Who is destroying the program?

Everyone wants to know what or whom is destroying the U of A athletics program.

The answer is simple.

The people of the state of Arkansas are destroying the U of A athletics program. There are those who are bound and determined to make certain that Houston Nutt loses his job. And for what? On the heels of the horrific events on the campus of Virginia Tech, arguing about what football coach called who and at what time is ridiculous.

Uncovering "facts" with respect to the U of A football program has become the most important activity in the lives of many. Or few? What possesses these individuals to personally devote their lives to destroying the life of Houston Nutt? What has he done to any of these people to deserve all of this grief?

Here are some "facts" as I see them.

Before Houston Nutt, the Razorbacks were not competitive in the SEC. Before Houston Nutt, Arkansas did not produce the number of major college football players from its high schools. (7 on 7, HS spring football) Before Houston Nutt, Arkansans did not even know the word "recruiting". Before Houston Nutt, I sat in (a smaller) half-full Razorback Stadium and War Memorial Stadium.

Can anyone argue with my "facts"? We as Razorback fans and as a state are better for having Houston Nutt as the head football coach at the flagship University of the state of Arkansas. Houston has given his heart, soul, time, and now his personal privacy to the people of the state of Arkansas. How many of you anonymous shadow dwellers would be willing to do the same? For those of you with children, like myself, what are you teaching them about the way to treat people? Do you want them to grow up in a world where they are always looking for the faults of others?

I want to say "Thank you, Coach Nutt." Thank you for putting up with 2006 and 2007. Thank you for coaching the Razorbacks to 10 wins last year. I, and all TrueFans, look forward to the upcoming football season. I and my family will be in attendance at each home game in both Fayetteville and Little Rock.

Finally, a message to all who continue to slander Houston Nutt. It is my hope that I will not see you at any of the home football games this coming season. Please do not be surprised when others buy the season tickets that you choose not to renew this season. Also, do not be surprised when recruiting suffers inside the state. It is those in-state recruits that continue to hear all the negativity from those who claim to support the program.

Kevin N. '98

The girl's point of view

Nancy here, the female half of the TrueFan creation team. I'm guessing most people are surprised to see a girl's name on here, and that most women who are directed to this site wouldn't consider posting a comment to declare themselves a TrueFan. Ladies, allow me the opportunity to convince you otherwise.

If you live in Arkansas or follow the Hogs at all, and you have not been under a rock for the last several months, you know that there has been an absurdly enormous amount of negativity surrounding the Razorback athletic program recently, most of it stemming from team "supporters" and the media. You may ask why you should care, if you're not a big Razorback fan. Here's why:

The things that have been said and done under the guise of "seeking the truth" or "trying to educate the Hogs fans" have many times been unethical and hate-filled. Rumors have been spread like wildfire, at the cost of the personal lives of our student athletes, coaches and administrators. What was once the most unifying hobby in our state, following the Razorbacks, has now become a witch hunt. It has become the accepted norm for the media and even private citizens to announce the newest gossip as fact, and unfortunately people are accepting the stories at face value, without holding anyone accountable when they turn out to be false.

I believe that this ridiculous behavior has been allowed to get out of hand because of the bully factor. Simply put, no one has stood up and said it's not okay to act like this. More importantly, though, no one has offered an alternative for how REAL Hogs fans should act. Thus, RealFans was born. If you sign this blog--with your real name or a screen name, whatever you're comfortable with--you are showing the bullies that there are people (we think LOTS of people) that believe in the principles of loyalty and respect and integrity, and who refuse to let others think for them. Even if you aren't a sports fan, don't you agree that those are worthy traits?