Stories by Wally Hall

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Steinmetz's departure about 4 years too late Several times a day, my iPad is checked for breaking news or updated stories. On Thursday, that's how it was learned that chancellor Joe Steinmetz basically had been told he had 24 hours to clean out... June 23, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: NCAA has questions left to be answered For 115 years, student-athletes were not allowed to be paid. At least not above the table. Now comes the Supreme Court, with a 9-0 vote, saying that is unfair and unjust, and that as long as the stu... June 22, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: It's a welcome home for Loggains and family Two smiles in Bryant, Ark., could have lit up the skies to Nashville, as in Tennessee. That was the closest Jenny and Larry Burnett have ever been to the grandchildren. They had been as far away as ... June 20, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hug your loved ones today This was an emotionally difficult week so this is a personal blog instead of sports. Last Monday a friend, Richard Turbeville, died. Our lunch bunch had a send off for him on Thursday. On Friday we... June 19, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Changes reshaping college athletics forever The world of college sports is changing. There's the transfer portal, which is getting more traffic than Los Angeles. Conferences are waiting on Congress to make a law that allows student-athletes t... June 17, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Nobody on this team should be blamed It was inevitable. In the world of perspiring arts, there are always a few who need a specific reason why a team lost. Whether it is Little League or the World Series, those who need to blame usuall... June 16, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hogs deserve to be remembered for first 61 Arkansas is not snakebit. There were no black cats. No one walked under a ladder. The Arkansas Razorbacks have had a few disappointing losses over the years, but probably no more than any other prog... June 15, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: We were alone A couple of weeks ago we loaded up the grandson (Fisher) and dog (Sophie) and took off for Santa Fe and the southern Colorado mountains. I was curious how people were treating what is hopefully the l... June 14, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: T-shirts don't fit quite yet for Razorbacks Friday night, the Arkansas Razorbacks -- the No. 1 ranked team in the country with a 50-11 record -- looked like they could order a new batch of OmaHog T-shirts. They romped North Carolina State 21-2... June 13, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hogs' bats go cold in 6-5 loss to North Carolina State After looking like they might dance their way to Omaha, the Arkansas Razorbacks got a wake-up call Saturday when they could muster only four hits and lost to North Carolina State 6-5. Arkansas, the N... June 12, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: McDonnell unequaled in track and field From coast to coast these Razorbacks were feared. The John McDonnell-coached University of Arkansas track and field teams were almost unbeatable from the time he became the head coach in 1978 until h... June 10, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hogs, Kopps hitting all the right notes It was 2-0 Nebraska after the top of the fifth inning, and Baum-Walker Stadium was booming like the home team was leading by a dozen. There seemed to be little doubt and tons of confidence that the A... June 9, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: It's a sure bet that Clement will be missed Long before everyone had a cellphone and when computers were still big and bulky, Fletcher Clement found he could research the bloodlines of thoroughbreds. This was in the 1980s. He would spend hour... June 8, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Oaklawn to add December racing dates In what will prove to be another innovative move by Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, it is changing its racing dates to primarily three-day weekends starting Dec. 3 of this year. The Arkansas Racing Com... June 7, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Belmont duel restores some luster to Crown A great stretch battle between two of the better 3-year-old colts brought the Triple Crown to an end with a tremble. No rumble. No grumble. Just a soft grin. The Belmont Stakes was won by Essentia... June 6, 2021

Pittman’s leadership easily recognizable Sam Pittman has established himself as an outgoing, charismatic leader. When he came to the Arkansas Razorbacks, the football program was on the rocks. The least of the beasts of the SEC. He inherit... May 30, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Real Deal a sign of return to normality Experts say Michigan and Gonzaga are getting a lot of mileage out of their NCAA Tournament success when it comes to basketball recruiting. The last year of recruiting was virtual, odd and wild. While... May 27, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Tebow complaining has gone overboard There was outrage. Tim Tebow signing to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars was too much for some of the talking heads whose talents include yelling at the camera. He's 33, they screamed. He's never ... May 26, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: UA fans enjoy extra spring in their step It is heady times in the state of Arkansas. Forgetting we are ranked 48th in the country in vaccinations is easy when the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation and the softb... May 25, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Affable Lucas reaches new coaching heights Anthony Lucas is one of my favorite people in the world. He also happens to be one of my favorite Arkansas Razorback football players. Last week he was named the head football coach at Pulaski Academ... May 23, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Anthony Lucas’ hire was win-win for Pulaski Academy When Anthony Lucas was a freshman at the University of Arkansas, his first media day was a year before he would play, because of redshirting. That day, though, Fitz Hill, who was the receivers coach ... May 22, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Harrison struck by case of Razorback fever HARRISON -- It was Sunday, and Saturday's rainstorms had cleared out some of the pollen. Even though the first stop on the One Razorback Roadshow wasn't until Monday, this city was showing signs of Ra... May 20, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: New York adds another blemish for Baffert It may not be the crowning blow, but it's significant. The New York Racing Association temporarily banned Bob Baffert from racing at its three big tracks -- Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct. Pending a... May 19, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Decision to run Rombauer racking up dough Except for Bob Baffert, Saturday's Preakness was like a fairy tale for Rombauer, and his owners, trainer and jockey. John and Diane Fradkin are small-time breeders from California with a couple of Ke... May 18, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Day about Baffert as Medina Spirit fades It wasn't supposed to be about Bob Baffert, but there was no way the 146th Preakness couldn't be about the trainer who was suspended by Churchill Downs after Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby and t... May 16, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Valuable lesson learned at 1983 Preakness I was in Baltimore for the Preakness in 1983. It had been raining for days, but the odds-on favorite Sunny’s Halo had some mudder breeding, so there wasn’t a lot of concern. Sunny’s Halo had won the... May 15, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Medina Spirit likely doesn't need Baffert There is no way Medina Spirit will be juiced for Saturday's Preakness. The winner of the Kentucky Derby, who later tested positive for a steroid, is under heavy scrutiny with pre-race testing, and al... May 13, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Saban's voice carries weight in Alabama Arkansas is doing great in spring sports but does not rank well nationally when it comes to vaccines against covid-19. At least the Natural State can point a finger at the greatest football state in ... May 12, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Baffert again in spotlight for wrong reasons For now, Bob Baffert is the winningest trainer in Kentucky Derby history with seven victories. He's also currently suspended from racing at Churchill Downs, and there's a huge cloud over him and his ... May 11, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Nothing wrong with Fisher's Bama assertion Spring sports are dominating the sports pages, as they should. But any time a football story shows up in May, it is going to get some discussion. That was the case last week when Texas A&M Coach ... May 9, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: SEC moving toward live football media days Got a questionnaire from the SEC office this week, as did about a 1,000 other journalists, asking if we would attend SEC Football Meetings in person this summer in Birmingham, Alabama. It also asked ... May 8, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Yurachek on road again to meet Hog fans Apparently it has nothing to do with the spring ritual of attending Razorback clubs all over the state. University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek, football Coach Sam Pittman and Tusk V... May 6, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Rodgers just playing games with Packers Random thoughts while wondering why Arkansas has to be with Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi among the states slowest to get vaccinated against covid-19, which is still among us. News almost as big a... May 5, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Modest breeder has huge role in Derby win When it was first learned that a horse in the Kentucky Derby had sold as a yearling for $1,000 there were some initial thoughts: (A) The poor breeder who had to sell a horse that cheap. (B) The hors... May 4, 2021

