According to recruiting gurus and RRS, there are a few surprise recruits taking official visits to Texas Tech. The first, 5-Star recruit Trey Williams will be making an official visit today (Sunday). He will be hosted by his brother, Tyson a transfer from West Texas A&M who, as we have been told, was tearing up the secondary for Tech and will be a playmaker in 2012. Transfer rules required him to sit out a year. [Trey] Williams is committed to Texas A&M.

The second recruit is 4-Star CB Mesquite (Texas) Horn cornerback De'Vante Harris. While his recruiting options are wide open, he has narrowed his top four down to Tech, TCU, Ohio State, and Texas A&M. While immediate playing time appears to be the primary card Tech is playing, he is keeping his visit options open.

It can get exciting to see these types of recruits taking an interest in Texas Tech, but we have to remind ourselves they are 17-18 years old. In reading Harris' comments, he seems interested yet a little unsure on what he wants to do. I believe the coaching staff is showing these high profile recruits that they can make an immediate impact on the playing field and can back it up with the last two years of FR playing. They also do not appear to be spooked by the down year Tech had and all say something in common…they think Tech will get it turned around and they want to be part of something special. Also, the word "family" is constantly touted by every recruit who visits Tech. I believe this is why we all went to Tech. I love my Tech family and want to see it succeed.

I hope we are able to lure one of the two, especially since there is only one scholarship available. And if not, there will be a Trey Williams or De'Vante Harris in next year's class. Guns up!

I know, I know. Still bitter about our 5-7 season. Good news. Remember when Tuberville said he wanted to focus on high schoolers and would not dip deep into the JUCO world. Well, I think he realized in an effort to save his @$$ he better get kids that can help immediately. He signed 10 today, including some studs like Javon Bell (WR) and Kass Everett (CB). Everett was highly recruited by OU and Big Game Bob. It came down to playing time. Also signed 3 very good high schoolers at mid-term.

This is a step in the right direction to stop the bleeding and do feel some of these will make the starting lineup and be put in a position to make an impact. However, we should not have HUGE expectations that these players will make a major impact tomorrow. In short, let's not hype these players up. They will make bigger waves in 2013. I think we loved what Mackey could bring to the table and we set (in our minds) huge expectations, but I believe he will be a great player for us next season. It does stink that he got hurt in the first game. But I don't think he ever made the impact I think we all hoped he would on the field.

What is comical though is the attached link, found on SB Nation. The OU world is literally stunned that we beat them out for Everett.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2011/12/21/2652975/oklahoma-strikes-out-JUCO-gerald-bowman-kasseim-everett

ABC has selected the 11:00 time slot for next weekends tilt between our Red Raiders and the Cowboys. I don;t know about you but these 11:00 start times stink.  For amy of us who travel and enjoy the tailgaiting experience, it's like having a job interview at 1:00.  It ruins your whole day. 

I would have preferred the 7:00 because bad things happen at the Jones at night.  Oh well...let's pack the Jones!! Support the team!!

Wreck 'em!!

According to multiple sources, Pittsburgh RB Baron Batch was carted off the field with an apparent knee injury. Please pray for this great individual.  He is having such a great camp with notoriety and praise from his coaching staff. Hopefully this is a sprain.

Mike Graham Twitter Post - "Pittsburgh Steeler writer @ScottBrown_Trib reporting former #TexasTech RB Baron Batch could be seriously injured."

Scott Brown (w/ the Pittsburgh Post) Twitter Post - "Trainers working on both leg; Ben standing over him too. Its his left knee and Batch can't put any pressure on it."

Scott Brown - "This doesn't look good. Polamalu gives him sympathetic pat on shoulder pads b4 Batch carted off field."

[Note by Seth C, 04/08/11 10:29 AM CDT ] BUMPED TO THE FRONT PAGE!  EXCELLENT WORK.

Tommy Tuberville wrapped up his second Spring Game a couple weeks ago.  But in my opinion, he really wrapped up his first full Spring practice...Riverboat Gambler style.  He was able to do it his way with a lot of his recruits coming in and enrolling early. So what did he learn?  Well, here is what I saw and write in my own opinion.

I really enjoyed this year's Spring game and saw some good improvement on defense. They collected a high number of "sacks", but don't really register since the whistle gets blown after a defensive love tap. But the O-Line had me a little worried re: protecting the QB. Not sure if its an improved D-Line or an O-Line that needs some work despite the 3 starting seniors. For those worried we won't throw the ball as much, 73 passes for 526 yards; 51 rushes for 196 yards; roughly a 60/40 split. But I told Seth I would do an analysis of the QB & RB positions.

Quarterbacks:

 

Seth Doege - Very impressive arm strength.  Ended the day 20-35, 317 yards, 4 TDs & 1 INT. He had a very impressive, stride for stride deep slant pass to Swindall for a 55 yard score. Clearly established himself as the 2011 starter.  My concerns: he has "happy feet" and doesn't allow his feet to settle, plant, and throw.  He had several throws off the back foot, which clearly has to be resolved between now and Texas State. He also had several passes batted down at the line. Lastly, he tends to throw passes into very tight coverage, usually resulting into incomplete passes (yesterday).  One was picked by LB Daniel Cobb.

 

Jacob Karam - 10-13, 46 yards, 1 TD. Karam ran the 2nd team and seemed to always hit the underneath man.  Very few times did he try anything deep. Had an impressive burst of speed to the outside when running with the ball. My opinion: seemed rattled at times and threw off his back foot.  Did not do anything to establish himself as the starter.

 

Scotty Young - 8-10, 112 yards, 2 TD.  I was very impressed with his poise.  Led the White team on an impressive 97 yard scoring drive. He connected with a streaking Derek Edwards (Crabtree slant pattern) for 66 yards. Side note - Edwards will be the real deal!  He has impressive arm strength, but probably not as much as Doege. Seemed very poised, even when starting at his own 3 yard line.  Worked the pocket very well and worked the entire field. My opinion: Will have a hard time cracking the starting line up until Doege either loses it or graduates.

