In one installment, the RJB went into the archives and focused on The Eagles and selected probably one of the best ballads composed between the rock and country genres, “Lyin’ Eyes”.
Today, we go beyond to focus on East Texas’ own Don Henley. By today’s net worth estimates, one of group’s founders is worth $230 million. Of course, Henley, who hails from Linden, developed a pretty solid solo career with five albums.
Henley’s hey day with his solo hits was in the 1980s. His first album “I can’t stand still” gained instant popularity with a variety of hits.
One of those cuts is pretty much a slam against the media. It was released in 1982 and reached No. 1 in October. Funny how nothing has changed 38 years later.
****
A major step toward a return to college athletics occurred Friday when the Big 12 announced that its member schools could start their voluntary workouts beginning June 15.
That decision was hours after the SEC announced its conference members would begin their program on June 8.
Definitely, this is what you would call dipping your toes in the water and seeing how cold it is. But there has to be a start somewhere. And while there is probably some angst about how to go about doing this, I like this to the analogy of the junior high dance.
You have the music playing, tables set up with punch and cookies and teachers looking annoyed. You have the boys leaning against one wall looking across the cafeteria – that’s serving as the dance floor – at the girls who are lined up against the opposite wall.
Both sides are staring each for quite some time. The tension and awkwardness mounts until one boy decides to summon the courage to go across and ask the girl he has been staring. In a breaking news event, she says yes. They go out on the floor and then the dance really begins.
In this new age of looking out for everybody’s health and well-being, the only thing you wonder is if the safeguards being taken are permanent for as long as we all live or if this is temporary.
What those will all look like will depend on each athletic department working with the training staff, federal guidelines, respective state health departments and mandates from within each university.
You can be sure that when we get started, it’s going to be a vigilant approach with temperatures being taken, tests administered and dealing with any red flags aggressively and proactively.
There will be other processes in place that Baylor is developing as we speak. I’m sure once the athletic department has those guidelines set, it will release them publicly.
But like I posted on Friday morning, June 15-30 is really going to be about Baylor making sure that its student-athletes are not only healthy but also determining what kind of condition those athletes are in when they see them. Again, I wouldn’t look for those workouts to begin until around July 1. Should everything progress properly, I think that’s when you can expect the members of the 2020 class arrive. This is all fluid.
While we all understand “voluntary workouts” is just a term in words only, this one is going to be different.
Remember, Dave Aranda and his staff, Scott Drew and his staff and Kim Mulkey and her staff haven’t seen their athletes since mid-March. That’s going to be 2 ½ months. They’ve been in contact with them frequently, of course. The athletes have told them what they have been doing to maintain themselves.
Still, this is one of those scenarios where the coaches and training staffs won’t know what they won’t know until they know. That’s when they will see them.
Consider that the coaches, training staff and team physicians are going to be examining about 150 athletes. There’s going to be about 120 football players between scholarship and walk on. There’s going to be about 15 players for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
A plan of action each day is likely going to be mapped out. A plan of action to deal with anything suspicious is likely going to be mapped out. A plan to keep everybody informed is likely going to be mapped out. A plan to deal with any wildcard scenario is likely going to be mapped out.
The charge words I would look for would be comprehensive, methodical and diligent. When you are returning from a national health issue – whether you believe its validity or not – you have to error on the side of caution.
Frankly, Baylor also has to be aware of the potential liability that could come from something like this. There will always be this kind of ramification taken into account. It’s simply a process of leaving no stone unturned.
Of course, if you’re working within a university’s athletic department on the medical side, the first goal is to look out for the health of every student-athlete. After all, they have always been the first line of defense. They will continue to do so. They will probably be more armed than ever.
For me, I would hope that whatever processes are put in place will be made permanent. There’s no need to relax anything after a period of time subsides. The more information and the more honestly it’s looked at and analyzed, the better off we are.
We’re learning all the time as a society from experiences and using those lessons moving forward. That’s how a society evolves.
It was no different than back in the 1874 when Andrew Carnegie’s Keystone Bridge Company that constructed the Eads Bridge that crossed the Mississippi River in St. Louis using a new material called steel.
At the time, people had misgivings about the reliability of it and would it make them safe. Carnegie was aware of the behavior of elephants and their instincts. Elephants would not walk across foundations that were unstable.