Medina Spirit a big winner for small price Bob Baffert with a 12-1 horse is almost unheard of, but that's not as unlikely as a horse that sold for $1,000 as a yearling winning the Kentucky Derby. Fairy tales came true Saturday as Medina Spiri... May 2, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Kentucky Derby signifies return to normalcy Watching the early Kentucky Derby Day on NBCSN it was almost shocking to see how small 45,000 looks like in such a massive facility as Churchill Downs. Of course that is much better than a year ago w... May 1, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Good to see Derby back where it belongs With the Kentucky Derby moving back to the first Saturday in May, a solid piece of the comeback foundation is in place for the world of perspiring arts. Covid-19 forced the Derby to move to the first... April 29, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Another year, another batch of SEC coaches For the second consecutive season, there will be four new head football coaches in the SEC. Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Shane Beamer (South Carolina), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt) and Bryan Harsin (Auburn) ar... April 28, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Favorite Essential Quality draws No. 14 post position The Kentucky Derby post position draw is official and Essential Quality, the favorite who won the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, drew the No. 14 post. Essential Quality opens at 2-1. Super Stock,... April 27, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Saban's itinerary part of random thoughts Random spring thoughts while wondering why more people aren't getting the potentially lifesaving -- and not just their life -- vaccination that is free. What does Nick Saban do now that spring footba... April 27, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Foundation saves on Bielema settlement They ended up about in the middle. Bret Bielema and the Razorback Foundation agreed on a settlement of $3,529,167 of the slightly more than $8 million that had them suing each other. Bielema, now th... April 25, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Razorback Foundation chief holds the line in Bielema suit I’m glad the Razorback Foundation and Bret Bielema settled their lawsuit. One of my goals in life is to never have to go to court again. I was subpoenaed by Bielema’s attorneys and would have had to ... April 24, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Former Hogs decide fresh start is for them Wednesday's sports front was filled with news of the University of Arkansas and the transfer portal. Or in the case of Desi Sills, a former Razorback who announced he is going to Auburn, where he wil... April 22, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Jewel of Oaklawn is starting to sparkle HOT SPRINGS -- Sounds of progress were everywhere, even on a day off from racing. It is a family affair for friends and for the state of Arkansas. It is about thoroughbred racing, Hot Springs and Ga... April 21, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hall of Famer proud of his Golden Lions Jesse Mason was to the left and next to him was Bill Ingram. We were at Greg and Dora Jane Flesher's home for a Friday reception dinner for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees, of which Mason ... April 20, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Spring game provides intel for coaches FAYETTEVILLE -- Sam Pittman knew exactly what he wanted from his first Red-White Game. Only he and his staff know whether they got everything they had hoped for. It could not have started better and... April 18, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: UA's second-team offense wins Red-White game FAYETTEVILLE — Red-White games aren’t always supposed to make sense to fans. In all my years of covering them, I’ve never seen the No. 2 offense outscore the No. 1 offense, which is what happened in ... April 17, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Flesher handles Hall of Fame duties like pro The torch passes tonight but not before nine very deserving people are inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. A journey for them that ends where it was destined, in the spotlight. A journey... April 16, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Arizona moves on after Eric Musselman signs new contract with UA Arizona reportedly had Eric Musselman on its short list to replace Sean Miller, who was fired last week. Musselman never interviewed. There were probably several reasons, starting with the fact he a... April 15, 2021

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Musselman investment is money well spent Everyone knew Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman had earned a raise. In his second year as the basketball head Hog, he took the Razorbacks to the Elite Eight, where it gave eventual champion Baylor its to... April 15, 2021