Prochein Amy

First the girls are both grounded from their schools Fall Festival, which we usually do instead of trick or treating.  Tough, but they both deserve the punishment.

Second, each class is responsible for a booth and I have volunteered to help out with Youngest’s.  I had planned on helping for a shift on the Oldest’s booth, but unless other parents from Youngest’s class step up, I will be manning it by myself.  The joys of being room parent.

The bold italic text of the following quote was spoken internally initially.  When repeating during a vent session it was spoken out loud with great emphasis.

Because I am nice, a**hole.    -Anonymous

These days it is all about the source.  I wonder if people will listen because the guy who wrote this article is of a certain party….

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?

hat tip to Sarah.

I have a widget on my iGoogle page that shows news articles with keywords “texas longhorn football”.  The last week it has shown several articles written about the Longhorns from outside the state of Texas.

But quarterback Colt McCoy and his brawny gang of defensive linemen, receivers and running backs have reached across the ocean, through the European continent and into the Middle East, and continued to touch my heart. The undefeated Horns, who put down No. 2 Oklahoma nearly three weeks ago to gain the No. 1 ranking in the national polls, and then buried No. 11 Missouri in a game many feared would be the end of their run, have infected me with the worst case of Longhorn fever I’ve had since Vince Young led the ‘Horns to a national championship in the fall of 2006.

Tebow, who could become the first player since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1975 to win consecutive Heismans, said Monday that Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is his top choice right now.

“He obviously is someone to look at and would probably be my top guy I’d vote for right now,” Tebow said.

The most exciting thing about the past two wins, over Oklahoma and Missouri, is that I keep seeing new people making plays. It reminds me of the dominant USC teams where every game seemed to feature a new star. It could be Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, or any number of defensive players, but someone was going to ensure a win every time they took the field. I see that this year with Texas, and I think Mack Brown has the tools to avoid any characteristic Pete Carroll turd games.

My view to Texas football is based on what I see week to week, comments from my husband, and our tailgate friends.  I don’t look at stats and base my view of how the team is doing on emotion and personal observations.  Before the OU game it seems we were having to work to hard to win.  Even though we won, it did not feel like a win.

Looking at the expectatioons of Texas before the Texas/OU game, they were not expected to win.  Not by the stat reviewers.  But the fans who watch Texas and bleed orange were hopeful.  Most people I talked to knew they shouldn’t, but knew they could.  And you could sense it in the air.  As the game unfolded, we realized we had a good team, that they were not going to roll over into the fetal position, and we could win in.  The final score was 45-35, but it felt like we won by one point.  Great game and we earned that win.

The game following OU was not expected to be easy.  Missouri was ranked 3rd.  They are a good team. 

But this game day was different from any other I have experienced in Austin the 11 years we have attended the games.  When we went to greet the team 2 hours before the game it was crowded.  Almost double from the last home game.  We head into the stadium a little early.  The crowd is going as normal.  The band comes in and we are waiting for the intro video to start. The fans in the seats start “TEXAS!  FIGHT!”  Usually it is done half way without much enthusiasm.  But not today.  EVERYONE is yelling.  Half the stadium “TEXAS!”, our half “FIGHT!” and it is loud.  You might say it was because the end zone was closed in with more seats, but it was loud because everyone was yelling.  And the team was not even out yet.  We were pumped.

I enjoy the Texas/OU game since we cheer every down OU has the ball.  But home games?  Not so much.  Hubby and I cheer for the 3rd downs, but most people don’t even bother with that unless it is a big play.  Not at this game.  EVERY. DOWN. CHEERING.  LOUD.  Amazing. 

First half?  We stomped Missouri.  They only scored 3 points.  Highly unsual for Texas since we usually ease into the game and stomp in the second half.  Second half of this game?  We eased up and the fans eased up, but the players and the fans still kept it at a level higher than normal.

I know we affected the game.  I know we freaked the Missouri players out.  I was amazed in the upper deck, but down below it had to be even louder. 

On Saturday with Missouri in town, the crowd was big and loud before and during the game.

“Saturday before the game and as our team pulled up, it was the most electric crowd we’ve had since we’ve been here,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “There were just more people around. I don’t know if it was a Saturday night game or just that they were so excited about the team and where they are, but it was overflowing when the team buses pulled up. We couldn’t even go in the normal way.

“The players in the dressing room after the game and in yesterday’s meeting were talking about how big of a factor the fans were.”

The rest of our schedule is tough and the opposition will be working to bring down the #1 ranked team.  If we, the fans and the players, keep it up at the same level as the last two game, we will and should win. 

Hook ‘em Horns!!!

45 – 35.  My second favorite game after the National Championship game in 2006.

