I want to preface this post by letting you know it is long. But I would like everyone to take the time to read it. No matter what side you are on, I believe you will be glad you did (or at least I hope).
I don't know if I'm a typical Razorback fan. The more I read message boards, and the more I listen to callers on the radio, I wonder what exactly does typify a regular Razorback fan. I guess I didn't know how good I had it before. When I was growing up I felt deprived of information on the Hogs. I would wait until 6:15 patiently every night for the evening news to catch a few clips, catch a few glimpses of that Razorback red on our little TV screen in our country house in West-Central Arkansas. We didn't have cable, and even if we did ESPN was merely a novelty. We had an outdoor TV antenna, and if I was able to get one of my brothers to cooperate with me, I could catch most of the Hogs reports on Channels 4, 7, and 11 in the same night. But in order to change the channel, I had to talk one of my brothers into crawling up onto the roof and turning the antenna until the reception was decent.
I watched quite a few special moments on our little tube. I remember watching US Reed's half-court shot, Charles Balentine's shot on the baseline to beat Michael Jordan and North Carolina. During football, the Texas game came at the apex of the season. No game mattered but that one. We may have beaten Texas a few times, but more times than not I remember suffering many heart wrenching losses. On those Saturday afternoons after a tough loss to Texas I would usually grab my old football and practice throwing it through the tire that I hung from a tree branch outside. I remember thinking, "When I get to be a Razorback, we are gonna stomp Texas." If I threw enough balls I was able to ease my frustration enough to go on with my little life.
My early dreams of becoming a Razoraback never came true. Later on in life I ended up taking a stronger interest in basketball. I played my four year basketbal college career at a small college. But I was just average, to be honest.
I actually went to college in Missouri. It is a long story how I got there, so I won't bother that with you now. But Missouri is a long way from home for a country boy from West Central Arkansas. During those years away I had some good times, and I got to meet friends I will never be able to replace. But the whole time I was away, there was an emptiness in me. During that time I longed to come home...to Arkansas. I didn't think about it all the time, but I remember I usually got homesick on Sunday nights. My cure for this homesickness consisted of driving to Barnes and Noble, getting one of those Lattes, and reading the Sunday Edition of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. I would spend most of my time in the sports section, and I always kept up with the Razorbacks. This was actually right before the internet got going, so these newspapers from home were my lifeline to the Razorbacks. It was my little way on keeping a pulse on things at home.
I looked forward to my trips home. I remember the relief and the joy I felt just seeing that “Welcome to Arkansas” sign. I knew then, just as I know now, that there will never be another place I can call home like this.
It didn't take me long to come back home. Some fifteen years later I’m a school teacher in the same small school I attended growing up. I have a pretty simple life, and by no means am I booster material for the Razorback Foundation. I attend games when my budget affords (which is not very often these days), but if there is a Razorback game on TV I usually find some way to watch it. (Ironically, my son was born in Baptist Hospital just as the Miracle of Markham was happening right down the road, so I missed that game).
My son is four years old now, and he is just now starting to take interest in the Razorbacks. I think by next fall he will be just about the right age to take to a game. I hope he feels the same Razorback spirit that I felt as a young boy, and how I still feel it. I hope he gets goose bumps when the Hogs come running on the field through that big “A”.
However, I do not know if the same Razorbacks that I loved growing up will still be around. I’ve never seen the state as split as it is now. I’ll come right out and admit that I’m a Houston Nutt fan. I know he’s not the best Xs and Os guy, but I truly believe that he is the best man for the job. I believe he has a passion and love for the Razorbacks that would be hard to find. I believe his players play with similar passion and love.
But that is just me. I know there are those who completely disagree with me about Houston Nutt. They believe that he and Frank Broyles are the cancers of our program. I do not subscribe to this notion, but I am forced to respect this point of view.
I know there are those on this board that I have offended. I have said dumb things, and I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I know we aren’t ready to join hands and sing “Kumbaya,” but there is something we can all do to help the program. What we should all be concerned about, not matter what side we are on, is taking care of the program. That means the coaches, the fans, and especially those who choose to put on a Razorback uniform. If we carry on in our current direction, we are headed for certain disaster.
In this state we share something that is amazingly special—our love for the Razorbacks. It is hard to remember that love in the midst of all this angst. I’m not smart enough to know who is right. From my point of view, I am the one who’s right. I believe Houston Nutt is a good man and is doing good in the lives of young men. But for those who disagree, I will have to respect you. I do not want to respect you, but if I truly care about our program, I have to respect you. Both sides will have to give up the idea of being “right.” If the supposed “darksiders” get their way, then another coach will come in, and people like me will probably find it hard to be Razoraback fans again. And that is saying a lot. But if the “Nutt Huggers” win out, then the same thing will happen, only to a different pool of people. To me, the important thing right now is not being “right” but doing what it takes to save something we all love—the Razorbacks.
Someday my son will grow up and he will move out of our house. He may even move off to another state, like I did. I want him to know he is loved, and I always want him to know that he is welcome at home. I want him to remember home the way I did. In a weird way, I want him to know the Razorbacks like I did. I want him to associate the Razorbacks in his thoughts of home. Maybe I’m just a fool, but I want him to love the Razorbacks like I did. In case he is in another state, or another country, I hope he is able to look at the TV once in a while, see that old Razorback on the side of that red helmet, and I hope it will bring him happy memories of home.
Maybe I’ve gone too far with this beaten my point to a bloody pulp. But I hope whoever takes the time to read this does what he or she can to preserve the Razorback Nation. And the first thing we have to do is realize that who is “right” and who is “wrong” does not matter. What matters is that we all can keep our fans together and enjoy the Razorbacks for many years to come.
