Is Swoopes the answer? (article)

[HornEsch]

Perhaps "forgiveness" was the wrong word to use Re: Simms that day. Lot's of mistakes in that game as someone pointed out but Simms had the majority of the critical mistakes. Postgame, I don't recall him seeming very remorseful about his performance or the loss... perhaps that has stuck with me and why I used the word forgiveness. Maybe I am wrong about my recollections of Simms. Regardless I am not fully over that game nor I am fully over re: the 1984 Cotton Bowl.

We want our QBs to have a short memory and even keep, except when we don't.

I knew several people around Simms during his time here. He was extremely upset about how he played. However QBs often have to be the leaders and stay strong. What a player says to us publicly means nothing, they owe us nothing. The important thing is how they are with the team and by most accounts the team loved Simms.

I think we tend to think these kids should show a certain emotion for us, not anything else. That is just not the case.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Oh I remember some drops but overall, agree with your take. . . 

Ship missed one or 2 games yet matched his numbers from last year and as you mentioned, John Harris had the best year of a TEXAS WR since Ship's brother in '09.

WR was not the problem.  Frankly it might be the biggest strength of the offense.

I agree that WR just might the strength of the offense.

However, I just don't think that any of them particularly struck fear among opposing defensive coordinators and defense backs. Daje and Armanti could if either or both played more. But no one else did.

 

[echeese]

Perhaps "forgiveness" was the wrong word to use Re: Simms that day.  Lot's of mistakes in that game as someone pointed out but Simms had the majority of the critical mistakes.  Postgame, I don't recall him seeming very remorseful about his performance or the loss... perhaps that has stuck with me and why I used the word forgiveness.  Maybe I am wrong about my recollections of Simms.  Regardless I am not fully over that game nor I am fully over re: the 1984 Cotton Bowl.... but that is another story.

Good lord please stop. . . . 

Your first post was bad enough but that is a complete distortion of reality. . . 

The kid took 100% of the blame and covered for a bunch of players who had screwed up as well.   

He put it all on his shoulders and was absolutely sick about the outcome. . . . .which was compounded by the village idiots who claimed he was laughing at one of Major's many picks vs UDub in the Holiday Bowl. . .the real story (and Chance Mock has confirmed this several times) was Mock turned to him and said "don't worry, they'll blame you for Major's picks too". . . .

Bad enough people pile on kids but when you have to make shit up to trash them personally. . . .well that's just pathetic. . . .

 

[doc longhorn]

I have seen a few posters say we had mediocre receivers. I don't agree. We had a receiver have a breakout year and reach 1000 yards plus we had a couple of youngsters contribute. I think it is hard to judge the receiver play when the QB could not consistently hit the open receiver. I don't remember the whole group of receivers having the dropsies. I know one dropped a few but not all of them. IMO the receivers weren't the problem

Well, a better way of looking at it is ask which Big 12 team would start either of our top two receivers?  Kansas, perhaps, and after KU I can't think of a single team.

I love Ship, but his YAC is awful.  He was not a game breaker like his brother.  He is primarily a 3rd down player, because of his great hands and ability to get open, and I think that is where he would be used, if he played at all - on teams like TCU, Baylor, OU, KSU, TTU and even ISU.

Our best receiver would not start on the top teams of the Big 12 - no matter his numbers at UT.

Of course, you would have to name an OL that would start for one of the top teams as well - or our QB.

 

[echeese]

The BigXII Coaches (of course what do those idiots know). . .picked  2 KSU WRs, 1 OU WR, 1 TCU WR 1 baylor WR and 1 WVU WR for the 1st and 2nd teams  last year.

That is 6 our of a starting group of 30 .. . . . if you really want to argue that Harris wasn't as good as the next 24 WRs. . . . further discussion is pointless. . . I'd argue you can't list a single school Harris wouldn't be one of the starting 3.

 

[doc longhorn]

The BigXII Coaches (of course what do those idiots know). . .picked  2 KSU WRs, 1 OU WR, 1 TCU WR 1 baylor WR and 1 WVU WR for the 1st and 2nd teams  last year.

That is 6 our of a starting group of 30 .. . . . if you really want to argue that Harris wasn't as good as the next 24 WRs. . . . further discussion is pointless. . . I'd argue you can't list a single school Harris wouldn't be one of the starting 3.

Sure I can argue it - easily.  Harris was a WR that played the X or inside position.  Every team we played had zero concern about our passing game and defensed us that way -. 7, 8 and even 9 boxes were common, all year long.  With that kind of defense, even Harris could get open every now and then.  And he certainly wasn't a game breaker - you can't argue that.

