Emergency Mailbag!
A reader email requiring immediate attention.
Hey, I enjoy the blog and felt like you were 1 of 2 people who could help me here.
I was born in Austin, and grew up rooting for the Horns. I'm now a student at UT and a season-ticket holder for football, and I recently bought the stampede package for basketball.
I'm also a devout Red Sox fan. They won a thriller last night, and now Game 6 of the ALCS is scheduled for the same time as Texas/Missouri. I'm not selling my ticket, I'm just wondering if it's okay for me to wear my red sox hat into DKR on saturday night, OR should I go with the longhorn hat I've worn every time they've played this season? Your help would be appreciated here.
-Cory G.
(PS, the other guy I e-mailed with this problem was Bill Simmons)
I think we know what Bill's answer will be ("Neither. Wear a 'Rick Barnes Sucks' hat."), so you've come to the right place: It has to be the Texas hat.
1. Most Recent Title Factor: Texas -- Though both teams have recent titles, the Red Sox won the World Series last year. Relative to "reigning world champs," Texas is in a damn drought. Throw in the Sox' 2004 stunner, and Boston fans aren't hurting for glory.
2. Regional Considerations Factor: Texas -- The Celtics are the reigning world champs. The Patriots have won a handful of recent titles. At this point, Bostonians are probably sick of parades. In Austin, of course, all we have is the Longhorns. That's it. This is everything. Everything.
3. Any Given Game Factor: Texas -- True, the Red Sox face elimination on Saturday night, but baseball's world champion can--in theory--pop the champagne losers of 8 individual playoff games. Not so in college football, where 1 loss might be the end, and 2 is almost certainly the death of your title hopes. There's more riding on any one college game than a baseball playoff game. (Hence the need for any CFB playoff to remain exclusive enough not to disproportionately dillute this factor.)
4. Ferocity Of Opponent Factor: Push -- Tampa Bay and Missouri are good this year, but are historical disasters. If you were facing the Yankees, or Texas the Sooners, we might have to consider this.
5. Atmospherics Factor: Texas -- You're not going to Fenway. You're going to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. In Austin. To join a sea of burnt orange crazies hoping to keep this improbable run going at least one more week. Do your part. Don't be That Guy in a Red Sox hat. Just... don't.
If it's important enough to you to shun your lucky Longhorns hat to don a Red Sox cap, give your ticket to another Longhorn fan and watch Boston in a sports bar.
This is college football. Take no prisoners. (Or chances with good ju-ju, damnit.)
Hook 'em. Beat Mizzou.
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Its really a no brainer
Wear everything UT, but wear red socks. Just go to Walmart or Academy before the game or tonite and but some red baseball socks. Simple fix. You can have your cake and eat it too. You can do the burnt orange along with everyone, but secretly hide the fact that you’re checking your cell phone every 3 minutes for the sox/rays game.
See no harm no foul!
Go Horns! Go Rays! (Sorry buddy…love the Rays)
same situation for me
I’ll be at DKR wearing a Texas shirt, though I may wear a Pedroia shirt underneath. Yeah, I’ll look stupid, but sometimes these things have to be done.
More than enough?
I don’t understand this phrase.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Oct 17, 2008 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
assuming
I’m not to take you literally, what I meant was that I don’t think it’s necessary to be covered in burnt orange from head to toe. A shirt just about covers it.
by andy_wooster on Oct 17, 2008 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Statements like this
Validate every single thing ever said about Texas’ “laissez fair” approach to home-field advantage.
I swear, you hear about Penn St, UGA, etc and their blackouts or whiteouts, but here you have guys wanting to wear Red Sox gear?
Why don’t we have a whiteout of our own? I’d suggest an orange-out, but I think we’ve pretty much got that one down.
by orangeblood1 on Oct 17, 2008 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions
GO SOX!!
But I’ll be wearing Burnt Orange.
by roywilliamsisgod on Oct 17, 2008 1:34 PM CDT reply actions
Take both hats
Wear Sox hat at halftime. But remember, you have to balance the cap thing on Sunday when the Sox play Game 7.
Is this even a question?
Your football team is undefeated. You’ve worn the same Longhorns cap for every game this season. Your football team has a big game on Saturday.
You wear the Longhorns cap, of course. How many consecutive examples of something working do you need to know it works? If you don’t wear the Longhorns cap, and the Longhorns lose, is there any reasonable conclusion to draw other than that it’s your fault?
