Monday, November 12, 2012
SMU Wins Again...
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Darrell K. Royal died today
It is not often an SMU man has anything good to say about the University of Texas, but today one of the great ones died after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease. Darrell Royal was one of us when you were born and raised in the Lone Star State...but even
that is not totally correct.
Royal was born in Hollis, Oklahoma and was a standout high school player. Famed coach Bud Wilkinson of the University of Oklahoma came courting the Royal family and young Darrell was the one player he wanted that year. Royal played quarterback and defensive back for the Sooners and his 18 career interceptions for Oklahoma still stands as a school record. Football was everything
for Royal and after a couple of stints as an assistant coach he got his first Head Coaching position at Mississippi State and then the University of Washington. At the ripe old age of 32 he took over the Head Coaching job of the Texas Longhorns, who were coming off three consecutive losing seasons. Royal would put the Steers on a winning track for the next twenty years, winning 167 games, losing 47, and tying 5. Texas also picked up three National Championship trophies in that time, becoming top dog in 1963, 1969, and 1970.
In the early sixties Royal and one of his assistant coaches, Emory Ballard, would devise the Wishbone Offense and the Longhorns
became almost unbeatable. The triple-option offense gave Texas rushing yardage in the 300-400 yards per game category and wide receivers became almost just another blocker. Royal heaped the praise on Ballard for the Wishbone and he became Head Coach at Texas A&M, but they remained best friends over the years.
While most of the country drooled over Bo Schembeckler at Michigan, Woody Hayes at Ohio State, or Bear Bryant at Alabama, we Texans had DKR and his Longhorns to bring home the bacon.
In 1969 #1 Texas played #2 Arkansas in Fayetteville for all the marbles. In the last minute of the game the Hogs led the Horns and had Texas stopped at the Arkansas 46 yard line. Going for it on 4th down, quarterback James Street threw a 43 yard pass to tight end Randy Peschel, who was bumped out at the three yard line. Two plays later Jim Bertelson bulled his way into the end zone for a 15-14 win for Texas. I wasn't there but I saw it all on the radio as Kerns Tipps called the game on the old Humble Network of the Southwest Conference.
Royal may be the only person named to the Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma and Texas. Born in the dust bowl of Oklahoma in 1924, Royal never changed his personality. If he told you something, you could take it to the bank as gospel. Never favoring the passing game, where 'three things can happen and two of them are bad', Royal's teams rarely threw the ball. The coach was also
a family man, not only to his but to his players, who he kept in touch with over the years. A football coach to the end, but so much more..
Footnote: Last Saturday against Iowa State, the Longhorns first play against Iowa State saw them come out in the Wishbone formation as a tribute to former Coach Royal.
that is not totally correct.
Royal was born in Hollis, Oklahoma and was a standout high school player. Famed coach Bud Wilkinson of the University of Oklahoma came courting the Royal family and young Darrell was the one player he wanted that year. Royal played quarterback and defensive back for the Sooners and his 18 career interceptions for Oklahoma still stands as a school record. Football was everything
for Royal and after a couple of stints as an assistant coach he got his first Head Coaching position at Mississippi State and then the University of Washington. At the ripe old age of 32 he took over the Head Coaching job of the Texas Longhorns, who were coming off three consecutive losing seasons. Royal would put the Steers on a winning track for the next twenty years, winning 167 games, losing 47, and tying 5. Texas also picked up three National Championship trophies in that time, becoming top dog in 1963, 1969, and 1970.
In the early sixties Royal and one of his assistant coaches, Emory Ballard, would devise the Wishbone Offense and the Longhorns
became almost unbeatable. The triple-option offense gave Texas rushing yardage in the 300-400 yards per game category and wide receivers became almost just another blocker. Royal heaped the praise on Ballard for the Wishbone and he became Head Coach at Texas A&M, but they remained best friends over the years.
While most of the country drooled over Bo Schembeckler at Michigan, Woody Hayes at Ohio State, or Bear Bryant at Alabama, we Texans had DKR and his Longhorns to bring home the bacon.
In 1969 #1 Texas played #2 Arkansas in Fayetteville for all the marbles. In the last minute of the game the Hogs led the Horns and had Texas stopped at the Arkansas 46 yard line. Going for it on 4th down, quarterback James Street threw a 43 yard pass to tight end Randy Peschel, who was bumped out at the three yard line. Two plays later Jim Bertelson bulled his way into the end zone for a 15-14 win for Texas. I wasn't there but I saw it all on the radio as Kerns Tipps called the game on the old Humble Network of the Southwest Conference.
