Can someone explain to me the point of the weird spam comments on blogs? Most people don’t see them because they never make it past approval, but I get 100’s of them and I just don’t get the point. I understand the Nigerian Prince in need, or the fake website or even the phony disaster relief scam: These people want money and will take advantage of the aged, the ignorant, the desperate and the dumb to get it. Not exactly the noblest of endeavors, but I understand it. These comments people want to leave on the From the Stands blog I just … I don’t know what word I’m looking for. You know what? Take a look for yourself. Remember, this is in response to From the Stands:
- “A person necessarily lend a hand to make critically articles I would state. That is the first time I frequented your web page and so far? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this particular put up extraordinary. Excellent activity!”
- “There is noticeably a bundle to understand about this. I assume you made certain nice points in functions also.”
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- “the particular the actual boogie sun or even in underneath toms outlet shoes shoes of my heart just a little worried the strength of the particular fairly toms outlet online much less”
- “unify the Mesa Reliable Museum, the Phoenix Arizona Paranormal Organization as they manipulation a paranormal voyage of discovery of the Mesa Straightforward Museum. Struggle across along with the yoke as we search our 1913 and 1937 buildings. Using the latest in technological equipage, the investigators get sturdy pursue to convulsion and rationalize fancied happening”
- “I do not even understand how I stopped up here, however I thought this publish was once good. I do not understand who you might be but certainly you’re going to a well-known blogger if you happen to are not already. Cheers!”
What is the point of these? I truly don’t understand the endgame. Money? Phishing? Poor, poor execution if so. I would offer some advice to you, weird spam blog commenter: First, hire someone who speaks English. Your first grade knowledge of writing is embarrassing. What editor/writer is going to read “There is noticeably a bundle to understand about this..” and say “Yes! This is the one! Insightful and well-stated!” None. I am not that smart, but I am smarter than you. Second, read the post you are commenting on. Your comments are not likely to get through on a football blog when you’re talking about Tom’s shoes, museums in Phoenix or Tanner’s new truck, you look ridiculous. Just … You know what? Just stop. Whatever you are trying to do isn’t working. Try something else.
Sorry for the rant. On with our show…
Around The 40
- Texas has hired Bob Shipley as a Football Analyst inside the new Player Personnel Department. Recently the NCAA allowed college staffs to expand and bring in more people to aid in recruiting. Texas hired Patrick Suddes from Alabama as the Player Personnel Director and Shipley, former high school coach, high school AD and father of Jordan and Jaxon, will join his team.
- Its NFL Draft week and it’s never been this quiet at Texas. The reason is everyone is back. I expect Kenny Vaccaro and Alex Okafor to go very early with Vaccaro a near-lock for a first round pick. I can’t wait to see who gets Marquise Goodwin and someone is going to get a steal with Alex King. More on that after the Draft.
- Texas is already out to a great start on the recruiting trail in 2014, ranking No.1 in college football right now. Suddes, Shipley & Co. are there to ensure that is the case.
- The Horns lost highly regarded ol recruit Demetrius Knox, who decommitted over the weekend. Knox is now looking at “schools on the coast,” meaning UCLA and Florida or Miami. Word is he wanted to take some visits, but Mack Brown has a strict no-visit policy for committed recruits after A’Shawn Robinson last fall and Knox wasn’t down with it.
- Texas has not won a conference baseball series in over a year. Let that sink in for a moment.
- That’s the bad news. The good news is at 5-10, the Longhorns are only 4 ½ games behind league-leading ou, who sits at 8-4. It’s an uphill battle for the Horns to get to the top with only three series left (at Baylor, K-State, at TCU), but it is completely achievable. The pitching is there and the hitting is there are times, it just needs to come together and there is plenty of time, including the Big 12 Baseball Tournament, for that to happen.
- Cliff Gustafson had the line of the weekend on Saturday. The 1983 National Championship team celebrated the 30th anniversary of their title with a reunion in Austin and were honored at Saturday’s Texas/West Virginia game. The former Texas coach, talking to his team, said more or less “You all thought I was old when I was coaching you… Look in the mirror, because that’s how old you are now.”
- Man, that ’83 team was loaded: Rocket, Calvin Shiraldi, Bruce Ruffin, Mike Brumley, Billy Bates. And they won 66 games. It’s a safe bet that the Astros or Miami Marlins won’t win 66 games this year.
- The Longhorn basketball team signed three guards at the end of March: Demarkus Croaker, Isaiah Taylor and Kendal-Yancy Harris. Texas lost Myck Kabongo to the NBA, Jaylen Bond and Sheldon McClellan to transfer and two more are rumored to be joining them. These three freshmen might be in the starting lineup before they ever get here.
