Lets' begin by just looking at the picture below, it says a lot about Tommy's last season with Auburn U in 1998. The Tigers record was an awful 5-7.
It's funny, maybe too uncanny, but for sure hurtful in a way to Red Raider devotees everywhere that this season Auburn, just two years of ridding itself of Tommy (he resigned is how the story goes), it is set to play in the BCS National Championship game. For certain they have earned the right to play in a BCS game. Even a song was made to denote Tub's lousy coaching titled "Wasting Away in Tommy Tuberville" by the Lexington Brothers.
I stated the above as this should have been Tech's year to go to a BCS bowl. It's hurtful to Red Raider Nation because we see Auburn's success after Tuberville left and Tech's less than average season as Tuberville landed on our campus and took over as head football coach. Tech should have instead been grand, lone, overall champions of the Big XII - finally, a title which has eluded Tech since the inception of the conference. Contenders perhaps of a national championship if but for one reason...the Tech administration went all "gangsta" on us and fired Coach Leach. They took "our Captain" and instead gave us a person who would prefer to look his best in the way he dresses versus how his team plays on the field.
Instead of earning a BCS bowl this season, Tech maybe earns a bid to play in the "Ticket City Bowl". A bowl in Dallas at the old venue which once belonged to the Cotton Bowl (the CB was moved to Cowboys Stadium). This bowl barely pays out 1 million dollars and is the first bowl to kick-off New Years Day 2011. Not the best bowl that Tech has partaken in these past few years (under Coach Leach).
The Tech admin is delusional in thinking that Tech fans/alumni should be somehow grateful that the team reached the needed 6-game winning season to be bowl eligible. That somehow Tech fans should be pleased that we are going bowling at all. That is just crazy. Like I stated in another post, going to a bowl for Texas Tech should now be the rule not the exception. Tech has been bowl eligible as most know for the past 18 seasons. Since the Big XII began, Tech is the only team to go to a bowl in consecutive years. The only Big XII team (under Coach Leach) to have players with the best grades among the country's top universities; the best graduation rates as well.
Under Tommy, Tech has already regressed as far as a bowl bid goes. If Tech even is invited to the Ticket City Bowl. Tech has already lost millions in revenue by going to a lesser bowl (one that does not pay as much as previous bowls Tech played in). I still fail to see how Tommy was supposedly behind the best-selling ticket season. Each time I saw a game (which were not many this year - which also cost Tech money) on t.v. or pictures of games at "the Jones", there were many empty seats. I heard rumors that corporations were offered good deals to buy tix in bulk to guarantee high tickets sales, but when game-time arrived, not many tix were handed out or people opted out of attending the boring often losing games. Maybe this season's games were sell-outs on paper, but not in person. People who bought tix sold in groups (e.g. UT/Weber St), attended the better-known rivalry game because of the rivalry itself, not because Tech was playing so great. That is sad! UT ticket holders were giving away the Weber St tix, but apparently there were little takers. Again - sad! All of these things combined makes me unable to see how Tech made all that money that the admin says they did. Better than under Coach Leach? Doubtful. I say Tech not only lost money in low ticket revenue sales, lost t.v. appearances, a lesser bowl bid, but in what they will eventually have to hand over to Coach Leach. The Tech admin should have just sided with Coach Leach and had his back instead of playing "judas" in how they fired him.
