Monthly Archives: November 2011

Locker room scene hits internet from Vol/Vandy game

November 22, 2011 – 7:02 am

I am involved with my relatives in a football pickem contest every week and the winner gets 50 dollars from a local newspaper. It is a fun time when we all get to pick the winners of 10 football games every week. I knew the Vandy at Tennessee game was going to be close this week, but I picked Tennessee because of the tradition that Tennessee has. I have discovered that many times the tradition rich team will find a way to win. (By the way, I also picked Oregon to beat Stanford too.)

One thing I was surprised to see a few days later was a scene from the Tennessee locker room hit the internet. Everyone knows what coaches say behind closed doors but you just expect to see it on the internet.

Franklin: UT’s celebration will remain open wound

  • TERESA M. WALKER – AP Sports Writer (AP)
  • Posted November 21, 2011 at 3:43 p.m., updated November 21, 2011 at 4:32 p

NASHVILLE — Vanderbilt’s James Franklin says he won’t soon forget the Commodores’ latest and perhaps most painful loss to Tennessee.

The coach says the way the Vols celebrated their 27-21 overtime win – which included coachDerek Dooley boasting how the Vols always beat Vanderbilt – will be a wound he leaves open until next year.

And luckily, there’s video available for the Commodores to watch over and over again.

“We’ll watch it as many times as we have to watch it next year,” Franklin said Monday. “That’s a wound I’m going to leave open. It’s not going to heal. I’m going to leave it open all year, and we’ll discuss it next year.”

Franklin said he knows his Commodores hurt themselves plenty with four turnovers and bad penalties last weekend. The final turnover was Eric Gordon’s interception return for a touchdown that officials reviewed, which theSoutheastern Conference admitted two hours later was messed up. Tennessee should have gone on offense instead.

The Vanderbilt coach said Monday he prefers to see the Vols’ celebration as a sign of respect.

“Some people act like they won the Super Bowl, and they beat a team that the two previous years had won four games total,” Franklin said. “Obviously, we’re winning, closing the gap and threatening some people and making some people uncomfortable. We’ll leave it at that. We’ll move on. We’ll have a lot of discussions about this next year when the time’s right.”

Three hours’ away in Knoxville, Dooley was disappointed video of what happened inside Tennessee’s locker room was shared, but he called it the world today.

“It’s like there’s no sacred place, and I think probably all the 120 coaches out there in football have a side to them where they loosen to the team that they don’t do in the public,” Dooley said. “Am I excited after a win? I always am. After a win is emotional, and certainly when you win a close game down to the wire, it’s exciting. You take those things for what they are. It’s a postgame, emotional, have a little fun, and then you close the door on it when you leave.”

Franklin called it a tough loss and said as rewarding as this season has been that it may be his most challenging with the tough losses combined with unusual situations. Four of Vanderbilt’s losses in the SEC this season have come by a combined 19 points.

“You can’t turn it over, especially on the road and especially early in the game and allow the momentum to swing like that. When you have four turnovers, three interceptions and a fumble, it’s hard to recover from that,” Franklin said.

The Commodores also racked up seven penalties for 46 yards, including a costly flag on lineman Josh Jelesky for a low block nowhere near a play that wiped out a huge gain by Chris Boyd down to the Tennessee 1. Franklin said he had never seen a play go from the 1 to the other 1 in two plays.

“There’s been more freakish things happen in this season than I’ve ever been around,” Franklin said.

“All I can do is coach that kid and put him in position and emphasize how important it is not making those mistakes. It wasn’t just that play. It was six or seven plays. There’s no doubt that was a dramatic one,” Franklin said.

Franklin’s bigger challenge now is rallying his Commodores (5-6) needing a win Saturday at Wake Forest (6-5) to be bowl eligible. It’s something only the Commodores thought could happen in Franklin’s first year, but now their first road win would extend their season with their second bowl game in four years.

“We’re in a one-game season,” Franklin said. “Truly, I’ve been saying that all year. We’re in a one-game season. We win this week, we’ll have more opportunities in the future probably more so than ever. The argument that I’m making is that we’ve got a one-game season, and we truly do. We win this week we’ll have more opportunities, and we’ll see what happens.”

Defensive tackle Rob Lohr said they have no problem refocusing on Wake Forest.

“We want to prove ourselves,” Lohr said. “Nobody wants to lose, let alone the way we did. So we need to bounce back this week and get a W so we can go to a bowl game.”

___

AP Sports Writer Beth Rucker in Knoxville, Tenn., contributed to this report.

