A tale of two safeties

CHRISTIAN SCOTT SHOULD BE STARTING!!!

SO SHOULD FOZZY!!!

WAIT, FOZZY DIDN’T LOOK GOOD THIS WEEK. BRING BACK VONDRELL!!!

DAVIS SUCKS, MCWHORTER SUCKS, MACK SUCKS. MAJOR HASN’T SHOWN ME ANYTHING.

JUST WAIT TILL CHRIS WHALEY GETS ON CAMPUS.

Scott should win the UT version of the Sean Taylor memorial meast of the week.

Is that a compliment? “Meast” sounds like something I wouldn’t want to call one of our players.

Well, I am saying that Scott should start. I thought a saving grace of Gideon was that he was good at picking up garbage and saving touchdowns. The staff stated the “coach’s son” bullshit. That was proven stupid against Tech when he porked the single biggest play in his career. The dropped popup was a straight up choke job. For whatever reason, no one wants to say it. It’s unfair, or some shit. Fair is nothing but a feeling.

Scott looked light years ahead of Gideon against KU and that isn’t going to change. I am hoping Gideon got Wally Pipped and the staff has the balls to play the guy that can help you win games. Whatever claims anyone wanted to make about Gideon helping us win games and blah blah blah bullshit were proven irrelevant when he lost the game against Tech with everything on the line. Yes, it really just does come down to a play sometimes and that was that game’s play, not the one that followed it.

People want to be kind, sympathetic, and understanding. These are good traits for raising children, teaching students and subordinates, winning friends and influencing people. Those traits will destroy you as a manager of personnel. The notion that Gideon deserves his spot in the lineup, as many around Longhorn netdom are articulating, is patently vaginal.

Say what you mean to say: We should openly be questioning the efficacy of Gideon holding down a starting spot at this point.

Folks will argue the notion of the choke against Tech. I am not sure what else you call it or how else it deserves to be spun. You’re taught as an athlete in any ball sport by the age of 5 how to catch a ball lobbed to you. At the point in which that is the only thing that matters as the definition of who you are as a teammate and athlete and you fail to perform, you deserve to be judged accordingly.

Half Man / Half Beast. I think it’s rather complementary of a safety.

Robbie Doane’s dad reads this board!

CTJ, Scott dropped an easy pick against KU.

Maybe Quan should play safety for us.

(Post not meant to be misconstrued as arguing for or against any unnamed player being benched/promoted to starter, b/c, really, I don’t know. Yeah, I know you’re not supposed to acknowledge uncertainty in these forums, but I certainly did it.)

Half-man/half-bear/half-pig. Manbearpig.

I don’t think people automatically called for Gideon’s benching because there is a difference between messing up a play and not being capable of making a play.

Because the Tech would-be interception was so easy, we sort of dismiss the fact that he didn’t get it done. No changing the past, and all that. No one disputes that he has the physical ability to get that pick 99 times out of 100, and (I think) no one disputes the fact that he has the mental capability to make that pick. It was an obvious goof, so we are willing to let it go as a goof.

We, and the coaches, are evaluating Gideon as though that play never happened, because we know if it came to that point again, it would turn out differently.

[/didntwatchscottsocannotopineonhiseffectiveness]

Hey, lay off guys that have bled for this program.

Scip started this disease of Dickens-allusion with his Amos Quigley analogy.

This will end quite badly, you realize, when someone riffs on Mad Dog vis-a-vis “The Pickwick Papers.”

CTJ: Wow. Feel strongly, much?
The Tech drop was a monumental fuck-up, no doubt, but it’s one play. You can’t hold that against him in spite of everything else. Tons of great players have dropped balls that hit them right in the hands.
The coaches clearly went into this season picking the two safeties that would give up the least amount of big plays, not the biggest playmakers. Would you be happy Christian Scott was our starting safety if he had a few interceptions but had given up long touchdown passes to Iglesias or Maclin? I don’t know.
My gut feeling is that Gideon is holding down the spot until Scott gets better at reading defenses and making less mistakes. I predict they will split time next year, and Scott will take over as the full-time starter in 2010. We saw the big plays Scott is capable of making, but we haven’t seen enough to know how bad he could screw up. I trust the coaches to get the best guys on the field. That isn’t always the best athlete, though that would make things easier.