Now do not get me wrong, I love my Red Raiders, all things Texas Tech, but the bad taste that was left in our mouths by the administration's shady and negative actions last year is something I am NOT willing to remain "mum" about - I will continue to bitch and complain when things go awry for our football program under the Tuberville reign. After all, Tommy did not inherit a bad team. There is absolutely no excuse for Tech having had the mediocre record it had this season. Tommy had caliber players return this season and an excellent system to draw from since the days of "our Captain"; the days of "Air Raid", the awesome spread-throw offensive days. Tommy just refused to continue the traditions to make his own. Never mind he took players who were brought to the Tech program to play a certain type of system and tried to turn them into something else. Tommy should have waited to make such radical changes for a year at the very least. He should have allowed the players to play the system they knew, the system that the players received their scholarships (or walk-on privileges) to play through this season then Tubs could have waited to draft his kind of players. Tommy waited so late to give in to the pleas of many fans/alumni to finally allow his players to run the "Air Raid" show. A move which is what helped win more games in the end when the win column needed it. Perhaps if Tubs had begun the season allowing "Air Raid" and such to continue, Tech would have won the games it lost. There was no Big XII team on Tech's schedule this season that Tech should not have been able to beat...e.g. Iowa St, UT, A&M, even OU! Coach Leach started and left behind a strong football dynasty. Tommy has no excuse for letting Tech's season end the way he did. But then we must remember and take into account how he let his Tigers "burn" in the end - only here at Tech a year and already Tubs has allowed our beloved team to begin to spiral downwards.
The man is stubborn. From the get-go at Tech, his ego must have seen a Lucifer-like caricature on his shoulder that told him not to listen to Tech fans/alumni to not run the spread or "Air Raid". However, closer to the end of the season, it seems that a more angelic-like creature knocked the other demonic-like one off his shoulder and started advising Tubs to cooperate. For Tech seriously needed him to hand them over another winning season - fans/alumni were not kidding around and were mad as hell. It would not be the best season since the days of "the Captain" but maybe it would be good enough to fool the fans/alumni (NOT) and for sure good enough to merely appease the Tech administration (they would beat grateful for anything these days, for sure they would eat their mothers if needed).
For all those negative, stupid things that the Tech administration did to push our football program down several notches, and for making sure our pride was once again stomped on like the old SWC days. For their (admin) dishonesty and lack in accountability and integrity, for ridding itself unfairly and unjustly of Tech's all-time successful coach and bringing in the likes of Tubs (who is persona non grata at Auburn), I grade the admin an "F".
As for Tubs and company, just because you (coaching staff) may be new to Tech, NONE of you are new to coaching on the collegiate level and once again, you did NOT inherit a bad team. Your have NO EXCUSE for your lousy coaching. You did not take over a sloppy football program loaded with of a bunch of newbies. Most of our players were experienced, veteran (sophomores, juniors, seniors) players. Many were of high caliber, and clutch players. They were well-coached in previous years. Seasoned and ready to begin another successful year. Instead Tommy began this season by firing and replacing our previous coaching staff and kept not a one. His right to do so, but at least keep a coach or two to help with the transition. Tubs brought on a staff accustomed to a different coaching system more popular in another conference. Tubs did not just ignore Tech's previous system, but a system best known to the Big XII conference. Under Tubs, Tech was now playing a system so different but yet so a-typical and elementary that several Big XII teams knew exactly how to counter each and every play and our team suffered and was beaten time and time again. Mainly Tech took a beating because they were playing with confusion and no real direction. Too many games were lost that should have been sure wins. Tech was used to playing in a league that runs the spread and passes quite often versus the style that Tubs brought with him from the east which mainly runs and relies way too much on defense. This inaugural-coaching season under Tubs and his "tellies", Tech was succumbed to playing "pop Warner-like football". For all of that, Tommy, you also get an "F".
And don't you dare think that Tech fans/alumni are grateful that our beloved Red Raiders finally became bowl-eligible at the end of this season under your first reign over them. It was expected of them to reach such a feat; the team expected it of themselves as well. Our Red Raiders began this season ready for better than a 7-5 season. Ready for a better bowl bid than what we are in line to get to this year. You took an awesome team and made them mediocre at best and you continue to appear apathetic about the losses. Your less than successful bid at taking over where "our Captain" left off and your nonchalant attitude over it continues to sicken me, but I remain aware. I am watching you. Raider-Nation is watching you. Stop blaming others going forward because this upcoming season is on you and only you - beginning with post-season play and whatever (lesser and cheaper) bowl Tech plays in, it is all on you, sir!!! Our motto here at Texas Tech is: "From here it's possible"...learn it, live it and raise your grade or you won't last.