To see Tennessee’s celebration in the locker room celebration see YouTube

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Mangino speaks at Little Rock Touchdown Club (Part 3)

November 22, 2011 – 6:33 am
Mangino at a 2007 KU basketball game

Eric Mangino is a fine coach. Here is a portion of an article by Jim Harris:

STRANGE YEAR: Mark Mangino noted the unusual college football season, from six more more teams being in the mix to make the BCS Championship Game in the second half of November, to the great success the 72-year-old Bill Snyder has had in his second turn at Kansas State, to the problems that surfaced last week at Penn State that cost Joe Paterno his job.

Mangino and Bob Stoops, as well as ousted Arizona coach Mike Stoops, were on Snyder’s staff in the 1990s.

A native of Pennsylvania, Mangino said Paterno’s firing after the allegations of child molestation by a former Penn State assistant coach hit home.

Mangino has seen a lot of the strange 2011 strike close to home. He was an assistant for a year under Jim Tressel at Youngstown State, where Mangino played. Tressel, of course, lost his job this year in all the irregularities that surfaced at Ohio State starting last December.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

John Hancock’s Thanksgiving proclamation

November 21, 2011 – 4:08 pm

America’s Founding Fathers Deist or Christian? – David Barton 1/6

I enjoyed this and wanted to pass it on from Wallbuilders:

John Hancock – 10/05/1791

The following is the text of a Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise, issued by John Hancock (Signer of the Declaration of Independence), while he was serving as governor of Massachusetts. The proclamation was issued October 5, 1791 and was declaring November 17, 1791 the day of Thanksgiving.

 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

By His EXCELLENCY
John Hancock, Esq.
GOVERNOR of the COMMONWEALTH
of Massachusetts.
A PROCLAMATION,
For a Day of Public Thanksgiving.

In consideration of the many undeserved Blessings conferred upon us by GOD, the Father of all Mercies; it becomes us no only in our private and usual devotion, to express our obligations to Him, as well as our dependence upon Him; but also specially to set a part a Day to be employed for this great and important Purpose:

I HAVE therefore thought fit to appoint, and by the advice and consent of the Council, do hereby accordingly appoint, THURSDAY, the seventeenth of November next, to be observed as a Day of Public THANKSGIVING and PRAISE, throughout this Commonwealth:—Hereby calling upon Ministers and People of every denomination, to assemble on the said Day—and in the name of the Great Mediator, devoutly and sincerely offer to Almighty God, the gratitude of our Hearts, for all his goodness towards us; more especially in that HE has been pleased to continue to us so a great a measure of Health—to cause the Earth plentifully to yield her increase, so that we are supplied with the Necessaries, and the Comforts of Life—to prosper our Merchandise and Fishery—And above all, not only to continue to us the enjoyment of our civil Rights and Liberties; but the great and most important Blessing, the Gospel of Jesus Christ: And together with our cordial acknowledgments, I do earnestly recommend, that we may join the penitent confession of our Sins, and implore the further continuance of the Divine Protection, and Blessings of Heaven upon this People; especially that He would be graciously pleased to direct, and prosper the Administration of the Federal Government, and of this, and the other States in the Union—to afford Him further Smiles on our Agriculture and Fisheries, Commerce and Manufactures—To prosper our University and all Seminaries of Learning—To bless the virtuously struggling for the Rights of Men—so that universal Happiness may be Allies of the United States, and to afford his Almighty Aid to all People, who are established in the World; that all may bow to the Scepter of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, and the whole Earth be filled with his Glory.

And I do also earnestly recommend to the good People of this Commonwealth, to abstain from all servile Labor and Recreation, inconsistent with the solemnity of the said day.

Given at the Council-Chamber, in Boston, the fifth Day of October, in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety-One, and in the sixteenth Year of the Independence of the United States of America.

JOHN HANCOCK.

By his Excellency’s Command,

JOHN AVERY, jun. Sec’y

GOD save the Commonwealth of MASSACHUSETTS!!
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in David Barton, Founding Fathers | Comments (0)

Veterans Day 2011 Part 9:Roy “Roxy” Oxenrider survived Korean War’s Toughest Battle

November 21, 2011 – 9:30 am

Picture of Roy after he had recovered at the hospital.

Picture of Roy below in the hospital recovering from his injuries followed by a picture of Roy encouraging another soldier who was in the hospital:
 Below is an article that was published in November of 2010 in the Saline Courier:

Saline County War Hero

Bryant resident Roy “Roxy” Oxenrider Survived Korean War’s Toughest Battle in 1950 

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir took place in Korea from November 26, 1950 to December 11th. The United Nations (UN) forces included soldiers from  South Korea, United States, and the United Kingdom. The UN forces numbered 25,000 soldiers and 2836 were killed and 7500 suffered cold related injuries. The Chinese had 120,000 soldiers and 35,000 killed.

