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Itaewon Tragedy

*This thread is about the 154 people who were crushed to death in South Korea on Saturday*

I know there are quite a few people who have spent time in Seoul, or other parts of Korea, because of military service. I was a teacher and lived in Itaewon for three of my seven years in Korea My favorite pub, my nightly hangout, was just two alleys away. The type of accident that happened is, unfortunately, all too predictable in today's Korea. Still, though, it seems unreal. The alleyways around the Hamilton Hotel slope downward steeply, and I could see how people falling could trigger a reaction that piles upon itself. It's just tough to imagine 151 people getting crushed.

COVID experience

Complete transparency. I'm a conservative and a true believer of my right as a US citizen to freedom. However, when my freedom interferes with yours, that's a problem. I think the politics of COVID are ridiculous. The politicians from both sides are protecting their own asses and only care about your vote. The pharmaceutical companies are making out like bandits and they've been crooks for years. I don't believe we should be giving people checks for doing nothing and the whole unemployment, PPP thing was a joke for the most part. In March 2020, I thought it was ridiculous to have anyone under the age of 70 that wasn't immunocompromised quarantining. I thought COVID was another version of the flu.

I read all these thoughts about what is happening now and it has me thinking you've been fortunate to avoid impact from COVID. People say, it's just a running nose or a cold or bad allergies. If that is your experience, awesome for you. In the past 6 months, we've had several friends experience loss including a 14 year old boy who lost both parents and numerous acquaintances got really sick. Two healthy friends were hospitalized. One in ICU for 60 days who got it from a co-worker with a cold. The other is seeing 13 Doctors. Nearly every organ in her body is compromised. Both young, healthy and will never be the same.

Our family has been extremely fortunate and we have played it safe. We avoid overcrowded indoor places, we are vaccinated and the kids wear masks at school. We have avoided COVID. That was until 5 weeks ago.

Five weeks ago, my wife got COVID. She got it from a friend. A friend who reluctantly got vaccinated because her new job required it. She and her family don't believe in masks, social distancing, vaccinations and think the whole thing is overblown. This friend just had a "COLD", for 4 days. Took my wife shopping and spent the day with her in the car, shopping and eating together. 8 hours of time and never mentioned the cold. Two days later, my wife starting feeling weak. This was after taking my son to a Doctors appointment for his asthma checkup and running some errands for a couple of hours. My wife went to bed early. I got a text from another friend, who told me the lady my wife spent the day with had COVID and her husband is positive too. They confirmed via text. Wife woke up feeling like S***!. Got tested and boom, positive. 2 days later, son starts coughing and boom, positive. The rest of us (me and other 2 kids tested negative). Day 1-3 of symptoms felt like a cold for my wife, took the monoclunal IV on day 3 of symptoms (maybe too late) plus Zpack. My wife is fully vaxxed, one of the healthiest, strongest (works out 5 days a week, eats perfect, 115 pounds of bad ass) people you'll ever meet. Day 4-10, she had trouble getting out of bed. No taste/smell, severe headaches, organ aches, weakness, fatigue, trouble speaking, etc. No fever, oxygen was good, so Dr. said she will be ok. Let it run it's course. By Day 15 she was able to function for a few hours. Day 21 seemed better, working back to normal. It's Day 37, still having headaches and they're getting worse, weakness, limited taste/smell and difficulty verbalizing thoughts. Has a Dr appointment Monday. Possible CT scan coming.

Fortunately, our son, age 14 was fine after 2 days, which explains that this whole thing is about exposure and vaccinations. He was fully vaccinated 2 weeks prior to exposure. The amount/how much viral shed you receive (being around a symptomatic individual) and how much protection you have determines sickness in my mind. My wife was due the booster and the person she was around was on day 4 of symptoms (as we found out later) for several hours. This "friend" and her family didn't quarantine, even after knowing they were positive. They went Christmas shopping and didn't wear masks. Eventually, all 5 of their family got COVID and were sick for a few days. They were pissed and thought their personal freedoms were infringed upon because their kids had to do virtual school. That sounds like some I hear talking about it's just a cold and this whole thing is BS, we should be able to do what we want. If you think that, then you haven't been negatively impacted. Maybe your ass is just lucky.

Bottom line, I don't believe in the whole 10 day quarantine if your negative and asymptomatic and I don't believe the vaccine prevents getting COVID or spreading it to others. I do believe masks work to lessen spread in certain situations and I believe small enclosed spaces with too many people are a super spreader waiting to happen. Healthy people are going to get it in differing degrees depending on when they were vaccinated, which vaccine they had, which strain and the viral load they received. Too much virus equals being really sick.

