It was a story that raced across the internet from coast to coast and maybe beyond.
Kamren Curl and Ryan Pulley got caught talking and taking pictures with the Mississippi State dance team when they were supposed to be on the field getting ready to take on the MSU Bulldogs.
If you are Alabama and 11-0 it wouldn't have been a story because players on 11-0 teams are focused on winning, not Instagramming or Snapchatting or whatever it is young people do today.
However, the University of Arkansas is 2-9, winless in the Southeastern Conference, and the two wins the Razorbacks had were against Eastern Illinois and Tulsa, a combined 5-17 on the season.
Those players' actions didn't look bad; they were horrible. But they were not a hanging offense, and Chad Morris was right to suspend them rather than kick them off the team. Pulley is a redshirt junior and Curl a true sophomore and now they have the time to decide if they want to apologize to their teammates and take pride in being a Razorback.
If they don't, good luck to them.
If you are concerned about how this could affect recruiting, don't be. If this makes a player decide he doesn't want to be a Razorback, then the Razorbacks don't need him.
What Morris is looking for, as are most head coaches in the country, are players with character, not characters. Guys who want to help return a proud program to a place of respect.
Curl and Pulley singled themselves out by their very public actions, however, they are not the only ones who need to get their attitudes right or not let the doorknob hit them on the way out.
After the 52-6 loss to MSU Morris used the word unacceptable nine times in his post-game comments, including the behavior of the two defensive starters who have let the entire team down by not doing the right thing and being available for the final game of the season against Missouri.
A lot of things are unacceptable, like a completely missed block by a receiver that almost got another Razorback injured. If they don't want to block go home for Thanksgiving and stay. The same for any defensive linemen who are too tired to rush or make tackles.
Apparently some of the defensive players whine that John Chavis is too tough. Well, maybe that's why 81 players he coached have made it to the NFL. Maybe that's why he's been a part of 21 bowl games and had 12 10-win seasons.
Football is a game for tough people, physically and mentally.
This season has been a huge disappointment for Morris, his staff and the Razorbacks Nation, and probably for some of the players, but apparently not all.
Curl and Pulley didn't cause this miserable stretch of football by themselves, but what they did seemed indicative of how little regard for the team some must have.
Lastly, some have tried to divert the issue off the players and on to D.J. Williams who took the pictures of the players flirting and asked Morris about it after the game.
Some want to say he should have either kept it to himself or met privately with Morris. Good luck with meeting with any coach or player one-on-one. That doesn't happen and probably is playing a role in the declining attendance.
Williams, a former All-American tight end for the Razorbacks who now works for KARK-TV, did the right thing. He was the messenger but the message went to Morris who then took the proper action. Williams loves the Razorbacks and there was zero malice in his asking Morris about the players actions.
They are suspended and the ball is in their court, grow up or move on.
Sports on 11/21/2018