Hall of fame coach John Thompson said, “You don’t play for the people in the stands. You do your thing and let the people enjoy watching you play.” 

I have and will always look at things from the athlete’s perspective. I was an athlete, many of my friends were athletes and I will always look at it that way. There is no other way of thinking about it for me. I have no desire to be a college coach. I’ve had that opportunity and turned it down. I have no desire to be in athletic administration. I’ve done that and left it. I am a player. Even in my old decrepit and bad knee state, I’m a player. I always take the players’ side even before I take a coaching side of things. I have one way of thinking about things and just about got going on my thoughts before I decided to pick up my phone and give you some other perspective. 

I started making phone calls Sunday afternoon. I called two former Texas football players (both played in the NFL). I called one former ACC player and one former Big 10 player (both of whom played in the NFL). I called two former Big 12 players that currently play in the NFL. I called one current Conference USA player, one current Pac 10 player and one current Big 12 player. I finally called a friend of mine who is a college assistant coach.

 I then afforded them anonymity. I did that not because I’m trying to protect them but because I wanted them to keep it real with me and give me their real thoughts. I even had a couple of them take a look at the internet so I could get their thoughts on that. 

I got a mixed bag or thoughts but they were definitely real with me. “I read one guy on your site that said Texas will go 7–5 now after a close win. That’s exactly the reason why he could never be a player and he’s on the net,” said a current player. “You have one game where you don’t play your best and you punk out on the season. Even if you play bad you don’t give up the whole (expletive) season. No athlete could ever think like that because you never become a player by ever thinking that way. Man I smile at fans but I never really pay attention to them or their opinions.”

 When I got about five minutes to talk to my coaching friend, he laughed about the Texas score and said, “Sometimes it just happens that way.” When I commented that Texas needs to play some of the younger guys because they have more natural talent he broke it down for me saying, “You media people kill me. You played a little football so that probably makes you worse. Look, this is real Sean. You might be tied into the program and have all kinds of sources because you write and do radio but you don’t know what’s going on inside the complex. Some kid may be ultra talented but might be too dumb to learn the system. Another guy might be talented but is a total me guy and nobody believes in him. Then you still might have another guy who can make big plays but is always out of position because that’s the way he played in high school. Every kid comes into college with a different level of football IQ.”

 We know that coaches read the internet and the newspapers even when they say they don’t. We also know that players read the internet and read the newspapers. When I talked to a current Division I player that I have known since he was a freshman in high school, he said, “I read the internet because it’s funny. Of course I want to read it if it’s good. The only thing I hate is when people get personal. But when it is about football, of course I don’t listen. If they knew that much they would be coaching or playing. The real is, unless you’re in that locker room with me and bleeding and sweating with me, I don’t give a damn what you think. Sean, you my boy! I play with your kids and hug your wife but when it comes to my team, I really don’t care what you write. As a player, that’s how I have to be.” 

Fans are great. Supporters are great. College football is the best game on earth. Nobody can keep the cliff-jumpers from creating their stories and calling it reality. Maybe some fans just have to be on suicide watch. It’s that kind of passion that makes college football at Texas what it is. Fact is, every goal that Texas set for the 2007 season is still in front of the team, still attainable and still within reach.

 This close game against Arkansas State could be the best thing to happen for the Longhorns. It’s amazing how many times I heard that from former players.

 A current NFL player said, “After reading your board, honestly that’s the reason fans are fans. Football is what I do. Fans do real estate, finance, deliveries, cook, fly planes or whatever is their profession. This is what I do 90 hours a week. It’s their hobby and they have hobbyist knowledge of it.”

Maybe true, maybe not. As I told him, work a hobby long enough and it is possible to develop a talent or to become an expert. And some things are easy to see even for an amateur that only dabbles in said hobby. I responded by saying, “Some hobby’s build an expertise. You don’t have to be an apple to recognize one when you see it.”