Hey Randy and Marcus, if your going to call coaches out, try finding one that deserves it. Willie Robinson doesn't.

I'm going to say this one more time for the those that feel comfortable trashing a good man. Willy Robinson has in no way shown any sign that he may not be a good coach. The man inherited a defense that suffered by comparison to others in the league in size and quickness. Since then he has been trying to retool and get the defense the way it should be. While at the same time, trying to get things done on the field with mediocre players. In doing so, the defense has shown improvement, and they have managed to step up big in some games, not all, but some. This is a work in progress and no one should be criticized for doing a pretty good job with what Willy had to work with. I know the numbers stink, but I don't think Willy Robinson does. This year should tell us rather or not Willy Robinson can get the job done. It seems pointless to be calling for his head, and telling people he's too blame for the defense being ranked last in the conference. Especially, the week before fall camp starts.

That's exactly what Randy Rainwater and Marcus Elliott were doing Friday evening and to be honest it was very upsetting for me. Marcus Elliot routinely bashes this guy, and he does so knowing only what we all should know. This defense was not very good when Willy Robinson took them over. For one of our radio guys to be leading the "let's fire Willy" crowd is insulting when he has done nothing to be fired for. The man deserves this year, and he deserves to go into this year without heckling. People, if not for the defense stepping up against East Carolina, the Razorbacks would have lost the Liberty Bowl. The momentum this program now enjoys would have been squashed. I know this to be a foreign concept on Drive Time, but they need to give credit where it's due, and likewise criticism. It sickens me we have endured coaches like John Pelphrey, Houston Nutt, and Reggie Herring without a negative word being said. Dave Van Horn can cost Arkansas a shot at a title and this media base thinks that's good work. It's not and it never will be. Maybe one day they will actually tell it like it is. Yesterday sure wasn't it.

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Just another lame statement by Bo Mattingly.

It never ceases to amaze me the things Bo comes up with. Now granted, he's not stupid, but sometimes it seems like he has no memory at all. Like today when he said, "If Houston Nutt was the coach of Florida, he could win a National Championship". Now Bo, you called me a "crackhead", and told me to "lay the pipe down". Well, the same thing could likewise be said of you for having made such a stupid remark as this one.

Houston Nutt is a bum. He has always been one, and he will always be one. Now, contrary to what you claim, I know for a fact you thought this fan base ignorant for wanting better than him. Unfortunately for you, and several of your cohorts in the media, we got Petrino and that farce notion soon played itself out to be a joke. It still is Bo. See, we like recruiting inside the top twenty, which is something Houston Nutt never did here. And if he was still here, there would still be no top twenty recruiting classes. This program would have dwindled away like the basketball program is right before our eyes. It already was dwindling away in Houston Nutt's seventh and eighth years. He managed to stave it off temporarily when Gus Malzahn brought his playbook into the mix in year nine, but it wouldn't have been enough because after year ten all the talent was gone and he wouldn't have been able to replace it. The last two years would have been ugly under Houston Nutt, and this year would have been disastrous. Instead of being a team on the rise, the Razorbacks would be what Paul Fienbaum labeled them---dead weight. We would be a piece of Kelp attached to the ship going nowhere. I guess we could always go to the Big Twelve though...... Lay it down Bo, put it away.

Crackhead Bo?

During his show yesterday, Bo Mattingly called me a crackhead, and told me to lay the crack pipe down. While it was a little insulting at first, I soon realized Bo was just mad. Fact is he was furious, and had just cause to be. I knew bringing up the Mark Schlabaugh poll would do it. See, Mark has Arkansas ranked 14th and Georgia 20th.

Bo and I were arguing about how many games Arkansas would be underdogs in, and needless to say, Bo feels Arkansas will be underdogs in more than I do. I claimed Arkansas might not be underdogs in any of their games seeing we play Alabama at home. I stated last Friday, "that while Alabama might open the week as the favorite, it was my belief that by game time, the line would be closer to a pick em. My reasoning is simply this, I don't think people are that stupid. Anytime someone that knows what their doing sees a game like this one, and by this one I mean, a game in which a highly ranked team gets a higher ranked team early in the season at home, the smart money always takes the points and the home team. By doing so, the line is usually driven down. By this reasoning, I felt Bo was being way too pessimistic.

Bo then proceeded to tell me Arkansas would be underdogs in the Georgia game. His buddy Dudley even stated yesterday he felt Georgia would be favored, and would win the game. I couldn't help but think this too was pessimistic. For one, while Arkansas should be an underdog, the facts really say something else. Georgia will be starting the season with a new quarterback, and a new defensive coordinator. Not to mention their defensive line and secondary has problems. This being the case, it's hard for me to imagine anyone could honestly believe Arkansas should be an underdog. Georgia will be favored because their at home, but should they be? Bo said, "any team that is ranked higher and at home will be a favorite. Me finding him as pessimistic as I do, and a little upset he picked Ole Miss 5th in the west, I couldn't help bringing up Mark Schlabaugh's poll, and asking him again how many teams Arkansas would be underdogs against. According to Bo's philosophy and Mark Schlabaugh's poll, there's only one and it's not Georgia.

