Is it just me or is all the fuss over DMac's new ride a little over the top? After all, the guy is almost certain to be a millionaire in a few months. Why are the media not obsessing over Chase Daniel's new Lincoln truck and the trip to Vegas? Could it be a little double standard due to skin pigmentation (no pun intended)?

Car dealers have been known to use what is known as a "balloon payment" plan to high profile amateur athletes with a very small down payment and a big balloon payment due in a few months or a year.

Why is it every time the Hogs play in the Cotton Bowl something like this comes up. Well, maybe not every time, I don't recall anything like this in the game with OU a few years ago, but the Texas game in 2000? D.J. Cooper? You would have thought his name was D.B. Cooper.

At least it happened in time for UA to hopefully get DMac's status cleared up by gametime. I'm sure according to the carnival barkers of ESPN, Bobby Petrino is somehow responsible.

Whew! After a few weeks of computer problems, spyware and all, I'm back at the ol' keyboard. In my last post, done from the beautiful main branch of the Fort Smith public library, I touched on ESPN's savage piling on of Bobby Petrino and, of course, the not-so-dearly-departed Hootie Nutt.

Just let it go, some say, he's gone, just let him be. The damage done by that egomaniacal cretin to the UA football program will last for a long time. Besides, Hootie will be trying to beat our beloved Hogs every year he stays at Ole Miss. Do you not think he will hoot it up more than ever if he comes into RRS next October and wins?

Do you not think he will try to sabotage anything he can on his way out, or already has? Will he not try to take recruits to Oxford? Your damn right he will on all counts.

Hootie has been the enemy of Razorback football for a few years, now he will be open about it. By that I mean, even though he may have been trying to win here, he was trying harder to serve his own selfish interests. The Mustain email scandal and all the other Springdale related scandals are proof of that.

His abuse of power and serial lying to the fans and press finally came back to haunt him. I and others will not forget what he has and will continue to do to disrupt the UA football program. Thus, I will pass up no opportunity to make fun of, ridicule, and belittle that egomaniacal cult leader wannabe.

It's been awhile, as the Staind song goes. Since my last entry, we have seen the departure of The Dork, a rollercoaster ride of a coaching search, and the sudden hire of Bobby Petrino. Not to mention the subsequent trashing of both UA and Petrino by the all-knowing, self-proclaimed "World Leader in sports" ESPN.

Commentators from Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, etc. and carnival barkers Sean Salisbury and the insufferable Chris Berman all joined in to pile on not only our new coach, but his new employer as well. Nevermind that their own Bill Parcells was talking to the NY Jets while prepping the New England Patriots for the Super Bowl a little over a decade ago.

But you don't hear ESPN blowhards ripping Parcells as a "disingenuous drifter" always looking for his next gig the way the did Petrino. I don't know about Petrino's character or lack of it. I suspect they don't either, since BP seems not to be the type of guy to court the media. I will, however, unlike them, give the man a chance to prove his character by his actions for as long as he is here.

As for Hootie Nutt, his leaving doesn't get him off the hook far as I'm concerned. I will continue to make fun of The Dork, at least as long as he "coaches" one of our rivals. If that offends the delicate sensbilities of some, so be it.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Festivus for the rest of us to all, at least most, with the notable exceptions of: Arthur "Blanketty" Blank, most of the ESPN jackasses, all those Atlanta cretins wearing Michael Vick jerseys, carrying signs reading "Keep your head up Michael" and #7 jerseys and Atlanta Felons players such as DeAngelo Hall and Roddy "Free MIke Vick" White. Here's hoping they get a lump of something in their stocking that they deserve.

Fire The Liar!

Today's win over Misstake means....not much. MSU had never won a game within Arkansas' borders and still hasn't. Where has this Hog team been all season other than when going against directional schools? The wins like this one and South Carolina just show the talent this team has but has not played up to 4 times this season.

And that goes to crappy coaching by Hootie Nutt. His overwrought denials after the game are just more of his lies, unless HE floated these rumors just to try to drum up support from fans or the UA administration. Such a desperate ploy to cling to power would not be surprising from the man at all, given his track record. I'm sick of hearing how much he "loves" the Hogs and the University and the state of Arkansas.

It's time for Hootie to prove how much he loves that trio by LEAVING after the LSU game. Go for the green at Baylor. We all know how much Hootie loves the green, so go for it there and let us get a real coach.

Fayetteville= Hootie-Free Zone?

By now, most of you have heard the rampant rumors of Houston Nutt's resignation, I'm sure. Whether it's because he has the Baylor or SMU job in hand or to pursue some other opportunity is unclear.

What I believe is that either he went to White/Broyles late last week or he was told by one or both that he, Hootie, would not be back in 2008. Reports out of Knoxville indicated he was slumped over in a chair with an ashen look even before the drubbing at the hands of the Tennessee Vols. The same Vols Steve Spurrier said the Hogs were 3touchdowns better than. If that's not a scathing indictment of Hootie Nutt's coaching "ability", I don't know what is.

Unless it's Peyton Hillis' comments after the game. When asked by reporters why the Hogs had so much trouble moving the ball last Saturday, Hillis replied: "we have D1 coaches making millions of dollars to figure that stuff out and we were hoping they would".

In an interview with 103.7 The Buzz out of Little Rock, Hootie denied he was resigning this afternoon, but the man has lied so much, particularly the last 2 years, who but the most ardent Hootie-phile can believe anything he says that cannot be confirmed?

He might try to pull a Jim Guy Tucker, resigning only to try to back out. Drama Queens are like that, you know and who is more of a drama Queen than the Hootster? He may only be holding out for a better job than Baylor or SMU. Good luck with that.

In my opinion, the Malzahn/Mustain Springdale fiasco has been bungled so badly by Nutt and his "posse" he has ruined any chances that he will ever coach a major college again. Thus, Hootie will be relegated to a Baylor type bottom feeder if he is able to land in a BCS conference at all. If not, SMU or a mid-major will be as good as it gets. Nuttcase has completely destroyed his reputation for ethics and integrity.

I don't know how he ever got that rep in the first place. Evidently, in his one year at Boise State, he managed to earn the label of "used car salesman" which has followed him ever since. It's actually kind of sad. The guy had potential but has squandered it in pursuit of the BBD. The bigger/better deal is all his monstrous ego will allow him to pursue. He seemed to think he was bulletproof, such was his attachment to Broyles, who was still planning on being AD into his 90's before he was forced out.

His attachment, was of course, that his lips were attached to Broyles' ass. Why else would he have lasted this long? No big-time football school in America would have tolerated his soap opera antics more than 4-5 years, but he lasted a decade here due to his slick talk and schmoozing the powers that be. The question is: could the PTB not see through his BS or did they just enjoy being schmoozed to the point of being satisfied with Nutt's mediocrity?

It's time to bust up the Good Ol'Boy Network at UA, which has come to stand for "Under-Achievers" in athletics. Matt Shanklin, "Darvocet" Dean Weber, Tim Cheney, Kevin "Baghdad Bob" Trainor, all need to go along with the Father and Son duo of Broyles and Nutt. It's long overdue actually, but we can't do anything about that now. Please Jeff Long. If you accomplish nothing else as the new AD, do a "Walking Tall" number on these clowns. Figuratively, I mean.

Hopefully for all concerned, tar and feathers and a rail won't be necessary. But if the GOBN refuses to go quietly into that good night, to borrow a phrase from Hootie, "don't let go of the rope".

John White & Jeff Long Presser

I'm not sure exactly what the merger of the men's and women's athletic departments means for UA. No one seems to yet. It is interesting that Bev Lewis will be Vice Chancellor of Athletics reporting to Long. Especially when you consider the comments made about Lewis in one of the Dirty Diana Nutt-Sherri Darby emails. Not good for Hootie.

Both White and Long were given opportunities to address Hootie's job status. Not a lot of meat there, but I do find it significant that neither man would say that Hootie will be back in 2008. White did a sobbing number about all the Nutt family has been through this past year. Surely White Knight realizes that most of it is their own fault along with he, White and Paw Paw Broyles.

The failure to investigate the Teresa Prewett email could prove to be all their undoings eventually. Some sooner than later. Some Hootie-philes are holding out hope their boy will be back. Some even hope he gets the Nebraska job. No way! Steve Pederson, the deposed AD was the one who lusted after Hootie (supposedly) 4 years ago. The Husker faithful would riot at the very thought. Nutt's hiring then was publicly decried there and his stock has tanked since then.

4 underachieving seasons in a row? 2 losing seasons followed by a 10-4 that should have been better? A 6-4 that could turn into 6-6 (and probably will), maybe 7-5? Not good for the Hootie resume. Baylor or a do-nothing job with the Cowboys (cheerleader coach perhaps?)seem far more likely.

Nutts To Waco?

The last time nutts were linked to Waco (Wacko?), TX, Vernon Howell aka David Koresh was texting young girls at the Mt. Carmel compound. Now a lot of rumors are coming out of Fayetteville that Hootie and Dirty Diana Nutt are going to wind up relocating there. Waco, home of the Baylor Bears.

Otis Kirk, a known Hugger, was on the radio today with Bo Nuttingly..I mean Mattingly discussing Hootie-boys address for next season. Otis said he did not see how Nutt would want to come back after all that has happened in the past 11 months. Kirk specifically mentioned Baylor and SMU as possible destinations, but held out the chance of the coaching carousel opening up more attractive jobs.

You know, if Les Miles was to go to Michigan, LSU would open up. Not that they would be interested in Hootie. The Waterboy extras would riot in the streets. But some other coach could go there opening up his job and the domino effect would maybe open up a better opportunity.

I say if Hootie wants to avoid the ax, if not this year then for sure next, he better get while the gettin' is good. That probably means Baylor or SMU, maybe Memphis or some other mid major or major conference bottom feeder is all he can get. Hootie is radioactive right now with all the scandals and the terrible job he has done this year.

It's pay the piper now or pay him later Hootie, if you do somehow manage to cheat the hangman. And remember: "Don't leggo the rope".

Get Those Bags Packed Hootie!

All indications are that Hootie is on the way out. Could he have learned something last week? The way the team came out flat Saturday and Nutt's body language and mannerisms seemed a bit out of whack.

All but Rick Schaefer and the most died in the wool Hootinistas are resigned to his leaving in a matter of days. There are rumors that Butch Davis has a deadline coming up or that has just passed to agree to a deal.