Rollo: Excelsior!

I thought that one of the reasons that Blake is starting is because he is doing the defensive signal calling (at least for the DBs). I think I heard Blake say on the radio that he had that responsibility.

Christian might not have been up to that particular responsibility but maybe now Earl Thomas is (so Christian does not have to concern himself with that part of the job).

“Fair is nothing but a feeling.”
That is a memorable quote (reminds me of “Love is nothing but a second hand emotion”) but I think it is not actually accurate. It seems to me that it is easier to achieve justice (fairness) when feelings are removed from the process as much as possible.

Regarding Blake’s bobble, people have just been trying to be kind. Blake will probably regret this play for the rest of his life. He didn’t drop the ball because of a lack of effort or preparation so it is appropriate that we go easy on him.

We should always play the player with more promise and physical ability.

DJ & Patron Saint—

Look, I think you guys make logical points and present them well. I just don’t agree and probably never will, even if I enjoy the dialogue. People make decisions based off of emotion and then rationalize them with whatever logic and reason they can find. Oddly, hindsight is usually viewed without consideration for emotion and overvalues logic and reason.

I don’t know why your gut would indicate that Gideon is holding down a spot until a better player gets comfortable. Rashad Bobino, Ryan Palmer, Everick Rawls, Robert Killebrew, and Eric Hall are all examples of guys that were handed starting spots on the defense and only injury or graduation could remove them. The list goes on from there. Gideon is the latest player to potentially condemn our fanbase to 3-4 years of mediocre play while better players languish and transfer behind him.

The “you can’t judge a guy off of one play” mantra is the exact point I was arguing against earlier. You absolutely can. I judge Nick Anderson for smoothly buttfucking 4 free throws in 1994. I absolutely judge Bill Buckner for going fetal on the grounder in 1986. I judge the entire Oilers/Titans franchise for the 1993 collapse against Buffalo. I don’t wish ill will on folks involved with massive chokes, I simply judge them for their behavior when it mattered as a fan. Each of those instances arguably involves good to great players/teams that simply weren’t at the single moment in which it mattered. I am probably doing them an injustice by hoisting them into the same group as Gideon.

We can sit back and bullshit over whether he makes that play 99 times out of 100, but the fact is that he had the chance to make that play 1 out of 1 times and he did not. You hypothesize, I will take the data. You can hope he gets a chance for redemption with another game on the line, I will expect another player to be in his stead in that situation, making the play. I will take the unknown quantity in that instance every time.

I bet Roy Williams for OU doesn’t make the Superman leap successfully more than 1 out of 10 times. I’ll bet that our Roy Williams and BJ Johnson make the catches they dropped against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl if they had 99 more chances. Of course, like Gideon, there was one shot in each of those circumstances and that was all that mattered. If you gave Lendale White 100 carries on 4th and 2, he probably converts more than 90 of them. He had one shot, and that’s how it usually works. Life looks two different ways depending upon whether you’re winning or losing.

Now we have a time table for when Blake loses his job. We’ll see.

“People want to be kind, sympathetic, and understanding. These are good traits for raising children, teaching students and subordinates, winning friends and influencing people. Those traits will destroy you as a manager of personnel.”

Only if you let them overrule your analytical capacity. Otherwise I think they can be strengths.

BTW, anyone else immediately think of Dirty Harry when they hear or read the word “personnel”?

Anybody who is anything but grateful we had Gideon back there this year is a fool. The Joseph-Henry-Jones debacle scooped a gaping hole out of the middle of the depth chart. It’s incredible a true freshman could step in and make it not hurt so much.

