May 19, 2013

Were There Any Survivors?

February 20, 2007 by

It was almost like a funeral on Chuck Barrett’s Sports Rap show on Monday night.  You’d have thought someone had died.  The somber story was told by Clay Henry about people who attended the Saturday Board of Trustees meeting announcing Coach Broyles’ retirement, leaving the meeting with tears rolling down their faces.  It must have been quite the scene.

The discussion quickly turned to “Who was to blame” for the defrocking of Broyles, and the slander of the embattled Nutt.  The Board?  John White?  Wally?  Teresa Prewett?  Mike Irwin?  The consummate company men, Barrett and Henry gave each of the above their due for “taking a pound of flesh” as they put it, to bring down the man at the top of their kingdom.

Train WreckThe answer to their question was simple, but was not uttered by either of them.  ‘Who’s responsible for this?’  They (Broyles and Nutt) did it to themselves by their actions.

One of my favorite movies of the 90′s was Ronin, starring Robert De Niro.  Besides the thrilling action and some of the best car chase scenes ever recorded on film, the movie offers a look into the post-Cold War lives of secret agents who no longer have employers.  The agents become like the 47 Ronin who were disgraced, leaderless samurai warriors, who committed seppuku — ritual suicide.  They did it to themselves.

By their actions, Coach Broyles and Coach Nutt sealed their fate.  Frank’s comments to the Dallas Alumni on our “potential” were the tipping point in my mind.  He lost his BOT majority as a result of those comments and never recovered.  Nutt’s lies about the e-mails, his unscheduled appearance on Wally’s radio show, and the running off of the one man in this world that could save him — Gus Malzahn — are more than he can overcome now.

Frank reached the conclusion that he could not win this fight anymore and graciously retired.  Nutt has yet to come to grasp with that reality.  Like he said himself…he’s a fighter, which may yield nothing but a messy departure.

Filed Under: Arkansas Razorbacks, Football Tagged With: ,
  • BlindHog

    I just hope you are right and Nutt is actually gone. I don’t like feeling that way about anybody but, it’s not like he didn’t have 9 years to produce something.

    Every year, every failure, has exposed more of the insecurity, inability, and lack of real maturity. Looking back it is hard to tell if he was lieing to us or himself. Either way he made no effort to learn from his mistakes or move forward and just depended on his place in the dysfunctional Razorback family. Thank God for Matt Jones, Shawn Andrews, Peyton Hillis, Marcus Monk, and Darren McFadden. Had we not had some real 5 star prospects in state who wanted to be Razorbacks where would we be?

    As I say, I don’t like feeling this way. But, there are real reasons why AD in the SEC is a full time job. There are real reason why you must be qualified to coach in the SEC.

    I just hope we are not trading Frank’s part time personality cult for White’s delusion. Is there someone up there who can hire a qualified AD to address athletic programs?

  • HJHog

    So are you still buying your Football tickets, Sunshine???

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net Walking on Sunshine

    HJHog – I continue to support the program as a season ticket holder. I have, however, cut back my contribution to the minimum to keep my seats after all of this. I support our team 100%.

  • Kevin

    I have increased my contribution based on the direction of the program under Broyles and Coach Nutt. I expect a better year this season then any in over 20 years.

    I also think Blogs are the back yard fence of this generation as bloggers will say anything to get a reaction, and the truth has nothing to do with it.

    Gus Malzahn could not save himself and that is why he is at the ASU of Oklahoma.

    His actions would have led to his firing at any well run company. “Don’t look at me, I just work here” seems to be his motto.

    I thought he was better than that, my mistake.

    Go Hogs

  • Bluffhawg

    I also have increased my contribution and feel that anyone that cuts back on theirs but says they support the program 100% is talking out of both sides of their mouth.

    Most of the negative comments that I say about this blog usually come from the comment section and not from the original blog. But, I have to say this one is over the edge.

  • theporkestra

    I know who did it!!

    Jackie Treehorn

    Since you love to quote movies, remember this. No matter what happens in life, The Big Lebowski applies and offers solace to the micturating masses.

  • BlindHog

    Actually, I think that this may be the year I let those tickets go. Hopefully, I will be wrong and won’t be able to find them on the sidewalk if I want them. Based on this year’s schedule there are only 2 games in state worth seeing.

