The Good, The Bad & The Ugly from Baylor's Week of Football
Congrats, everyone, on successfully navigating another offseason. College football is back.
And with that, starting next week, this article will have no shortage of people, places, and things to discuss as the 2023 season begins and new memories are made.
Here’s a look at The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly from the past week in Baylor Football.
THE GOOD
Final Preparations: A brand new Baylor Bears squad will debut this Saturday against Texas State. Last week, this group went behind closed doors after a couple of weeks of fall camp previews. For Dave Aranda and the Bears, this was a rollercoaster offseason, and for the most part, positive and exciting. The past months saw plenty of calculated changes for improving the team culture and, yes, upcoming results. Most of us agree this will be an improved football team, but to what extent that’s reflected in their record and accomplishments is the big mystery to be solved in the coming months.
Uni Updates: Last week, Mack Rhoades told 365 Sports they’re working on a new uniform tweak, such as an additional color option. There was nothing specific, but he did preach patience. Whatever the exact change, I’m all for mixing things up. Although I understand the thought process behind the rebrand a few years back, a lot has changed since then, and the program is doing itself a disservice, not trying to look as cool as possible at a time when every decision regarding marketing and brand appeal matters as much as ever. But I caution people from getting too crazy about the possibilities.
Nike Shoes: Plenty of Baylor fans were rightfully upset when Nike launched their new college shoes series featuring nearly 40 schools with themed Pegasus 40 running shoes, including Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Colorado. The lineup also included smaller schools, but alas, no Baylor option. Based on Rhoades’ comments, he and, subsequently, the shoe brand are fully aware of Baylor’s feeling of being left out, and he expects that to change eventually, although it may take some time. If and when Nike does release a themed shoe or any other significant items, the best thing Baylor fans can do to improve further merchandising opportunities is to talk with their wallets.
THE BAD
Gavin Holmes: The former Baylor WR was released by the Titans months after signing with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent. Hundreds of other players will soon join Holmes in free agency as NFL rosters must drop from 90 to a regular-season 53 players by 3 pm CT on Tuesday. So, this is, unfortunately, only the beginning, and he will not be the last Baylor ex put on the chopping block. On the bright side, for someone like Holmes, there might be a practice squad opportunity somewhere, and he seems like a prime candidate to get picked up by the XFL or USFL eventually.
Lack of Options: Rhoades also let it be known that Baylor’s all-sports apparel deal with Nike a few years ago, while a significant PR turning point for the school, was not an agreement they entered into with any leverage. At that point, there weren’t many options, and because of that, he’ll always be grateful to the Swoosh brand.
Unrealistic Expectations: Although Rhoades mentioned a potential new uniform option, I’m calmly warning everyone not to get too carried away in thinking there’s another rebrand coming or returning to the days of chrome gold helmets and blackout unis. You’ll only be setting yourself up for unnecessary disappointment.
THE UGLY
I don’t think anything fits the ‘Ugly’ category this week.
