On Broadway: A strange position to be in on the recruiting trail
I've been covering college football recruiting for five years. I've seen just about every strange situation you can come across, and I have both heard and had my own share of wild stories over the years. But, every time I think I've seen it all, the Red Raiders have a new set of circumstances arise. This time, though, you'd probably consider it a good thing.
You usually add recruits throughout the recruiting process in spoonfuls, but Kliff Kingsbury and his staff have pulled the shovel out of the closet this summer. Tech's had at least five new commits over a week-long period twice this summer, and it's enough to get you recruiting-drunk in a hurry. Sure, they're going to have a big class this year with 30-32 open scholarships in hand, but with 23 guys already roosting in the wings, the real needs have now been addressed
Quarterback? Check. Receivers? Check. Tailback? Check. O-line? Check, completely full. D-line? Can add more, but you've met most of your needs. Linebacker? Check. Corner? Check. Really, other than safety, Tech at the very least already has what they actually need. So with the essentials marked off the grocery list, you can start thinking a bit more about the sweets. And that's the fun part.
But, there's also another side affect to filling up so quickly. That would be the newly bestowed role of cattle wrangler to each and every member of the coaching staff. It's hard to hold onto 25ish prospects - whether you're Akron or Alabama - for six months, and that's exactly what they'll have to do. Losing a commit or two is part of the recruiting process year in and year out, and it will probably happen with the 2016 class, too.
It's an odd situation to be in at the beginning of August, and it will be interesting to see how things play out, both good and bad.
Link Me, Bro
Want to know what the worst contracts in the NFL are? Grantland put together an all-bad-contracts team, and some of them are doozys.
Terrelle Pryor is trying to make the Browns' roster.....as a receiver.
Texas Tech has posted their hype video for the 2015 football season. I give it a thumbs up.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is getting quite the buzz heading into opening weekend.
In this week's check-in on Florida Man, we a get punch-packing trio of events
Power Rankings: Favorite smells
I often go down some strange rabbit holes of thought when I'm bored. This week's muse was the thought of smell, how catching a whiff of something suddenly triggers certain emotions and memories from the past. The human brain is something else. So, after contemplating it, here are my top five favorites scents.
5. Fried food - Whether it be chicken, onion rings, funnel cakes, or various other deep fried delectables, I can't get enough of the smell. The fair, KFC, or my mom's kitchen, it doesn't matter. The smell gets me every time.
4. Campfire/Chimney - I know it depends on the wood, but smelling mesquite or pinon wood burning, especially when walking outside in crisp air in the winter, is something I love. I think it just reminds me of being either at home or out in the middle of nowhere in the woods on family/friend outings, but it's so distinct,
3. BBQ - While I don't get to participate in gameday tailgating festivities, getting to smell all the barbeque in the air just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Ever since I've been a college student, smelling BBQ has always reminded me of football season, so it always makes me smile - and hungry - when I catch a whiff.
2. Fresh cut wood - Whether it be a newly built house with wood floors and trim or stepping into Lowe's or Home Depot, the smell of fresh cut wood is something else. My parents recently built a new house with quite a bit of woodwork, and I still love going home just because of the smell everywhere.
1. Fresh rain - Yup, nothing quite like it. Whether it be off the wind from a distant storm or catching the smell as you enjoy a steady rainfall on your porch, this is hands down my favorite smell. I've been able to enjoy it a lot this summer in Lubbock, too.
Off The Reservation - Technology - while great - also really sucks
So I had a little misshap with my iPhone two weeks ago. The worst part of the whole deal was it was on a Saturday evening, the night before I was leaving for Dallas for Big 12 media days. I was at home in Pampa for a wedding shower as well, meaning I had no access to an AT&T Store until I was already in DFW on Sunday afternoon. Most of you are probably wondering what the big deal is.
Well, think about it this way. As a 24 year old, I've had a smartphone of some kind my entire adult life, since spring of my senior year of high school. That means I've never driven alone on any kind of trip of any legitimate length at any point in my life without directions available at the tip of my fingers at any second. So, I had to get on ye ole Google Maps, print the instructions, and go that way about it.
And honestly, it was a bit unnerving for me. Sure, most of you spent the majority of your 20s just using a map to find directions or asking someone along the way. I've never had to experience that once in my life, so it was a bit strange. And that really made me think about how slaved we've become to the inches-long screens we carry around in our hands. It's scary to think about, too. We've become dependent on something - as a society - that we would likely panic as a whole without should there be some wild disaster that separates us from electricity.
So, as a result, I've made a pact with myself to try and rely on myself more, put down the phone when I don't need it, and build some more applicable, real world skills. Two weeks in, and it's honestly hard to do.