I stated the above as this should have been Tech's year to go to a BCS bowl. It's hurtful to Red Raider Nation because we see Auburn's success after Tuberville left and Tech's less than average season as Tuberville landed on our campus and took over as head football coach. Tech should have instead been grand, lone, overall champions of the Big XII - finally, a title which has eluded Tech since the inception of the conference. Contenders perhaps of a national championship if but for one reason...the Tech administration went all "gangsta" on us and fired Coach Leach. They took "our Captain" and instead gave us a person who would prefer to look his best in the way he dresses versus how his team plays on the field.
Instead of earning a BCS bowl this season, Tech maybe earns a bid to play in the "Ticket City Bowl". A bowl in Dallas at the old venue which once belonged to the Cotton Bowl (the CB was moved to Cowboys Stadium). This bowl barely pays out 1 million dollars and is the first bowl to kick-off New Years Day 2011. Not the best bowl that Tech has partaken in these past few years (under Coach Leach). The Tech admin is delusional in thinking that Tech fans/alumni should be somehow grateful that the team reached the needed 6-game winning season to be bowl eligible. That somehow Tech fans should be pleased that we are going bowling at all. That is just crazy. Like I stated in another post, going to a bowl for Texas Tech should now be the rule not the exception. Tech has been bowl eligible as most know for the past 18 seasons. Since the Big XII began, Tech is the only team to go to a bowl in consecutive years. The only Big XII team (under Coach Leach) to have players with the best grades among the country's top universities; the best graduation rates as well.
Under Tommy, Tech has already regressed as far as a bowl bid goes. If Tech even is invited to the Ticket City Bowl. Tech has already lost millions in revenue by going to a lesser bowl (one that does not pay as much as previous bowls Tech played in). I still fail to see how Tommy was supposedly behind the best-selling ticket season. Each time I saw a game (which were not many this year - which also cost Tech money) on t.v. or pictures of games at "the Jones", there were many empty seats. I heard rumors that corporations were offered good deals to buy tix in bulk to guarantee high tickets sales, but when game-time arrived, not many tix were handed out or people opted out of attending the boring often losing games. Maybe this season's games were sell-outs on paper, but not in person. People who bought tix sold in groups (e.g. UT/Weber St), attended the better-known rivalry game because of the rivalry itself, not because Tech was playing so great. That is sad! UT ticket holders were giving away the Weber St tix, but apparently there were little takers. Again - sad! All of these things combined makes me unable to see how Tech made all that money that the admin says they did. Better than under Coach Leach? Doubtful. I say Tech not only lost money in low ticket revenue sales, lost t.v. appearances, a lesser bowl bid, but in what they will eventually have to hand over to Coach Leach. The Tech admin should have just sided with Coach Leach and had his back instead of playing "judas" in how they fired him.
Now do not get me wrong, I love my Red Raiders, all things Texas Tech, but the bad taste that was left in our mouths by the administration's shady and negative actions last year is something I am NOT willing to remain "mum" about - I will continue to bitch and complain when things go awry for our football program under the Tuberville reign. After all, Tommy did not inherit a bad team. There is absolutely no excuse for Tech having had the mediocre record it had this season. Tommy had caliber players return this season and an excellent system to draw from since the days of "our Captain"; the days of "Air Raid", the awesome spread-throw offensive days. Tommy just refused to continue the traditions to make his own. Never mind he took players who were brought to the Tech program to play a certain type of system and tried to turn them into something else. Tommy should have waited to make such radical changes for a year at the very least. He should have allowed the players to play the system they knew, the system that the players received their scholarships (or walk-on privileges) to play through this season then Tubs could have waited to draft his kind of players. Tommy waited so late to give in to the pleas of many fans/alumni to finally allow his players to run the "Air Raid" show. A move which is what helped win more games in the end when the win column needed it. Perhaps if Tubs had begun the season allowing "Air Raid" and such to continue, Tech would have won the games it lost. There was no Big XII team on Tech's schedule this season that Tech should not have been able to beat...e.g. Iowa St, UT, A&M, even OU! Coach Leach started and left behind a strong football dynasty. Tommy has no excuse for letting Tech's season end the way he did. But then we must remember and take into account how he let his Tigers "burn" in the end - only here at Tech a year and already Tubs has allowed our beloved team to begin to spiral downwards.