There's another that Hootie will get a do-nothing job with a title like "Quality Control" coach on the Dallas Cowboys' staff if he can't get a head coaching job. Baylor or SMU or some such school would probably be the only options after the mess Hootie has made on the Hill.

Maybe the Hootster could be on the next commercial with Jerry Jones. You know, like the Pepsi ad with the guy with the headset, yawning as he calls the play in to the sidelines.

Just Hootie-ize it a little. Make it an Alltel or Cingular ad and have the guy calling the play (with D. Nutt standing in the background with headsets) ask Hootie a question. Hootie reads aloud a text message from Donna Bragg, overheard by the sideline coach,which sounds like a Cowboy play. The play turns into a fluke touchdown. Then Jerry Jones busts into the booth and Hootie says: "I called that play brutha!"

I Called That Play, Brutha!

Funny, but we didn't hear that from Hootie Nutt about the 4th and 1 call when DMac, the 5th leading rusher in SEC history, was on the sidelines last Saturday. Watching Peyton Hillis getting stuffed in the backfield for no gain or a loss of yardage.

It wasn't Hillis' fault, he never had a chance. But McFadden should have been in the game. If he had been, imagine the defensive reaction to a fake to #5. If he was only in the game to be a decoy, he should have been in the game. How about the WildHog formation in that situation?

All Hootie had to say about it was some lame Nuttisms
about how you have to make a yard. Or it was only a few inches or some such spin. What? That still doesn't explain why your mealticket wasn't in the game!


Some fans talk about how "childish" it is, flying banners, wearing black shirts and the like. I say it's not nearly as childish as crediting Danny Nutt with the idea for the then Wildcat package. What's worse is changing the name to WildHog after "Mal-a-zahn" left.

There is no bigger child than Hootie Nutt. What's more childish than "I called that play, brutha!?" Unless it's elbowing the band director out of the way to lead the band after a victory. A win that was achieved only because the opponent's kicker missed about 14 field goals and extra points.

Back to the subject of Peyton Hillis. How about that quote from Hillis in today's Demozette? You know, the verbal hand grenade lobbed into the Broyles Center Head Coach's office. Hillis: "D1 coaches make millions of dollars to figure stuff like that out, we were hoping they would". Whoa! Take that Hootie!

There is talk that if the Hogs win a 7th game they could go to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Possibly to play Tulsa. I don't think it will happen. Even if the Hogs beat MSU next Sat., no cinch, Paw Paw Broyles would probably nix such a matchup. Just as he will play everybody in the Sun Belt conference except Arkansas State, I can't see Broyles exposing his favorite son, widdle Hootie Patootie, to getting embarrassed by Gus "High School" Mal-a-zahn. The Hogs would stay home first in my opinion.

Is Norv Turner The Hootie Nutt Of The NFL?

Watching the Sunday night game on NBC tonight, it was almost painful watching the San Diego Chargers try to blow a 23 point lead. And I'm not even a Charger fan. But think about it. Hootie and Norv were both assistants to Jimmy Johnson on teams called the Cowboys. They both have 2 great running backs. Neither can develop a Quarterback. They're both dorks.

The game started with San Diego returning the opening kickoff for a TD. Before you could blink an eye, after a punt return for another TD, the score was 23-0. Then thing s got really strange. Right before the half, Colt kicker Adam Vinatieri, one of the great clutch kickers of all time, hooked a 42 yard attempt wide left.

At the end of the game, the Colts had fought back to get within 23-21 and had an apparent first down at the Charger 6 yard line. Norv the Dork challenged the spot of the ball and got a reversal. It was 4th and about half a yard. I think I would have had to run a QB sneak for the first down with 1:49 still left since a FG would have only given the Colts a 1 point lead. Instead Tony Dungy had his offense try to draw the defense offsides, unsuccessfully.

And like Van Tiffin of Alabama last year, Adam Vinatieri pushed a 29 yard field goal wide right. The Colts got the ball back, but with only :32 left and were unable to get back in FG range and lost. Unlike Hootie Nutt in the 'Bama game this year, even Norv Turner had the good sense not to throw on 3rd and long and stop the clock on the last San Diego possession. That ran an additional 40 seconds off the game clock.

Norv Turner, dork that he may be, at least had the good sense not to elbow the band director out of the way (if they had a band director in SD) or jump into the stands or do anything Hootie-like in celebrating the lucky win.

A real coach is more relieved at winning in such a way instead of jumping around like he just won the lottery ala Nuttcase. Norv Turner is not a real head coach, but one at least has to give him credit for that.

Butch Davis Come On Down?

All the rumors of Jimmy Johnson coming out of retirement a few weeks back were never very convincing to me. I can believe that some boosters at UA would want him. Why would JJ give up that $weet gig at Fox and his lifestyle in South Florida to deal with all the headaches of rebuilding the Hogs? Especially after Hootie leaves the team decimated?

Let's face it Hooti-nistas. Your boy is all but gone after that turgid non-performance today in Knoxville. I just had a feeling about this one and it was confirmed again after South Carolina got mauled by Florida at home tonight. The Gamehens have no defense! If Hootie could coach at all that game last week never would have been close. Steve Spurrier said the Hogs should beat Tennessee by 3 touchdowns. The opposite happened.

Hootie's head-scratching moves were too numerous to count, but here are a few: why was DMac not in the game on that 4th and 1 when Hillis got stuffed for no gain?

What was the deal with the musical QBs in the 2nd half? When Nuttcase pulled his boy, Dick for the first time, I thought surely Emert would finish the game. Not in Hootie-World!

Folks, it's past time for the Hogs to Fire the Liar and get a real coach. You'll know a lot more when the ax falls and the lapdog Arkansas media turns on Hootie. Just wait, it will happen, 'cause that's the way it's done here.

A lot of people have been sharpening their knives and the Hoot-Meister has given a lot of people a reason to despise him over the years. When he leaves or is fired, Paw Paw or someone will leak a lot of stuff on him that the BAC has been denying for years.

I'm hearing Butch Davis' name a lot, but will the tightwad powers that be on the Hill turn loose of enough $$$ to get him? We should be finding out in a couple of weeks. My prediction is losses to MSU and LSU to finish 6-6 with no bowl.

There are more bowl eligibles in the SEC than there are slots and the league will only get 1 BCS berth unless LSU is upset in the SECCG, so I can't see a 6-6 team with a lame duck coach getting a bid. Even 7-5 vs a woefully weak non conference schedule would be no guarantee.

We should be learning Hootie's fate by the 24th. Let's hope for good news. Hootie: brush up on the words to "that good ol' Baylor line" or whatever SMU's fight song is. Maybe a 2nd tier school like that will have you. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Smoky Mountain Rain

That was a song by Ronnie Milsap about a guy who followed his dream to LA and wound up thumbing a ride back to Knoxville only to find his girl was gone.

I have a feeling that those Hog fans who are expecting a romp for the Razorbacks tomorrow may be in for a similar letdown. Tennessee has outscored their home opponents by a wide margin in the first half. Since that shot in the dark Hog win in 1992, some strange things have happened in Knoxville to UA.

The Stoerner stumble, the avalanch in 2000 set off by 2 or 3 Chrys Chukwuma fumbles resulting in a lopsided 63-20 loss. The 6 overtime loss in 2002. Yes, the Vols have some defensive problems. Have those people who think it will be easy been in the bathroom when the Hogs have been on defense other than the Auburn game?

Erik Ainge is a Senior who has been sacked only 3 times in well over 300 pass attempts this season. Does anyone remember what usually happens to the Hog defense when the opposing QB has time to throw? I do. Add in the fact that Kevin Woods is hurt, his backup is away at a funeral (I assume Hootie couldn't get Walner Leandre to reschedule the rite) and you have the makings of a high scoring shoot out.

And in Knoxville, I just can't see where that favors the Hogs. I know the Hogs are a better team. Even Spurrier said so. I know Flounder from Animal House is the Vol coach, but Fat Phil has Hootie's number winning 4 of 6 times. There is always the possibility of Hootie screwing up in clock management to think about also.

I hope the Hogs win, but am not optimistic. Not in Knoxville with Hootie on the Hog sideline. Even Ronnie Milsap could see that the Hogs have been outcoached in nearly every SEC game this season. Spurrier outcoached him last week, but the Ol' Ball Coach just didn't have the horses to pull out a win.

Even a blind squirrel finds a "Nutt" from time to time, so I'm thinking Elmer Fudd-mer will find a gift-wrapped early Christmas gift tomorrow. Once again, Hootie will talk about coming "close" and make excuses about injuries.

It's All Hitting The Fan

Now that the Demozette, the statewide paper has picked up on the release of more Mrs. Nuttcase emails, the heat will be turned up on Hootie. Reports have been online for a week or so but are just now hitting the MSM. Hootie Nutt, Paw Paw Broyles and many others have to be sweating with info they have fought hard to keep a lid on now available to the press and public. These emails will reveal to fans how desperate the Murray State Mafia and their enablers in the BAC have been the last 2 years to maintain power.

With Paw Paw leaving soon, Hootie surely knows with all the negative publicity he and his "posse" have received along with the 3 early giveaway losses that his days as Head Coach are numbered. If he somehow survives this season, next year the ax will certainly fall.

With no Hillis or Monk and the probability of DMac and Felix Jones playing on Sundays, Texas and Florida popping back up on the schedule and a new secondary...Hootie might be advised to update the old resume.

With no Broyles to cover for him and Jeff Long having had a year to get established, no way Hootie survives a 6-6 or losing season, which will be almost a certainty.

Baylor, Memphis and others on that level may be looking for a coach. SMU already has an opening. Hootie might want to put his "superagent" Jimmy Sexton in contact with the movers and shakers at those schools.

In my opinion it would be a waste of time for Nuttbar to try for bigger jobs. If he's not radioactive yet, he probably will be by then as far as major conference schools.

As for the Tennessee game, the excuses are already being made in anticipation of a loss. Injuries and a funeral have thinned the ranks at safety, a critical position against a passing team with a Senior QB.

The Hogs may be able to outscore the Vols, who have some problems on defense themselves. I predict it will be a tossup with Hootie doing something stupid to give the game away in the final minutes. Hope I'm wrong.

