Oklahoma vs. Texas 2021 - Part I - The Pre-Game

#6 OKLAHOMA 55  #21 TEXAS 48

   Saturday, October 9^th, 2021
The Cotton Bowl @ Fair Park - Dallas, TX

It was excruciating and it was exciting. It was frustrating and it was fascinating. It was miserable and it was awesome. It was a 4-hour pigskin rollercoaster ride of ups and downs and twists and turns that had the 92,100 people in attendance alternating between begging to be let off and lobbying to go again.  

It was Oklahoma and it was Texas … It was Red River … And it was the worst/best one ever.

PART 1 – THE PRE-GAME

8:00 AM: Departure. Kate and Terry were in the car with seat belts buckled right on time for the predetermined 8:00 AM departure. I have always found that it’s a better start to the day when I’m not forced to leave someone who isn’t ready to go. Don’t laugh, it’s happened.

The lovely Kate Core and me 
b4 game

8:20 AM: Parking. The large, talkative lady with an orange flag who waved me into my preferred parking lot also offered me some advice. “The man inside who is directing the parking will take you’re $30, but be patient, he doesn’t speak much English.” Turns out that if you have the ability to hold cash and utter the word “closer” over and over – you too can park cars on game day.

8:30 AM. Security. I hate to brag, but history shows that when it comes to smuggling my flask of Crown into Fair Park, I’m undefeated. But that said, I also know that there is always a chance that one year I’m going to run into State Fair Sipowicz.  He’s the guy who flunked the TSA Airport Security Test, so instead of living his dream of requiring people to place their shoes in the plastic bin, he’s trying to make a name for himself by being a hard-ass at Gate 3. This was not that year.

Not only did security not check people for alcohol or weapons –  hell, they didn’t even check to see if you had a ticket.  

8:35 AM: Inside the Gates. I’ve been going to this game since 1982 and usually when I arrive at Fair Park the only people already there are Blake and Sally Moffett, 3-dentally challenged carny’s, a fat lady with a bad attitude selling coupons inside a hut, and Big Tex.  This year when I arrived at 8:35, I felt like I was late. Fans of both teams came early and stayed late – and were loud at all times in between.  Impressive.

Annual Photo with Sally Moffett

8:50 AM: The Picnic Tables. I was a little miffed when I walked up and saw that the GameDay set had been placed in close proximity to where our group meets. To start with, I was not consulted on this decision … and as the self-appointed Pre-Game Poohbah of the Picnic Tables I found that to be disrespectful at best. In addition to me having to talk louder in order to share my wisdom, the extra people congregating in the area also required all of us to stand a little closer to the beer stand than we have in the past … hey, we are an adaptable bunch if nothing else.

10:25: The Fan Version of the Tunnel. Slowly making my way through the multitude of fans and then shuffling up the main gate steps one at a time to enter the stadium is just one of the numerous experiences provided by this neutral site game that I always enjoy. (Sorry, I tried to make that last sentence longer, but my fingers cramped).

As is usually the norm, once near the top I like to impose on someone I don’t know to stop what they’re doing in order to take my picture. The task I’ve assigned this stranger also comes with an insult in the form of specific directions, “Hey, even though I’m never going to look at this picture again … would you mind taking one photo vertical and then another one horizontal … oh, and also … would you please make sure to include the sea of crimson and burnt orange masses of other people I don’t know in the background.” Thank you Captain Obvious.   

10:45 AM: Best. Seats. Ever. My seats this year were on the

Thank you Bill Medley (right)
for the seats

50-yard line and in the shade. The only way the seats could've been any better would be if they substituted the metal bench with a recliner and someone brought me a Fletcher’s Corny Dog every 30 minutes. 

11:01 AM: Texas 7 – Oklahoma 0. I can’t be positive, but I think the Longhorns might have scored so fast that Maverick and Goose were still doing the post National Anthem fly-over.  The first play from scrimmage also brought with it the first F-bomb of the day. From the look on the face of the mom sitting 3-kids down to my left … she wasn’t thinking Best. Seats. Ever.

The versatile four letter word, which in this instance I used as a transitive verb, was uttered a mere 8-seconds into the game, which is a new OU-TX game record for me. The early expletive shattered my previous mark of 3-minutes and 42 seconds which occurred back in 2014 when I fumbled a stadium cup full of crown and ice down the back of the blue-hair sitting in the row in front of me. She couldn't have agree more with my assessment.