The man is stubborn. From the get-go at Tech, his ego must have seen a Lucifer-like caricature on his shoulder that told him not to listen to Tech fans/alumni to not run the spread or "Air Raid". However, closer to the end of the season, it seems that a more angelic-like creature knocked the other demonic-like one off his shoulder and started advising Tubs to cooperate. For Tech seriously needed him to hand them over another winning season - fans/alumni were not kidding around and were mad as hell. It would not be the best season since the days of "the Captain" but maybe it would be good enough to fool the fans/alumni (NOT) and for sure good enough to merely appease the Tech administration (they would beat grateful for anything these days, for sure they would eat their mothers if needed).
For all those negative, stupid things that the Tech administration did to push our football program down several notches, and for making sure our pride was once again stomped on like the old SWC days. For their (admin) dishonesty and lack in accountability and integrity, for ridding itself unfairly and unjustly of Tech's all-time successful coach and bringing in the likes of Tubs (who is persona non grata at Auburn), I grade the admin an "F".
As for Tubs and company, just because you (coaching staff) may be new to Tech, NONE of you are new to coaching on the collegiate level and once again, you did NOT inherit a bad team. Your have NO EXCUSE for your lousy coaching. You did not take over a sloppy football program loaded with of a bunch of newbies. Most of our players were experienced, veteran (sophomores, juniors, seniors) players. Many were of high caliber, and clutch players. They were well-coached in previous years. Seasoned and ready to begin another successful year. Instead Tommy began this season by firing and replacing our previous coaching staff and kept not a one. His right to do so, but at least keep a coach or two to help with the transition. Tubs brought on a staff accustomed to a different coaching system more popular in another conference. Tubs did not just ignore Tech's previous system, but a system best known to the Big XII conference. Under Tubs, Tech was now playing a system so different but yet so a-typical and elementary that several Big XII teams knew exactly how to counter each and every play and our team suffered and was beaten time and time again. Mainly Tech took a beating because they were playing with confusion and no real direction. Too many games were lost that should have been sure wins. Tech was used to playing in a league that runs the spread and passes quite often versus the style that Tubs brought with him from the east which mainly runs and relies way too much on defense. This inaugural-coaching season under Tubs and his "tellies", Tech was succumbed to playing "pop Warner-like football". For all of that, Tommy, you also get an "F".
And don't you dare think that Tech fans/alumni are grateful that our beloved Red Raiders finally became bowl-eligible at the end of this season under your first reign over them. It was expected of them to reach such a feat; the team expected it of themselves as well. Our Red Raiders began this season ready for better than a 7-5 season. Ready for a better bowl bid than what we are in line to get to this year. You took an awesome team and made them mediocre at best and you continue to appear apathetic about the losses. Your less than successful bid at taking over where "our Captain" left off and your nonchalant attitude over it continues to sicken me, but I remain aware. I am watching you. Raider-Nation is watching you. Stop blaming others going forward because this upcoming season is on you and only you - beginning with post-season play and whatever (lesser and cheaper) bowl Tech plays in, it is all on you, sir!!! Our motto here at Texas Tech is: "From here it's possible"...learn it, live it and raise your grade or you won't last.
No comments:
Post a Comment