By Scott Faldon
After a humiliating defeat to a team that had no business winning, the media laid bare the feelings of dedicated fans. They lambasted the coach with sentences like “How many years of losing do … fans have to sit through to realize his vision? And, the scariest question: What if it never works?” And “The team is now synonymous with failure, and no longer needs to be engaged with beyond a quick chuckle at its misfortune.”
Oh … wait … sorry.
Those sentences were written after the US Men’s National Team (soccer) lost to Canada, 2-0.
They were not written by in-state sports opinioneers after Arkansas lost to SJSU or Kentucky. Instead, fans were given excuse after excuse about why Chad Morris just needs more time to get things rolling at Arkansas.
The USMNT loses to the SJSU of Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (soccer) and the media knives are out for head coach Greg Berhalter. The Razorbacks lose to the actual SJSU and the media reaction in Arkansas is ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
With Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi State, Western Kentucky, LSU and Missouri left on the schedule, where are the remaining wins?
CBS Sports has Arkansas ranked 105th. MSU is the lowest-ranked opponent remaining at 73rd. Western Kentucky is four spots ahead of that. (For reference, Arkansas State is 78th.)
Sure, Arkansas might pull off a highly-improbable upset. But if I were a betting man (and at Oaklawn, I am), the folding money would be on Arkansas not winning again this season.
Does the media turn on an Arkansas coach after back-to-back 2-10 seasons and going winless in the SEC so long you need to Google the last conference win? Probably not, since it would mean eating crow about their predictions of how Chad Morris was absolutely going to be a winner at Arkansas. (Also, too, the dread of having to cover yet another coaching search probably subconsciously plays a role in their desire for stability in the head coaching position.)
More importantly, does the AD (and the big-money boosters) look around at that fancy expanded stadium and see more empty seats than full ones in November and make a change? They probably should.
More Random Thoughts
⚫ Am I the only one who thinks it’s fitting that Auburn is playing in Fayetteville on the same weekend as the War Eagle Craft Fair? War Eagle! Get it? Anyway, at least there will be a good explanation for the empty seats.
⚫ In honor of Gus Mal-a-zhan returning to Arkansas, enjoy this story – which should have be entitled “How two schools got played by Jimmy Sexton AGAIN!”
Scott Faldon is a veteran sportswriter and columnist covering the Razorbacks who is now retired from the newspaper business and gone on to pursuits that pay a living wage.