On the bridge’s first day, Carnegie and the elephant stepped on to the bridge. The elephant never hesitated. That convinced the public. The rest is history.
We’re 146 years removed from that moment and people and their behaviors haven’t changed. There’s going to be reservations, fear and angst until someone is willing to step out and set a new course. Then other things will follow.
Is it going to be 100 percent ironclad? Well, if you want that, let me direct you to Fantasyland (well, that’s closed right now…ha ha) because nothing in our world is ironclad. I think that’s the fallacy that has overwhelmed us for the last 10 weeks.
Living in the prison of fear is not a way to live. Eventually, you have to find a way live with confidence knowing there are dangers but knowing what you are doing is going to give yourself the best chance going forward.
Baylor, the Big 12 and the rest are doing the same thing. We’re three weeks away from taking these baby steps.
****
What I found interesting in me and my Crimson Tide’s rapid to-and-from to Tuscaloosa, AL was how each state was treating was reacting to re-opening.
Louisiana was in Phase 1. I think Mississippi was in Phase 1 (maybe BillRay can speak to that).
I couldn’t tell you where Alabama was because it looked like a normal day before the pandemic. Is that good? Is that bad? I have no idea. I guess the only way I can relay this is that people were going to live their lives the best they could. If they got sick, then they’d figure it out.
If you recall from my entry back in March, I talked about the guy in the men’s restroom who didn’t wash his hands after doing his deal. What was different this time was how much people were washing their hands. When it came to wearing masks, I saw more older people wearing them than younger people. I’m not going to put a percentage on those who were and those who weren’t because it wouldn’t be accurate anyway
If there is any lesson we take from this time, it’s that people will be more diligent about being more hygienically conscious and just be more considerate. I think that’s all we can really ask from this.
Maybe shaking hands will no longer be a thing. There are worse things we can do without. This isn’t one of them. We take this day by day.
Personally, I took a lot of joy from the fact my Crimson Tide got a little emotional when she left her room for the last time. I got a lump in my throat for her.
Obviously, it ended earlier than she wanted to. However, just knowing she felt the way she did was a sign that she made a good choice on where she wanted to go to school, she was happy, she’s looking forward to returning.
As parents, we want what’s best for our children. We want for their happiness. When they find it, there is unbridled satisfaction.
****
Just a quick note from Baylor athletics…
Baylor’s academic excellence in Preparing of Champions for Life was on full display with the recent release of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The APR, created to be a more real-time measurement of academic success than graduation rates, is a team-based metric through which scholarship student-athletes each term earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. At schools that don't offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.
Nine teams, including men’s cross country, men’s golf, volleyball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, soccer, softball, women’s tennis and women’s track and field registered perfect one-year APR scores of 1,000, up from eight squads in 2019.
Men’s cross country, men’s golf and women’s volleyball led the way as they received the prestigious NCAA Public Recognition Award for earning multi-year Academic Progress Rates in the top 10 percent for their sport.
The 2018-19 overall four-year rate for the Bears is 987, up two points from the four-year rate announced last year. Baylor has the highest multi-year rate for all Big 12 sponsored sports. The athletic department also boasts a single-year average of 988.
Eleven of 15 eligible teams have a multi-year score above the national average for their sport.
Men's basketball (972) has the highest multi-year rate among Power 5 schools in Texas, while football (974) and baseball (985) are tied for the top spot in the state.
Likewise, Baylor has six programs with the highest or tied for the highest multi-year rate in the Big 12 with baseball (985), men’s cross country (1000), men’s golf (1000), men’s track and field (988), softball (997) and volleyball (1000) ranking tops in the conference.
The Bears four-year numbers in football (974), men's basketball (972) and baseball (985) are higher than the national averages of 964, 966 and 977 for each sport, respectively.
Women’s tennis was the most improved program, jumping up 12 points to a four-year score of 985 in 2018-19.
No Baylor program has ever been subject to penalty.
To compete in the 2020-21 postseason, teams must achieve a 930 four-year APR. NCAA members chose the 930 standard because that score predicts, on average, a 50% graduation rate for teams at that APR level. Additionally, teams must earn at least a 930 four-year APR to avoid penalties.
