DAME MACK TO RETURN?
by Orson on Aug 4, 2006 2:48 PM EDT
Email
PrintAustin Murphy wrote a piece this year following the Rose Bowl illustrating in crystalline detail just how loose Mack Brown was prior to the Rose Bowl versus the GREATEST TEAM EVAH. Though the exact details remain hidden to us behind the veil of SI subscription, we seem to remember Mack Brown allegedly bopping around to the tune of "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake, a guilty pleasure on your I-Pod, for sure, but Mack Brown's? Overbite, shoulder shimmy, Thriller toe-point and spin with the hand on the imaginary black fedora on his head...yeah, savor the hypothetical imagery.
The Return Of the Mack may not feature such a touchy-feely relationship with his qb.
Most attributed this to the ebullience of Vince Young, who Mack Brown very intelligently let loose in the formerly choke-tight Texas offense, running lunatic rings around teams out of a pretty standard zone-read spread formation. This came after a few years of more conventional attacks that scored plenty but didn't force defenses to defend the most dangerous element of Texas' offense: VY's ability to crash systematic defensive programming at will with scrambling, turning Cover 2s and spy schemes into splinters with a single broken tackle.
Whether the good-vibes infection of Vince Young was a bacterial one (temporary, like a staph infection) or permanent (life-altering and persistent, like herpes) represents one of the more intriguing "identity questions" of the 2006 season. Texas remains a stockyard of supreme talent thanks to Brown's endless rubber chicken and gladhanding dinners across the state and the relative lack of competition for in-state recruits. (His most charismatic and skilled rival in recruiting may not be Mad Genius Mike Leach or Coach Hedley, but Gary Patterson, the coach of upstart TCU, who according to guys like John Lopez of the Houston Chronicle is beginning to put the burners on Horned Frog recruiting.) The question about Brown never centered around the nuts and bolts of program admin and maintenance; in that sense he's still unparalleled as evidenced by the Texas renaissance and his prior superb record at North Carolina.
Whether he'll stay as breezy as he seemed last year at the helm..that's the question, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Jevan Snead and Colt McCoy could both develop into starting qbs (though the likelihood of them doing it at Texas is tres mince,) yet will surely have the reins pulled tight as Texas leans on a more conventional run game than they did last year. Even if either one demonstrates real game-time speed, they won't be VY, and certainly won't have the carte blanche Young enjoyed last year in terms of option runs. The unenviable task of replacing Young--and the natural slackness following a championship run--could shock Brown back into his old ways, the "Dame Mack" stereotype dogging him prior to 2005 of conservative play into the hands of less risk-averse foes (Bob Stoops, just to name one for no reason whatsoever.)
Or he could come out five wide and blazing. In the end, maybe it depends on what's playing on his I-Pod. For Texas fans let's hope that's something closer to J-Tim than Bread.
If Mack Brown's rocking to "Baby I'm-a-Want You," run for the hills, Longhorns fans.
23 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Given that picture, “Squeeze” might be his favorite mellow band.
by Moonlight Graham Cracker on Aug 4, 2006 3:00 PM EDT reply actions
Whether the good-vibes infection of Vince Young was a bacterial one (temporary, like a staph infection) or permanent (life-altering and persistent, like herpes) represents one of the more intriguing “identity questions” of the 2006 season.
“Acute” versus “chronic” would have been more diagnostically accurate.
Hope that helps!
by The Conscience of a Nation on Aug 4, 2006 3:17 PM EDT reply actions
Scratch the “diagnostically” from the post above; it sounds stupid. Work’s getting into my head.
by The Conscience of a Nation on Aug 4, 2006 3:20 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, that’s way better. Dammit.
by The Conscience of a Nation on Aug 4, 2006 3:23 PM EDT reply actions
wow. looks like someone needs a weekend bad with about 4 long island iced teas…
by psuedosilentobserver on Aug 4, 2006 3:35 PM EDT reply actions
No can do long island iced teas after having about six one night* when I was 15; however, the Patron is calling.
