The Great Stadium Debate

There are two issues that will almost always divide Razorback nation as soon as they're mentioned. The first is the departure of Houston Dale and everything it encompasses. The other is the merits of playing games in Little Rock, Arkansas. As soon as any question comes up about any Little Rock game, it is only a matter of time before someone chimes in with the "why do we play games in that dump anyway?" Before you know it, you're in a full blown debate which has managed to pit Little Rock against Northwest Arkansas, and you'd swear we were living through the War of Northern Aggression all over again.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Great Stadium Debate (GSD) didn't really arise until the beginning of the decade. It was at that time that Frank Broyles raised the funds to construct what would become Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (DWRRS). It was transformed from a double sided 55,000 seater to what we currently see five Saturdays each fall. With the addition of the south endzone and the upper deck on the east side, DWRRS became an elegant 72,000 seat beauty complete with the largest jumbotron in the world (at the time).

It was no surprise that a power struggle ensued between the Stephens family and other Little Rock donors and the Broyles administration. Broyles wanted to have all of the games at his new home, and the Little Rock crowd wanted to continue the unique tradition of having two home stadiums for an entire state with only ONE team. After much debate, it was decided that two games each year would be played at War Memorial Stadium (including one SEC game), and the remainder would be played in Fayetteville. It was a compromise that made most happy, but as with any debate, there will always be two sides.

As it turns out, there were still some that were unhappy with the newfound compromise. These people felt that with this new Taj Mahal of a complex (which is the 7th largest in the SEC), we should play all games underneath the lights of DWRRS. They said good riddance to Little Rock, and that there was no need for the dumpy outdated War Memorial Stadium (WMS). It was argued that the tailgating at DWRRS was at least as good as the golf course at WMS, and that the atmosphere of the 72,000 strong would always overshadow what would be seen in Central Arkansas. To this day (over a decade later), they contend that there is no way anything about WMS could ever compete with the stadium on The Hill, and they will fight tooth and nail to convince you otherwise. Simply put, these people are WRONG!

I'll be the first to admit that WMS is outdated. I'll also be the first to make fun of what was formerly known as Waste Managment Field. But under no circumstance will I ever allow someone to deface a loyal home of the Razorbacks for decades on end. In order to keep from going on what could be a days long reading about the merits of War Memorial Stadium, I'll narrow this down to five issues that support Why We Should Keep Games In Little Rock.

• It's named WAR MEMORIAL STADIUM. This stadium was built as a tribute to all of the brave men and women who have fought to protect everything that we love about being Americans. The stadium is a lasting monument to veterans of two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. By abandoning games in Little Rock, you're abandoning those who have lost their lives protecting our country from those who want to take away your ability to do things like, say... watch college football. But hey, DWRRS is nicer, right??? Simply put, if you think we should move games out of Little Rock, you're un-American!


• It just so happens that We Win at WMS. I know that one of our games there every year is a cupcake, and one SEC game every other year is a lower tier SEC school, but we still win. I don't know if there is something different about playing in front of a Little Rock crowd, but the Hogs always seem to bring a little extra to the Rock, and it shows. Unfortunately, we are not so lucky when we show up in DWRRS. We have lost more SEC games than I can care to remember, and many of them were absolute BEATINGS. Maybe if we had played UGA in Little Rock this year we would've pulled it out. But hey, who cares about winning??? As long as you've got your upper deck you're happy, right???


• Location, location, location. Unfortunately, as much as I love Fayetteville, and I really do, it happens to be forever away from a majority of the state. Hell, it's faster for me to get to Fayettenam from Dallas than it is for someone who lives in West Mumphis or Helena. Good luck seeing a Hogs game if you are from Lake Village. In this instance you might as well be a Ole Miss, Miss St., or LSU fan, because they're easier to get to. Little Rock games offer people from all over the state the ability converge to Central Arkansas and see their Hogs play. One state, one team! But who cares about people who aren't from NWA??? As long as you've got your jumbotron you're happy, right???