Royal may be the only person named to the Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma and Texas. Born in the dust bowl of Oklahoma in 1924, Royal never changed his personality. If he told you something, you could take it to the bank as gospel. Never favoring the passing game, where 'three things can happen and two of them are bad', Royal's teams rarely threw the ball. The coach was also
Footnote: Last Saturday against Iowa State, the Longhorns first play against Iowa State saw them come out in the Wishbone formation as a tribute to former Coach Royal.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The New Coach Cometh?
The 2012 edition of the Dallas Cowboys are the epitome of puzzlement. Before the season began there was talk of a possible Super Bowl appearance for this team (not from me). I figured an 8 win/8 loss season was the best they could ask for in 2012. Now as they pause in mid-season after another loss to run their record to 3 wins and 5 losses, and third place in the NFC Eastern Conference, a new problem arises.
Head Coach Jason Garrett, a man that can see the positive side of any problem the size of Hurricane Katrina, has another worry at night. No it is not the shenanigans of wide receiver Dez Bryant, nor the injuries to prized running back DeMarco Murray, nor the inability of left tackle Tyrone Smith to keep defenders off of quarterback Tony Romo.
Sunday the National Football League voided the contract binding Head Coach Sean Payton to the New Orleans Saints. At the end of the current season he will become a free agent and can sign with any team he wishes. To the uninformed this may look like just a footnote, but in Dallas it has a non-ending echoing effect. Payton was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Cowboys before departing in 2006 to take on the job in the French Quarter. He did such an outstanding job the Saints won 62 games in six years and hoisted the Super Bowl Championship trophy in 2010. Payton has just recently built a million dollar home in Dallas and has strong ties with the front office in Dallas. It was Payton who tutored rookie quarterback Tony Romo when he first came to Dallas as a free agent, and it was Payton who designed the offensive game plans for Dallas under then Head Coach Bill Parcels.
Garrett took over as Head Coach of the Cowboys midway through the 2010 season when team owner Jerry Jones dismissed Wade Phillips. Since then Garrett's Cowboys have won 16 games.. and lost 16 games. He insists on calling the plays for the Cowboys and shows no imagination from the sidelines. If Jerry Jones is serious about the 'window of opportunity' closing on the current edition of the Cowboys, maybe it is time for a change in the Head Coaching position. Of course there would be some changes at Valley Ranch. Where Garrett is lax and easy going with the players, Payton would return them to a more disciplined organization (he was an assistant to Bill Parcels, the original task master).
The Cowboys have eight games remaining this season. Two with the Washington Redskins, two with the Philadelphia Eagles, and one game meetings with Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans. Somehow I don't see my 8-8 prediction coming to fruition. There is an old rule in the game of tennis. If what you are doing is winning the game, don't change what you are doing,...BUT if what you are doing is losing the game, then CHANGE what you are doing. Are you listening Jerry Jones?
Head Coach Jason Garrett, a man that can see the positive side of any problem the size of Hurricane Katrina, has another worry at night. No it is not the shenanigans of wide receiver Dez Bryant, nor the injuries to prized running back DeMarco Murray, nor the inability of left tackle Tyrone Smith to keep defenders off of quarterback Tony Romo.
Sunday the National Football League voided the contract binding Head Coach Sean Payton to the New Orleans Saints. At the end of the current season he will become a free agent and can sign with any team he wishes. To the uninformed this may look like just a footnote, but in Dallas it has a non-ending echoing effect. Payton was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the Cowboys before departing in 2006 to take on the job in the French Quarter. He did such an outstanding job the Saints won 62 games in six years and hoisted the Super Bowl Championship trophy in 2010. Payton has just recently built a million dollar home in Dallas and has strong ties with the front office in Dallas. It was Payton who tutored rookie quarterback Tony Romo when he first came to Dallas as a free agent, and it was Payton who designed the offensive game plans for Dallas under then Head Coach Bill Parcels.
Garrett took over as Head Coach of the Cowboys midway through the 2010 season when team owner Jerry Jones dismissed Wade Phillips. Since then Garrett's Cowboys have won 16 games.. and lost 16 games. He insists on calling the plays for the Cowboys and shows no imagination from the sidelines. If Jerry Jones is serious about the 'window of opportunity' closing on the current edition of the Cowboys, maybe it is time for a change in the Head Coaching position. Of course there would be some changes at Valley Ranch. Where Garrett is lax and easy going with the players, Payton would return them to a more disciplined organization (he was an assistant to Bill Parcels, the original task master).
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