RECRUIT CAN PLAY FOR UT AFTER CHARGE REDUCED
TE shouldn’t get privilege of playing for Longhorns after selling drugs.
While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction: 1. Texas made the wrong decision by clearing the way for tight end signee Reese Leitao to play football for the Longhorns after his felony drug charge was reduced to a misdemeanor with a four-year deferred sentence. Texas gathered pertinent facts after Leitao admitted in February to selling — yes, selling — the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, a controlled substance, when he was found to be in possession of about $1,300 in cash and 20 pills, 19 of them stored in a prescription bottle in his underwear. He was initially charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver within 1,000 feet of a school, a felony. Longhorns head coach Tom Herman and men’s Athletic Director Mike Perrin are taking a big risk by bringing Leitao aboard. Leitao deserves a second chance to make good, and I hope he makes the most of it, but I think he forfeited his privilege to play for the Longhorns.
2. The NCAA may not have it in for the Texas baseball team — and I don’t think it does — but if the Longhorns believe that’s the case, more power to them. Can’t hurt to have extra motivation. A few Horns were irritated by video highlights on ESPN’s selection show that included Longhorns lowlights, namely shots of catcher Michael Cantu striking out. “It’s funny that when they show us, it’s us losing,” said senior first baseman Kacy Clemens. “Whatever satisfaction they’re taking, they can have it. We’ll take it on.” Senior center fielder Zane Gurwitz went further, saying, “Everybody is out to get Texas. All they show on us are bad things.” Hey, if Texas is ticked off headed to the Long Beach State regional as a very capable contender, it can’t hurt. I thought it was more of a slap to send Texas, a No. 2 seed, so far from home when third-seeded Texas A&M stayed closer to home and was assigned to Houston. None of the Longhorns appeared bothered by any such insult, however. Gurwitz, who has been hampered by a bad hamstring all season and sat out 23 games this season — including three at the Big 12 Tournament — promises he’ll play in the regional, no matter what. “If I had to chop it off and play on one leg,” Gurwitz said, “I’d go do it.” Love that fire. 3. The Longhorns should be considered armed and dangerous because they’re peaking and loaded with arms. Texas hit .307 in the Big 12 Tournament, with Gurwitz (.545), Cantu (.500), Bret Boswell (.421), Clemens (.409, six RBI), Patrick Mathis (.368) and David Hamilton (.318) all on fire. Head coach David Pierce said the Long Beach field could “arguably be the four best defensive teams in the tournament.” That could definitely work to Texas’ advantage. Friday starter Nolan Kingham will go against UCLA’s Griffin Canning, a junior right-hander who has three complete-game shutouts this season and eight career complete games. Canning likely will be a first-round draft choice next month, and he’s projected to go 17th to the Mariners by MLBDraft.com and 21st to the Orioles by Baseball America. A confident Pierce said: “We have a chance to go to the beach for the next two weeks” since the survivor of the Long Beach regional will face the winner of the Stanford regional. He admitted he was joking and said he won’t be packing a Speedo. “If you saw me in a Speedo,” he added, “that’d be a struggle.” 4. Bryce Harper was suspended for four games for throwing punches at Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland, who was suspended for six games. Strickland appeared to intentionally hit the Nationals outfielder in the hip with a 98-mph fastball. Not sure it’s fair or equitable, especially when one of the individuals is a superstar like Harper. I think Major League Baseball should adopt the NBA rule that forbids players from coming onto the floor and joining a scuffle at the risk of suspension. Or follow hockey’s lead and let the two combatants duke it out for a few minutes and then break ’em up. I never blame a hitter for charging the mound after getting hit on purpose. The pitchers are the ones with the dangerous weapon. Their suspensions should always be longer than the hitters’. ... I also agree with former Longhorns pitcher Greg Swindell, who took issue with Giants catcher Buster Posey for not stepping in and intervening. “At least step in and act like a teammate. He never did,” Swindell tweeted. He also wrote, “I would never want Buster as my catcher. Wow. He wants no part of it.” 5. Speaking of Harper, saw a spot earlier in that game Monday that showed him addressing a bunch of kids and saying, “No participation trophies. First-place trophies only.” Good for him. To hell with participation trophies. Give ’em a juice box and a cookie and tell them to work and play harder. Nothing wrong with some hard losses to grow up. Crying won’t kill you. 6. I hope I’m not the only one happy for Baylor’s softball, men’s golf and baseball teams, but it’s good to see some of the athletes who had nothing to do with the tragic saga surrounding the sexual-assault scandal in Waco bring some positive headlines to that campus. Both the softball and golf teams reached the NCAA’s final eight, and the baseball team is a No. 2 seed headed to Houston. 7. A new Big 12 chairman replacing Oklahoma President David Boren will be chosen Friday at the league’s annual meetings. My money is on either West Virginia’s E. Gordon Gee or Oklahoma State’s Burns Hargis, although TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini could be a possibility. A simple-majority vote produces a new chair. 8. The most underrated player of the past week is Longhorns golfer Scottie Scheffler. The most overrated move is the voting process that allowed only two Longhorns baseball players to make the All-Big 12 Tournament team. 9. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a lot funnier than I expected at times but hokey at times. Rocket Raccoon, voiced by Bradley Cooper, as usual steals the show. The salute to Looking Glass’ hit “Brandy” has special meaning to me because that was the song on the radio in the summer of 1972, when I drove my burnt-orangeand-white top (seriously) Buick Skylark to Minnesota for a summer internship with the Minneapolis Star before my junior year at Texas. Gave it seven ducks. C razy prediction: Texas will reach the College World Series.