It was Frank Broyles about 50 years ago that delivered a mantra that was really quite simple while answering critics of what was a down cycle back in 1972-74.
“The worst thing in the world is if nobody cared,” was how he shrugged off the Lunatic Fringe in those days.
In case you’re wondering, the over-the-top reactions of some in the Arkansas football fan base is not really knew for the last 60 years or so. Social media has made it a little louder.
At the Arkansas Gazette in 1977 I remember the phone calls from the so-called experts in August predicting doom and gloom for Lou Holtz’ first season. I was taking a few of them.
Basically, you don’t know, I don’t know and even some of the speculators that have been involved in some of the preseason scrimmages don’t know. Some may think they know, but nobody really knows.
This is a big part of the ongoing freak-out among many about Chad Morris not naming a starting quarterback between Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel. It appears those are the two most likely candidates.
“I’m not gonna name one today,” Morris said in a press conference following an indoor jump-up-and-down session in shorts and t-shirts.
That wasn’t surprising. It was designed that way to let the players get their legs back.
Saturday’s “Beanie Bowl” won’t have a whole lot for anyone to get a read, either. If you’re coming hoping to gain some insight, forget it.
All of this is nothing new. Every coach has delayed naming a starting quarterback until the very last minute. There have been times in history nobody knew who the starter was going to be until he trotted on the field for the first possession.
It’s doubtful that will happen here, although Morris isn’t getting nailed down to any particular day.
“We’re going to name one next week at some point,” he said.
The prevailing thought is Nick Starkel has the most upside with two years of eligibility and Ben Hicks played for Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock at SMU, thus knowing the offense better.
Most consider those the only two in the mix. Indeed, in press conferences coaches have said “two” when talking about the quarterback competition, but everybody has been very careful not to mention names more than they have to.
The most frequently heard name has been John Stephen Jones and nobody thinks there is a snowball’s chance in August he’ll be the starter.
Considering nobody has seen enough in fall camp to know that, it’s all based on by guess and by golly. Starkel and Hicks are being evaluated off what folks saw at other places seasons other than this … of course none of that has a thing to do with the here and now.
Morris, to his credit, has talked in more circles than has likely been drawn on the boards in the coaches’ offices.
“Our quarterbacks did good,” Morris said about the . “They did good. They did some really good things. There were some things we’ve really got to improve on. Overall, it was a good scrimmage.”
All that does is get folks stirred up. Add a few “sources’ in the media and, well, you’ve got the pot boiling.
Let’s face it, when you’re coming off 2-10 just keeping the fan inflamed is a positive.
Especially if you consider any news good news.