If you have any symptoms, even a runny nose, please get tested. Your symptoms may not be bad, but you could infect another individual and they might get really sick. I think once you test negative, you should be OK to return to normal activity. Don't assume it's just a cold or allergies. Don't assume if your positive and you aren't really sick that another person you infect will have the same reaction. If you don't want to get vaxxed, OK, if you don't care if you're sick, OK, but don't ignore a symptom and don't risk infecting someone else if your symptomatic. That's not your freedom.

Physical Toughness vs Metrics

So I played golf yesterday with one of Aki's HS coaches -- quote from the coach "the kid is big but soft as a marshmallow". Coach (who played D1 Ball as a DE) went on to say that every time he sees a post from Aki on IG, he's getting a massage.

When are we going to find the kids who have a burning desire to be the best - and that will grow through their time at A&M? Who want to fight and lift their team up and sacrifice the personal accolades for the betterment of the team? It's obvious Aki's former coach wasn't sold on anything but his metrics - why does our coaching / recruiting staff get caught up in the "Law of the Lemmings" and jump onboard players just because other schools do without really getting an insight into what drives the kid?

I noted this in a thread after the 'Bama game - ANY lineman who records a PFF score of "3" (when 65 is considered "good") should move on from the game. Granted, he was moved to LT due to injury - but "want to" should've accounted for 40+ PFF points vs the "Ole" blocks he attempted.

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So who's it going to be at quarterback?

I'm expecting Conner Weigman to get his first start. Even though Jimbo talked up Haynes King's play and his ability to come back after getting hurt last week, shoulder issues are nothing to trifle with. We've seen what a disaster it can be when you send a player out when he's go shoulder problems -- think Kyle Allen at Ole Miss -- and it's hard to believe that, if the situation is as it seems, that King would get the start. Also, and maybe more importantly, you've got to see what Weigman can do if he's your quarterback of the immediate future (as in 2023). This would be the time to do it, because four of your last five games are at home and the one road game is against a bad Auburn team. It's never great to throw a true freshman into the fire midseason, but if you're going to do it, this as smooth a runway as you can get.
King has been healthy enough to practice, but unless something changes, I'm expecting Weigman to go.

Ridiculous
Every single FBS team has played a home conference game by this point in the season except one. Guess who?
And no, Arlington does not count.

Who's in, who's out
Last week, we expected Tunmise Adeleye to play. He warmed up and then didn't play. We expected Antonio Johnson to be out, but he warmed up and suited up. And didn't play.
I suspect both of them will be back this week. Outside of that, the staff has been real tight-lipped about injuries. No word as of this time on Edgerrin Cooper, who they definitely need back. Having Cooper, Andre White and Chris Russell all together would be a bigtime boost (didn't think Russell would have made the list at the start of the year).
On the offensive line, no changes at this point. Hopefully Trey Zuhn will pick up his performance after his worst game of the season last week.

More on the suspensions and what comes next
We know that Denver Harris, PJ Williams and Chris Marshall are all suspended after using a vape pen (allegedly with marijuana) in the locker room at South Carolina after the game. They're suspended indefinitely, and all I've been able to muster out of "indefinitely" is "at least one game" (duh). I don't know if a decision has been made on the length of the suspension at this point, or it may have been decided for some guys and not others.
Williams is not thought to be a concern to leave. This is, by most accounts, considered to be a screwup by a normally good guy. Marshall now has two big strikes against him, but he allegedly still wants to be an Aggie. We'll see on that one.
The sand in the hourglass may have run out for Harris. As good as he's played, that's also strike two for him and, from what we've heard, he's alienated a significant number of his teammates. If anyone's going to leave, it's him, and I expect that will happen barring a really big change of heart on all sides.

There's been a lot of discussion about other players transferring out and so far they've been nixed. Someone started a rumor Gabe Dindy was going to leave and he slammed that door hard on Twitter, saying he was locked in. Hopefully, he'll get some playing time this weekend. Smoke Bouie was supposed to be a goner and he got on Instagram after practice (which he took part in) to say he wasn't going anywhere -- and he, allegedly, was kicked off the team. Not accurate. Actually, with Harris being suspended, Bouie may find some playing time.

