A few open letters on this cold morning:
Dear Mike Slive:
I bear you greetings and hope your health problems are improving quickly. I also would like to salute you, in your role as commissioner of the SEC, for not punishing Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson for criticizing one of the league's basketball officials.
Mike was very emotional when he called out John Hampton for his bad call on a block by Alandise Harris during Saturday's game against Florida.
Hampton called a foul that sent Michael Frazier to shoot two game-winning free throws.
Yes, the social media world almost exploded over how Hampton obviously blew the call, but, heck, Hampton has shown he's human before. To err is human and to forgive is divine.
I applaud the SEC for not allowing Hampton to call Kentucky games, considering he graduated from there in 1991. During his time as a Wildcat, Florida Coach Billy Donovan was an assistant basketball coach at Kentucky and Gators assistant John Pelphrey, a former head coach at Arkansas, was a very popular player.
I do understand how some -- OK, most -- would see calling Florida games a possible conflict of interest, too, especially if it is true that Hampton and Pelphrey were friendly.
Perhaps Hampton suffers from the SEC officiating disorder known as "Anticipating A Foul Rather Than Actually Seeing One."
Oh well, if Arkansas doesn't make the NCAA Tournament, please add my name to the thank-you card someone should send Hampton, who otherwise has a good reputation as a person.
Wally
Dear John Hampton:
Gator Bait.
C. Wallace Hall
Dear football recruits:
Just for the record, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum is an event and conference center.
It is available for birthday parties, meetings, sleepovers, Super Bowl parties, etc.
Last summer, the Republican Party rented it, and we all know how that turned out for them in November.
Anyway, it is highly unlikely it will be available to high school players to make an oral commitment to any college again.
Thanks
Wally Hall
Dear Urban Meyer:
A few folks from Big Ten country got upset when yours truly wrote that Ohio State was like an SEC team. I still say you learned your lessons well during your stay at Florida.
If you sign only 25 players today -- and you were still recruiting four more as of last night -- your roster would be at 89 for next year, or four more than the NCAA limit. So between four and eight guys are about to lose their scholarships or be asked to transfer.
I thought that only happened in the SEC.
Perhaps you are going to try what Tennessee is doing and "blue shirt" prospects. They walk on and pay their own way in the summer and become eligible in their first fall, but they count against next year's scholarship totals. Apparently the Vols are signing 30 today.
Just remember, they cannot have been on an official visit or have been recruited to be a blue shirt.
C.W. Hall
Dear Darrell Bevell:
Until there were 20 seconds left in the Super Bowl on Sunday, most people didn't know you were the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.
On first and goal from the New England 5, Marshawn "Speechless" Lynch rushed for 4 yards. On second and 1, you called a pass, with Coach Pete Carroll signing off on it, and Russell Wilson threw perhaps his worst pass of the night, which was intercepted and gave the Patriots the victory.
If the pass had gone for a touchdown, you would have been a genius. Instead, some are saying you are the worst coordinator in history.
Bottom line: It wasn't a very good pass, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't part of the design of the play.
Hang in there. It was your second Super Bowl in a row, and you'll get another shot.
Wally
Sports on 02/04/2015