You see, I'm not one of those fans rooting for the Hogs to lose which would increase the chances of Hootie leaving. It seems to most of us that he's gone one way or the other. May not be 'til next year, but he will be gone and for that we can all be thankful.

Let The Spin Begin!

With a 3 game winning streak going, never mind that 2 of the games were against Possum Grape U. and FIHOC (Fla. Int. House Of Cupcakes) and an SEC team coming in with a 2 game skid, the Hootinistas are furiously spinning. "This team still could win as many games as last year" they say.

I'm only going to say this once. Not gonna happen. Hootie's SEC record of 40-37 is mediocre, at best. When you consider that he is 22-7 against the Mississippi schools and South Carolina and 18-30 against everyone else in the league, his record falls short even of mediocrity.

Of course the spinners are already squirrelling away their excuses with the Kevin Woods injury and the absence of his backup Walner Leandre who has a funeral of a family member to attend. You mean he can't reschedule the funeral like Hootie asked Wes Murphy to do last year or the year before, forget which?

Hootie preaches all the "no 'i' in team" crap like so many other coaches, but he himself is not a team player. Hootie first. Ask not what Hootie can do for you, ask what you can do for Hootie is his philosophy. Were the Springdale kids treated like "family"? Were they treated like valuable team members? How about Gus "Mal-azahn"?

Hootie never even bothered to pronounce the man's name right. Last season when rumors surfaced of dissension on the team and staff, Hootie said "nothing could be further from the truth". Which is what Hootie often says when he's getting ready to tell a whopper.

In Colton's, Lone Star and some other restaurants, patrons are encouraged to eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. It's past time on the Hill to sweep out the "Nutts".

Fire The Liar!

No matter how many directional schools or Mississippi schools or never-wases who had never won a bowl game until a few years ago that Hootie Nutt manages to beat, the man should be fired for his lying, near constant deceptions and mediocrity as a coach.

The biggest problem UA has is fans and boosters who are willing to settle for just beating the creampuffs and more mediocre teams with regularity. Now, the spinners are saying "remember what happened when Hatfield left".

Hatfield was a not ready for prime timer and so is Hootie Nutt. Just don't hire a Jack Crowe to replace him. This program sans DMac, Felix, Hillis, Monk and most of the secondary is going to struggle to win 6 games next season no matter who the coach is.

But if the Hogs get rid of Hootie, at least the next guy, provided he is the right hire, could rebuild the football program in a couple of years and surely do a better job of reuniting the fragmented fan base than Nutt could possibly do.

So many fans are so disgusted with Nutt's tactics and ego tripping, winning the rest of the games would only be a bandaid. He has had long enough with his "National Championship under construction". It's time to give someone else a shot. Someone with integrity and vision. Houston Nutt has neither.

Where Has This Team Been All Season?

The Ol' Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier had nothing but compliments for the Hogs after Saturday's Arkansas win over South Carolina. How good the offensive line is. How physical the Hogs are and on and on.

The obvious question is: how did this team lose 3 games? The answer of course, is coaching that has ranged from mediocre to downright incompetent. Hootie's clock management is unbelievable. Letting the clock go from :25 to :08 seconds right before the half, then calling time out was vintage Hootie.

Yes the Hogs still won, but boneheaded decisions like that have cost the Hogs dearly in other games, Alabama and Auburn to name two. And it will happen again. That is the one thing you can count on when it comes to Nutt. Saturday nights' win makes it more likely. "I called that timeout brutha!"

It Never Ceases To Amaze

A couple of wins over cupcakes combined with a win over Ole Miss, a team that may go winless in the SEC, and South Carolina have Hootie back in the good graces with a lot of fans. Sickening. SC now has a 3 game losing streak, by the way and has had trouble stopping the run all season.

Even if the Hogs win out, which I doubt and only the Rick Schaeffer's of the world think will happen, Hootie needs to go! He has had his chance for 10 years to build a top shelf program and has settled for mediocrity.

The last 2 SEC games bring on a few questions: where was this team in September? Why do Nutt's UA teams have to lose 2, 3 or 4 games before the man makes any adjustments?

If you're going to win championships in college football, you can't write off the month of September, or any month for that matter. Hootie has all the vision of Mr. Magoo. Why does he never get players in the right positions, etc until after a few losses? There are 4 former Hogs in the NFL playing different positions than they played at UA.

The Nutt spin is always "we're this close" or "ain't no stopping us now" after we've lost a few games. In today's papers Hootie tries to hog credit by saying he and his crony David Lee "challenged" DMac and Felix this past week. Like that's the reason they performed so well. Why didn't the coaching staff "challenge" them before 3 losses?

Set The Clocks Back Tonight

Just like Hootie's offense. Yeah, it was a good win. The 20-12 pick of SC was tongue in cheek. I will admit I thought the Ol' Ball Caoch would outsmart Hootie in the 4th quarter and win. I'm still glad it didn't happen that way. I still don't root for our opponents like some fans.

However, I still think Nutt is a mediocre coach and that's all he'll ever be. Not to mention a liar and used car salesman. (Is that redundant?) No bandwagon jumping for me.

I've got news for you Nutthuggers. No matter who the head coach is next year, this team will struggle to win 5 games with no DMac, no Felix, no Hillis, no Monk, a new secondary and Texas taking the place of a directional school on the schedule. Then, either Florida or Georgia, I forget which, will take the place of Tennessee.

We still need to fire Hootie or hope he takes another job, whether it's Baylor, SMU, Memphis or wherever. We need to get a real coach and let them begin to rebuild the depleted roster and try to somewhat reunite the fan base.

Later, new lyrics to Toby Keith and Hootie Nutt's 2006 theme song, only changed to We Still Don't Like You Now

I Hope I'm Wrong...

The feeling in this space is: The Ol' Ball Coach will totally outcoach Hootie. (It's not that hard and Darth Visor HAS won a National Championship unlike the ramshackle one Nuttcase has had "under construction" all these years).

Prediction: SC 20- UA 12. Hootie: "I told you my contract said 2012"!

Hootie Having A "Banner" Year

Every Hog fans' favorite punch line was in the news this week for proclaiming in an interview that fans who fly banners, etc without giving their name are "gutless".

Oh, and I guess leaking lies to the press to make an 18 year old freshman and his mother look bad is courageous?

And sending the same 18 year old freshman a scathing email through a family friend is brave?

I personally am not afraid to attach my name to articles critical to Hootie. My name is on here. I would not hire a plane to fly a banner over the stadium and not use my name. But if someone else does it... Questionable, but not necessarily gutless.

And if it helps any at all to get Hootie out of the picture due to his constant lying of the last couple of years, shady ethics and incompetent coaching this season it will have been worth it.

I'm not saying Hootie is a bad coach. What he is is the epitome of mediocrity. I'm sure he has his good points as a person, but they have been pretty well hidden the last 2 years. It's time for a change for both he and the Hog football program.

Pork Or Chicken On The Menu? Arkansas-South Carolina Comparisons

First of all, we're talking about two small southern states that have some similarities, but not a long history on the football field. So here are a few contrasts and comparisons:

SC: longest tenured politician: Strom Thurmond. AR: longest tenured politician: Frank Broyles. Broyles appeared in a Civil War movie. Strom Thurmond appeared in the Civil War. Thurmond was in power past the age of 100. Broyles was booted from office in his early 80's. Advantage: SC

SC: home of Hootie and The Blowfish. AR: home of Hootie and the Blowhard (Herring).
Advantage: SC

SC: has the ol' Coach with lots of ball plays. AR: has the coach who plays with his balls a lot. Advantage: SC

SC: has a Quaterback named Smelley. AR: has a coach whose record vs. non-Mississippi schools in the SEC is smelly. Advantage:SC

SC: has a player named Succop (pronounced Suck-up). AR: has a head coach who does suck up. Advantage: even

SC: has a Presidential candidate who is a lawyer with TV evangelist hair. AR: has a Presidential candidate who is a preacher who should sue his hair for abandonment. Advantage: SC

SC: has the nickname of the 'Cocks. AR: has 2 QBs named Dick. Advantage: even.

SC: mascot is a chicken. AR: mascot is a hog. Have you ever heard a meat "tastes like pork?" Advantage: AR

SC: has a receiver named McKinley. AR: has receivers who have hands as soft as Mt. McKinley. Advantage: SC

SC: has a head coach who is a scratch golfer. AR: has a head coach who has won scratch, goes for the green, and has a golf ball with a good lie guaranteed every time. Advantage: SC

One More And We'll Throw A Party!

That's what Hootie-boy was reported to have said when Andrew Norman got his release papers to transfer to Tulsa. Now Ben Cleveland is denied a jersey to take his rightful place on the sidelines last Saturday? Could this be a little retribution for his getting a second opinion on his neck and deciding to redshirt after Darvocet Dean Weber said he could play? Or is just being from Springdale enough? If Hootie didn't need Alex Tejada would he be run off too?

As usual, Hootie's explanation doesn't wash. "He should have just come to me". That will go down with last year's "nothing could be further from the truth" we heard over and over in response to rumors of dissension on the staff and team.

Fire The Liar!

Jersey-Gate

I don't normally take everything Wally Hall writes seriously, but if the story is true about equipment manager Tim Cheney? Together with previous reports of Cheney's harassment of the Springdale players, this is grounds for dismissal. The man should be fired along with Hootie Nutt, Dean Weber, Kevin Trainor and just about everyone in this whole stinking, rotten mess.

Beck Campbell and Mitch Mustain could not be blamed for filing a lawsuit concerning email-gate and if that's what it takes to straighten up this corrupt, good ol' boy clique in the UA athletic department, so be it.

Jeff Long has a lot of work to do to restore the integrity of this sinking ship. Whoever the coach is next year is going to be in for choppy seas with so many player losses and the damage done by Paw-Paw Broyles, Hootie Nutt, Diana Nutt, Teresa Prewitt and "the posse".

It's embarrassing to share a state, not to mention a team with people like these, with the exception of Broyles. I don't think Broyles is inherently corrupt, but like the old saying (oft misquoted), power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The man had absolute power over the UA athletic department for far too long and now UA has a drug scandal, a basketball probation, the Harrod mess, the Nolan messy firing, the track scandal with Lance Brauman and others to show for it.

Hit That State Line Hootie!

