It's time again for Rick's bits, which means my brain is scrambled and I am incapable of sticking to one topic. That happens with me when more than 200,000 motorcycle riders roar into town for Bikes, Blues, and BBQ.
McFadden Approves
Former Arkansas running back and occasional Wildcat quarterback Darren McFadden was quite pleased last week.
No, he's still with the Oakland Raiders, which is depressing to anyone who values winning. McFadden is instead encouraged with the growing list of in-state recruits who've committed to Arkansas.
"I hate it when kids from my home state leave and go to other SEC schools," McFadden tweeted before tight end Will Gragg committed to the Razorbacks.
With Gragg aboard, Arkansas now has commitments from eight of the nine in-state prospects it has offered. That's quite an achievement for the Arkansas coaching staff and comforting to Razorback fans who've watched top players flee the state for other SEC schools.
Success for Arkansas always begins at home, no matter how small the talent pool.
Say No To Stickers
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said he wanted to put an outline of a player's home state on the Razorbacks helmet, but that idea was vetoed by athletic director Jeff Long.
"There was a concern that people from Arkansas wouldn't want to see (other states)," Bielema told reporters. "But let me know what you think."
Thanks for asking, Bret. I don't like it.
The idea seems self-serving, saying to everyone that you and your staff have to recruit harder to Arkansas because the talent base is limited. It's like the Geico commercial. Everybody knows that.
When someone puts on a Razorbacks helmet he is Arkansas, regardless of whether he's originally from Tumbleweed, Texas or Mud Puppy, Mississippi. Remember, too, that many players who go to school at Arkansas remain in the area to get jobs and raise families.
Out-of-state stickers belong on old station wagons. Not Arkansas football helmets.
Ban Tailgating?
Administrators at Towson University are considering banning students from tailgating on campus. The school is in Maryland, where the Tigers compete in something called the Colonial Athletic Conference.
The subject came up after the head of law enforcement at Towson State said some students were hostile and uncooperative.
Can you imagine someone trying to ban tailgating in the South, especially at an SEC school? Rowdy behavior at SEC games is common on Saturdays, especially at LSU, where fans and students shout "Tiger Bait" at anyone who gets within 10 miles of campus on game day.
Administrators at Towson should just wait until the Tigers lose another game. The fans will then give up on football and return to the sports they really love, lacrosse and women's field hockey.
Another Football League
Are you ready for some football, a Wednesday night party?
That's the hope for a professional Fall Experimental Football League, which will hold its first games on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The FXFL is comprised of four teams, including the Omaha (Neb.) Mammoths, the Boston (Mass.) Brawlers, the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Bolts, and the Florida Blacktips. FXFL Commissioner Brian Woods said player interest has been so great that the league will likely add more teams next season.
Former Razorbacks Jericho Nelson and Alonzo Highsmith are on the Omaha roster and Julian Horton recently joined the Brawlers in Boston. Rosters are still being finalized and other former Razorbacks could pop up in the new league.
Professional football has lagged behind the NBA and Major League Baseball in providing a place for young talent to develop. Hopefully, the FXFL will work and produce more success stories like Kurt Warner, who started in the Arena League before becoming a top quarterback in the NFL.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR NWA NEWSPAPERS
Sports on 09/28/2014