The Fake Lonnie Finch

So...Longhorn Network is now all-in with UTSA and Texas State? This is what Longhorn fans are clamoring to see?

After what the white people did to him, was he ever really alive again?

Would have loved to see Riley at free safety. His game smarts and athleticism would have served him well there.

It's good to have kids with confidence in themselves and who want to go to UNT. From the film, looks like all this kid needs to do is (1) grow a little more, which he can, given that he's only a sophomore, (2) learn to look beyond the first read. If he does those things, I hope UNT coaches give him a shot. And, if not UNT, then my graduate school, Tulsa.

My feathers aren't ruffled, so everything's fine. Guy who wrote the article is a Baylor grad, so I understand now that anyone who disagrees with him about anything Baylor will be irrational...but, not as irrational as taking OTA performance as proof of readiness for a guy who hasn't yet taken a snap in a NFL regualr season game. It's more funny than anything else.

I like that the coaching staff is confident enough to give kids an ultimatum this early in the process. I really hope this is the class that springs us to higher heights. This quarterback looks good.

My dyslexia: Gabbert threw 413 passes, not 314 http://www.pro-footb.../G/GabbBl00.htm Good catch! (No pun intended)

Oh, come on...my law degree came from a lower-tier school, Tulsa. Anyway, many teams have drafted flashy, running college QBs. But, the guys with Super Bowl rings on their fingers have all stood in the pocket and taken their hits while delivering their championships...except way back in the 70s, when the defenses just grinded away at each other and tried to stop the run-based offenses. And, Stabler, as researched yesterday: in 1976, the season he took Oakland to the Super Bowl - 7 rushes for -2 yards. The dude got there handing off to Mark van Eeghen and throwing to Hall of Famers Fred Biletnikoff and Dave Casper...plus Cliff Branch. With talent like that, Stabler, and his by-then shoddy knees, could have played in a wheelchair and won. Remember, Jub-Jub always quotes Stabler when talking about how to succeed in the NFL as a QB. According the Stabler, the forumula is easy: "Get your ass on a good team!" Stabler was on some good teams.

It shows that he didn't exactly dominate and put games far out of reach. He choked the fourth quarter of Texas A&M away with turnovers and sacks. The NFL will have much more staunch defenders than Texas A&M. By far. As to Young, again, he's not sitting in a jail cell. Young had much more upside athletically than Griffin, but bought into his own press clippings and hype too much. Add to that he was drafted by an owner as a pet project to play for a coach who had no interest whatsoever in developing him. I like Jeff Fisher because of his "defense wins" mentality, but Vince really needed someone more grounded in offense philosophy. Fisher and Young were never going to click. That's not to say Vince isn't culpable. He should have, for sure, nutted up and done everything Fisher and Chow asked him to do. Again, the guy had tremendous athletic talent, but bought his own hype. You can say the same for the other overhyped QB in that draft, Matt Leinart. I joke about Vince being in Buffalo sitting behind QBs from Harvard and Coastal Carolina. But, the truth is, Chan Gailey is likely the right type of coach for him. In the slim chance that Vince ever gets to start again, Gailey will have him more prepared than other coaches. I think it's really Vince's last chance. He'll be 30 next year and really needs to buck up and develop what God gave him talent-wise. Final note: Was e-mailed that the author of the piece is a Baylor grad. On top of being too young to grasp cultural concepts, then, he's also quite overheated on the subject of Griffin. We'll see how he survives NFL defenses...and Mike Shanahan's notoriously short fuse.

I'm not unhappy about a 6'3" quarterback who runs around a 4.6 40. This is cause for celebration. I'm cutting out of work early to get a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

That he's a far better person than Vince Young, I guess is true. Vince may be a bad quarterback, but he's not sitting in a jail cell. The NFL, though, is the NFL. It has eaten many "can't miss" college quarterbacks. Robert Griffin led lopsided losses his senior year to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Baylor squeaked by Kansas State, Missouri, and a ghastly Kansas sqaud. It took a last second pass to beat an injury riddled OU. And, they beat Texas due to the unusual circumstance of the 'Horns not being able to find a QB. I'd say Griffin inherited the right set of consequences in 2011, many of them not of his own making. The perfect storm for him and Baylor. The more honest scouts went ahead and said he was risky. He is risky. And, more risky than most based on the few big wins he had over his career. The NFL separates the men from the boys, and does it in a hurry. Washington is desperate to win. And, their owner is a certified idiot when it comes to meddling in his team. So, he also was the beneficiary of the perfect storm int he draft.

