Tye & Tommy on winning on the road against winning at home, Corey Evans joins, plus What’s Your Beef!
ASU would ‘move mountains’ to juggle schedule for game with Razorbacks
• Listen to the complete interview above.
We’ll just go ahead and get the obvious question out of the way up front now because Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson will play Arkansas anywhere, any time.
“We would move mountains to make that happen sooner than our schedules are available,” Anderson told Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) on ESPN Arkansas on Tuesday afternoon.
The whole matter of the Razorbacks playing the Red Wolves is something likely down the road. It would be interesting to see if there’s more money for both teams playing each other even with contract buyouts.
“It would be great for the state,” Anderson said. “It’s a risk for them if they play us but it would be great for the state.”
Honestly it should have happened years ago. It’s been a rather ridiculous argument the two schools haven’t played for about 20 years or so.
When the game happens (and note I’m not saying if) the game should and likely will be played in Fayetteville. It’s not my decision and the whole Little Rock issue is for another time but the guess is that’s the first item.
And it doesn’t make any difference to the folks in Jonesboro. They would probably play the game in a parking lot.
“It would be huge,” Anderson said. “It would sell out in about five minutes. I do believe it will.”
He’s right about that and it would be good for football in the state.
ASU is also planning on getting the season started on time.
“Our guys are all back,” he said. “We went through the testing, quarantine and all those steps. Happy to say everybody is doing well and working out.”
Like the rest of the college football world, he’s looking ahead and preparing for a complete season starting on time at Memphis on Sept. 5.
Which, really, is about the only way coaches can look at it.
Chavanelle on quarterback recruits, position needs, status of defensive end
Nikki Chavanelle of HawgBeat.com talked Tuesday afternoon with Phil Elson, Matt Jenkins and Matt Travis (Halftime) on ESPN Arkansas on a variety of topics, including Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ new contract.
Former Razorback Bua still living life after football going all out … even on skateboard
Former Arkansas defensive standout Tony Bua on Tuesday morning talked to Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas about his, uh, mishap on a skateboard over the holiday.
Franks’ mobility could provide what Hogs need after inconsistent QB play
Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette told Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas Tuesday morning about how a lack of mobility at quarterback is a problem Feleipe Franks could help solve.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — Worst team in the SEC since 2012, Tony Bua and more!
Tye & Tommy on Arkansas turning it around, Tony Bua joins, plus Would You Rather Tuesday!
Hutchinson’s plea for wearing masks to have football is being ignored
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has begged pleaded and begged some more for Arkansans to wear face coverings or masks to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic which has plagued Arkansas since March.
It hasn’t totally worked, so last week he brought out the big guns.
Armed with a football at his daily update, he said there was a direct correlation between mask use and the start of football season. The day before he told the media he would not sign off on contact teams sports such as football and basketball scrimmaging or playing games.
Prep and collegiate players statewide continue to go through individual noncontact drills to prepare for a season they hope isn’t canceled.
“If you want football, high school football, high school sports this year and beyond that we need to concentrate on the mask now,” Hutchinson said last Wednesday. “There’s a connection between the two.
“We wear our masks, we reduce the cases, we reduce the growth, we stop the spread of the virus. And that puts us in a better position to have some type of team sports this fall.”
Hutchinson, a big sports fan himself, knows exactly what football means to this state. He knows many are anticipating new Arkansas coach Sam Pittman’s debut. Football is part of the fabric of this state and not to mention a big money maker.
It’s important for many reasons.
And that’s exactly why he saw it fitting to bring the pigskin to his daily briefing.
As a last-ditch attempt he tried to appeal to our love of football to get us to do the right thing because in stopping the spread for the selfish reason to watch football, we could also save lives and help bring order to our state.
Surely mentioning that football will be canceled will be a motivator, right?
Wrong. Sadly, I’m not sure the tactic will work — some people are just set on digging in their heels and refusing to buy in.
I saw several instances on social media this weekend in Arkansas where large groups gathered with no masks and no social distancing.
On Sunday, I took my kids fishing and watched in disbelief as very few spectators at a softball tournament near our fishing hole wore masks or paid attention to each other as they left the field for the parking lot.
That same park has enforced a mask rule while walking about for youth league baseball games and travel baseball tournaments but for some reason it wasn’t being enforced Sunday for softball.
What was even more alarming is teams from out of state including some hot spots flocked to the tournament. On Saturday at a local restaurant, we ran into a carload of girls and parents at with Texas plates on Saturday — none of which were wearing masks.
There are many different reasons Arkansans won’t wear masks.
From what I’ve seen on social media the popular reasons are liberty and doubt that COVID-19 is as dangerous as “the media” makes it out to be. (By the way, the media only spreads the message sent from national and state leaders and medical experts. Quit blaming the media for the so-called hysteria.)
“It’s no more dangerous than the flu,” they say.
I think in a nutshell, people don’t want to be told what to do. Americans fought seat belt and motor cycle helmet laws vehemently in the past.
They think it’s their right to decide on a mask and their decision is to let the chips fall where they may.
Fatigue is also a factor Hutchinson referred to when he opened the state to Phase 2. He admitted Arkansans were tired of staying home and ready to open the economy even though COVID cases were rising at the time and continue to go through the roof with nearly 900 cases.
I know some of you will explain that away with increased testing. So be it.
Some of you don’t want to hear the directives and don’t buy into what you call hype.
Threatening the loss of football certainly isn’t going to deter you, either.
I’m convinced, though, until we ALL buy in, this virus will run rampant, and we won’t be doing anything this fall including going to school or watching football games on Friday night or Saturdays.
SDS’ O’Gara: College football season hangs in balance over next few weeks
It’s a critical time for the start of college football over the next few weeks, according to Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara with Phil Elson, Matt Jenkins and Matt Travis (Halftime) on ESPN Arkansas.
Davenport updates Rogers de-committing, picking up linebacker pledge
Recruiting generated some headlines over the holiday weekend with one player opening up his recruiting again while they picked up a big linebacker commitment.
Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette talked Monday morning with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas about Little Rock Parkview quarterback Landon Rogers opening up his recruiting again and getting commitment from linebacker Chris Paul from Georgia high school.