 

Michael Brewer - 5-10, 39 yards.  Initial impression is that his stats aren't impressive. However, he will be exciting to watch in the coming years.  He has very good arm strength, great wheels, and is poised.  He often threw into tight coverage which led to incompletions, twice near interceptions. I kept having to tell myself he should still be in high school. My opinion: needs to put on some weight but can't wait for him to take the field in a couple years.

 

Running Backs:

 

Eric Stephens - 7 carries, 48 yards; 1 rec. 12 yards.  Clearly established himself as the starter.  Carried the ball much tighter under his arm (assuming Coach gave him the tough fumble talk).  Seemed to have gained lower leg strength, fighting for extra yards in the pile. He hit the hole hard and fast with a great burst of speed.

 

Ronnie Daniels - 11 carries, 43 yards; 1 rec. 20 yards, TD.  Very excited to watch this kid.  He is the real deal and will see the field this year. Very strong, yet elusive runner.  I wrote down three times - made something out of nothing.  When the defense pushed his blockers into the backfield, he would turn a 5 yard lost into a 5 yard gain. He hits the hole hard and doesn't mind contact.  I believe Karam was quoted that Daniels reminds him of "Adrian Peterson." Funny...I was thinking the same thing.

 

Continue reading this post »

Funny how things come around.  For those of you who don't remember this, Green Bay QB Graham Harrell was a true freshman when Texas Tech beat Aaron Rodgers and the Cal Golden Bears in the Holiday Bowl.

Fast forward to 2010, they are now teammates. Amazingly, both play the game the same.  Ice cold!  Sure wish Graham could play Sunday. Maybe.

In the mean time, lets go back in time to see a cool, calm, collect Graham Harrell.  Enjoy fellas!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TMdsm-vWwE

According to the Texas Tech Athletics office, Coach Tommy Tuberville has been offered (and accepted) a one year contract extension, through 2015.  The deal also includes an annual compensation increase from $1.5M to $2M.

While I know there are some who will disagree with this, it tells me that officials in Lubbock see the program continuing to move in the right direction. Season tickets were still sold at a record number, attendance increased (overall), we won 8 games, won a bowl game, and Coach Tuberville is working his magic on the recruiting trails.  And, Coach Tuberville was one of the lowest paid coaches in the Big 10, Big 12.

Let's pull together and support the man who will be leading our Red Raiders into the next era of Texas Tech football.  We have a young and exciting program that is destined to get better.  As a fan base, it does us no good by splintering our support, especially rooting for this team's failure.

http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011811aab.html

Edit: Moved to front page by Tech92

Red Raider Sports tweets another commit from this past weekend's visits.  Coldspring's (TX) Matt Wilson, 6'7, 270 pound offensive lineman switched his commitment from Houston to Texas Tech over the weekend. There could be more news coming today or tomorrow. 

For those of you who are wondering how many recruits can Texas Tech sign? The answer is 28.  One will count towards last year’s total.

This is starting to shape up to be a solid recruiting class. 

I wanted to give a shoutout to Coach Curry and the remarkable job she has done (to date) this year with this Lady Raider team.  While we spend a considerable amount of time on this blog talking about the football program, men's basketball and some baseball, it is easy to forget we have a women's program making strides.

I must admit that I was not sold on Coach Curry when she took over for a legend.  It is often difficult to win over fans, loyal PSL owners, students, the student-athletes, and prospective student athletes who were accustomed to tradition. And, I must admit Coach Curry probably would agree.  Her first three years showed little progress and I for one was ready for her to move on.

But in looking at this team, there is one...count them...one senior.  Are there leaders?  Yes...they are called underclassmen.  Maybe Coach Knight can ask her how she has done it.  This Lady Raider team is playing unselfish basketball.

The Lady Raiders had a remarkable run (15-0) in last night's game to pull out the victory over a Mizzou team that had just "upset" the Lady Whorns.  They played a scrappy Kansas team on the road, who at the time of the game was 13-1.

While there is still a lot of season left and we just entered Big 10 Big 12 play....it's time to recognize that this may be the year that gets the Lady Raider baskeball program back on the map.

Congratulations Coach Curry for your teams efforts this season (to date).

Thouught you might enjoy a little change of pace and talk a little Stubby Clapp.  As you may recall, Stubby was an All-American 2nd baseman for the Red Raiders in the mid-90's.  He was a great player, the fans loved him, and so did the TV commentators.  He was known for his speed, his bat, and his grit!

You may recall that he was from Canada and was a hockey player as a kid. During a hockey game, he lost his front tooth and it stuck with him as a tough kid from Canada named "Stubby" (at least that's how I remember him telling the story).  He still holds (or shares) the Red Raiders' records for triples in a game (8), runs in game (5, 3 times), strikeouts in a game (4) and walks in a season (66), both set during the 1996 season. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 36th round in 1996. He was part of a great legacy of players who played for Larry Hays (boy I miss those days!!!).

Stubby was named  the field manager of the Tri-City ValleyCats, who play in the short-season New York Penn League and are an affiliate of the Houston Astros. He spent last season as the hitting coach for the Class-A Lexington Legends and prior to that he spent two years as a coach with the Rookie League Greeneville Astros.

 Just thought I'd take you down memory lane and distract you from the football talk.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/story/2010/12/09/sp-clapp-manager.html

ESPN Big 12 blog writer, David Ubben has a pretty good recap of our season this year.  I think he did a decent job of summarizing our 2010 squad.  He also offers up his thoughts on next year; from a solid QB battle during the bowl workouts to an improved defense.

A win in Dallas would help solidify a very solid recruiting class.

If you are interested, I have attached the link.

