
SL Xpress
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Everything posted by SL Xpress
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Texas had a long string of great defensive tackles, but I've always felt like Kenneth Sims was the best of any of them. He was literally unblockable. It was amazing watching him at the snap of the ball. Offensive linemen were helpless against him. The line of scrimmage simply didn't exist any more. He just exploded into the backfield and disrupted everything, even if he didn't end up making the play. And he made the play an inordinate amount of time for a defensive tackle. I felt like he was the biggest can't miss of anyone drafted as a Longhorn, aside from Earl Campbell. People are bringing up his coke habit, which I was never aware of, but he had some really serious injury issues, too. A broken leg and a ruptured achilles tendon in the NFL - which was often career ending back in his day - along with the broken toe versus TCU. If we're going to talk about the lack of his Hall of Fame career in the NFL I think it's pretty important to mention those along with whatever he was shoving up his nose at the time.
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I feel like it's a gift. They're in their comfort zone. UT is showing dominance on every level. They get to commiserate together about the hated arrogant t-sips and how their own athletic programs are underperforming compared to the Longhorns, who just stole the most successful head coach on their campus. They don't have bonfire any more. This is a great bonding mechanism for them, and a fantastic link to former Aggies of all ages.
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Mack Brown Tarheel Football: The Orange Slice Boogaloo
SL Xpress replied to Machinator's topic in Football
It's threads like these that make me feel I'm among my peeps. I am grateful to Mack Brown. I honestly thought I would live my lifetime with football being deemphasized as unimportant to the overall mission of the school. Maybe it should be. I don't know. I think UT is a better place when we're at the top of the food chain in football, but I'm biased. But the energy is different. Applications are up. Donations are up. People wear their gear. There was a decade and a half before Mack Brown got to Austin where football was such an afterthought in so many ways. It was an entirely different feeling than 2010 to 2022, where the primary driver of mediocrity was simple incompetence. 1984 to 1997 felt purposeful. That said, fuck Mack Brown. I never liked him. He's not my kind of guy. I'm grateful to him, and many of his manipulative narcissistic qualities were used to benefit the UT program. The national championship in 2005 will forever be my favorite sports moment of my lifetime. Nothing will ever exceed it. But I'm glad he's gone. I wish he wasn't hanging around the program like the emotional vulture he is.- 3811 replies
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The Leopards Eating Faces and Unlubed Dildo of Consequences Thread
SL Xpress replied to Horn Dog's topic in Cloak Room
Yeah, I didn't get that far. That's the Southern Baptist Convention for you. Not just that denomination, but that's the biggest one. -
The Leopards Eating Faces and Unlubed Dildo of Consequences Thread
SL Xpress replied to Horn Dog's topic in Cloak Room
You know, I was reading that interview, and many of the things they were saying at the beginning I agree with. I think there's almost a pretentious claiming of empathy where it's actually very difficult to attain. I love the word, personally. I think it's a great word and I'm grateful it's come into our vocabulary. He calls it The Sin of Empathy, and compares it to the sin of anger or fear. He then says there are times when anger or fear are not sinful, just as there are times when empathy is not sinful, but there are times when it is. There's a section in there where the author talks about saving someone from drowning while remaining on the boat or remaining tethered to shore that I absolutely agree with. A phrase I constantly use is "don't keep such an open mind your brain falls out." I do think boundaries can be extremely healthy, and sometimes those boundaries run counter to any aspirations of empathy. That's not always a bad thing. Then it got into politics where it started defending the actions of the administration from a biblical point of view and then I couldn't read any more. Just more tribal tripe with a Christian cloak wrapped around them rather than an American flag or whatever other iconography they want to steal for their purposes of power. If someone wants to defend the actions of this administration from a political or societal management point of view that's one thing. My big issue is the annihilation of democratic principles and the threat to future peaceful transitions of power, more so than any specific policy they're implementing. But to come back and try to defend the actions as Christian, or why Christians should be in favor of what is going on, is not biblically sound to me. But that's not the point. Their tribe is in power so the troops of all stripes are going to rally to the cause, and use the tools at their disposal to defend the people from their tribe in power. Anyway, I couldn't make it through the entire article. -
America's Foreign Policy & Other Shit Going On Around the World thread
SL Xpress replied to bolverk's topic in Cloak Room
There's a huge part of me that feels Goldberg should have waited to "burn his source" to see what else they were going to share on the chat. -
America's Foreign Policy & Other Shit Going On Around the World thread
SL Xpress replied to bolverk's topic in Cloak Room
