Michael Felder In The Airport

I'm bored, sitting in O'Hare hoping I get my flight, and a few recruiting points including TCU's future.

I woke up at 7:30 this morning. My plan was to get into my Uber by 8:15 to get to the airport for my 1:30 flight and try to get on an earlier flight out so I could get home. Just as I turned on the shower I got an alert that my flight, AA2755, had been canceled.

Not delayed.

Canceled.

Finito. Goodbye.

So, I had a shot of whiskey and was trying to wonder what I was going to do. I decided to just go to the airport and see what happens. I’ve got a wedding anniversary tomorrow then Christmas Eve and Christmas, so I sort of need to be at home. However, if you haven’t been paying attention, there is a massive winter storm happening and making its way across the country and leaving Chicago earlier seems like the best decision.

American Airlines had other plans.

Replacing my 12:51 flight, that was going to be gone before the weather turned into a 4:43 flight to Dayton then an hour layover before heading to Charlotte and getting home around 9:45 and in my home by 10:45-ish. Earlier than the last time I left Chicago from a work trip, but not quite the 4-5 arrival I was going for to make dinner for my family.

If this flight doesn’t work I will have a very Kate McCallister situation on my hands.

So here we are, at “The Burger Federation” in Terminal 3, L gate, a place I have never been in my life and feels insane compared to the rest of O’Hare. I figured, why not deliver some content, especially since you all have been so receptive to the move over to Substack.

First and foremost, a true grievance as I have a Bud Light at 11:30, which is when this started, WHY DOESN’T EVERY BAR HAVE A FOOTRAIL?

See where my foot is sticking out? There should be a rail there. The chair railing my other foot is on is not the ideal sitting situation and a dangling foot puts unwanted pressure on your hamstring. It should be out in front of you and supported. I sat at multiple bars this weekend and none of them had footrails, it is a travesty.

I think I might do just one complaint a post because if I get into my complaining bag folks will really see what my wife lives like and like her more than they like me.

Now, on to some recruiting talk.

There will be no Arch Manning discussion here. Between the show on the B/R App and the Stadium show, it was enough for me. We’ll see if Sark can get the juice out of him to once again for the umpteenth year since 2009 to say, “Texas is back.”

Travis Hunter follows Deion to Colorado per multiple sources, including 247. I’m not breaking any news here, but it is good that his old players seem to want to be with him. There are a lot of coaches whose players are glad they leave and will not follow them, even to a better job. Same with coaches on staff. Which is a peek behind the curtain that Deion is probably not a total asshole to play for or work with.

Deion also was able to get Cormani McCain to not sign with Miami. The Canes still finished with a quality class but the hero of that spot, the big fish, was McCain and he decided he needed some time. We’ll see if he hits up Colorado for an actual visit but he is at least listening to see what he’s got to offer. Big waves, now let’s see if he can coach.

I’m not here to gush over Nick Saban finishing #1, I am here to put everyone on notice that this is an angry man. The way that he finished this cycle should terrify everyone. Not making the playoff meant he had a lot more time to explain to kids why they need to be in Tuscaloosa and these final few years of his ride are going to be hellish for all parties involved.

I think one of the biggest undiscussed things from signing day was TCU. Sure, people celebrated them in terms of “elevating” their class. But the larger and more robust discussion is what does this look like for a team that lived on underdog recruits. When most people saw the class they thought, “they’re capitalizing on being in the playoff, good for them.”

I thought, is this about to be another Michigan State situation. When the Spartans got to the playoff their recruiting profile elevated and they punched above their weight. They went from getting kids, much like TCU, who were just happy to be playing in the Big Ten, or Big 12 with respect to TCU; to getting kids who were always going to play big time football.

This is not calling kids entitled or spoiled or not hard working.

This is saying there are two different mentalities that clash on a roster. Old guard and part of the new recruits live in a world of, “I have to claw and scratch to gain an inch." New elite kids come in expecting to be given tools to harness the talent they already showed and coaching that is built on winning titles and directing them to the NFL.

Chris Petersen had to adjust his recruiting style when he moved from Boise State to Washington. He wasn’t giving kids a shot to play. He was having to outfight Notre Dame, Oregon, USC, Texas and the rest to get kids to want to play for him.

It is a different world.

Different mentality. Different type of kid. You have to know how to work with that type of kid. And we will see if Sonny Dykes can do it. We’ll see if the rest of the roster can handle those big time 4-stars walking in. We’ll see how they adapt.

Nick Saban has a roster full of the change that is coming at TCU, they work hard, they gel, they mesh and they figure it out. Win titles. Get to the playoff. Get to the NFL. It is going to be a very interesting time in Ft. Worth with the new talent looking to get on the field early and get critical playing time that other guys have thought they earned over the last few years.

Gotta figure it out.

Oh and this is just “Signing Day” now. Not “Early Signing” this is just signing day. The one. If you’re not a guy like Cormani McClain, you can’t afford to wait because they will just move on to the next guy. I will be shocked if there is any fanfare beyond a handful of guys as we get to February.

I still have 4 hours to go. This post is gobbledygook. We’ve got another Bud Light and I tried some terrible chicken tenders that I ate 3 of and I guess will just tell the guy to throw away, while I sit here for 4 more hours. I am going to take the risk of leaving my laptop here so I can go to the bathroom at some point.

Today is not my day, make it be your day!

Cheers!