Arkstfan

You are correct sir.

Red Wolves. There are no wolves in I-A. There is a Wolfpack and a Wolf Pack but no wolves.

My explanation from another thread. At TribalGrounds we've been advocating for the last 4 or 5 years that ASU create a secondary logo/mascot that could be used for the team. As we said back then, the day is going to come when the NCAA and the PC crowd is going to force us to change our nickname and mascot and we needed to have a back-up ready. Our logic was that if the fans have been using the logo and have been seeing the mascot that changing to the back-up would make the transition go more easily. We got the idea of the Red Wolf after reading about some schools located in places with larger Indian populations that kept Indian or Tribe names but used animals as a mascot or logo at the request of the local Indians who were OK with the names but did not want a representation of a person. The three schools I found all used animals that had some sort of meaning in the Native American culture. One school used a bear (out for us because Central Arkansas is the Bears), one used an eagle (out for us because one of conference-mates is already sometimes eagles), and one used a wolf. Since there is a species of wolf called the red wolf and our colors are red and black, seemed like a natural. So the wolf in the banner is just part of our tilting at windmills because the folks in charge at ASU were convinced the NCAA would never do anything and now seem convinced that somehow the NCAA will grant an appeal. While I refuse to accept reality and shoot for ASU informally holding on to the Indians name while using a mascot/logo that gets the NCAA and PC crowd off our rear.

I wish we would use the stAte logo more as well. At TribalGrounds we've been advocating for the last 4 or 5 years that ASU create a secondary logo/mascot that could be used for the team. As we said back then, the day is going to come when the NCAA and the PC crowd is going to force us to change our nickname and mascot and we needed to have a back-up ready. Our logic was that if the fans have been using the logo and have been seeing the mascot that changing to the back-up would make the transition go more easily. We got the idea of the Red Wolf after reading about some schools located in places with larger Indian populations that kept Indian or Tribe names but used animals as a mascot or logo at the request of the local Indians who were OK with the names but did not want a representation of a person. The three schools I found all used animals that had some sort of meaning in the Native American culture. One school used a bear (out for us because Central Arkansas is the Bears), one used an eagle (out for us because one of conference-mates is already sometimes eagles), and one used a wolf. Since there is a species of wolf called the red wolf and our colors are red and black, seemed like a natural. So the wolf in the banner is just part of our tilting at windmills because the folks in charge at ASU were convinced the NCAA would never do anything and now seem convinced that somehow the NCAA will grant an appeal. While I refuse to accept reality and shoot for ASU informally holding on to the Indians name while using a mascot/logo that gets the NCAA and PC crowd off our rear.

{SIGH} I bet you could swap the names and the story works at every Sun Belt school. The Board member at ASU who fought to get more funding and improvements for the athletic department is the same one who blocked firing Nutt.

Arkansas fired Jack Crowe after the first game of 1992, the game before that had been an Independence Bowl appearance that earned him an extension. Word afterward was that coaches considered Arkansas radioactive at the time. Several coaches they expected to put their name in wouldn't touch the job and they settled for Danny Ford who had been run out at Clemson for NCAA problems that never quite could be tied to him but certainly could be tied to the guys working for him. I suppose they were doing all that behind his back. When Nebraska fired Solich Nebraska was considered radioactive as well. It got so bad they were down to Houston Nutt who was coming off a 9-4, 9-5, 7-5, 6-6 streak. He turned it down to stay at Arkansas for less money and a shorter deal. No matter the underlying problems that one might use to justify a change at UNT, in the coaching ranks all they see is four straight conference titles, four straight bowl appearances and pulling the trigger after one losing season. The reaction will be "What the hell do they want?" and "Do I want to go some place with a quick trigger?" Go 5-6 next year and pull the trigger and a lot of the stink that would be there this year is gone and you get a better pool of applicants.

Shame about Hatfield 12 years at Rice and still has a career winning record. If I had moved from Nebraska to Ohio (not State) and lost my final three games of the season after a 4-4 start I think I'd be entitled to tie one on.

Well Idaho, NMSU, and USU who needed to be in a regional league have paid $750,000 and watched their attendance fall from where it was in the Sun Belt. One of the most knowledgeable La.Tech posters has broken down La.Tech's financial situation and said with no reservation that in two more years La.Tech will no longer be able to afford membership in the WAC. The costs have become so bad that last year they had to pass the hat on the website to get enough money to send the tennis team to a tournament in El Paso. That was while the WAC money was good because UTEP, SMU, Rice, and Tulsa weren't taking a share and while Tech had conference trips to Tulsa, Dallas, and Houston. Bitch and moan about the Sun Belt being unworthy of your greatness and aspirations but your administration needed only to look at the public documents regarding Tech's financial health to make the decision that WAC membership would be potentially fatal to the entire athletic program. UNT has spent more on the athletic complex alone than Tech has spent on all facilities combined while in the WAC. They lost their bowl game in San Jose because it never drew enough fans to be remotely viable. The NCAA nearly pulled their charter three years in a row because they couldn't post the letter of credit by the deadline, the NCAA finally gave up and pulled the plug and there are rumors that not every creditor got paid fully. Scoff at the New Orleans Bowl but it is financially viable and local ticket sales in Lafayette are ahead of the same time in New Orleans. The New Orleans Bowl made it despite ACTIVE work by the Sugar Bowl to discourage local business support of the game. Now WAC teams are left with a trip to Hawaii if Hawaii isn't eligible or a trip to warm and sunny Boise. The Sun Belt will match the WAC in bowl berths probably in 2007 but no later than 2008.