 11:05 AM: Speaking of Crown …. Next Up: PART II

What a 'Croc

 "The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits”– Albert Einstein

 Croc’ of Shit

The only thing more embarrassing than the way Mullen’s team played in the 2020 Goodyear Cotton Bowl game, was the way Mullen ran his mouth after it.  Like all of us, Dan has the right to remain silent … he just evidently doesn’t have the ability.

“The last game this 2020 team played was 11 days ago.” – Dan Mullen

 Well, Dan, if that’s the case … I’d hate to be a Gator fan, because your 2021 team sucks.

Someone should explain to this moron that every time his team takes the field, they represent both him and the University of Florida. Spewing that kind of garbage is what losers and quitters do – then again, what else would you expect from someone who shows up at a press-conference wearing a Darth Vader costume.

Oh, and by-the way, if your last game was 11-days prior to this one then I’m sure you won’t mind giving back the $2.43 million that the fine people at Goodyear paid to the University of Florida for your team to ‘not play’ in this game. 

The irony of Mullen’s pathetic quote is that the last game he wants us to remember his 2020 team by was one in which his Gators gave up 52 points and 600 yards to Alabama … which is only slightly less embarrassing than when his team shit the bed as a 22-point favorite at home against LSU the week before.

“With the number of people that were out for the game, we were under numbers actually. I mean, to be honest with you, we had the numbers to not play the game.”– Dan Mullen

But you did play Dan, so what’s your point?  Besides, Darth … you had 60-scholarship players available for the game, which turns out to be 3-more than the 57 that Oklahoma had available. (Thank you Styx for that little nugget)

Bottom line … if you didn’t have enough players then you had the option to opt-out like a half-dozen of your now former Gators did … but you didn’t. You decided to play the game – and the fact is, you didn’t have your team prepared. 

        “I thought our scout team guys played well.” – Dan Mullen

Dan … if this coaching thing doesn’t work out, there is a future for you in motivational speaking as I’m sure that all the players who were actually committed enough to play in the game loved hearing their head coach refer to them as scout team players.

Wow … Four days earlier you told us that that Heisman finalist Kyle Trask was one of the best Gator quarterbacks ever – now he’s a scout teamer.

 If the 57-scholarship players you had available were nothing more than scout team fodder, then that doesn’t say a whole hell of a lot about your ability to recruit.

And Finally … A Lesson in Karma 

“Oklahoma is a good matchup, but they’re not on our level.  They’re not SEC, they’re not the Florida Gators.” – Florida LB James Houston

Ironically, neither is James Houston.  That’s because the mouthy, red-shirt senior with an extra year of NCAA granted eligibility, entered the transfer portal yesterday. Guess he’s not up to Florida’s level either.

                         

Sooners Beat Down Pokes 41-13

Barry Switzer was once asked about his thoughts on the upcoming game against instate ‘rival’ Oklahoma State.  His answer is still my favorite Switzer quote of all-time. “Just because it doesn’t take us long to get home after we kick their ass, doesn’t make them our rival.” 

In case you don’t speak Switzer, what he was trying to say was, to be someone’s rival, you have to win the game more often than the Washington Generals beat the Globetrotters.

Bedlam: (a) A place, scene, or state of uproar and confusion

                  (b) an asylum for the mentally ill

With Switzer’s quote and the definition above in mind - to this day I’m still confused as to why the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game is called Bedlam.  Frankly, there is nothing confusing about this game.  It’s the most lopsided in-state series in college football. 115-times they’ve kicked off, 90-times Oklahoma has won. Maybe it’s called Bedlam because you’d have to be mentally ill to call 90-18-7 a rivalry.

In the first 8-games played between these two teams, OSU didn’t even score. The Sooners have had win streaks of 19, 17, 11, 9, and 8 (just to name a few) over their instate little step-brother. You have to go all the way back to the Coolidge administration to find the only 10-year span of the series that OSU won more games than they lost, as the Cowboys went 5-2-3 from 1924-1933. OSU’s longest win streak against the Sooners you didn’t ask? That would be two. Hell, even my broken clock is right twice a day.

