I admit it…I’ve been one for years. It started when I was a child. You could say I was a product of my upbringing and environment. With each passing year, my addiction grew and grew until it consumed me.
I’ve partaken in it day and night. I’ve even missed work because of it. I’ve both paid to do it and been paid to do it. Spent tons of money on it and still never seemed to get enough. I’ve strained friendships, ran off girlfriends and made family members cry.
Hello…my name is HogBaller…and I’m a Hogaholic.
We are at the start of the first game week of the 2007 season and the countdown to kickoff has begun. Razorback football fans have had an offseason filled with enough drama and controversy to last a decade and the fan base has been split like at no other time I can remember. All after a 10-win season and a Heisman runner-up.
For me, my darkest point was reached last season whilst under the influence. I was on the greatest high I’d ever experienced. I was completely intoxicated on the Wildcat and #5. I filled my veins with ten straight wins and prepared myself for the feeling that all Hogaholics dream of…a SEC championship, BCS bowl win and the ultimate…a National Championship.
My pipe burst after four straight incompletions. My bottle spilled out with the goal line recovery of a muffed punt. And after three season-ending losses, I sank to a new depth. But I didn’t fully hit rock bottom until the off-season. First it was USC, then Tulsa…and then USC again. I thought that was the end of it…but then came the e-mail. And then the text messages, the protest, the lawsuits and the kind of national exposure that most programs try desperately to avoid.
I know your pain…I was once there. I know about dreams filled with the hope and promise that the start of a new season brings. Yet, at the end of each season, I found myself filled with disappointment and anger. It was an endless cycle that would repeat itself every year.
So…with the start of another season upon us, how do Hog fans deal with the pain of the past so that they can move on? I’ve learned recently that it’s okay. You have to let it out…and the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I’ve started on my road to recovery and it has twelve steps.
The 12 Steps of Hogaholics Anonymous
- Admit that we are powerless over Frank Broyles and that our lives have become obsessively centered on the Razorback football program.
- Come to believe that a Power greater than Frank Broyles can restore integrity, pride and excellence to the Hill.
- Make a decision to turn it all over to the care of a new Athletic Director, and then trust and support him.
- Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admit to ourselves and to other Hog fans the extent of Houston, Danny, John and Frank’s mistakes and limitations.
- Be prepared to have the discovery of evidence expose all defects of character.
- If required, be humbly ready to ask those in power to remove our Head Coach.
- Make a list of all persons who have been harmed and be willing to make amends to them all.
- Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would cause either: a) backlash from those in power; b) a loss of season tickets; or c) the poisoning of flowers in our garden.
- Continue to take personal inventory of when we believed Houston Nutt would develop a passing game and, when we were wrong, how many times that we promptly admitted it.
- Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our program, praying for: unbiased state media coverage, flatulence-free rainbows and a coaching staff with the knowledge and capability to lead us to a BCS bowl and a top 5 ranking.
- After having a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, vow to carry this message to Hogaholics everywhere: on message boards and blogs, at tailgates and water coolers, across the parking lot of the Broyles Complex if necessary. Make a promise to practice these principles in all my affairs.
I’ve listed these steps so that they may help others overcome their Razorback addiction. As for me…I’m currently on step #6.
Hi my name is Moma Hog and I am a Hogaholic. I am still on #1.
# 7 is on my prayer list
Mama, many of us were hurt and disgusted at the childish and irresponsible events of the off season. Current logic suggests that a poor season will end in dismissal and a good season in a resignation as Dale leaves town ahead of the posse. Ten years is too long without a title or a BCS birth.
Ofcourse we all remember the early years when Dale was beloved, an energetic young man, ever positive, leading a great team to the edge of greatness and a Cotton Bowl win over the nemisis. We all forgave the Robby Hampton year and chaulked it up to injuries. And when we started 0-3 in conference the next year no one looked at the coaching first and the age of Matt vanished any doubts that may have been forming in the back of our minds. The seven overtime led to six straight and a showdown in Baton Rouge. And the next year's excitement and the Miracle on Markham signaled that we were back and left nothing but hope for the Razorback Nation. Doubts did form the next year but were neatly extinquished by the flirtation with Nebraska and all was well in Hogland. The two year drought was laid at the feet of Frank's friend and little more was said but, coaching mistakes and poor play kept the team away from the weedeater bowl and Mr. Positive began to take on more of a Danny Ford demeanor. We finally had enough information to see the patterns in Dale's coaching. And, although you must give Dale credit for raising the bar in Hogland and setting the table for Arkansas to compete most years in the top 25 time is getting short. Either Dale must do it or he must step aside and give the next guy a shot.
