the greatest CFB teams ever, play one of the greatest CFB games ever, and win a national championship. Selfishly, everything that happened toward the end takes a backseat, because I wouldn’t trade that night, that entire year, for anything.

My Mack got old and sick. I spent a minor fortune trying to prolong our time together as long as possible, and I would have spent 2x as much if need be. Schedules and long term plans were altered. I slept on the floor next to his kennel for twelve weeks so that I could tend to his needs. He shit the bed a lot toward the end, but I never resented him for any of it. We had a ton of great times together over the years. Those are the things I choose to remember, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, either.

I know that is some sentimental bullshit, but that’s why I spoilered it. I do feel like Mack deserved to lose his job in Chapel Hill, and I have always been somewhat ambivalent toward his exit in Austin. I just can’t bring myself to hate the man. That may not be the most popular position here, but I’ve given my reasons. FWIW, I also agree with what Mike Gundy said about Mack or Saban being good candidates for a CFB Commissioner role.

*And, yes, in case you were wondering, I did have another dog…named Vince. Also a very good boy. I know who was largely responsible for that win in Pasadena…both, really.

[Not a cat 5713]

I was fortunate enough to have some beers with DKR and the only person he ever said anything remotely negative about was Switzer.  He hated him and mentioned that the only reason he wasn't in the CFB hall of fame yet was because DKR did all he could to block him.

[NBHorn7 86]

3 minutes ago, Not a cat said:

I was fortunate enough to have some beers with DKR and the only person he ever said anything remotely negative about was Switzer.  He hated him and mentioned that the only reason he wasn't in the CFB hall of fame yet was because DKR did all he could to block him.

I got to talk to DKR some too. I remember one night at the Broken Spoke he was there, and I pointed him out to some friends of mine. One of them had a book in his car for some reason that DKR had written about his life, and he went and got it. He said you know him some and asked me to go with him to where Coach Royal was sitting. I took him over there and introduced him and he asked DKR to sign his book. He said he didn't like signing things in public because it drew a crowd to him. He took out a pen and wrote down his phone number and address on two cards and gave us each one. He said if we called him and told him we were coming to his house, he would sign things. My friend was kind of shocked and we walked away. I told him that's how Coach was. I never called him, didn't really want to bother him and neither did my friend. As time goes by, I sort of wish I had, but I got to see him more times after that and talk to him. I still think about going to DKR's house and having some things signed and he would probably say to set down. I think about maybe meeting his wife and asking some things and having him tell some Longhorn football stories. I had a good opening thing to say because of one of his top assistant coaches Charlie Shira. He went to Mississippi State with Emory Bellard, who was named head coach there. I met Shira's daughter Lorette, at the 1981 College World Series when Mississippi State was there. She told me about her dad and a great story. She was born the week of the 1963 OU game, and the Texas team dedicated the game to her. They won and presented the game ball to Coach Shira to give to her and she still had that ball. I kept in contact with her. She called me after Texas won the SWC and asked if I would like to go the 1982 Cotton Bowl with her and her family, they had tickets. Of course, I went, and we sat dead on the fifty-yard line and watched Texas beat Alabama 14-12 on Brewer's quarterback draw.

Coach Royal was good friends with Joe Paterno, and he died without knowing about the sex scandal at Penn State. He always thought Paterno was just like him about not cheating and doing things the right way. Paterno also before the child abuse scandal came to light used to say that he wouldn't retire from coaching, as long as someone like Switzer was still around. That didn't age well, and I always wonder what DKR would have said about Paterno if he had lived to know about what ole Joe had done. I think we all know.

DKR was hired to beat OU, and he did. He went from being a star quarterback at OU und Bud Wilkenson to hating OU and of course Switzer. He couldn't believe OU would let Switzer do whatever he wanted as long as he won titles. At least Switzer did admit to spying on Texas practices with an OU coach. That incident and the denial of it ever happening really enraged DKR and with the continued cheating might have been the last straw that led to his retirement.

[Deej 76944]

22 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said:

People ?

You mean morons ?

Go ahead and bitch about him if you like but you might want to check his record.

Give it a rest, Sally.