ARLINGTON, Texas ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” The second and final day of the Big 12ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s preseason football media gathering ended a bit more quietly than normal, even though both Texas and Oklahoma were participants. Those two teams typically draw the largest media followings, but the scrums around the coaches and players were somewhat subdued.
That fact brought up a discussion point on the floor of AT&T Stadium ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” will the cavernous spaces of Jerry World be needed when those two teams depart the league?
On one hand, four teams ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Cincinnati, UCF, Houston and BYU ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” are replacing the two abdicating institutions, so that will draw from a wider range of outlets. Also, with Oklahoma State still in, and with Houston adding to Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor, many, if not all, of the Texas media outlets could be reasonably expected to continue covering event.
Then thereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s the prestige aspect. While the space afforded by AT&T Stadum isnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t needed for the media gathering, having it in the focal point of the Dallas football universe is a good look for the league.
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Among some info dropped by WVU head coach Neal Brown was the aside that tight end Mike OÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™Laughlin might not be ready for the first game of the regular season. In answering a question about the rising number of scholarship tight ends on the roster, Brown noted that OÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™Laughlin is expected to be a key part of the team, whether thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s in the opener against Pitt or in Game 2 or 3 of the season.
ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s more than just a minor worry, as OÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™LaughlinÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s recovery from injury has been painfully slow. Brown noted that OÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™Luaghlin will not be rushed back into service, and thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s admirable, but thereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s also no doubt that the Mountaineers will need him ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” and everybody who's available ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” in order to compete with Pitt in the opener.
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No cheerleaders or mascots made the trip to Arlington, reportedly in repsonse to continuing COVID concerns. Still, the players, coaches and administrators in attendance roamed the floor freely among the assembled media.
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Following up on an item from a previous notebook, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Days and Big 12 official jerky Old Trapper actually supplied three different varieties of its signature product ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Regular, Teriyaki and Peppered. WeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d place them in that order in terms of flavor.
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Somewhat unbelievably, the non-issue of ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHorns DownÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ was again raised by a Texas beat writer, with the question ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHas it been finally put to rest?ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The answer, which was the same as the one that was provided last year, is that any sort of hand sign or disrespectful action can be flagged if used on the field and directed at an opponent. That shouldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t be difficult to understand, so clearly the question wasnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t designed to elicit any information, but rather to provoke a response and rile up Texas fans.
Of course, a couple of national outlets jumped all over that non-topic, blowing it out of all proportion ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” just because it involved Texas, and writing about Texas is a hit magnet. If there was similar controversy about ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œGuns UpÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ or ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œPistols Firing,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ it would be ignored.
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League coordinator of officials Greg Burks is a delight to talk with. He doesnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t duck questions and explains issues clearly while navigating one of the tougher work environments of the current day. I understand the feelings that many have toward officials in general and those of the Big 12 in particular, but Burks is clearly doing all he can to make officiating as transparent as possible.
It would be great for fans to be able to interact with Burks, who is one of the good guys of the league. Fans would get a much different perspective of officiating if they could spend some time in one of his presentations, and while theyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re never going to agree with every call, they would gain a better understanding of how the entire process of officiating works.
Thus, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s too bad that the Big 12 doesnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t stream his remarks from the podium, where he breaks down rule changes with video and photos to illustrate. Why they donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t make that available, at least in recorded form, is a mystery.
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UCF, Cincinnati, Houston and BYU were not in attendance at the Big 12ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Days this year, but at least one media outlet covering the Knights was in attendance to get a lay of the land and a sneak peak at what to expect from the event in 2023.
