Stories by Wally Hall

U.S. continues struggle with soccer success HOUSTON -- Sitting here in a hotel room the anticipation was great.There was nowhere to be until 5:30 p.m. when 60 members of the wife's family were getting together for an overdue family reunionE... December 4, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: 5 to make 4 during championship weekend While there are 11 conference football championship games, this weekend most of the country will be watching or at least keeping up with the big four.It starts tonight, when Utah takes on Southern Cal... December 2, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Gold not always at the end of portal rainbow With each day, it seems to get worse.Not just in Arkansas, but across the country, as young men go to social media to declare they are entering the transfer portal or testing the NFL waters.It seems b... December 1, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: History says Freeze and Auburn will be fine Hugh Freeze's hiring at Auburn was received with mixed feelings by the fans.Some fans opened their heart to him, and apparently some think five years wasn't a long enough sentence.What those f... November 30, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Pittman knows plenty of work left to be done No one was more disappointed in the Arkansas Razorbacks' loss to Missouri than Sam Pittman.It hung like a 200-pound weight around his neck. It was even heavier in his voice.Like all the fans, thos... November 29, 2022

Hall of Fame class has distinct, diverse feel Traditionally it is the most widely attended of the four annual Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame board meetings.Selection Day is the day that the 50 board of directors have a voice in the next induction c... November 27, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Expectations not met, Memphis likely for UA COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A season that began 3-0 and sent hopes and dreams soaring ended on a penalty during a wild play that was hoped to lateral the ball numerous times for 68 yards and a game-winning touch... November 26, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Arkansas-Missouri not a true rivalry yet It is rivalry weekend in the SEC and across the country and mostly what's on the line is history.Someday, Arkansas and Missouri might be a rivalry, the Razorbacks first if that happens. But while ... November 25, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: There’s always plenty of thanks to go around As a kid growing up in the shadows of Little Rock Central High, Thanksgiving always meant going to the Turkey Day showdown between Central and Hall, then rushing home for a feast.I'm thankful for ... November 24, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Pool an ambassador to Razorback football Bumper Pool epitomizes what a football player is supposed to be.For him to not play his final regular-season game this Friday, he isn't hurt, he's injured.There's a big difference, and Poo... November 23, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hogs had things under control against Rebels If before last Saturday's game someone had said the Arkansas Razorbacks were going to have 503 yards of offense against a good Ole Miss team, the guess would have been that the Hogs were going to ... November 22, 2022

Hot Hogs check all the boxes on a cold night On a freezing cold night, the Arkansas Razorbacks were red hot on offense early and good enough at keeping Ole Miss out of the end zone to check off all the boxes.Beat Ole Miss? Check, 42-27.Bowl elig... November 20, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Several yawners on this week’s SEC schedule A weekend like this one is why the SEC will go to a nine-game conference schedule.There are six nonconference games and none of them interesting, which makes ESPN and CBS very unhappy. Pickings are so... November 18, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Kiffin will always do what it takes to win Ole Miss is another example of how impactful the transfer portal can be.Of course, anyone familiar with Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin knew he would be on the cutting edge of anything to do with recrui... November 17, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Undefeated Flightline a big rags-to-riches tale As Flightline drew away to win the Breeders' Cup Classic by 8 lengths, the comparisons to Secretariat were underway.Flightline has a strong connection to Little Rock. He was bred at Summer Wind Fa... November 16, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Kelly embraced by LSU fans in first season In the first 24 hours Brian Kelly was on the job as head coach of the LSU Tigers, he did something so silly it overshadowed the brilliant thing he did.After being introduced as LSU's new football ... November 15, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: LSU’s Perkins not your typical freshman Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks played to win.Who would have thought that with 1:27 left in the game that they would be 62 yards away from beating No. 7 LSU, which was fresh off a win over Ala... November 13, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Hogs, Gators could add to bowl-eligible list The SEC already has eight bowl-eligible teams and Arkansas and Florida could make the list Saturday.Texas A&M, Auburn and Vanderbilt -- all 3-6 -- are one loss away from not being able to get the ... November 11, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Kiffin defeating Saban could mean more $$$ Nick Saban is used to wearing the crown.He's the Greatest Of All Time and the king of football.He's also apparently very hard to work for, and when he hired Lane Kiffin to overhaul the Alabama... November 10, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Plenty of questions left as season nears end Is it harder to believe college football's regular season is 75% in the books or that Alabama may not win the SEC West and probably won't play for the SEC championship, which would mean no Col... November 9, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Doctor remembered outside medical field In his first softball game in Little Rock, the not-so-brilliant manager put Terry Yamauchi in left-center field.It was the perfect place for him because in the second inning, the center fielder and sh... November 8, 2022

Lack of early fire doesn’t help Hogs’ chances FAYETTEVILLE -- It couldn't be overturned.KJ Jefferson's run for two points and a tie was ruled short, and after reviewing several camera angles the ruling was upheld. His knee was down before... November 6, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: SEC features two of the nation’s top games Without a doubt, the biggest game in the country will be played in SEC country Saturday afternoon when No. 1 Tennessee travels to Athens to play No. 3 Georgia.Those are the official College Football P... November 4, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Freeze’s career resurrected with Flames Hugh Freeze has pulled off one of the greatest feats in modern day college football.When he left Ole Miss under a cloud, it was thought he was finished as a college football coach, and for two seasons... November 3, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Are Arkansas, Auburn headed for mistakes? There appears to be a similarity with Auburn University and the University of Arkansas.At Auburn it is athletics, and at Arkansas it is academics.The similarity is that some very wealthy boosters are ... November 2, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: How big a bowl for Razorbacks is question When Arkansas scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, you knew it was over.Then, and only then, did it feel safe to start thinking ahead.On those three drives, the Razorbacks had 242 yards and... November 1, 2022