 China had entered the conflict just days earlier and huge numbers of Chinese Soldiers swept across the Yalu river, surrounding the UN troops at the Chosin Reservoir. A huge battle in freezing weather followed, and the UN troops were able to cut through Chinese lines in what can be described as a fighting withdrawal. 

Roy Oxenrider has been a Saline County resident for over 30 years and currently both he and his wife Mildred live in Bryant. He was born near Harrisburg, PA. Below is his story concerning his experience in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir: 

On September 13, 1949, age 17, I entered the U.S.Army through the recruiting center in Philadelphia, PA. After basic training in Ft Knox, KY, I was sent to Ft Benning, GA for advanced infantry training with the 3rd Division. Four days after the Korean war broke out, my name was posted on the board for duty in Korea.

I was assigned to 1st Battalion, 32 Regiment, 7th Division, Company A. On December 1, 1950 the weather started to clear around noon and the Corsairs appeared to give us cover. Someone yelled, “Able Company on the road.” I jumped out of my foxhole and started toward the road and realized my ROK soldier,  Joung He Su, was not by my side, this was unusual. I was between the road and railroad near the front of the truck column when I turned to look for Joung He Su. As I turned, I heard a plane and just looked up in time to see a napalm dropping from the bottom of the plane, prematurely hitting in our perimeter area. I jumped for a nearby foxhole but did not make it all the way in. You could smell the scorch of my clothing. The men coming across on their way to the front of the truck column were hit by napalm. There were 10 to 12 men completely on fire and several others with blotches of fire on them. We yelled for them to roll in the snow. I believe Joung He Su to be one of those that was on fire because I did not see him anymore. We still were having to fight hand to hand with the Chinese as the men were burning.

A machine gun had started firing on us and small arms fire was coming from the high ground on the left. We managed to cut down enough of them to move up to take our place at the rear of the truck column. The trucks were not moving. A Chinese MG on the high ground to the left was firing. It was accompanied by a hail of small arms fire. My squad went down the bank on the right side of the road to the edge of the reservoir. We used the bank for cover to get behind the MG to knock it out. As we moved along the reservoir edge we came to a little opening, like a cove. As I started across the open space, the MG switched fire zones. I was shot through both thighs, and knocked to the ice. There was no pain. Perhaps because of the extreme cold, I did not yet know that I had been hit. 

My buddy and squad leader, Harold Verseman, was behind me, and said, “Come on, Roy, get up. We got work to do.” I thought my feet had slipped from under me on the ice, but as I tried to rise, I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed. I called to Harold, “I can’t get up, I’ve been hit.” Harold turned, came back through a storm of bullets, the ice chipping and shattering around him and me as well. He got me by the arm and pulled me to the bank out of the line of fire. How he escaped being hit, I will never know. Of one thing I am certain, Harold Verseman saved my life. I could not have gotten off the ice by myself. I had dropped my carbine. Harold called a medic, turned to get my carbine, but it was gone. Someone had picked it up. He turned, and said, “Roy. I’m sorry, but I have to go.” He left at a run for the head of the column. 

The medics cut my pants in a cross pattern, bandaged my legs, and carried me up the bank to a truck. They moved other wounded forward in the truck bed. I was placed parallel to the tailgate. My head was on the driver’s side. By this time, a Corsair plane had knocked out the Chinese MG. The truck began moving. I was in the last truck in the column. One thing that sticks in my memory is the courage of the soldier/truck drivers who manned those improvised ambulances loaded with wounded. Any man who slipped into the seat of one of those trucks was committing suicide. All knew it, but it stopped none. The trucks never lacked drivers. As one was hit he would be dragged out, another took his place. I think they deserved our nations; highest award. The Medal of Honor. Each of those guys was a hero. There was only one narrow road. The Chinese could concentrate fire on the driver. They had the advantage of the high ground on the left, looking down the driver’s throat. Blown bridges and road blocks also slowed the column. It was a nightmare scenario. 

By the time we reached the first blown out bridge our fifth driver had been killed or wounded. This time the truck went into a shallow ditch on the right and leaned at a 45% angle, exposing the rear of the truck to direct enemy fire. The Chinese were firing into the truck, wounding and killing already wounded men. The bullets sounded like great gravel thrown against the truck, only much louder. My arm was jammed against the tailgate, as bullets hit the steel it felt like my arm was being torn off.  The Chinese were now streaming down the hillside. John Parker of A Company got out, followed by a wounded officer. I kept trying and finally was able to roll over the top of the tailgate. As I felt, my rib cage hit on the trailer hitch, knocking the wind out of me. I thought, this is it. I can’t move. The Chinese will shoot me because I can not walk. 