It the midst of this clown show of an administration, I wanted to point out Erdogan has taken further steps to secure authoritarian rule for himself and his party. Undoubtedly emboldened by Trump being in the White House. It's not like Erdogan was a perfect representative of a working democracy with regular peaceful transfers of power - or that Turkey has some kind of historical institutional depth with same. It shouldn't all be put at Trump's feet. There's a good chance it happens with either Biden or Harris in office, too. But there has to be a sense from authoritarian leaning leaders they have a friend in Washington in terms of mindset that they didn't have before. Protests against Turkey's President Erdogan, arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, see hundreds arrested - CBS News -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
I mean, that's what a lot of guy conversation is about. Do you want a message board that's only about factual information? Never mind the impossibility, the level of entertainment would be nil. -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
Just to be clear, Miller contacted us first. Calipari also contacted us. But yes, Miller was absolutely a top candidate. -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
How do you know we didn't make overtures? One of the things I love about Del Conte is we don't get into these get every coach we contact a pay raise sort of coaching searches. He identifies his target and then gets them. The gap between dismissal of the previous job holder and new hire is often record setting. But there's a lot of behind the scenes leg work being done to get to that point. Just because we don't see signs of Texas showing interest doesn't mean the interest wasn't shown. -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
The decision had been made before the Sweet 16 game was played. Once the team made it to the 2nd weekend after beating A&M the job was his. It didn't matter what the outcome of the Xavier game was. I guess the timeline we're talking about is important. But before a final decision had been made Calipari was part of the conversation. He was just going to be expensive in ways Miller never was going to be. I want to be clear. I would have dropped any interest in Texas basketball whatsoever and rooted for us to lose every game if we had hired Calipari. But Del Conte likes Calipari on a personal level. And regardless of my feelings about him as a person or a head coach, he has an incredible resume on paper. I'm just saying I don't agree with the declarative nature of the statement, while also admitting that Miller was a frontrunner in certain aspects. Mostly from the sense it would have been an easy deal to consummate. Price was right. He wanted to be at Texas. He has a decent history of success. -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
I liked Lloyd more, too. But one thing I'll say about Lloyd is he's not a salesman. He starts speaking and it's as exciting as watching paint dry. You'd think that how good of a basketball coach he is, is all that matters. But at Texas it's helpful to have a little huckster in you to bring out fans. Probably shouldn't be that way, but it is what it is. Always has been. -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
I don't know that Miller was Del Conte's first choice. Miller was openly excited about the opportunity if Texas went with someone other than Rodney Terry. Calipari had also shown some interest. There are some thoughts that Calipari was Del Conte's first choice. It doesn't matter since we went with Terry. But you're saying it declaratively here in ways I don't agree are accurate. -
UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
A ring is the ultimate goal, but those are unutterably difficult to achieve in men's basketball. Texas has one Final Four in the modern era. If we were to never again get to another Final Four, that would be disappointing for me. A string of Elite Eights would feel unsatisfying on some level. But if we can get to the Sweet 16 regularly, with not a lot of consistent first weekend flameouts, and then make it to a few Final Fours, if the head coach never won a national championship I would still think of him as an incredible success at Texas. -
I don't understand how that's the point. It feels like it's your point. I agree with that wholeheartedly. I support the firing of Beard wholeheartedly. In what way am I saying we shouldn't win with a little fucking dignity? I'm also saying our shit doesn't stink. You say we shouldn't be about winning at all costs. Okay. That's something I can agree with. But the bottom line is you better win. At the highest level. Rodney Terry would argue he won. David Pierce would argue he won. Garrido and Brown were both forced out before they were really ready and they'd argue they both won. Rick Barnes was fired. Getting results matters. A lot. And sometimes getting results means cutting some corners. We don't want to know about the corners getting cut, but they're getting cut. Sure, there are lines that can't be crossed, and getting arrested for choking your girlfriend is one of them. But there are plenty of players who have left Texas who felt mistreated. There are plenty of players who left Texas grateful for coaches who got the most out of them, even if at times it wasn't a whole lot of fun being a target. It's a matter of perspective. But I also don't think that was the point. The point was Beard is never going to have the opportunity he had at Texas, and he'll have to live with that. And my argument is he could very well have some amazing opportunities ahead of him in his career if he wins at a high enough level. And as a narcissist he's not going to look back with regret. That's not how he's wired.
