Horns247 Board

Indirectly, I am continually fascinated how this board is slowly creeping toward Shaggy. I know I don't have to read or acknowledge posters comments here or anywhere else, but the same people / arguments at Shaggy are dragged over here. You guys pay for the privilege to do so here at Hookem247 and I am not for one second insinuating a lack of right to do so, but after the recent meltdowns with Aggie both here and at Shaggy, my hope was this community would hold itself to a higher standard. I'm not an opinion policeman. It's interesting to see the potential of longhorn basketball recruiting success turning into defacto cheating. Not likely, imo. But interesting all the same.

I just wish we could stay away from the "cult of personal destruction" here at Hookem247.

Honestly, I don't know jack crap about anything but if there are shady dealings going on, I will be pissed off about the way Barnes called Drew out publicly.

It does. A thread with name calling and trolling is a rare site here. I would encourage you not to be too hasty with comparisons. Give it a minute.

Something stated above bears repeating: what SLX is saying (I'll capitalize for clarity) IS NOT AN "OPINION".

o·pin·ion   
[uh-pin-yuhn]
–noun
1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

SLX is not saying that Barnes (or someone under his aegis) MIGHT have an improper / illicit relationship with Ro Russell, but lacks facts to be certain. On the contrary, SLX's pronouncements are perfectly clear: That there IS such a relationship (though he won't say why).

Given that, hiding behind the linguistic skirt of "opinion" is pretty lame, as is calling someone a "debate dork" for pointing it out. Even the Internet has room for intellectual honesty (though, unfortunately, stridency seems to be the lingua franca).

Now, if SLX really means that his conclusion is just opinion -- in other words, that he has insufficient evidence to confirm it -- I welcome him making that clear. But the very adamancy of his assertions is what draws the call for facts, just as the refusal to provide them calls into question the veracity of the conclusion.

As to your other point: Is it possible our hoops program is dirty? Sure. Is there any evidence of it? Only the inferences to be drawn from Russell / GRC's involvement with a number of our recruits. Is that enough to base an opinion on? Not for me, but reasonable minds could differ.

There is a fine line between an anonymous guy sitting behind a computer screen posting unsubstantiated accusations and opinions, and slander.

Well, if you read the thread on Shaggybevo, I'm not completely anonymous.

I don't like the affiliation with Ro Russell. That is an opinion. That is a personal belief. That's all I've ever characterized it as. I have strong reasons for my belief, but it's not to be shared.

What I don't have is some kind of factual paper trail. So, for the folks who want to think all of this is on the up and up, you're safe.

What I've asked over and over, BEHorn, is what is conclusive evidence to you? What exactly should I be producing?

If SLX said this about any other program I doubt there would be such an uproar. Is it painful to hear, sure it is, but we really don't know if he is right or wrong. We do know SLX's history about knowledge of the program and Texas basketball in general so I wouldn't think he is pulling this out of thin air, but at the same time he may be speculating something that isn't there. I am certainly not going to ask him to bring forth emails exchanged between Rick and Ro, or receipts etc... I think that line of thinking is asinine. He brought forth his opinion in which he has the right to have. Take it with a grain out salt if you think its full of BS, or just don't read it.

You posted several weeks ago that RB is personally supporting Russell financially.

Another thing to keep in mind, basketball isn't football.

That's all.

Nope. I have never done that. I have never linked Barnes directly to Russell, actually.

ah, the Head Village Idiot has finally presented himself, and no doubt with the late 90s argument that the internet is a playground of reckless anonymity by 'random' posters where the basic tenants of society don't apply (those who question others in this pseudo-internet world must be debate dorks!).....hey roger huerta, things have changed a little in the last 15 years, and if you haven't noticed, the lines between the 'real world' and the internet have merged. If you don't believe that, take the topic at hand for example, SL Xpress has not only dropped the real names of his nemeses, but he's dropped his own name as well (uh oh, bye bye 'random poster')....you still don't seem to grasp what an opinion is, so you're helpless there. Go get a little english tutorial and learn the difference between claiming something as fact and stating an opinion