So now we stand on the brink of a pivotal season in Razorback Football. It is the end of an era. Frank will take his first step in history and the Razorback nation will be free to move on to new hieghts and finally challenge for that next National Title. Arkansas will once again be Quarterback U and greatness will return to the land of the Hog.
#13 Admit to yourself that all players, coaches, and athletic directors make mistakes and that you will never be satisfied with anyone because all are imperfect. After the first couple of honeymoon years, the whole thing starts all over.
Admittedly college coaching is a grap shoot and few coaches match the mold. Imagine Tommy Tuberville or fat Phil as coach at Arkansas or, how about Nick Saban? All would have their weaknesses and detractors and it may actually just be a new day in college football.
In college coaching you get to stay because you win. Otherwise you are just a human as the counter man at the Git-N-Go.
Frank, Bud Campbell, and Orville Henry set the bar too high for Arkansas all those years ago. Lou Holtz was a wonderful substitute and Eddie Sutton brought class and success although his weaknesses were kept hidden. But poor Kenny and Danny were in the real mold. They had no love for the camera or visa versa. Nolan was another. But, it is always the same, you win or you move on. When Dale first got here he only had to beat SMU. From here on out he's got to find a way to win the SEC title game. After ten years its a sliding scale.
But, can you really wait to see Tulsa, LSU,and Miss St. on Thursday? It is going to be a very long 4 days.
As a recovering Hogaholic I learned that with years of excitement a frustration that it is ONLY game. Years of facing the fact that all boys need to grow up it as hurt because it is a game that is fun to watch, a team that is fun to watch and coaches that will make you pull your hair out because they just aren't as smart as us Monday morning quarterbacks. But through years of maturity and game day nerves that would have your bowls in an uproar I finally got over it. Now on game days I watch alone all Razorback games, football and basketball. I stopped yelling and throwing things at the t.v. and just watch in silents. When the games are over I walk around outside then go inside kiss my wife and call my kids. Yes it still hounts me and yes I will always be a Hogaholic but it does get a little easier with years. And I would be the same no matter who is on the hill coaching.
I pray that my grnadchildren will not suffer the way I have with this treded decease.
I'm signing off now and will not read another blog until ……………………….
Hello, I'm a Hogaholic too. The only problem is, I have no intentions of getting better. I've been a Hogaholic since I was 9 years old. If you say a Razorback's name, I will tell you his hieght, wieght, position, class, injury report, highschool he played for, and what teams recruited him, besides Arkansas. It is an addiction I can truthfully say I am very proud of, and also take great pride in trying to spread this addiction around to other people. Some people are more stobburn than others, especially on the OK border, near Ft. Smith, where I work, but they will not break me of my calling. It goes like this….. Whooooooooooooooo….. Pig!!!!!-Sooie!!!!!….. Whooooooooooooooo…..Pig!!!!!-Sooie!!!!!….. Whooooooooooooooo….. Pig!!!!!-Sooie!!!!!-Razorbacks!!!!!
I'm with ya Gonzo… Whooooooooooooooo….. Pig!!!!!-Sooie!!!!!….. Whooooooooooooooo…..Pig!!!!!-Sooie!!!!!….. Whooooooooooooooo….. Pig!!!!!-Sooie!!!!!-Razorbacks!!!!! I hope they prove everyone wrong AGAIN this year. Thank God it's football season!!!
I'm on #12. At this time, I've given up hope for the Sunshine pumpers. They won't see the light until #6 occurs. I don't have the energy to fight a losing cause.