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/22805/texas-tech-red-raiders-season-recap

 

For the last couple of weeks, I have spent some time thinking of programs going through tough coaching changes.  I thought of Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Florida State.  But then I found myself asking…are there any program facing almost an identical situation as Tech?  I immediately thought of one…Kansas.  Turner Gil replaces a fairly popular Mark Mangino (who was fired for alleged player mistreatment).  KU fans aren’t singing kumbaya right now either. In fact…the Rock Chalk Talk blog looks like ours right now.  And, they are considered the worst school in the Big 12.  So, the one question that keeps running through my mind -  is life as a Red Raider really all that bad? 

 

It seems like each weekend brings a new level of frustration with our Red Raiders.  And, for the most part…Coach Tuberville gets his fair share of the blame. Rightfully so. He’s the head cheese.  Why is he running the ball?  We are a passing team!  Why won’t he play Sheffield instead of Potts? Sheffield brings a much needed spark to the team. Why is the defense giving up so many points?  Why can’t we put pressure on the QB? Can we just get a turnover?? We want Leach back!  We would not have this problem is Leach was here.

 

I have watched this team, in person, and I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe…we are going to be ok.  Walk with me for a minute.

 

Despite the turn of events this year, things could be worse.  We still have an offense that is statistically in the Top 25-30.  We are still passing the ball.  And, we are running the ball.  I can recall during Leach’s first year, fans crying for him to run the ball!  We came from an era of constant 1,000+ year rushers in Bam Morris, Ricky Williams, Byron Hanspard, etc.  Now, everyone is crying…throw the damn ball! 

 

Ok, so we have a new OC and a new scheme.  Despite what people say, this is a new system which calls for the right personnel.  We have some great athletes that fill the roster.  I’m convinced many of these aren’t the players for Coach Brown’s offense.  It’s nice to have lanky WRs who have a great vertical leap.  But where are the athletes?  Where are the physical WRs that use their athleticism and go over the middle?  Detron Lewis, in my opinon, has been a HUGE disappointment since Crabtree left.  He was primed to take over. Gifted.  Athletic.  Inconsistant!  I have never seen a guy drop more passes in critical situations on the field. Torres? Injury prone this year and now out for the year.  Nancy James?  Please! Franks, inconsistent outside threat - out.  Zouzalik?  MIA.  Tramain Swindall?  MIA.  This might explain why we aren’t going down field more. A pathetic 6 yards per pass attempt isn’t going to scare many opposing defenses.

 

From a RB standpoint, I get that the coaches love Stephens.  He is shifty, athletic, and can find the whole. He’ll be a good one for the next two years.  And he is small (5’8) and fumble prone - he’s got to hang on to the ball.  I <heart> Baron Batch!  What’s not to like?  He has matured so much since he first stepped foot on campus.   He’s got some size (210 lbs), but still a small back (5’10).  Crawford? Jeffers?  I used to think Jeffers was lightening in a bottle.  Dude was fast. But he’s 5’7.  He can hide behind the line and find the hole.  But where is he this year?  In short, we don’t have a big back that can move the pile. 

 

Offensive line is just barely coming to its own.  But they too have been inconsistent.  And, there is very little depth here, especially when you keep a guy like Carpenter on the sidelines just in case you need him.  Dude just graduated high school.  He may be good, but some DE will gladly welcome him to the Big 12.

 

This leads me to the Achilles heel of the team…Defense.  One cannot help but think we can’t get any worse here.  What’s the primary reason?  Injuries and a completely new scheme.  If you have not noticed, we are playing more freshmen than I can remember.  Porter, Phillips, Bush, Hubert, Peak, Barr, Cobb, Bullitt, Hyder, Graves, and Richards. Whew!  And, I can think of times where at least 4 or 5 of them were on the field…at the same time!  I don’t care if Leach was here or not…it’s tough to win games when you’re facing those kinds of defensive odds.  Coach Tuberville said it best last week – our defense is putting our team in holes we can’t climb out of! I would agree.  You may recall, we were down 21-0 against OSU at the end of the 1st. (their total offense that quarter – 200 yards).  Coach Willis is trying to find athletes that will help put opposing offenses on the sideline sooner, rather than later.  It’s a makeshift unit.  We have WRs now playing in the secondary (Douglas and now Moore).  That says a lot when you have DJ Johnson, a starter, getting burned every game.  I’m thinking he’s either having the Soph jinx or a hard time adjusting to the new scheme.

 

Special team?  Don’t get me started.  Lack of focus on all players.  I also think we have a young bunch here.  That’s typically the case with this side of the ball, but there are very few veterans on special teams this year. 

 

So what does all this rambling mean?  In my opinion, we are going to get a lot better.  We have to get passed this bump in the road.  Will there be a coaching casualty along the way?  Highly unlikely.  You don’t dump coaches after one season, unless things got REALLY bad in that position.  Willis isn’t going anywhere.  I believe in what he’s trying to do, although some days it’s harder to see it.  The players are buying into it.  Neil Brown…not doing too bad of a job for his first year.  I think he’s got some growing up to do (note the Texas game and 150 yards offense against what has turned into a terrible “whorn” defense).  He’s implementing some balance that his “CEO” wants.  Still slinging the ball, just not 50-60 times a game.  Establishing the run, against the fans’ wishes. 

 

Last year’s recruits are already getting invaluable playing experience.  Thrown to the wolves?  Yep!  But these guys will be pretty darn good for the next few years.  The 2011 recruits are shaping up to be pretty impressive on paper.  I like Ronnie Daniels (from New Mexico).  I think he fits the type of RB Tuberville wants (6’1, 200); remember Ronnie Brown?  The defensive recruits seem to have speed and athleticism. According to Rivals, a Top 20 class during a very disappointing season.  And, I don’t think we have seen the rest of the class. I still believe there is a hidden, key recruit that we aren’t hearing about.

http://texastech.scout.com/a.z?s=188&p=9&c=8&toinid=671&yr=2011.