I was seriously worried about Evan Stewart leaving a few weeks ago, but not as much now. I've heard some real positive things about him and his demeanor since he was suspended for the Miami game. Maybe being the #1 receiver has helped get him on the right track, or maybe he just decided he's happy where he is. Or maybe it's all garbage. You can never fully tell with young men, especially true freshmen.

What about LJ Johnson?

Johnson got the "you have one job" role against South Carolina, got one carry on 3rd and short and didn't get the job done. A&M then pulled him, went back to Devon Achane on 4th down and eventually took a time out and kicked a field goal. Johnson then apparently didn't show up for practice earlier this week. Jimbo Fisher said he is still part of the team and I know he's not in the portal (yet), but I don't know if we'll see him again. Le'Veon Moss has passed up both him and Amari Daniels, and I can easily see both heading for other locales at season's end.

A&M is in on another running back

New Caney 4-star Kendrick Reescano was committed to Michigan State for quite a while, but he de-committed recently and immediately jumped to the top of the list of available uncommitted backs. He does not have an A&M offer as of yet, but it seems like it's only a matter of time before he does. And, if and when that offer comes, we're hearing that it will be looked upon quite favorably (as in the Aggies will likely jump up to the leader spot). Reescano is no scrub; he's the #184 prospect overall in the Rivals 250.

Flip targets highlight weekend visitor list (Courtney)

La Grange 4-star CB and A&M commit Bravion Rogers

Bradenton, Fla. IMG Academy 2025 WR and A&M commit Winston Watkins

Southlake Carroll 3-star PK and A&M commit Tyler White

Katy Paetow 4-star LB and A&M commit Daymion Sanford

South Oak Cliff 4-star CB and A&M commit Jayvon Thomas

San Antonio Smithson Valley 4-star OL and A&M commit Colton Thomasson

Ramsey, N.J. 4-star OL and A&M commit Chase Bisontis

Dripping Springs 4-star QB and Baylor commit Austin Novosad

Teague 4-star LB and Texas commit Derion Gullette

Converse Judson 4-star DE Johnny Bowens

Denton Guyer 4-star S and Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen

St. Louis (Mo.) 4-star RB and Notre Dame commit Jeremiyah Love

Zachary, La. 4-star S and LSU commit Kylin Jackson

New Orleans De La Salle 4-star OL Caden Jones

Baton Rouge 4-star WR and LSU commit Shelton Sampson

Shiner 4-star ATH and A&M commit Dalton Brooks

Denton Ryan 5-star LB and A&M commit Anthony Hill

Lucas Lovejoy 2024 4-star LB Payton Pierce

Austin Westlake 5-star OL and A&M commit TJ Shanahan

Atascocita 3-star DT and A&M commit Samu Taumanupepe

Longview 2024 4-star RB Taylor Tatum

Smithson Valley 2024 4-star WR Freddie Dubose

Los Alamitos (Calif.) 2024 4-star DE TA Cunningham

This week's podcast
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Late kickoff

I can’t understand not doing an onside kick there.

College success rate is between 20-25% every year.

If Ole Miss gets a first down from anywhere the game is over so field position isn’t a huge issue. We kicked deep, give it to them on the 25 and get the stop. They pinned us on the 8. Granted the punt wasn’t fielded, but really what is the advantage of kicking deep. So they punt from the 30 instead of the 45? For a 1 in 4 or 5 chance at getting the ball right back I just cannot understand that trade off.
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List your WTfs here

1. Our defense to start the game on first series. Three man front no pressure against a team that loves to run. Are we stupid?
2. Dart is slower than shit and runs for 100 yards.
3. First two drives look great. Then when jimbo starts slowing things down it sucks again.
4. Ole Miss has a drop and neither or team nor reply official see it. They check Stwart’s which was clearly a catch.
5. We have no linebackers. Why weren’t we stacking the box?
6. That one drive where refs basically let Ole Miss drive down the field just with penalties meanwhile ignoring their pick play.
7. Giving up a fake punt that ended up being the difference in the game.
8. You real punting with fourth and a foot. Still playing field position like a dinosaur..
9. 17 missing every tackle.
10. Blake Smith in game at the end?
11. Were all the injuries fake?

7.5 games

I know this gets lost in all the crap we are seeing from this coaching staff, but let’s not forget it took Jimbo 7.5 games (not counting last season) and Ole Miss repeatedly kicking to him that Preston should not receive kicks opposite Achane.

Why does he keep getting trotted out there? You’re telling me none of these guys are a better option since they are kicking away from Achane:

L Moss
S Bouie
M Muhammad
E Stewart

Just 1 of many questionable personnel decisions.
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