Let’s make it a great week!
Today, we go beyond to focus on East Texas’ own Don Henley. By today’s net worth estimates, one of group’s founders is worth $230 million. Of course, Henley, who hails from Linden, developed a pretty solid solo career with five albums.
Henley’s hey day with his solo hits was in the 1980s. His first album “I can’t stand still” gained instant popularity with a variety of hits.
One of those cuts is pretty much a slam against the media. It was released in 1982 and reached No. 1 in October. Funny how nothing has changed 38 years later.
****
A major step toward a return to college athletics occurred Friday when the Big 12 announced that its member schools could start their voluntary workouts beginning June 15.
That decision was hours after the SEC announced its conference members would begin their program on June 8.
Definitely, this is what you would call dipping your toes in the water and seeing how cold it is. But there has to be a start somewhere. And while there is probably some angst about how to go about doing this, I like this to the analogy of the junior high dance.
You have the music playing, tables set up with punch and cookies and teachers looking annoyed. You have the boys leaning against one wall looking across the cafeteria – that’s serving as the dance floor – at the girls who are lined up against the opposite wall.
Both sides are staring each for quite some time. The tension and awkwardness mounts until one boy decides to summon the courage to go across and ask the girl he has been staring. In a breaking news event, she says yes. They go out on the floor and then the dance really begins.
In this new age of looking out for everybody’s health and well-being, the only thing you wonder is if the safeguards being taken are permanent for as long as we all live or if this is temporary.
What those will all look like will depend on each athletic department working with the training staff, federal guidelines, respective state health departments and mandates from within each university.
You can be sure that when we get started, it’s going to be a vigilant approach with temperatures being taken, tests administered and dealing with any red flags aggressively and proactively.
There will be other processes in place that Baylor is developing as we speak. I’m sure once the athletic department has those guidelines set, it will release them publicly.
But like I posted on Friday morning, June 15-30 is really going to be about Baylor making sure that its student-athletes are not only healthy but also determining what kind of condition those athletes are in when they see them. Again, I wouldn’t look for those workouts to begin until around July 1. Should everything progress properly, I think that’s when you can expect the members of the 2020 class arrive. This is all fluid.
While we all understand “voluntary workouts” is just a term in words only, this one is going to be different.
Remember, Dave Aranda and his staff, Scott Drew and his staff and Kim Mulkey and her staff haven’t seen their athletes since mid-March. That’s going to be 2 ½ months. They’ve been in contact with them frequently, of course. The athletes have told them what they have been doing to maintain themselves.
Still, this is one of those scenarios where the coaches and training staffs won’t know what they won’t know until they know. That’s when they will see them.
Consider that the coaches, training staff and team physicians are going to be examining about 150 athletes. There’s going to be about 120 football players between scholarship and walk on. There’s going to be about 15 players for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
A plan of action each day is likely going to be mapped out. A plan of action to deal with anything suspicious is likely going to be mapped out. A plan to keep everybody informed is likely going to be mapped out. A plan to deal with any wildcard scenario is likely going to be mapped out.
The charge words I would look for would be comprehensive, methodical and diligent. When you are returning from a national health issue – whether you believe its validity or not – you have to error on the side of caution.
Frankly, Baylor also has to be aware of the potential liability that could come from something like this. There will always be this kind of ramification taken into account. It’s simply a process of leaving no stone unturned.
Of course, if you’re working within a university’s athletic department on the medical side, the first goal is to look out for the health of every student-athlete. After all, they have always been the first line of defense. They will continue to do so. They will probably be more armed than ever.
For me, I would hope that whatever processes are put in place will be made permanent. There’s no need to relax anything after a period of time subsides. The more information and the more honestly it’s looked at and analyzed, the better off we are.
We’re learning all the time as a society from experiences and using those lessons moving forward. That’s how a society evolves.
It was no different than back in the 1874 when Andrew Carnegie’s Keystone Bridge Company that constructed the Eads Bridge that crossed the Mississippi River in St. Louis using a new material called steel.
At the time, people had misgivings about the reliability of it and would it make them safe. Carnegie was aware of the behavior of elephants and their instincts. Elephants would not walk across foundations that were unstable.