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net Walking on Sunshine

    Bluff – on the “talking out of both sides of my mouth” comment……is it possible to love, support and defend your country and disagree with the President?

    That’s kind of where I’m at after all of this.

    Sunshine.

  • Bluffhawg

    I don’t really know how to answer that, because if your protest hinders the cause, how can it be classifed as support? That’s a hard one to answer. Kinda like when we have dispute in church, If I’m against something, I voice my opposition until the vote comes in, but when the decision is made, even if I didn’t support it, I then put my full support behind it and make every effort for success.

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net/ HogBlogger

    This is HogBlogger. My support level will stay the same. Tickets will stay the same. I like my seats. I like going to games. I like watching the Hogs play football.

    As for Basketball – I’m tired of a half full arena and being able to walk up and find people giving tickets away. Plus I’ve asked for 3 years to move to the other side of the arena and they ignore me. Not even asking for a better seat, just a side.

    Sunshine – Kinda funny that you get grief for a post that is ‘over the edge.’ I agree with the gist of your post. They did it too themselves. Most people usually do. Sometimes on purpose. And, they did have a lot of help.

    Kevin – The blog is ‘observational commentary. Thanks for reading. I challenge you to come up with something we’ve said that is not true or can’t just be put in the category of ‘commentary.’ I’ll assume your comments regarding Gus are ‘commentary’ as well, and do the same thing you have a right to do with ours – dismiss it.

  • Bluffhawg

    Hogblogger, I have to challange you to prove that what has happened with Frank is not something that was not going to happen anyway. The man is 82 years old! Granted, he made the statement that he thought it would happen a few years later, but by the persuasion of his family he made the decision a little earlier than first expected. Sounds like the final decision was not by something he did, but by a family decision. Happens everyday.

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net/ TipsterHog

    Kevin…I realize it’s hard because of the formatting of our site, but remember we are a team blog and this post was written by Sunshine, one of us who hasn’t written about the Frank/HDN stuff before now.

    I think if you look in our site archives that you won’t find anyone with more positive posts about the Hogs than Sunshine. For him to be at the point where he’s this disappointed in the current situation is (to me) the biggest thing to come out of this post.

  • 10KHog

    Heck, he was the president of the Sunshine Pumpers’ club and I was Vice President just two years ago. Oh, how so many things have changed in two years.

    Kevin, your post about Gus is…. well… no basis. I don’t even know where you came up with that premonition of Coach Malzahn. He has yet to say an ill word about Houston or the program in any of this. Just because he’s not spewing his mouth trying to dismiss rumors with more lies does not mean he does not care about this program. He’s just got more class.

  • 10KHog

    One other thing Kevin… why would he need to “save” himself if everything was so “rosy” on the hill like HDN and the other coaches proclaimed it to be and on top of a ten win season… why would he need to “save” himself? Seems he saw a better opportunity to further his career by implementing his own philosophy, of which it was clear to me he had no chance of doing here.

    Is your name really Mike Markuson? You know that Tipster can trace your IP address directly to your office Mr. Markuson. Please step away from the keyboard before you go “Teresa Prewitt” on us.

  • Michael Stansbury

    “I don’t really know how to answer that, because if your protest hinders the cause, how can it be classifed as support? That’s a hard one to answer. Kinda like when we have dispute in church, If I’m against something, I voice my opposition until the vote comes in, but when the decision is made, even if I didn’t support it, I then put my full support behind it and make every effort for success”

    Please call John Murtha and N. Pelosi- you my friend should have your own blog- Bluffhog-

    If you support the hogs- support them- if you don’t- Jonesboro will take your deniro.

  • Okie hog

    I have read this blog site for quite some time now and I am sick to death of all the negativity and accusations. I would like the facts for once on here. If Houston Nutt is a Liar I want the facts and proof he has lied. Not just the assumption that he has lied.

    His wife forwarded the email!My wife gets email every day that I dont know about. Mrs. Nutt made a mistake! It doesnt mean he knew she did it or when she did it or if HDN told her to forward it. Everyone just assumes he knew.

