All,

I have many of your email addresses, which I will not post publicly. But, I thought that I would send a group email to everyone who wanted it so that we would each have those email addresses for future contact in case people leave or this site goes dark. I won't include you in that email without your permission. If you want to be included, Like this post. I'll give it a couple of days, then group email everyone.

Regards,

Clairatt

ESPN voted him Top Rookie at Summer League in Vegas. He dropped 25 pounds from 215 to 190. More explosive to the rim.

I remember when I added 25 pounds my Freshman year. Damn starchy Penland food!

Dave Aranda had quite the opening statement at Big 12 Media Day. This article is totally based on what he said before he was even asked a question. There will be another article breaking down the rest of his thoughts and comments in the coming days. I got about a weeks worth of content out of Media Day.

We haven't done this in a few years, but with @RealNolanRuth coming on board, perhaps we should introduce ourselves again. Provide whatever information about yourself you choose, but maybe at least:

Age:
Hometown:
Occupation:
Baylor connection:
Sports followed (Baylor and otherwise):
Interests:


For me,

Age: 58 (yesterday, Born on the 4th of July)
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas (sorta, I have a Seguin address, live closest to McQueeney and Geronimo, but do everything in NB, so whatever, I don't really know where I'm from). Originally from Stockdale, Texas though I lived in East Texas (Jasper) in my early years.
Occupation: Attorney, San Antonio, mergers & acquisitions, equine law
Baylor connection: BBA Economics 1988; wife and son are grads as well.
Sports followed: Baylor - football, spring football, MBB casually; I do not watch WBB; Others - Golf, Soccer (I do watch USWNT religiously), cycling (Tour de France only), track & field, some MMA.
Interests: College football, hunting, golf, movies, reading, triathlon, woodwork

Interesting note: my son was an All-State football player and state champion in track, became a yell leader at Baylor and @timfwilliams and I corresponded on Sic em Sports for about a year before we realized our children were yell leader partners. I also am a former football coach, and generally cannot stand football coaches. Except Grant Teaff, and that is primarily because he picked me up hitchhiking from the Waco airport after the 85 Liberty Bowl.

Just wanted to tell everyone how much I have enjoyed the last few years discussing everything about Baylor, the highs and the lows, but I think it’s time for me to move on. I will still be at all the football games some of the basketball games. Continue supporting my Baylor Bears with Kevin gone I feel a void that I don’t think @Clairatt can fill. I may drop in from time to time just to catch up with our favorite Cajun friend but I have now moved into a golf course community so I guess I’ll be spending more time on the driving range and on the course, and, of course, playing a lot of Pickleball. I guess that kind of ages me. But I have thoroughly enjoyed discussing and cussing about all things Baylor, but it’s time to go. God bless you all and Sic em Bears!

Any chance to get some information on new signee from New Mexico Military Inst?

The latest here:

Thank you all for the condolences and well wishes! I have returned from Louisiana and I'm ready hit the ground running! I have plenty of thoughts and projections I have in the well that I look forward to getting up on the site after media day tomorrow. I will have something up tomorrow after media day, and a few more from media day in the days following! Thank you for your patience!

Damn

As we've known, recruiting is Strange and sometimes even weird. A recent de-commit from Ol' MS could, in some way,
be helpful to the BEARS, Demond Williams, 2024, QB, Chandler, "AZ" just de-committed from Kiffin and Ol MS. a 4-Star, #16
and 299 Prospect. I would think that Kiffin had emphasized an AZ-4-Star QB and Dillon Hipp, AZ, playing together. Now that's
gone. So, maybe, Hopefully, Hipp puts his TOP thoughts and COMMITTMENT now with the BAYLOR BEARS.
Sic 'em BEARS, Hipp, fans, be the best you can be, at Baylor that is.......

Richard Reese is the only Bear on the roster. What are y'all's thoughts?

Friends, I know it has been a weird transition already, and I'm going to keep the content coming as soon as can.

However, I have had a death in the family and I am leaving for Louisiana for a couple of days.

I promise I will check the chats and try to put out as many articles as I can over the next week or so. I humbly ask you to bear with me as I join my family during this time of mourning. I will be right back to work afterwards with business as usual.