Auburn keeps sinking deeper with Harsin AUBURN, Ala. -- They came, they saw and got the heck out of there long before the Arkansas Razorbacks had beaten their hometown heroes 41-27.All things considered -- and there's a laundry list of ... October 30, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Breaking up the cluster in SEC West’s cellar One thing is certain this weekend: By Saturday night, there no longer will be a three-way tie for last place in the SEC West.Currently Arkansas, Auburn and Texas A&M are 1-3 in SEC play, and with ... October 28, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Wins now would help Harsin keep his job Auburn is a dangerous opponent.Unlike what appears to be happening at Texas A&M, Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin is fighting to keep his job.He doesn't want a multi-million dollar buyout right ... October 27, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Brando on top of his game at Little Rock Touchdown Club Tim Brando, Fox's ace play-by-play man, brought up numerous opinions and observations Monday while speaking at the Little Rock Touchdown Club.Most were part of the ever-changing landscape of colle... October 26, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: SEC season has been a bit wacky thus far With five regular-season games remaining for most teams, it is obvious that the SEC has been a little upside down this season.That is with the exception of No. 1 Georgia, which appears to have firm gr... October 25, 2022

Brando devoted to his family and his craft In this season of bringing the biggest names in broadcast journalism to the Little Rock Touchdown Club, David Bazzel has hit another walk-off grand slam with Monday's speaker, Tim Brando.There may... October 23, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Back at sea level, good time for a bye week The Arkansas Razorbacks are not the only ones dragging into this much-needed bye week.Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky are also off, but the person welcoming this off weekend is yours truly.Since... October 21, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Kentucky seniors on All-SEC list is shocking It was not a surprise that media members picked Kentucky to win the SEC championship in basketball, nor was it that they picked Arkansas to finish second.The stunner was the Wildcats have two first-te... October 20, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Razorbacks handle high elevations of Utah Cleaning out the Arkansas-BYU notebook:The Razorbacks had several exciting plays, including touchdowns, but the most impressive series of the game was their final one when they took 16 plays to drive ... October 19, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Clark’s interception turned tide for Hogs It was the play of the game.It came about 3 1/2 minutes after Arkansas' Latavious Brini, a transfer from Georgia, recovered a BYU fumble at the Cougars' 34 during the Razorbacks' 52-35 vic... October 18, 2022

There was no denying the Hogs in this one PROVO, Utah -- It appeared Arkansas' defense was going to have to be its offense and it could have been.The Razorbacks scored on eight consecutive possessions, including three turnovers the defens... October 16, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Beastly East can no longer be called Least The East is no longer the least in the SEC.Used to be when the East faced the West, it was a win for the West. But nothing is guaranteed anymore.Although, it does appear Georgia and Alabama are still ... October 14, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Salt Lake City brings back Sutton memories My first trip to Salt Lake City -- where you fly into to cover a game in Provo, Utah -- was in 1985, and it turned out to be where Eddie Sutton coached his last games in the NCAA Tournament for the Un... October 13, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Number of undefeated teams about to shrink At the halfway mark of the college football season, only 15 teams are still undefeated and 13 of them are in Power 5 conferences, led by the SEC with four.Obviously, those numbers will start to dwindl... October 12, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: It’s not the beginning of the end for Hogs The wheels have not come off the University of Arkansas Razorbacks football program.What happened Saturday in Starkville, Miss., was not the beginning of the end.It was several things -- including inj... October 11, 2022

OPINION | LIKE IT IS: Hornsby delivers on a day the Hogs couldn’t STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Malik Hornsby should have started.On Saturday, he was a gamer for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He may be the third-team quarterback in practice, but turn the scoreboard on and he turn... October 9, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Looking for Hogs to squeak by in Starkville From 11 a.m. until after 10 p.m., some solid SEC football games will be held Saturday -- with the exception of Ole Miss at Vanderbilt.That game has been permanent since SEC expansion, but that might c... October 7, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Leach is unique, but he knows how to coach Games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., are tough for visitors.There are those irritating cowbells, a loud, proud crowd and it is not an easy destination to get to. Oh, it is a nice little t... October 6, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: UA doesn’t have to look far for new chief It could be the biggest hire in the history of the University of Arkansas System board of trustees ,which is split 5-5 on who should be the next chancellor.Charles Robinson, the interim chancellor, an... October 5, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Time for Razorbacks to move on from Tide Alabama is history.The Crimson Tide were as fast, powerful, talented and deep as expected.Arkansas won the third quarter and that's improvement, not enough, but the Razorbacks also played the No. ... October 4, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Razorbacks had Tide seeing red for a quarter FAYETTEVILLE -- For a couple of exhilarating moments, the loud and proud crowd dared to keep the momentum that had swung, and an upset was in the making.After trailing the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide 2... October 2, 2022

OPINION: WALLY HALL: Networks finally get their money’s worth With five SEC conference games on the schedule, the TV networks can finally stop worrying about ratings.A third of the way into this season it appears Georgia and Alabama are two blocks ahead of every... September 30, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: GOAT Saban best of show in college game Tens of thousands, including Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, have called Nick Saban the GOAT.Greatest of All Time.Many also know Saban can be like a cranky old billy goat.Alabama's head football ... September 29, 2022

OPINION | WALLY HALL: Saban getting Mr. Nice Guy persona down Sam Pittman and Nick Saban are old school.Both spent time Monday during a SEC teleconference bragging on the other, but this was a bit different than Saban's usual, "we respect and take every... September 28, 2022