    You negative guys who want to run down someone reminds me of Republicans who spent $4 million on some proposed scandel to catch Bill Clinton in a lie that had nothing to do with the proposed scandel that was being investigated.

    In other words – you people that dislike Nutt will burn down the Razorback village trying to save it. Only problem is there is no village left because you burned it down.

    You people make it very hard to stay a Hog fan and Not turn to the Sooners

  • GONZOHOG

    Sunshine, I honestly have to say, I to supported Houston Nutt, right down to the bitter end. As a single parent, my three kids would all tell you, I cannot stand a liar. There have been times in the past when I had thought something that Houston said, sounded a little suspect, but after listning to the 4 page interview with Alex Abrams, and his response the possible E-mail endevor, I absolutely have had it with him. If he truly has an ambition to fight this thing, with some sort of integrity type identity behind him, then my wish will be for him to fall flat on his face, for he would deserve no less. I hope he will make the tough decision, and resign soon. In my opinion, he would only act the fool, to do otherwise. He’s done a pretty good job of it already. I will always be a HOG fan ’till the day I am dead!

  • The Professor

    Tthis is for Kevin

    Best season in 20 years? Don’t bet the farm. The Hogs have scheduled more cupcakes than you can find in a bakery. Don’t think that the pollsters, BCS, and sportswriters won’t notice this at the end of the season. The Hogs willl have to run the table through the SEC undefeated to even have a chance of a BCS bowl. And a shot at the national title will have to mean that no two other undefeated teams will be left. This schedule was set up to guarantee a bowl game, but not a championship. Competition looks tough and D-Mac will have a bullseye on his shirt.. Florida, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina all look to be very good.. Alabama and Kentucky might surprise and the Hogs didn”t exactly blow out Ole Miss and MSU. If the Hogs can get a passing game going then the picture might change, I hope so. But I’m not holding my breath. Nutt will be coaching for a bowl game, any bowl game, to look good and who will dispute a successful season of 8-4 (or 7-5) and a shot at Shreveport. I am sour and negative because the Wisconsin fiasco and the Music City Bowl of several years ago still stick in my craw. I don’t like mediocrity. And I do think that Arkansas has the talent to do better and at least win an SEC title (sometime). I don’t care which doofuses up on the Hilll are responsible, or who goes or stays. Just fixit. And Pray for McFadden and Jones’ health.

  • ReasonRules

    Bluffhawg,

    When did we vote on Houston and Frank? Did I miss it? Dadgummit!!!!!

    Okiehog,

    Please return to the Sooners and stay there.

  • ReasonRules

    I’m keeping my five tickets because my son is begging me because he doesn’t think we could get the same seats if we sat out a couple of years.

    However,

    I am wondering if it would be possible to claim four of the games next year as a tax deductible contribution because I don’t think it will be for anything other than a donation to support the program.

  • GONZOHOG

    I agree with Professor in that the schedual is by far weaker, and would probably mean we could lose no more than one game to go to a BCS bowl game, but at the same time, it probably depends some on where the hogs will be ranked in the pre-season, and how high the pollsters will keep them in the event of a lose. Remember how high Auburn stayed this year after we beat them by 17 at thier place? The same thing went on this year with the Alabama basketball team. Duke is a better team, but fell out of the top 25, while playing better. Alabama maintained. Sometimes it just seems that teams are destined to be promoted. Perhaps this will be Arkansas year to be promoted, since they do have the frontrunner for the Hiesman Trophy. Just a thought.

  • Bluffhawg

    ReasonRules, my conversation was with TipsterHog regarding support for the program. I was using that as an illustration, not factual.

    Simply stating I don’t believe you can shout support for something, but at the same time do, say and print things that are negative and tear down. If you support, support and if their our valed issues with the program, we have personnel that’s been hired by the University to sort them out.

    All that is happening at this point is talk, accusations, finger pointing and mean spiritedness is not only affecting our coaching staff and their families, but the fan base as a whole and also the current and future players.

  • Razorbilly

    I hear what you all are saying. I guess my take on it is if you support something do you have to support it 100%? I love the hogs more than any other college team. Just not as much as I used to. I’m not sure where I am on the sunshine pumper / darksider scale. The bottom line is that Hog-land has a problem.

