Perrin says he backs Strong

Interim AD expects beleaguered coach to return next season.

While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction: 1. Not that votes of confidence are all that good, but Charlie Strong got another one Tuesday afternoon from his boss. “I continue to support coach Strong fully as a coach and a man. I think he can pull it together,” interim Athletic Director Mike Perrin told me. Asked if Strong, who has a fiveyear contract, will definitely be back in 2016, Perrin said, “I assume so. Nobody’s said anything to the contrary.” Perrin, who has been on the job for three weeks, said he was “troubled by some of the stuff I’ve read about some (Twitter) discussions among the players” and that he was “very disappointed in the outcome” of the TCU game. 2. The NFL blew it. A totally botched call that went against Detroit in the final two minutes against Seattle ruined the Lions’ season, although in fairness the 0-4 Lions were doing all they could to ruin it themselves. But a rarely seen call that allowed the Seahawks’ K.J. Wright to illegally bat a loose ball out of the end zone and wrongly give Seattle possession basically sealed the game. Of course, it was an unreviewable play, but why? Why can’t the league pass a rule allowing all calls in the last two minutes of the game to be reviewed? At the very least, shouldn’t the crew have huddled and gotten the call right? You’d never see such dysfunction in the Big 12. Oh, right. 3. Tell me again why Strong didn’t suspend Kris Boyd for tweeting at halftime of the TCU game. The most fitting punishment would have been to take away his cellphone for a week. Yes, I’m old and yes, my lawn is sacred. But I find

very lame the notions that this is the culture now, kids are different and kids live on their phones. The real culture at Texas now is losing, and that’s the culture that Strong has to break. He was well on his way to doing that last year with the dismissals of 10 players, but I wonder if that tough discipline has slacked off. ... I’ve never seen less buzz for a Texas-Oklahoma game in more than 40 years. Strong was asked only three questions about the Sooners on Monday.

4. Former Texas outfielder Drew Stubbs will be a reserve for the Texas Rangers as they face Toronto in the American League playoffs. “It’s a very exciting time,” Stubbs texted from Toron- to. “It’s a bonus for me to be playing close to home and getting to experience (the playoffs) again. I feel good about us matching up with anyone. We are well-rounded with lots of postseason experience.” Stubbs hit only .179 in eight playoff games with the Reds but has great speed and a terrific glove.

5. Augie Garrido openly but good-naturedly bristled when asked about high expectations for this year’s Texas baseball team: “I hate that word. It’s right next to ‘denial’ in the dictionary. Expectations create a false reality.” His team was mediocre much of last year. Outstanding returning pitching should bring a high preseason ranking, but the coach said, “This year you either perform or you don’t play. No one has a job. No one is the shortstop. No one is the second baseman.” He plans to return to his philosophy of manufacturing runs. “Sorry, all you bunt haters,” he said.

6. I’mnot sure TCU is pushing the right candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Quarterback Trevone Boykin deserves all the acclaim he’s received, but receiver Josh Doctson may be the second coming of Odell Beckham Jr.

7. I’mnot sure who the best quarterback in the state is, but Houston’s Greg Ward has to be in the conversation. Hard to imagine any D1 college team in Texas wouldn’t have a great quarterback, right? The top four national leaders in touchdowns are Texans — Baylor’s Seth Russell, Boykin, Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes and OU’s Baker Mayfield of Lake Travis. Ward was recruited as an athlete in 2013 even though he threw for 4,200 yards and 39 TDs as a senior at Tyler John Tyler. The threestar recruit came off the bench in the third game of the 2013 season after the starter sustained a career-ending concus- sion. Ward took over tin the fifth game last year against Central Florida, jump-started the offense and now is college football’s only quarterback to average more than 200 yards passing and 100 rushing. But don’t expect new head coach Tom Herman to coddle him. After Saturday’s win over Tulsa, Herman said, “I think Greg took a step back today because he missed some throws we need him to make. The dynamic ability he has with his feet in terms of running and scrambling had to do with God and his mom and dad. We have to coach him better in the pass game to keep drives alive and make better reads.”

8. I still don’t understand why D’Onta Foreman isn’t already Texas’ featured back. He clearly has passed Johnathan Gray, whom I could see as the third-down back because he has really good hands as a check-down receiver. ... And where were all the crossing routes over the middle of the field and quick hits to the tight end against TCU? Did Jay Norvell not watch the tape of the Oklahoma State game?

9. Caughtup with “The Last Picture Show,” one of the most underrated movies of all time. Yes, it’s slow-moving compared with today’s films. But terrific character development and plotline in smalltown Texas. Eight ducks.

Crazy prediction: Neither the AL (Kansas City) nor NL (St. Louis) team with the best record will make the World Series.