Here are the teams he wouldn't start on - TCU, Baylor, WVU, KSU, OU, OSU and TTU.  He couldn't break into the lineup as a WR on any of those teams - not one. That leaves ISU and KU and there could be an argument about ISU.

 

[Royal 60]

You guys are beating this to dead ! Bottom line--If we want to be a top ten team it will be with a QB NOT named Swoopes.

 

[DukeHorn]

Yeah,

Simms sucked. . . . . 

BASTID . .. . . .

All the kid did was leave everything on the field for TEXAS. . . . . yep, he flacked up that game. . . . .but few remember he was hardly the only one. . . .

Defense lifted their skirts and took it in the back side .. . . after 3 turnovers what happened?  3 TDs. . .didn't even bow up for a FG . .. nope. . . #1 D in the nation spit the bit. . . . SIMMS' fault. . . .

But they didn't stop there, nope. . .gave up a career day to Chris Brown. . . . .

We can go on to discuss any one of a dozen other screw ups (roughing penalty, off sides etc etc) which took points off the board. . . .but easier to blame a QB who had an off day .. . . .

Let's not forget the fact that without Simms. . . .we don't get to Dallas. . .and spare me the "Major would have saved us nonsense". . .Major would not have lasted the year . ..

Simms bleeds burnt orange. . .even named his daughter Sienna. . . . .which is the name of the Crayola color of burnt orange . ... . . .

Talk about revisionist history.  It was merely an "off" day for Simms and we shouldn't blame it because it's always easier to blame the QB? Really???

Our #1 defense had held them in the past 8 plays to 8 yards.  We drive down to the 22 and Simms throws a pick with a 75 yard return to the UT 12 yard line. The 12 yard line.  That's not our defense's fault (but nice try).

Second quarter Simms throws another pick.  Yeah defense is a bit jittery and gives up a drive.  

Later in the second, Simms refuses to throw the ball away, gets hit and fumbles with a CU recovery at the UT 22 yard line.  That's not our defense's fault (but again nice try).

Next series, Simms throws a pick-6.  Blame that on our defense?

3 picks and a fumble  on 4 straight possessions in the first half is just an "off day", WTF???  We lose by 2 with 22 points directly attributable to Simms' turnovers and somehow we wouldn't have won with Applewhite as a starter?  The BS is breathtaking.

 

[primal defense]

I don't know if UT has a sports psychologist, but they should. I met a guy in the 80's who wanted to be a sports psychologist for the San Francisco Giants and sure enough a year later he was hired by the Giants.

After the Baylor game Swoops admitted that he was nervous and it looked to me that it has been an ongoing problem. When your nervous as QB your not going perform well and your not going to be a leader to your teammates. This is when a sports psychologist should get involved.

Another thing that can help is hypnosis which has been shown to help people lose weight and stop smoking.  Performance anxiety on the football field is a condition that can be helped with hypnosis.

 

[LHornjack]

You guys are beating this to dead ! Bottom line--If we want to be a top ten team it will be with a QB NOT named Swoopes.

Swoopes is a nice kid and I wish him the best but, zero reps should be wasted on his further development... He is in no way a playmaker....he doesn't understand how to move the chains....can't outrun defensive linemen...won't keep the ball on the Z read, even when wide open...has no pocket presence...steps into sacks... and chances to complete a pass over 6-7 yards downfield is mostly miss..

He should be an emergency only QB....from here on out...

 

[streettopeschel]

I don't know if UT has a sports psychologist, but they should. I met a guy in the 80's who wanted to be a sports psychologist for the San Francisco Giants and sure enough a year later he was hired by the Giants.

After the Baylor game Swoops admitted that he was nervous and it looked to me that it has been an ongoing problem. When your nervous as QB your not going perform well and your not going to be a leader to your teammates. This is when a sports psychologist should get involved.

Another thing that can help is hypnosis which has been shown to help people lose weight and stop smoking.  Performance anxiety on the football field is a condition that can be helped with hypnosis.

i felt as if i was in some sort of hypnotic trance while watching the Texas Bowl and i fought my anxiety with beer. 

maybe we're not talking about the same thing though.

 

[echeese]

Talk about revisionist history.  It was merely an "off" day for Simms and we shouldn't blame it because it's always easier to blame the QB? Really???

Actually I said he "flacked up". . .nor did I ever say he wasn't worthy of blame. . .I pointed out he wasn't the ONLY party who had a bad night. . .. . . . .typical of you to offer up a strawman argument. . . . . .and since I doubt you understand what a strawman is .. . it is when you misrepresent what was said to create a false narrative that you then tear into as if you have offered a real/factual retort.

A pattern with you

I correctly pointed out that after 3 turnovers, the defense gave up 3 TDs. . . Simms had 4 turnovers in the game, I don't blame the D for a pick 6, again as you falsely tried to offer.