This thought enabled me to roll into the ditch and crawl into the brush with the wounded officer and Parker. We hid until dark. We heard screams, grenades and shooting. We knew no one else would get off that truck alive. That scene haunts me to this day. Some of those men stuck fast, frozen in the their own blood. I knew there was nothing I could do. Nevertheless, the self questioning has never stopped. I can still hear those cries for help. The bitter cold helped some like myself because blood froze so that one did not bleed to death, but to others it was tragic.

The officer wanted to follow the road. Parker and I did not agree with him. We parted. Parker had no shoes, only socks. He had suffered a stomach wound at the perimeter. The medics had removed his boots since he was unable to change his own socks, and placed his feet in a sleeping bag to prevent frostbite. I had extra socks under my shirt and an extra pair of insoles. We put the insoles on the bottoms of the first pair of socks, then pulled on the second pair to hold the insoles. It wasn’t much in that -25 degree to -40 degree weather, but better than what he had. When it is that cold, a few degrees did not seem to make much difference. I had regained some feeling in my left leg. Finding a tree limb for a crutch, we followed the RR, moving cautiously throughout the night. At one point, the Chinese walked by us. We lay doggo among the dead, there were so many they never noticed us. We left the RR, too many Chinese. We must have gone around the back (west) side of Hill 1221.

Next day we would go a short distance, stop, listen, then go on again. We did this all day. After dark we came to a village. It must have been Sasu. John was in bad shape. he could not walk. His feet were frozen. Pushing open the door of a L-shaped Korean house, I remember the frightened faces of the elderly couple who lived there. There were three other GI’s in the hut, one badly wounded. We decided we three unwounded would leave early in the morning to find our lines. I left my .45 pistol with one round for John, and promised the two of them to send help if we found anyone. Next morning, December 3rd, in total darkness, the three of us left. I moved very slowly, but the other two men did not leave me. 

 Throughout the morning we were fired upon by the Chinese. About 10 AM several marines stood up and zeroed in on us with their rifles. I thought, My God, we have come this far, and now our own people are going to shoot us. They came out to us, two marines slung their rifles, picked me up, carried me bodily for some distance. They loaded us into a 3/4 truck that was brought out of the Marine perimeter. We told them about our other two buddies in the Korean village, and they promised to go find them. In 1988, scanning some morning reports I had requested, I learned that John Parker was flown out on December 3rd on the same plane I was on. I don’t remember leaving the truck. Perhaps I passed out.The next memory is being loaded onto an airplane. My litter was dropped in loading. I came to for a brief few seconds. A temporary airstrip had been completed at Hagaru-ri. We were flown from there to a clearing station, then to Osaka Army Hospital in Japan. In an article I later read, one of the pilots described the wounded evacuees as filthy, unshaven, stinking from dried blood, the smell of smoke, gun powder and unwashed bodies. He was not critical, merely literal and honest in his description.Roy Oxenrider received three battle stars, the Purple Heart Metal, National Defense Service Metal, Field Medical Badge, United Nations Service Metal, Korean War Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct Metal, and the Combat Infantry Badge.

Everette Hatcher is a regular contributor of the Saline Courier and he is the fourth generation in his family to work in the broom manufacturing business. Everette and his wife Jill have four children and live in Alexander.  
 
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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events, War Heroes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

What does Johnny Majors’ 71 Iowa have in common with another SEC team in 2011? jh72

November 21, 2011 – 9:06 am

They both lost to #1, 2 and 3 ranked teams in the same year (Iowa St in 1971 and Tennessee in 2011). As an Arkansas fan I take great pride in other schools complaining about having to play us. Did you know that Iowa State’s staff included head coach Johnny Majors who had left the Arkansas staff to take the position in 1968, but also Arkansas native Larry Lacewell and former Arkansas coaches Jackie Sherrill and Jimmy Johnson. Look at this article today from Knoxville:

John Adams: Testing UT: 1, 2, 3

By John Adams

Sunday, November 20, 2011

You knew Tennessee’s schedule would be difficult way back in preseason. You didn’t know it would be as hard as 1-2-3.

LSU is No. 1. Alabama is No. 2. Arkansas is No. 3.

Those rankings provide glaring evidence that all of UT’s football shortcomings aren’t related to coaching changes, player attrition or injuries to its two best offensive players.

Getting up when you’re down is hard enough under normal circumstances. There’s nothing normal about the SEC, especially this season.

An exceptional league is now more exceptional than ever. It’s enough to make Missouri and Texas A&M have second thoughts.

It’s also enough to make you realize second-year coach Derek Dooley is in the midst of the most difficult rebuilding job in UT history.

You can’t gauge the progress simply by checking the record. You also have to check the rankings.

The Vols will head into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Kentucky with a 5-6 record. Half of those losses have come against the three highest ranked teams in the top 25.

There’s more to it than that. Two of the Vols’ other three loses came against nationally ranked South Carolina and Georgia.