*on a boat. Teen girls r dumn.
by The Conscience of a Nation on Aug 4, 2006 3:39 PM EDT reply actions
I had a similar night w/ my HS GF (when I was in HS), except it involved shooting an entire bottle of Cuervo Gold while swimming in a pool.
by AU03 on Aug 4, 2006 3:48 PM EDT reply actions
“I had a similar night w/ my HS GF (when I was in HS), except it involved shooting an entire bottle of Cuervo Gold while swimming in a pool.”
Firearms and alcohol—siempre una fiesta!
by Orson Swindle on Aug 4, 2006 3:56 PM EDT reply actions
I got nostalgic about our wedding too, sweetie.
by The Conscience of a Nation on Aug 4, 2006 3:59 PM EDT reply actions
By shooting I mean drinking out of a…
Well, your take sounds better, we’ll leave it at that.
by AU03 on Aug 4, 2006 4:01 PM EDT reply actions
All the general public needs to know is that the groom’s party exchanged fire in response to the initial shots and shot up a priceless Ming vase in the process.
by Orson Swindle on Aug 4, 2006 4:15 PM EDT reply actions
Question for the mister and the missus Swindle:
About the honeymoon:
a) Is it still going on strong?
b) Was it over after everyone sobered up?
c) Did it last its usual one year period? or,
d) Was it over when Ms. Jenn Sterger and her fake boobery and skin color made her debut in the college football world?
(For asking this question my Man Card is being turned in for the weekend.)
by Stacey Keibler Luvs Me on Aug 4, 2006 5:26 PM EDT reply actions
Yep, SKLM; I couldn’t resist her. Mmm, beef jerky!
by The Conscience of a Nation on Aug 4, 2006 5:49 PM EDT reply actions
One could argue that Timberlake is the new Bread. But what’s the point?
Snuck a peek at Mack’s I-Pod during Big 12 Media Days. It’s all Christopher Cross and Billy Ocean, y’all. Helloooooo vanilla offense!
by run right, run left, incomplete pass, punt on Aug 4, 2006 10:56 PM EDT reply actions
Let’s be honest here: before Vince Young came along, Mack Brown was one of the worst coaches in America. Their offense had no real definition to it, their players were woefully under-prepared for big games, and they almost always lost a game or two against some opponent that had no business being on the same field as them (most notably, the Arkansas loss in 2003 and the Arkansas near loss in 2004 and the Texas Tech near loss in 2003).
It took a superhuman quarterback to finally erase all of this (not to mention a really down year for Oklahoma). Are we really to believe that Mack changed? I’m more inclined to believe that the team changed because VY was good enough to soldier on through it and carry the team in spite of his so-so head coach.
by Cola on Aug 6, 2006 4:04 PM EDT reply actions
Cola, you are so full of it.
So, the knock on Mack was he wins a lot of games, but he can’t win the big one, even with supreme talent. People like you mindlessly trumpeted that one.
Now, with supreme talent, he wins back to back Rose Bowls and a national championship. You don’t have a leg to stand on.
Let me also remind you that Mack, outside of the OU struggles, has completely and thoroughly owned the rest of the Big 12.
In conclusion, Mack can’t hear you, he’s got a crystal football in his ear.
by Chris on Aug 7, 2006 11:21 AM EDT reply actions
I’ve always thought Mack Brown had a ton in common with Lloyd Carr. (The two are, in fact, pretty good friends, if I’m not mistaken.)
They’re both pretty old-school and slow to adapt. In college football over the past few years, that has been a deadly deficiency. The game is about superstars now, in a way I can’t remember it being even 10 years ago. And the great programs over the past few years just let those superstars rip and run: you design the offense you need to showcase the talent.
Brown was in as much trouble as Carr is before the VY domination began. I suspect he has learned something from the experience, and (maybe) will do what he needs to do now that Young is gone.
I just hope he passed on some of that knowledge to his friend in Ann Arbor!
by steve on Aug 7, 2006 6:45 PM EDT reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
