A New Beginning

Ah, yes. Football is here. Last time I wrote, we had just gone through the most transition that Hog Nation has seen, probably ever. Frank had stepped down, we had brand new football and basketball coaches, and everything was a bit chaotic. Things have settled down these last several months, even though we've had a few more monumental changes take place on the Hill.

One being that legendary track coach, John McDonnell, has retired, and been replaced by Chris Bucknam from the University of Northern Iowa. I'm not much of a track and field guy, but everyone in Arkansas knows what McDonnell did here winning national championship after national championship, almost too many to count. Good luck to Bucknam trying to fill even one of McDonnell's shoes. They are rather large.

We've also had other rather large changes in the Athletic Department itself. One being that the men's and women's programs have merged and are now one happy family. Not that the changes have really been so obvious. Except for the fact that the Lady Backs are no longer to be called that, but the Razorback Women instead. Whoopie. I have seen a few journalists, and people that call themselves journalists (Wally Hall)make a big deal about this, but really, in the big scheme of things, it's not. Just more political correctness I guess. It doesn't really bother me, in fact I'm kind of indifferent to the whole idea. But hey, if it helps the program as a whole, I'm all for it.

There have been a few other changes, but probably the biggest, most recent change has been the transition in the chancellor's office. This one happened very quietly, with very little fanfare across the state. John White was replaced by G. David Gearhart on July 1. He is of the opinion that the chancellor's job is not to run the athletic department, but to hire really good people to do so, and let them do their job. This is great news after what we were put through the last several years with White at the helm. I won't rehash that, but everyone knows that White tended to meddle with things in the athletic department. And we saw how that turned out. It wasn't pretty.

So we've made it through all of that and more and here we are on the precipice of a new football season, with a brand new administration from top to bottom for the most part. Bobby Petrino is ready to start taking us to what we all hope is that next huge step in Hog football. That would be getting us back on the national scene on a regular basis. That could be viewed as something different by pretty much anyone, but here is what I think it means. I think we can realistically be a top 20 team on a consistent basis. I also think we can win an SEC Championship, which has never happened before. I think if we win an SEC Championship we will be in pretty good shape to play in the National Championship game, or a BCS game at the very least. That is the next level that we all want to be at, and I think we will be there sooner rather than later.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think it's very likely that we will make it that far this season. Not at all. If you want to know what I think will happen this season, read my next post. But as for now, I think we are all ecstatic about what these changes have brought to the Hill, and what that means for the future of the Hog athletic program as a whole. I think we've got a very bright future in Hogland, and one we can all be very optimistic about. I know I am.


GO HOGS!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO PIG SOOOOOIIIEEEEE!!!!