40 Acres Sports

Mack Brown will crush you at Jenga, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Connect 4, and more.

Another year, another great ESPN College Gameday commercial with Mack Brown being hilarious. Almost all ESPN and Gameday commercials are great and have quoteable lines, in this one it’s “Jenga, Texas style baby!” from Mack. Last year’s “We don’t freestyle Texas Fight” was even better. Alabama coach Nick Saban isn’t quite as comfortable as Brown but he does deliver a good line and it’s good to see him trying to have a little fun.

Watch the video…

Literally.  Since there’s some sort of footsie being played between the conference and BYU, I assume the LDS Board of Apostles is thinking they’ll get invited in a couple of years.  Maybe we ask for a ton of money as a buy in since we know they have it out there in Provo.  There’s probably a Scrooge McDuck vault under the Temple.  But what about the other spot?  I’ve thrown this idea out to a few other Orangebloods and the best I can say is that nobody hates it.

The University of Memphis.

A couple of months ago, around the Big 12 Missile Crisis, the CEO of FedEx said something along the lines of his Memphis based company being able to give ten million dollars a year to whichever BCS conference would take those sad little Tigers out of C-USA.  The Dirty Dozen has a spot and those cash-deprived Aggies dying for their share of the Colorado / Nebraska buyout money can be satisfied.  And frankly, why does Texas care?  Memphis is a Southwest flight away from Austin.  Sure, it lacks the granola flavor of Boulder or the midwestern charm of Lincoln.  It makes up for that in ease of travel and one of those big checks every year.  We’d only see them every other year – think about how long we’ve put up with Iowa State.  I know that a lineup of BYU, Memphis, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Mizzou doesn’t really excite anyone on the gridiron, but what other options that pay the conference ten million are out there?

TCU?  I’ve championed them for a while because it would weaken Tech, A&M, Baylor, and Oklahoma State significantly just being in Fort Worth.  I have to exclude Norman for being the only habitable town in the state and Austin is still Austin.  Line up Fort Worth against College Station, Lubbock, Stillwater, and Waco – it’s not even close.  Their annual home game against UT or OU could go into Jerry’s Death Star in Arlington.  We’re fully aware what they can do in baseball and the city would finally own them with BCS conference membership – just to have either UT or OU in town twice a year, really.  They’d join up so fast our heads would spin since BYU just ditched them and their crummy league.  I bet even a Horned Frog would rather go to Ames (or Memphis) than Fresno or Boise.  Really though, I don’t know what value they bring that Texas doesn’t have already.  It just sounds good.

Memphis makes sense.  Fork over the check and we’ll use the Kansas excuse that’s come in handy over the years – we’ll put up with your terrible pre-Mangino era football teams for basketball superpowers.  For that matter, why the heck would we want two stud programs joining up?  The NCAA isn’t going to take the Big 12’s BCS autobid.  If this really is the Longhorn Athletic Conference like so many say, adding two bleh teams for the money when the default title game is in October every year is important.  Texas sells out wherever the Horns go, and if we’re talking TV sets, Memphis plus most of Utah is about as close to replacing Denver and Nebraska as we’ll get. Talk about sticking a thumb in the eye of those Rocky Tops – stealing their TV’s and recruits by adding poor little Memphis to the big time.  It would screw up Arkansas, too, and that never stops being entertaining.

This could be fun!  C’mon, we’ve got starving Aggies to feed!

I know a lot of us burnt orange types are scoffing those little upstarts in Boise right now for being ranked ahead of Texas.  They play in the WAC, which might as well be the Sun Belt of the West Coast.  Well, they’re bringing back 20 starters from a team that beat TCU last season – no small feat, except that those Frogs came out of a weak-sister conference as well. I think anytime a team has gone 26-1 over the last two seasons and returns that many guys NOT placing them in the top 10 is criminal.  I’d be more alarmed at Florida losing Saint Tim and being ranked ahead of UT (they’re 4th, the Horns are 5th) than Boise’s AP ranking.