There should be new words to the fight song. "Hit that state line, hit that state line, keep on going" is how the song that Hootie loves to sing to the cherry-picked group of sycophants after a victory should go these days. Snatching credit and attention from the players, where attention rightfully belongs is vintage Nutt.

Now I'm not a shrink, I just play one on TV, but perhaps this Hootie habit stems from Nutt's own career being such a monumental flop. I was 2 years ahead of him in school in the eastern part of the state and heard all the hype from his HS career. When Nutt arrived at UA in 1976 I could not believe that this guy was the one who had been hyped so much. I saw very little major college type talent and I don't think Nutt ever recovered from that blow to his ego. Rant over. Well, at least that one.

The Ol' Ball Coach must have drank some Nutty kool-aid at the SEC meetings to talk about how "close" the Hogs are to being undefeated and #1 in the BCS. With that schedule? No way any team gets to the top spot with 4 wins against rumdums like UTC and the Fla. International House Of Cupcakes.

I'll just about guarantee you Spurrier is telling his coaches and players in private if they can keep the game close until the 4th quarter he will outcoach Hootie and win the game.

Due to the benching of Chris Smelley, we are deprived of the much-anticipated Smelley-Dick matchup. Somehow, Mitchell-Dick doesn't have quite the same ring to it although Mitchell is a dirty word to Hootie Nutt. The two teams may not have the glamor of some other SEC Programs, but they do have the best names. Smelley. Dick. Succop(pronounced suck-up, you know like Houston does to Broyles). Talk about a "sexy" matchup.

By the time the Ol' Ball Coach gets to town next Friday, Hootie may have successfully spun the win over the Fla. House Of Cupcakes into a meaningful victory. I'm not buying and seriously doubt if many other fans will either. Speaking of fans, there were a lot of them disguised as empty seats Saturday. The Houstonistas have talked incessantly about the tickets sold and attendance figures in defending the dork.

The OBC doesn't lose 3 in a row very often, but Hootie does. Tennessee was lucky last night, but when haven't they been lucky against us in Knoxville? Mississippi State hardly looks like the automatic win the Hootie-ites have been projecting ever since the schedule was drawn up. And when was the last time the Hogs won in Baton Rouge? 1993, that's when.

As much as I hope the Hogs win the last 4 games, I know that like the sun coming up in the East, Hootie getting outcoached and giving away a couple of games is a virtual certainty.

58-10 Hogs win. Yawn. Big Whoop. In extending the nation's longest losing streak, the Hogs once again weren't all that impressive. It's better than losing, sure, but beating up on the nation's weakest team can't get most fans excited.

It's been so long, almost a calender year, since the Hogs beat a major conference team not located in the Magnolia State, that's Mississippi, Hootie fans, that it's hard to remember what's it's like. Of course, I'm sure Hootie rah-rahed it up like the Porkers won the national championship.

The Houstonista spin is that if the Hogs win out they would finish 10-3, better than last year percentage wise. As Daddy Bush might say, "Not gonna happen". The real season starts next Saturday. The OBC is sure to outcoach Hootie, then the Great Pumpkin Fulmer, then a not so fast on counting Misstake as a sure win, then LSU at Red Stick. Losing out is more likely than winning out. My guess is a 7-5 record at best for the Hogs, more likely 6-6 with what would hopefully be Hootie's last game coming in Shreveport.

Fans who are disgusted with this regime, and they are many in spite of Rip Van Broyles' "5 puh-cent" statement, should not give up. Settle for mediocrity and that's what will be delivered in abundance.

Arkansas 63- Florida International House Of Cupcakes 3. That's my prediction for tomorrow's game. In spite of what the Blowhard from Hootie And The Blowhard says, this IS a cupcake team and will further the Hogs lowering of standards the last 10 years to winning the Sun Belt title. Without playing Arkansas State, of course.

With the last of the dinosaurs retiring soon, I look for that situation to change. And why not? If we're going to play all their opponents with ASU playing SEC opponents, it's just silly not to. Of course the reason it hasn't happened is Broyles, so with new blood coming in the AD's office, the Arkansas legislature will renew efforts to get such a game together and Beebe is an ASU grad.

The only suspense about the game is if the plane will show up and what the banner will say if it does. Weston Dacus says such things are "childish". How about taking a long look at your head coach, Dacus?

I guess Peyton Hillis didn't get the Reggie Herring memo from yesterday about the Florida International House Of Pancakes not being an easy game. Hillis predicted that DMac and Felix Jones would both have something like 200 yards each against the FIHOC "defense".

Hootie is prominent in rumors about the Baylor job. He is a Baptist, but might have a hard time convincing the Baylor committee that those thousands of phone calls and texts to a certain news anchor who has been divorced multiple times were due to "mutual charitable interests".

I don't know or care if there's anything going on there. What will ultimately put the Nutts in a noose is the email scandal involving their close friend, "Mother" Teresa Prewitt. As far as a figurative mob I say: "Don't let go of the rope".

As if Hootie didn't have enough on his plate, now comes the word that Mitch Mustain's mother has hired Timothy Hutchinson, son of former U.S.Senator Tiny Tim H. to look into the situation.

The Nutt spin all along has been "Mustain hasn't filed any complaints" so everyone else should just let it go. "He's not a student at UA anymore" has been the second part of the spin. That's not in dispute, but MM was a student at the time that putrid email was sent, now his people have filed a complaint and for the benefit of current players and any future ones, this thing needs to be investigated to the max.

If Nuttcase or his brother had anything to do with the email, immediate firing would be too good for a man who always crows about how much he loves his players and tries to shield them. "Do the right thing even when nobody is looking".

Reggie Herring is doing it again. Defending the Hogs joke of a nonconference schedule, I mean. Troy State, TN-Chattanooga, some other rent-a-win and now the Florida International House Of Cupcakes with their 19 game losing streak? Priceless. Making this schedule was so simple, a bald, raving lunatic knuckle-dragger could do it. I'm sure Hootie put Herring up to it, just as the Hogs' spinmeister put DMac up to taking the mike and lecturing the student section about the blackshirts.

Speaking of which, I wonder if da' plane will show up again this weekend? You know, the one Hootie said couldn't be found last year?

I heard today that someone sent a bushel of corn to Hootie's house. Good luck with that. If Nutt really did get offered that job, which I now doubt, he can kiss that one goodbye. Surely Tom Osborne's stint in Washington, D.C. didn't warp his brain to the point that he would hire the Hootster to come to Lincoln. Poor Hootie better stock up on the chapstick regardless, what with a new bosses'@$$ to kiss soon, wherever he is next year.

Jimmy Sexton, Hootie's agent, is based in Memphis I believe. Does Tommy West get another year at Tiger High? If not, Hootie could learn that fight song quicker than you can say 2012.

2 weeks ago, after the putrid offensive performance against Auburn, Hootie Nutt was quoted in the papers saying he had told David Lee "to get more creative" on offnese. Well, he could hardly get less creative could he? Lee was also told to "open it up". Hootie didn't say what "it" was. Was it a can of whupass, a can of worms, a can of 'nutts' (is that redundant?) or what?

Hootie Nutt's idea of "opening it up" on offense is to wait until 4th down to punt or run something besides the draw play on 3rd down.

Now, all we're hearing from the Hill is "it's a 'new' season", "we're 1-0" and Hootie's team meeting the day after the Auburn game has "saved the season". My question is: why did the Hogs wait until the 6th game to play with a sense of urgency? The bottom line is Nutt coaches not to lose, like Broyles post-1970, like Holtz after his first couple of years in Fayetteville, like Hatfield his whole time here, and so on.

The common thread is that every UA football coach since Broyles has gotten more and more conservative the longer they were here after being at least a little daring at first. That common thread is J. Frank Broyles. For all he has done for the football program and the University, it was past time for Broyles to retire, several years past time, actually. There needs to be a house-cleaning at UA from top to bottom, not only in the athletic department but the school as a whole. Here's hoping the hiring of Jeff Long is a start.

Arkansas' favorite self-promoter is at it again. Hootie is proclaiming the team meeting last Sunday to be the turning point of the season. "I called that meeting Brotha"! I can hear it now.

With the next game coming against the Florida School For The Blind or The Florida International House Of Cupcakes or some such bunch of tackling dummies, look for a score of 63-3 or something similar and Hootie will be crowing like a bantam rooster surrounded by hens. "We're on a roll". Yessir. Well, Hootie, we hate to rain on your parade, but you know what they say about too many sweets.

IHOC won't exactly prepare the Hogs for South Carolina and the OL' Ball Coach, Tennessee at Knoxville, Misstake and LSU at Red Stick. You just know the OBC is itching to get at Hootie after last year, not to mention Not As Fat Phil and Less Miles, who will be aiming to keep the Trophy in Cajunland before UA hopefully gives Hootie The Boot.

Well, just as we thought, Hootie is crowing about the victory over hapless Ole Miss yesterday and once again, predicting great things for the Hogs. There is a column in the Stephens Media papers by John Brummett. Brummett, who I often disagree with, makes very vaild points in the piece, entitled: "Time For Nutt To Take Ego And Leave".

I couldn't agree more, especially with his points about Hootie making everything about himself, Nutt's spinning of the facts, and his coaching from timidity and fear. Also Brummett makes good points about Hootie's excuse-making and whining. And the more I find out about the man's wife and some of his friends, the less likable he is.

Time for a change and the outcome of one game against weak opposition doesn't change that. If anything, it only makes it more noticeable how much this team has underachieved this season.

With today's convincing win by the Hogs, one might think some of Nutt's critics mught back off, at least for a time. Not this one. A 44-8 win over a winless in the SEC Ole Miss doesn't mean much. It is a win and the players are to be congratulated. Any win over an SEC rival is a good win. However, in the long run, all it means is that the Hogs won't go 0-8 in the league.

It is the first win for the Razorbacks vs a non-directional school since last November's uninspiring win over cross state Misstake in Starkville. The fact is, minus all the wins over the 2 Mississippi schools, Houston Nutt's SEC record is abysmal.

It adds up to 24-11 vs UK, Vandy, SC and the Miss. schools, 15-28 against everyone else. The non-conference record is: 29-1 against non BCS (mostly directional)conference schools, 3-7 in non-conference games and bowls vs BCS conference schools.

