OU/Texas, October 10, 2015

Oh, everyone who knows me, stop acting like you’ve fainted! No one, least of all your humble servant over here, thought I would ever write anything about a football game. I know! But I have to say something about this.

The most important background about this situation is that the three following events are the only three times I’ve ever cared about a football game:

First time: When I was in 10^th grade, I was on the pep squad (why? I don’t know) and thus forced to attend all the school’s games. The only reason I cared about the game then was that I was newly in high school (back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth in Austin, Texas, high school started sophomore year) and wanted to be like all the other kids in high school. One remarkable evening, I even heeded the call of our pep-squad leaders to take off my socks because we had won games when it was too hot to wear socks with our Keds™ and now that it was cooler and we were wearing socks, we were losing. Some kind of superstition going on there, but I complied, even though I didn't understand how lack of socks would help or why several of the girls were crying.

Next up: When I was 18 or 19, the guy I was dating took me to his family’s home in the countryside outside Dallas for the weekend football game. His brothers were also there with their wives or dates, and my date paid for me to be in the football pool even though I said flat-out that I wasn’t interested. But it was a family tradition, so Jeff put money in for me. I was a total smart aleck and took the opposing team over the Cowboys. I never expected “my” team to win, but I did care a bit about the game’s outcome when it began to appear the Cowboys were goin’ down. In the end, I got the whole pot ($100, which was a fortune to me) even though Jeff had put in the money, because he and his family were so amused that I was so horrified, and they refused to let me return everyone’s cash.

Third and final: OU/Texas (or as they say in Austin, Texas/OU) game 2015.

Yeah, that last one’s recent, and it’s why I’m writing this. I actually was cheering for a team in this game. Fortunately for my sanity (and my reputation with my friends!), I think I have figured out why I gave a hoot.

Being an Austin gal in Oklahoma City, I have friends on both sides of the Red River and I follow a bunch of them on Facebook. Interestingly, even a couple of my most diehard Longhorn-fan friends told me Texas was doomed this year. Oklahoma hadn’t lost and Texas had won only once all season. I didn’t care. Big whoop. Meh. Whatever.

Then, suddenly it was the week before OU/Texas weekend, and my Facebook notifications increased exponentially. All the OU fans I follow were mostly silent about the upcoming game, even though their team was the favorite and the comments I did see were all “rah-rah OU, Boomer Sooner, we’re awesome” comments. All the Texas fans, however, were blowing my Facebook up dissing not only the University of Oklahoma’s football team, but OU in general, the whole state of Oklahoma, and everyone who lives here. Seriously! It was almost funny at first, but then it started to be not quite so almost funny, and by the time the weekend rolled around, I had begun to look forward to the game and to be ready for Oklahoma to roll right over Texas. (Boomer Sooner!)

So, finally, it was Saturday. The game was at 11:00 (in the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas, for the uninitiated). I didn’t care. I didn’t turn on the TV.

I did, however, do some errands around town and about 3:00 I wandered over to Qdoba™ for a snack. Qdoba™ has televisions in every corner, and I noticed the game was playing on one of the TVs, so in order to keep abreast of current events I sat facing the game. That was when I noticed the score was some crazy thing with Texas ahead. That was a surprise, given everything I’d heard about the two teams, but while I was sitting there, OU scored, and a Sooner win was still an option. Then I noticed there weren’t too many minutes on the clock, so I put down my book and actively watched the game. That’s when I saw the OU quarterback be sacked twice within five minutes! I was very unhappy. I texted Lisa and initiated what turned out to be a rather lengthy conversation about the game. I wanted Oklahoma to win. I very much wanted Oklahoma to win.

Then, it was over. OU lost and I almost started crying in my guacamole. Believe me when I tell you, I was more shocked that I cared about OU’s loss than I was about the actual loss.

And right then, Friends, was when I realized that while I absolutely did not care about the football game, I absolutely did care – and was a little ticked off – that the Texas fans were trash-talking my state and, by extension, everyone I love in Oklahoma, and me. Good-natured ribbing is one thing, and I laughed hard when one of my Longhorn friends posted “#owho?” after the game. Sadly, that friend was in the minority as far as good-natured Longhorn posts go, and even now, two full weeks after the game, truly ugly comments about Oklahoma (both the school and the state) are still coming across my Facebook newsfeed with amazing regularity.

So, here’s my point: Have some class, football fans. No one but you and your fellow fans give two hoots about your team’s win/loss. Your team may (or may not) be the best football team in your state, your conference, and/or the whole fabulous world of college football, but the fact is, your opponents love their own school and team with the same pride and ferocity with which you love yours. Just because you are a Longhorn or a Sooner or an Aggie or a Cowboy (or a fan from, Heaven forbid, some state besides Texas or Oklahoma!) does not make you and your people better than the people who support a different team. Show courtesy to your opponents. Don’t be unkind about the teams and people in other states. That's before and after the game, by the way.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t rib the other team or toot your own team’s horn, but you shouldn’t be mean spirited about it. When victory is yours, party on! Shout it from the rooftops that you rock! Do that for the rest of the weekend and then  . . . .  hush. Sure, post your “Hook ‘Em” or your “Gig ‘Em” or your “Boomer!” Support your team! But let last week’s game go – yes, even the Red River Rivalry game – and get fired up about your next game. Politely.

And while you are practicing being a good sport, I’d like for you to remember this, too. College football players are kids. They have the emotions of kids. Their actions and decisions are governed by immaturity and lack of experience. Maybe they were too cocky coming into the game and freaked out when the opposing team was tougher than they were expecting. Maybe they were disheartened when their opponents scored twice in the first ten minutes. There are probably at least a thousand things that can throw young players off their game. Don’t be so hard on them. They are kids. If they are good athletes, they will learn from their mistakes and will make you proud next time. Show them some grace. Give them a chance to improve.

BOOMER SOONER!

OWHO?

Whatever.

P.S. I'm not trying to dis the Longhorns here, and I'm not implying the Sooners are more sportsmanlike. I've seen all kinds of rotten behavior on both sides of that rivalry through the years, and a bunch more by other teams in Texas, Oklahoma, and other states. The OU/Texas game this year just happens to be the one that finally sent me over the edge.