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Oct 15th, 2007 08:57PM
by: whatsshakinbacon

A “Mortal” Victory…What Next?
Volume LXXVIII
October 15, 2007

Booing is no longer the issue. The wording on the banner, the color of shirts in the stands, the haters from the north all pale in comparison to the fact that Arkansas is simply not getting things done on the field. Whether we pass on first down and who is injured really doesn’t matter anymore.

What does matter is Arkansas is 0-3 in the conference and now on the verge of losing a great number of its life-long supporters if change is not made. I find it embarrassing that our biggest win in this 2007 season is over Troy.

How can a team featuring the two most potent running backs in all of NCAA football not come up with a game plan that passes effectively just enough to let them showcase their talents? For at least the last two weeks we’ve trailed all SEC teams in completions to wide receivers and tight ends. My experts are telling me that just won’t do.

How can we lead late in all three of our conference losses and tease the fans with a taste of victory only to fold like a two-bit poker player down the stretch when other teams bring it? It’s tantamount to having all six numbers on your lottery ticket matching only to find out it is one week off.

And to top it off, yesterday Houston Nutt incredulously waved his contract at the state announcing that he is to be here until 2012. Does he not get it? Instead of looking at what few things have worked this season and trying to build upon them he instead looks Razorback nation in the eye and dares us to knock him down.

I feel vindicated somewhat, but most certainly not happy. I call the loss to Auburn not a moral victory…we’re done with those. But instead it should be labeled a mortal victory for a head coach now seemingly on his way out. What major college program wouldn’t be ready to look for new leadership? Surely the stubbornness among a few of the trustees has begun to melt away as their phone calls rang non-stop Saturday night from angry friends.

I would love the irony of this situation were it not for my disgust with what my program has become. Just twenty months ago Houston Nutt bought himself another year by hiring brilliance in the form of Gus Malzahn. But even those who have stood by Nutt’s side now see that Gus was then alienated, called belittling names and put through what was undoubtedly one of the most miserable years of his life. Who ever thought an assistant coach at Arkansas would leave for a similar position at Tulsa?

But we could beat this dead horse on the message boards, blogs and radio shows from daylight ‘til exhaustion and not effect one ounce of substantive change. The real question du jour is what is being done about it? And who is working for change?

I find some hope in the fact that a new Athletic Director will assume the position in January. But until then one has to wonder who calls the shots on the hill? By all accounts Frank has vacated the position. I’m sure he does an occasional walk-through to check on his old friends, but word on the street is he’s about as useful to Razorback athletics as a wide receiver is to our offense.

Frank’s legacy will be one of great structures and average football hires. A hero as a coach hasn’t been able to cut it when it came to hiring into his old job. But the time has come, regardless of who’s in charge, to make the tough decision to fire Houston Nutt.

I’d like to say Houston would be the kind of guy to leave gracefully, but not unlike Nolan Richardson he appears to be going down in a manner that will taint his future possibility to find gainful employment elsewhere. In yesterday’s tirade Nutt made it perfectly clear that he is positioning himself as someone expecting to hang around. Whether he truly believes it matters not, he will fight a firing until the bitter end. Nutt could very well implement a slash and burn policy on his way out. One has to wonder if using Marcus Monk in spot play, thus ending his career at Arkansas on a down note, might be just one example of this already happening.

I would publicly call for his resignation, but it would be a vain attempt. Houston has made it perfectly clear that he is not going anywhere on his own. So instead of wishing the impossible I call on Chancellor White, AD Frank Broyles, incoming AD Jeff Long and the Board of Trustees to do something that makes sense. Something profoundly simple. Don’t fire Houston Nutt on the spot.

Yes, that’s right, don’t fire him right now. We don’t need the stigma, don’t have a good interim replacement, and don’t want to send Houston Nutt over the edge with games left to play. Instead do what a number of programs have done mid-season. Announce he will not be the coach in 2008 but will complete the 2007 slate if he so wishes (and he will wish to do so).

As foundation donations fall about 4.5% per year we have to stop the bleeding. The fans need to be unified or the mutiny could be so bloody that the program may never get righted again. I’m not sure if the powers-that-be get it, but FOI requests, banners, marching on the Broyles complex, black shirts and the tremendous growth of places like Hogville are happening because fans feel like they no longer have a voice. Never before have Razorback fans been so frustrated. But on the flip-side never before have those in charge ever had the opportunity to unify like they do right now.

The change is probably coming, but nobody is sure of it. Right now Arkansas fans need something to grab hold of. We need to know we are cared about. We need to stop wearing black, booing and flying banners. Chancellor White if you are embarrassed now, just wait and watch as fan support dwindles and anger surges.

The fan base had a mountain of hope last year, but piece by piece the hope has been taken from Razorback Nation. Chancellor White, Trustees, please give us our hope back.

Bacon out…