It's time to decide whether or not mediocrity is acceptable. When Broyles fired Danny Ford, he said it was not. When he fired Stan Heath the Boss Hawg said just getting to the NCAA tourney was not enough. But just getting to a bowl in Shreveport or Nashville is? Not to an increasing number of fans and boosters.

Today's win makes for good tonic for the troops, but that's about it. At the end of the season will OM even have an SEC win? Maybe they can beat Misstake.

Well, tomorrow's the day.The loser's head coach will indeed be The Biggest Loser in the SEC. Part soap opera, part "reality show". Just wondering if the plane that has been following Nuttcase around the last 2 weeks will show in Oxford. If so, the air space above the Grove and Vaught-Hemingway Stadium could get quite crowded, with Ole Miss possibly having a plane of their own flying a banner touting the firing of Ed Orgeron.

If he goes, could UA get so lucky as to have the Rebs make a play for Nuttball? Just think, the Hogs could improve their own lot and weaken an opponent at the same time. Okay, I guess Nutrageous would be an improvement over Farmer Fran. You know, the guy in the overalls from The Waterboy now serving as the OM head coach. The guy no one could understand most of what he said. We can still hope. Keep hope alive!

Real Men Of Genius-Houston Nutt is a new video on youtube I happened across tonight. Of course, it's a takeoff on those Bud Lite ads a couple of years ago with the lounge singer guy. With permission fro the producer, you can find it on your left, on the bottom. And, yes it is funny or I wouldn't bother.

Let's see. Is there anything new in the Houston Nutt follies? Well, isn't there always even in the offseason? The guy has just become a walking punch line. Speaking of which, here are a few HDN jokes for your enjoyment:

Did you hear that Houston already has his Halloween costume picked out? Broyles advised him that his "expuhts" had said for Nutt to choose an outfit that no one would associate Nutt with. Something totally unexpected. So Houston's going as a Division 1 football coach.

What do Arkansas football and a Sundae have in common? They'd both be better without the nutts!

What did Danny Nutt say to Houston Nutt when he had the headsets on in the UK game? "Tell Dick to stay in the pocket".

What was Houston's best subject in school? Text education.

Why was Houston so upset when his playbook got stolen? Page 2 hadn't been colored in yet.

What did Houston tell Michael Smith to do if he went to jail? "Don't let go of the soap".

After Nutt's cellphone was stolen, why did the UA not report the theft? 'Cause the thief charged so many fewer minutes.

Why does no one ever ask Houston for change of a dollar? 'Cause he only gives 3 quarters.

Did you hear about Houston getting a prescription for viagra? David Lee told him he couldn't straighten out Dick.

When Broyles advised Nutt to get help passing the football, Houston bought a laxative.

That's 10, enough for tonight. More later.

Well, it took a few days, but Houston Nutt finally got around to playing the zebra card. You know the drill. After a loss, it was no fault of his, it was bad calls by the refs that cost the Hogs a victory.

He specifically mentioned the personal foul on Freddie Fairchild on an out of bounds tackle of Kodi Burns. Of course, Nutt claimed Burns was in bounds when contact occurred when anyone with eyes could see that was not the case. Not only that, but the sling down of Burns was way beyond the sideline. It was just a typical bonehead play that Nutt's teams characteristically make in big games.

That play put Auburn in the redzone, but they did not even score on that possession anyway. Brad Lester fumbled a play or two later. Therefore that call cannot be used as an excuse for the loss.

Nutt's boneheaded clock management late in the first half had as much to do with it as anything. The Hogs ended the half with at least 1 timeout left and let the clock run down to :02 before stopping it with Auburn having to punt. That did the Hogs a lot of good. If the clock had been stopped sooner, Arkansas could have had the ball at midfield or better with almost a minute left.

But then a pass or two might have been needed. What was the deal with that? Was his phone ringing or something?

Here in Fort Smith, both of the most popular dailies, the Times-Record and the Demozette featured our boy Houston in the cartoons in the editorial section today. Fitting, since the guy is a walking cartoon character. Also the punch line to any number of jokes. Just say the words 'Houston Nutt' these days and get laughs.

Like Will Rogers said: "it's easy being a humorist with the whole government working for you". Just sub Nutt's name or the UA athletic deptartment. Surely the powers that be at UA can't be so clueless as to not see and hear the banners, T shirts, message boards, call in shows, editorial cartoons, etc. Can they?

The expiration date on those Nutts may not be 2012 after all. At least we can hope.

On the KFSM Channel 5 news tonight, there was even a story about a "moral victory" for sale on Ebay featuring Nutt. Speaking of which, Houston has to be the only guy in the state, in the public eye at least, with as obvious a bad dye job on his 'do as 5 Sports Director MIke Irwin. Maybe those 2 have the same hair stylist.

There were several comments coming from Channel 5 viewers about the banners, etc. being "tacky". My question to those people is: #1, so losing is ok and #2 are you going to tell me Houston Nutt is not tacky?

Oh, yeah, one more thing. With George W. Bush's appearance in NWA today, the only guy with a lower approval rating than Houston Nutt should have invited Houston up to the podium. I can hear it now: "Nutty, you're doin' a heckuva job!!!".

The two men operate so much alike, it's eerie. Neither ever takes responsibility for anything. Neither has ever been wrong and when things get tough, an assistant falls on the sword. Now that Karl Rove has lots of time on his hands, maybe Jimmy Sexton, HDN's Superagent could enlist Rove's help in restoring his client's image. Or not.

On the same night that saw the Hogs fall to 0-3 in the SEC at RRS, just a few blocks away at the Walton Arts Center on Dickson Street, a few hundred dance enthusiasts came to see the Houston Ballet. The Houston Soap Opera and the Houston Ballet performed almost simultaneously.

I doubt that anyone flew a banner over the WAC before the performance. If they did, what would it say? Here are a few suggestions: "The Houston Ballet Dancers Have Two Left Feet!". How about: "Houston Ballet, We Have A Problem". Or: "Houston Ballet, Who Choreographs Your Show, Lisa Nowak?".

In spite of the obvious differences in the two shows, the Demozette's Michelle Parks gave the HB a rave review, while most of the crowd and press assembled at RRS would likely be a little less enthused about the Hogs' "performance". However, there were some similarities. For any Nutt-Huggers reading this, that means they were somewhat alike.

Here goes: at the start of one number, seven male dancers jumped randomly in place, sort of like male cheerleaders, or Houston Nutt and members of his staff on the sidelines. Here's another: The men, described by Ms. Parks as having "chiseled bodies", mimicked one another's movements. Sort of like Nutt in his rah-rah Harry Highschool routine of singing the fight song to the student section. Except for the part about the chiseled bodies, in Nutt's case.

Furthermore, according to the article, the dancers formed a family of 2 parents and 4 children. Like the Nutts. Then, two of the brothers "danced in a flurry". Like Houston and Danny. The same Danny who was in the coaches box for the UK game and who is still padding the payroll.

To top it off, "11 couples moved in unified and individual parts". Kinda like football players. Then at the conclusion of the number, "they all fell flat to the stage", just like the Hogs down the street.

I don't have a clue about such "artsy-fartsy" goings on, just what I read in the article. But, I do know this: if the Houston Ballet had performed "The Nutcracker Suite", it would have brought down the house.

Well, for any so-called "Haters", which has come to be one of the most overworked phrases in the version of English we speak in our country, who might have felt sorry for Houston D. Nutt after the loss last night, it's on! His comments about his contract running until 2012 and "I'm not going anywhere" in his presser today? Red meat to the ever-growing legion of his detractors. "The Army of 'Haters' to the North" is what his wife called them.

As if Nutt's only detractors live in Springdale. I've got news for you Mrs. Nuttcase, in a recent online poll run by KTHV Channel 11 in Little Rock , your husband's hometown, 95.9% of the respondents want a new Head Coach for the football team.

HDN's enemies list is well populated in every corner of the Natural State and sure to grow longer with every loss and asinine statement he makes to the press. In fact, you could call it the "Au Natural State" as more people every day realize the Emperor of the UA football program has no clothes.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. Words to live by. Or in Houston Nutt's case, to lose your job by. It's hard to jump on the guy for me right now, after such a hard fought game in which the defense finally played a really good game against a name opponent. I almost feel sorry for the guy. I say almost because Nutt has done so much of the damage to himself and the football program due to his own actions with regard to the lies and deceptions to Malzahn and the Springdale kids.

Once again, there was a banner flying over the stadium before the game with a message only slightly different than the one last week in the Rock. This time it said: "Players & Fans Deserve Better-Fire Nutt". I have mixed feelings on that.

On the one hand, I agree with the message. On the other, I cringe at such dirty laundry being aired for the whole world to see. However, the bottom line is: if Nutt had not told so many whoppers, if he had been upfront in his dealings with recruits and assistant coaches, not to mention the fans and the press, much of this current unpleasantness could have been avoided.

I know of several instances in which Nutt has flat out lied to recruits or at best broken promises. There is a current player having a good season who was promised a scholarship long ago on the condition that he win a starting job. He did 2 years ago and I recently learned he still does not have a free ride.

With Halloween fast approaching, that sort of thing usually comes back to haunt you. The whole email mess, the text scandal and Nutt's petulant response, the transfers of the 3 Springdale kids, and on and on. Nutt's refusal to accept responsibility for anything. Going off the field at halftime, the last thing he said to Holly Rowe of ESPN was an excuse about Marcus Monk.

Monk is missed, to be sure. However, injuries are part of the game. One of the biggest factors in football at any level. That's why schools' have 85 scholarships. If Nutt hadn't run Damien Williams off or failed to develop Chris Baker, London Crawford and others, Monk's injury would not be so crippling.

In so seldom throwing anything down the field or in the middle of the field, our "passing game" was so limited, opposing defenses had little respect for it anyway.

I never like to kick a man when he's down, but my take on Houston Nutt is simply that his chickens are coming home to roost. All the spinning and lies can be overlooked by many fans when the team is winning, but at 0-3 in the SEC, 6 losses in the last 7 games vs. real teams, the total lack of discipline and the used car salesman tactics are all combining to form a perfect storm raining down on Houston Nutt. If he wants to face down the one person most responsible, he need look no further than the man in the mirror.

Wee Wally Hall's "column" in the Demozette today is a prime example of Wally Pipsqueek cluelessness. His 10 reasons the Hogs will beat Auburn included a line about Houston Nutt assuring the players he will be back next season.

