John Chiles deserves more attention from coaches this season.
The thing that intrigued me — and probably several fans — the most about attending the Orange-White Scrimmage this year was the allure of seeing John Chiles, Texas’ quarterback turned new and improved wide receiver, in action.
There was much excitement and anticipation surrounding Chiles’ name when everyone first heard that he was coming to play for Texas two years ago. While those who thought he would be the next Vince Young were probably overly optimistic, there was reason to believe he’d be something special.
There are a lot of misconceptions about college athletes.
“Sometimes I try not to wear burnt orange around campus because I want to hide my identity a little to mingle with people that aren’t athletes,” said Eddie Jones, football player and education junior. “I think they notice and they judge us for being athletes.”
Damion James will declare himself eligible for the NBA draft.
We will see a lot more of Stephen McGee in the future . On Sundays.
"If you were to ask Stephen if there was a time he didn’t think he would be an NFL player, he’d say, 'You’re stupid,’ " his father, Rodney McGee, said with a hearty laugh. "He knew that from the fifth grade."
Fully healthy, McGee performed impressively at the NFL Scouting Combine and at the East-West Shrine all-star game. Suddenly, the option quarterback who isn’t is in the discussion as a third-round pick, possibly as the fourth or fifth quarterback selected, in the April 25-26 NFL Draft.
"He’ll be one of these guys two years from now, three years from now," said Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys player personnel director and esteemed NFL.com personnel guru, "where people will say, 'Ooh, how’d they get that guy on the second day of the draft?’ "
Wonder who will win this year... In case you need something to do on Saturday, the Aggies will have their annual spring game at Kyle Field. They even created a web site for the occasion.
The Aggies have a marketing department? Texas A&M is trying to sell themselves to prospective students.
"We've got to set ourselves apart," she said. "As you know, the competition for top students is getting harder."
Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, right, signs autographs following the annual Oklahoma spring football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, April 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Sam Bradford is a true hero.
Know your enemy... The Sooner freshmen linebackers are making a statement.
Jaydan Bird wrapped up running back Justin Johnson, dragged him to the sideline and tossed him into the kicking net.
The play drew a personal foul and an earful from coach Bob Stoops.
But it also personified the tenacious and unrelenting performances of true freshman linebackers Bird, Ronnell Lewis and Tom Wort during Saturday's Red-White Spring Game.
And for that matter, the entire spring.
Norman police officers really need something to fill their time. OU tight end Jermaine Gresham was arrested because of a failure to pay a seat belt citation.
T. Boone Pickens is busy saving our nation's energy, Oklahoma State athletics and now the College Football Hall of Fame.
There is no end in sight for Jackie Sherrill's lawsuit against the NCAA.
Sherrill's original complaint, since amended twice, alleges 18 counts of wrongdoing. Though the suit originally asked for $10 million in damages, such a request has been removed and is now open-ended.
Dr. Saturday thinks Sherill has the Midas touch. And not in a good way.
CBSSports' Gary Parrish has a guide to the college basketball coaching carousel.
0 recs | 15 comments
I guess Florida really did own OU
It looks like little sammy bradford has on their jersey.
run Bevo run - April 16, 2009
"University launches marketing campagin"
The first thing the Aggies should probably do is learn to spell…
utexas87 - April 16, 2009
I cannot believe I missed that…
dimecoverage - April 16, 2009
McGee A Poster Child for Longhorn Football
Wow. What an indictment of the player development capabilities of the Aggies’ football program. Here is a guy that is being talked about as a possible day 1 NFL draft pick based on his athletic ability – and he showed no progression or true effectiveness in his Aggie career. Contrast that with Colt McCoy – who came in as an unheralded filler for Perriloser/Chase Daniel and developed into a Heisman trophy candidate. Mama – don’t let your babies grow up to be Aggies.
realmccoy - April 16, 2009
People that followed his high school career know that McGee was a very good QB. His years at A&M were a complete waste of his talent. From interviews, etc. he obviously loves the school and the program, but they should have utilized his skills. They being Franchione. That moron set the A&M program back years. Every Day Should Be Saturday has another choice term for him.
dimecoverage - April 16, 2009
EDSBS-certified TFI
I like it.
It’s simple, yet 100% accurate.
Beergut - April 17, 2009
my heart bleeds for these poor, oppressed athletes
How the hell is going out after 8 an issue? Your time isn’t limited unless you fail in time management.
The part about not being able to go to summer school because of their schedules is patently false; there are plenty of football and basketbal players whom go to summer school.
texas spends an average of $220,000 per athletes on the team members who represent the school; these student-athletes seem a little upset that they are being forced to actually work to earn those perks like tutoring and a scholarship.
I wonder if some of them realize that if the athletic department were run like the real business world, they wouldn’t have scholarships, b/c non-revenue sports like swimming and track wouldn’t exist, b/c they are not profitable.
Having Kwame Cavil comment is interesting; maybe if Kwame could stay away from the marijuana, he wouldn’t have to worry about just being judged as an athlete.