DJ,

Just remember who our starting Linebackers last year were (Killebrew, Bobino, and Derry) while Kindle and Muckelroy sat behind them. We sat through Reed Boyd for 4 years while Marcus Wilkins rode the pine. I feel better that Muschamp is here, but history does not tell us that we play the best players. History tells us that we play players based on seniority and never losing a starting job. I think Scott has more talent and potential than Gideon, but seems a bit raw to me. I’ve been saying it all year and I’ll say it again to the Gideon backers…..Has he created any plays that have been gamechangers or has he done anything that makes you think he has star written all over him. I can’t think of any, but I can certainly point to Chykie, Aaron, Christian, Earl, and Curtis and say these guys have all star potential.

I liked Gideon as a filler. My concern is that results from here forward won’t matter and he’s in that slot by default, btw. I also feel bad for him dropping that pass, but not bad enough to summarily excuse it. I think he’d be a great nickel or dime back, too. Special teams hero. Etc.

The "you can’t judge a guy off of one play" mantra is the exact point I was arguing against earlier. You absolutely can.

That is the most logicle arguement I have ever seen.

logical

Gideon also made a good player earlier against the QB.

The defense just hammered everything that it saw!!!

Gideon has peaked. He has little upside…sadly I see him as a 4 year starter though.

I have been critical of him for awhile, and the backlash has been brutal. This is the one place where people see what I see.

I have watched Gideon all year long waiting for him to actually be there to defend an actual “forward pass”. Sadly it is nearing the end of the season and I have yet to see that happen. Bringing this fact up on a message board will get you drawn and quartered. It doesn’t change the fact that Gideon is always a step late to get to the ball, although he isn’t afraid to leave his mark on the ball carrier. That doesn’t stop the other team from advancing the football though.

DB has always been a position where kids peak as Freshmen.

“You absolutely can” (judge a guy on one play). CTJ, I couldn’t agree more. This is why, since the 2003 ALCS, I have maintained that Aaron “Fucking” Boone is the greatest of all Yankee players. This judgment may be controversial, but it is also unavoidable. He is the only Yankee player ever to win a decisive post-season game with a walk-off homer. Chris Chambliss would probably be second. His homer, however, only ended a three game sweep.

And sure, Ruth called his shot in the ‘32 series against the Cubs, but that was part of a four game sweep. Perhaps he should get credit for hitting a homer for some sick kid, but I don’t want to let emotions cloud my judgement here, plus, according to “The Lou Gehrig Story”, Gehrig, unbeknownst to anyone other than himself and the kid (and maybe Walter Brennan who played a sportswriter supportive of Gherig opposite Dan Duryea who played a writer supportive of Ruth—I can’t remember) hit two that day.

What about Mantle, some doubters would ask. Well Mantle did hit more World Series homers than any other player (18 I as I recall), but his batting average in World Series play was anemic compared to his regular season average and given that the Yankees lost 5 series in which he played, the man must have failed miserably on any number of single plays (at-bats).

All of which leads to the inescapable conclusion that the demise of the great Yankee dynasty began with the replacement of ABoone with ARod at third base.

Agreed, Soldier of Orange. Some folks don’t get it though. How do people expect Aaron Boone will be remembered? The only time I’ve heard his name referenced in about three years, in print, radio or tv, is in regard to the home run in that game. The guy is pretty much loved in NYC and hated in Boston as a result.

CTJ

I knew you would agree.

Bucky Dent

One lucky fly ball home run and the dude turns it into an acting gig in the tv movie The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

How does Gideon have little upside physically? He is what 18-19 years old 6’ 185-190lbs and runs a 4.5. Your telling me that he can not become a 6’205 4.4-4.5 guy after some time here? Didn’t colt come in at 180 and running a 4.7…. plus the more experience he gets the faster he can play, you don’t have to be fast to play fast.

Scott played a good game, not great, but very good. In my opinion let them settle it the spring because Gideon will not get replaced this year barring injury, and he has done nothing to warrant such action.