 

Leach had one Top 20 this early in the season, last season.  If memory serves me correctly, several of the recruits he targeted didn’t qualify.  Spike…umm…can’t recall one Top 25 class…ever! I’ll gladly let someone prove me wrong.  I’m only in my 30’s.

 

I think we risk going 6-6.  Disappointing?  You bet!!  Would Leach have been better?  Maybe.  But injuries happen every year.  So I’m convinced that the problems we are seeing this year would have been his problems too.  Don’t forget, he lost the team last year after the tough Houston loss.  Many of those players are still on this team.  In talking to a lot of these kids after last season, I’m not convinced our record would be much better.  He ended his season 8-4.  Amazingly enough, his record after his very first season in Lubbock – 7-6.  So he was good enough for one more win in his last year. 

 

Keep the faith!  Continue to support the players because they are really doing the best they can.  It’s a transition year that few wanted to endure, but deal with it.  Don’t look back and grieve over the past; it’s gone. Don’t be troubled by the future; it hasn’t come yet. Live in the present and make it worth remembering. Find a silver lining.

Seth did a great job providing you a synopsis on yesterday's game in this morning's posting. Given that he had a mere Internet broadcast to go off of...he captured every element of what happened at the game...except one. 

As my wife, friends, and other Red Raider fans sat in the stands, we could not help but all say that the game was extremely boring in the first half.  It was as if we were at a high school game.  What we felt was a great college game day environment, turned yawn fest for all, including Buff fans.  The environment was perfect.  Tailgating with great Colorado fans, 55 degree weather, 40 yard line seats, the running of Ralphy, sea of black and gold, and both teams in desperate need of a victory. 

We sat fairly close to the Tech sideline (we were on row 34, 40 yard line) so we could almost hear the coaches and players.  What we all noticed was the lack of emotion coming from this team, and to a sense..the coaches.  Colorado had all the momentum in the first  half and it was almost as if Tech had better things to do and no matter what they did, they would come to the sidelines as if their attitude was "is this game over yet?"  The scary part...I leaned over and told my wife and friends...if Tech loses this game, Tuberville loses this team.  You can see it in their face.  The players yelled at each other and their body language on the field told the story. There were players yelling at the staff.

We were shocked at what we were seeing.  I found my self yelling at Tuberville asking for just a little emotion, especially on a "iffy" call when one of our players allowed a punted ball hit him in the helmet leading to a Colorado recovery.  We all felt he was pushed into the ball. 

Of course..the second half was much different.  It was apparent that the coaching staff really got to the players; almost as if they slapped them silly in the locker room and said wake up!!  And luckily..they did!

I noticed that WR Franks left the game with an injury (later reported to be a broken bone in his foot and is out weeks now); WR Swindell was taken to the locker room and later came back but never stepped foot on the field in the second half.  We endured a few other injuries.  So..the injury bug continues!

The Colorado fans were secretly cheering for a Tech victory because they are done with Hawkins.  I had a large number of people tell me that they would love to hire Mike Leach and asked about the lawsuit and when will it get resolved.  While I still like Mike Leach, I reminded them be careful what you wish for...you just might get it along with the headaches we endured early (and late).  This loss pretty much secured Hawkin's fate.  The University is in REAL need of a coach that will launch them into the Pac-10 and help raise necessary funds!  The stadium really needs a face life in many areas (despite the new suits just added not long ago).  Sitting in the seats we bought, I learned that a season ticket would cost, in total, about $600-700.  For 40 yard line seats, not far from the sideline??? I was shocked! 

Lastly, I was VERY proud of our fans!!! I would have to estimate that there were about 1,500+ fans in the Tech section and some red & black sprinkled throughout the stadium, including the 10 we sat with.  They were respectful when Colorado players were injured (and they were legit injuries) and cheered their team on!  I explaned to the CU fans near me why we raised our "guns up" during an injury...her response...thank you so much!  I really appreciate you fans for your respect.  I was so proud to see we still represented despite how our season has gone!  And, a shout out to the Colorado fans!  They were great and appreciated a good game.  I still contend that they have some of the best fans in football! TTU student body...take note!

I took a few pictures this weekend to share on my Facebook page.  It's open to anyone, just be respectful to the misses and me.  I try to uphold a good reputation in my line of work.  You will notice I took a picture of a "herbal dispenser" across from campus.  We had to laugh considering there were at least a dozen of these "pharmacies" in Denver & Boulder.  I know it's been legalized...but the names were just classic including the one i posted on my FB page.  Hope you enjoy!  Wreck 'em!!  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31044026&id=1134360766&saved#!/album.php?aid=2068299&id=1134360766&notif_t=like

According to the Lubbock AJ, Red-shirt Freshman, Terrance Bullitt is out for the Colorado game with a broken hand.  He suffered an injury to his hand during the OK State, but hurt it further during practice.  He was listed as the starting Strong side LB going into the weekend.

Is it me or are we having the worst luck with injuries this year?  It will not surprise me if we have 5-6 freshmen (either true or RS) starting Saturday.  At this point, Coach Tubs and Coach Willis will have to do the best they can to salvage this season. 

[Note by Seth C, 10/20/10 9:04 PM CDT ] Edited to remove the copy and paste of the article.  It's good internet mojo to link and discuss.

The week that we have all dreaded started Sunday. You know the week.  It's the week that leads up to the big game.  There is nothing more exciting.  The coordination of the tailgate party; the purchasing of your favorite jersey number; the long drive up to watch your favorite team; the beer; the BBQ. And yes, the dreaded "WalMart" fan!!

Now I recognize that every school has those fans.  Tech definitely has them, but they are really in Lubbock proper.  Unfortunately, the shorthorns have them EVERYWHERE!!  Most bleed orange despite no affiliation with the school other than the blue light special on t-shirts. They talk about how their team is #1, they are going to win the National Championship, our team sux, their kids will be going to Texas, blah, blah, blah!! 