I’ve also heard it said that you can “throw out the records when these two teams get together.” LOL, how convenient for the Cowboys. But okay, I’ll play along. I’m willing to concede the fact that some of the recent OU-OSU games have been thrilling affairs with some jaw-dropping moments … some of the games, like the one this past Saturday night, have even had conference and/or national implications. But history also shows that OSU has handled almost all of those moments like Brent Parker would a game winning touchdown pass (okay – admittedly, that was a little harsh and maybe even a little uncalled for).

Look, here’s the deal.  I try to root for OSU, I really do.  I want to pull for them because a vast majority of their players are Oklahoma kids – and I love that fact. I also have some really close friends who either went to school there or who are big fans – or both - and I try to respect that fact … but that courtesy is generally not reciprocated.  The vast majority of OSU fans do not root for OU – ever.  If OU played Satan, Poke fans would cheer like the ‘Devil’ against us.  Worse is the fact that I still have to hear about Terry Miller in 1976 or how Les Miles had our number in 2001 & 2002 … I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in OKC or Tulsa on the rare occasion that OSU wins. Thankfully, that happens about as often as a lunar eclipse.

Oklahoma’s dominant 41-13 victory Saturday night was the Sooners 6^th straight put-down of the Pokes – and the 16^th time in the last 18 tries that OU has conquered the Cowboys. Bedlam? Nope. Beatdown? Abso-f-ing-lutely.

 

Sooner Freshman - Mikey Henderson

OKLAHOMA 41 OSU 13

 11 Things I Think

 1. Don’t look now, but the Sooners might have a defense.  Perkins was a monster. Defensive line was dominant. OSU has some injury issues but loved what I saw Saturday night.

2. OU held the Pokes to 3-14 on 3^rd down and dominated the time of possession 34.52 to 25.08.

 3. The Sooners D came up big in the second quarter.  With the OU offense suddenly struggling, holding OSU to 2-field goals instead of touchdowns was a major factor in the game. 

 4. Maybe I’m just skittish from watching similar leads evaporate in the recent past – but was I the only one who felt the Sooners 27-13 halftime lead was a little precarious? Especially with the Pokes getting the ball to start the second half? Again, the Sooners defense came up big on first drive of second half – hell, the whole half for that matter … squashing any chance of OSU making a game of it.

5. Marvin Mims = A young CD Lamb. He’s a stud that is starting to demand double teams.

6. Mikey Henderson.  I said earlier this season, it’s obvious that Riley really likes this kid as evidenced by the different ways he is coming up with to get the ball in the freshman’s hands.  I also said that no position is deeper than H-Back for the Sooners. With Austin Stogner, one of Rattlers favorite targets, unable to go Saturday night, up steps Willis, Hall and Henderson. This trio accounted for 5-catches for 106-yards and 2-touchdowns through the air and another 20-yards on three carries and a TD on the ground. H-Back position description in a word: LOADED.

7. RB Stevenson is a beast and a game changer. He has great balance, excellent vision, deceptive speed, a wicked stiff-arm and soft-hands. No word on whether he’s a good dancer or willing to rescue kittens from a tree … but it will be interesting to see if he comes back or opts for the draft.  If I were a betting man, I’d say he’s probably gone.  His stock should be high and running backs seem to have a shelf-life … and while I don’t know this, I wouldn’t guess school to be his thing – but let’s hope I’m wrong.

8. Rattler was very efficient, if not great, going 17 of 24 for 301 and 4 touchdowns.

9. It's an absolute mystery to me why someone on the OU coaching staff can't get Bookie to shut the f-up. I don't get it.

10. Loved the play the Sooners scored on at the start of the 4^th quarter.  With Rattler lined up behind the guard, the ball was snapped directly to Stevenson, who then handed off to Rattler sweeping to the right. Rattler faked a handoff to the WR on a reverse – then threw to a wide-open Jeramiah “Was A Bullfrog” Hall for a touchdown. The play got me thinking … When was the last time that OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy ran something unexpected against the Sooners.  I’m sure it’s happened, but as of now, which is Monday afternoon – I’ve yet to remember just what and when that was. Just sayin.

11. By virtue of OU’s win over OSU – combined with ISU’s dismantling of KSU on Saturday … the Sooners now control their own destiny to winning a 6-straight Big 12 title – hard to believe after two straight conference losses to start the season. OU still has to take care of business, but if they do, they’ll most likely get the winner of the ISU-Texas game played this Saturday.