Bringing back 20 starters from an undefeated BCS win season is unreal.  I can’t bring twenty out of twenty-two socks back from the dryer, yet the Smurf Turf crew is loaded.  Heck, the one guy on defense they lost – Kyle Wilson – is probably going to start at corner for the Jets unless they get the Revis situation under control. Boise State has a little left-handed Major clone with the unfortunate name of Kellen Moore.  If he was in Lubbock last season, he would have worn a practice jersey with “Brock” or “Rusty” on the back.  This kid has lost one game over the past two seasons – some 3rd rate bowl in San Francisco to TCU, later avenged – and put up 39 TD’s to 3 picks in 2009.  I don’t care if he’s playing East Dillon 14 times a year – that’s impressive.  I can’t even do that on varsity mode on NCAA 10 with Colt and Ship.

Most Longhorn fans I know think Boise and remember a bunch of trick plays, a marriage proposal to a cheerleader, a dumbfounded Bob Stoops, and a night in January five years ago where they were every UT diehard on the planet’s second favorite team.  They do have some games this year that don’t involve weak conference play – opening at Virginia Tech and then having Oregon State coming to town two weeks later.  If they win both of those and run the table they can go to the championship game for all I care.  The David versus Goliath matchup against someone like Bama, Ohio State, or even UT will be compelling television and a probable mismatch.  Beating two loss OU was magical, sure.  These guys want to play with the grown-ups now, and they’ll be treated as such when the time comes.  I don’t think they’re the third best team in college football, but they can take a #3 ranking in the preseason when we’re comparing stats, past performances, and predicting the future.  Why not?  The paper is all there – starters returning, 09 won-loss record, and a favorable schedule.

Is it fair that they’ll play one, maybe two (if the Beavers knock off the Frogs in Jerryworld week one) ranked teams all year and Texas has a four game stretch with Tech, UCLA, OU, and Nebraska?  Hell no it isn’t.  There’s a very real chance we get to cheer on the BCS computers after the Horns go to Lincoln and win and the Broncos get San Jose State at home the same night.  The only real injustice a #3 preseason ranking does is if it results in shutting an undefeated BCS team out of the championship game.  If that happens, I’ll get back on my soapbox and whine.

It’s not official yet but all sources are reporting that injured guard Varez Ward is leaving the Texas basketball program. The sophomore from Montgomery, Alabama only played 3 games last season before tearing his quadriceps in pregame warmups. If he transfer to another Division I school he would have to sit out one season but his injury may force him to miss time this season anyways.

This news is not surprising if you follow him on Twitter (@vward50) as he’s been hinting at needing to move on since the middle of last basketball season. Orangebloods is reporting that he wants to be closer to home due to some family health issues.

Rumors are that he’s headed to Auburn, but I’m not sure if even he knows where he is headed as according to him “need a drink… i need to get in somebody school asap.” To me that tweet means that if he is headed to Auburn he may still be waiting for the academics to be sorted out.

Good luck to Varez. I hope he gets healthy and gets it done in both the classroom and on the court wherever he ends up.

Hell. Yes.

The state’s top player and maybe the program’s most important recruit of the last 5 years has committed to the Longhorns. Cibolo Steele running back Malcolm Brown officially committed to Texas today, causing many Texas fans to step back from the ledge. Once considered a near Texas “lock”, the longer Brown’s recruitment dragged on the more panicked fans became that he might end up choosing Alabama.

Watch Brown’s junior highlight video below to see what they hype is about:

Red Out Around the World

Apparently Nebraska doesn’t like to let things go. Some fans (I assume) are starting a campaign called “Red Out Around the World,” showing the “world” (does anyone really care) how mad they are about the Big 12 Championship. I guess it was all just to much to handle and they had to up and leave the conference.

Nebraska. A place of integrity, family, commitment. Where traditions are forged in the furnace of July. But hardened on Saturday nights in November. A place where the best thing about summer, is when it turns into fall. These last few months, thunderstorms weren’t the only power building over the Great Plains….

Wait? What?!? Forged in the furnace of July? An 85 degree furnace? Since apparently the summers are pretty boring there, it looks like they had nothing better to do than make this video.