On the bridge’s first day, Carnegie and the elephant stepped on to the bridge. The elephant never hesitated. That convinced the public. The rest is history.
We’re 146 years removed from that moment and people and their behaviors haven’t changed. There’s going to be reservations, fear and angst until someone is willing to step out and set a new course. Then other things will follow.
Is it going to be 100 percent ironclad? Well, if you want that, let me direct you to Fantasyland (well, that’s closed right now…ha ha) because nothing in our world is ironclad. I think that’s the fallacy that has overwhelmed us for the last 10 weeks.
Living in the prison of fear is not a way to live. Eventually, you have to find a way live with confidence knowing there are dangers but knowing what you are doing is going to give yourself the best chance going forward.
Baylor, the Big 12 and the rest are doing the same thing. We’re three weeks away from taking these baby steps.
****
What I found interesting in me and my Crimson Tide’s rapid to-and-from to Tuscaloosa, AL was how each state was treating was reacting to re-opening.
Louisiana was in Phase 1. I think Mississippi was in Phase 1 (maybe BillRay can speak to that).
I couldn’t tell you where Alabama was because it looked like a normal day before the pandemic. Is that good? Is that bad? I have no idea. I guess the only way I can relay this is that people were going to live their lives the best they could. If they got sick, then they’d figure it out.
If you recall from my entry back in March, I talked about the guy in the men’s restroom who didn’t wash his hands after doing his deal. What was different this time was how much people were washing their hands. When it came to wearing masks, I saw more older people wearing them than younger people. I’m not going to put a percentage on those who were and those who weren’t because it wouldn’t be accurate anyway
If there is any lesson we take from this time, it’s that people will be more diligent about being more hygienically conscious and just be more considerate. I think that’s all we can really ask from this.
Maybe shaking hands will no longer be a thing. There are worse things we can do without. This isn’t one of them. We take this day by day.
Personally, I took a lot of joy from the fact my Crimson Tide got a little emotional when she left her room for the last time. I got a lump in my throat for her.
Obviously, it ended earlier than she wanted to. However, just knowing she felt the way she did was a sign that she made a good choice on where she wanted to go to school, she was happy, she’s looking forward to returning.
As parents, we want what’s best for our children. We want for their happiness. When they find it, there is unbridled satisfaction.
****
Just a quick note from Baylor athletics…
Baylor’s academic excellence in Preparing of Champions for Life was on full display with the recent release of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The APR, created to be a more real-time measurement of academic success than graduation rates, is a team-based metric through which scholarship student-athletes each term earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. At schools that don't offer scholarships, recruited student-athletes are tracked.
Nine teams, including men’s cross country, men’s golf, volleyball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, soccer, softball, women’s tennis and women’s track and field registered perfect one-year APR scores of 1,000, up from eight squads in 2019.
Men’s cross country, men’s golf and women’s volleyball led the way as they received the prestigious NCAA Public Recognition Award for earning multi-year Academic Progress Rates in the top 10 percent for their sport.
The 2018-19 overall four-year rate for the Bears is 987, up two points from the four-year rate announced last year. Baylor has the highest multi-year rate for all Big 12 sponsored sports. The athletic department also boasts a single-year average of 988.
Eleven of 15 eligible teams have a multi-year score above the national average for their sport.
Men's basketball (972) has the highest multi-year rate among Power 5 schools in Texas, while football (974) and baseball (985) are tied for the top spot in the state.
Likewise, Baylor has six programs with the highest or tied for the highest multi-year rate in the Big 12 with baseball (985), men’s cross country (1000), men’s golf (1000), men’s track and field (988), softball (997) and volleyball (1000) ranking tops in the conference.
The Bears four-year numbers in football (974), men's basketball (972) and baseball (985) are higher than the national averages of 964, 966 and 977 for each sport, respectively.
Women’s tennis was the most improved program, jumping up 12 points to a four-year score of 985 in 2018-19.
No Baylor program has ever been subject to penalty.
To compete in the 2020-21 postseason, teams must achieve a 930 four-year APR. NCAA members chose the 930 standard because that score predicts, on average, a 50% graduation rate for teams at that APR level. Additionally, teams must earn at least a 930 four-year APR to avoid penalties.
Let’s make it a great week!
