Back From Pasadena

I just got back from Pasadena having traveled today back to Austin. I have been without internet access for two days and couldn't wait to read the blog. I have spent the last hour reading the posts, diaries, and comments. The smile on my face could not be any bigger. For a lot of reasons, I am not going to heaven, but I think I experienced something pretty close to it at the Rose Bowl.

One of my very first posts, just after Thanksgiving last year, was about how thankful I was. We had just beaten Texas A&M at home and both Bean and I were literally gushing over Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson. My gratitude this season is so much grater.

Thanks:
Mack Brown--Thanks for coming to Texas. Thanks for embracing Darrell Royal. Thanks for stellar recruiting classes year after year. Thanks for learning how to silence all your critics, fans and media alike. You have won more big games in the last two seasons than any other college football coach, including Pete Carroll. Thanks for always being positive and showing sometimes pessimistic fans, like myself, to see the potential upside.

Vince Young--Thanks for taking the game in your hands. As we have all said and hoped, that is exactly how we wanted it. Thanks for challenging your teammates last summer to win a national championship. Thanks for your coolness and your drive to win. It is rare to see a star college athlete stay as collected as you have under the most intense pressure. When we got the ball back after 4th and 2, there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to win the national title.

Gene Chizik--Thanks for coming to Texas. Thanks for refusing to lose. Thanks for holding the Trojans under 40 points for only the third time all year.

The Media, especially ESPN--Thanks for hyping USC so much. There is no way a single Longhorn needed motivating for the Rose Bowl, but after the month long love fest with the Trojans, the Texas coaches probably didn't even need to open their mouths in the locker room.

BON members--Thanks for coming to the site. Thanks for reading, for contributing, for correcting, for participating. This site is nothing but three guys running their mouths off without you.  

Texas Fans--Like the t-shirts say, thanks for coming early, being loud, staying late, and wearing orange. I haven't seen the game on tv yet, but the Rose Bowl was painted orange with fans. USC is around the corner. UT is half way across the country. But the fans were close to 50/50 in number and there is no doubt that UT fans were louder and more engaged in the game. And to the Southwest pilot who deliberately flew over Austin so we could see the Tower lit from 10,000 feet on our flight home, thank you.  

Rose Bowl--Thanks for a tremendous experience. I didn't attend last year's game and had never been to a national championship game before. The entire day was fabulous. From the luscious fairways of the golf course we parked and tailgated on to the pre game fire works and paratroopers to the post game celebration, my experience could not have been better.

Last, thanks to "the other Andrew" his wife, and his parents for playing Rose Bowl hosts. The tailgate was awesome; the food was never ending; and the memories will last a lifetime. And a special thanks again for the tickets.

The Rose Bowl was a once in a generation, if not a lifetime, game and I am so happy that I can say I saw Vince Young play the game of his life and maybe the best game in the history of college football. If any mortal could ever become Superman, it is VY.

2005-2006 BCS National Champions.

Hook Em Horns!!

--AW--