I know...sadly, I know. And, I always tell my wife, the grayer I get, the happier I am because people in their 20s are less likely to begin conversations with me. Such an angst filled time, the 20s...and, so boring to hear about once you've already lived through them.

You know, after re-reading the author's entire offering, I realize I made a mistake. For in a different part of his piece was this revealing bit of history: "I spent far too many summer days sitting on the couch watching endless reruns of Hogan's Heroes and My Three Sons. Those were the days where kids only had 50 or so channels to choose from...." This author's view of history - in football and, apparently, in pop culture in general - must begin with a reference point of about 1994. I can now see why he is able ignore history so easily and substitute OTA performances as the end of the argument. Here's to Robert Griffin III - King of the OTAs! And, to the poor kids who only had 50 channels to choose from! I, therefore, apologize for answering the opinion of a kid who has likely not walked the face of our earth for even 25 years.

He only half-calls me out, if at all. He lists many QBs without Super Bowl rings. And, the two he lists got their rings on the strength of their arms. If he thinks Kenny Stabler's legs got him his Super Bowl ring, I've got some oceanfront property in Nevada to sell him. Snake would get a good, hearty laugh out of that...sober or not. Ken Stabler in 1976 was not Ken Stabler at Alabama in the mid-60s. In the grind it out NFL of the 1970s, Snake led the NFL with 27 TD passes in 1976...while rushing for -2 yards on 7 rushing attempts...in one season. Seven. Negative 2. Wholly laughable. Maybe at a future a Raider reunion, Mark van Eeghan, Dave Casper, Cliff Branch, and Fred Biletnikoff can reminisce about how Snake's -2 yards rushing propelled them all to Super Bowl glory. Crazy. Ditto on Steve Young. His 6 TD passes led the 49ers over San Diego in his only Super Bowl start. Steve Young whipped up 35 TDs and a 112.8 QB rating that year. That's 180 degrees different that anything Vince Young could ever dream of doing...if he even dreams about doing anything in football other than standing around with a clipboard and drawing a paycheck, which he can barely do these days. Buffalo. Harvard. Coastal Carolina. So, I'm not really sure what the author's point is - to be wishful about Vince Young and Robert Griffin maybe? Other sharing a last name, Vince Young is not comparable at all to Steve Young as a quarterback. And, Vince Young's Rookie of the Year award was nothing more than NFL PR. His rookie numbers were about the same as Blaine Gabbert's rookie numbers last year in Jacksonville. Yes, I know, Gabbert apologists...Gabbert threw just as many (few) TDs as Vince and fewer INTs...and, didn't have a great defense like Jeff Fisher's Tennessee sqauds did to constantly bail him out of crappy performances. I get it. You don't have to lobby me in the great Vince Young versus Blaine Gabbert debate. I already understand both had bad rookie seasons, and that neither are really fit to start in the NFL. Truthfully, neither are likely fit to be back-ups. Young, 2006: 184 of 357...51.5% completion rate (yes, barely over 50% in the 21st Century NFL..sad, I know)...2,199 yards...12 TD passes, 13 INTs. Gabbert, 2011: 210 of 314...50.8% completio rate (somehow even more pathetic than Young's rookie year)...2,214 yards...12 TD passes, 11 INTs. Gee, where was the outcry for Gabbert last year when he didn't win Rookie of the Year? Stupid. If there were any honesty in the NFL, the 2006 Rookie of the Year award would have been given to DeMeco Ryans (156 tackles, 3.5 sacks), Maurice Jones-Drew (941 rushing yards, 46 receptions, 15 totals TDs), or Marquis Colston (70 caches, 1,038 yards, 8 TDs). The 21st Century NFL, though, often misses what is happening on the field due to marketing concerns - never let pedestrian on the field performance get in the way of good jersey sales. If only Jacksonville could have done more to pump up Gabbert's jersey sales.... I base what I say on history; the author bases his beliefs on what is happening in OTAs in shorts and whatnot. Maybe he can ask Colt McCoy. On game day, the James Harrisons of the world are not running around half-ass in shorts. In the end, I do completely understand that an author in "Texas Football" is apt to leave rationality behind when speaking of former Texas college players. Perhaps this guy will someday lament that Roy Williams and Cedric Benson will not be on future NFL Hall of Fame ballots. The NFL is the NFL. It will be as cruel to Griffin as it was to Vince Young. To the authors of "Texas Football" it seems that Todd Dodge's old "I don't have a college football plan or a high school footbal plan, but a football plan" would ring true. Football isn't the same as you move up the ladder.