Guess what Wally? The decision might not be his. Not saying Nutt will be fired, necessarily. Just that with his Protector leaving and fan discontent at a 20 year high, if not the highest ever....anything could happen. After all, Hatfield only had 50,000 in the seats to boo him and Crowe and Ford created fan apathy to the point that the Hog faithful showed their discontent by staying home.

Of course, the Nutt camp spun things during the offseason, touting season ticket sales, etc. when fan discontent was raging way more than the clueless AD let on with his 5 "puh cent" statement last year.

As for this game, let's not forget that Auburn has a record of 18-5 (16-4 in the SEC)on the road the past 5 seasons, the nation's 2nd best road record during that time. That coupled with the Hogs woes at Fayetteville makes Wally's silliness even more moot.

I'll be rooting for the Hogs as usual, but with the realization that we're probably looking at another loss, even if Houston Nutt doesn't bungle things like he so often does. Nutt is all emotion and no logic, like a carnival barker or tent preacher while Tuberville is the opposite, or close to it. That does not bode well when tough decisions have to be made on the sidelines.

One can seldom tell if Tommy T. is winning or losing, but look for Nuttcase to be biting his nails early and often.

How about that Houston Nutt and his ability to, at least on the surface, ignore all the outside distractions and pesky things like having to cover for lies and spin, and do his job? After all, the man has been compared on more than one occasion to used car salesmen and politiicans.

If this football coaching thing doesn't work out after this season, what with Daddy leaving and all, Nutt could always go into either of those fields and be successful. Only thing is, he might need to develop a little thicker skin if he chooses the latter. Hiding behind the wifeys skirt ala the "Haters to the North" letter usually gets a pol dismissed as a wimp.

Maybe he can get a text from a certain female news anchor for advice, provided he can change the subject from their "mutual charitable interests".

His life and career have also been compared to a soap opera. How about a Jack Handey style voiceover? Will Houston elbow the band director out of the way and direct the UA band even if the Auburn kicker misses 5 or 6 kicks, which could be the only way the Hogs win this game?

Will Houston whip out his UA-issued cell phone and call or text anyone during the game?

Is there anything Nutt could do to cause his boss to hold him accountable?

Will Houston, Dennis Franchione, Joe Pa, and Mike Gundy star in a "reality tv show" called "Coaches behaving badly?". Put the four of them in a house, or better yet, on an island. Send some other out of work coaches there and voila! Instant ratings.

Watch them manuever. Joe Pa: "who drank my prune juice?" Nutt, "I confess, Gundy did it". Gundy: "I'm a 40 year old man! If you want to come up here and say that..., you drank it, Nuttsack!" Nutt: "No, I didn't. Nothing could be further from the truth". "Hold that thought, I gotta go to the bathroom for a #2. I don't pass things, I always have the runs".

What a "Banner" Year for Arkansas football! Just as Houston Nutt's seat couldn't get much warmer, along comes Auburn, with 2 of the state's natives playing for the Tigers. Kodi Burns of Fort Smith Northside and Rogers' Lee Ziemba are playing as true freshmen, with Ziemba starting at RT on the offensive line.

If Kodi Au-Burns the Hogs with a score and the Tigers win, think the heat on Houston is bad now? Just wait.

Black shirts in the student section. Anti- Nutt banners flying over the stadium in HDN's hometown, no less. Does a totally out-of-touch administration get the message yet? Or does the message have to come in the form of a text from Teresa Prewitt?

One of the things that drove home the point that Broyles and White were completely clueless about life outside the Ivory Tower of PCU, otherwise known as the University of Arkansas, was Broyles' "5 puh-cent" comment last year. Then, John White's endorsement of Nutt after the email fiasco and the "Mala-zahn" situation.

For those who talk about black shirts and banners being an example of "crazy, out of control fans" or Hog fans being a "laughing stock" in the rest of the SEC or nation, I have a simple message. The rest of the SEC is going to make fun of us no matter what we do. Do you think they weren't making fun of us when Nutt was a hero in the eyes of most of the fans? Of course they were!

As for the rest of the nation, they know little of Arkansas and care even less. Bill Clinton is a native of the state and that's about the extent of their knowledge. The older ones know about 1957. Some know of the state only because of the West Memphis 3 or Bangin' In Little Rock. Why do we still care so much what other states think of us?

And how do football fans wanting rid of a coach define a state? Bill Battle of Tennessee had "For Sale" signs put in his yard years ago. He was subjected to much worse treatment than Nutt, with a much better record. We need to decide which is more important, what the rest of the world thinks of us or whether mediocrity is acceptable. Whether the fans deserve honesty in the way the football or other athletic programs operate, or whether to maintain the status quo.

The answer to me is clear.

One thing about Ol' H. Nutt, there is always something to write about, which is how I justify having a blog devoted solely to the drama King. In today's Demozette, Rob Keys has a column comparing the 2 finalists for the Head Hog job back in Dec. 1997. You know, king of a comparison shopping type deal, like detergents or used cars.

Good thing for Nutt that the state's "lemon law" doesn't apply to coaches, 'cause many fans have since had buyer's remorse. In comparing the records, the results within the SEC West are very similar, Nutt 27-19 vs Western teams, Tuberville 28-18. Only a 1 game difference.

However, if you really want to know how they stack up, check the records vs. the SEC East and overall. Tommy Tuberville is 23-10 counting SEC championship games, with a winning record against all except Florida. And he's 3-4 vs. the Gators. In contrast, the Huggers' boy Houston is 11-21 with a winning record against only South Carolina.

For those of you scoring at home, TT is 51-28 vs SEC competition for a winning pct. of .646 in the last 9 seasons. Nutt is 38-40, with a winning pct. of .488. Quite a difference, huh?

Yet, Houston Nutt keeps coming back like a bad penny. Like a shopping cart with the wheel that goes off in all directions at once. And yes, like a lemon of a used car. Maybe one day, used car salesmen will get enough of being compared to Mr. Mediocrity and file a class action suit.

Oh, boy. Whether it's the NCAA probation which Houston Nutt used as an excuse for about 5 years, or a banner flying over War Memorial Stadium, Nutt loves to be the martyr. In case you missed it, there was a banner from a plane flying over WMS last night reading: "Nuttin' like being 0-2 in the SEC", which the Hogs have been 5 times in Nutt's 10 year reign of error.

I don't condone that, however, if someone feels that strongly to spend $700, which is the reported cost of such a thing, so be it. If that what it takes for an out of touch AD and administration to wake up and smell the napalm....

And that's in Nutt's hometown, no less. The man is being booed in both Fayette Nam and The Rock. In a recent online poll done by KTHV Channel 11 in Little Rock, the question was: "Do the Razorbacks need to make a coaching change?", yes or no. The last I checked, the numbers were astounding. 2748 votes yes, 115 no. That's 95.9 pct. in favor of Nutt taking his soap opera act elsewhere.

In his inimitable, whiny way, Nutt got that fart-smelling look on his face when asked today and whined " They couldn't find that banner last year when we were 7-0 in the conference". Well, isn't that special? But Nuttcase didn't want to talk about '04 and '05 last year, did he?

Like any good con man or used car salesman (you mean they're not one and the same?) Nutt tells people what they think the listener wants to hear and constantly tries to have everything both ways. They also are good at figuring out what it is people want to hear, and far too many Razorback fans want to hear excuses about injuries or probations or bad calls after losses.

I know. This was not a loss, but as far as the pundits and pollsters are concerned, it may as well have been. Auburn has to be salivating at the prospect of facing the weak rush "D" they will see on film, giving up 160+ yards to Tennessee Chattanooga.

With a rather uninspiring win over what has to be one of the weakest Hog opponents in years, UTC was coming off a 25 point thumping by The Citadel, the Razorbacks head back into SEC play next week vs. Auburn. The same Auburn who throttled Vandy today 35-7. The same Auburn that beat Florida in Gainesville a week ago.

If the Tigers or War Eagles or whatever they are calling themselves this week, are not intimidated by the Swamp, do you really think RRS in Fayetteville will? I didn't think so.

Back to the Hogs. The offense passed for a pathetic 116 yards, with 257 rushing for less than 400 total yards vs a team that gave up 41 to The Citadel. You can feel sorry for the players or coaches if you want. I feel sorry for the fans who paid top dollar for tickets, drove from all corners of the state, fought the ridiculous traffic in the Rock, etc. to see that fiasco.

I know what the Nutt-Huggers will say. Before St. Houston came along, "we were losing games like this". That was then, this is now. While it is nice to be able to count on wins against the cupcakes like UTC and The Citadel, 10 seasons is more than enough to get some wins vs. SEC teams besides Ole Miss and Misstake.

Mr. Mediocrity, Houston D. Nutt will never be able to win consistently enough in the SEC to get to that elusive "next level", in my opinion. He has become so divisive as to be a distraction. It is time for him to move on at the end of the season. Past time, actually, but nothing we can do about that now. Broyles had to be out of the picture before Nutt could be sent packing.

I don't think he will be, I think Nutt will take another job ala Hatfield. The writing is on the wall, and it's getting clearer all the time. There were boos for the Hogs, even in Little Rock tonight following the 65 yard touchdown run for UTC.

Note to Reggie Herring: If you're going to be mouthing off about your defense or the schedule, you look like a fool when your unit plays like that.

Yessir, tomorrow is the day we've all been waiting for, the big game against the UT-Chattanooga Mocassins. I wouldn't want to be in their mocassins even if the Hogs are sleep-walking through the most of the game. Again, if you're going to play teams like this, why not Arkansas State?

I know. It's a no-win situation for the Hogs. Win big and they're just doing what they're supposed to do. Win close and it's almost like a loss in the eyes of the pundits. Lose and you've made ASU's season.

However, I think it would prepare the Hogs better for the rigors of the SEC than the directional schools and rumdums they've played this season. Frank Broyles' policy of not playing in state schools is as antiquated as anything else the man has done the last few years. He always cites his home state of Georgia and how it hurt UGA and Georgia Tech when they played.

How? Both of those schools have won National Championships in football since the Hogs have. Georgia in 1980 and Tech in 1990. That argument just won't fly any more.

I attended the basketball game between the Hogs and ASU in the 1987 NIT, and seldom if ever have I felt more electricity at a basketball involving the Hogs, other than in the NCAA Tourney.