Ask them...what school did you go to again?  Did you get that $40k piece of paper that hangs on most office walls? They change the subject back to how our team sucks.  So, I give you the viral smack talk that is rapidly growing!  Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

 

http://www.otherteamsfans.com/2010/09/texas-tech-strikes-first-2010/

According to ESPN.com, the appeals court has set a date of October 7 to hear opening arguments. Not that it matters, but we play Baylor (in Dallas) that weekend. I'm sure Annette James and his daddy, Christy will not be available for comment.

----------------------------------------------------------

Mike Leach case arguments set for Oct.

Associated Press
<!-- end mod-article-title --><!-- begin story body -->

LUBBOCK, Texas -- The Texas appeals court handling former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach's lawsuit against the university over his 2009 firing has set Oct. 7 for oral arguments.

The school is appealing a judge's ruling that the university waived its right to sovereign immunity in Leach's breach of conduct claim.

The university fired Leach last Dec. 30, two days after suspending him amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion. Leach has denied mistreating receiver Adam James and his attorneys have suggested an $800,000 bonus he was to have received Dec. 31 was the reason he was fired.

James is the son of former NFL player and ESPN analyst Craig James.

This may be old news to some of you, but I felt compelled to rehash a conversation I had with the Red Raider Club.

As you may be aware, the RRC is going to be charging for parking at the USA parking lots.  Aside from what most will think is the obvious (money), I have been told that the goal of this is to create some organization.  As an out of town tailgater with an RV and Camper, I spend many of hours waiting for the Oklahoma land rush to open on Friday evenings.  I think we all would agree that the tailgating situation is a mess, at least for some games. 

From what I was told, this comes from the Top (Bailey & Hance).  My contact said they gets weekly complaints and that there is very little organization in those parking lots.  Another concern was regarding emergency vehicles.  They said the last few years they have been unable to get them through the chaos. In my opinion, the only real chaos happens during bigger games (i.e. t.u., a&m, and maybe OU).  Me personally, I have never seen this, but I'm sure it happens.

So how is this going to work?  TTU is going to repaint the lines in the parking lot prior to the football season to accommodate cars/RV/camper parking passes.  For those who have RVs/Campers, one pass will be good for a 20x40 parking space.  Basically, this is equivalent to 8 spaces.  Those who purchase the "yellow" pass, your spots is guaranteed, which means you can show up any time and no one will be in your space (yeah, uh huh).  For those who purchase "red" passes, you have an area you can park in, but no reserved spot.  The simple question is this...has anyone tried to park an RV/camper in tight areas?  Very difficult.

In my opinion, the fees are WAY too excessive for the first year.  Why not a gradual fee increase?  My season tickets went up 25% and my "Scholarship Fee" from the RRC went up 30%.  So on top of driving 400 miles to watch my alma matter, I have to pay another $375-625?

One good note, there is a RV/Camper hook up "lot" in the works for the future.  That might be worth parking for a pass if I have access to water and electricity, but not a section of asphalt.

I'm curious to get your thoughts on this. I know this will not change anything, but its worth the vent!

http://www.redraiderclub.com/pdfs/2010United-Spirit-Arena-Parking.pdf

 

I thought you would enjoy a great article about the 92-93 TTU Women’s basketball team. They definitely reshaped how people watch women’s basketball. Primarily because they wanted to watch the greatest player in women's history..Sheryl Swoopes!!

 

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/college/Swooping_past_the_competition.html

 

By John Whisler - Express-News

They came from places such as Idalou, Spearman, Brownfield and Loraine, small towns on the West Texas plains, where cotton was king and family values ran deep.

They had the nation's best player, a driven coach and a strong supporting cast, but even that fails to adequately explain the Texas Tech Lady Raiders' magical run to the NCAA women's national championship in 1992-93.

“We loved the game, and we loved each other,” said Krista (Kirkland) Gerlich, a starting guard on the team and now head coach at West Texas A&M. “Our chemistry was phenomenal. Yet I don't know that we ever dreamed of winning a national title.”

Under coach Marsha Sharp, the Lady Raiders went 31-3, finishing with 19 consecutive victories and taking the city of Lubbock on an unforgettable ride.

Texas Tech played to a packed house all season long at the old Municipal Coliseum, then attracted sellout crowds at the Final Four at The Omni in Atlanta, a first for women's basketball.

Many credited the Lady Raiders' season with changing the women's game for good, taking it from a sport with a small but loyal following to the big time.

“I think a lot of men watched the women's NCAA tournament for the first time,” Sharp said. “We got hundreds of letters from people from all over the country who said they loved watching us play.”

The main reason was Sheryl Swoopes, a charismatic Brownfield native who played two seasons at South Plains College in Levelland before transferring to Tech in the fall of 1991.

She led the Lady Raiders to their first-ever victory over Jody Conradt and the Texas Longhorns that year. She became a Kodak All-American as Texas Tech won its first Southwest Conference title and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.

That set the stage for a dream season in 1992-93.

Behind Swoopes, Tech won another SWC title and marched into the postseason on a roll. She scored 53 points in the finals of the conference tournament against Texas.

“Sheryl rose up and put us on her back,” recalls Gerlich, who later coached in San Antonio for five years, at UTSA, and at Taft and Reagan high schools. “We were playing so well.”

After a 70-64 victory over Washington in the second round (Tech had a first-round bye), the Lady Raiders clobbered Lisa Leslie and Southern California by 20 in the regional semifinals in Missoula, Mont.

They drubbed Colorado, which had upset Stanford, in the regional finals to earn the school's first trip to the Final Four.

“I think we were all a little bit nervous,” said Sharp, now an associate AD after 24 seasons as head coach of the Lady Raiders (1982-2006). “We had seven small-town girls from West Texas. They had kind of an awestruck look about them.”