I agree. If you can’t get it done the first time, when it really matters, then they should just get you the fuck out of there. I mean name me one instance where someone had a chance to really make their mark, failed to do so, and then went to accomplish anything of note?

I agree with Vince.

Totally. Guys that blow it once never recover enough to produce at a significant level. Just look at my friend Dan Marino. Guy lost his chance and never got it back. It’s always that way. Show me one time where that wasn’t the case.

BTW, anyone here seen Terrell Davis?

CTJ let’s be honest here. You’re angry because you made a complete ass out of yourself before the Tech game. If Gideon makes that interception then no one remembers all that trash you talked. He doesn’t and now you think no one will forget. That doesn’t justify you bashing the kid. You seem like the kind of guy who uses “we” win Texas wins, and “they” win Texas loses. All of the joy, none of the sorrow. That’s okay I guess (you know, if you’re a douche); but please don’t use that bullshit to place unnecessary blame on a guy who you know already feels like crap for dropping that pass. Blake Gideon didn’t cost us that football game.

If you want to make the case that Scott should be starting over Gideon, fine. But if your agruement rests on the outcome of one play, then I’m afraid any debate would be pointless but you’re either bat-shit crazy or fail to understand the most basic principles of football.

because you’re either bat-shit crazy or fail to understand the most basic principles of football.

“I’ll bet that our Roy Williams and BJ Johnson make the catches they dropped against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl if they had 99 more chances. Of course, like Gideon, there was one shot in each of those circumstances and that was all that mattered. If you gave Lendale White 100 carries on 4th and 2, he probably converts more than 90 of them. He had one shot, and that’s how it usually works.”

Right. And Blake should have made the play, but do you define good Roy Williams by that one game, or Lendale White by that one 4th down? No. And you shouldn’t define Blake by one play.

“Just remember who our starting Linebackers last year were (Killebrew, Bobino, and Derry) while Kindle and Muckelroy sat behind them.”

I agree. I’m always for the best player playing NOW. My point is, that it isn’t always the most athletic player. For our team, THIS YEAR, Blake was the best choice according to the coaches. Now, if he doesn’t improve and continues to start while Christian Scott sits on the bench, I’ll yell and scream as loud as the next guy. But for now, he was what our team needed: a solid, dependable safety who didn’t make too many mistakes.

Blake gideon equals craig curry

For the record I’m all for Christian Scott starting. I believe that the coaches view Thomas and Scott as being of the same ilk. That is, athletic safties who can hit like a ton of bricks, but take a lot of chances in coverage and sometime fail to wrap up. I think Gideon is the guy who almost always takes correct angle, makes good, sure tackles and contrary to some posters’ opinions, makes enough plays on the ball in coverage to warrant being out there when your entire secondary is littered with youth. In other words he was a perfect safety measure at the beginning of the season. (See what I did there?) But now 11 games into this thing there’s no excuse for our guys making the kind of mistakes that a Blake Gideon can correct. If they’re still failing to take proper angles and/or wrap up then they shouldn’t be on the field. At this point the defense shouldn’t be worried about hanging on until our athleticism makes a play, but should instead be trying to maximize our own defense’s big play potential. We’re already a good bordering on great defense, and a guy with Scott’s skill set can help us get over that hump. What’s more, our defense should now be experienced enough to help compensate for occassional metal breakdowns, moreso than athletic ones.

CTJ,

Was it you that wrote that horseshit preview of the Tech game. What a choke job. Shit, I’m never reading your stuff again. What a waste.

i’m not decided on this issue. i’ve hated on gideon all year as a running joke. crediting a safety with making touchdown saving tackles seems like the bare minimum for expectations at the position. I can’t quote any plays with game clock, but i won’t let that stop me from making the hilariously overgeneralized claim that blake gideon is a slow assed motherfucker that is adding nothing to the defense by being “cerebral” and a “coach’s son” and a “leader”. Also i wish him the best.

