Bob Wisener | Stories

Tour guide of Memphis for UA fans Football is not the first sport that comes to mind when one thinks of Memphis.The National Football League wrote off the city for a franchise after it reacted coolly when the Houston Oilers rested a s... December 21, 2022

Spirits low as UA bowl draws near It might be said that, like bombed buildings from above, 6-6 football teams look alike.Thus the Liberty Bowl outcome might swing on which team, Arkansas or Kansas, really wants to be in Memphis Dec. 2... December 20, 2022

Garroutte: good friend of Oaklawn Killing time in the Oaklawn press box, at times a thriving place even on a February Thursday, the questions would come up: Who's the oldest trainer on the grounds and who's been around longest... December 19, 2022

Cabrera, Torres win stakes for Diodoro Pretty Birdie and jockey David Cabrera are back, and Oaklawn racing stands to gain.Marylou Whitney, the grande dame of the American sport, is gone, but through Pretty Birdie and other horses, her spir... December 18, 2022

Report: Ex-UA aide taps Petrino to UNLV staff Though his exit from Arkansas in 2012 was abrupt, Bobby Petrino still has followers in our state.A former Razorback assistant coach likes him a lot, it has become known. Petrino, late of Missouri Stat... December 16, 2022

Barber Road back Saturday at Oaklawn Two six-figure stakes and the Oaklawn return of last year's Arkansas Derby runner-up highlight the track's second Saturday of racing.Barber Road, sixth in the Kentucky Derby, has not raced sin... December 15, 2022

UA’s Sanders named to AP first team A Fayetteville sports writer who believes Alabama has 50 players on its roster each year who could start for any other Southeastern Conference football team might not be overstating the case.Arkansas ... December 14, 2022

Leach will be missed — and how Mike Leach would have been too much for some schools. Like Kevin Kelley in Arkansas high schools, his penchant for sophisticated offense worked against him in pursuit of coaching on a higher level.One... December 14, 2022

Leopards claw ‘Cats for 4A title No, I didn't see the Malvern Leopards coming. Harding Academy got the license plate of the bus that flattened it but not quickly enough to avert mayhem.A superstitious respect for the Searcy schoo... December 12, 2022

No ‘Flash’ in pan: Ring the Bell winner romps Commanding respect merely for running in the Breeders' Cup last time, Flash of Mischief heaped praise Saturday that comes only with a big stakes performance.Texan Jerry Namy's homebred 4-year-... December 11, 2022

‘Casablanca’ at 80: Here’s looking at you, kid People have talked about the ending of "Casablanca" since the movie's release 80 years ago. Mostly about whether characters played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman should have skipp... December 11, 2022

Nothing sloppy (but surface) in Lovely Ride’s win Second time under the Oaklawn Mistletoe evoked a seasonal greeting for Lovely Ride.A tiring third in the inaugural race last December, the 4-year-old bay filly wired the six-horse field Saturday for a... December 11, 2022

GALLERY: Oaklawn muddy, but a success, on opening day of racing season "The sun always shines at Oaklawn" doesn't always hold true but did so long enough Friday, opening day for the 2022-23 local racing season, to brighten spirits.The track was rated muddy ... December 10, 2022

‘Count’ it up: Advent winner unbeaten though overlooked That's why they play the game, or in this case, run the race.Just when odds-on favorite Tyler's Tribe appeared destined for his fifth stakes victory in seven races, something happened in Frida... December 10, 2022

Seasons overlap, but Oaklawn will still endure Hollywood maverick Robert Altman, in 1970s films like "M*A*S*H and "Nashville," challenged the audience with overlapping dialogue. Two of his stars, Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin, kept i... December 9, 2022

BC episode over, local trainer races star Friday Trainer Tim Martin hopes Oaklawn, his home track, proves a therapeutic background for four-time stakes winner Tyler's Tribe.His Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf appearance Nov. 4 at Keeneland turne... December 8, 2022

