Bond J. Bond over at Disco Tech and myself here at DTN have agreed to start a bi-weekly roundtable and touch base on the Texas Tech world as we know it. Go visit Disco Tech for their bloggers' answers. Mr. Bond has thrown out the first set of questions:
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When do freshmen report to Fall Camp?
Dammit! Bond has to ask me the question I can't find the answer to, but generally, fall practice begins some time in August (probably the first week). Of course the better answer would be that Coach Leach will summon his merry band of pirates when it is time to pillage the rest of the Big 12.
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What does the future hold for Tech Baseball now that Spencer is on board?
I couldn't be more on board with this hire, in fact I'm standing up right and applauding Gerald Myer and Coach Hays for acknowledging that there's a problem and then finding a solution. It's been hinted that Spencer will eventually take over for Hays, and if his track record at OSU is any indication then I think Spencer will be a success.
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Why has Tech Baseball struggled the past few years while other Big XII teams prospered?
I always hate to make excuses for our programs, and when I have to offer up a reason why a team is not succeeding then the first place I look is the coach. Hays has had some success while at Tech and although I think that Hays is a good manager of men, Tech needed to bring in some new blood and get kids excited about this program. Perhaps the biggest reason for failure is lack of talent, which is always the clearest indicator of a team that is not performing well. Of course, I also think that a coach can "coach up" players to perform better than expected, but that's not your typical situation.
I'll point to the team's ERA this past year, which was a pitiful 5.67, some of that may have been the coaching, but I'll say that the biggest reason was the lack of talent. That's what Spencer has to change.
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Who will be Tech Football's next star?
I don't know if I need to fully detail my man-crush with Michael Crabtree, but I think the kid is going to be spectacular. I know that I shouldn't oversell a kid, but Crabtree will break every receiving record at Texas Tech so long as he stays in school and remains injury free. I think he's that good.If forced to choose another answer, I'll stay with the wide recievers and choose Edward Britton. He has the speed to stretch the offense and that's an element that Tech has never had. Graham will just have to get the ball to him and Britton will deliver.
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Just how overrated is A&M in this year's pre-season poll?
I'll go ahead and admit it, I think Aggie's going to be good this year. Almost their entire offensive line returns, as well as Goodson and Lane. Of course, I tend to remember McGee's performance against Tech where he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn (9-20 for 100 yards), but he was much better than that game and finished with a quarterback rating of 134 (compared to Sir Graham's 145). I will also begrudgingly admit that their defense will be better as well.
The one thing that Red Raiders have working in their favor is that Fran is coaching the Aggies, not to mention, they may be looking to the next week when they have to travel to Lincoln to face the Cornhuskers.
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What is your favorite variety of Samuel Adams?
That's easy, Samuel Adams Summer Ale, per Mr. Adams:
"Samuel Adams Summer Ale is an American wheat ale. This summer seasonal uses malted wheat as well as lemon zest and grains of paradise, a rare pepper from Africa first used as a brewing spice in the 13th Century to create a crisp and spicy flavor and body. The ale fermentation imparts a background tropical fruit note reminiscent of mangos and peaches. All of these come together to create a quenching, clean finishing beer perfect for those warm Summer days."
The fact that it's seasonal makes it so bittersweet yet so delicious.
Extra Credit Question! After football practice ........ who is the longest in the showers?