Out of the Pocket and OU/TX

Last weekend I began reading Kirk Herbstreit’s book Out of The Pocket. As a married man with a full-time job and a now 2-year-old son, finding time to do much of anything else besides eat and sleep is a challenge. This book is worth turning off the game and spending a little time reading and reminiscing. Much of the book is about family and early in, about Kirk’s father. As I read, I couldn’t help but reflect on how football and fandom have been a common bond between myself and my own father. There really isn’t a better week for those thoughts to all parlay together as we venture into OU/TX weekend.

The Red River Rivalry game is truly a special atmosphere for any college football fan! The State Fair of Texas with it’s electric Midway, oddly fried foods, and Fletcher’s famous corndogs. A packed Cotton Bowl, split at the fifty yard line, half crimson and half burnt orange. Oklahoma vs Texas is one of the first football games I ever went to with my dad and has been a game we have attended together many times. I still have the 1993 ticket stub and the progressively larger and shinier ones each year (I miss hard tickets).

An OU/TX moment I will never forget

One of my favorite in attendance sports memories was the Roy Williams “Super Man” tip-six against Texas in 2001, jumping up and down with my father (beer literally flying everywhere from all around us).  

I also remember several years of aggravating loses with even more frustrating hour trips home. College Gameday with Kirk will be here once again this year as both teams are ranked in the top 25. I won’t be attending the game but will be watching it from home with my father and local family as we celebrate my two year old’s birthday.

It’s amazing how things come full circle.