KNOCK ON WOOD : Are you ready for the Showtime?
Posted on Friday, August 29, 2008
In the early 1990 s when the Razorbacks basketball team was rockin' and rollin' under the tutelage of Nolan Richardson, Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, Oliver Miller and the rest of the Hogs participated in a pregame chant before hitting the floor.
Clyde Fletcher led it by asking his teammates," Are you ready for the Showtime ?!"
And all of you who remember those days know that the Razorbacks generally were.
Richardson's Razorbacks didn't just beat teams; they did it with style, flare and panache.
Alley oops, monster dunks, dazzling defense, twirling dunks, long-range 3-pointers, super-slick steals, all performed at a break-neck pace that left Hog fans begging for more and most opponents saying no mas, like a latter-day Roberto Duran.
It's been a long time since Razorbacks fans have experienced anything like that Showtime, but at 6 p.m. Saturday, first-year Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino will introduce his version to Hog fans.
Bobby and Paul Petrino refer to the games as "Showtime "to their players because it's their opportunity to show everyone what they have.
When the Petrinos were at Louisville, the Cardinals were among the most potent offenses in the nation for four years in a row.
Now, it's true Louisville did not compete in the Southeastern Conference and Petrino will not be able to enjoy the distinct talent advantage he had with the Cardinals in Conference USA and the Big East with the Razorbacks in the SEC.
But his offense is still based on taking what the defense gives you, and by all accounts Petrino is a master at discovering weak points in a defense and devising a way to exploit them.
While the Razorbacks have been handcuffed as a one-dimensional running team for nearly a quartercentury, Petrino plans to inject true balance into the Razorbacks' offense.
Though Petrino has brought more intricate pass-blocking schemes to the table than any UA lineman had seen before, the talented and veteran group seems to have caught on and should give Casey Dick enough time to operate.
In the two weeks the media was allowed to watch practice, Arkansas' receivers went from having routine drops in practice to catching most of the passes that were catchable.
The improvement is distinct. A year ago, freshman Crosby Tuck vaulted ahead of more-talented athletes to become a starter because of his coaching from high school and his natural discipline. He was simply a better football player.
But with Paul Petrino's guidance, athletes have been transformed into athletic football players, who now know how to make their natural ability work for them on the gridiron.
Tuck, who has been hampered by injuries, remains a reliable player, but others have performed at a higher level, thus they have earned a starting roles.
The key to Showtime, though, is Casey Dick.
"Quarterback is a serious job in this offense," UA quarterback coach Garrick McGee said. "On this level when you play quarterback, you're on the field and are pretty much in control of everything that's going on.
"We are going to ask him to make the decisions. It's a little bit different for him."
Dick has shown great improvement since the start of spring, but now it's time for him to lead the offense in a game.
Based on previous performances, some doubt he can be a successful triggerman for such a multifaceted offense.
But in the past, little was asked of him by his previous coaching staff.
Often when given responsibility, a person will accept the challenge and rise to the occasion.
We may very well be witnessing that process with Casey Dick.
Is Casey ready for the Showtime ?
I think, like Razorbacks fans, he is.
Terry J. Wood is the sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.
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