Modern conveniences make business decisions less likely to rest with Hog fans

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. “It’s easier to remember than what was for dinner yesterday.”

Lying in bed under my vintage NFL teams double-blanket, there was no way sleep would come. The only thing to do was look out the bedroom window that would be blocked by a small Christmas tree for the next few weeks and imagine the moment.

It would certainly be a huge buck, the granddaddy of all those deer of various sizes that my father, uncles and grandfathers have taken down over the years. When the time came, would my pre-teen self have it in me to hold firm and pull the trigger?

Meanwhile, my father, maybe a foot away from my head on the other side of the wall, probably struggled with his own insomnia. These father-son moments came with all kinds of pressure.

Young ones can be impatient, so if it takes much longer for a deer to wander, his son may lose patience and interest, begging to go home before two months’ worth of dinners pass. two months. Or worse, if one showed up in time for lunch, standing 100 yards wide so even the youngest hunter couldn’t miss?

This could be a mess. The Razorbacks were coming off a huge win over Houston in Little Rock and were going to be in a rare but prized Raycom slot the next day.

If his son killed a deer and had to drag it to the truck, he would cut it close to get to his parents’ house, where the whole family dressed whatever kills were made before storing them in a series . of the family deep freeze in a shed in the back.

He should miss most of the game. After all, there was a lifetime of SWC games to watch, and with Ken Hatfield leading the Razorbacks to back-to-back 10-win seasons as if it required very little effort, he’ll be coaching forever or until Frank Broyles will retire as athletic director and named Hatfield. his successor.

These types of moments don’t come around often. However, if he arrived later in the day and there was an opportunity to leave in time to eat his mother’s lucky chicken and get a good seat on the couch to watch the game, he would have it in him to hold steady and pull the trigger?

Neither was going to sleep at this rate. And on Friday night, there will be a lot of sleepless boys, girls and nervous dads. Sure, Razorback games on TV are now a dime a dozen and the Hogs aren’t coming off a 10-win season in which Arkansas was a shutout against Miami because of the possibility of playing for a national championship followed by a performance repeat season, but with an 11 a.m. start against pesky Ole Miss, the window is even tighter.

Plus, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is on the verge of locking up his fourth bowl invitation in five seasons, and Razorbacks fans love to bash Lane Kiffin. Besides, Rebels lose in Fayetteville as often as teenagers lose their headphones.

With the air cooling and the youth hunt kicking off what so many Arkanians call the actual deer season, despite muzzleloading and bow season technically the party has already started, decisions will be made by business this Saturday. How long will dads stay in the deer stand before it’s too close to the start to risk their child knocking over almost anything that comes out?

One thing that helps is the DVR capabilities and ability to stream to phones. The able-bodied have the luxury of sticking a headphone in one ear while pretending to listen to nothing but squirrels and birds rustling through the bush.

Those without will have to suffer trying to avoid social media and be careful not to start the truck with the wrong radio station tuned in. It could ruin the whole day.

However, these people are few and far between, although they are found at a higher level in Arkansas than most states. It’s a much different world and one of the few things that is better now than before social media became a thing.

Now dads can stay close and never miss an important moment from their sports or family life. They can soak it all in until the youngster either has a nervous breakdown, loses interest, or runs out of gas station snacks littering the bottom of the deer stand.

No matter how it turns out, life experiences don’t have to pass by father or child anymore. And that’s enough to let at least one of them sleep well on Friday night.

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