The schedule isn’t a one-year fling. Last season, the Vols played five teams that finished in the top 25. Three of those teams finished in the top 10.

No wonder, the Vols still could finish the season with back-to-back losing records for the first time in 100 years.

Former Tennessee coach Johnny Majors can relate better than anyone to Dooley’s plight. And that’s not just because he also faced a major rebuilding job at UT when he returned to his alma mater in 1977.

Even before Majors revitalized UT football or turned Pittsburgh into a national power, he made Iowa State a competitive program in the old Big Eight.

In 1971, Majors’ Iowa State team lost only three regular-season games. It lost them to the top three teams in the country — Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado.

UT’s 2011 schedule has been even more arduous.

That doesn’t excuse how badly the Vols played in a 49-7 loss at Arkansas nine days ago. It does add perspective.

Each letdown and slipup is magnified when your talent is down and your schedule is up. There’s no margin for error or injury when that schedule is a virtual top-10 tour.

The best teams can win on a bad day. Teams like UT can get embarrassed on a bad day.

You can look beyond UT and see that. But you don’t have to look far.

Just check out the Vols’ longtime East rival. Florida enters Saturday’s game with Florida State at 6-5. The Gators could finish with no better record than the Vols. And they didn’t start the season with nearly as many disadvantages.

They had one coaching change, not two. They also are only two years removed from winning the SEC East and coming up one game short of back-to-back national championships.

Florida didn’t suffer injury-induced attrition comparable to UT’s loss of wide receiver Justin Hunter, who has played in only three games, or quarterback Tyler Bray, who has missed half the season. But it played a significant segment of the season either without quarterback John Brantley or without him at full strength because of a leg injury. It also was impacted by an injury to running back Jeff Demps.

A turn of the ankle here, a pulled hamstring there, and the next thing you know you’re down four touchdowns against Alabama. That’s life in the SEC.

It can be as hard as 1-2-3.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/johnadamskns.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Video and story on Iowa St victory over Oklahoma State

November 21, 2011 – 8:43 am

Several pieces of the puzzle have to come together for Arkansas to have a chance at the national title. This was a big piece!!!

Mark Schlabach of ESPN wrote this article below:

AMES, Iowa — So what happens now?

We’ve spent the past few weeks wondering what would happen to the BCS national championship race if No. 2 Oklahoma State lost to No. 5 Oklahoma in the Dec. 3 Bedlam game in Stillwater, Okla.

[+] EnlargeIowa State celebrating

AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallIowa State notched its biggest win in program history Friday night.

We’ve pondered what would happen if No. 1 LSU lost to No. 6 Arkansas in Baton Rouge, La., on the day after Thanksgiving, or maybe even against No. 14 Georgia a week later in the SEC championship game.

If the Cowboys lost to the Sooners, which they’d done in each of the past eight seasons, would No. 3 Alabama play LSU again in the Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game?

If not Alabama, then what about No. 4 Oregon? The Ducks lost to the Tigers 40-27 in their Sept. 3 season opener and haven’t lost since.

Or, even better, what would happen if LSU and Oklahoma State both lost?

Well, let the debate begin.

Somehow, Bedlam arrived two weeks early, and it was delivered by the most unlikely of teams. Iowa State, which had been 0-56-2 against opponents ranked in the top six of the Associated Press top 25 poll since 1936, stunned the No. 2 Cowboys 37-31 in double overtime at Jack Trice Stadium.

The Cowboys, who only had to win at Iowa State and then beat Oklahoma at home to punch their tickets to the BCS title game, had a chance to defeat the Cyclones in regulation. But after OSU intercepted a tipped pass at the Iowa State 29 with the score tied at 24 with 3:16 to play, Cowboys kicker Quinn Sharp narrowly missed a 37-yard field goal wide right with 1:17 to go.

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After the teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime, the Cyclones intercepted Heisman Trophy candidate Brandon Weeden for the third time on the first play of the second overtime. Three plays later, Iowa State running back Jeff Woody plowed into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Cyclones their biggest win in school history.

“Once I got in the end zone, I realized the enormity of what happened,” Woody said. “Senior night. Friday night on ESPN; only show in town. We’re 0-for-history [against top-six teams]. We need a sixth win to go bowling, and on ESPN.com they say we’ve got a 12 percent chance of playing in a bowl. All those things combined together create the perfect storm.”

On a cold night in America’s heartland, the Cyclones turned the BCS race into an absolute mess.

“We knew when we got on the field, it was our time,” said Iowa State quarterback Jared Barnett, who completed 31 of 58 passes for 376 yards with three touchdowns, while running 14 times for 84 yards. “It was our time to shock the world.”

It was a nightmare for the Cowboys, who might have been playing with heavy hearts after OSU women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke, assistant Miranda Serna and two others were killed in a plane crash Thursday. The Pokes committed a season-high five turnovers against Iowa State.