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty – The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Sooners Trip to Lubbock a Rare Treat

 OKLAHOMA 63 TEXAS TECH 28

A night game in Lubbock. On Halloween. At Jones Stadium, aka … The Haunted House on the Plains. A rare Blue Moon. The Masked Rider. Tortillas Tossed and Guns Up. What could possibly go wrong?  Well, if history is any indication – a lot.

I was in Lubbock for the game in 2005. To say it was an officiating disaster would be like calling the year 2020 ‘a little different.’ The refs botched two calls that allowed the Red Raiders to score on their final drive and win the game 23-21.  Botched wasn’t just my opinion btw – my opinion wasn’t fit for print.  But the calls were bad enough that the Big 12 issued an apology three days later. The Sooners hadn’t been robbed of a game like that since … let me think … oh that’s right … three weeks earlier in Eugene, Oregon.

I didn’t make the trip to Lubbock in 2007 – and for all he remembers, neither did Sam Bradford.  That’s because Sam got knocked out in the first quarter when he tried to tackle the truck who picked up an Allen Patrick fumble. Down big early, the #3-ranked Sooners tried to mount a late comeback, but ultimately came up short 34-27.  On a side note: The Red Raiders wide-receivers coach that night was a guy named Lincoln Riley. The QB who came in for Bradford that night you didn’t ask? “Alex, I’ll take Forgotten Sooner QB’s - for $500 please.” Who is Joey Halzle.

In 2009, it seemed as though the entire OU team didn’t bother to make the 342-mile trip to the south plains. With Landry Jones and his porn stash at QB, the Sooners got trampled 41-13.

And who can forget the Mayfield & Mahomes show in 2016 … certainly not the two defensive coordinators I’m guessing. In his return to Lubbock, Baker passed for seven touchdowns and 545 yards to help the Sooners beat Texas Tech 66-59 in a game that broke the NCAA record for combined offensive yards with 1,708. An easy win for the Sooners in the hometown of the late Buddy Holly? “That’ll be the Day.”

Then Saturday night, Tech takes the opening kickoff and promptly goes 75-yards in 7-plays. I guess abusing OU cornerback Tre Brown through the air for 3-straight plays got a bit boring, so they decided to hand it off to running back SaRodorick Thompson.  SaRodorick, promptly SaRan the ball down the Sooners throat for 30-yards on 3-carries ... and before you could say ‘pretty, pretty, pretty, Peggy Sue’ – it was 7-0 Red Raiders.

But there was no need to panic. Obviously, it was very early in the game … and besides, now the OU offense would get a turn.  Three-plays, a Robinson holding penalty, and a Mundschau punt later – that turn was over.  Okay, maybe time for a little panic. 

To describe the first 5:00 minutes of the game in Trick or Treat terms: Tech’s bounty featured Snickers and Reese’s, while the Sooners pillow case contained a box of raisins, dental floss, some loose change and a ball of lint.  Not good.

But on the ensuing Tech drive, the game changed faster than the west Texas weather. 2-plays that included a sack, a false start and a personal foul-penalty – left the Red Raiders facing 3^rd and 45 from their own 9 yard-line. Yes, you read that correctly - 45-yards. Hell, some people don’t go that far for vacation … and neither did the Tech punt that followed their unsuccessful third-down play.

What came next for the Sooners over the next 3-hours was … well, truly a treat. When the dust settled (as if that ever actually happens in Lubbock), the final score read 62-28 … but to be honest, it really wasn’t that close. 

Did the Sooners finally put an end to the Lubbock curse? Well … Maybe baby, we’ll have to wait and see.  But on this particular full moon, Halloween night in Lubbock – the Sooners – brought us joys to share with those who really care. And we know why, just you and I, know true love ways.

Tidbits, Snippets and Shit I Believe to Be True

Convicted? The Sooners were called for only 2-penalties for 15-yards Saturday night. If that’s not a record, then in addition to being too lazy to research that fact, I’d also be surprised.

Welcome back. Saturday night marked the return of Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson. The stats will show Perkins finishing with 4-tackles, 2-of which were for a loss, and a QB hurry, but those numbers don’t do justice to the way he continually disrupted things defensively.  As for Stevenson, he is simply a beast.  He looked like a man among boys running the football – and that stiff arm of his could stop a Buick in its tracks. Just sayin.