I have secured my credential for Big 12 media day, so there will be plenty of content coming, I just ask for your patience as I get through this time.

Thank you all in advance.

The word is out! I am the new publisher for SicEmSports.com

First of all, thank you all for the kind words of encouragement that many have already given me. I promise I will do my very best to provide y'all with the best coverage.

Secondly, I want to assure you that there will not be much difference in how Kevin ran this page. I actually know Kevin fairly well and he and I will converse in these next few months until we all find a common groove.

Finally, just a little about me. I was born and raised in Aledo, I'm sure you all have heard of it. I played football and baseball growing up, but I've watched just about any sport you put in front of me for my entire life. As opposed to Kevin, I am not a Vikings fan, I am a Cowboys fan and every other professional team in the DFW metroplex (Rangers, Stars, Mavericks, FC Dallas). For any European Football fans, before you ask, I am a Tottenham Hotspur supporter.

There's more about me that i'm sure you'll figure out as we move forward. I just wanted to introduce myself, and I look forward to interacting with you, and hopefully one day meeting y'all in person!

Alex Foster
Rivals 3 Star
Strong side Defensive end

St Joseph in Mississippi

Nice pickup

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the thirteen American colonies as a new nation, free from British rule. Independence Day is celebrated with various festivities, including parades, fireworks, barbecues, and family gatherings, all intended to commemorate and honor the birth of the United States of America. Additionally, July 4th is a federal holiday, allowing many people to have the day off work and allow me to travel the roads of Dallas without the normal congestion!
Happy Independence Day gang! We may be a divided country, but it’s our divided country and still the greatest country on Earth!

With the Bears having a limited number of Scholarships this Season, you're not going to see them rated
in any of the TOP Echelons of recruit rankings, BUT, what you are going to see is for KEY recruits incoming for
need positions, but if they impress and play immediately, there's a Bonus. Linebacker being one, and others as you have noticed. Coach Aranda and staff are definitely
not close to being through, as "NEED' will be addressed with the remaining Scholarship availabilities.
So, Sic 'em Bears, continue to get the BEST, then be the BEST and win 'em all.......

To my SicEmSports family,
I want to thank you all for being your publisher of SicEmSports for the last 10 years and 13 overall when I started covering this athletics program in 2010. It's been my honor to keep you up to date with everything connected to Baylor recruiting, football, basketball and everything else we have seen together.

But the time has come for me to end the journey. This day (June 30) is my last to serve as your steward. Back in January, I informed Rivals that I did not wish to renew my contract that expires on this last day of June.

It simply came down to my waning desire for covering recruiting. I've been doing it for parts of four decades. I've seen a lot, However, I just no longer have the passion to continue. Rivals management can share with you its plans for SicEmSports' future.

This site needs a new approach, fresh ideas and for that passion to return. And with my girls out of college and going in new directions in their lives, I want to have the freedom of the fall to be there when Dad is needed. More importantly, I want to spend falls with my wife.

Your support has been beyond my appreciation. Life moves on and I wish you all and Baylor athletics nothing but the best.

Take care and Sic'Em!

Kevin Lonnquist

Oh and another thing, Drew Pearson committed the most egregious non-offensive pass interference call in the history of the NFL. And congratulations to him kicking and screaming to get into the NFL Hall of Fame. Skol!


*******
Now, that that's out of the way. We're going to go out the right way. We have much to share. Stephen and I recorded a farewell podcast. I'm also posting what I considered the Top 5 events I covered in these years. Not confirmed yet, but I'm scheduled to be on ESPN 1660 Central Texas Friday afternoon with Matt Moseley to say good-bye as well. Will let you know when that is. Will post that as well should I get the tweet link from it.

I plan to log off in the early evening. When I do, that's it.

But let's celebrate this run. In fact, I can't say any better than Monty Python and The Holy Grail!

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And finally, the RJB's Anthem

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Hmm....

What's up! Caught up with Baylor commit Kristopher Wokomah, who plans to win big in Waco.

"I believe that my class can bring another Big 12 championship to the city of Waco."

