Everyone likes a good rumor. We all have our “inside sources” that continue to feed the frenzy. All too frequently though — especially lately — Arkansas fans have been way too eager to jump aboard the “rumor of the day,” and state it as the truth. The latest being the whole “Gus and the Headset” fiasco, which got way out of hand earlier this week.
The real truth is that Gus Malzahn takes his headphones off occasionally to better signal in a play. But after practice on Tuesday, Gus had to actually address a rumor that he was removing his headset during the Alabama game in order to “get away from the constant chatter” that the other coaches were involved in so that he could “focus on effectively calling the plays.”
One of the Nutt haters, Dana Caldwell, actually started this rumor on Hogville on Monday and it was picked up in Wally Hall’s column the next day. Wally, who never let the truth get in the way of a good story, wrote:
“What was odd, and something apparently thousands noticed, was Gus Malzahn took his headset off and never put it back on. Maybe there was too much chatter for him to concentrate.”
This is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. But somehow it had legs…and the wolves were off and running.
Anyone who saw or Tivo’d the telecast knew the truth. Why didn’t the lazy, diminutive one from the Rock know it? He didn’t bother to tell you that his source was the Internet, where there is no accountability.
All of this is counterproductive to our mission. That is, to win football games and recruit better players so we can win at a consistently high level.
But like Colonel Jessep told Lieutenant Kaffee in A Few Good Men: “All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That’s all you did. You put people’s lives in danger.” That’s what we do when we propagate these obviously false rumors. We weaken our program, and undermine our players and coaches. And none of us should be a part of doing that…ever.
Wally is a moron, a self defecating idiot with crap for brains. He is the mini me of stupidity, ignorance, and yellow journalism. Beside being a "reporter" that has been ridiculed by the national press he hasn't had a original story idea for decades.
Sunshine – that was a great post! I'm glad someone is having time to write this week.
Ha, this is funny… speaking of what you said Mudbug the first line in Wally's column today (I don't read Wally's column, but the preview in the news section on this site has the first line) is:
"This is not an original thought, but a suggestion that came from a longtime sports enthusiast who comes from a sports family."
Much of the rumor mill is propogated from Hogville. And they seem to be happy about it. They defend it by stating how many much their site has grown but that is primarilly becuase most of the other sites went to to paying customers only and the other major reason was that Pigpen shut down and primarilly becuase of all the negativity. That can be confirmed I believe by talking to the former administrator(although I admit it was told to be by people who know him and I have not talked with him myself)
I appreciate your quote above. It is what I have been trying to say for some time but not very eloquently. ANd in the wrong places it gets you banned.
It reminds me of the crap between Herring and Malzahn. I predicted that rumors would fly about conflict with Herring. He was going to welcome Malzahn and was going to make it tough on him. But I do not think there was any animosity to it. I believe it was the typical "welcome to the block' things that happen to the new kid. It happened to me with my first jobs when the old guys wanted to just welcome you in a "fun and loving "kind of way that did not fee that way at the time. The tension on the staff is real I believe and like a couple people told me. A little difference of opinion is okay and even to be encouraged if properly managed. Fans have the right to complain as much as they want, they even have the right to start rumors- but that does not make it right. And it damages in a way that affects more than just recruiting