Let’s not ruin ourselves.
I don't know if I'm a typical Razorback fan. The more I read message boards, and the more I listen to callers on the radio, I wonder what exactly does typify a regular Razorback fan. I guess I didn't know how good I had it before. When I was growing up I felt deprived of information on the Hogs. I would wait until 6:15 patiently every night for the evening news to catch a few clips, catch a few glimpses of that Razorback red on our little TV screen in our country house in West-Central Arkansas. We didn't have cable, and even if we did ESPN was merely a novelty. We had an outdoor TV antenna, and if I was able to get one of my brothers to cooperate with me, I could catch most of the Hogs reports on Channels 4, 7, and 11 in the same night. But in order to change the channel, I had to talk one of my brothers into crawling up onto the roof and turning the antenna until the reception was decent.
I watched quite a few special moments on our little tube. I remember watching US Reed's half-court shot, Charles Balentine's shot on the baseline to beat Michael Jordan and North Carolina. During football, the Texas game came at the apex of the season. No game mattered but that one. We may have beaten Texas a few times, but more times than not I remember suffering many heart wrenching losses. On those Saturday afternoons after a tough loss to Texas I would usually grab my old football and practice throwing it through the tire that I hung from a tree branch outside. I remember thinking, "When I get to be a Razorback, we are gonna stomp Texas." If I threw enough balls I was able to ease my frustration enough to go on with my little life.
My early dreams of becoming a Razoraback never came true. Later on in life I ended up taking a stronger interest in basketball. I played my four year basketbal college career at a small college. But I was just average, to be honest.
I actually went to college in Missouri. It is a long story how I got there, so I won't bother that with you now. But Missouri is a long way from home for a country boy from West Central Arkansas. During those years away I had some good times, and I got to meet friends I will never be able to replace. But the whole time I was away, there was an emptiness in me. During that time I longed to come home...to Arkansas. I didn't think about it all the time, but I remember I usually got homesick on Sunday nights. My cure for this homesickness consisted of driving to Barnes and Noble, getting one of those Lattes, and reading the Sunday Edition of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. I would spend most of my time in the sports section, and I always kept up with the Razorbacks. This was actually right before the internet got going, so these newspapers from home were my lifeline to the Razorbacks. It was my little way on keeping a pulse on things at home.
I looked forward to my trips home. I remember the relief and the joy I felt just seeing that “Welcome to Arkansas” sign. I knew then, just as I know now, that there will never be another place I can call home like this.
It didn't take me long to come back home. Some fifteen years later I’m a school teacher in the same small school I attended growing up. I have a pretty simple life, and by no means am I booster material for the Razorback Foundation. I attend games when my budget affords (which is not very often these days), but if there is a Razorback game on TV I usually find some way to watch it. (Ironically, my son was born in Baptist Hospital just as the Miracle of Markham was happening right down the road, so I missed that game).
My son is four years old now, and he is just now starting to take interest in the Razorbacks. I think by next fall he will be just about the right age to take to a game. I hope he feels the same Razorback spirit that I felt as a young boy, and how I still feel it. I hope he gets goose bumps when the Hogs come running on the field through that big “A”.
However, I do not know if the same Razorbacks that I loved growing up will still be around. I’ve never seen the state as split as it is now. I’ll come right out and admit that I’m a Houston Nutt fan. I know he’s not the best Xs and Os guy, but I truly believe that he is the best man for the job. I believe he has a passion and love for the Razorbacks that would be hard to find. I believe his players play with similar passion and love.
But that is just me. I know there are those who completely disagree with me about Houston Nutt. They believe that he and Frank Broyles are the cancers of our program. I do not subscribe to this notion, but I am forced to respect this point of view.
I know there are those on this board that I have offended. I have said dumb things, and I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I know we aren’t ready to join hands and sing “Kumbaya,” but there is something we can all do to help the program. What we should all be concerned about, not matter what side we are on, is taking care of the program. That means the coaches, the fans, and especially those who choose to put on a Razorback uniform. If we carry on in our current direction, we are headed for certain disaster.
In this state we share something that is amazingly special—our love for the Razorbacks. It is hard to remember that love in the midst of all this angst. I’m not smart enough to know who is right. From my point of view, I am the one who’s right. I believe Houston Nutt is a good man and is doing good in the lives of young men. But for those who disagree, I will have to respect you. I do not want to respect you, but if I truly care about our program, I have to respect you. Both sides will have to give up the idea of being “right.” If the supposed “darksiders” get their way, then another coach will come in, and people like me will probably find it hard to be Razoraback fans again. And that is saying a lot. But if the “Nutt Huggers” win out, then the same thing will happen, only to a different pool of people. To me, the important thing right now is not being “right” but doing what it takes to save something we all love—the Razorbacks.
Someday my son will grow up and he will move out of our house. He may even move off to another state, like I did. I want him to know he is loved, and I always want him to know that he is welcome at home. I want him to remember home the way I did. In a weird way, I want him to know the Razorbacks like I did. I want him to associate the Razorbacks in his thoughts of home. Maybe I’m just a fool, but I want him to love the Razorbacks like I did. In case he is in another state, or another country, I hope he is able to look at the TV once in a while, see that old Razorback on the side of that red helmet, and I hope it will bring him happy memories of home.
Maybe I’ve gone too far with this beaten my point to a bloody pulp. But I hope whoever takes the time to read this does what he or she can to preserve the Razorback Nation. And the first thing we have to do is realize that who is “right” and who is “wrong” does not matter. What matters is that we all can keep our fans together and enjoy the Razorbacks for many years to come.
Let’s not ruin ourselves.
