<p>Yeah, I saw Coach Strong was talking to a group of Texas high school coaches in San Angelo meeting. Texas fans should really be worried if Strong loses his well built up Florida high school coach pipeline for recruits…Florida has tons of championship caliber kids that Strong actively recruits. :)</p>
<p>Texas is a demanding coaching position…maybe most demanding in nation. Hope everything works out for the Texas football program…only 2 months 'til new season starts. I’ve been to San Angelo before…maybe Strong just wanted to get in and out of town fast.</p>
<p>Xiggi: You meant “rapport” nest ce pas? Autocorrect is nasty. :)</p>
<p>Haven’t watched the clips, and I confess to being influenced by speech patterns and composure. But, to pick an example, Kevin Ollie from UConn had some serious grammatical problems and yet has a credential that certifies him as a credible coach. </p>
<p>I’ll also note the the making the criticism in the article didn’t understand the subjunctive. </p>
<p>YDS, I am a perennial critic of the media and of the people who masquerade as journalists. Hence, it tend to dismiss their stories as more are meant to irritate and create controversy. Read the DMN (as in Dallas Morning News) coverage of football for a while, and you will know what I mean. Tey Gosselin and run to buy some Pepto Bismol. </p>
<p>In this case, it is admirable that the “spin” piece goes at great length to dismiss the earlier report but pretty much embarks on an attack on the … credentials of the reporter. If Haney entered under false pretenses, this is an issue that reflects poorly on the organizers. Chances are, however, that the organizers welcomed a writer of ESPN. Should we wonder how ESPN heard about the San Angelo clinic in the first place? Or could it be that the writer follows Strong in his busy schedule? Who knows. </p>
<p>It remains, however, that the writer did quote actual coaches in attendance while the organizer stuck to “overall perception.” Fwiw, the 20 minutes “only” is such a stack of horse manure (we’d say something different in Texas" Most interviews or speeches about football do not last that long. Or even less about basketball in the case of Popovich. I would think it is harder to fill 20 minutes of a talk with great facts and opinions than having to make it last one hour. The question is why … is it so hard to present a good image, speak with a minimum of coherence for a paltry twenty minutes? The answer is that this NOT something that Strong thinks is highly necessary to achieve his goals. After all, he was brought to be a departure from Mack’ backslapping jovial style. In the end, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating! I remain convinced that Strong and especially Patterson were horrible choices for Texas, but I hope to be very wrong on that as I love them 'Horns. In so many words, Texas deserved (and could afford) the very best. And we did not get anything close to the best! .My theory is that Texas decided that it would be acceptable to have a couple of years of mediocrity (in the form of 8 wins at best) and have the excuse of having tried a different recipe (OOS recruiting) from the old Made in Texas talent. Time has perhaps come to play with the same crooked playbook as our friends (and former foes) that are East of Texas. </p>
<p>All in all, like it or not, this seems a well-rehearsed spin control after the initial report by Haney. Not surprising that Texas will defend his coach, and totally expected from a well-oiled machine. </p>
<p>NFL misread the Ray Rice situation. When there’s camera footage of you abusing a woman, you shouldn’t get less than a first time drug offense as a penalty. Period. If they’d just given him the 4 games you get for doing just about anything else wrong … they once again made clear they don’t really care about what they advertise as a concern. </p>
<p>He knocked her unconscious and got a 2 game suspension. Someone else tested positive for marijuana in the off season and got a 16 game suspension. Neither was convicted, but marijuana possession is legal in some states. Where is it legal to knock someone unconscious? And that someone being your fiancee? Hopefully, she’s his former fiancee - get away, get far, far, away.</p>
<p>To get a 16 game suspension it has to be your fourth failed drug test, I believe.</p>
<p>Rice should have gotten at least 4 games, and probably should have gotten more. He was a first time offender and did some sort of intervention program, and she wouldn’t press charges, so legally he got off easy.</p>
<p>Just hoping that the genius brings in more decent recruits than the good players he sent packing. He probably would have dismissed Manziel and Cam Newton to make his point. </p>
<p>We might need Tom Osborne or Barry Switzer to talk to Strong. </p>
<p>It may take a couple of years to see long-term payoff, but I’m confident there will be one. I always thought Mack coddled his players too much. Not letting Chris Simms answer questions at press conferences was, to me, the most obvious example. We simply have too many great players who don’t seem to reach their potential, some while at UT and some in the NFL.</p>
<p>I’m ready for new season…hope my teams are! Going to watch Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice at Raymond James Stadium next Friday night under the lights…open house for fans. Less than 5 weeks now for college first kickoff games.</p>
<p>YDS, I hope to be dead wrong about Strong. While I do not think he was a good choice for Texas, he obviously deserves the time to impose his views. </p>
<p>My problem is not the “new” discipline. After all, I loved the changes at Stanford when Harbaugh imposed a professional approach. The difference is that the BEST players wanted to play for Harbaugh and bought in with abandon. I just think that a successful program in Texas needs more than a disciplinarian who chases away current and future talent, especially when the biggest foes are extremely creative in how to get and keep players. </p>
<p>Texas could and should have been able to attract one of the very best coaches. We picked a decent one … mostly to send a signal Texas is rebuilding. This was plain wrong. </p>