I've got the same concerns as 90. QB and DT are not great areas to have lack of depth. What's scary? Now look, it's well known that I'm no Todd Dodge apologist, but had he not "stealth" signed Thompson, where would we be? It's hard to believe that we couldn't even unearth some "diamond in the rough" like Thompson to sign this year. And, DT, I've posted several times...I just don't get this at all. McCarney was a defensive line coach at Florida, winning a national title there. This has had no pull at all in landing DT recruits. None. I don't want to be a pessimist (again), but 5-7 was really nice with all the experience we had last year; a surprise to many, if not most. The year, 90 is right - loss of Thompson or even one DT is going to put us in a huge hole competitively. I don't pee my pants, but I do worry about it somewhat between the mortgage payments, raising kids, and helping run the family business. I can't even catch a break from life in spectator sports. Grapenuts.

Tim Billings, a guy I promoted as head coaching candidate for UNT, is from Honey Grove.

I'd report right on time after having a Triple Baconator and Frosty at Wendy's. I mean, what's the rush? The jail's not going anywhere.

For thesake of giving him a breather more often, yes. Many of these young guys who are undersized mess up their backs. All are tough and gamers. But, the more bodies you have to throw in there who can do the job, the better. Our problem is depth at DT. And, when you have depth problems at DT, you have kids getting their ass worn out after four quarters. Boutwell is more than capable. But, if we can rotate more at DT, he'll be more effective all the way around.

Many people enjoy Connecticut for their mild summers. It is also teeming with white people.

"At this level, everyone on the field is so fast," Dunbar said. "You have defensive ends and defensive tackles who can run 4.4s." Yes. This is what Vince Young discovered...and Robert Griffin will soon discover. That's why there are no "running quarterbacks" with Super Bowl rings. Outrunning Iowa State's defensive ends is one thing...have Mario Williams, Demarcus Ware, and the like bearing down on you play after play is a completely different animal. You'd think owners and GMs would have figured that out by now. Most have.

What I want is defensive tackles big enough to plug the line while linebackers and monster men make plays in the gaps. Is that too much to ask? It's what they do at OU and other places where their linebackers have ridiclously high numbers of tackles every season - D Line occupies the O Line, linebackers and safety make the plays. Are we talkin' football here or whut?

Here's a story about Bible to Cisco from a February edition of the world acclaimed Abilene Reprter News: http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/feb/08/cisco-sending-10-football-players-to-4-year/?print=1

Legally, a judge can "pierce the corporate veil" of a company or LLC to get to an individual. This case is a little different. The problem here is more than obvious: at least a half dozen adults - coaches and administrators - knew what Sandusky was up to and did not stop it. Everyone passed the buck as he violated young, at risk boys. Penn State is sick, and the NCAA is sick for not stepping in. It's a real shame that the NCAA will crawl all over a school for monetary and recruiting improrieties, but felony crimes...out to lunch.

I have a huge problem with Penn State being let off the hook for knowing about what Sandusky was doing, but still allowing him full access to the campus, using Penn State property and pull to continue to lure these kids in. More than anything in the on the field athletic realm, this more than all makes the NCAA a sham to me. SMU donors give college kids spending money and cars. Yeah, it was cheating. But, it wasn't allowing the rape of children by an adult authority figure. That SMU got the "death penalty" and Penn State as an institution will go unscatched is wretched. And, Joe Paterno...his legacy is rightly tarnished by the whole thing. Being the winningest coach and having a "clean reputation" meant more to him than doing the right thing. He hid his friend's behavior for years. Horrible. I said it a couple of months ago, and I'll say it again now...if the choice is between becoming the wretched money-grubbing, win-at-all-cost monsters the Penn States, Texas', OUs, etc. have become and only winning occassionally because your athletic department does do the right thing on and off the field - give me what we have now.