The Balance Of Patience And Opportunity

[MeanGreenTexan]

I can't believe we just upset a Big 12 team in front of one of the 10 biggest crowds our stadium has ever seen and there are still jackholes over here arguing about the coaching search.

News flash: Hire whoever works cheapest. Plow the rest of the money into retaining Johnny Jones. If Canales will work for canned food and loose change he finds in the furniture, f*** it. Keep him. If not, pick up a homeless guy and put his ass on the sidelines next year.

You people missed a great night.

If it meant we could wrap up Johnny long term (meaning money-whipping him to stay here even if LSU comes calling), I'd be cool with hiring Randy from the Target loading dock as HFC. He wants $10/hr but I think Rick could get him down to $9.50

[PlummMeanGreen]

Al Hurley tried that, guess what, we are in Texas.

The football program is going to be THE DRIVER for public perception of the University as a whole, not just the athletic program.

Cerebus, you speak as one with the wisdom of Soloman and as one who very much knows our past culture. (Stay away from wayward women or the barber shop for awhile, though).

[untjim1995]

Al Hurley tried that, guess what, we are in Texas.

The football program is going to be THE DRIVER for public perception of the University as a whole, not just the athletic program.

I hate this line of thinking. College basketball barely registered on the sports map back in the 70s until Magic and Bird played each other. Even then, it wasn't a stop down for most sports fans. But then the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four really hit their groove in the early 80s and has grown exponentially since then. Unlike college football, which has been popular for decades, but has really hurt itself in public perception with the BCS BS, the NCAA Basketball Tournament affords schools like ours to not only particpate, but to truly have the chance to make a big run all the way to a championship. If we were smart with our athletic resources, we would focus on both of these sports at a high level. And for the sake of taking up for basketball, we actually can have a competitive advantage over other schools because we are in Texas and we could put a premium on hoops, which would really separate us from every other school in the state. We may be in Texas, but Houston and UTEP are MUCH more recognized for their basketball successes than football, and neither of those occurred in the last two decades. I guarantee that if we go back to the NCAAs and win a game or two, it would amazing how much attention we would get in Texas for doing something only the Big XII Texas schools have done in the last 15 years. And that attention wouldn't hurt the football program, but it would probably do wonders for recruiting and added support.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I hate this line of thinking. College basketball barely registered on the sports map back in the 70s until Magic and Bird played each other. Even then, it wasn't a stop down for most sports fans. But then the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four really hit their groove in the early 80s and has grown exponentially since then. Unlike college football, which has been popular for decades, but has really hurt itself in public perception with the BCS BS, the NCAA Basketball Tournament affords schools like ours to not only particpate, but to truly have the chance to make a big run all the way to a championship. If we were smart with our athletic resources, we would focus on both of these sports at a high level. And for the sake of taking up for basketball, we actually can have a competitive advantage over other schools because we are in Texas and we could put a premium on hoops, which would really separate us from every other school in the state. We may be in Texas, but Houston and UTEP are MUCH more recognized for their basketball successes than football, and neither of those occurred in the last two decades. I guarantee that if we go back to the NCAAs and win a game or two, it would amazing how much attention we would get in Texas for doing something only the Big XII Texas schools have done in the last 15 years. And that attention wouldn't hurt the football program, but it would probably do wonders for recruiting and added support.

Old timer NCAA BB sportscaster Dick Enburg (sp?) actually said the single-most event that catapulted NCAA basketball to the next level as to make it a nationally followed sport was the big UH (Elvin Hayes) and UCLA (Lew Alcindor) matchup in the Houston Astrodome of which I was lucky enough to have attended back in the day. Enburg said until that matchup in the Dome that NCAA basketball was mostly just a regional sport.

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