[+] EnlargeBrandon Weeden

AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallHeisman candidate Brandon Weeden threw three costly picks in the loss.

“Obviously, it’s a real tough loss for our team, and I hated it for the guys,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “But it’s real simple: If you lose the turnover battle in such a big fashion, it’s definitely difficult to win games, especially on the road. We had five turnovers. And with five turnovers, it’s quite difficult to overcome.”

Weeden didn’t labor through the game, completing 42 of 58 passes for 476 yards with three touchdowns, but his three interceptions were costly. Running back Joseph Randle lost two fumbles, and the Cowboys failed to cover an onside kick in the third quarter.

“They’re just mental errors,” OSU receiver Tracy Moore said. “Fumbles aren’t something Joe does and throwing picks isn’t like Brandon. You can blame it on the weather, but that’s not what we do. I don’t expect it to happen in the next game. Those are the things that happened just in this game and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

With two more weeks to play in college football’s regular season, the Cowboys might not be entirely out of the BCS championship race. But their loss at Iowa State certainly pushes them to the back of the line.

As many as five teams — LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma and Arkansas — could end up being in the mix to play in New Orleans. The Tigers still have to play at Ole Miss on Saturday, host Arkansas next week and then play in the SEC championship game if they win the first two. Alabama plays FCS foe Georgia Southern at home Saturday and at No. 24 Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26, which is never a given regardless of the teams’ records.

The Ducks might be tested by USC at home on Saturday night and then host rival Oregon State in the Nov. 26 Civil War. Oklahoma still has three games to play — at No. 22 Baylor on Saturday, home against suddenly dangerous Iowa State next week and then at Oklahoma State.

The Razorbacks host Mississippi State on Saturday before playing at LSU next week.

With so many games left to be played, there’s still a lot left to shake out.

But there’s little doubt the Cyclones mucked it up pretty good on Friday night.

“We know this isn’t the end of the road,” Iowa State receiver Darius Darks said. “It didn’t surprise us.”

Hang on. College football might have plenty of more surprises in store for us.

Mark Schlabach covers college sports for ESPN.com. You can contact him at schlabachma@yahoo.com.

Follow Mark Schlabach on Twitter: @Mark_Schlabach

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Razorbacks’ road to national championship just got more simple

November 21, 2011 – 7:52 am

[+] EnlargeTyler Wilson

Before the BCS standings came out yesterday, it was the common belief that the Arkansas Razorbacks were possibly going to finish 11-1 and miss out on a BCS bowl, but now that has all changed. Arkansas is sitting pretty at number 3 and I no longer hope Auburn beats Alabama so we can get into the SEC Championship game. ALL WE HAVE TO DO NOW IS BEAT LSU AND WAIT TO BE INVITED TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

That means instead of beating two great teams (LSU and Georgia), we just got a bye if we beat LSU and Alabama has to go face Georgia!!!!

Life is funny that way sometimes. The Arkansas News Bureau reported:

“I think we’ll have the opportunity,” Bequette said. “That’s what I believe.”

All we got to do is beat LSU and keep that boot in Arkansas hands. Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times Blog rightly noted, “The Boot looms larger than ever.” (Picture below from Arkansas Times Blog)

boot.JPG

Below is an article from Arkansas 360.

11/20/2011 at 8:54pm

Arkansas’ approach to climbing in the BCS Standings has paid off.

Rather than politick or complain, the Razorbacks just talked about the importance of winning and letting the rankings “take care of themselves.” Now they sit at No. 3 with an opportunity to play No. 1 LSU on Friday for a shot at the BCS national title.

Of course the Razorbacks had help to go along with their seventh consecutive victory, a 44-17 demolition of Mississippi State.

A wild weekend of upsets in college football, including Iowa State over Oklahoma State, USC over Oregon and Baylor over Oklahoma, helped the Razorbacks climbed three spots.

This is the highest ranking for Arkansas since Jan. 4, 1978.

Joining the Razorbacks in the Top 3 are the Tigers and No. 2 Alabama. All three aren’t just members of the SEC, they’re all in the SEC West Division.

BCS Top 10
1. LSU (11-0)
2. Alabama (10-1)
3. Arkansas (10-1)
4. Okla. State (10-1)
5. Virginia Tech (10-1)
6. Stanford (10-1)
7. Boise State (9-1)
8. Houston (11-0)
9. Oklahoma (8-2)
10. Oregon (9-2)

______________________

Update: I just checked Tolbert out and here is what he had to say:

As I see it, there are three possible ways Arkansas could end up playing in New Orleans on January 9 and much of it depends on Alabama.