Full story: https://n.rivals.com/news/baylor-commit-kristopher-wokomah-has-big-goals-in-mind-with-the-bears

I am lost without updates!!

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Now that your publisher has let you know that his tenure has come to an end, it would be fitting to review the Top 5 moments he covered.

Of course, nothing will ever compare to the collective nightmare we endured with the sexual assault scandal in 2016, the fallout from the victims, the firing of Art Briles and resignation of AD Ian McCaw.

Lessons were learned and hopefully everyone in the Baylor community has learned to process and ensure something like this never happens again. History must never repeat itself.

Indeed, this 13-year run had the highest of highs and lowest of lows. However, let’s celebrate those ultimates we shared together.

1. Men’s BB wins the national title.
April 5, 2021: When the NCAA tournament was confined to Indianapolis and locations nearby because of the pandemic, it was at least a tournament.
The Bears dominated. They won their six games by 15.3 points including an 86-70 blowout of Gonzaga in the National Title game. Jared Butler led with 22 points. The only concern during this championship run was that the Bears trailed Villanova at the half of their Sweet 16 game, 30-23. Baylor finished 28-2. Indeed, a program rocked with scandal in the early 2000s came full circle under Scott Drew’s leadership.

2. Winning at Oklahoma for the first time in 2014
Nov. 8, 2014, Norman, OK: Your outgoing publisher debated this one against No. 3. However, given that Baylor had never won at Owen Field, this 48-14 blowout signaled that this program was in it for the long haul and could compete against the blue bloods in the Big 12. Bryce Petty threw for 387 yards, 222 of those and a TD to Corey Coleman. Baylor won its second consecutive Big 12 title and finished with an 11-2 record but stunning loss to Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

3. Beating Texas in 2013 to wrap up Big 12 title; last game in Floyd Casey
Dec. 7, 2013: While the first-ever Big 12 title had been sealed thanks to an Oklahoma State loss earlier in the day, the Bears and Longhorns played a bizarre game in the finale at Floyd Casey Stadium. The ice fog set the tone. But the Bears never wavered in a 30-10 win. Glasco Martin rushed for 102 yards. Petty threw for 287. The Bears capped that magical run by thumping their rivals from Austin. Baylor finished at 11-2 with a loss to UCF in the Fiesta Bowl.

4. (Tie) Topping Ole Miss in 2022 Sugar Bowl to cap off Top 5 season
Jan. 1, 2022: The 2021 season evolved as the unexpected. But Dave Aranda’s team marched through the Big 12 with a physical running game and equally physical defense that punished the likes of Texas and Oklahoma. Following the loss of QB Blake Shapen to a shoulder injury in the epic Big 12 championship win over Oklahoma State and the return of hobbled starter Gerry Bohanon, the Bears wore down the Rebels, 21-7 to finish 12-2. Al Walcott started things with a 96-yard Pick6. Abram Smith rushed for 172 yards.

4. Robert Griffin wins 2011 Heisman Trophy
Dec. 10, 2011: With his dramatic game-winning 34-touchdown pass to Terrance Williams with eight seconds to play to beat Oklahoma, 45-38 – some will argue this was the game that changed Baylor’s football fortunes – RGIII sealed his name among the greats to win the 76th annual Heisman Trophy. Griffin finished that season throwing for 3,998 yards and 36 TDs. Baylor finished 9-3 along with an Alamo Bowl win over Washington. Stanford QB Tyler Luck finished second in the voting.

5. Beating Kansas in the Allen Fieldhouse for the first time
Jan. 11, 2020: It finally happened. There were 16 previous trips to the famed Allen Fieldhouse with nary a win. But on this Saturday afternoon, Baylor ended the frustration. The No. 4 Bears beat the No. 3 Jayhawks, 67-55. Baylor’s defense got it done holding KU to 39 percent shooting. The Bears beat a Top 5 team on the road for the first time, snapped Kansas’s 28-game home court winning streak and held the Jayhawks to their fewest points in a home game in 20 years. Baylor finished 26-4 and in second place in the Big 12. However, the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Honorable mention: Women’s basketball winning the 2012 and 2019 National Titles…opening of McLane Stadium in 2014…Kim Mulkey’s fiery departure in 2021…construction starting on new basketball arena, Foster Pavilion, due to open in January 2024….Baylor rallies from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to beat TCU, 61-58, in 2014 at McLane Stadium.