The game is over.

Kris has posted my entry about Texas on her blog.  Maybe we should run for president and VP since we are able to get past our MAJOR differences.

This Saturday we play OU at the Cotton Bowl for what should be an interesting game.  OU is ranked #1 and Texas #5. 

To change things up, I asked my blog buddy who is a die hard OU fan to put together the pregrame summary for OU.  I gave her permission to be as biased as she wanted.  Here goes…….

Greetings, Red River Rivals! I’m Kris, and I blog over at Anywhere But Here.  My pal Amy has graciously… inexplicably, even… asked me to contribute a little “enemy banter” to her delightful blog this week.

 

You see, I’m a lifelong, dyed-in-the-wool Sooner fan.

 

I know, I know… fraternizing with the enemy and all… but hey, Amy and I are big enough people to enjoy one another’s company despite certain deep and intense conflicts.

 

It’s a little like politics, really. I have friends who are Democrats, and we just stay away from the subject of politics in order to remain friends. Likewise, Amy and I tend to avoid college football discussions. It’s just better that way.

 

But recently she approached me with the idea of guest blogging about the Sooners. “Hubba-WHA?” I thought to myself. And my more paranoid side leapt to the surface – what if Amy has ulterior motives and plans something nefarious?

 

I think, however, that she and I are bigger people than that. We can freely admit that other people have other loyalties and that those loyalties should not necessarily come between friends.

 

That being said, I shall now begin.

 

A “sooner” is a person with a can-do attitude, someone who’s progressive and who travels ahead of human progression. The term originated during the Land Rush of 1889, in which people were offered large parcels of public land. Those who participated in the Land Rush were known as “boomers.” Those who sneaked in ahead of time to claim the good spots were then called “sooners.”

 

The mascot for the University of Oklahoma, in a nod to Oklahoma history, is known as the “Sooner” and is represented by the “Sooner Schooner”, a covered wagon not unlike those used during the Land Rush.

 

The school colors for the University of Oklahoma are red and white; however, any self-respecting Sooner will correct that by saying that the colors are, indeed, “crimson and cream.” I have several family members who literally forbid any and all items of orange (burnt or bright, doesn’t matter) from entering the premises!

 

So how does a girl born in Houston become a Sooner fan? Well, let me tell you. I may have been born in Houston but my roots are deeply and firmly embedded in the red Oklahoma dirt. My parents and grandparents and great-grandparents have all been Okies. I only spent the first few months of my life in Houston, after which my parents finished their coursework and moved back home to Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

 

When I was a few years old, my parents continued their education by seeking higher degrees – my mom, a master’s in education, my dad a doctorate in medicine. Some of my earliest memories are of our little home in Norman and of attending classes and lectures with my mom and dad.

 

The Sooners have a few serious and longstanding rivals. First, the in-state rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is one that divides families. I have cousins who chose OSU and it is a continual source of ribbing and silliness even decades after we all finished college.

 

Next, a huge hold-over from the days of the Big 8, our rivalry with the University of Nebraska is notorious for producing something known as Sooner Magic – the often inexplicable fourth-quarter come-from-behind win.

 

Finally, and probably the most contentious and virulent of the three major rivalries, is our eternal struggle against the Longhorns from the University of Texas. Particular to this annual contest is the fact that it is never held in Austin or Norman, but is instead held in the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas. This game, which in recent years has been promoted to an actual conference game, used to have no more significance than any other non-conference game. UT was a member of the Southwest Conference while OU was in the Big 8. In 1996 this all changed when the teams realigned and formed the Big 12. Now the Red River Shootout (which has been renamed the unpronounceable Red River Rivalry thanks to idiotic political correctness) isn’t just a braggin-rights contest, it’s a for-real Big 12 contest.

 

Throughout the years, the OU-Texas game has been notorious for surprising and unexpected outcomes. OU might be ranked number 1, but may lose to Texas… or they may have lower ranking and still end up on top. It’s far more complex and unpredictable than simple numbers and Xs and Os.

 

According to the site SoonerStats.com, this Saturday’s Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl will surpass the highest number of fans ever to witness an OU game. The 1977 OU vs. Ohio State game was the previous high, with over 88,000 in attendance. This year the crowd is expected to number 92,000 in the recently remodeled Cotton Bowl.

 

I’d love to be able to afford tickets to the Big Game, but I don’t have a spare $500 lying around for such a ticket. I’ll have to make do with watching it in HD in my mom’s living room… not such a bad gig, really.

 

Anyhow, I want to extend my gratitude to Amy for giving equal time on her blog to her mortal and bitter enemy – a Sooner fan. I intend to return the favor at some point soon.