The Bear Blog

By Skeeter

August 23, 2008 7:52 AM | Link to this

I love seeing walk-ons being rewarded with scholarships. They’ll all be great Baylor Bears for life.

By Baylor Fan

August 23, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this

Linebacker Sam Shalala was also awarded a scholarship.

By dallasbloke

August 24, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this

Every new head coach has to first deal with the talent and skills on hand, even while creating a “new” system.

Sometimes, if the coach turns out to be incompetent, he can, like Beall at Baylor, take a team that won several games, had most everyone back on both sides of the ball(including an All-American lineman), and go 0-11.

Baylor unfortunately, immediately before Morriss, had a couple of not-quite so incompetent as Beall—but very poor and/or destructive—guys who left the talent and skills cupboard bare in a way that most Baylor fans never really grasped.

While it was time for Morriss to go (and I say that as one who admired him a lot), he left the next coach with a much better talent and skills base—again, better than most Baylor fans grasp. He straightened out an incredible academic problem that he never expected to find, and he increased the strength and conditioning of the players generally.

And he did this while fielding an extremely young team in the past couple of years—which means that many of those dudes are now back with experience and more savvy than we have seen in quite a while.

I have predicted that the Bears this year will win at least 6 games under Brile’s leadership and system of play, the more creative application of the better and more experienced talent, and the even better conditioning and strength brought by Kazadi.

And I stick with that.

The presence and use of multiple quarterback skills can be of great benefit to a team like Baylor that still suffers from a bit of lack of depth. The bit of uncertainty and the ability to engage in a bit of “trickeration” will be useful, and I look forward to seeing it in action.

But, of all the things that Briles has already done—and of all the things that were weaknesses of Morriss-the best and one with the most long-reaching implications, is the belief expressed by Briles that Baylor football players must be more a part of the BU student body and student life. The awarding of scholarships to walk-ons, while not new to Briles, is a good manifestaiton of this principle.

Unfortunately, Morriss seemed to believe (as many D-I coaches believe) that players should live and behave as employees (i.e., pros). His overtly anti-student life at Baylor comments and orders (his ordering his players to avoid all Homecoming campus activities being the worst), were harmful, especially given Baylor’s strength as a cohesive and supportive college environment.

While this attitude—given, among other things, the anti-student attitudes and policies of the NCAA—can be understandable, it simply did not mesh with Baylor’s identity and, ultimately, one of its potentially strongest selling points to recruits and their families.

The move of practice and study facilities back to the campus (demanded by, and started under, Morriss, by the way) is the most obvious symbol of putting the “student” back into “student-athlete”, but the pro-student life attitude and statements of Briles are even better.

I just hope that when success begins to occur—and it will—that he doesn’t revert to D-I type.

In the meantime, I look forward to Gettis-go-long, and I don’t care which of the three flings it to him and his cohorts at receiver. They all can, it seems.

By Skeeter

August 24, 2008 10:09 PM | Link to this

Wow. Interesting post. You need your own blog because I’d like to read more.

By hjames

August 25, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this

Dallasbloke is so right about meshing football players and students with an on-campus football facility and integration of athletes into campus and student activities.

Before Morris ever got to Baylor, I was writing and calling the administration and athletic department pleading for them to put together the money to build an on-campus academic/athletic center with an on-campus indoor/outdoor practice facility similar to the one at Brigham Young. Steele was too arrogant and was spending too much time big-dogging and kissing GWB’s rear end to grasp what I was saying. I stayed on Morris about that as well. McCaw understood. Now that this facility is about to come to fruition, I really believe, as I told Morris, it will enhance recruiting, student & player relationships, campus cohesiveness and greater student body loyalty & attendance and support at home and away games. These factors combined with some success on the field, sooner than later, will get Wacoans to finally see how important Baylor is to the oveall Waco and Central Texas picture and their quality of life.

If Herb Reynolds had kept Coach Teaff in the mix way back when, all of this would have happened long ago. Coach Teaff had a vision and he knew what Baylor needed long term. I still think Baylor needs to have a first class stadium and major track/field complex on or adjacent to the campus and between I-35 & LaSalle, on the other side of the river or down UnivParks (S.3rd on the other side of LaSalle) within stones throw and clear view of the campus…and not an SMU or UH mini-stadium, but a state of the art stadium that will make a statement to the Big 12, NCAA, the sports world and college athletes everywhere that Baylor is dead serious about creating an across the board big time college football program. Basketball (M/W), baseball, softball, track (M/W), tennis (M/W), among other sports are getting it done. Football can and must and will get it done under the leadership in the Athletic Department now. When that is accomplished, Baylor can reach out and become a national football program. That means national recruiting and big time national scheduling.

I hope and pray that BU powers that be will be damned certain the new president understands how valuable football and sports in general are to the overall Baylor image and prospects for ever more alumni giving. That is key to Baylor’s quest to be a complete big time university. Baylor can have a Top Tier academic situation and a Top Tier athletic situation. It is all in the committment. Briles is the man. So is McCaw, even though he is a yankee. Now, we have to get a president who we can count on and an almni association on his same page.

By Fred

August 25, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this

How many times before have the Dallas Cowboys and the Baylor Bears played on the same night at the same time? Not too often I’ll bet? Well, it’s going to happen this Thursday night. You know, this could be as rare as Haley’s comet?

By Big Ron

August 25, 2008 7:45 PM | Link to this

even rarer IF they BOTH WIN

By Big Brother

August 26, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this

Dallasbloke makes some very valid points. Some of which I agree. However I would be delighted to find out which 6 games the Bears are going to win.

Being a season ticket holder and fan ,who recalls the day in 1974 we beat The University of Texas and left the lights on all nights, I want to make sure I don’t give away my seats to Fred. Darn good to see you back by the way. It has not been the same they delete your comments.

By dallasbloke

August 26, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

Big Brother: umm, I guess you will have to wait like the rest of us until the end of the season.

If I knew six games that would be won, I suspect I would be making a fortune off parleys at sports books in Vegas.

Actually, it might prove to be more than six, since I actually said at least six, not six.

Those of us who were, indeed, privileged to be in attendance at that ‘74 game certainly know that you don’t ever know who is going to win what game before a game starts—or, even who is going to win based on who is leading at the half.

And, those of us who have been attending games since 1955 have seen enough ups and downs over the years to know that predictions of specific wins usually get the comeuppance they deserve.

I hope I’ll be with you at the games, fellow season ticket holder.

By bear

August 29, 2008 12:17 AM | Link to this

No offense to coach Briles but, why did Baylor let Coach morriss go? Wasnt it because of losses!