There is no question that the Cajuns are the hottest team in the league. I've said on the Sun Belt board that I think Bustle should get coach of the year for getting together a 5 game win streak that started BEFORE Babb got healthy. ASU obviously won the games that mattered most because we took a share of the title and the bowl berth. The Cajuns didn't, you won the game that mattered to ASU and you won the game that mattered to taking a share of the title but not what mattered for the bowl berth. You gave up 28 to an FAU team that crossed midfield twice in regulation against ASU and one of those was an int return that set-up three plays and negative net yards. You had ASU ready to be knocked out in Jonesboro and gave up 25 fourth quarter points to an offense that most Belt fans think sucks. Win either of those games and you aren't having to count UNT winning. If I were projecting next year, I'd say the teams to watch will be the Cajuns, MTSU, FIU and UNT. Arkansas State is losing it's QB, two top tailbacks, and our placekicker just to name a few. ULM has some tough graduation losses. Troy is probably only slightly improved and FAU doesn't appear to have the quality of depth returning that FIU has. I don't expect to be in the hunt next year which makes the bowl berth all that more important to us. The bad news for the bowl is we lost our fourth starting defensive lineman for the season last Saturday when Flagg tore his ACL.

Unless something bizarre happens ASU will finish the year as the most penalized team in the nation.

For those that read the comic strip Gil Thorpe, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff game inspired a storyline where Milford did the same thing.

Phpht. If ULL had wanted to go they shouldn't have let ASU rip off a 25-7 4th quarter. The only shame for ULL is the same shame MTSU had in 2001. They frickin didn't do it when it mattered.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff did it in the NAIA playoffs one year. Took the kickoff and marched down to score the winning TD on the final play. Many moons ago Missouri State did it it ASU. They failed to even pick up a first down after they got the ball.

Shame? My arse. No shame in getting what is earned.

Humph. We took 2,000 to New Orleans for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Found out where we were going on Sunday, game was that Friday so four days of sales. The Sun Belt didn't shoot itself in the foot. If we cannot support a bowl without the local team, we don't frickin need one and can go back to bidding for I-AA playoff games. As to bringing 20,000 less than ULL would have... another Humph. If ya'll were worried about the crowds you could have told the Sun Belt in 2001 to not apply for the waiver and send the 8-3 team that was drawing better crowds. Buncha bull.

That's very solid attendance with a losing season clinched.

From what I recall most of the folks here didn't think it was classless so why discuss it now since that has already been established?

The WAC didn't like that idea. They were willing to add one and only one team to appease Tech and nothing more. They don't like going east any more than we like going west.

Dang, hope Fichtner doesn't get the job. He was the guy who got DeAngelo at Memphis after recruiting him initially as ASU offensive coordinator.

Considering that Cal-Davis beat the team tied for 3rd in the Pac-10, I'd say its a fair assessment that some I-AA schools could win the Sun Belt.

Forgot my final comment. The Utah spread is the most interesting offense out there because it blends the wishbone's option ground attack and the R/S option air attack. Done correctly very hard offense for receivers to learn because they also function as halfbacks. Add a bruising tailback with breakaway speed and you can wildly capitalize on the offense's tendency to spread the defense from sideline to sideline.

Run and Shoot has a price. You play an inferior opponent and you can make the game a laugher very quickly. The flip side is this, I cannot recall a R/S team that could milk the clock effectively. Against a comporable opponent when you cannot score at will and you need maybe two first downs to salt a game away, the typical R/S team will have to throw to get those first downs they will normally stop the clock for their opponent on nearly half of those plays. La.Tech adopted a R/S variant after Houston routed them and I watched them encounter that problem. Mis-fired on 1st and 2nd down stopping the clock each time, 3rd down threw just short of a first down and forced to punt setting up the score that beat them. Houston had several games that way most notable was a game against Arkansas. Had the ball and the lead with about three and half minutes left, got one first down burned just a few seconds more than a minute. Arkansas scored for the win. The R/S is the brother of the wishbone. Both require less of the offensive line because blocks need only be held for a short time. Both demand quick reads from the QB. Neither requires an especially strong armed QB or one with great size. Both rely on small fast backs (wishbone makes 'em halfbacks, R/S makes 'em receivers). Both attempt to force one on one match-ups where breakaway speed can shine. Both are possession offenses counting on getting yardage in small amounts unless there is the breakaway. The difference is that wishbone can eat clock and hold a lead but is terrible for catching up as a general rule. The R/S can score quickly but is terrible for holding a lead in a close game.

John was my son's t-ball coach. Super nice guy and despite the win at all costs reputation he was the only one in the league sane enough to realize it was t-ball.

Excuses? You a dimwit? The question was that game a result of good coaching or pitiful Sun Belt. Most anyone could see that my opinion was that it wasn't good coaching by Bobby Ross so that leaves the second option.

Unfortunately under I-A rules they can only count one of those off-campus games a year. They need a dose of responsible leadership. Remember how ULM was supposedly teetering on financial collapse and a leadership change got them on track quickly.