Striking a nerve for (Southwest) Texas State

For several years I've been blogging college football over at The Austin Chronicle. (I'm a former Chron film columnist and have been writing for them for almost a decade.) For the most part it's been about the Texas Longhorns, but last year I decided to write weekly about Texas State University's first year in FBS football.

This year I've been lukewarm about continuing, but a Facebook back-and-forth led me to whip out this piece. Then I discovered the sports editor had changed in the interim and the new guy was already out at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. It took  a few emails to even find out who he was, then a couple more to find someone to post it online.

In it I make a couple of points: It's time for Texas State to be taken seriously by the area media (both Austin and San Antonio), the Bobcats are a good team with a solid defense and a freshman quarterback who is capable of doing magic, and--most important--they play on Austin TV today against the Ragin' Cajuns!

Oh, and I urged Longhorn fans to consider watching because, frankly, their team is going nowhere this year. (For the record, I've been a UT football fan since age 8 when my Dad started taking me to games. I'm also a two-degree grad of the school that shall always be known as Southwest Texas State University, and that's my license plate above.)

Then BANG. The post spread like wildfire through Twitter and Facebook, particularly the latter where it has racked up 4.6 4.8 4.9 thousand likes as of this moment (the number keeps climbing). I can only credit that to a potential fan base (the team's, not mine) that is untapped and ripe for the taking. 

It's an interesting reminder of the power of social media. Thanks for reading. Now go watch the game!

Natalie Portman hangs out with 100,000 in Austin, TX

Actually Natalie Portman has apparently arrived in Austin for her role in Terrence Malick's film formerly known as Lawless. Filming occurred during the University of Texas' 56-50 victory over the Baylor Bears at DKR-Memorial Stadium.

Over at Daily Beast they report the all-important news that Portman has gone blonde for her next film. Hint, hint--this is it.

The announcers weren't clued in that the guy standing next to Portman was her costar, Irish actor Michael Fassbender.

First Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling shoot scenes for the Malick film for the second straight year at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, now the director shoots at one of the largest football stadiums anywhere. Isn't he supposed to be a recluse?

Murder, politics and Texas State football

John & Oriter Castleberry in happier(?) times.

The story goes that John Kendrick Castleberry, a respected doctor in Nacogdoches, had a thing for his nurse Dora. They first poisoned her husband, Luther, then put a dab of the same potion in a cup of tea that John’s wife, Oriter, was drinking.

After a suitable waiting period, the doctor and nurse got married and had a child. Then the doc turned up dead, and Dora left with all their cash and the youngest child.

The good doctor’s older children grew up angry and mean. If you got in their way on the streets of Nacogdoches, you paid the price. One of those Castleberry boys was my grandfather, who became first a cop then a convicted swindler. I don’t remember him, but I’m told the last time he was in our house he had a gun in his hand. I think of this story every time Texas State plays Stephen F. Austin in football. I start to wonder how much of the East Texas voodoo the Lumberjacks football team brings with them to San Marcos.

Read the rest of the story here.

Can the Texas Longhorns beat the Baylor Fire Bolt?

I've been blogging the University of Texas football seasons for The Austin Chronicle for about four years now. This Saturday is the last game of this season. Here's my latest blog post (which doesn't mention unsubstantiated rumors that Mack Brown will retire as Texas coach after Saturday's game):

Texas fans nibbled on Thanksgiving turkey and expected the worst. The Aggies could taste this win. They wanted to end the rivalry with forever bragging rights as they shuffled off to the SEC and leave the Longhorns with the beer-soaked, early-morning regret that is the Big 12.

My die-hard UT fanatic brother-in-law feared a blowout. “It’ll be close,” I said. He shook his head with a grin that spoke of my naiveté. You know what happened next.

Aggies complained of a bad call, of the injury that kept Cyrus Gray out of the game. But the truth is the Texas defense finally rose to the level necessary to offset the befuddled Burnt Orange offense. Special teams did, too. We’re talking points off of turnovers. Quandre Diggs’ 81-yard punt return. A defense that battered the Aggies and their seasoned quarterback Ryan Tannehill, capped by a Kenny Vaccaro interception that led to a rare touchdown.

The rag doll named Case McCoy did the rest with a gutsy gallop into the Texas A&M defenders, who smacked him this way and that as he struggled for any yards they’d cede. Enough to get Texas in field-goal position. It worked. Justin Tucker made up for a night of horrendous punts by finessing the ball through the uprights from 40 yards out as time ran out.

In College Station you can find billboards still up in summer heralding the last win over the t-sips. In Austin, we marvel at the strange traditions: the overalled cheerleaders with their odd gang signs, the incessant “howdy,” the constant standing and swaying at Kyle Field. That cute little dog they worship. We’ll miss every bit of it.

Read the rest here.

The Note Bob Stoops’ Brother Should Have Sent, but Didn’t Dare*

My latest Austin Chronicle sports blog begins thus:

Dear Bob,

I love you like a brother, man. In fact we are brothers, aren’t we? That’s why it pains me to write this note. I’m proud of you, Bob. You do our Stoops family name proud. Your Oklahoma Sooners are No. 1 and we’re not, dammit.

