So does everyone hear think Ehlinger should start the bowl game and Buechele will most likely transfer? You gotta think Ehlinger has the most upside. He is Herman's guy. Sam's crucial mistakes are baffling to say the least, but his ability to run like Tebow is fun to watch and helps with our slipshod OL ala Deshaun Watson. Next year, we have two QB's coming in - Cameron Rising (PRO) and Casey Thompson (DUAL). Do y'all think one will be the back up and one will redshirt? Both are four stars with Rising only slightly higher rated. I find it a little strange given Herman's track record with Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller, JT Barrett and Greg Ward that they would recruit a highly rated PRO quarterback, but it is exciting! Garrett Gilbert 2.0!!!
Not that it's a deciding factor for me as an Austinite, but as someone who lives +/- 2 miles from these fields and who has kids of little league age, just because they will be moved doesn't make it ok. They're a good spot for fields as is. I find this a little disingenuous. I'm not sure how leasing the land to an entity that is a commercial venue is meaningfully different than leasing it to a entity that is a commercial venue. One is a restaurant, the other is entertainment. In both case you are leasing it to for profit entities looking to profit off their commercial use of the land. So they're going to use up Butler Shores, and in exchange build free practice fields in East Austin?? Wow, how do I sign up!!!! /sarcasm. I mean look, I've seen the rendering. I've been to Butler Shores. It definitely needs sprucing up. Which is fine... spruce it up city!! That's different than should I put soccer here. My main gripe with the whole thing is that it's using public parkland, that was donated to the city to be public parkland. If they put it up on privately leased land, I wouldn't care. No sane NYC resident would be in favor of building a soccer stadium in Central Park, for example. Or, more relevant to this, there was some confusion by residents at first about the exact location, with many thinking it was Butler Park, not Butler Shores. Which didn't help the Crew's cause, because it would be immediately dismissed as a possibility... since Butler Park is more used an updated - not like central park, obviously. And it's not like Butler Park hosts any/many events during the year. It's just open space, with a splash pad, a little lake, the hill with the spiral path and green space. So why not suggest putting it there? Would you be ok with that? I suspect not. Which really means it just comes down to Butler Shores not being used as much. Which is understandable... but doesn't mean the end conclusion should be build a giant sports stadium there. I just think it very disingenuous to think that it can be built without impacting the environment (on a lake that is already environmentally stressed), that there won't be major traffic issues - as there are during ACL for example, or just during any rush hour and around rush hour period, that it will meaningfully increase the walkability of the area, etc. And I'm fine with and all for other initiatives by the city to push for more walkability. They're add all kinds of events to get the stadium filled up And, what's more... the Crew can offer up whatever they want... WHAT happens when in 18 years if/when they don't want to play in Austin anymore, as they currently don't want to play in Columbus?
Thank you. You can't unbuild that stadium/space right there next to the lake. That should be one of the shining gems of Austin. Make it better. Don't pave over it.
Right. I mean I get the reasoning for wanting it there. It is an "underused" public park, and to the extent the city wants to improve its profile while also getting some economic benefit, ok I get that. And I absolutely get why the Crew want it there. I mean... look at the rendering. It looks so peaceful, lol. I think they're vastly overestimating how easy it will be to get fans there and the demographics of who will ultimately attend, but still, I get their desire for that location. But none of that mitigates the negative. With all the development going on in town, it's more than fair to say hold up, let's keep this park a park... and oh by the way, let's think about ways of making it awesome and more used. The city loves to do those architect competitions where they narrow it down to 5 groups that have cool plans for a site. I also get that there is no equally close/attractive site on the east side - the expo center that they are redoing (those renderings look really neat, too) makes sense, but it is a bit out of the way. Perhaps better located in being a bit out of the way, et still easily accessible... but to the extent the goal is for a stadium to be central and really "tied" with the city somehow, the Expo center is more out there. That aside, the east side seems to make a 1,000% more sense, in a variety of ways. Very similar to the dynamo stadium, too, being placed where it was. If the Crew are hell-bent on Butler Shores or pass... then pass. No disrespect to the hard core soccer fans out there... I like soccer and watching soccer... but it's MLS... this isn't an amazing get. It's not like the new Amazon 2nd HQ or anything (which in itself is an argument to be had, but at least is orders of magnitude of a bigger "get" at the end of the day). From the local sentiment I've been seeing... most are against the idea of Butler Shores.