Front-Runners. The Sooners have now outscored their opponents 89-10 in the first quarter this season.  I’d point out the same stat for the 4^th quarter of games this season, but don’t want to ruin this positive run I'm on.

Just a Streakin’. The Sooners have now scored 28-points or more in 58-consecutive games. The second longest streak belongs to Alabama, who has 19-straight.

Dos for Tre. Safety Tre Norwood had both interceptions for Oklahoma, becoming the first Sooners player with two in a game since 2016. The last player to do so for the Sooners? That would be linebacker, Jordan Evans.

More Treat Than Trick. For whatever it’s worth, the Sooners have now won eight consecutive games played on Halloween and are 12-3-2 all-time on All Hallows’ Eve. The last time the Sooners lost a game on 10/31 you didn’t ask? Hint: It was so long ago the Great Pumpkin was just a small Gourd. The last time OU lost on Halloween, was 1959 when the Sooner were squashed by the Cornhuskers 23-21. (Nothing funnier than Cucurbita humor, right mom?)

Next up: The Jayhawks

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty – The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU-TX - PART 3 - THE GAME

OKLAHOMA 53 TEXAS 45

4OT

The 114^th version of the Red River Shoot-Out was one that you had to see to believe.  Because explaining the game to someone who didn't ... might be awkward and go something like this:

Guy who lives under a rock: Hey, Buddy - what happened in the OU-Texas game?  

Me: Well ... 

• On the Sooners first possession they went three and out with two false start penalties.
• Lincoln Riley benched Spencer Rattler midway through the first half after the red-shirt freshman lost a fumble and threw an interception.
• The Sooners were penalized 11-times for 121 yards, but at least only six of those penalties gave Texas a new set of downs
• Sam Ehlinger ran for 146 yards and threw for 286 more – personally accounting for 6-touchdowns.
• The Sooners turned the ball over 3-times, 2-of which occurred deep in their own territory
• OU missed a field goal
• Lincoln Riley completely gave up on the running game, even though it had just started to click ...
• I drank a lot of tequila 
• Once again, #44 - Brendan "Bookie" Radley-Hiles started and pretended to play defense for the Sooners ... 
• ... after the final play of the game a proud, young, female Texas fan held up one finger ... a proclamation for all those watching on TV around the country.

Under a rock Guy: Oh, I'm sorry. I know your an OU fan, so I'm sorry to hear you got beat.  While Texas may not be #1 like the girl indicated, maybe they are finally 'back' ....

Me: No, I don't think so.  With the finger she was using, the only way her message included the word back - was if it was the position she'd be in in order to carry out her specific message. I deemed her single digit salute as more of non-gracious gesture to the Sooner Nation ... or Tom Hermann ...or both  - because the Sooners won the game by 8

Or maybe the conversation went something like this ...

Guy who likes to spend Saturday's at the library: Hey, Buddy - what happened in the OU-Texas game?  

Me: Well ... 

• The Longhorns committed 3-turnovers, including a fumble on their second play from scrimmage
• Texas was penalized 10-times for 86-yards
• Texas special teams gave up a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and a 36-yard punt return ... which, when you tack on the personal foul penalty becomes 51-yards and a trip to an anger management class for the Horn punter.
• Sam Ehlinger was sacked 6-times
• The Longhorns leading rusher not named Sam - had 17-yards
• I drank a lot of tequila
• Texas also allowed OU running back T.J. Pledger to rush for a career high 131 yards and ...
• Once again, the Longhorns had Tom Hermann on their sideline pretending to be a head coach

Library Guy: Well, congrats - obviously you guys ran away with it. Probably another 63-14 type game. Must have been nice to get such an easy win over your big rival.

Me: If you say so.

The game was played in a surreal atmosphere.  While you could find a few signs of normalcy: Bevo taking up residence in the North end zone, and the Sooner Schooner doing the same in the South ... those paled in comparison to the reality of seeing only 24,000 people in attendance, or listening to Boomer Sooners or The Eyes of Texas, not from each schools band inside the stadium, but instead from the big screen - recorded renditions from OU-TX games of the past.

The game required 4-quarters, 4-coin flips, and 4-overtimes ... and took 4-hours, 43-minutes, 36-mystery seconds and ¾ of a bottle of Don Julio Reposado to complete. 