I’m not going to shout for scott’s start the next time they lose, nor did i the last time, but i also wouldn’t end a piece with “Am I saying that Scott should start? No. The coaches must have a reason for him not starting” without a snide tongue planted in ironic cheek.

Closetojumping….please don’t let us stop you.

“Crediting a safety with making touchdown saving tackles seems like the bare minimum for expectations at the position.”-DrkBgrk

My sentiments exactly!!! People talk about a tackle, or taking the proper angle on Griffin against Baylor as proof that Gideon makes play…….. How far we have fallen!! The last two years have lowered our standards!!

 I got in an argument with Fico over at Shaggy about this topic.

I cited the pass up the sideline to Dez Bryant as an example where Gideon had a chance to make a play, but couldn’t get there. He went on to explain the obvious facts about outside leverage, and how hard it is for a safety to help if the CB gives that up, fully neglecting the fact that they were on the left hash giving plenty of time to do so. I then pointed out, with pictures, the exact same play where T-Tech threw the deep pass to Britton up the sideline. If you watch how fast CB and the receiver fly past Gideon it’s eye-popping. Gideon is even at the 35 yard line, and 4 yards behind at the 45……. He never had a change.

All one has to do is bring up Michael Griffin’s INT in the NC game, for an example on range. The kid is not shy about contact, that is for sure, but tackling people is just part of the job. If it were only about that Marcus Griffin would be an All American!!

Blake Gideon will start every game in his career, for one reason or another.

I absolutely posted the mudhole thread before Tech. I can’t believe now the guys who take things like that seriously come out of the woodwork. I was hoping for some humor after that game and there was very little of it coming from follow-up on that thread. At least you’re here now, remembering it and discussing it. It was for entertainment and I found it fun then, just as I do now.

When Blake Gideon does something to merit praise in the aftermath of that play, when he redefines himself beyond that play, he’ll no longer be only about that play, to me or anyone else. I don’t control the reality you guys want to ignore.

As to VY, I was watching the guy in high school and he had done plenty outside of the OU game in 2004. I loved the guy then as a player and I still do. I blame a gutless Greg Davis for that game, but you guys will probably go on to discuss how unfair that is now, in hindsight.

Brown had done nothing before the VY run in 2005. He’s grown a lot, but the criticism on him was merited. Again, I get it that that doesn’t jibe with your worldview.

The beauty of all of this is that Blake Gideon has his whole life ahead of him and there are infinite ways for him to alter how he’s perceived, to us and his personal world. I hope he does it, as many have, including a bunch of names on this thread. Otherwise, he’s a lot more Aaron Boone than Vince Young. I can’t lose either way, although if it’s more Aaron Boone, I certainly hope it’s on the sidelines while Christian Scott or someone better is laying licks and causing turnovers.

I’m here for you guys

I get far more torqued over Beasley than Gideon.

Wait a minute CTJ, I can’t figure out if Blake Gideon is Bill Buckner or Aaron Boone, although I’m pretty sure that if he’s Aaron Boone, he’s not Vince Young, right?

Also, I was wondering if it’s really fair to conclude that a man is bat-shit crazy based on one post.

CTJ is the truth.

Thanks, Bobby

We ruv your safeties rong time.

With a young secondary at the beginning of the year we needed players who knew what the fuck was going on out there. Busted assignments are the quickest way to get buttfucked against the spread. I think we put the right guys out there as the starters, initially. However, as the games have gone by, those guys have become entrenched because their game experience has made us even more reliant on them.

I think there are a few ways this could play out and only one of them seems like a really bad outcome.

1) Muschamp is here another year: If this happens he has all spring to get these guys where they need to be. If Scott is the better option, Muschamp will get him out there.

2) Gideon is better in the long run: it’s simply too early in a DBs career to judge Blake’s ceiling. You need one at least one freak athlete at safety against the spread… you don’t need two.

