Arkansas Blog

Why not? It's a weak draft this year with double going in next year because of the Freshman rule. A true loss for Arkansas.

I am Gay. I love Joe!

Ohhh Noooo,

We suck again.....

He didn't necessarily "opt for the pros." He opted for the draft but didn't hire an agent. So he might end up "opting to return to the Hogs."

So What?

Of course he did. I've never understood the controversy here, at least for players who leave when there is a legitimate chance of making it. (See Famutimi.)

First, a college degree is no longer a ticket to the good life, as people tell me it once was. Even so, can't you always come back and finish that degree? There are many, including yours truly, who took the circuiious route to a degree, and did just fine.

So a player turns down the big time offer. He's lauded in the local press. Acri and the gang laud him fo his devotion to the team. All is good in hog country.

Then, in the opener against the "EA all-stars" an easy breakaway dunk goes horribly wrong, and an acl is shredded. The one thing this young man knows. The one thing he has devoted his life to, is gone. What now other than the the B-league local celebrity obligations, and sometimes humilitaions, of the once promising athletes in his particular market.

Whereas once his goals of playing with the big boys, of holding Kobe to 8 points on 3 of 68 from the field were within reach, now he aspires to the successes of....David Bazzell.

While Brewer is definetly the exception, that is, a player from a financially stable home, that is most definately NOT the case with the vast majority of players who find themselves in this situation.

So put yourself in their shoes. Home ownership for his family is a pipe dream. THe family has lived paycheck to paycheck for generations. And you can remedy that. You can buy mom a house and a car, and you can send your brothers and sisters to colllege.

Or, you can risk it. You can risk it in the unlikely chance your team will emerge victorious in March.

With salaries what they are in the NBA now, that one contract - the first one - will accomplish all those things I spoke of above. Staying is responsible? Staying is noble? Your education is the most important thing? I beg to differ, if we really believe that, we would find a way for everyone to have that opportunity. Why don't we waste as much ink on the millions and millions of underpriviled who can't shoot a jumper, and would love the opportunity to go to college, as we do on the few individuals who opt to leave early. We don't, for the most part, because we are selfish. Anyone who has had classes with players know how much emphasis is placed on "education" for these guys. Niki Davis was in my group in my business associations class. He wasn't much of a help. The tutors make sure they are eligible.

Go ask the average Joe, the one struggling to make ends meet every day of his life, what he would do. Sure, he'll probably lie, cause he's not the one facing this decision, or afforded this opportunity.

Don't deny these kids, and their families their shot at the american dream so your college basketball team will have a bit of a better chance at bringing home that trophy. After all, and I know it's hard to see this in razorback land, but it is just a game. The NBA is a career.

Oh - and i write this as someone who is no NBA fan. I love college basketball. Love it. But i refuse to ask someone to risk financial security and the realization of his life long dream for one more season.

Maybe I'm just bitter. I have no doubt that if hadn't been for the pulled hammy in junior high, Steve Nash would probably be feeding me a beautiful cross-court oop, which, after a graceful maneuver to avoid hitting my chest on the rim, I would flush it with the authority of Darryl Dawkins in his prime. The ball would smack Shack square in the nose after it went through the hoop. ANd I would point at him. And I would call him my bitch. And he would do nothing....

Oh, and the back board would shatter, raining glass on the giant of a man. And then all the Heat cheerleader would come up to my sweet for a nightcap.

Tear 'em up ronnie!!!!

I get on rants and cap'n typo takes over, and my vanity knows no bounds-

circuitous
Definitely
suite

any other f-ups - gramatically or otherwise - i blame on computer error

Good luck in the workouts, Ronnie. Sorry to see you go, pal, and wish you the best of luck....

I was a year ahead of Ronnie's father The Boot in high school and I was proud to see him hit the NBA. First thing he did was buy his old mama a real nice house in Fort Smith.

I'm delighted to see the success of young Ronnie and think he's making the right move dipping his toes in the pros. The Brewers are nice people and with millions in his pocket Ronnie can get a degree after his playing days are done. Strike while the iron's hot! Good luck Ronnie!

I don't begrudge Brewer for making his jump to the big-time now. If his skills are ready, then he is just "graduating early". Who wouldn't want to do that?

As I recall, Ron Brewer, Sr. stayed for his senior year and the Razorbacks were nationally recognized.

At a time when Hawgball could really use a shot in the arm, this really hurts. You groom and invest in a player and then, when the player reaches his collegiate pinnacle . . . he leaves you.

Unfortunately, investing that last year for your team doesn't happen much any more. The chance to have a dynamite senior squad is getting to be pretty remote.

But, such is life.

Since Ron Jr. is getting an extra year's salary by leaving early, maybe sometime soon he will contribute that back to the school to help develop a shorter three year program for athletes.

So, good news, bad news for the program. Life moves on . . .

If Microsoft hired our star programer or Yale lawschool took our star prelaw student after their junior year we would tout that to incoming freshmen's parents. I think it adds to the status of the program to have juniors go early and make it.

I attended "Fayettenam" back when the triplets were there and life was great! Moncreif, Brewer, and Delph made every game a joy. Down by five with 12 seconds left we figured we would win by two and that was before the three point shot. And usually we were right.

Don't take this wrong but Brewer "boothead" would bring the ball down and it was always the same. He looked like Gumby coming down the floor. Four corners, pass, pass, pass then SCORE! The final score would be 43 to 39 but the Hogs always won.

There were rumors that Eddie Sutton drank but so did everyone in the 70's. You know the hog hat was designed to help you smuggle a half gallon of whiskey into the game. Think about the shape. The spout fit right up into the snout and the rest fit into the head area. Then put the whole thing under your arm as you went through the turnstyle. Back then no one looked to closely because everyone "knew". That explained why everyone didn't take a hog hat to the game because you only needed one person in each group to smuggle in the booze. We also had those "poofy" down jackets that could hold a sixpack in the pockets without bulges.

For you younger generation, it was different back then. If you were pulled over for drunk driving the cop would check your driver's license and if you were close enuogh to home they would let you go. The worst we ever got was a yahoo cop would take your icechest contents or if he was sadistic they would make you pour it out.

Now that was basketball, which most Arkansans didn't even know all the rules too. In FOOTBALL it was really great! We had Ron Calcagny for a quarterback and Ben Cowans for a running back. What else did we need. We won so many games in the old Southwest Conference that we we ALWAYS went to a MAJOR bowl. Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, or Fiesta Bowl. We never knew how our Christmas break would pan out till the bowl bids came out. My Mom would keep track of bowl bids to see if I would either be home for Christmas or New Years.

Texas was our Arch Enemy. But Texas worried about Oklahoma and didn't know we were out there but "Texas Week" in Fayetteville was a party. A regular home game party started Thursay night but Texas Week had people missing classes by Monday afternoon.

All this is just to say that I appreciate the time Ronnie Junior spent with the hogs. I only wish we could have had a team to go with him. But you know if we had a quality team around Brewer, he might not have led the conference in scoring. I will follow Ronnie Jr. just as I have always followed former Hogs. Since we have no pro sports in Arkansas I just pick my pro teams based on who has a hog on the team.

If your read this far either you are old as dirt like me or bored as hell with nothing better to do but I would like to say in closing, Ronnie Jr. good luck and I appreciate your time with the Hogs and I will follow you till you retire.

ARK. BLOG Post of the day.

You can't be 70044 serious?!?

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