Just kidding, bro, but I harbor no ill will for your 23-13 win over my boys at Florida State this past Saturday. You did it with pounding defense, the kind Dad taught us in his 30 years at Cardinal Moody High back in dear old Youngstown, Ohio (round on the ends and high in the middle!). Dad was all about the D. You’re all about the D. Heck, after growing up sharing a bedroom with you as an older brother, I had to be all about the D. Same with Mike. You two were terrors and taught me a lot. I was proud to bear the bruises of brotherhood. I’m proud to be the Seminoles’ defensive coordinator. I’m proud to be a Stoops.

That’s why it pains me to say this, Bob. My team would have taken the lead in the first half if Kenny Shaw could have held onto that ball. Heck, at this point I’m glad he can hold onto anything. Your boys Javon Harris and Tom Wort rammed their helmets into Shaw’s helmet and soon Kenny was looking like roadkill shaking on his back there in the end zone with his paws curled toward the heavens. He was back on the sidelines by the third quarter, thank the Lord above.

Read the rest here.

Oh,and it's worth noting that Stoops at his weekly post-game press conference honored Harris and Wort for their play against FSU. Nuf said.

Major Applewhite next to flee Texas Longhorns?

The previous rumor was Major Applewhite would be the next offensive coordinators for Mack Brown's Texas Longhorns. Now reports have him following Will Muschamp to the University of Florida. Looks like Texas fans will get the usual medicine of a rare losing season--an almost new coaching staff. Brown gets to stay and try to find a "coach in waiting" to replace Muschamp and the gang.

Texas Longhorns live the struggle

At 4-4, the Texas Longhorns football team is struggling, to put it mildly, as it travels to Kansas State today. Here's my take over at The Austin Chronicle.

Garrett Gilbert, Colt McCoy both lose while learning

What does the rest of the season hold for the Texas Longhorns after three football losses that didn't have to happen? Read my latest Austin Chronicle blog post.

Texas Longhorns slide toward home

Texas learns to coach and beats up on the unsuspecting Nebraska Cornhuskers to begin their season's second stanza. Can they pull it off again or is a stumble awaiting? I sort it out in my UT blog for The Austin Chronicle.

Common sense sez Nebraska whoops Texas; history whispers different tune

My latest sports blog at The Austin Chronicle as the Texas Longhorns prepare to travel into hostile Nebraska Cornhuskers' territory.

NEWS FLASH: Texas Longhorns won't lose a football game this weekend

Of course, that's because they're not playing. Read more in my UT football blog for The Austin Chronicle.

Bob Stoops is on line one!

The following message was left on my 1980's-era answering machine:

Joe! How they hanging, my scribbling bubba? Coach Bob Stoops here, if you want to be all formal. Just wanted to touch base before the big hoedown, my friend. You know I love the Texas State Fair and all that fried crap. Have you seen my gut lately? The wife is starting to complain.

I bet they’re complaining in Austin, too. Those surfers from UCLA pulled a number on the fellas in Burnt Orange again. I haven’t seen anybody do that since, well, me!

(read the rest on my Texas Longhorns football blog for The Austin Chronicle.

In search of the elusive Mike Leach

My journey into the Heart of Dryness in search of defrocked Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach leads me to Cadillac Ranch and the mutterings of a seeming madman. The horror! The horror!

Read my University of Texas football blog in The Austin Chronicle.

Texas Longhorns face GIANT EXPECTATIONS!

My latest Texas Longhorns football blog for The Austin Chronicle as the season enters week two with Garrett Gilbert at the helm and Tre Newton as the ball carrier of the week. Mack Brown's search for a running game continues.

Are Texas Longhorns ready to try again?

OK, Time for my seasonal gig where I blog about the Texas Longhorns football team for The Austin Chronicle. I'm in my fourth year doing this. Here's where I try to answer the question is Garrett Gilbert another Chris Simms or more like his idol Major Applewhite? The answer isn't that simple.

The Big 12 survives to play another day

One of my lesser-known writing gigs is blogging about the University of Texas Longhorns football team for The Austin Chronicle. It's been a wild last few days with Nebraska and Colorado leaving the Big 12 and Texas on the verge of going to the Pac-10 and taking half of the remaining teams along. The drama ended today with the announcement that Texas and the remaining members are keeping it together. Here's my goofy blog post about it.

I also spoke on the air to a West Virginia radio station through Metro News about the tempest. You can hear it here.

Last word on No. 2 Texas Longhorns improbable season

One last take on the Texas football season and its future with Garrett Gilbert: My Austin Chronicle sports blog.

Why Texas will beat Alabama for the BCS title

My argument for why Texas will beat Alabama at the Rose Bowl for the college football title starts with the D. See my Texas Longhorns blog at The Austin Chronicle.

Luck and the literature of football

My take on the Texas Longhorns football team's win over Nebraska in the Big 12 title game (it was ugly) can be seen at the Austin Chronicle's sports blog.

Colt McCoy's Heisman hopes await in Nebraska

A preview of the Big 12 title game this Saturday in my Austin Chronicle blog. Could Colt McCoy win the game and lose the Heisman race?