’75 game vs. Aggies in LR a Dec. 6 jewel A Razorback football fan need not regard Dec. 6 as a cursed day in the program's history.James Street, Randy Peschel and Danny Lester should not be the only names to remember from that date. While... December 7, 2022

Bowled over by Memphis date? Hardly While lunching with a friend visiting home, I picked up a sightseer's guide to Elvis' adopted residence and my wife's birthplace.Perhaps it was overlooked in Samantha Crespo's book, bu... December 6, 2022

Bryant’s ring cycle goes on: 5 and counting Bryant High School's football bandwagon has become as large as singer Taylor Swift's number of Twitter followers.That comes with winning -- abetted by repeated exposure in central Arkansas. Th... December 5, 2022

Oaklawn in the air: back for a long run For two racetracks on Central Avenue in their respective cities, the first week in May evokes different connotations.All things are fresh at Churchill Downs in Louisville with the spring meet just und... December 4, 2022

Younger Von Hemel sits early after horse’s positive test Trainer Kelly Von Hemel will be suspended the first 15 days of the Oaklawn season for his first backstretch violation in years and which he regards as "nothing intentional."A local anestheti... December 3, 2022

Irvin Bass: more than name on gym I had lost track of Irvin Bass until his picture appeared on Page 6A in Thursday's edition among the obituary listings.Some readers' association with Bass may come only when they see his name ... December 2, 2022

Freeze hire provides UA no comfort Bryan Harsin aside, most Auburn football coaches win even if eventually fired. So, the school hired a proven winner Monday when it brought Hugh Freeze back to the Southeastern Conference.Freeze, remem... December 1, 2022

Oaklawn bans Churchill Downs shippers, for now Its own meeting a week off, Oaklawn is monitoring the ongoing backstretch health issues at Churchill Downs.Thirteen horses exposed to the equine herpesvirus were being tested Wednesday at the Louisvil... December 1, 2022

Fort Worth produces a true champ Even the most cynical Cowtown resident is apt to say this about Big D: "The best thing about Dallas is that there's a world-class city 30 miles to the west."Answering Texas native George... November 30, 2022

Plumlee gets Malvern rolling again As offensive coordinator for the Billy Dawson-coached Class 6A champions of 2016, Lakeside alum J.D. Plumlee looked like a young coach on the rise.Russellville, one of the last Arkansas schools one wo... November 29, 2022

Sad UA tale: Nothing left for Missouri Razorback Nation can't say it wasn't warned about what has become another faceless 6-6 football team.Not much different than Missouri, its opponent Friday at Faurot Field, honoring the former UM coach... November 27, 2022

Pittman fires strength coach Manhandled physically Friday by Missouri more than the score indicates, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman fired the Razorbacks' strength and conditioning coach Saturday. Jamal Walker received praise for a 9-... November 27, 2022

LR’s Landers on early Derby trail A beaten mayoral candidate in his hometown this month, Little Rock horseman Steve Landers is throwing his hat into the ring for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.A central Arkansas automobile dealer and Arkansa... November 25, 2022

Food, family and football: Truly a time to be thankful As you may know, the 3Fs in Thanksgiving are, in no certain order, food, family and football. And with generous helpings all around.In its purest form, Turkey Day counts as much more as the unofficial... November 24, 2022

County teams out, but state playoffs sizzle We'll always have the 2009 Fountain Lake Cobras, the 2008 Lake Hamilton Wolves and the 2006 Jessieville Lions.In case anyone forgets how to celebrate a state football championship in Garland Count... November 23, 2022

Digesting wacky win over Rebs Sometimes, I wonder if the people who vote on college football even watch the games and what standards they use to rate teams.Imagine my surprise Sunday to see Arkansas with two points in The Associat... November 22, 2022

What it was was football, bizarre or not If, like me, you grew up watching football in the old Southwest Conference, the Arkansas-Ole Miss game made as much sense as Euclidean geometry or the legal term collateral estoppel.Frank Broyles and ... November 21, 2022