Yes, many of the ASU fans behaved boorishly. Yes, their cheerleaders unfurled a banner reading "how long will the Hogs run?", which was low class in the Hogs' own gym. But, it's not like UA has never played against boorish fans before. Ever hear of OU?

Reggie "Red" Herring made an ass of himself with his little tirade responding to queries about the Hogs' pillow-soft schedule. Knowledgable fans realize that the coaches do not have much input in the games their teams' play, which is more than the players have. None.

That does not change the fact that this in one of the easiest slates in the country, at least for D1A schools. It is one of the easiest ever played by the Hogs, without a doubt. With a sweep of Trojan State, the North Texas Green Weenies, and the Florida School for the Blind or whoever the third tomato can is, the Hogs can just about claim the Sun Belt title.

Problem is, this program should be above that. If we're going to play everybody else in that conference, why not Arkansas State? Might as well. At least it would hold the fans interest.

As for Herring's red herring, he went on to complain about NTSU's offense not prepping the Hogs for the SEC. You can't have it both ways Reggeroo. Don't bitch about people's perception of the sked and then whine about it being too easy on the other hand. That's what happens when you play creampuffs and directional schools.We are the only SEC school not playing at least one BCS conference team in the non-conference.

Spread offenses, the wishbone or some such offense is all that gives them any sort of sporting chance. I couldn't help but think part of it was a shot at "Mala-zahn", or "High School" as Reggie called Gus. It is what it is as coaches say, and we can't very well tell opponents what offense to run to prepare us for tougher competition, can we?

Baseball had Harry "the Hat" Walker. The Arkansas press has Harry "THe Hack" King. His column in today's edition of the Stephens papers, hits a new low. Rather than admit his boy Houston Nutt might not be the greatest thing to ever come up I-540, The Hack King went on a little diatribe about how coaches' pay doesn't guarantee victory, citing Alabama's 2 losses since beating the Hogs. Huh?!!!

This guy's nose is imbedded in HDN's hindquarters just as much as Nutt's nose is in Broyles'.This guy's writing sinks deeper all the time. Remember when he said LSU was overrated because they lost JaMarcus Russell? He needs to be writing about the best early-bird specials or something.

The tradition of the Arkansas sports press is to put the Hogs coach up on a
pedeastal as long as they're on the Hill, then trash them with the help of leaks from Big Frank as soon as they're gone. But only after telling us that coaching doesn't matter, it never helps to fire the coach, etc.

I would prefer that Nutt get another job regardless of what happens the rest of the season, but if he doesn't....There is no question that the UA football program would be left better than he found it.

The fact remains that Nutt's best year was his first. It seems clear that he has taken the program as far as he can. The Peter Principle still applies here. The fanbase has never been more divided and Nutt is incapable of putting it back together due to his lies and deceptions. It's time for a change!

One thing about our boy Houston, you never run out of material with the never-ending soap opera that is his life and career. To paraphrase Will Rogers, it's easy being a humorist when you have Houston Nutt and most of the UA Athletic department working for you. Of course, Rogers said that about the government, but the federal and state govs look efficient compared to the goings on on the Hill in recent years.

As for Darren McFadden grabbing the mike during Nutt's rah-rah Harry High School routine the other night. DMac in my opinion is the best player to ever put on a jock in Fayetteville, and the best player in the nation this season and last. But he is all wet with his statement that fans must support the coaches or they don't support the players. HOGWASH!

That's like saying someone must like George W. Bush to be an American. If our Founding Fathers had thought like that, we'd still be wearing powdered wigs and picking hankies out of our sleeves, pledging allegiance to King George. Ok, we are still doing the last part, but at least this King George was elected. Kind of.

There were also some whiny comments from recruits about booing. The players only have to put up with Nutt 4-5 years if they're good enough. The fans have been putting up with his used-car salesman ways for nigh on 10 years now.

Fans who make a fraction of Nutt's $1.2 MILLION per year in a state in the 40's of 50 states in per capita income, who pay $35 or more per ticket, many pay to park, make donations to the Foundation, drive from faraway places like McGehee, Paragould, Crossett, etc. have every right to boo the coach when he makes the same bonehead decisions every year and nothing is done due to an out-of-touch AD and pecksniffian Chancellor.

Hold that. Something was done. After the Teresa Prewitt email fiasco, Nuttsack was assigned to investigate himself and given a raise and contract extension.

Well folks, if the UA, which has come to stand for Under Achievers in athletics, ever decides to form a Horse Shoe Pitching team, sign Houston Nutt on as the coach. If I had a dollar for every time Nutt has used the phrase "we're this close", holding his thumb and index finger less than an inch apart in his 10 season reign of error, I might just be up there with him in the salary department.

Another of his favorite catchphrases is "nothing could be further from the truth". As in: "there's no dissension on the staff, nothing could be further from the truth". When he uses that one, watch his nose grow. If it's not broken from Frank turning a corner too quickly, that is.

Daddy leaving at the end of the year will be a major factor in what Nutt decides to do as far as beating the posse out of town, because if he isn't fired after this season, next year with no DMac, Hillis or Monk will be ugly.

Therefore it just makes sense for Nuttcase to leave on his own with some whiny spiel about how insatiable fans who expect to win every game ruined his "dream job". Love that helmet and all.

After a day to digest the Hogs' win over North Texas State, or was it the Texas State Armadilloes from the 90's movie Necessary Roughness? Same difference.

The point is you can beat nobody teams like this as much as you want, but you will not get respect from the college football world until you beat real teams. Like Alabama. Like Kentucky. It will be interesting to see how the 'Bama fans react to Nick Satan, I mean Saban, after the Tides' 2nd straight loss.

One can't help but wonder if the true believers still believe Saban is a genius. We are the last team to figure out how to lose to 'Bama, by the way, thanks to Nutt's "clock management".

It won't be too long until we find out if Kentucky is for real also. With Auburn coming to Fayetteville in a couple of weeks, a win there no longer seems like a given with The Tigers winning in Gainesville.

Tonight's lopsided win over the North Texas State Green Weenies or whatever they're called, takes a little pressure of Houston Nutt... for now. But in the long term, it doesn't mean much. This team lost to OU 79-10 earlier and gave up 45 to SMU last week. Rent-a-wins like this one define a teams' season only if it loses them.

Until the Hogs beat a real team of the SEC variety or at least a major conference team, of which there are none on the schedule with Tennessee/Chattanooga next on the menu and the Florida School For The Blind or some such tackling dummy later, this writer remains unconvinced. With Houston Nutt on the sidelines and Casey Dick under center, the 2 non-conference games are the only gimmes left.

The 2 Mississippi schools are certainly beatable and Auburn is a winnable game, but the Tigers' win in "the swamp" tonight proves they can win on the road. You know the Hogs will get outcoached against South Carolina and winning at Knoxville is something no Hog coach except Joe Kines has ever done, so 7 or 8 wins looks to be how the season will shake out.

You notice I didn't mention LSU, which will beat us like a drum in Red Stick like they usually do.

The question is: will 8 wins get the team in the Cotton Bowl vs. a Big 12 also-ran? Against this soft schedule, anything less than 8 wins is a bad year. If the Hogs do spend New Year's Day in "Big D", will history repeat itself? You know. Ken Hatfield coached the Hogs in the CB against Tennessee on Jan. 1, 1990, then split for Clemson without even bothering to visit the campus.

It is my belief that Nutt will not be fired. Broyles will leave any major moves like that to Jeff Long, surely. I mean, the Boss Hog has let Houston go this long without being accountable. Do you really think he would fire his boy on his way out the door? I don't. And I don't believe Jeff Long will want to make such a major move that soon in his reign. I believe HDN will take his ball and go to whatever team will have him. He wouldn't have to be that highly paid to make more than his settlement amount at UA.

What with Hillis, Monk, D-Mac and probably Felix leaving, the cupboard will be less than bare next season resulting in a subpar season which would surely make the Nuttcracker Suite a hit. So, why stick around another season to get fired when you could make a new start somewhere else? We can hope. In my opinion, such a parting would benefit both sides and allow a healing of the divisions in Hog Nation.

Houston Nutt is obviously starting to feel the heat with petulant comments the last 2 days such as: "the players and coaches want to win 10 times as much as anybody else" and " I put more pressure on myself than anybody else can".

Ok, let's address the first one. While it's true the players and coaches go through sweltering practices in August, etc., they don't have to pay to get in the games. They don't have to pay for a motel for at least one night per game, much less 2. They don't have to pay $4 for a soda and fight the traffic, walk a mile to their seats.

Mr. Nutt needs to be reminded that the FANS pay the freight or there would be no college football, at least not as we know it. We, the FANS pay his bloated salary whether in the form of tax dollars, ticket sales or contributions to the Razorback Foundation. If there were not 70,000 plus people in the stands for games, does he really think he would still have a job?

People from all corners of this state make the drive from places like McGehee, Paragould, and Texarkana, not to mention other states, to see the same predictable offense, the same boneheaded coaching decisions, and hear the same excuses after losses.

I don't think it's asking too much for a Head Coach making $1.2 million a year in one of the poorest states in the U.S. to level with the fans and tell us the TRUTH. We don't expect the man to tell us the game plan or info that would help opponents. We do have the right to hold the staff accountable when they give us mealy-mouthed used-car-salesman double talk about "there's no dissension on the staff, nothing could be further from the truth". Then we see coaches defect to smaller schools for less money. Then we hear "Mitch hasn't decided what he's going to do, he's just weighing his options" and he announces he's leaving almost immediately.

We're told Nutt knew nothing about the infamous Teresa Prewitt email until after the Bowl game, then we see evidence to the contrary. Why should we believe anything Houston Nutt says when he has been caught in so many lies? When he utters his favorite catchphrase "nothing could be further from the truth", hold on tight to your wallet, he's getting ready to tell a whopper.

You can get away with a lot with the people of Arkansas, but lying repeatedly over a period of time is not one of them.

One thing about being an Arkansas Razorback fan, with a coach named "Nutt", a Quarterback named "Dick" and the former QB having been named "Johnson", you're bound to be the butt of a few jokes. Last year with Danny Nutt on the staff as running backs coach, there were 2 Nutts and 1 Dick. Now with D. Nutt having resigned for health reasons and with the addition of Casey Dick's younger brother Nathan as a back-up Quarterback, the reverse is true. So much for the Hog being anatomically correct.

