What now?

The good news: Hard times create strong men. Our football program is in hard times right now. And the country isn't too far behind.

 

First time in several years. It was good. Plenty of leftovers.

 

Glad you had a good time, brother.

 

Did you do the Tour of Italy? Confidence is high.

 

Here's my theory about this team. Sark is coaching them hard, holding them accountable behind closed doors and in film sessions. And they don't like that. So they've tuned him out. Which is why he wants most of them to leave.

He was asked in his post game press conference if he'd lost the team. He said, "I don't know. You'd have to ask them". That indicates to me that it is a him vs us attitude on the team.

I have no idea of what I'm saying has any merit or if it is total horse manure.

 

Yes. I was hungry. That sounded really good.

 

I didn't hear the interview. Usually a coach say's no to that question. I don't know him personally or have a feel for his style during press conferences. Logically speaking, maybe he doesn't know, even in the best of times. But he's been coaching a long long time and I'd think he has a feel for the pulse of the team. UNLESS the Longhorns are a different breed of cat; one year removed from not wanting to honor Longhorn traditions. A simmering detachment from the school itself and anyone who doesn't openly attach themselves to their social concerns. I think we know Worthy, Bijan, CT and others are showing up to play with bells on. But are the others on a wait and see mode about the coaches earning THEIR respect?

I just think we are what we are.

4 - 6

 

That is exactly why I've got my theory. A coach usually defends his team, saying they are working hard every day, trying to correct whatever is wrong. The fact he didn't say that makes me wonder. Like I said, I may be full of it. But it's a message board. I've never seen being full of it as inhibiting anyone before.

 

Yeah, the Dallas Stars are going through this exact thing with Bowness right now. They had a players-only meeting after the last home loss, and the press conference lasted an entirety of 29 seconds, with Bowness basically saying that the media would need to talk to the players if they wanted more info. He could have literally said anything else with his own spin, but the fact that he didn't shows that he's tired and going through an adversarial relationship with the team.

 

For sure, HIC.
An enormous % of sports performance is mental and emotional..100%
And this is where we have failed miserably in recent years....And the worse part is it is infectious..
Read this carefully...
Not only are guys failing due to poor mental/emotional strength/focus they personally possess....I believe very strongly we have a lot of talented, capable physically and athletically, guys who have come through here recent years who may have been mentally strong themselves -in general- but not enough so to overcome the "infection" or general tone/vibe they are surrounded by.
There is a difference. It is one thing to have the focus and determination when things are great, good, pretty good, or whatever in general...quite another to have it when cancer is around you..internally and externally. What is so fascinating is when a new group can come into a place and root that out so the other can take over and thrive....
It just hasn't happened here..
The former is rooted in strong..all around the program..and it grips even the most focused and positive. I'll be watching Bijan closely next couple years. And RJ deserves a prize and an NFL offer for what he has managed to do in spite of it all..amazing. Hope Bijan and some other guys like Demo, Jamison, can withstand it. We have guys not thriving in spite of their abilities and THIS is what other programs recruit against.

 

That's hilarious! I'd kill to get face valve for my 50 yard line seats! Try 10 cents on the dollar. Del Conte has a serious problem on his hands regarding ticket sales. Only the novelty of an SEC schedule can save this sinking ship.

 

I'll say this again. If he thinks the players are not right for the program he is not required to renew their scholarship for next year. He doesn't need to "hope they hit the portal" if they aren't bought in. If 90% of the eligible team comes back next year and they perform like this year it's on him not the players. I still can't figure out why we are almost a year in and six losses before he even mentions players not bought in to the culture and work ethic.

I don't know how you can have an entire team (minus a few) of poor performers and malcontents when the vast majority of them were high school stars...the best in the country who got beat by a bunch of leftovers that no one else wanted. Many of our players are worse now than they were in week 1.

 

I "agree" totally Sabre..But in fairness want to add they are not all like this^^^^..There are still some being "raised right" and they are in our program.
Unfortunately...
"A little leaven leaves the whole lump (of dough)."

 

And it's funny to me some still think these two aren't related
...but not real funny

 

We lose to WVU is what happens now.

 

Longhorn flat circle fan cycle of recruiting;
1. Overly excited about getting 5 star players.
2. When they turn out to be busts or soft, say we need to get "hard workers"-3 stars.
3. When the 3 stars get crushed by a team with superior talent, we need to recruit better.

 

I know many of you don't want to consider this but if we want to be a playoff contender every season we may have to let "the eyes of Texas" go. I know the EOT controversy is thought of as being petty but some don't think that way. There are outside groups getting into the player's ears sucking the motivation away from them. That poison will always be there.
Perhaps we can recruit so well and achieve success and get a wave of momentum to keep the poison at bay but that seems unlikely. The song may have to go and that would be another example of a very small minority dictating policy over the majority.
It's too bad because without that poisonous culture influence i believe we would thrive as a team.
Bad or ineffectual coaching is not the the real issue here its the crybaby culture.

 

Gotcha. But playing in the Racist South should be no problem.

 

It is pathetic to consider what happened Sat and the 4 weeks prior, not know why it is happening
And to consider nothing has changed or is likely to.

 

Texas will be BY FAR the most liberal school in the SEC. If someone really believes this is keeping certain groups from coming to play for Texas then the rest of the SEC would be filled with nothing but farm raised white boys.

 

Some of you guys may be onto something.
There is little doubt in my mind many certain type people (potential recruits) may stay away from UT due to considerations that go beyond the football program. This is likely true at most schools if not all but to varying degrees and with varying results. The question is, if true, what types are certain schools missing on...and specifically what types might we be missing on?
I know we are just speculating here but my first thought is some big, strong, farm raised (corn fed) old school country boy linemen.
Would you want to come to UT if you were dem boyz?
That's what is so hilarious about people calling woke UT racist. If anything...may be the opposite of whatever people think of conservative, southern, old school, country, etc.
Think there is merit to some aspects of the subject at large and how it correlates to culture and what we see on the field.
Just pontificating here so don't shoot...

 

There is a real irony in play here. The rest of the SEC team players are majority black, as everyone knows, but somehow there is no demoralizing racist influence like at Texas
And Alabama had some serious racist issues in their history. But they seem to have gotten past that.
I think its because EOT fuels the problem.
Or am i off the mark here and its bad coaching or unmotivated players.
You would think the players would play to the best of their ability to make it to the NFL.

 

Yes, you are off the mark. They can GTFO if that song still makes them cry and that is why they suck.

 

No one is making them stay if that song is really so offensive and horrible to them.

Their play is offensive and horrible.

 

No way is it the song. That whole issue is just part of the culture of the college that people are playing to their advantage in promoting that whole agenda. Changing the song would do nothing more than embolden that part of the UT culture.

 

Well i agree mostly.
But if they are using the EOT to advance their agenda then the EOT does contribute to the problem.

 

Poms I would hate to think what you’re saying, a song, could be the basis of our problem - a song!
But I feel like if we got rid of it there would only be something else come up. After all we ‘renamed’ buildings and removed statues and you’re saying that wasn’t enough?

That’s what I fear we have no idea how to cure.

 

I agree that the EOT has nothing to do with our recruiting dilemma. Mississippi had the Confederate flag on the state flag until a year or two ago and look at Ole Miss. Bama was where George Wallace stood in the door to stop integration. The 5 stars now days want to play for a winner, period. State loyalty is pretty much dead.

 

Wallace stood on steps in Alabama but your point is good

 

HIC,

I want to put the puppets in a locked room and blare "Dixie" and Dwight Yoakum singing "They played Dixie When He Died"