Big misses for Rebels equal no title Some younger Razorback fans may not have been born when Arkansas last won a conference football championship. So how about a refresher course before the annual game with Ole Miss.Graybeards like mysel... November 18, 2022

Oldie but goodie: Wolves vs. Benton Lake Hamilton, the last Garland County team standing in 11-man football, meets a familiar opponent in the second round of the state playoffs Friday night.A game with Benton won't be unusual but th... November 17, 2022

State paper sees Wolves as 5A hoop champs Next year will be the 60th anniversary of Lake Hamilton's only state championship in boys basketball. The Wolves are seen as a title contender in March at Bank OZK Arena.Scotty Pennington's te... November 15, 2022

Yet another Ravine battle goes to OBU As a Harding University alum, I should be peeved today, railing at the NCAA for not including the Bisons in the Division II football playoffs.A 9-2 record apparently has dropped in value, according to... November 15, 2022

Season gets gloomier for Pittman’s crew Those stories my dad told me about LSU beating Arkansas in football against all the odds, much less when the Tigers had a clear advantage, are ringing true. Twice in Sam Pittman's tenure as Razorback ... November 14, 2022

Spicing Battle of Ravine with politics Ouachita Baptist, with one game left in the regular season, leads the Great American Conference football standings. And, with a four-year term starting in January, another OBU alum occupies the Arkans... November 12, 2022

More teams than ‘Bama in SEC mix Although with two losses, a disastrous season by Alabama standards, and little hope of playing for Nick Saban's seventh national championship at the school and eighth overall, what's a discuss... November 11, 2022

Troy travels to Mills; LH, Devils home Friday Years ending in "2" tend to be noteworthy for the Hot Springs High football program.This is the 50th anniversary of a co-state championship with Jonesboro that the Trojans shared after the A... November 10, 2022

Bleeding episode in Breeders’ Cup disturbs local trainer Trainer Tim Martin no doubt enjoyed the buildup for Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, in which his unbeaten Tyler's Tribe was entered.It proved an humbling experience for ... November 10, 2022

Flightline’s Classic win: Does it rate vs. Big Red? Bob WisenerThe Sentinel-RecordA reader once took me to task in a letter to the editor for opining that, after beating Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Blame should be Horse of the Year in 20... November 9, 2022

Tigers ‘geaux’ to Ozarks with head of steam One by one, I am subtracting names from a list of football fans to be congratulated, those known to be hopelessly devoted, as Olivia Newton-John might say, to the LSU Tigers.My superstitious respect f... November 8, 2022

Pressure mounts on skidding UA Call me Nostrodamus, even a chipmunk journalist, but not everyone was surprised by Liberty University's performance Saturday in Fayetteville.This does not include, of course, the Arkansas Razorbac... November 7, 2022

Pletcher, Casse take top Breeders’ Cup juvenile prizes What could be a huge Breeders' Cup for Todd Pletcher started Friday at Keeneland with a victory by the early favorite for the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.Forte scored his third Grade 1 ... November 5, 2022

Hogs at home even if fans due breather With rain chances strong statewide this weekend, this might be a good time for Razorback football fans to exhale. Especially if they are short of breath after so many Saturdays sweating out games invo... November 5, 2022

Pletcher pair favored in G1 BC Distaff For all the promise of winter and spring, Secret Oath's 3-year-old season veered off track. Cite the competition -- she ran in some big races, gaining minor rewards -- instead of an injury.In othe... November 2, 2022

Would Nutt and Auburn hit it off well? Houston Dale Nutt's name came up when the news Monday about Bryan Harsin at Auburn came down. Even if only among casual football fans, did anyone think it would not?Auburn, after all, would put th... November 2, 2022

Jerry Lee did it his way, whether right or wrong With a movie about him that may earn Oscar nominations for Austin Butler as its eponymous star and Tom Hanks as his scheming manager, Elvis has been much in the news this year.He "left the buildi... November 1, 2022

Stories by Bob Wisener

Recommended for you