- The Texas men are the No.1 seed at the Big 12 Golf Championship in Kansas this week and currently lead the field by two strokes. Second round play started on Tuesday and the Tourney heads onto the weekend. The NCAA Championship starts May 16th and the Horns will definitely be in the field with the chance to defend their National Championship.
- The No.7 ranked softball team lost two out of three to No.1 ou over the weekend, but if you can take anything good from the loss, Texas showed they could hang with the top team in the country. The Connie Clarks have two series left (at Tech, at Oklahoma State) and finish with Baylor at home on May 12th. There is no Big 12 Softball Tournament, but the Horns will definitely be in the post-season.
- Both the Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams head to Norman for the Big 12 Tennis Championships this coming weekend. The men are the No.3 seed and face No.6 Oklahoma State and the women, ranked No.26, face ou on Friday at 3.
- You can close the door on any ACC teams joining the Big 12. The league locked up their members’ media rights through 2027, meaning even if they left and joined another league, they would have to leave their TV rights with the ACC. No point in pining for Florida State, Clemson or Georgia Tech anymore unless they win the powerball and use it buy their way out.
Baseball is the only game in town and they are, as my dad likes to say about my freshman year, “struggling.” Football magazines are still a ways out and I have nothing on the field/court to occupy my time (the Rangers are there of course, but its still April). Texas isn’t killing it across the board like they were in 2009 and, when that happens, I start to wonder what I can do to help. With this lull it seems like a good time to go through the routine , doesn’t it? Of course it does.
Superstitions
I am admittedly and unabashedly superstitious (sports superstitious). Medieval Vikings probably think I’m ridiculous, but it is what it is. What I wear and do affects games and outcomes, I know it, and I take this seriously. As with all sports-based superstitious people, I do the same thing every time when my team is playing well; but when things aren’t going the way I want them to, it’s time to adjust. I do not enter into this adjustment lightly (certainly because of the tide-turning whatever-I-did the season or two before) and I don’t want something to backfire on me (on us), so I try and look at it with an unbiased view before doing something drastic. The facts are the facts: an Alamo Bowl win, a basketball team that failed to make the post-season and a baseball team that is tied for last place in the Big 12.
Seems like the perfect time to make some changes, doesn’t it? You’re right. It does. Like I said, I do the same thing every time (you know what Crash Davis said about messing with a streak), so here’s what’s on the table:
Game Day Music
I am all ears for something new. I never found my groove last year. I am not really the country-type (meaning in no way whatsoever) so that’s not for me. If you have any ideas, throw ’em this way.
I always have something in my pocket. My OCD during games requires I have something in my hand: a poker chip, a guitar pick, a coin. I had a perfect piece of coral during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but in a sign of foreshadowing it shattered before the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska.
A cigar lighter has been my choice the last two seasons, but it may be time to find something else. Again, any and all ideas are welcome.
Shoes
My game day shoes were a DISASTER last year. DISASTER. I blame them completely for the loss to TCU and they sure didn’t help against K-State. The fact I took them to Hawaii last summer is the reason Chaminade won in basketball (How else would you explain that? You can’t). They are already gone, but their wrath is still felt. I haven’t been able to find anything worthy yet. This WILL be fixed before the team reports for fall camp in August.
Hat
This is the biggest change for me there is. I love my hat and wear it all the time, everywhere the boss allows. I don’t think anyone has ever seen me at game without my hat and that’s for good reason: it’s never happened. Theoretically I keep the hat until the hat can be worn no more. The hat is then replaced and respectfully interred. Sometimes. Other times the hat is a harbinger of sorrow and must be dealt with in a harsh and brutal manner. The hat I have now is fairly new, but a blowout loss to ou in football, the hoops team not making the post-season, the current struggles of the baseball team (on top of the non-post-season baseball team from 2012) and it may be too much to overcome.
This CANNOT carry on into football season. But as I said, this is not something to be taken lightly. The wrong new hat could make things WORSE.
And save the “your hat has nothing to do with the success of the team …” stuff. I get that enough at home and it’s completely and 100% wrong anyway.
So …
I am aware of how ridiculous this sounds to most of you. But understand to a sports-based superstitious person this is all very real. When you add logic, common sense and rationale to this, of course it falls apart. But, as I have stated numerous times, I am not a friend of logic, common sense or rationale most of the time. I follow my instincts and my instincts are telling me it’s time for a big change. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think I am going to change all of this up. All of it.
I have a trip to the Co-op in my future and that should cure most of my ills, I can’t be the only one, right?
It’s going to work. It has to, because it’s magic and I believe.
Tell me about your rituals and superstitions. Email me at FromTheStands@gmail.com, hit me on Twitter @TreyMcLean or you can write a SANE and MORE-OR-LESS English-correct something on the message board.