So basically you built another strawman. . . which is typical of the logical fallacy of most of your arguments.

Go back to ranting and raving about Patterson . ..what you understand about football would fit on a dime and give 9 cents change. . . ..

 

[echeese]

  We lose by 2 with 22 points directly attributable to Simms' turnovers and somehow we wouldn't have won with Applewhite as a starter?  The BS is breathtaking.

Honesty. . .thy name is not Duke. . . . strawman builder maybe. . . 

I said we never get to the title game without Simms. . .who had an amazing season. . . . which is not the same thing.

which makes the "bs is breathtaking'. . .comment ironic. . . .but I will defer to you. . .when it comes to bs, now that is an area of your expertise. . . . .

 

[TeamMayhall]

I don't know if UT has a sports psychologist, but they should. I met a guy in the 80's who wanted to be a sports psychologist for the San Francisco Giants and sure enough a year later he was hired by the Giants.

After the Baylor game Swoops admitted that he was nervous and it looked to me that it has been an ongoing problem. When your nervous as QB your not going perform well and your not going to be a leader to your teammates. This is when a sports psychologist should get involved.

Another thing that can help is hypnosis which has been shown to help people lose weight and stop smoking. Performance anxiety on the football field is a condition that can be helped with hypnosis.

I totally agree with this comment. Performance anxiety is exactly what I felt we observed from Swoopes when facing adversity.

 

[HornEsch]

Let's put the Simms stuff to rest. He is a great Longhorn who bleeds Burnt Orange. He was a really good QB that had a really bad game. It happens.

I think most here would happily take Simms right now.

Back to the topic, as you can see it is hard from some fans to let go even after a decade. However we fanatics on the fan forums represent a small percentage of the overall fanbase . Most fans I know have little care for the drama that we follow.

One thing is true in both cases, we are fickle as can be.

 

[java]

I remember that Big 12 Championship Game well, and it shocks me that no one has mentioned that we were getting 7 to 8 yards per rush just before our OC started calling passes, which led to the first interception.  I was literally screaming.  We had Colorado on their heels, and I couldn't believe it.  Didn't Simms break his finger on that series?

I have never seen a player take so much crap from so many people and behave with such class.  The guys on the team loved him.  If you don't believe it, ask Cory Redding, because he will tell you like it is.

Hook 'em!

 

[primal defense]

i felt as if i was in some sort of hypnotic trance while watching the Texas Bowl and i fought my anxiety with beer. 

maybe we're not talking about the same thing though.

I believe your confusing anxiety with revulsion. That's what I felt about our offense watching the Texas Bowl. Whether it's anxiety or revulsion, beer would be the proper prescription.

 

[bcherry168]

I don't know if UT has a sports psychologist, but they should. I met a guy in the 80's who wanted to be a sports psychologist for the San Francisco Giants and sure enough a year later he was hired by the Giants.

After the Baylor game Swoops admitted that he was nervous and it looked to me that it has been an ongoing problem. When your nervous as QB your not going perform well and your not going to be a leader to your teammates. This is when a sports psychologist should get involved.

Another thing that can help is hypnosis which has been shown to help people lose weight and stop smoking.  Performance anxiety on the football field is a condition that can be helped with hypnosis.

There was a great article in the WSJ the other day about the guy that Ohio State hired for that purpose. I tried to post it, but am too senior to figure out how. Google it up.

It is something that we should really consider.

 

[java]

The Olympic Team uses one.  A gymnastics coach that I was very good friends with was on the team.  I purchased Mental Toughness Training for Sports years ago, and he said many of the methods mentioned there were used when he was on the team.  He said it is very effective.  I believe that Dan Jantzen (sp?) credited a sports psychologist for his eventual success.

We certainly have the resources.  Money may not make you happy, but it certainly does provide some nice perks.

Hook 'em!

 

[Conch Horn]

I'm on the sidelines near the team area for many Texas games and one of the most galling things is a glaring lack of fire and intensity from Swoopes, particularly following a turnover or non-productive offensive series. People have noted his body language as being that of a defeatist and I question whether or not he possesses the inner desire and leadership required of a winning quarterback. Nice young man, but leave "nice" in your locker.

In discussing this subject with several other former players the other night, the consensus was that, basically, no one has ever seen him appear to be visibly pissed off at the appropriate times and he lacks any semblance of confidence, much less any level of cockiness. His postgame interview with The LHN after the last debacle was a prime example. When asked his thoughts on his performance, the response was simply, "I competed. That's all you can ask..."

No. It's. Not.

Give me a QB1 with the red ass about another loss that's not afraid to take hits...and dish 'em out.