The Lady Raiders stunned No. 1 Vanderbilt in the national semis, 60-46, behind 31 points from Swoopes, then held on to beat Ohio State 84-82 in the final game.

Gerlich scored 14 points, and Tech got great contributions from point guard Noel Johnson and post Cynthia Clinger.

But Swoopes was the show. She scored 47 points, still a national finals record.

Gerlich called Swoopes' performance “Jordan-like.”

Sharp said Swoopes, who went on to win four WNBA titles with the Houston Comets and three Olympic gold medals, was “one of the three best players of her generation.”

When the team returned to Lubbock, 40,000 fans packed the football stadium to greet them.

“It was a life-changing experience,” Gerlich said of Tech's championship season. “It made you believe in the possibility of greatness.”

Lady Raiders’ title run

Texas Tech won its first NCAA championship in women’s basketball in 1993. Here’s how coach Marsha Sharp’s Lady Raiders did it after earning a bye through the first round:

Second round: At Lubbock, Tech edged Washington 70-64

Regional semifinals: At Missoula, Mont., Tech dominated Southern California 87-67

Regional final: Tech enjoyed another blowout with a 79-54 victory against Colorado

National semifinals: At The Omni in Atlanta, there was no slowing Tech, which hammered Vanderbilt 60-46

National championship: Sheryl Swoopes scored a title-game record 47 points as Tech beat Ohio State 84-82

- Jerry Briggs

 

I thought I would see how Neal Brown’s offense stacked against Mike Leach’s just for grins. 

 

How is this for offensive production?  Attached is Coach Brown’s offense at Troy, who went 9-4.  Clearly recognizing they played in a WEAK conference (I think the Sun Belt), Troy was 3rd in total offense behind Houston and Nevada, and one ahead of…Texas Tech.  They averaged 6.5 yards per play to Leach’s 6.2; which comes to 15 yards a game more.

 

Note the total yards rushing vs. passing (1,939 vs. 4,375). That’s 149 yards a game rushing and 336 yards passing.  This will give you a glimpse into what we might expect at the Jones for the next few years. 

 

 

SCORING	438
Points Per Game	33.7
FIRST DOWNS	312
Rushing	101
Passing	191
Penalty	20
RUSHING YARDAGE	1939
Yards gained rushing	2241
Yards lost rushing	302
Rushing Attempts	444
Average Per Rush	4.4
Average Per Game	149.2
TDs Rushing	29
PASSING YARDAGE	4375
Comp-Att-Int	333-529-10
Average Per Pass	8.3
Average Per Catch	13.1
Average Per Game	336.5
TDs Passing	24
TOTAL OFFENSE	6314
Total Plays	973
Average Per Play	6.5
Average Per Game	485.7
KICK RETURNS: #-Yards	62-1305
PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards	30-106
INT RETURNS: #-Yards	10-131
KICK RETURN AVERAGE	21.0
PUNT RETURN AVERAGE	3.5
INT RETURN AVERAGE	13.1
FUMBLES-LOST	28-17
PENALTIES-Yards	106-888
Average Per Game	68.3
PUNTS-Yards	56-2285
Average Per Punt	40.8
Net punt average	37.5
TIME OF POSSESSION/Game	28:58
3RD-DOWN Conversions	80/184
3rd-Down Pct	43%
4TH-DOWN Conversions	4/17
4th-Down Pct	24%
SACKS BY-Yards	33-194
MISC YARDS	-12
TOUCHDOWNS SCORED	55
FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS	18-23
ON-SIDE KICKS	0-0
RED-ZONE SCORES	51-62 82%
RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS	38-62 61%
PAT-ATTEMPTS	52-53 98%
ATTENDANCE	92066
Games/Avg Per Game	5/18413
Neutral Site Games

 

 

As noted in today's edition of Politico, a prominent Washington, DC newspaper, Craig James is considering a run for US Senate.  Amid controversy, he is meeting with Republican strategists to determine if he stands a chance to run for current US Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison's seat.  As you may be aware, Senator Hutchison is running for the Republican Gubernatorial nomination.

As a person who has worked on campaigns and is a lobbyist, I can assure you that some are encouraging him to use his name and visibility for the run.  But make no mistake about it, his demons will clearly be exposed in this possible run.  Setting aside the latest Tech fiasco, his football playing days at SMU will clearly make headlines.  His NFL playing days will be exposed.  And, anything he was accused of during that time will be exposed.

There is no guarantee he will run for her seat.  She has not officially relenquished that seat.  That means should she win the primary, then she would step down.  Governor Rick Perry would then appoint someone to her seat until 2010.  Should she lose, many are convinced she will stay in Washington and finish her term, set to expire in 2012. 

On the other hand, there are some who are advising him right now that this may not be the right time.  He has stirred controversy with a large voting constituency.  To make matters worse, he has also upset the TCU faithful (voted them 14th in the final AP poll).   Bottom line, I am not sure he would be embraced by the 50% needed to win the election.  I like his chances if he is only faving Sec. of State Roger Williams because of his name.  But there are many ponies in the race (no pun intended).  

Look forward to your thoughts.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0110/Craig_James_wants_to_run_for_Senate_in_Texas.html

 

Despite the bumps and bruises Captain Leach;s crew took this year, they will be rewarded with an invitation to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.  According to the attached link, Alamo Bowl offices likes how Tech follows their team.  You may recall that in 2001, we packed the dome.  You may also recall that Derrick Fox, CEO of the Alamo Bowl started the PR frenzy by suggesting that despite Tech deserving the invitation, A&M was an attractive choice because they bring their fans.  True, but this was a year that we beat the Aggies and ended up with a better record.

In good Derrick Fox fashion, he was at it again suggesting that OU would be a possibility since they have never played in the Alamo Bowl.  Well, looks like the PR ploy did not work this time.  The media did not create the "war of words" like it did in 2001. 

