Dribbling Ink

Welcome to your Tuesday viewing update—better known as the night after baseball died in Arkansas for 2012 (the Cardinals got beat down by the Giants in Game 7), the night after the final presidential debate (this election can’t be resolved quickly enough), and the night of crappy singing and dancing shows like The X-Factor , Dancing with the Stars , and The Voice . Without Sons of Anarchy and Pretty Little Liars , Tuesdays would be a lost cause. However, don’t fret; it’s Arkansas State’s night to be on primetime on ESPN . The Red Wolves (4-3 overall, 2-1 conference) travel to Cajun Field to take on LA-Lafayette (4-2, 2-1) for a key matchup in the Sun Belt. Both teams are chasing those mighty Warhawks of ULM, who are undefeated in Sun Belt play. The game will be aired on ESPN2 , beginning at 8 PM ET. I believe I read that ULL is a 4.5 point favorite. I hope my alma mater has a solid showing—it’s very important to take advantage of these situations. With that being said, I expect ...

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) It’s finally that week, the one that rolls around once a season in college and professional football: the bye week. Coming off a 49-7 beat down of Kentucky, the Arkansas Razorbacks have a free week to get healthy and prepare for a critical stretch of games. (If the Hogs want to salvage 2012, they have to win their next two games against Ole Miss and Tulsa. Assuming they win those games, the Hogs would have to beat one of three top-12 ranked teams remaining on the schedule—at #7 South Carolina, at #12 Mississippi State, and home against #6 LSU—to be bowl eligible.) Usually during bye weeks I pay special attention to my secondary team, Arkansas State. This year, however, provides Arkansans with a special twist: the dreaded double-bye weekend. A quick thought: Maybe ASU should schedule a game at War Memorial during Arkansas’s bye week each year. I’m not trying to be facetious; I actually think this is a good idea. There are a lot of football f...

I left Northeast Arkansas over four years ago and a lot has changed around the Jonesboro-Paragould area. However, one thing has been consistent for my entire life: Arkansas State University football has been drowning in mediocrity. In the last couple of years, though, ASU has made a real push to improve its football program. In 2011 ASU took a chance on its new head coach by promoting its young offensive coordinator, Hugh Freeze, who eventually led them to a 10-2 record in the regular season, a conference championship, and a bowl game. Of course, Freeze didn’t waste any time turning his success at ASU into a new contract in the SEC at Ole Miss. I can’t blame the guy, but once again ASU was just a stepping stone. The Red Wolves could have easily been happy with 2011 and faded back into Sun Belt mediocrity; it’s what I expected my alma mater to do. However, ASU replaced one offensive guru with another, this time one with a national championship under his belt as an offensiv...

Today has been one of those uninspired writing days: Instead of writing, I’ve gone to the post office, paid all the bills, washed dishes, checked Facebook and Twitter (much like any day, I guess), read ESPN.com, checked my fantasy football team, talked to my dad on the phone, worked on a project that I will probably never complete, chased mail that I left for the mailman down the road because he broke my clothespin clip last week, and used some hair treatment that is supposed to help stop balding (not that I know for sure that I’m going bald—it’s just a fear of mine, and I will do anything to prevent it). Oh the days of pursuing creative endeavors. This is my official employment status. Speaking of pursuing other endeavors, how about John L. Smith? Seeing as he is now $40 million in debt (I’m guessing this number will go up again at some point), it sounds like he’s pursued a lot of creative endeavors. At least BP’s creative endeavors only cost him a car and some spending money—un...

A baby-sized caption: The Razorbacks' lucky charm, Chase Gross. First, I have an admission to make. After eating supper, watching some Smallville (yes, I know I am the only person over thirteen that still watches this show), and saying goodbye to my wife (who left to dissect a cat or something), I had one thing on my mind: watching the Arkansas-LSU basketball game. However, after a stressful day at work, which consisted of sitting in an empty computer lab for over three hours, I was exhausted. Blah, blah, blah: I feel asleep in the recliner. I woke up around ten and checked my phone, which showed the usual pre-midnight text: “Wanna play some COD (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PS3 for my non-gaming readers)?” I needed to do homework, intended to watch the game, and wanted to play COD; nevertheless, I crawled into bed and slept. And Wednesday ended. I am a terrible fan, I know. But it’s the first thing I thought about Thursday morning. I opened Firefox with anxiety. For a ...

My friend, let’s call him Jared, has a problem. It’s a simple problem: Jared has two girls in his life and he can’t decide which one he wants. Let’s call these two girls Kelly and Sarah. Kelly is hot and always has been. Sarah, on the other hand, has more subtle beauty and hasn’t always had that. But, lately, Jared has realized that he has feelings for both of them. In order to make the right decision, Jared told me the story. Jared fell in love with Kelly the first time he saw her on the playground in third grade. Long, flowing, blonde hair. Blue eyes. Always knew how to handle herself. In high school, of course, Kelly was captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen, Prom Queen, Best Looking, Best Dressed, Best Smile, Best Legs, Biggest Flirt; the girl everyone wanted to date. However, Jared was the lucky boy who stole Kelly’s heart with a roll of SweeTarts on Valentine’s Day in fifth grade. Throughout middle school, junior high, high school, there was no doubt in Jared’s mind...