...a few months ago, I advised all students to spare no efforts in getting to the Erwin Center, as the UCLA game seemed ripe for being one of those "unforgettable games" that seems to happen once a season. In the last paragraph of the article, I made the unfortunate error of claiming the OU home game was over Winter Break as a further incentive for students to pull out all the stops to attend the UCLA game. As you know, that game was actually in Norman.
Since that time, Texas has entered a free-fall into the bubble range and OU has ascended to being the hottest--and potential number one-- team in the country. In the aforementioned Norman game, OU gave Texas its worst beating of the season and prompted Rick Barnes to bench most of the starters and provide Harrison Smith with a staggering 14 minutes on the floor. Texas needs to avoid a similar beating tomorrow night or our tournament chances will be placed in serious jeopardy, as we have already lost 4 of our last 6 games.
Exactly one month ago, this game looked like a monstrous showdown between two Top Ten teams and was generating buzz all over campus. Now, I really dont know. This week, several students have said they weren't planning on attending the game, and I honestly haven't heard that much excitement about it. The potential saving grace for the game--and perhaps the student crowd--is that Gameday is "coming to our citaaaaay." Even though the basketball version remains infinitely less popular than its football counterpart, it's still a pretty big deal and will place our basketball team on the prominent national stage against our biggest rival.
While I wont be able to attend Gameday for personal reasons--dont ask--I thought we should make a BON list of suggestions over signs to be brought to the Erwin Center. I have three rules, in addition to the UT Rules that all signs must be "television appropriate":
1) Anyone with a "45-35" sign should be shot. Let it go--it's over. This is basketball season. In fact, let's just avoid all references to football whatsoever.
2) "I'm Rick Barnes, Bitch!" signs are also expressly forbidden.
3) Anything suggested by 54b is immdiately adopted and turned into a sign.
Let's get this started...I really hope a lot of you take the time to come out tomorrow. I dont know if we'll blow the roof off the Erwin Center, but I'm not writing off the possibility.
Hook 'em!