So, the big question is this...will you be bringing your sword to support our Red Raiders?  Wreck 'em!!

http://www.redraiders.com/2009/12/06/tech-bound-for-alamo-bowl/

While most are getting a wee bit tired of reading about Eugene Parker and how he is handling his client's contract matters, it would appear that he is going to rethink his strategy.  With the 49'ers sitting in first place(although I admit the season is only 25% complete), it would appear that Mike Singletary has this team buying into his no-nonsense approach.  And, letting the record state that they are ready to move on without Mr. Crabtree.

I begin to wonder if this is the right team for Crabtree.  How can an agent, who has never played the game, ensure that his client is going to be welcomed in a locker room that not only went through Singletary's bootcamp, but has started fighting the war??  As much as we like Mr. Crabtree, it is clear that he will have a very difficult time winning over the locker room. And, more importantly his coach!

The following link was just posted on espn.com.  Enjoy!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4534306

I have been reading a lot of preseason magazines, newspaper clippings and blogs and the one thing that is consistant is that Tech is not getting ANY love from the media.  Too many critical holes to fill justifies their primary reason.  If you read my posting 2009 Red Raider Record Prediction, I am pretty confident that we will not fall too far (although I still stand behind my prediction). And, I believe a team that has been bowl-eligable every year since the Big 12 was formed, is coming off of one of the best seasons in school history, and has consistanty gotten better athletes in each recruting class, should get a little more respect.

But it begs the question; how do the above teams great pre-season love from the media when they play against subpar competition?  Lou Holtz all but predicted his beloved Fighting Irish to win at least 9, if not 10 games this year while admitting they will play a creampuff schedule.  Sad reality, the media will jump on the bandwagon and if the Irish do finish like most predict, they will have played their way into a BCS Bowl Game with a monster payout.  

Boise State and Utah?  Yes, they have had a pretty good track record over the last few years, but again, lesser opponents.  These two programs don't have the history like ND, so why would the media give them that respect?

North Carolina?  Butch Davis is a very good coach.  I am glad he is getting another chance.  They had a pretty good season last year.  But automatically putting them in the Top 25 is like my wife telling me that this year's Miss USA deserves to be a finalist because last year's was pretty good.

Do I think BS and Utah deserve to be in the Top 25? Yes.  Does Tech deserve to be on the front porch looking in to the window? No.

So here is my question to you, the true fan. Would any of these four teams make it in the Big 12? Should they be ranked ahead of our beloved Red Raiders?  I'd love to hear your thoughts?

According to Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, Texas Tech's own Brandon Williams is out for the season with a torn ACL.  Too bad!  I really thought he should have stayed at Tech for his senior season, but I think I speak for every Tech fan and alum when I say I was really rooting for him. I wish him well in his recovery!

Attached is the link below:

Brandon Williams: Out for the Season

 

Note sure if this was posted by Seth or his readers, but here is a nice read on our good friend Danny Amendola. Worth checking out. The quote in the article might give him hope:

"Amendola has indeed been impressive in the beginning of this 2009 training camp. He has shown a quickness and shiftiness that is often hard to find, and has also proved to be willing to do whatever the coaches ask him to do, including being the only return man for both punt and kickoff returns here at camp so far." 

Of course, he has some stiff competition.  Amd, you know Hank Baskett will have some pep in his step after getting married to a Playboy bunny!

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=18042

Nice little mention about Brandon Williams in todays Dallas Cowboys "True Blue Fan Club" blog.  I have to admit, I watched him Saturday in San Anotnio and he had his moments, but overall had a bit of a rough practice.  Since then, he's looked pretty good.

James: Rookies Deepen LB Corps Posted by rphillips at 8/5/2009 12:17 PM CDT on truebluefanclub.com

Linebacker depth has been labeled a question mark by many because the Cowboys have four draft picks -- Jason Williams, Victor Butler, Brandon Williams and Stephen Hodge -- all playing new positions.

Inside linebacker Bradie James disagrees with those concerns.

"I think this is the deepest we've ever been since Wade's been here, actually," James said. "Those guys, even though they're young, they're hungry. They make mistakes, but they make mistakes full-speed and you can build on those types of guys."

Interesting comment by James, a defensive captain who typically doesn't pull any punches in interviews. He's already said Jason Williams, a fellow inside 'backer, needs to keep watching film and learn from his mistakes so he can play the position more naturally.

But James also said the rookies could make the defense more athletic, and they've all shown a strong work ethic. That's all you can ask this early into training camp.

Butler and Brandon Williams, 4-3 defensive ends in college, look like the primary backups to DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer at outside linebacker. The Cowboys waived veteran OLB Greg Ellis and lost nickel linebacker Kevin Burnett to free agency. Bobby Carpenter and veteran Keith Brooking probably will help fill that role.

I recently sent a post to Seth regarding my opinion on this Captain Leach's pirate this year.  He thought it would be a good idea to post for thoughts, criticism, feedback, etc. Please note that this is simple a simple minded opinion not endorsed by Seth (or anyone else).  I have been around this program for 16 years (4 as a student; now as President of the Alumni Association in New Braunfels).  I am an ongoing season ticket holder and drive up for nearly every game (400 miles).

For what it is worth, here is my take on this year's team:

Quarterback:

I love the fact that we have an NFL caliber QB at the helm. I have been around this program long enough to know that sooner or later, someone will buck the trend. I like Potts'size and arm strength. I also think that could be his downfall. He reminds me a lot of BJ Symons and dare I say Brett Favre. In this league, throwing into tight spaces will turn one interception into 5. I distinctly remember Symons doing this not once, but twice. It is hard to replace the experience, football IQ, and leadership Graham possessed.  I'm not a huge fan of Mr. Harrell; largely due to his attitude.  For kicks, I wanted to see how Potts my statistically stack up against Harrell and Symons. Here is what I learned (and threw in a Bill Parcell's offensive reality (yards per point):

Harrell: Threw 1 interception per 69 passes.  Threw 1 TD per 14 passes.  Threw 1 TD per 113 yards offense.