I think what Acho and Jones and Kirkendoll need to realize is that you are only judged if you screw up and you are an athlete, because then people think you are perpetuating a stereotype of the ‘dumb jock’. If you bust your ass and are successful academically, people admire you for doing well in the classroom, b/c they know the other commitments you have on and off the field.
Beergut - April 16, 2009
oh yes...
…b/c YOU never stereotype..right? those damn t-sips who go to texas!! I HATE them ALL!
vy til i die - April 16, 2009
BTW We Would be 3 TD Favorite vs. Taliban
realmccoy - April 16, 2009
You Should Double Check Your Facts
The $220K figure per athlete does not jive with the article published in Texas Monthly.
realmccoy - April 16, 2009
I enjoy beergut being wrong as much as the next guy
And he’s wrong here, though in an unexpected way. UT spends an average of $244,000 per athlete per year.
learned hand - April 16, 2009
didn't read the TM article
the number I posted was from an old Daily Texan article I read some time back, so the number may have gone up
I just remember thinking at the time that if you took some of these athletes aside and told them that if they took care of business in the classroom and on the field, the athletic department was going to spend $1.1 million on them over 5 years, a lot more of them would behave.
Beergut - April 17, 2009
Gonna have to disagree with you on a few things, Beergut.
Kirkendoll was getting up at 5am and between workouts, classes, practice, and studying got done at 9pm. That’s a 16 hour day, even in Aggie time.
The author states that this is true in “many” cases. Not all cases. Many. If I said that all Aggies are rednecks, that would be patently false. If I say that many Aggies are rednecks…
They also are part of an athletic department that turns a profit, and pays for every dime of it with no help from state funds.
We’ve already established that the athletic department turns a profit, so in that sense, it is like the business world. Think of it like a financial firm or health care provider that has a compliance officer: the compliance officer doesn’t generate revenue, but it is a necessary part of the business. Substitute “volleyball” for “compliance officer”, and the Texas athletic department looks remarkably like a business to me.
Kwame’s comment, “black athletes face difficulties because the media portrays a disproportionate number of African-Americans as athletes” is not particularly salient. The statistic cited by Leonard Moore, that “51 percent of black high school males polled believed their first job would be as a professional athlete” is a great illustration of what Kwame was trying to say. Kwame’s past marijuana use may give you an in to attempt humor, but really has no bearing on the entire article. I wouldn’t take offense at all, if it was funny. I love a good Ricky Williams pot joke, a McConaughey bongo joke, etc, as much as the next guy. After all, if we couldn’t laugh at our own foibles, we’d be no better than Aggies. (See, I even gave you an “arrogant Texas fan” joke in there.)
If you really think that athletes are only judged when they themselves screw up, I really don’t know what to tell you. We’re Texas, believe me, we know how the actions of a few (Ramonce, Dre Jones, et al) can color the perception of many. People admire athletes that they KNOW do well in the classroom and on the field, but the rampant assumption is of the dumb jock.
So, Beergut, would you like to add anything valid to the conversation, or did you write that whole diatribe as an excuse to slide in an uncapitalized “texas”?
ctex80 - April 16, 2009
replies
That comment was in response to the claim by swimmer Ashley Gayle, that she can’t meet people outside of her sport because the of the limited amount of time you have. From what the article said, Kirkendoll is doing everything right.
I’d really like to know what these exceptions are; what are the instances where someone’s participation in college athletics is making it impossible for them to attend summer school classes?
What the hell does this have to do with my point that these athletes seem upset that they have to earn their perks? Who cares if the state funds the athletic department or not, it is irrelevant to this discussion.
A better analogy would use the NCAA compliance office inside the athletic department; not profitable but necessary. Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that if this was a business run for profit in the rea;l world, many of these non-revenue teams would not exist.
I have seen far more Black politicians, lawyers, doctors, and businessmen on television and in the media than I have athletes. Then again, I watch other channels besides ESPN, and read the other sections of the newspaper besides the sports section, so maybe that is why I have different impressions of the media and how they portray Blacks than Kwame does.
Kwame’s inclusion on the panel bemused me, because I don’t see why you would value the opinion of someone who was thrown off the football team for continually failing drug tests. His isn’t exactly an opinion I would value or even seek.
You ever hear someone say “typical dumb jock” when they show the Academic Player of the Game, and a player has a 3.5 GPA in Business or Pre-Med or whatever? I think most people give athletes more credit than you think, except when they screw up. Then the questions about intelligence crop up.
I don’t think people thought “typical dumb jock” in the cases of Taylor or Jones, they thought “typical thug”. Of course, with Taylor, it may have been more like, “I was wondering when he was going to screw up…..”
You have the star QB of your ’05 team to blame for that stereotype, though.
Beergut - April 17, 2009
Mr. Gut,
I actually had a whole post written responding to the borderline racism in your post, and your outright lie about the portrayal of African-Americans in the media (is that Aggie version of “I have black friends”?), and then I realized that you’d argue with a wall if it was burnt orange, or if it would generate some hits for your blog.
Oh, and the VY dig was adorable.
ctex80 - April 17, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Burnt Orange Nation to post a comment.