3) Scott is the better option: but he rides the pine because without Muschamp here Mack goes with the player he trusts.

I can understand based on history why CTJ wants to see Scott now. I don’t think that it warranted at this stage, but the consequences of him not getting more playing time could have a drastic impact on his ability to compete for the spot down the line.

One thing Scott has going for him is that he made some big-time plays at a great time. We have an off weak right now. Then we have an opponent that we probably blow out, giving him more opportunities to get in the game. Then we have the bowl game prep where we traditionally spend more time in development and open up the competition some. He should get a shot to make his case over the next 6 weeks.

P,

As stated in our earlier discussions I understand the point you are trying to make. I on the other hand disagree with the examples you used to illustrate said point.

You can say all I was talking about are the obvious facets of coverage such as leverage,ect… and discount the formation dictating hesitation. The point is the game is a team sport and if one person doesn’t do their job it makes the job of another person extremely less likely to be executed properly.

By disregarding the formation and the fact the CB lost outside leverage and saying that Gideon still should have been spot on in those plays is not logical.

If an O-Lineman misses a block and allows penetration into the backfield and the RB gets tackled, is that the RBs fault?

Well the RB did not accomplish the goal of the play despite the fact that other people’s screw ups made his job much more difficult?

You continue to cite M.Griffin’s interception in the Rose Bowl as your standard for good safety play. As I mentioned in our previous discussions, that is one of the best single plays I have seen from a safety, ever. On one of those commemorative videos there is wide angle end zone shot of the play. Griffin starts out on the right hash mark, drives the deep middle of the field, squares back up on Lienart then breaks back to the right on his shoulders and shows tremendous athleticism to get to the ball and make the play. (Amazing Play)

We cannot expect True Freshman to have that play as their benchmark, hell you can’t have most safeties in the country have that play as their benchmark.

As stated before, I agree Scott is more athletic… this doesn’t translate into better football player all the time. Secondly it is stated that if Scott’s mental side of the game catches up to his physical side then he will be the better player, this is true, if Gideon himself does not progress which I do not think is a fair or accurate assumption.

I say let them battle in bowl workouts and during the spring, and it is my personal opinion that Gideon will not get replaced…. but my opinion, as is everyone’s not on the coaching staff, is merely interesting if anything at all.

If Scott wants to see the field, he absolutely has to make plays when given the opportunity. Saturday was a great start and if he can keep that momentum going, then coaches will have to find him some playing time.

I agree though, the best players don’t always play. Remember Garnett Smith?!?!? That still pisses me off!!!

I don’t have any illusions that Blake was starting because he’s a physical 5-tool freak.

Fico,

I agree that it doesn’t always translate to a better football player just because a kid is more athletic, but at some point you have to give a kid a chance to prove himself(next year). When you are running drills half speed in practice everyone looks good, however we never know until a kid plays under the lights what he really has.

 When I watched Harrell throw the deep ball to Britton, I saw two really fast kids flying up the sideline, and a third kid get left in the dust, even though he had a 10-15 yard advantage. If you watch closely, it happens more times than you think( Geddis at Baylor as even you pointed out).

 If you take Thomas for example…. In the KU game Briscoe drops a ball and then gets laid out by Gideon. If he had caught it, sure he would have gotten hit, but the completion would still be made. In the same game Thomas is on that side this time and the receiver jumps up for the ball, but Thomas gets there before his feet even touch the ground. 5:25 mark 2nd qtr on 2nd and 25 Gideon gets there late. The catch on the helmet that they spent a little while juggling(8:39) Gideon is there after Briscoe falls to the ground.

  Basically what I am saying is if our safeties get beat to the outside then there is no help for them, because no matter what Gideon won’t get there. Sure it is their fault that they lost leverage, but I expect the University of Texas to have a safety that if the play is on the short side, he has enough range to at least get a lick on the guy before he takes two steps, especially with the way Reesing was fluttering passes up there. Look the kid plays the position like the book says, sometimes that isn’t enough though……. as Scott Derry!!

meant to say if our corners get beat to the outside……

sorry trying to work. LOL

Blake = white
Scott = black

Raise your hand if you want a white dude jogging around your defensive backfield.
Now count the number of D backs in THE LEAGUE who carry the white man’s burden.