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UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
I don't completely understand the poo pooing of this hire. Maybe expectations were too high regarding who Texas was going to be able to bring in? Sometimes there's a candidate that's such a perfect fit that there's no question they're the one. Chris Beard was that kind of hire. Folks like Roy Williams at North Carolina, Bill Self at Kansas, Calipari at Kentucky, Pitino at Louisville. But usually there are flaws with hires. How many people considered great basketball coaches were can't misses when they were hired? Hurley certainly wasn't. Oates wasn't (is he considered a "great" coach at this point without a ring? Dunno). Scheyer at Duke was a big risk. Indiana can't get their coaching hire right since Knight left decades ago. Look at UT's history. Abe Lemons wasn't a can't miss. Bob Wetlich was an assistant under Knight. Tom Penders was hired for a fun style coming from Rhode Island. Rick Barnes had some minor success at Providence and Clemson, but had already earned a reputation as not being able to win in the tournament - a rep he still enjoys today. Smart had a spectacular single season at VCU. Beard was as close to a sure thing as we've ever hired, but he's a UT grad in special circumstances. That's akin to UNC being able to hire Roy Williams from Kansas. Rodney Terry became the head coach because of circumstances more than career metrics. I'd argue Sean Miller has a better coaching resume than any head coach ever hired at Texas other than maybe Chris Beard, due to Beard having the national championship appearance. But in terms of numbers of Sweet 16s before coming to Texas, we've never had anyone of this caliber. I'm genuinely excited about this hire. I already know I'm going to be frustrated by his defense, because defense is more important to me than it is Miller, but oh well. He's going to run an explosive and exciting offense. He knows how to get people open for their shots. He has a vision for what he wants his basketball team to look like and he'll recruit to that vision. I've seen too many coaches get enamored with the talent they can bring to Austin rather than recruiting the talent that fits the scheme they're going to employ. That won't be Miller's issue. Miller has shown he's a very good coach. We'll see what he can do at 56. But I feel like he's hungry and wants a chance to compete at the highest level, and he didn't feel like he was going to get that chance at Xavier. And if he doesn't work out we'll move on and go get someone else. By then I imagine the college athletics landscape will have made some seismic shifts, so who knows what college basketball looks like at that point. But in the meantime I feel like it's an outstanding hire. It's not perfect, but very few hires are. If he has some early success with the exciting style of offense he runs and the level of financial support Texas basketball receives, I don't see any reason we can't return to the Texas basketball heydays of TJ Ford/Durant/Augustin/et al.. BTW, saying Texas basketball is a top 15 NIL school is hilarious to me. We have some very deep pockets who are emotionally connected to the success of the basketball program. It's not Phil Knight level of support for Oregon football, but it's very deep. And it's basketball specific.- 7581 replies
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UT's next basketball coach - discussion/debate [Sean Miller Hired]
SL Xpress replied to alphahorn's topic in Basketball
The way Gerry Hamilton phrased it is that international players are finding ways to get compensated through NIL. He called it being able to "navigate through those traffic cones." I have no idea exactly what that means, but I can make some educated guesses. -
I'd rather be on the journey we're on than keep Beard as the head coach after getting arrested for choking his girlfriend. You can't make that bullshit up, either. I'm glad we kept Terry as the interim coach after making the Elite Eight, because I feel like it was the right thing to do. I was firmly convinced he'd fail, and he has, but it hasn't been the 6 years it took to get rid of Smart, and so I'm grateful for that. I do not believe Sean Miller is as good of a basketball coach as Beard, but I think he's really good, and he has advantages as a coach (never mind the not choking his significant other, which also goes in the plus column) that Beard doesn't have, particularly on the offensive end and his history with international players. I believe we have a chance to win a national championship with him as our head coach. I certainly believe we can return to the Sweet 16 on a regular basis, and then we'll see what happens after that.
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We'll see. He's been at Ole Miss for two years and they're already achieving at a historical level while selling out their arena at a school that's never shown any sort of passion for basketball before. Again, I feel like you are joining others in being declarative about what the future will entail in ways that are not as obvious to me. But maybe you're right. I just find it too soon to say for sure, whereas you feel like the verdict is already out.
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You're right that I'm missing that point, because I feel like he specifically says Beard is never climbing back to those heights. And so are other people. And I'm disagreeing with that. The joy about being an abusive narcissist is that what happens is never your fault. Plenty of very successful people are and have been abusive. That's not anything new, by the way. I'm convinced it goes back to the dawn of our species. Certainly to when homo sapiens first successfully left Africa. It's hilarious to see the quality dismissed as if it's not constantly rewarded and a part of our fundamental make up as human beings. BTW, abusive narcissists can use vulnerability as a manipulative tool, so it's something they're often at least capable of in a convincing fashion, even if it's not real. Our standard is winning at an extremely high level. We don't actually know how the sausage gets made. And people who have their performance lifted to levels they'd never otherwise achieve because of abusive behavior can become grateful for it. It's all well and good to say at UT we're above all that, but it's not actually true. Beard would still be the head coach at UT - and I'd be glad for it - if he'd made very simple decisions that prevented him from getting arrested that night. And he'd still be abusive in all kinds of different ways. There's an attitude that our shit doesn't stink in your post that I fundamentally disagree with. Our shit still stinks. We have standards, and I'm grateful for it, but there's more latitude within those standards than I think you're giving. Those standards still matter to me. But I find your halo fitting really tight in ways that I don't feel UT athletics actually achieves in reality.
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Is that what I'm doing? Enjoying living in that world? I'm saying it's a possibility in ways that you're dismissing. I'm hoping he falls on his face, and I do believe that's a possibility, too. But he's a very good basketball coach with a compelling personality who has shown an ability to galvanize fan bases. What does it win me if I'm right? If there's anything I've learned, is that being right better be its own reward, because it certainly has very little outside of that. Beyond that, though, you are way off base in how you view abusive people and how they're rewarded in our society.
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