10 things I'm thinking on a Tuesday night (Mack, Saban and more)What a day.
As I sit down to pour out some thoughts onto my keyboard, I don't even know exactly I'm going to say. So many thoughts. So many angles. So much everything.
Again, what a day.
I'm just going to start typing and we'll see where this bad boy takes me.
1. I hope everyone realizes what today representsa€| the first step in what will be one of the most memorable stretches of time that this school/athletic program has ever known. The next few days will represent the final days of a tremendous era in Longhorn football and that by itself represents an incredible marker in the history of this 13-year old website, but I can't stress enough that the next few days, weeks and months could be the type of stuff that everyone will be telling their grandkids about. We're living right in the middle of history, starting with the Mack's goodbye and continuing into whatever the hell happens next.
2. As I wrote on Monday everyone needs to be cool and let the process be the process. Meetings and conversations and negotiations will take place in the coming days and there will be a resolution by the end of the week. If you go back to Chip's story today, this quote is paramount in my mind:
"Mack Brown loves Texas and wants what's in the best interest of Texas and what's in the best interest of Mack Brown," one high-level source said. "I don't think it's been an easy decision. But he doesn't want negativity around the program he helped unify.
3. I hope everyone knows the level of vetting on this story was intense. We did not report this cavalierly. There was a lot of dialogue throughout the day as Chip and the staff worked in unison to piece together what specifically was going to be reported. Make no mistake about it, we understood what our report would represent and the magnitude of the reaction it would create.
4. I'm thinking Friday will be an incredibly emotional day. Can you imagine the banquet? Honestly, I can't. It's a little hard for me to imagine the scene just yet.
5. Saban. Saban. Saban. Saban. Saban. Saban. Saban. Saban.
This is the moment this piece of the story has been waiting on. As if Frodo had just put the ring on his ringer, the eye of college football has turned to Alabama to see what step Nick Saban takes next. His silence today speaks volumes. VOLUMES.
Whether he takes the Texas job or not, this is the moment Jimmy Sexton and Saban have been waiting on, the moment when the true power of Saban's worth reveals itself. Seven million? Ten Million? One Hundred Million? Two Hundred Million. A Billion? Whatever that number is, everything that has been hinted at for the last year comes to a head right now. This is what they have been waiting for and I meana€|. W-a-i-t-i-n-g. Now Saban gets paid, Sexton gets paid and then all of Sexton's other clients get paid again, which means Sexton gets to double dip on the rake! My God, I want to be Jimmy Sexton when I grow up. Total mancrush.
6. Every day Saban is silent, the better it becomes for Texas. No matter what happens, I really don't believe Saban wants to be viewed as a guy that was aligning for Mack's job before it was open. It will be incredibly hard for him to stay silent for the next 48 hours. Or hell, maybe it won't. We'll see, but I know every reporter on the planet is on the story now. Buckle up.
7. Just to be clear, this is the greatest attempted coaching theft in the history of the sport. It would cause the entire college football world to rumble.
8. There is no downside here for Texas. The might of the job is becoming apparent by the very discussion that is beginning to take place. If not Saban, this will be a very coveted position.
9. I've said it time and time again. One of the great aspects of being a Texas fan is that you have the luxury of having a lot of very talented writers/opinion makers in the Longhorn universe for information. As today got hotter and hotter, the last thing on my mind was any kind of silly Longhorns Internet site battle. Our 100% focus is on us and making sure that what we were doing was.is on point. In the aftermath of today, I'm reminded of these silly things we allow ourselves to engage in and I'll just remark once again that it's silly and I've been Silly The Clown on an occasion or two. With so much going on, we shouldn't have time to worry about the clutter and I can tell you today that was definitely the case. The bottom line is that good work in this industry in this market is not exclusive to one place, but I'm quite confident that the 13-year reputation of this website speaks for itself.
10. Nice job, Chip Brown.
One of the great things about working with the OB team is that we're more family than co-workers. There's a loyalty between us that makes working together every day something unique and special in this industry, so when one of the best college football reporters on the planet has the kind of day in reporting that makes the likes of Colin Cowherd, Bruce Feldman and just about every other respectable name in the industry sing his praises, it's a proud moment for all of us that witness the daily grind and total commitment that Chip puts into this job. I just wanted to give Chip an "attaboy" for the professionalism and care for his craft that he exhibits every day, an effort that that has helped make Orangebloods what it has become as a nationally credible news organization.
From, Chip to Suchomel to Dustin to Taylor to Alexa€| I'm a lucky dude.
11. Time to get back to work and stop with the back-patting. This is the start of the race and not the finish line. Are you guys ready for stories you'll tell your grandkids?
