Joe on utepia

Texas vs. The Nation

Texas vs. The Nation will be played on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Sun Bowl, and the game includes three UTEP players.

For all your Texas vs. The Nation news, check out the El Paso Times' page dedicated to the game.

Also now available is a podcast on the game that will get you up to speed on everything you need to know before you head out to the Sun Bowl. To listen to or download the wide-ranging discussion between Bret Bloomquist, Pablo Villa, John Erfort and Jay Koester, click here.

Basketball attendance

Although UTEP's basketball attendance is not bad, it's still not old-WACesque.

Could it be that it was His Coachency who drew a portion of the crowd himself, even in so-so seasons?

What do you think? Have Miner fans warmed up to Barbee and Barbee-style?

What do you think? Are the Miner players popular out in the community — with the kids?

Or is just because most of the Conference-USA opponents are not as exciting for El Pasoans as were the BYUs, Wyomings, Utahs ... ?

I say not as many El Pasoans identify with the Miners. Here's why: Excuse another version of my oft-rant: You've got to have your road games on TV so the kids can accept the players and choose their favorites. Do enough kids recognize the Miners, other than Stefon Jackson, when they see them in the malls?

Talking hoops

KTSM's Fred Albers got together with Bill Knight and Ruben Ramirez from the El Paso Times for the latest UTEP men's basketball podcast. Joe was again busy interviewing candidates with the editorial board, but hopefully he'll be back next week.

The crew talk about UTEP giving up 109 points to UCF and the subsequent victory over Tulsa, plus a look ahead.

To download or listen to the podcast, click here.

Because of lack of interest, the podcast phone line may soon go kaput. Only you can save it. By calling into 546-6130 and leaving a comment or question for our next podcast. You are our only hope.

Football recruiting

Losing three assistant coaches should not hurt UTEP's football recruiting this year. Most universities have their commitments by Christmastime.

But losing both the offensive and defensive coordinators? Does that change things?

Still no problem ... well, probably no problem. Usually it's the younger coaches on the staff who do the bulk of the traveling to see recruits.

And most universities use more than one recruiter per recruit. It's a well-organized effort.

The bigger question is: What kind of class will the Mike Price regime bring in THIS year? This will be his fifth April Signing Day class composed of all his guys. His first class, 2004, is composed of players who will be fifth-year seniors this coming season.

And one can figure that since the Price staff got a late start in his first recruiting class (2004), classes from 2005 on should be better.

Just a bad night

Just write it off as a bad, fluke night, the Miners' 109-80 loss Wednesday at Central Florida. Let it not be an omen, though.

UTEP is not THAT bad. Central Florida is not THAT good.

Yes, no UTEP team has given up that many points since 1961 — that's almost half a century ago.

It does go to show that UTEP, as some figured, is not going to win on the road against decent teams. Don't look for a big turnaround and an invite to the NCAA and likely not the NIT, either.

Admission: I almost blogged earlier Wednesday that the thing to watch Wednesday night was what happened if the score was close late in the game. If it was close, how would UTEP handle the pressure late in the game and on the road? Late-game errors has been the Miners' bane this season and last.

Now fans must look at the Tulsa game here Saturday. I'm betting UTEP will be back to the UTEP seen before the Central Florida blip.

Eric Price leaving

Eric Price leaving UTEP for the NFL means he'll make a lot more money for his family. It does bring up a UTEP situation, though.

Recall after Mike Price's first two years how it was bragged that the whole staff stayed intact because everybody believed in the program.

Later, Mike Price was say he had his whole relation here, or moving here. And that he didn't plan on going anywhere.

Then he looked at the Arizona State job two years ago. Then there was some serious talk about him going back to Washington State after this past season. He was contacted by WSU's headhunter early in the hiring process.

It's good that Mike Price is staying. And it's a good opportunity for Eric Price to go back into the pros (he was once with the Jets). Look for more coaching moves. The last two losing seasons will do that to a staff.

Meanwhile, Price now has two openings (Price's offensive coordinator's/QB job) and Tim Duffy's safeties job on defense. And remember Defensive Coordinator Tim Hundley has not come out and flatly said he's not going anywhere. When speculation started around Christmas time, he said simply that there was nothing to announce.

Does almost-Heisman winner Ryan Leaf hook back up with Mike Price as a new quarterbacks coach? Does somebody from staff move into Duffy's job, leaving open a slot to hire a new offensive coordinator?

The off-season is getting interesting in Utepia.

Talking hoops

Though Joe was busy interviewing candidates for the editorial board, our other three UTEP podcasters got together today to talk about UTEP hoops.

To hear what Fred Albers, Bill Knight and Ruben Ramirez had to say about UTEP's loss to Houston and their coming battle with Central Florida, click here.

Good move, UTEP

UTEP had it all wrong, but at least, as Athletic Director Bob Stull said, "Listened to what fans are telling us" and addressed "those issues."

Some ticket prices are going down, as are RV tailgate fees and rules. And it won't cost $20 a game to park in the new garage, anymore It'll be less. Good moves, UTEP.

Now the next fan-friendly move is for UTEP, and all of Conference-USA, to get out of that awful TV deal with CSTV. We're not getting any games on basic cable, and that's a shame. Yes, CSTV gives each C-USA school a lot of money for exclusive rights. But not a lot of people get to see the games. It's so important that youngsters see all the road games so they can pester Dad into taking them to the home games. That's how fans are born, cultured and eventually hit up for money.

But the home issues — tickets, fees — are being rectified, and that's a needed start.

Here's what put UTEP in its fan-unfriendly situation. It thought it could ride the prominence of Football Coach Mike Price, who's prominent, all right. Raise ticket prices (nothing lower than $20). Get as much as possible from the RVers. Just sock it to El Pasoans while saying costs here are still lower than at other places.

True. And it's that UTEP needs more income so it can pay Price if he meets incentives on his contract.

But it all led to bad blood. And it's never a good move to have more and more fans disliking the way they are treated.

Good move, UTEP. You probably got a lot of fans back.

Talking hoops

You can listen to or download the latest El Paso Times podcast on UTEP men's basketball by clicking here.

The podcast features Joe Muench, Ruben Ramirez and Jay Koester talking about the victories over SMU and Rice, and the coming game against Houston.

Also, for postgame audio from Coach Tony Barbee after the victory over Rice, click here.

And to hear UTEP players Gabriel McCulley and Claude Britten talk about the victory over Rice, click here.

SMU victory

To listen to UTEP players Victor Ramalho and Stefon Jackson talk about the victory over SMU on Wednesday night, click here.

And to listen to Head Coach Tony Barbee talk about the victory over SMU, click here.

And if you are not heading over daily to Miners Mania to check out all the podcasts, player audio, video, photos and stories, then you really need to check yoself before you wreck yoself.