  1. Auburn beats Alabama – By far, the clearest path for Arkansas is for Auburn to help us out by beating Alabama when they meet in Auburn on Saturday.  This – along with Arkansas beating LSU – would likely put Arkansas at the top of the polls in the SEC Championship game against Georgia.  Then, if Arkansas beats Georgia, they will play for the National Championship.
  2. Alabama beats Auburn, but loses to Georgia – If Alabama and Arkansas both win, there will be a three-way tie. It could go several ways, but most likely this would mean Alabama would play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.  However, Georgia is one of the most improved teams in the country.  After losing their first two games, they won their next nine straight. If Georgia pulls an upset here, Arkansas could go to the title game.
  3. Alabama beats Alabama and Georgia – There is still a good chance Arkansas could play for the National Championship even if Alabama wins out.  Of course, Alabama would go but we could be their opponent in an all-SEC title game.  To do this Arkansas will need to overcome a couple of biases.  Voters in the polls which factor into BCS rankings do not like to see a non-conference winner in the title game nor do they like to see two teams from the same conference.  The best case Arkansas can make to overcome these biases is to not only beat LSU on Friday, but to win big.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Mangino speaks at Little Rock Touchdown Club (Part 2)

November 21, 2011 – 7:17 am
Mangino at a 2007 KU basketball game

Eric Mangino is a very good speaker. Here is a portion of an article by Jim Harris:

11/14/2011 at 3:37pm

It’s easy for fans who don’t follow Kansas football closely to forget just how successful Mark Mangino was in building the Jayhawks’ program before he was controversially shown the door nearly two years ago.

When Arkansas upset top-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge 50-48 in three overtimes in the 2007 regular-season finale, Kansas was sitting one slot behind the Tigers at No. 2 and playing Missouri that same weekend. Mangino’s Jayhawks lost their only game of the season to Missouri 36-28, but earned a BSC bowl spot anyway and defeated Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl to start 2008.

Mangino and the KU administration were in a dispute over his contract, and the coach was alleged to have struck a player. That gave the Jayhawk athletic brass at the time an excuse to unload Mangino and his big contract.

After nearly two full seasons on the sidelines, Mangino said Monday during a visit with the Little Rock Touchdown Club that he’s ready to return to coaching.

“My wife says I need a team,” he said after the luncheon at the Embassy Suites. “She’s had me around for a year and a half now and she says I really need a team to be around.”

Mangino said he’s had some overtures already, but he’s looking for the “right job” where the fanbase is fully behind the football program. Even at KU, football played second fiddle to the tradition rich basketball program, but that didn’t stop Mangino from guiding the Jayhawks to five bowls in eight years.

There were at least a couple of references during the Touchdown Club luncheon about the opening at Ole Miss. The Rebels could do a lot worse that Mangino, who took over at Kansas when the program was in the dumps. Last we checked, the Jayhawks weren’t doing too good without Mangino now, either. (Turner Gill was chosen to replace Mangino).

Mangino’s previous appearance in Little Rock before Monday was in early 2001, after Oklahoma had won the national championship, to accept the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the nation. He joined Bob Stoops at OU as offensive line coach in 1999, and became offensive coordinator the very next season when Mike Leach left Norman to become Texas Tech’s head coach.

That would be quite a pair together — Mangino and Leach. And Mangino had the large crowd Monday laughing about the year they were together on the OU staff, and Leach always seemed to end up watching Mangino’s TV, keeping the big man awake, during recruiting season well into the early morning. Hard to believe both are looking for jobs. And, just in case you didn’t notice, Texas Tech lost to Oklahoma State 66-6 on Saturday, the Red Raiders fourth straight shellacking after shocking Stoops and OU in Norman 41-38.

Mangino and a friend drove from Naples, Fla., to Fayetteville for Saturday’s Hog win over Tennessee and returned to Little Rock on Sunday, where some of the Touchdown Club board took them to dinner. Mangino was a guest in the USA Drug skybox on Saturday night. He said, “I’d never watched a college football game from a skybox like that.”

He was high on the Razorbacks after seeing them in first for the first time Saturday, as the Hogs walloped Tennessee 49-7. “They’ve got such great speed, both the offensive and defensive lines are physical and quick, and they are well coached.”

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 122)

November 21, 2011 – 12:59 am

Senator Mark Pryor wants our ideas on how to cut federal spending. Take a look at this video clip below:

Senator Pryor has asked us to send our ideas to him at cutspending@pryor.senate.gov and I have done so in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

On May 11, 2011,  I emailed to this above address and I got this email back from Senator Pryor’s office:

Please note, this is not a monitored email account. Due to the sheer volume of correspondence I receive, I ask that constituents please contact me via my website with any responses or additional concerns. If you would like a specific reply to your message, please visit http://pryor.senate.gov/contact. This system ensures that I will continue to keep Arkansas First by allowing me to better organize the thousands of emails I get from Arkansans each week and ensuring that I have all the information I need to respond to your particular communication in timely manner.  I appreciate you writing. I always welcome your input and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to contact me on any issue of concern to you in the future.

