Spring Break
Changes will lead to exciting year on the Hill
Swinging for the Fences
Matt Watson
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: Sports
On your first day of class, before you turn straight to the Sudoku (I'm a crossword guy myself), hear me out.
There's exciting stuff going on this year in the world of Razorback sports.
It may not be the most successful year in terms of wins and losses. It will be extremely difficult to make more national headlines and scandalous tabloids than in years past, but that's a good thing.
Several of changes have gone down in Fayetteville in the last few years, and that just means there are new faces in new places on the Hill.
Since my freshman year on campus, 101 years of service at the UA have walked out the door between former athletic director Frank Broyles (50 years), track coach John McDonnell (36), football coach Houston Nutt (10) and basketball coach Stan Heath (5). Not to mention a chancellor who retired last summer.
And in the last year, four Arkansas Razorbacks were drafted in the top 50 in the three major American sports. Darren McFadden (4th overall, Oakland Raiders) and Felix Jones (22nd overall, Dallas Cowboys) have already making their marks on the NFL preseason, Sonny Weems (39th overall, Chicago Bulls) was traded on draft day to the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, and Logan Forsythe (46th overall, San Diego Padres) will soon represent the Hogs in the Major Leagues.
With all those names inked in Razorback history and moving on to bigger and better things, their shoes, along with many others', will have to be filled.
And that's the exciting thing. Who will step up? Who will fill holes?
No one can promise the win and loss columns will stack up like everyone would like them too, but regardless, it should be interesting to watch.
There's a new football coach instilling an exciting new offense, working to rebuild a program that has approached greatness and fallen short. There are freshmen who could see significant playing time at running back, wide receiver and several defensive positions.
The four returning players from the 2007-08 Razorback basketball team averaged 10.1 minutes per game and scored a combined 10.6 points per game last season - there are seven freshmen on the roster for head coach John Pelphrey's second season on the Hog bench.
There's exciting stuff going on this year in the world of Razorback sports.
It may not be the most successful year in terms of wins and losses. It will be extremely difficult to make more national headlines and scandalous tabloids than in years past, but that's a good thing.
Several of changes have gone down in Fayetteville in the last few years, and that just means there are new faces in new places on the Hill.
Since my freshman year on campus, 101 years of service at the UA have walked out the door between former athletic director Frank Broyles (50 years), track coach John McDonnell (36), football coach Houston Nutt (10) and basketball coach Stan Heath (5). Not to mention a chancellor who retired last summer.
And in the last year, four Arkansas Razorbacks were drafted in the top 50 in the three major American sports. Darren McFadden (4th overall, Oakland Raiders) and Felix Jones (22nd overall, Dallas Cowboys) have already making their marks on the NFL preseason, Sonny Weems (39th overall, Chicago Bulls) was traded on draft day to the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, and Logan Forsythe (46th overall, San Diego Padres) will soon represent the Hogs in the Major Leagues.
With all those names inked in Razorback history and moving on to bigger and better things, their shoes, along with many others', will have to be filled.
And that's the exciting thing. Who will step up? Who will fill holes?
No one can promise the win and loss columns will stack up like everyone would like them too, but regardless, it should be interesting to watch.
There's a new football coach instilling an exciting new offense, working to rebuild a program that has approached greatness and fallen short. There are freshmen who could see significant playing time at running back, wide receiver and several defensive positions.
The four returning players from the 2007-08 Razorback basketball team averaged 10.1 minutes per game and scored a combined 10.6 points per game last season - there are seven freshmen on the roster for head coach John Pelphrey's second season on the Hog bench.
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