    I will say one thing about this blog. It’s the most civil site I’ve been too. We’ll see how long that stays true.

  • BlindHog

    Yeah, we don’t need to be disagreeable to disagree. There are at least two camps here maybe more. I never was a darksider as far as I know. I was on Houston’s side all the way through the melt down in 03 and the two losing seasons. I knew personal responsibility was not his thing and I got a little tired of his whining but I liked his positive attitude and it seemed his players played hard for him. It just seems these last series of events have brought to light that alot of Houston’s failure’s the last few years are actually pattern’s and not just hard luck. We have gotten to know Houston a little too well and information has not been good.

    He doesn’t know the passing game and shows no interest in learning. He can’t keep or develop a good QB. No matter how hard his teams play in this game or that, he can’t seem to coach a whole season and actually acomplish anything. His personal issues appear to be at the root of many of these issues.

    I wish it were not so but, nine years is a long time. We can wait three of four more to prove ourselves wrong but, the facts appear to be in.

  • Dieinghog

    I really enjoy reading the blogs and as far as the Hogs program I think we are headed in the right direction. I think FB made a classic mistake in thinking he was the program. Sometimes when you been in a position so long you tend to think you are irreplacable and start to say what you want when you want because you have been around so long that you forgot the program was being ran before you. As far as Houston I would like to give him another year to see what he can do without FB calling all the shots because at this point I don’t know if he can coach or not. I no he can tell lies but what coach recruiting doesn’t.

  • OwassoHog

    With Frank as Athletic Director Emeritus, he probably still have some sort of say unless you get a Athletic Director willing to stand up to Frank!

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net Walking on Sunshine

    Well said Dieinghog. You’re right….without Frank looking over his shoulder, it might look a lot different in the fall. I hope so.

  • 10KHog

    What in the world are ya’ll talking about? Did something change? Did Broyles retirement all of a sudden become effective immediately? Last time I checked he’ll be here until Dec. 31, 2007. Since our bowl game will probably be before Jan. 1, 2008 I would say that Frank will be looking over his shoulder until the bitter end.

    And my gut is telling me we’ll hire a “good ‘ole boy” as A.D. who will continue to be a yes man to Broyles and he will have as much influence as ever and not have to take responsibility for the decisions…

    Good grief, listen to me, what have I become??? I USED TO NOT BE LIKE THIS!!!

  • Dieinghog

    Do you think with a knew AD we could bring Nolan back.

  • Waldron Hog

    To 10KHog and Sunshine:

    You boys have sure changed in the last few weeks. It’s almost like there is no hope now with both of you moving more to the middle. Who do I talk with now to get a rational “other” side of the story? Evan darksiders need good conversation with people who have differing options.

    I’m worried 10K is losing his Razorback spirit. I wonder if others are as well in all this mess.

  • Kendallp

    Lets get one thing clear. Gus is not defending himself because no one is accusing him of any dirty deeds. If his integrity was being skewered like Nutt he would most likely say something. Gus is going to be successful and I wish it was here but he is not godlike in this whole scenerio.

    I have to disagree in part. Yes Broyles and Nutt have made mistakes but not as many as they are accused of. And many other folks contributed mightily to debacle with rumors and ineundo not all of which is true. Nutt had no choice but to defend himself. And regardless of what people say very little of this could have been said during the year.

    I wish NUtt and Gus could have stood up in the middle of the year and said “yeah there is tension. but that is always the case when new people are brought into the team”. I knew in magement that tension would appear every time new people came on a team. But it was not necessarily bad. It usually had a creative effect if managed right. But you also could not just get up and say that in the public arena. And it was not managed right. Sure Nutt made some errors as the CEO and managing egos and staff and players is a problem. But other people got hold of this and made it into much more than it had to be.

    Nutt will be gone eventually. Broyles is on his way out and was anyway. Those on the negative side of the fence have helped ensure that the transition is going to have even more difficult aspects than it needed to have.

    Yes I have lost my spirit but from a completely different perspective. It is the fan base and polarization that has tainted me. This same type of attack mentality is seen in politics, business, church and civic organizations and I can not stand to sit in the stands or coffee shops and listen to it.

    So why am I on the message boards????!!!!!….

