Mr February
Mr February
Here is an article someone emailed me.......
____________________________________________________
By Matthew Zemek <mailto:mzemek@hotmail.com>
A Late-October Blitz
Give Chris Simms a ton of credit. No, he didn't play great, but after the fallout from the OU game and all the adversity he faced in front of a hostile crowd and a tough KSU defense, Chris Simms' clutch, ballsy throws in big situations spoke volumes about the man's character. This was a very impressive bounce-back game for a quarterback who, it must be said, is poorly coached by Mack Brown and Greg Davis, getting little in the way of help from the people supposedly charged with improving his game. Simms made money throws while getting hit, and he made those throws when Texas absolutely had to have a big play. Simms stood tall and showed more mental toughness than Roberson, who continues to confound with his spotty and maddeningly inconsistent play. How Roberson can bobble and botch shotgun snaps and handoffs, at this stage of a season and at this stage of a career, is beyond me.
Another word on Mack Brown. This really isn't related to on-field coaching, but is instead connected with media relations. Texas fans, I have nothing against the University of Texas. I think Major Applewhite was and is one of the best things since sliced bread, and I think John Mackovic's play call, with James Brown hitting Darren Lewis on that 4th and 2 from the Longhorn 28 in the final minutes of the first Big XII Championship Game back in 1996, was one of the five greatest play calls ever recorded.
If I rip on Mack Brown a lot-and I do--it's because of the way he acts in postgame press conferences. His display after the OU loss was pretty pathetic, and this Saturday, after a tough, hard-earned win over Kansas State, Brown-instead of taking the high road-had to act just as defensively as he did the week before. Brown said, at one point that, "Since we've been unlucky all year, I knew we would block that kick." Brown-acknowledged as one of the nicer guys in the coaching profession, by me and other college football writers-is beginning to paint a different portrait. With that quote, Brown managed to come across-maybe not in reality, but certainly in perception, based on the words he said (no one else said them)-as a man who is arrogant in victory but ungracious in defeat, and is certainly unwilling to own up to any mistakes.
Brown is inferring two things in his quote: 1) we had KSU all the way, I knew we'd win, etc., etc. That disrespects Kansas State's team and program. Yet, Brown also said he and Texas beat "a top 10 program." Well, KSU was ranked 19th entering the game. Brown is making a lot of grossly untrue misstatements to suit his purposes, and it sickens me. He's clearly trying to have it both ways: he's trying to say he beat such a supremely good team, yet he speaks with a false and overstated confidence about the decisiveness with which his team won. If KSU has any kicking game to speak of, Texas doesn't win.
2) Brown is also inferring in his quote that his team was unlucky against Oklahoma. Yeah, when you get punked 21-7 in the fourth quarter, that's being unlucky. Yeah, Mack. Sure, Mack. Right, Mack. Whatever you say, Mack.
Mack, act like a man, okay? And while you're at it, coach your quarterback better. Then you can be legitimately confident and proud in postgame press conferences, and I won't have cause to rip either your coaching or your comments before the press.
____________________________________________________
