Do Arkansas fans just prefer being miserable? Or are they so beaten down by life and Razorbacks disappointments that they’re just basically Randy Quaid’s character in Major League 2?
The answer must be yes on one of those two questions. Little else explains the disgust such so-called fans are showing on social media over the last week. Arkansas softball, long the doormat of the SEC, was beaten in the Fayetteville Regional and Arkansas baseball, with eight College World Series appearances under Dave Van Horn, went two-and-out at the SEC Tournament.
Check, for example, the comments to our articles about these items and you’d think Van Horn is worthless, a show pony who only gets good results in the regular season and his teams suck in the postseason. And Courtney Deifel? “Well, she can’t get us over the hump.”
First, you aren’t playing. Don’t go first-person.
Second, it’s absurd.
Deifel needed six years to become Arkansas all-time winningest softball coach, a testament not only to her quality but how awful the softball program was before her arrival. Hosting a regional is a success in and of itself. Does she want more? Yes. Do you? Yes. Does it mean not getting more is an abject failure? Get out of here.
The baseball assertions are even more brain-dead. Arkansas makes the College World Series, on average, one out of every three years. They’re one of the best eight teams in baseball 33% of the time. There may not be an SEC team that is more consistent, that always has the shot at the national title the way Arkansas does.
- One-off results happen.
- Slumps happen.
- Down seasons happen.
- Multiple down seasons deserve scrutiny.
- Too many down seasons and it’s time to exit.
Van Horn and the Razorbacks are in step one. Maybe step two. Arguments can be made for it. But a team that just spent half the season ranked No. 1 in the nation is not having a down season. No down season and then no talk should be had about disappointment. All the games count the same. Had the Razorbacks struggled out of the gate and finished strong, instead of vice versa, no one is saying anything.
The softball team may be in Step 2. Back-to-back losses at hosted regionals stings. But they’ve also hosted regionals in back-to-back seasons. Not exactly child’s play. And expecting something grander is folly.
But, no, this is what want in America now. Forget slow-and-steady. Forget consistency. Gimme the magic pill. And if you can’t, we’ll replace you with someone who can. Or at least says they can.
Sheesh. Fine. Stay miserable, then.