• The Miracles on Markham. It is well documented that the Jones to Birmingham in the endzone (I miss hearing Paul Eells voice by the way) and Dick to Crawford in the endzone were two of the most exciting comeback wins in the history of Arkansas. These games are what you remember 30 years later. These games are what you tell your children about. These are games where it's more than acceptable to have a "sports cry." Can we really forget the stadium where these incredible moments happened. And these were just two instances in the last 7 years! It just simply doesn't make sense to abandon the stadium and the city that have given so much to the Hogs over the years. But hey, those are the past, and who needs those??? As long as you have your AQ Chicken to eat you're happy right???


• THE ATMOSPHERE. Fayetteville doesn't even begin to hold a candle to what is offered at WMS. 55,000+ people all gathering in one place to tailgate in an open area, and on a golf course no less. You know where else that happens? Pasadena, and that's it! Let's forget about the tailgating, because there is absolutely NO argument about this, and talk about the game time atmosphere. Time and time again opposing coaches and players have left WMS in awe of how loud 55,000 screaming Hog fans in that bowl can be. There are times when it's hard to hear yourself think. The fans in Fayetteville are nice, but they simply don't have what the Central Arkansas contingency has. In DWRRS I've been told on numerous occasions to sit down b/c I'm blocking the game. I've also been deemed "too drunk" at games on The Hill. You know where that doesn't happen? Little Rock. You know where approximately 70% of the crowd is drunker than I am? Little Rock. You know where people always have more fun? Little Rock. But hey, who needs 55,000 of the most passionate fans in the state? As long as you have your luxury boxes you'll be happy, right?

I know this all seems like a bit much, but it's what happens when you debate one of the most sensitive subjects in the entire Arkansas Razorback fanbase. The truth of the matter is, I could go on about this for days, and so could the other side. What it all boils down to is a nicer stadium vs. an extremely unique tradition. There are plenty of arguments to be made for both, but I know which side of the fence I fall, and I embrace it with every bone of my Razorback loving body.

Sorry it's been so long, and I'll try to be better. Predictions will be on the way tomorrow.

And as always... GO HOGS!!!

Final Road Trip

Football season is kind of like Christmas morning... you wait all year for it, and before you realize it's already over. This is not saying that there isn't a lot of football left to be played, but this will be the last time that I make the drive up I-540. It is possibly my favorite drive in the entire nation. It's 45 miles of pure mountainous bliss which ends with a sign that says "University of Arkansas, Next Right." Tomorrow night I will crest that final hill, just past Greenland, and I'll see the Old Main on the horizon for one final time this Fall... truly bittersweet.

In less than 36 hours Hog fans from all over will start the final SEC tailgate of the season in God's country. Some will start with boggs in the parking lot at Baum Stadium at George Cole Field (my second love), while others will try and drink away a hangover underneath the jumbotron in The Pit. After the game, no matter the outcome, Hog fans will descend on Dickson to take car bombs and jell-o shots, and hopefully make it all the way to closing time. It is guaranteed to be one incredible day of drunkeness, as it always is.

While we all hope for a Razorback win over the Old Ball Coach, we will likely forget the outcome of the game in due time (unless Mallett throws for 10 TDs in true DMac 321 yard fashion). What we will remember is another season of memories at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium watching our favorite team, and it will lead to another 8 months of longing for football season to come again. So Hog fans, enjoy what's coming this weekend, because it's a very special tradition that we partake in every fall, and one that gets better and better every year.



Predictions are on the horizon...

The Turning Point

This is it. This is the week we've all be waiting for. This is the time for the Hogs to officially step it up, and it's their time to prove themselves to the nation that wrote them off roughly two years ago. As fans, we honestly can't be much happier with what we've seen transpire on The Hill over the last 18 games. We have gotten the chance to see a team grow, to develop, to raise the bar, and to create an atmosphere of winning that hasn't been seen on campus since the early 90's when the Nolan Richardson had his kids playing 40 Minutes of Hell. Hog fans, this is the team we've been waiting for.

Obviously these are rather high praises to give a bunch of sophomores and freshmen that are 3-3 on the season, but I believe in what I see. And the reason, because I honestly think that Coach Petrino has his team believing everything I just wrote. This is not a team that is going to harp on some bad calls that might have cost them the game. These guys aren't going into Saturday looking for petty revenge over what was a notably dramatic shift of coaching staffs. This is a group of guys that goes out to play every game with a disciplined and well planned strategy. They have one goal week in and week out, to execute. And with execution will come wins... lots of them.