In addition to being brutally long, it was horrendously played ... as the two teams combined for 21-penalties for 209-yards, 6-turnovers, 8-sacks, two-blocked kicks, another field goal missed, and both head coaches making questionable decisions at critical times.  

Even Fox Sports made mistakes - posting this little nugget as both teams went to the locker room at half: "The team leading at half has won the last 11-games." While that's good to know, I'm not sure it was very relevant considering the fact the game was tied 17-17.

The game, while a train-wreck, was also wildly entertaining. In usual OU-TX fashion, it was a slugfest, played with high emotion with the game coming down to the wire. The OU defense, relative to their last two performances, played well. 

With about two-minutes to go in the game, and the Horns out of timeouts - the Sooners were facing 3rd and 9, from their own 47.  Get a first down - you win, but to get it, you'd have to throw the football and risk stopping the clock, or worse. Riley, despite benching Rattler in the first half, and watching him cough up the football like a cat would a hairball only two plays earlier, trusted his red-shirt freshman QB enough to take a shot at winning the game. While the play didn't work - I loved the call - and to me, it spoke volumes about his belief in his QB.  

Like Riley, Tom Hermann, had the opportunity to take a chance to win the game  ... twice ... only his chance would be with a senior QB who had accounted for 6-TD's on the day. But he didn't take the chance. He didn't have the same faith or the courage, or balls to do it. Like him or not, Ehlinger deserved better from his coach. 

That said, I can't tell you how relieved I was to see Hermann decide to kick the extra point at the end of regulation and again in the first overtime. There wasn't a chance in hell of OU stopping the red-hot Ehlinger from scoring on a two-point conversion with 15 guys, much less the 11-tired and reeling defenders who would be asked to try.  

But the game will go down, much like the year in which it was played, as one of the most memorable of all time. Only in 2020 can the team who benched their QB in the first half win the game, while the team whose QB accounted for over 400-yards and 6-touchdowns lose it. 

With two rosters loaded with 4 and 5 star recruits that hail from all over the country - it was only fitting that the winning touchdown would be caught by a 5'-11" walk-on from Norman. But I guess it wasn't just any walk-on ... when your name is Drake Stoops, chances are decent that you know a little bit about what it takes to beat Texas. Say it with me now .... STOOOOOOOOOPS!

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU-TX - Part 2 - FAIR PARK DRIVE THRU

The Texas State Fair - 2020

The Corona Virus has turned The Texas State Fair, the unique and iconic setting in which the OU-TX game has been played since 1932, into something more reminiscent of an In & Out Burger Drive-Thru.

Due to obvious reasons, The State Fair of Texas was cancelled this year - well sorta. For the first time since WWII, there would be no rides to ride, no music to hear, no midway in which to be conned, and no paying 14-coupons to see the world’s smallest horse or a bearded lady. To paraphrase John Candy’s line in the movie Vacation … “Sorry folks ... the Park's closed – the big cowboy near the entrance should’ve told you.”

Except ... for the drive-thru. That's right, for those of you who need a Fletcher’s fix and some quality time with Big Tex, the people at the State Fair have a deal for you.  It's called the Fair & Photo package - and all that is required for this forced family fun is $100.00 and four to six hours of your life that you'll never get back.  

Your allowed to drive one vehicle with up to 8-occupants into to the fairgrounds ... which is convenient since you've really never mastered the art of driving two.  This ‘historic opportunity,’ as billed by Fair promotors (i.e. someone who would never submit themselves or their family to this life drain), includes a ‘complimentary’ corndog (1-per person), fries, a drink and a group photo with Big Tex. If you’d prefer dining on a turkey-leg while traveling @ 4-miles per hour during the estimated 2 ½ to 3-hour “tour” of Fair Park (which does not include time spent in line to enter park) – they can make that happen for an addition $25.00 ... each. Jeez, when did turkey legs turn into caviar?

Well, that sounds like a great time and all, but I think I'll pass.  First of all, I'm not the Waltons or the Bradys. I'm a single guy with a red heeler, so a Ben Franklin to sit in traffic seems steep. Besides, binge eating and drinking inside a moving motor vehicle isn't my idea of the State Fair ... It's my idea of college, except it was done at 85 mph not 4.  Most importantly, I prefer throwing up in Fair Park Fountains on the way back to where I think I parked my car - not in the passenger seat floor board, while it's hopefully in park.  A sentiment equally shared by those trying to take away my keys.