Symons: Threw 1 interception per 32 passes.  Threw 1 TD per 14 passes.  Threw 1 TD per 112 yards offense.

Potts (recognize this was mop up duty): Threw 1 interception per 49 passes. Threw 1 TD per 10 passes.  Threw 1 TD per 133 yards offense.

Potts will be fine if he is patient and has protection. Doege will put some pressure on him in camp and if Potts struggles early, but I'd still like to see him mature, get in a few games late, and blossom into the QB everyone is saying he is now. Of course, Potts needs to stay healthy. If he can't, we may be in for a long season.

Running Backs:

I am VERY excited about our running back situation. I recognize that Leach will always throw the ball, but we have three very capable backs who can finally add the missing dimension...a consistent running game. I like that fact that we ran for nearly 120 yards a game last year. That is over 50 yards a game better than Leach's Tech average. We have become that much more dangerous. Batch is the real deal, when healthy. He is a strong, fast athletic back who will give defenses fits. Jefferswill add much needed speed to the passing game. The Ole Miss game provided that we lacked the needed speed to compete with most SEC teams. Jeffers has the ability to hide behind the O-line and create space, much like Johnny Mack (TTU2004). Crawford, when healthy adds quality depth and yet another dimension to the running game. I do not see a drop in our 120 yard a game stats. If anything, we may improve on that.

Wide Receivers:

As stated above, the Ole Miss game proved that we lacked the speed to keep up with their defensive backs. Crabtree is irreplaceable. He is one of the best WRs in college history. His on the field presence forced coverage issues for opposing defenses. However, in my opinion, he also put Tech's passing game "one dimensional" many times overlooking wide open receivers because he and Harrell had a good chemistry. Hard to argue. This year I see Leach getting his 1,000 yards per receiver position. Detron Lewis will pick up the slack. He is flat out a stud on the field. He is very athletic and strong. All practice reports the last two years cite his an Crabtree's clone (athletic, fast, and freakishly scary).  I see Adam James more of an impact receiver because he will fill that "Cody Fuller (2004-2005)" role; always in the right place at the right time. Fuller was a possession receiver and made plays and most importantly took a hit while getting a first down. Sad thing..Cody was a baseball player. Franks, Britton (assuming he finally lives up to his potential & stays out of Leach's doghouse), Eric Ward, Swindell, Hawk, Reese, Leong, Zouzalik will all make this position stronger. I see more balance coming from this core group.

O-Line:

To me this is the second most scariest question mark on the team. Replacing Vasquez, Reed, and Hambywill be very difficult. They were anchors and kept Harrell off his back (minus Ole Miss). All Big-12, preseason All American Brandon Carter needs to grow up. I was so disappointed for the way he acted towards the end of the Ole Miss game. Lose with class and be a leader. We have great talent coming in to fill the holes, but they are big holes to fill. Okafor, Byrnes, Edwards, Emmert, Clark will help add some depth but will need to gel. Overall this is a talented bunch (maybe one of Leach's most talented) but will be tested early in Austin. Note my concern about Potts' health.

D-Line:

Extremely disappointed in Dixon's lack of discipline. I was shocked that Brandon Williams left early, especially when there was not a whole lot of upside. Yes, he got picked up by Dallas, but someone who declares early should have an expectation of being selected higher than the 4th. Quite frankly, Williams doesn't get double digit sacks if it weren't for Dixon.  Riley, Henley, Haliburton, Hunter, Jones, etc will have their work cut of for them. Sesay should live up to his billing and the two DT signees may see playing time this year.  I've watched video on those two guys....don't want to meet them in a dark alley.  But, you cannot expect any of the above to replace Williams and Dixon. They have to gel and and I believe they will be fine. I think we still get pressure on the QB, and expect some blitzes to help because with a VERY young secondary, we will need these guys that much more. Whitlock is just a hoss. Everyone has that moment that defines their playing career. His was the Texas game (twice-safety and a nice bloody chin job on McCoy).  The front four needs to stay healthy.

Linebackers:

This is a talented group, but I am concerned we may be thin. Bront Bird has potential but I wasn't impressed with him last year. Still made freshman like mistakes on the field. I can't wait to see Fehokoon the field. He should calm himself down though. He's a little high strung. Duncan and Williams will need to step up their leadership, especially with a young, inexperienced backfield. The positive, we do have veterans in all three positions.

Defensive Backs:

We may be last year's Texas. Young secondary who will make mistakes, but need to grow up fast. Losing two deep virtually at every position will lose us a game for sure. Jamar Wall, best shut down corner in the Big 12 (according to Tim Griffin) sure did get picked on last year..a lot. He needs to step up and play to his potential. Davis needs to be as good as hyped. Hard hitters make mistakes (Roy Williams comes to mind). You can't expect to quickly replace McBath and Charbonet and double digit interceptions , but like the old saying goes, if you lose your leader in one category, new opportunities arise. Davis, Howard, Mitchem...time to grow up. I love this year's recruits and hope to see Ford, Cobb or Bullitt get into a game.

Special Teams:

Glad to see Leach fill this with experience. This will be an instant improvement. Don't get me wrong, Coach Clay McGuire helped fill the resume, but you know its bad if we go to the stands. Great PR, bad for winning critical games. In short, our punt return teams were, well, pathetic. We need to do a better job getting our blockers in line to create open space for our return man. I'd love to see Ward return punts. Speed kills. By the way, how does the PUNTER get a six game suspension?? What an idiot!

Overall Assessment: 8-4

Games We lose: Texas, Houston, OK State, and Nebraska. I actually worry about the Baylor game (could replace Houston as one of their losses).

Thoughts?