The sum of the whole is this. It's alright to believe we can win it all. It's perfectly within our bounds this season to believe we are the best team in the country. It doesn't mean your on "crack" if you say it. Fact is, there's really not a game on our schedule we can't win. Whether we do or not remains to be seen, but no one should be afraid of getting excited by the prospects. Bo will try hard this week to dampen your blanket from the media days, but remember, he's from Florida and loves Houston Nutt. He would love to see Arkansas and Bobby Petrino flop, and Ole Miss finish third behind Alabama and Auburn. He's the kind of guy that will bring his buddy Joe Schad on because he has Arkansas 26th in some spreadsheet survey and lob softballs at him .

Here's the problem.

Arkansas is steadily getting better and the possibilities of this year are limitless, but fans are being held captive by a media base that supported Houston Nutt. They not only supported Houston Nutt, they said, "you were crazy for wanting better". They said, "Houston Nutt did all one could possibly do at Arkansas, and it was fans ignorance for not recognizing it". In their forecast for the future under Bobby Petrino, they said nothing about the silver linings, and they still don't. Where Arkansas is today is looked upon by them as some illusion of prosperity that we promised ourselves when we decided to take our fate out of their hands and put it in our own. By thier actions, the media say, "only complete collapse can follow such irresponsible policies". Those policies being this and only this: us not taking their advice as it pertains to Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino. One was a great coach, the other a "job hopping bum". Remember?

The reason fans are being held captive is this, they are having to conceal their excitement, or be called a fool by those that wanted to go another way. These chains have been put on us by people that had a different vision of posterity than ours. Their vision included Houston Nutt and his nail-biting, rah-rah style which only resulted in mediocrity. Ours is a vision of excellence, discipline, and hard work, that eventually pays off in rich rewards---recognition, championships, trophies----achievement. Ours is a vision that can only be obtained as a collective. That's not the case with the ones that have columns and radio programs, they can achieve these on their own---and you can bet your fancy they hope they will never hear us say, "I told you so!" That's suppose to be their domain.

I will leave you with some not so great words once spoken. Three years ago when Arkansas beat Lsu, David Bazzle said on Monday morning in referring to Houston Nutt, "you can't touch him, you can't touch him, you can't touch him!" Well David, your not MC Hammer and we did touch him---Who can really argue now that we shouldn't have? Not even Tommy Smith, aka "Colonel Reb", can agree with you now on this. By the end of the year, you won't even be able to find an Ole Miss fan that will agree with you.

Bo is silly.

The Big Twelve nearly collapsed, and Bo Mattingly lobbied this fan base to consider moving to the the Big Twelve. Imagine that. After nearly falling apart, Bo Mattingly honestly told this fan base they should consider moving to the Big Twelve. He said, "you might have an opportunity to benefit from their collapse." He then proceeded to try and convince you that we're nothing more than the ugly stepsister of the SEC. He went as far as to imply Arkansas will never really compete against Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee and Lsu. "In moving to the Big Twelve, Arkansas would be able to rekindle natural rivalries, and help themselves considerably in recruiting"..... Really Bo? You just sound like the guy you really are---A guy from Florida that finds himself the mouthpiece for Espn and an Athletic Administration with an agenda contrary to the fans benefit. Down deep you think we are silly little people and proved it with Houston Nutt. In your opinion, Arkansas fans think way to highly of themselves. You think the hog call is ignorant and the hog hat to be comical. People in Florida don't wear them----they're way too cool for that. Watch what happens this week---For one, Houston Nutt didn't average eight wins a year here. That's about as silly as you are---not quite as silly though, as Joe Schad's poll. I hope you had fun over the last month, because I'm going to next week.

BCS or Playoffs

http://collegeplayoffs.com/getdamnmad.htm

Quit Jerking Us Around Dudley.

Last week Dudley Dawson said, "Arkansas will not be able to take the step everyone is hoping for this year in basketball". He said this after finding out Kevin Noreen would not be coming to Arkansas. While he is correct about this Arkansas team not taking any great steps forward, does he honestly believe we believed he thought they would even with the addition of Noreen? Think about it. Noreen would still have been a freshmen. Even at 6'10, this kid would obviously need considerable time in the weight room and on the floor against SEC talent to develop into the difference maker Dudley claimed he was. Basically, there is no way Dudley could have possibly thought this team to be a tournament team with Noreen. He was just helping Jeff Long keep Pelphrey in place for another year by putting a spin on it. Now he will start helping pave the way for Pelphrey the year after next by talking about the big three and culture changes. Quit jerking us around Dudley!!!