So here we sit at the turning point of our season. Predictions all year had us being 3-3 going into the game vs. Ole Miss, and that's where we are. Ole Miss has started what was supposed to be their dream season with a resounding THUD, going 1-2 in conference and beating up on a bunch of nobody schools (in the 4th quarter). Arkansas has underachieved at times, but their recent appearance in The Swamp has a lot of people looking for Arkansas to be the next big thing in the SEC. With this being said, I believe it's safe to say that this is the biggest game both teams will play all year, and will determine who goes to Dallas on January 3rd, and who is stuck in Memphrica ringing in 2010.

So who takes it? Do the Rebels finally decide that they are as good as many said they should be? Does Jevan Snead stop playing like a big ol' bag full of mashed up a**holes and start playing like the Heisman hopeful he once was? Or is it Arkansas, fresh off almost upsetting the #1 team in the nation on the road, that comes into the Grove looking for revenge (on so many levels)? In an effort to answer these questions, and in honor of the recent introduction of the lottery in the Great State of Arkansas, this round of predictions comes to you as an Ode to the Arkansas Powerball.

And the first number is:

• #91 - Jake Bequette has really come of his own on the defense recently, and from what I've heard he's made tremendous strides. It is evident on the field that he is playing with a new found passion to get to the QB, and his performances against Auburn and Florida have shown that this Catholic High alum truly has football running through his blood. Get ready for a third great SEC performance, and he will be the defensive player of the game

Our second number of the night:

• #7 - The number of 3rd down conversions Arkansas must have on Saturday. I realize the offense is explosive, and I understand that a 42 yard pass is almost run of the mill for Mallett and company, but they cannot be a successful football team on a regular basis if they do not complete more 3rd downs. Ole Miss has not shown many signs of being the same defense they were a year ago, but if they can back up the Arkansas offense on 3rd down, their D-line could have a lot of shots to get to the QB, which is never good considering Mallett's mobility

Coming down the shoot:

• #4 - The number of turnovers the Hog defense will get off of Jevan Snead by the end of the night. Never has a QB fallen so quickly from grace as has Snead. He's been tested week in and week out... and has failed. Alabama (the best team in the nation) made the Ole Miss defense look anemic at best, and Snead was unable to get anything done. To boot, he was at home. Unless that powerhouse win over UAB last week did something for his confidence, look for a few fumbles and almost certainly a pair of interceptions

The fourth number of the night:

• #24 - This is the number of points the Hogs will score in the first half to stun the Rebels into submission early. The Hog offense will show it's ability to score early and often against a top notch defense, and look for Mallet and the receivers to be on their best game. They missed a ton of opportunities late in the game against Florida, and they're looking to prove they deserved a W in Gainsville

The fifth number coming to you:

• #2 - Alex Tejada bounces back from what was one of the more difficult kicking blunders of his four year career at Arkansas. I'm not saying he hits a fifty yard game winner or anything, but he'll be perfect on the day, with numerous extra points and even a couple of nice field goals. He's been here before, he knows how to deal with it, and much like Casey Dick against LSU last year, he'll want to play well in his senior season and knows how to do it

And for the sixth and final Powerball:

• #33 - I was off two weeks ago when I said that Wingo would be the breakout young back behind Michael Smith. As it turns out, it was Dennis Johnson, and he has been sensational in every aspect of his game. DJ is at his best when the team is counting on him, and this is evidenced by his dominance in special teams returns, and his incredible performance as a starter against a heralded Florida defense. With the way he's playing, I say if DJ wants it, DJ gets it

So there you have it folks, your winning Powerball Lottery #'s are 91, 7, 4, 24, 2, and the Powerball 33.

On a side note, this will be my first SEC road game I'll get to see in person, and I couldn't be more excited. Last week I got the pleasure of attending Texas v. OU in the Cotton Bowl, and while I hate both teams, it was truly an awesome experience. This week I get to back it up with The Grove, and two weeks from now I'll be in God's Country once again to see the Old Ball Coach come to town. It's going to be a truly great 4 week stretch!

And as always... GO HOGS!