From what I understand (admittedly I have no idea if they are planning on using the facility for anything other than soccer...so caveat) almost all of the games are on weekends and will be starting at 8PM (beat the heat). People will drive/train/? to that if it's in a decent area with some stuff to do before/after (NATX, RR, and not where COTA is). I dunno.
They're proposing building the stadium with their own funding, so of course they'll want to host a ****-ton of other events. Which they should. And if on private land, even in the same area, I'd encourage. It's not really a walkable area. I mean it's certainly more walkable to plenty of areas, but it's not like a downtown area or anything. To walk downtown from there would take a good bit. With pedi-cabs, maybe. With uber, taxis and the like getting them from there to downtown, or parts of S. Congress, sure. Or if they build up more of a commercial reason to stay beyond the game. But again, my pushback is less the fact that it really isn't as walkable as they want or want to force it to be, or that there really needs to be some on-site parking, as the fact that it's public land. If they were leasing it from private landlord, existing code in place would require parking without one time exclusions. If they got those exclusions and wanted to try it out that way... ok. It’s still a much used corridor with limited public transportation options that isn’t highly walkable but ok. If that’s what they want to try. I just prefer the preservation of park space for green space or things with truly more of a community feel. I get the public nature of pro sports - im on this site after all. But i wouldn’t be for a pro basketball arena there either ... well, cmon, I would lol... I love basketball ha. But wouldn’t think it wise.
If Herman has really opened up the competition, start whoever is practicing better and give them a shot in establishing themselves in the game. Hated that Ehlinger got pulled after a 3 and out following a TD to open up against Tech, putting in Shane for 1 pass play, and then going back to Ehlinger for the remainder of the game. Don't see how that is good for either QB. But hopefully both freshman can redshirt and give them time to develop. I'm actually intrigued with Rising, don't know much about him but pulling a Cali kid from OU is interesting.
That should be easy, a VY would be good too. I can't figure out why coaches don't recruit more guys like that.
I just mean a transcendent player. It could even be a defensive player. Hopefully a kid from Texas this year or next could be it. Because as of right now UT has there pick in players from the state.
That's what I'm saying...how many "transcendent" players have there been nation-wide in the past few years?
I can not give a very informed opinion. As UT has fallen off so has my interest in college football. These days I watch the Rockets and play some fantasy FB, that's about it. I have not really even seen his highlights. The OU QB seemed a little underwhelming to be a heisman winner, or am I wrong?
We currently has the #2 class in the nation including an unbelievable DB haul, the #1 RB and DT in the state, and the #1 QB out of Oklahoma. Of course none of these rankings mean anything but there is some major talent coming in. Herman and Co. just needs to coach them up.
Sure doesn't seem like there are many as there used to be when we had guys like AD, Leinart, VY, Bush, Tebow, Colt, Cam, Luck, RGIII, Manziel, etc...back to back to back. Watson would probably be the last "transcendent" player even over guys before him like Winston, Mariota, Henry, Cooper, etc...
Keaontay Ingram looks like a legitimate running back prospect, and I think he will fit perfectly under Stan Drayton's tutelage. He's someone that I hope seizes the RB job pretty quickly, because I think he could be a difference maker for the team.
Agreed. Early signing day is on the 20th and looks like Herman will have most of his class signed. Anthony Cook is the highest ranked uncommitted player in the state and coming down to a UT/LSU battle. Apparently it's not looking too good on the JUCO OL front which would be a big disappointment, inking only 3 OL (1 of which may not enroll for 2 years) isn't ideal in our situation.
Without improvement on the OL, I can't see the offense making the necessary strides next year. No running game due to no run blocking ability... Maybe having some of the injured guys return will help?