Also, it’s game six of a series in which Boston is down 3-2. The Red Sox cannot win the series on Saturday; a victory merely staves off elimination and a loss merely confirms what appeared inevitable after the Rays took a 3-1 series lead. Texas just beat the No. 1 team in the country, thereby becoming the No. 1 team in the country, and can cement its stature as the top squad in the land with a victory on Saturday.
Wear the Longhorns cap on Saturday. Wear the Red Sox cap on Sunday. It’s not a close call.
Go 'Dawgs!
by T Kyle King on Oct 17, 2008 1:39 PM CDT reply actions 5 recs
Ive worn the exact same outfit for the past 3 games
I’m not stopping now.
But yes, I have washed it all each week as well.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Oct 17, 2008 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions
"This is college football. Take no prisoners. (Or chances with good ju-ju, damnit.)"
Go play intramurals, brother.
Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.
- Thomas Jones
Warning!
Beware of me. I don’t like seeing anybody in sox cap tomorrow.
Hook ‘em! I’m excited
In Mack Brown We Trust!
I have nothing substantial to say
Other than that Boston sucks.
by Meekrob on Oct 17, 2008 1:58 PM CDT reply actions 4 recs
Very substantial indeed
In Mack Brown We Trust!
That's rich
Coming from Yankees, Rangers, and Nationals fans.
by andy_wooster on Oct 17, 2008 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Respect the streak
“If you believe you’re playing well because you’re getting laid, or because you’re not getting laid, or because you wear certain Longhorns hat, then you ARE! And you should know that!” – Crash Davis
Be nobody but yourself in a world that desperately wants you to be like everybody else.
I've worn the same Texas shirt for every game except for UTEP,
The only game we didn’t cover the spread. That lackluster Texas shirt has been jammed in the back of the drawer, and the Gray Texas Shirt of Perpetual Victory was washed last night and is hanging up with plenty of breathing room on either side.
So...
He’s asking if it’s okay to wear something with red on it? When our rivals our Oklahoma? When Tech and a maroon team of farmers reside in the same state?
Um, it’s not okay.
by TheElusiveShadow on Oct 17, 2008 2:19 PM CDT reply actions
Wow. Um, hi everyone.
Okay I did not think that my e-mail was going to be made into a post. Or that I’d have to create a screen name for this site as a result. But I do have 2 pairs of red socks (that I got from Academy actually), and I might wear the other pair tomorrow night (wore the first pair on Thursday). I’ve also grown a playoff beard for the Red Sox so I guess that works too. I will indeed go with wearing the longhorns hat that I’ve worn every time I’ve watched them play this season, and the Vince Young jersey I wear for the home games. I appreciate the input from all of you guys, positive and negative. Looks like I’ll have to comment often here as well. I’ll be in section 19 tomorrow night, row 40, by the stairs. Say hi if you can.
by Ricky'sDreadlocks on Oct 17, 2008 2:34 PM CDT reply actions
It's all good fun
It’s not like you’re a fake fan if you decide to wear a Sox hat. As long as you’re wearing orange and you’re loud, that’s fine.
by TheElusiveShadow on Oct 17, 2008 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions
have a blast
I’m glad to see you made the correct decision! But also in my opinion…I would wear the red socks you wore Thursday, since they came from behind and won. Dont F up the rotation man! Keep wearing that jersey.
I cant believe what I just said….no wear the other pair of socks. Im a Rays (Devil) fan.
A bit off topic...
Did anyone else notice the Red Sox fan at the game last night wearing a massive Longhorns sweatshirt? It’s amazing how often the ’horns pop up all over the country.
Yeah
My dad told me about that when I called him asking for a score update after my lab got out.
by Ricky'sDreadlocks on Oct 17, 2008 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions
No other team or sport
should be represented (or even thought about) during the course of a Longhorn football game. My $0.02.
May VY be with you.
I'm sure
That wearing a red sox hat in a SEA of Orange is going to distract the UT players enough to not be able to concentrate … gimme a break. Root for both teams. But me personally, I say “To hell with the Red Sox”
You could also just sell your ticket and wear orange in a bar while you watch the sox and horns on two different TVs
"Excuse me while I whip this out."
BOOO Red Sox
They’re going to lose Game 6 anyway. Don’t waste your time. Go to DKR, wear burnt orange, and cheer a team that’s going to win tomorrow.
by goingforthecorner on Oct 18, 2008 12:57 AM CDT reply actions
Tivo the Red Sox
And wear their cap while you watch the replay/
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.

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