Odds and Ends
Day Off: Other than this daily diatribe, I'm taking the rest of the day off so no additional stories. However, feel free to look back at what was on DTN this week including the depth charts for the offensive backfield, the receivers, the offensive line, the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary.
Ticket FanPosts: I think the idea of Ticket FanPosts is a great, but what I was thinking is that we could have one general post that I'll put up each week (I'll probably get around to this over the weekend) where we, as a community, can buy, sell or just give away tickets. I will ask that you guys help me figure out if you think anyone is a ticket broker. They have their own forums for selling tickets so if you're suspicious of someone, then let me know. This is for regular people who need to get rid of their tickets. I'm also thinking that here on DTN you sell your tickets for face-value or lower. I don't want this to be an avenue where people are trying to make money, but rather help out a fellow Red Raider. Also, once you've found a taker for your tickets, just exchange email addresses and let the bartering begin between the two of you.
Gillispie Will Not Coach at Texas Tech: I think there may have been an under-current of folks who thought that if Pat Knight had a tough year this year, Billy Gillispie's name would come up as a possible replacement. Ummm, I don't think that's an option any more as Gillispie was recently arrested for suspicion of DUI. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a few drinks, but there's no reason to get behind the wheel, and I think that's not an image that Gerald Myers wants attached to his career as athletic director at Texas Tech.
How Not to Post a FanPost: You're going to have to allow me some latitude here.
I was checking out all things Texas Tech and ran across the LAJ's blog RaiderBuzz, which is supposed to be a blog about what's being said about your Red Raiders. The problem with all of this is that whoever is in charge of posting content on this blog is just copying and pasting someone's work and adding a link. I posted a comment asking why this isn't plagiarism and I still haven't received a response and whoever is doing this is continuing to plagiarize other people's work.
I have an English degree from Texas Tech and as a result, this sort of thing bothers me to no end and rather than just rant about how there's a difference in blockquoting someone's work or making sure that everyone knows who is the original source, I thought that this is a perfect teaching opportunity on how to write a FanPost.
Don't do this.
FanPosts are supposed to be your own original thoughts, and you guys have truly stepped up the content lately.
And if someone from the LAJ is reading this, please stop plagiarizing. Have some original thoughts. Copying and pasting entire articles, even if it's from the Bleacher Report (I hate the Bleacher Report and refuse to post anything from the Bleacher Report), is not the way to run a blog. I'm sure I'm making friends left and right, but I would think a newspaper would know better.
Texas Tech Football
New Mexico Lobos Game Moved and to be on FSN: This is tremendous news for out-of-towners like myself as the official site announced that the New Mexico Lobos game will be moved to 2:30 p.m. but it will be on Fox Sports Net.
Special Teams Receiving More Attention: LAJ's Don Williams feature this morning is on special teams coach Eric Russell and the increased work that unit is receiving this fall. And I love and hate reading things like this:
"We spend a lot more," said Dewhurst, who was a key performer on Tech’s kickoff coverage last season. "When (Russell) wasn’t here, we only had one little period — we just did the team part. Now we have three periods. Since we’ve gotten (closer to) the season, it’s more team, but when we first started, it was so many different drills and techniques."
Safety Franklin Mitchem, who had most of his 15 tackles last year on special teams, said the time spent on teaching technique should pay off.
"I don’t think any of the (special-teams) drills are favorites; we get pretty winded," Mitchem said. "But I think the drills will help us focus on our technique in the game, because we haven’t really focused on technique this much (in the past)."
New found commitment. I. Love. It.
Potts is the Latest Wonderful QB: DMN's Kevin Sherrington feature this morning is on QB Taylor Potts who may be the NFL-type of quarterback that everyone seems to want Texas Tech to have, although Captain Mike Leach has no idea what the NFL actually wants in a quarterback. And Potts' job sounds like it should be pretty easy:
"I just need him to make the players around him better," Leach said. "Make the routine plays. "Just focus on his job."
Texas Tech Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams writes that decisions are being made about the lineup including S Julius Howard being part of the substitution package for six defensive backs, along with freshman S Will Ford . . . DE Daniel Howard is still the stand-up linebacker (i.e. the Joker) and LB Bront Bird is the second option (this has me scratching my head this morning) . . . the offensive line has been cut down to eight players (LT Chris Olson and Terry McDaniel, LG Brandon Carter and Lonnie Edwards, C Shawn Byrnes and Justin Keown, RG Mickey Okafor, RG/RT Joe King and RT Marlon Winn) . . . RB Aaron Crawford is back practicing full-speed and he and WR Tramain Swindall are practicing with the scout team . . . Lewis Wants Crabtree to Sign: FWST's Dwain Price talked with WR Detron Lewis, who would just like for Michael Crabtree to sign his contract:
"We need him to play and I want him to play,'' Lewis said. "I don't know what's going on.''
Snip
"I was looking at when he got drafted and I was thinking, depending on the year he had (with the 49ers), that would help a lot of our receivers out,'' Lewis said. "That's because basically when we come out they think we're just "system'' receivers anyway.''
Yea, all of this.
Wall Ready for Senior Season: DT's Adam Coleman talks with CB Jamar Wall, who is happy to be back on the field after being injured for most of the spring. Wall spent the spring trying to be as productive as possible:
"Tried to break down different things everyday," Wall said. "Looking at myself, how I performed my sophomore year starting to my junior year starting. What I did good, what I did bad. Things that could help me be a better player."
In addition to the usual lifting and weight training, Wall said studying film not only helped him keep pace during the spring, but it made him a smarter player.
This was his plan all along, however. He said it was his decision to have surgery, in hopes it would prevent the injury from nagging him. So Wall seemed prepared to go a few months without being on the field.
"It helped me develop a better aspect of the game," Wall said. "I couldn’t practice, so I had to get it mental. By getting it mental and being able to put it on the field, may as well make me a better player."
Motivation: DT's Alex Ybarra writes that the lack of attention for Texas Tech is motivation for the team to prove doubters wrong, although RG Brandon Carter doesn't care much:
"I don’t think we’re really worried about that around here," Tech offensive lineman Brandon Carter said. "I think everyone within the family here at Texas Tech, we all believe in ourselves and we all believe we can win every time we step out on that field."
While LB Brian Duncan is focusing on the defense being better than last year:
"As a whole, we are most definitely going to stop the run," middle linebacker Brian Duncan said. "We’re most definitely taking pride in the run. We’re taking it personal when teams score on us. We’re trying to get shut outs every game. The intensity and the running on our defense, swarming to the ball every time, we’re gonna pick that up."
Batch Ready to Play: ESPN's Tim Griffin writes that RB Baron Batch is ready to play after his recent shoulder injury:
"I've been hurt before, but that was a definite eye-opener," Batch said after a recent Texas Tech practice. "I was going in as the team's starting back and then I was thinking that it might all be gone that quickly. The injury wasn't what scared me as much of the thought of all the hard work I had put in to get where I was going down the drain."
I'm sure I'm right in line with the rest of you guys, but Batch is one of my favorite players and he's just so level-headed and a tremendous representative of this team.
Neglected Audio and Video: KAMC has a quick story and some reaction from recent Texas Tech verbal commitment, Tre'Vante Porter . . .
Big 12 Links: Over the Pylon previews the Big 12 . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin looks at the freshmen to watch in the Big 12 . . .
Scouting the Enemy: If you thought that Barking Carnival just liked poking fun of Texas Tech, you're wrong, they're equal opportunity offenders as the State of the Union tour continues with the Texas A&M Aggies . . . Rock M Nation Beyond the Box Score projections for the Aggies . . .