Next: Part 3 - The Game

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU-TX: Part 1: The Streak is Over

 One of the best things about the OU-Texas game is the pomp and circumstance that surround it. For Sooner and Longhorn fans, it's not just a game, it's an event, an entire weekend, something that is circled on the calendar like a holiday or a birthday.

Don't get me wrong, the game is important. In fact beating Texas is probably more important to me than it should be ... but what matters to me the most every year on the second Saturday in October, is actually not the game.  It's the people.

Jobs, kids, health, finances – hell, just making it through an average Tuesday takes all you have sometimes. One of the consequences from ‘not enough hours in the day’ is that you unintentionally drift away from some of the people in your life who are important. But Sooner football, and the OU-Texas games in particular, has provided the necessary where and why that brings us together ... even if only for a few hours … even if only for one day.

Sitting on those picnic tables outside the main gate of the Cotton Bowl before the game is where I get to see people like Dave McCabe, Tim Sanders, Blake & Sally Moffatt, Val & Diana Schlueter, Craig & Kathy Cruzen, Jeff Rogers, Trevor Walker, Bob Click and dozens of other fraternity brothers I should do a better job of keeping up with.

It's when I get to spend some time catching up and/or fighting with my friend Natalie, who has put up with me for almost 40 years ... and it’s where I get to share a 7-coupon warm beer in a wax cup with Scott McKnight's dad, Gary.

Like a measurement mark on a basement wall, the OU-TX game is where I get a chance to see the progress my friends kids have made in their pursuit of growing up. It’s were I watched Craigy Sanders become Craig ... Matt McCabe go from diapers to tall enough to dunk on his dad … the Cruzen boys go from grade school sports to college graduates ... and a trio of Lambert boys go from baby talk - to smooth talking the sorority babes.

Calling OU-TX only a game to me, is like saying the Bible is just a book.  Sorry, I'm not buying that.

But this past Saturday morning my alarm didn’t go off at 7:00 AM. I didn’t threaten to leave anybody who wasn’t in the car at 8:00 AM. I didn’t play Stairway to Heaven as loud as possible on the way to the game, nor did I hand some non-English speaking man flapping an orange flag, $40.00 in order to park. 

I didn’t have to worry about what I’d left in the car while walking to the gate, nor did I have to hide my two-flasks of Crown before going through Fair Park ‘security.’  I did however have a few beers before the game … but none of them were warm, served in a wax paper cup, paid for with last year’s left-over coupons, or handed to me by an unwashed, orthodontically challenged State Fair employee.  

Turns out that no routine, regardless of how sacred, is safe in 2020.  Yes, the streak is over … For the first time since 1982, there was no guy named Buddy Putty sitting in the Cotton Bowl at the OU-Texas game.

I still watched the game of course– and did so with some of my best friends, friends I’m lucky and grateful to have. I know they’re my friends, because no one who wasn’t would put up with the way I behave during a game – and I’m pushing it with some of them. 

That said, there was a part of me missing Saturday. Something that made me feel hollow. It made me think of the answer my friend Styx gave me when I asked him what it was like to watch the game on TV. My question was in jest, his answer was anything but, “I’ll be honest, it sucks. It makes you wonder why you’re not there.” Amen.

I guess I always knew there would finally come a day that I wouldn’t be able to be there in person.  Reasons like … my behavior finally resulted in me being banned, or my less than healthy lifestyle had me taking up space in Gods waiting room. Maybe I wouldn’t go if the game got moved to Jerry’s World – or if the powers that be decided to make the game a home and home series – thus killing what is one of the few long-standing traditions left in all of sports. But whatever the reason, I never dreamed my streak of attending OU-TX games would end because some moron ate a raw bat in a Wuhan, China wet market.  

Look, obviously, I'll be okay ... on the list of things wrong with me, this one falls well down the list. This shouldn’t be anything a few thousand dollars in therapy can’t fix.  Besides, judging from history, I probably should've seen this coming ... after all, I'm not the first Bud in Sooner history to have a streak end after 38-straight.

Next Up: Part 2 – Game Day

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner