After the first week of camp for the Longhorns and the end of the Olympics, it’s time for the first of many “Flanagan’s 5 thoughts.”
1. Different year, Same QB situation
The first week of camp is done, but really nothing is different. Both David Ash and Case McCoy are fighting it out for the starting quarterback job but neither is separating themselves from the other. One day David Ash has a great day and then the next day he has a disappointing performance. Same thing happens with Case McCoy. It’s quite frustrating knowing that the Longhorns have great talent at wide receiver and running back, but without a competent QB it’s hard to see how the Longhorns are going to get the ball into the hands of the running backs without teams stacking 8 or 9 players in the box.
What do the Longhorns need from the quarterback position? Well they need a quarterback who plays 75% in the team’s game time (meaning no QB controversy). The average accomplishments of Division I quarterbacks last season was roughly 2700 yards, 19 TDs,  9 INTs, and a completion percentage of 60%. Case McCoy was the only one last year with at least a 60% completion percentage and he only threw interceptions in one game. The bad news about that statistic was he had 4 picks against Baylor. If the Longhorns can meet each one of the statistics above with just 1 quarterback, Texas should feel pretty good about the quarterback position. My expectation, my hope really is that either David Ash or Case McCoy steps up and plays “average” for an entire season. Is that too much to ask?
2. The Olympics are over.
And that’s a wrap on the 2012 Olympics. A few thoughts running through my head as I sit and watch the Closing Ceremonies…
The Opening Ceremonies were better than Beijing. While the vast number of performers were spectacular in the Beijing games, the London opening ceremonies were more captivating with the history of Great Britain being a part of the ceremonies . The torch lighting was the best since the Salt Lake Games.
Michael Phelps might be the most decorated Olympic athlete but the best Olympic athlete was Usain Bolt. What he can do on the track is nothing short of magical. The fact that he can hold up in the 100 meters and still win comfortably is special. Bolt won’t be able to do that in Rio because as with every person, the older you get, the harder it becomes to keep the shape you were in when you were younger. I still expect him to at least medal in 4 years in Rio.
The one thing I enjoy about the Olympics is that throughout our differences culturally, we come together and embrace one another. Not only are we rooting for our own countrymen and women, but for the great stories of triumph like South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius and the heartbreak of South Korean’s Shin A-Lam who protested her fencing decision by the judges and sat on stage for over an hour to be told she wouldn’t win. The highs and lows are what make the Olympics so great and makes you feel that one day, it might be possible for us to all live together as one and accept our differences.
3. No commitments over the weekend? The world is ending!!Â
Not really, but it was surprising that Jerrod Heard didn’t commit but I can understand why he would be hesitant on pulling the trigger. Though when the word came out that he was spending a lot of time with Bryan Harsin is definitely a positive note because watching his film, Denton Guyer runs a similar offense. Lots of time in the I-Formation and some in the shotgun. I still think he is Texas’s to lose but I don’t fault a kid for not committing to a university he wouldn’t be attending for another 2 years.
4. NFL Training Camp thoughts
Cowboys don’t play until Monday Night, my expectations are that there will be too much scrutiny on Tony Romo for his 3 drives on the night. I do want to see how Morris Claiborne does in his first NFL game as well as the “improved secondary” does. Pretty difficult to learn much about a team in preseason…
Speaking of not learning anything in preseason games, lets just hope that holds true for the St. Louis Rams. Jeff Fisher’s first game as Rams coach was pretty brutal, and against his own personal kryptonite, which is the Indianapolis Colts.  Growing up in St. Louis, the Rams gave many in St. Louis a taste of big time football but if Jeff Fischer doesn’t get this turned around, the ownership group might just leave St. Louis. It would be devastating for football fans in St. Louis to have another owner, a Missouri born one at that, take football out of the city again.
Chad Johnson (aka Ocho Cinco) really did it this time. After headbutting his wife, it looks like he is heading for the UFL or the Arena league. The tragedy of being very talkative and cocky is when you fail, you fall hard and people enjoy it. Chad is a nice person and does a lot of good but his cocky attitude leads to a polarization and a headache for NFL organizations.
5. Tyrann Mathieu loves the weed.Â
Now I am a big believer in not being a hypocrite so I will just say that I am for the legalization of marijuana.
That being said, there are rules in the NCAA that you have to pass drug tests. Tyrann knew that he would be tested and because he failed a previous drug test he knew he would be tested more often. To fail it a second time left LSU and Les Miles no choice but to dismiss him from the team. At the end of the day, he will get picked up by a team in the NFL and be given a chance to make some big money. Even if you have a stance on a certain drug’s legality, you still have to abide by an organization’s rule on taking certain substances if you want to be a part of that organization. Tyrann didn’t follow the rules and LSU lost a key contributor to their team. This will affect LSU on the field because the LSU offense isn’t terribly exciting. The honey badger was a game-changer on special teams and guys with that ability do not come around too often.