Therefore, I went to the website and sent this email below:

Here are a few more I just emailed to him myself.

Stop digging. Federal spending is growing at its fastest rate since the 1960s, but many of the same lawmakers that are calling for spending restraint also support legislation to expand highway spending by 72 percent, increase special education spending by 151 percent, and once again extend unemployment benefits. Each of these spending increases will dig the United States deeper into its financial hole and necessitate even more difficult choices later. Lawmakers should cut spending now.

Overall Budget Trends

Federal Budget 1900 to 2010

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in spending out of control | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

“Music Monday”:Coldplay’s best songs of all time (Part 11)

November 21, 2011 – 12:55 am

Coldplay

“Music Monday”:Coldplay’s best songs of all time (Part 11)

This is “Music Monday” and I always look at a band with some of their best music. I am currently looking at Coldplay’s best songs. Here are a few followed by another person’s preference:

My son Hunter Hatcher’s 10th favorite Coldplay song is “In My Place.”

Hunter noted, “I love the drum intro. I’m a drummer so i love it when the drummer gets stage recognition and the song is great too.”

The Best Coldplay Songs Of All Time – And Why?

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No one can argue that Coldplay is one of the best bands of today. Their music has been spread across the globe from the US to Canada, Australia to New Zealand, England to France and many more. Personally, I’m a huge Coldplay fan and when the question of “what are the best Coldplay songs of all time” came up amongst a few friends of mine while playing Rock Band it got the cogs in mind thinking…

I decided that there were too many great Coldplay songs so I narrowed it down to just five. Here’s what I came up with…

Trouble

Trouble is the song that made me fall in love with the band. A great starting piano tune that not only delivers an excellent chorus but then tops that with a remarkable ending. Not too many songs these days change total direction at the end and give their listeners something more at the finale. A gorgeous video combining stop-motion and digital effects. If you’re unfamiliar with Coldplay’s music then this is a great place to start.

Speed of Sound

Great beat. Great lyrics. Again, you have a beautiful piano part starting the song off. Where “Trouble” is a steady horse from start to end, Speed of Sound is more like a gallop that increases as the song progresses. Just when you think they’ve drawn you in with the ultimate hook they continue to deliver hook after hook in this song. And not just in the vocals. The guitars and piano are all throwing in their cool little hooky riffs. Its kinda like one of those russian dolls that you keep opening up to more and more cute little dolls. This song is guaranteed to fill your musical palette over and over again.

In My Place

In My Place starts with a rockin drum line with kick, snare and hi-hat by the ever-talented “Will Champion”. Then a beautiful guitar line comes in with Jonny Buckland leading us through the whole song. This is the first hook we hear in the song, played in the upper registers of the guitar with a combination of arpeggios and melodic note choices. I always find it funny to hear instruments in a song that don’t show up in the video. If you listen closely you’ll hear a gentle organ playing its way through the verse but in the video it’s not featured. And once again Chris does an amazing job coming up with the best hooks in the chorus providing not only a great Pop/Rock tune but a memorable song that will last through the times.

Clocks

I don’t think any piano line has been played more than the one from Clocks. You’ll not only hear this song in every romantic movie out there but the piano hook itself has been dissected from the song just to be featured by itself in many movies and tv shows. The song is a basic 4/4 form but what’s great is how they divide the meter. A constant division of 3-3-2 driving you throughout the entirety of the song. It provides not only a great rock feel but with such a rhythm it’s guaranteed you’ll find yourself alone in your room dancing like a freak until your mum walks in on you embarrassing you in the process.

The Scientist

No other song by Coldplay gives me goosebumps like The Scientist. A sweet and nostalgic tune that enjoys a long intro with Chris Martin on vocals and piano. It’s not until the 1:38 mark does the full band finally come in. That’s a big no no in the Pop world. You see, by Pop standards you’re supposed to hit the full chorus by at least the first 30 seconds. But that’s perhaps what I love about this song. They manage to go outside that box and provide a moving a wonderful musical tale. In the July 14th, 2005 edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Chris Martin is quoted as saying:”On the second album I was thinking there was something missing. I was in this really dark room in Liverpool, and there was a piano so old and out of tune. I really wanted to try and work out the George Harrison song ‘Isn’t It A Pity,’ but I couldn’t. Then this song came out at once. I said, ‘Can you turn on the recorder?’ The first time I sung it is what’s out there.”

Whether you agree with my choice for the best Coldplay songs of all time or not, there’s no disputing that they are one of the greatest bands of all time.

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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)