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net/ HogBlogger

    Bluff – no need to challenge me, i agree that eventually Coach Broyles would have left the AD position.

    Okie – obviously you are not paying attention, as ‘the facts’ are screaming out at you. Case in point. University conducts an investigation of ‘emailgate’. Investigation reveals that Houston Dale’s wife indeed forwarded an email. At the end of the interview in the paper Houston Dale claims to not be sure about what she had forwarded, whether it was an article from the paper or an email. Truth was he knew, from the investigation, exactly what was done. No, he didn’t exactly ‘lie’, but he wasn’t exactly forthcoming either.

  • Bluffhawg

    HogBlogger, If my wife or immediate family does something that is detrimental to me, It wll be handled one on one with my wife/family and is no one elses business. As is the case with Houston Nutt and his wife. What she did should have been handled personally. I believe that is why he answered the question that way. She is not a part of athletic department.

  • OwassoHog

    Houston could still answer the question as many others have in that the situation has been handled but the details will be kept private. So, this is no excuse in my book!

  • Bluffhawg

    I can tell you that I like most men are very protective of my wife and family and would handle it the same way. Right or wrong in what she did it would be handled privately, in my home and is no one elses business.

  • Kendallp

    Yeah, I am sure that if I had been asked about something that my wife had or had not done in a public arena that I would have slammed her publicly. I also know that there are many things my wife has done that I am not completely aware of the details.

    The email should not have been written. It should not have been forwarded. But give the folks a break. They are being skewered, and hated, and lied about themselves but yet they are not supposed to be human.

    What Houston did regarding defense off the email was what most of us would have done in the situation. What his wife did was what most of us have done or would do if someone we loved was being defamed. Doesn’t make it right- just makes them like us.

  • ReasonRules

    Kendallp

    If Houston can sell all that to a recruits Parents “that he is just human and it’s not a problem that his wife forwards e-mails to others with hate spewed speach about players he recruited and a coach he hired” then he is the man and he gets to keep his job. But I don’t think he can. Most of his coaches interviewed for jobs at other schools and the only one that was pursued and hired was the one his wife skewered with that e-mail.

    It cuts both ways and I don’t hear Houston taking any responsibility for anything he or his own have done wrong.

    Ohh, I forgot he is a good man and that makes it ok.

  • Kendallp

    You know the idea that he takes no responsibility is getting old. Fact is he can sell the human thing to athletes. Fact is the situation he was in was a little more than normal. God knows I would have given up a long time ago. And as much as I like Gus and wish to goodness he was still hear, he gave up after one year.

    The fact that he is a good man doesn’t make it okay. Whatever wrong is done is wrong regardless.

  • GONZOHOG

    I agree with the idea of keeping personal things about your wife private, to a point. Remember, Houston agreed to the interview, reguarding the state of the football program, which by the way, includes the forwarding of the E-mail, by his wife. If your going to go through with the interview, make sure you don’t have to pick and choose your topics, rather than put yourself into a position, where you would have to lie, or should we say tip-toe around the truth. If that is the best you can do, then you were better off not even doing the interview to begin with. Houston did OK, at best, with the interview, right up until the very last questions about the E-mail. You see, lying will still get you in the end.

  • OTHOG1

    Once we get a new AD at the university, maybe we can schedule a game with ASU and keep the money ($300,000) we give to to Louisiana Monroe at home. ASU is certainly better than many of the teams on next year’s schedule and I, for one, would like to see the money kept within the state to help other schools. You talking about a sell out, just schedule ASU and Arkansas in LR and tickets would be in great demand. The same applies to Basketball since Arkansas insists on playing cupcakes the first 10-12 games of the year. Just look at this year’s wins. Most came at the beginning of the season from mid-major teams.

    By the way, in case you are wondering, I have been a razorback fan for over 40 years. But I now realize that we need to do what all our neighboring states do, how some instate competition among our schools and keep the money at home.

  • OwassoHog

    Now this with probably about the biggest thing that Frank and I agree on… growing up in ASU country, I don’t believe that the Razorbacks have ANYTHING to gain playing the Indians!

    Sorry… but I’m NOT in favor of this deal! I realize that we don’t gain much from Louisiana Monroe but the down side to a loss to Louisian Monroe is much less than a loss to ASU.