It’s been a blast my friends. Enjoyed every second of this journey. Wishing you all the best. And if you learned anything over the years with this site, you learned that recruiting is weird.

Be Good and please welcome my successor with open arms!

As you already know, Kevin has decided it's time to move on to other projects, and we decided a few years ago that we'd head out the door together. We wanted to say a final farewell on the podcast, and recorded that for release today.



Came in at 24:10

Listen to the podcast here

On behalf of everyone at Rivals I want to thank @k lonnquist for the many years of partnership we have enjoyed, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors!

The next publisher of SicEmSports.com will be here tomorrow. I will introduce them then, but right now I want to spend this time thanking Kevin and answering a few questions I figured you might have.

Today is Kevin’s last day, but things will look very familiar when you log on tomorrow. This community remains the same. Your post counts remain the same. Your subscription, user names, the layout of the site and this message board all stay the same.

It is a fun time to be a Baylor fan, just a year removed from a Men’s Basketball National Championship and the football team’s 12-win season, not to mention all the success the women’s basketball team has achieved as well as the Bears’ success in Olympic sports.

Bringing you the best coverage of Baylor athletics and creating a community where you can share your passion with other Baylor fans is the goal of myself and everyone at Rivals. That purpose remains the same, and we look forward to the next era of Baylor coverage here on Rivals!

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
There was no doubt Baylor’s coaching staff had a mountain to climb in its pursuit of Bo Tate.

When the Draper (UT) Corner Canyon 2024 linebacker’s recruitment went to the next level, Oklahoma State was the leader. But Baylor didn’t give up.

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Little by little, the staff chipped away at the Cowboys’ lead until finally on Thursday it scored a big win for its class.

On Thursday, Tate announced on his IG account he had committed to Dave Aranda’s program. The Bears beat out Oklahoma State.

“I was definitely all in on Oklahoma state even when Baylor offered me,’’ Tate said. “Over time they were able to sway me the other direction though.’’

Tate is the 11th addition to the class and fourth with a 5.7 rating or higher. He also adds to a very strong linebacker section of this class. He joins Mansfield Summit’s Kyland Reed and Lumberton’s Brock Jackson.

For Tate, he stuck to his plan. He took his OV to Baylor June 16-18 followed by last week’s trip to Oklahoma State. A decision would then follow this week.

Part of Baylor’s selling point was how his skill set fits exactly what Baylor head coach Dave Aranda wants at the will linebacker spot. Some similar to what Terrel Bernard provided not long ago.

“My speed, fast twitch, and vision,’’ Tate said of his strengths. “[Aranda] told me that I can make great instinctive plays in space as well as within the line of scrimmage. I also have the speed and quickness to be explosive on the field. That’s the main thing that Aranda says. I fit the mold of Will linebacker that he likes.”

And the 2022 productivity validates that. In nine games, Tate collected 107 tackles with 14 tackles for losses and one interception.

“I would say the main thing that made me choose Baylor was coach Aranda’s scheme,’’ Tate said. “He has produced a lot of NFL linebackers that play similar to how I play.”

Baylor also helped itself with the relationship built with new linebackers coach Christian Robinson. Recruiting can be weird at times. However, it will always be about relationships.

“We are really close,’’ Tate said about Robinson. “He has a great personality and that is a reflection with all of the coaches. He thinks I have tremendous talent as well! That’s why coach Aranda hired him. He fits in well with the culture and the defense in general.’’

Tate spent a lot of time during the recent offseason off-season adding weight while maintaining his speed through a rigorous program. He said he put on 20 pounds and believed that nothing within his skill set was compromised.

“I play like my hair is on fire,’’ Tate said. “I’m constantly looking to hit someone and make big plays. It’s been successful, putting on almost 20 pounds and keeping my speed.”

Rated as the No. 26 inside linebacker in the nation, Tate is the No. 6 prospect in Utah according to Rivals.

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