The New Arkansas, The New Tusk to Tail

TNA. The New Arkansas.

The mantra of Coach Chad Morris’s heralded recruiting class began trending on social media last fall, before The Old Arkansas had finished limping through the first 10-loss season in program history.

“The new Arkansas to me is a culture change,” tweeted 4-star Defensive End signee Collin Clay.

“New coaches, new players, and a new attitude! This class coming in I feel like will be a program changer. Even though we’ll be freshman, expect us to lead Arkansas to an SEC Championship!”

Even the most optimistic fans realize Mr. Clay and company should tap the brakes on any championship talk for the moment. There are 52 freshmen and redshirt freshmen on this year’s squad. Considering that there are only 53 men on an NFL roster, the Razorbacks are the equivalent of an SEC expansion team.

Nonetheless, the change in attitude is welcome. Arkansas football has been allergic to hope at least since former coach Bret Bielema made second half attendance optional for his players in 2016. Others may point farther back to April Fool’s Day 2012, the day Bobby Petrino slid the program into a roadside ditch with his mistress and motorcycle.

That was the season that Tusk to Tail began telling our story. As you can probably tell, we are not professional sports writers who rely on the University for credentials, interviews, and press releases.

Tusk to Tail is a dyed-in-the-Pantone-201-colored-wool collective of Razorbacks fans traveling to every game together, home and away, since the 90s. This decade alone, we’ve chased Sugar Bowl highs and skidded through a 17-game SEC losing streak, the longest in school history. Arkansas has currently lost 11 straight conference games, but Tusk to Tail continues to buy the ticket and take the ride.

Of course, one cannot just jump into Razorback football unprepared, nor unimpaired for that matter. Tusk to Tail erects an ever-growing mobile compound each week to feed, refresh and shelter our faithful crew before and after (and sometime during, if the Hogs are getting destroyed) each game. We have gated tails in every time zone from Los Angeles, California to Piscataway, New Jersey, with every SEC town and more in between. Our set-up on The Hill has nicer amenities than most Fayetteville apartments.

The fact that an SEC tailgate is essentially an outdoor cocktail party (not to be confused with THE Outdoor Cocktail Party) only serves to strengthen our convictions and the opinions we share here. Nobody has ever been wrong after drinking all day.

Tusk to Tail eulogized last year, “If the 2018 Arkansas football season were a workhorse, it would have been taken behind the barn and shot.” The Razorbacks have had more rebuilding years than a West Memphis highway, but few seem as crucial as this current roster overhaul. Arkansas football cannot afford another step back.

While keeping expectations low, we are anxious to see what this next generation of shoats can do. Dare I say, the men of TTT are excited for some TNA.

We’re also delighted to announce a few changes of our own. Since Tusk to Tail began in 2012, there have been three head football coaches, two athletic directors, two live Russian boar mascots, and now three websites to share our story. The late great Patricia Brown first convinced us to write our confessions for The City Wire before Michael Tilley and Roby Brock preserved her legacy on talkbusiness.net. We’ve still got their support, but now we’ve hit the big time.

Welcome to TuskToTail.com, offering year round coverage of Razorback sports and tailgating by a group of fans who tell you how it really is, not just “like it is,” with less than 1/3 of the bad similes as the leading competitor. Whether you have been following us for years or this is the first you’ve ever heard of us, please bookmark TuskToTail.com and check back often for new stories and photo galleries from every game and tailgate. Be sure to follow our social media @TuskToTail too.

As always, our goals are simple:

• Tusk to Tail will help you prepare for the game.
  Whether you need a crowd-pleasing recipe or recommendations where to find food and supplies near an opposing school’s campus, we’ve got you covered.
• Tusk to Tail brings the tailgate to you.
  Soak in the sites, stories, and pageantry of game day as we peel back the curtain of our tailgating Big Top, live from football ground zero.
• Tusk to Tail will entertain you.
  From predictions for the big games to observations about opposing fans, these are the things we talk about when the Hogs aren’t playing.
• Tusk to Tail keeps you informed.
  The latest news from atop The Hill, complemented by our own opinions and observations, plus all the Razorbacks trivia, stats, and factoids you can handle.

The players have reported to campus and have begun practice. Another Razorback football season is upon us.

The New Arkansas. A new website. Let’s go.