Anyway, here are a few Houston Nutt jokes for your enjoyment.

What do a hot fudge Sundae and razorback football have in common? They would both be better without the "nutts"!

Did you know that Houston Nutt has already picked out his Halloween costume? He was advised, by text message of course, to choose something that no one would ever think of him as. So he's going to the Halloween party as a football coach.

Included is a pic from an email I received, entitled "Hoot wants to be a millionaire". Enjoy.

It was fairly quiet on the Nutt front today. No finger-pointing, excuse-making or the like. Mainly fallout from Danny Nutt's presence in the coaches box with headsets. It's hard to believe that Danny and his brother didn't know that it would be against the rules of the SEC or NCAA, since there is a limit to the number of coaches.

"He was just watchin' the game" said Houston in his Sunday presser. So he couldn't do that from the 50 yard line or on the sidelines away from the team? What's next, Teresa Prewitt with headsets in the box? One never knows, she could be calling Mitch Mustain at his new number in L.A., asking if he has Prince Albert in a can.

Nuttcase has really outdone himself with his comments from Monday concerning Michael Smith. Comparing a fumble to using a stolen credit card....Asinine. "Throwing Smith under the bus" just as he did Casey Dick after the 'Bama loss after he constantly tells the players not to point fingers? Disgusting. "Don't say I confess, it was your fault" he tells them. What a hypocrite!

Reggie Herring and even David Lee have taken responsibility for their units, but not Houston Nutt. He never takes responsiblity for anything but victories. "I called that play, Chuck"!

It appears HDN's nose has grown even more with the claim that he cleared brother Danny to be in the coaches' box last Sat. Now the SEC office says that was not the case and bars D. Nutt from the box and the team area on the sidelines. It could have been a misunderstanding, but I doubt it, given the track record for truthfulness on the Hill the last couple of years.

As if Houston Nutt didn't have enough problems, what with being up to his backside in alligators without Florida even being on the schedule, now this. The arrest of one Michael Smith for felony forgery after using a stolen credit card to buy $96 worth of goods or services at 3 convenience stores.

Yes, the same Michael Smith who fumbled Kentucky back into last Saturdays' game right before the half, turning a possible 23 or 27 to 7 lead into 20-13. Then there was the injury to Crosby Tuck, the only Hog receiver to score a touchdown thus far this season.

To add insult to injury, Nutt was booed lustily late in the Kentucky game and is being roundly criticized on talk shows and the internet. Both Reggie Herring and David Lee stepped up and took responsibilty for their units' struggles, something the Head Coach has never done, unless I missed it.

According to Noah Trister of the Tulsa World, Houston Nutt told the team after the Hogs lost at home to Kentucky, "I told them there's going to be a lot of negativity, so just blame it on me". How noble of Nuttcase! If the sackcloth and ashes fit, by all means, wear them, but spare us the martyr talk.

I know Marcus Monk's injury has hurt the team, no doubt. I also know that Monk is the only receiver Nutt and his staff has developed in several years. Whose fault is that? Whose fault is it that we haven't had a QB who was respectable enough as a passer to keep opposing defenses honest since Clint Stoerner? Stoerner was recruited by Danny the Dinosaur, by the way.

Nutt always wants to use injuries as an excuse. It should be noted that UK played most of the 2nd half with a third-string true freshman at tailback and outrushed UA in the second half.

Injuries are a huge part of the game of football for everyone. They are why major college football programs have an allotment of 85 players on scholarship. Every team gets bad calls at times. And how long did Nutt use the NCAA probation as an excuse?

For years, every time the Hogs would lose a game, the probation would get longer as far as how many years it "killed recruiting". Speaking of which, if we were "getting killed" in recruiting, why not say it on Signing Day instead of only bringing it up following a loss?

Another Saturday night, another head-scratching loss for the Hogs. Once again, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Some say the team never recovered from the fumble return for a TD right before the half, but the Hogs led by 8 after the Felix Jones kickoff return and the Tejada PAT and appeared to have recaptured momentum.

The bonehead penalty in the kicking game giving UK a 2nd chance was critical. Many will point to #41, Ryan Powers, but he was knocked into the kicker by Michael Grant. Of course, Powers did have several busts on the night, looking more like Austin Powers than an SEC linebacker at times.

Bob Davey pointed out from the booth that most teams don't rush from both ends on the FG defense team for just that reason. UA isn't most teams, playing "Nutt-ball", a strange brand of football in which you seldom throw over the middle of the field, preferring 2-5 yard flare passes to the backs.

In Nutt-ball the defense plays bump and run man to man defense, or tries to, no matter whether the DB's are capable of staying with the opposing WR's or not. Usually not. After taking a 20-7 lead late in the first half, the Razorbacks got outscored 35-9.

Since the thumping of Tennessee last Nov. 11, the Hogs are 2-5 with the wins coming against Mississippi St. and Troy St., both of which were lackluster. That's 5 losses in the last 6 games, for those of you keeping track. That's 10 straight seasons in which the Hogs have lost the next week after the first conference loss, a streak of which Nutt said he wasn't aware of but one "we're gonna break".

I'm sure the injuries to some receivers will serve as Nutt's excuse, something he has a seemingly bottomless well of. In fact, his list of excuses is even longer than the list of phone calls, emails and text messages to a certain TV personality last winter."The SEC is haaaaaaaaaard" he likes to say. He might say the same of keeping his job after all the controversy in the offseason followed by losing football games.

Like the old saying "you reap what you sow" Houston Nutt's chickens seem to be coming home to roost. With all the lies and deceptions in the Malzahn-Mustain Springdale situation, the email scandal involving a close family friend sending scathing emails to a player and the retirement of his surogate Daddy on Dec. 31, HDN's days at UA may be numbered. At least many fans can hope.

It's Friday and the night in the fall normally reserved for the High Schoolers. (So why isn't Houston Nutt coaching tonight?) Anyway, Tulsa is hosting OU on the deuce, hanging with them fairly well, although the Sooners' superior athletes and massive size difference is starting to tell from the middle of the 2nd quarter on.

Gus Malzahn's offense looks pretty good, but can't run a lick. You know, the problem I had with his tenure at UA was not the fact that we didn't run his offense. You don't throw, throw and throw some more with that #5 back there. No, my objection to the whole mess was the lies that were told to get Gus and 4 of the Springdale 5 on board. Lies and deception.

Every time rumors would surface about dissension on the staff, Nuttcase would trot out his favorite cliche "nuthin' could be further from the truth". When he says that, keep both hands on your wallet and check for missing silverware, 'cause that's one of the surefire ways to tell when HDN's lying.

When John White appointed Nuttsack to investigate himself over that email that White said made him want to take a shower, let's just say the Three Stooges of the UA administration should have been fired. Houston has told at least 2 different stories on that deal, claiming in one that it had been handled before White stepped in. In the other version he had the gall to say he didn't know about the email even though he had talked to "Mother" Teresa Prewitt many times in the interim and his wife Diana had forwarded the email to many people , including most of the other coaches' wives.

Nutt should have nipped other coaches calling Gus "High School" in the bud, but did nothing. I know this is all old news, but when you can tell someone is lying whenever their lips are moving, any respect I ever had for the man was destroyed. It's kind of ironic, Nutt and his cronies calling a coach "High School". That, or something similar is how our staff is regarded by most opposing coaches.

It has been said that "victory has many Fathers, while defeat is an orphan". Houston Nutt has always been at the head of the line, claiming credit for wins while pointing the finger at players or alibiing about injuries in defeat. The probation of a few years ago was used as an excuse for what, 7 years?

As I tell more people about my new blog (it's sorta new) one of the most common responses is: how do you come up with something to write about every day? In the soap opera that UA Athletics has become, it's not that hard.

Like Will Rogers once said "it's easy being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you" and it's the same with the "gang that couldn't (wouldn't) shoot straight", otherwise known as the UA administration. John White has to be the most out of touch individual in the universe, unless George W. Bush or Frank Broyles trumps him. UA has come to stand for Under Achievers in athletics, with only the facilities, fan support, and salaries of the coaches being more than mediocre.

I never have been one to keep up with soap operas, but even I know who Victor of The Young and the Restless is. It seems to this blogger that he is the most like Houston Nutt of any of the male soap stars. Nutt's ability to escape accountability at any and every turn in spite of mediocre records in 5 of his 9 seasons, with 2 good records and 2 bad ones, shows he is even more of a broken field runner than DMac. And that's plenty impressive, unless you're a Hog fan.

By that I mean, DMac and the other players only have to put up with him for 3-5 years, while we fans are wondering if his is a lifetime appointment like the Supreme Court. If Daddy Frank hadn't been pushed out, it may well have been. Or at least until Houston ran out of chapstick or the inclination to kiss the Head Hog's backside.

You may think that's harsh unless you're a hardcore "Nutt-Hater", but how else do you explain Nutt's being the only coach in well over half a century to survive 2 consecutive losing seasons with not only his job intact, but getting raises as well? The way he and his flesh-peddler agent played Lindsey and Broyles for that 2 year "free pass" should prove beyond any doubt that the Used Car Salesman comparison often used to describe Nuttcase is valid. Sorry, salesmen. Pre-Owned car salesman. See what I mean?

That phrase has taken root in our sensibilities in this PC world we live in, where like 1984, up is down and down is up. In fact, the UA was one of 229 Colleges and Universities nationwide cited for suppressing First Amendment rights in a recent study. I wrote an article last January on the subject if you would like more information. It is a disgrace that an Alma man was treated like a criminal last season for wearing a T-shirt unflattering to Houston Nutt on the parking lot. Especially since the shirts contained only facts about Nutt's record at UA and a cartoon of Nutt.

As if that wasn't enough, Thomas McAfee of Searcy was given the gestapo treatment over requesting Nutt's phone records under the FOI, which is anyone's right to do, regardless of motive

As for the soap opera that has gone on at UA for the last 6-8 years, the administration has only itself to blame for allowing Nutt free reign while his boss was asleep at the wheel. For all Broyles' accomplishments, and they are considerable, the only worthwhile thing he has done since the dawn of the new millenium is the overhaul of the football stadium. Once that was completed JFB would have been better served to ride off into the sunset. And so would Razorback fans.