Experience is the greatest teacher. Of this I am sure.
I've been covering college football recruiting for five years. I've seen just about every strange situation you can come across, and I have both heard and had my own share of wild stories over the years. But, every time I think I've seen it all, the Red Raiders have a new set of circumstances arise. This time, though, you'd probably consider it a good thing.
You usually add recruits throughout the recruiting process in spoonfuls, but Kliff Kingsbury and his staff have pulled the shovel out of the closet this summer. Tech's had at least five new commits over a week-long period twice this summer, and it's enough to get you recruiting-drunk in a hurry. Sure, they're going to have a big class this year with 30-32 open scholarships in hand, but with 23 guys already roosting in the wings, the real needs have now been addressed
Quarterback? Check. Receivers? Check. Tailback? Check. O-line? Check, completely full. D-line? Can add more, but you've met most of your needs. Linebacker? Check. Corner? Check. Really, other than safety, Tech at the very least already has what they actually need. So with the essentials marked off the grocery list, you can start thinking a bit more about the sweets. And that's the fun part.
But, there's also another side affect to filling up so quickly. That would be the newly bestowed role of cattle wrangler to each and every member of the coaching staff. It's hard to hold onto 25ish prospects - whether you're Akron or Alabama - for six months, and that's exactly what they'll have to do. Losing a commit or two is part of the recruiting process year in and year out, and it will probably happen with the 2016 class, too.
It's an odd situation to be in at the beginning of August, and it will be interesting to see how things play out, both good and bad.
Link Me, Bro
Want to know what the worst contracts in the NFL are? Grantland put together an all-bad-contracts team, and some of them are doozys.
Terrelle Pryor is trying to make the Browns' roster.....as a receiver.
Texas Tech has posted their hype video for the 2015 football season. I give it a thumbs up.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is getting quite the buzz heading into opening weekend.
In this week's check-in on Florida Man, we a get punch-packing trio of events
Power Rankings: Favorite smells
I often go down some strange rabbit holes of thought when I'm bored. This week's muse was the thought of smell, how catching a whiff of something suddenly triggers certain emotions and memories from the past. The human brain is something else. So, after contemplating it, here are my top five favorites scents.
5. Fried food - Whether it be chicken, onion rings, funnel cakes, or various other deep fried delectables, I can't get enough of the smell. The fair, KFC, or my mom's kitchen, it doesn't matter. The smell gets me every time.
4. Campfire/Chimney - I know it depends on the wood, but smelling mesquite or pinon wood burning, especially when walking outside in crisp air in the winter, is something I love. I think it just reminds me of being either at home or out in the middle of nowhere in the woods on family/friend outings, but it's so distinct,
3. BBQ - While I don't get to participate in gameday tailgating festivities, getting to smell all the barbeque in the air just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Ever since I've been a college student, smelling BBQ has always reminded me of football season, so it always makes me smile - and hungry - when I catch a whiff.
2. Fresh cut wood - Whether it be a newly built house with wood floors and trim or stepping into Lowe's or Home Depot, the smell of fresh cut wood is something else. My parents recently built a new house with quite a bit of woodwork, and I still love going home just because of the smell everywhere.
1. Fresh rain - Yup, nothing quite like it. Whether it be off the wind from a distant storm or catching the smell as you enjoy a steady rainfall on your porch, this is hands down my favorite smell. I've been able to enjoy it a lot this summer in Lubbock, too.
Off The Reservation - Technology - while great - also really sucks
So I had a little misshap with my iPhone two weeks ago. The worst part of the whole deal was it was on a Saturday evening, the night before I was leaving for Dallas for Big 12 media days. I was at home in Pampa for a wedding shower as well, meaning I had no access to an AT&T Store until I was already in DFW on Sunday afternoon. Most of you are probably wondering what the big deal is.
Well, think about it this way. As a 24 year old, I've had a smartphone of some kind my entire adult life, since spring of my senior year of high school. That means I've never driven alone on any kind of trip of any legitimate length at any point in my life without directions available at the tip of my fingers at any second. So, I had to get on ye ole Google Maps, print the instructions, and go that way about it.
And honestly, it was a bit unnerving for me. Sure, most of you spent the majority of your 20s just using a map to find directions or asking someone along the way. I've never had to experience that once in my life, so it was a bit strange. And that really made me think about how slaved we've become to the inches-long screens we carry around in our hands. It's scary to think about, too. We've become dependent on something - as a society - that we would likely panic as a whole without should there be some wild disaster that separates us from electricity.
So, as a result, I've made a pact with myself to try and rely on myself more, put down the phone when I don't need it, and build some more applicable, real world skills. Two weeks in, and it's honestly hard to do.
Experience is the greatest teacher. Of this I am sure.
