Longhorns want pick of the litter
When Mack Brown announced last week he would retire as the University of Texas’ football coach after the Alamo Bowl, discussions began immediately about his replacement.
This week’s hot topic column for sports writers across the nation is the list of potential candidates, even though there is no official word from Austin on anything.
One of our favorites came from Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman, who gave a top-25 list of possible Longhorn hires. Among his highlights:
“1. Nick Saban: OU’s worst nightmare would be if Saban stayed to coach the Sugar Bowl, then went to Texas.
“5. Mike Tomlin: This is the longest of all long shots. The best coaching job in America is not the University of Texas. Tomlin has the best coaching job in America, unless the Rooney family is aboutto buy the Forty Acres in Austin.
“6. Kevin Sumlin: This would be the ultimate strike - get one of the hottest coaches around while dealing a bitter blow to your once rival that is getting all haughty about being in the SEC.
“8. Bob Stoops: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. And while UT is a reasonable 6-9 vs. Stoops, the Longhorns have two Big 12 titles in Stoops’ 15 years at OU. Stoops has seven, plus a co-championship. But I don’t think Stoops would go. Not the right time.
“9. Art Briles: A bunch of UT people will have Briles at the top of the list. A Texan if ever there was one. But a bunch of UT people will have Briles nowhere on the list. A raw-boned Texan is the last thing they want.
“16. Gus Malzahn: An offensive whiz, but he’s been a head coach for two seasons. One of them at Arkansas State. Maybe Malzahn is the next Saban. Or maybe he’s the next Gene Chizik.
“20. Brian Kelly: Not a great cultural fit, but Texas seems to prefer a non-fit.
“21. Chris Petersen: I know, I know. Petersen just took the Washington job. But remember, this is college football. Void of honor.
And get this one:
“24. Bret Bielema: Maybe he should have waited to take that Arkansas job. Hiring away Bielema from Wisconsin would have been a good get for UT. Still should be for Arkansas.”
Brush-back beer
A beer created by a craft brewery near Richmond, Va., for the city’s minor league baseball team is paying homage to an old baseball slang term.
Officials with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the Class AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, said Tuesday that fans chose to call the amber lager “Chin Music.” The term refers to a pitch that is thrown near a batter’s face.
The team partnered with Center of the Universe Brewing Co. in Ashland to create the beer that will be available at The Diamond and throughout the region beginning in March.
Fans were asked to help name the beer through an online and text message contest.
Quote of the day
“I think he plays the game the right way. He plays to win.” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson on Ky Madden
Sports, Pages 20 on 12/18/2013