I keep seeing comments like these, and I've never disagreed with them, but I've also always wondered exactly why that is.
Why does Arkansas not put out D1 talent at the same rate per capita as other states?
Quote from: Barton Fink on Oct 08, 2023, 08:46 AMThe state of Arkansas just doesn't put out enough talent. Look at our best years and it's guys from in state that carry the team. MS is the same size in population but they put 3-4x the D1 talent. This has been an Achilles heel for a while and mothing has been done to change it. I'm sure this was a big reason Kiffen took the OM job over us.
Quote from: buff2.0 on Oct 08, 2023, 04:38 PMI keep seeing comments like these, and I've never disagreed with them, but I've also always wondered exactly why that is.
Why does Arkansas not put out D1 talent at the same rate per capita as other states?
Demographics, brother. Demographics.
Quote from: mde114 on Oct 08, 2023, 04:39 PMDemographics, brother. Demographics.
and our money is concentrated as far away as possible from the demographics
Quote from: egregious on Oct 08, 2023, 04:48 PMand our money is concentrated as far away as possible from the demographics
💯
If you look at each year we've been really good, we were led by talented players from Arkansas. Maybe it's coincidence but it sure seems to be the case.
Arkansas is putting out elite talent in basketball and baseball. Moreso than probably any state our size. I know with basketball, there are guys all over that offer training and skill development. Same with baseball. Kids are taking to that extra training in those sports. Not saying that is THE issue but I never hear anything about specilized skill development for football in Arkansas. However, it is a thriving business in places all over Texas. Kids train with former college/pro players year round.
Quote from: mde114 on Oct 08, 2023, 04:39 PMDemographics, brother. Demographics.
Something Jimmy The Greek would agree on perhaps.
I don't pay attention like I used to but it seems like the Little Rock public schools don't produce much of anything these days. Our starting dline for the 2006 SEC west championship of the world team was all Little Rock guys.
Parkview has recently but thats it. We just got a kid from Mills but that doesn't happen often. We miss the athletes put out by PB and Warren as much, if not more, than Pulaski County.
I've seen the argument that we're a basketball state. Started in the 80's and 90's with Sutton and Nolan. You have kids playing basketball that should be playing football.
It's a theory, not sure if I buy it.
Quote from: CardHog on Oct 08, 2023, 09:38 PMI've seen the argument that we're a basketball state. Started in the 80's and 90's with Sutton and Nolan. You have kids playing basketball that should be playing football.
It's a theory, not sure if I buy it.
Lot and lots of small towns in Arkansas don't have football and basically haven't in a hundred years. In those towns basketball was king. With consolidation and all, probably not as big a deal as it once was, but basketball is an afterthought in most places in Texas. Not so in Arkansas.
Quote from: The Whyte Boar on Oct 09, 2023, 09:56 AMWith consolidation and all, probably not as big a deal as it once was, but basketball is an afterthought in most places in Texas.
True but they have a couple of metros where it isn't and they are both twice as big as all of Arkansas
Quote from: egregious on Oct 09, 2023, 09:59 AMTrue but they have a couple of metros where it isn't and they are both twice as big as all of Arkansas
That has little to do with whether or not Arkansas is a basketball state. It is.
Quote from: mde114 on Oct 08, 2023, 04:39 PMDemographics, brother. Demographics.
As of 2020, our population is slightly higher (3.1MM vs 2.9MM), but the mix of white to black is a different story. Mississippi is 56% white alone, 37% black alone versus 71% white/15% black in Arkansas.
Quote from: DirkPiggler on Oct 09, 2023, 10:15 AMAs of 2020, our population is slightly higher (3.1MM vs 2.9MM), but the mix of white to black is a different story. Mississippi is 56% white alone, 37% black alone versus 71% white/15% black in Arkansas.
Arkansas has a triangle from Little Rock to Fort Smith and then from Little Rock to say...DeQueen where there are virtually no black people at all. I would be surprised if there are ten black people living between DeQueen and Fort Smith. And if there are, I'll bet they are pretty recent.
And I guess thinking about it, you could say the same for pretty much everything north of Conway from Fayetteville to Jonesboro as well.
Quote from: The Whyte Boar on Oct 09, 2023, 10:20 AMArkansas has a triangle from Little Rock to Fort Smith and then from Little Rock to say...DeQueen where there are virtually no black people at all. I would be surprised if there are ten black people living between DeQueen and Fort Smith. And if there are, I'll bet they are pretty recent.
And I guess thinking about it, you could say the same for pretty much everything north of Conway from Fayetteville to Jonesboro as well.
You can draw a line at US-67/ I-30 diagonally across the state, angling straight across along US-70 or thereabouts and that 15% probably goes to more like 1.5%, excluding Fort Smith and Hot Springs to some degree.
The other part of the state should be producing 10-15 D-1 football players per year at a minimum. It hasn't in a long time, and probably never will again.
But the part of the state with those demographics has no money. So they have poorly funded schools with bad facilities and underpaid coaches.
So even though there may be some natural talent, they are never getting developed.
Quote from: Too Big Pig on Oct 09, 2023, 05:17 PMBut the part of the state with those demographics has no money. So they have poorly funded schools with bad facilities and underpaid coaches.
So even though there may be some natural talent, they are never getting developed.
The Mississippi schools have money?
Quote from: The Whyte Boar on Oct 09, 2023, 10:20 AMAnd I guess thinking about it, you could say the same for pretty much everything north of Conway from Fayetteville to Jonesboro as well.
Newport gets in your way but yeah.
Quote from: CardHog on Oct 09, 2023, 07:41 PMNewport gets in your way but yeah.
I have only a sort of vague understanding of the geography of that part of the state. lol
So..is it the X's and the O's, or the Jimmy's and the Joe's (or De'Quan's and Shaqidarius's?
Quote from: hit_that_line on Oct 09, 2023, 07:32 PMThe Mississippi schools have money?
Since we are actually referring to the number of black kids who like football....
In Mississippi, even the "white towns" like Oxford, Southaven and Ridgeland are 25%-30% black. By comparison, Conway which for Arkansas has a larger black percentage is around 15% black.
Jonesboro is the closest thing to a big Mississippi town with 25% black people and still a good school district and money put towards sports.
North and west of the line from Texarkana to Jonesboro, running through midtown Little Rock, the largest minority group is Hispanic in Arkansas. Bentonville will eventually have three big high schools with state of the art athletic programs, and still be around 1% black.
Arkansas and Mississippi are just two different states completely when it comes to demographics.
Quote from: wmr on Oct 09, 2023, 08:55 PMNorth and west of the line from Texarkana to Jonesboro, running through midtown Little Rock, the largest minority group is Hispanic in Arkansas.
So our kicking game will remain strong?
So turn Reynolds into a soccer stadium
Quote from: buff2.0 on Oct 10, 2023, 06:15 AMSo turn Reynolds into a soccer stadium
And sell fresh produce at the concession stands?
Quote from: Thin Red Swine on Oct 10, 2023, 07:35 AMAnd sell fresh produce at the concession stands?
I laughed