Okay then.

It is not a bad thing that we have two athletic freshmen who will eventually be in the 6’1"/6’2", 210/215. Who will knock your jock off. Two is certainly better than one.

What everyone knows but no one will say is the truth.

Thanks, Bobby

Punctuating a legitimate argument by calling people racists is the hallmark of intellectual superiority and rigor. I’m duly impressed.

Re: white vs. black DBs

Someone has a website about this subject.

The fact that someone would take the time to research this and host a website… just frightening.

What everybody knows,

Having reread your post, I think I owe you an apology. I thought you were saying that people who argue Blake should start ahead of Scott do so because Blake is white and Scott is black.

It now appears to me that I got it exactly backward. It seems you are arguing that Scott should start ahead of Blake because Scott is black and Blake is white. Either way, the intellectual sophistication on display is impressive.

Again, my apologies.

blake gideon = craig curry

sarcastic apology accepted.

the only white guys I want to see on my team are QB, OL, and MLB.

Amen, brother.

Speaking of MLB’s, how the hell does a slow, white, gritty middle linebacker with a Polish last name NOT wind up in the Big 10 but rather in Waco, TX of all places? huh?

Ok, we’ve heard from Jimmy the Greek. Still waiting to hear from Al Campanis, Stokely Carmichael and Hitler.

Let me answer that for Hitler …

Scott!!!

I’d like to throw in my $0.02, as well.

Agreed, Soldier of Orange. Some folks don’t get it though. How do people expect Aaron Boone will be remembered? The only time I’ve heard his name referenced in about three years, in print, radio or tv, is in regard to the home run in that game. The guy is pretty much loved in NYC and hated in Boston as a result.

Are you arguing that the Texas coaching staff should make personnel decisions solely on the basis of the myopic fanbase’s selective memory?

Whether or not Gideon’s one unfortunate and ill-timed gaff will dominate our collective memory of his freshman year (or entire career) is irrelevant to whether or not he is, overall, the best option the Longhorns have at safety. That this is true should be obvious, unless you are completely unfamiliar with the concepts of sample size and selective memory.

WEKBNOWS,

That makes sense. Yes, Now I want Jordan Shipley benched in favor of Phil Payne. Absolutely ludicrous.

This is not a race issue. Ship is a fantastic receiver. He has the quicks, plus all the intangibles that go with being a tier 1 receiver. He could make a great slot guy at the next level.

 As far as Blake goes, he may turn into a better player. My eyes tell me that while he will get stronger, I am seeing a little Marcus Griffin in him. Marcus would never shy away from contact, but if a corner made a mistake you couldn’t count on him to cover it up.

“As far as Blake goes, he may turn into a better player. My eyes tell me that while he will get stronger, I am seeing a little Marcus Griffin in him.”

Marcus Griffin? Are you blind? Blake is much more of a Bill Bates or John Lynch type. Heck, even Pat Tillman or Kendall Briles would be better compariosons than Griffin.

Dimecoverage:

I went to that website you linked….holy shit. Here was a gem
________________________________________
“The number of white starters on the Titans went up by one when veteran Kerry Collins took over for a Vince Young who is hurting physically and who apparently can’t deal with the stress of being something he’s clearly not, a professional quarterback. Young is the latest of a string of incredibly overhyped black quarterbacks who can’t throw any better than your grandma, and probably doesn’t read defenses any better either.

The NFL’s Caste System is never more obvious than in the contrived attempt to make black the most important position in football and all of sports. Close to half of I-A major college programs now start black QBs, though only Donovan McNabb and possibly David Gerrard have amounted to anything over the past decade"
_________________________________

Fuck this guy