And you know what else is sad? I could have made a better video with my iPhone 4.

Updated the video below. The first one was taken down.

Red Out Around the World

WTH?! (What the Heck?) Moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas’ Men’s Basketball Season.

Rick Barnes' Texas basketball team collapsed midseason.

Pre-Season WTH Mr. April?! April is the month when most high school basketball players sign their letters of intent. Coach Rick Barnes, Mr. April, has out did himself by coming up with an incredible freshman class that includes McDonald All-American Avery Bradley (6-2, 180), Jordan Hamilton (6-7, 226) and J’Covan Brown (6-1, 185) to go along with highly touted transfer Jai Lucas(5-10, 150). These additions with three seniors Damion James (6-7, 225), Justin Mason (6-2, 195) and Dexter Pittman (6-10, 290) had this team starting the preseason ranked #3. An ESPN article reported that Barnes would rather develop players for the NBA than win an NCAA championship. I believe this is a misinterpretation because Mack Brown finally shed his stigma as Mr. February with his national championship, let’s hope that Coach Barnes does the same soon.

Nov. 25th WTH Practice?! The season was starting fast with a win over highly ranked Pittsburgh 78-62, but during pregame warm-ups Varez Ward right knee gave out ending his season. “We not talkin’ bout a game – we talkin’ bout practice” nod to AI. Who knew his backcourt experience (only as sophomore) would be sorely needed throughout the year?

Dec. 22nd WTH DJ?! Damion James was making claims early in the season for player of the year honors with back to back 20+ points and 13+ rebound in wins over #10 North Carolina (103-90) & #9 Michigan State (79-68). DJ also established himself as UT’s all time leading rebounder by surpassing James Thomas. The problems of poor foul shooting and any lack of a half court game was covered up by the Horns posting 17 straight wins through mid-January.

(more …)

Great early coverage of Texas football moving on from Colt McCoy to new quarterback Garrett Gilbert from ESPN. Read Ivan Maisel’s excellent article on Gilbert with quotes from Texas coach Mack Brown, McCoy, and current teammates, and then be sure watch the video of on the story.

Link: Texas moves on with Garrett Gilbert

Finally some of the draft experts are seeing what Texas fans (and anyone who watched Texas games) already knew: defensive tackle Lamarr Houston is one of the defensive lineman in the country. After his incredible season, his performance in the Senior Bowl and in last week’s NFL scouting combine has him on everyone’s list of NFL Draft fast risers. Check out what NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks said:

LaMarr Houston, DT, Texas: Houston continued to build on the momentum generated from his solid showing at the Senior Bowl. The mammoth defender impressed scouts with his exceptional display of speed, power and athleticism while going through drills. Although Houston’s performance may not be enough to catapult him into the first round, it has made the former Longhorn one of the coveted sleepers in this draft.

Be sure to also check out these video highlights and interview with Houston from the combine.

So far I have been pretty underwhelmed with the overall performance of the 6 Texas Longhorns taking part in the NFL combine. Colt McCoy performed pretty well in the 2 drills he took part in, coasting easily to a 4.79s 40 yard dash. Earl Thomas wasn’t among the fastest safties, but got some love from one NFL Network announcer who said he was the most instinctive safety he has seen in the last 8 or 9 years.

Below are the results so far. I will update when more information comes in.

Colt McCoy
40 yard dash: 4.79s (5th)
Broad jump: 9’6″ (4th)

Earl Thomas
Bench press: 21 reps (6th)

Sergio Kindle
40 yard dash: 4.71s (7th)
Bench press: 25 reps
Vertical jump: 36.5″ (7th)
Broad jump: 9’10”

Jordan Shipley
40 yard dash: 4.57s
Bench press: 16 reps (8th)

Lamarr Houston
40 yard dash: 4.85s
Bench press: 30 reps
Vertical jump: 33.5″
Broad jump: 9’6″

Roddrick Muckelroy
40 yard dash: 4.73s
Bench press: 19 reps
Broad jump: 9’2″

Adam Ulatoski
40 yard dash: 5.53s
Bench press: 24 reps
Broad jump: 7’10”