Do I like the Razorbacks? Yes. Yes… especially since we have a class Coach in Houston Nutt. He is special! That is why the overwhelming Hog fans in a poll voted for him and the fact that we turned out in record numbers at all of the Razorback Club meetings. We the real fans do not listen to all of the innuendoes and gossip. Leave gossip for the weak minds of this world. One day those very ones will find themselves on the other end of a gross misunderstanding, as a man at a firm did. He worked at a firm where the boss always called them in before Thanksgiving and gave each one of them a turkey whether they could use it or not. One of the employees was single and actually did not have anything that he could do with an uncooked turkey. As he was riding the bus to his apartment, he met a man who was down on his luck and needed food for his family. The young, unmarried man gave the turkey to the man and the man was elated and told him that he could not believe his good fortune in having the turkey for Thanksgiving and how gracious the man was to give it to him and his family. When the young man returned to his office, they quizzed him about his turkey. He told them about meeting the man on the transit who needed food and that he gave the turkey to him. One of the employees had pulled a trick on the young man and had substituted a fake turkey with weights inside. He was stunned! For several weeks, they rode the bus hoping to see the down and out man again. They never found him. Somewhere out there is a man who believes that the young man is a rotten, low life. Yet, he was innocent. That is life. May Houston long live as our great coach!.
Keep everything in perspective. Live life to the fullest but live it realistically. Life is life. Football is just a minor part of it. My attitude does not rise and fall on a mere game. Why should it? I also subscribe to Lou Holt's truth about gamgling on college sports. If you gamble on college football, you will find yourself pulling against your own team. I witnessed that in Fayetteville, as a couple pulled against the Razorbacks because of the point spread. Ridiculous! Apparently, some are gamblers… not Hog fans. And these very people get angry over a mere game. Enjoy the ride!
Go Hogs Go! Go Hogs Go! Defense! Defense!
Now for some football. Troy can and will be tough. They believe they can win. Hopefully, our loss of Harrison (although he probably would not have started because of injury) and other injuries will not hurt our effort. One thing about getting the first game out of the way, I subscribe to Lou Holtz's belief that a team improves the most between the first game and the second one. That should bode well for the Razorbacks going to Alabama two weeks later.
BlindHog we sing from the same hymnal
Gonzohog–if i don't sit next to you at the games then it's your twin brother. You and others like you make our Hogs know what they are fighting and winning for- the fans. Sooieeeeeeeeeeeee Pig.
Mike–it is not only a game, it is a wonderful terminal disease with symptoms of euphoria followed by uncontrolled crying and screaming our lungs out calling the Hogs, and if we are losing then it really gets bad. But wouldn't it be a terrible state of affairs if we could really watch DMc make a kick off return 93 yards and not almost knock the guy on your left into the lower row or feel your heart pumping so fast you think you might just not make the second half. What it is all about is loyalty, love of our hogs and never giving up for the best that can happen. (including Step 7)
I think Dale's main problem aside from not understanding QB play is that he is actually happy with just winning the western division. Most coaches know that when you have built that team of juniors and seniors it is time to take your shot, it is time to make the run to the top 10. Dale just sets his sights too low. He is too comfortable in that big chair. Great coaches know too well, its what have you done for me lately. You have got to win the Big One.
When is the last time you heard Dale talk about a championship?
Well Crap! Here we go again. I let myself believe that perhaps we'd keep it to football but 4 days to the first game and we're back to sour grapes. I believe that we will win big this year and Houston will give you all what you want. At that point, we will not be "Quarterback U" (I wasn't aware that we ever were) again, we will go back to being "can't make it to a bowl U" like we were in the 90's. I spent the 90's not even knowing when the Hogs were playing. After a remission from Hogaholism during the 90's it was HDN that caused my relapse. Go Hogs!
Hogblogger, you guys can say you've never called for anyone's job but you guys sure set the table. I figure you'll cut out this comment but please don't remove the whole thing.
They keep proving what I said as true. As I said, "Boo birds will always be boo birds." Count on it, regardless of whomever is the coach! Maybe President White is setting the stage to bring in an Athletic Director that will downgrade sports, as he very well may be doing. Perhaps, all major colleges should go back to intramural. That would build a little character into the situation. Get rid of what some call "girlie" gossip.
Defense, when HDN is replaced, I'll quit booing.