I could go either way on this decision.. on the one hand, it's Major's last game....Simms has come up short in big games...Major had a good game last week and Simms didn't. on the other hand...if this somehow affects Simms' confidence and he doesn't respond well, you're stuck with an unhappy QB next season. "hey chris, sure you won us 10 games and put us in the position to be here, but you had one bad half, so we're gonna bench you this week...ok??" that doesn't seem to be a real good idea, either. My hope is that Mack knows Simms well enough to know he'll respond positively to this.
I think Mack knows he really, really needs this win. Probably figures he has the entire off-season to work on Simms' confidence, but that if he loses... ...he's going to have trouble selling 3 consecutive bowl losses and his bad reputation in big games to potential recruits and alumni.
I think mack may also have reached the point where he feels that, if simms is going to leave and/or transfer over this, then simms really isn't a guy you want to put your job on the line for. I think simms ends up looking like a tremendously spoiled crybaby if he transfers or even raises a fuss over this, especially after major handled his playing-time/benching adversity as well as he did. I also think that, like madmax said, mack probably knows simms well enough at this point to know how he's going to respond. this was simply the right choice, I don't care how many newspaper columnlists would have us believe otherwise. they're just mad because mack wouldn't talk to them about it, and they feel they are always entitled to any news subject talking to them about anything anytime. that's my hot news opinion, anyway.
Mack is making the right decision. If he listened to the minority (Simms apologists) instead of the majority (Major cultists), his *** would have been on the hot seat for sure.
Are you serious? There are columnists saying Simms should start? Do you have any links? That's just crazy.
A couple of "I'm an idiot" quotes: <I>"The real reason Major is going to play this game is he had the momentum at the end of the last game, and he gives us momentum going into the Washington game," Brown said. "<B>It'd probably be best for next year to just let Chris go ahead and play. But we need to beat Washington.</B> I want to win 11 games." </I> Apparently, Mack Brown also thinks the reason fans booed is because they were drunk. <I>Brown felt the fact that beer was sold at Texas Stadium contributed to the booing. "I thought they were booing me," Brown said. "Nobody in their right mind without alcohol is going to boo a 20-year-old. I think the response you get at a game like that when you've got beer at the stadium is a little different than we get at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium." </I>
Mack Brown is funny. They would be booing Simms if they were sober. His performance sucked. He should have been pulled. Mack left him in and he got booed. Tough break.
Gotta love how good ole Mack takes off on a recruiting trip right after the game, without ever talking to the media, while Simms takes all the heat. Meanwhile ole Mack decides to post on his website who the starter will be, again without ever talking to the media about it. Looks like good ole Mack wanted to go to a "football first" school, without ever having to take any heat when he screwed up.
<B>Booers (especially of 20 year olds who don't get paid) suck.</B> What if said 20-yr old is using the platform he's been given to audition for an NFL career worth millions? Why should said 20-yr old be able to accept all the accolades (SI covers, free publicity, etc) without accepting any negatives? If said 20-yr old can't handle boos, he shouldn't be trying to perform in front of 60,000 people. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO on RM 95's girl. BOOOOOOOOOOOO that's right, I'm BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOing you. What are you gonna do about it?
just heard this on sportscenter: What has Matt Doherty done in one year that Mack Brown couldn't do in ten? Turned North Carolina into a football school. apologies if it's been told before on here
I've been out for most of the night. I just heard Eric Crouch won the Heisman. Let me get this straight: ERIC CROUCH! Two years ago, Major Applewhite was the Big XII Offensive Player of the Year even though Crouch's team won the Big XII title. I'm not saying Major would have won this year's Heisman, but that just makes me more angry Mack played politics. Mack got burned.