Weekend With Pops

The weekend before the plague infiltrated my home, me and my dad hit the road. We headed north.

Our destination: The Cotton Bowl.

The event: The Red River Rivalry...UT vs. OU.

You see, our family bleeds orange. Burnt orange. Longhorn football is more than a game. It's spiritual.

We aren't alone. Longhorn devotees are some of the most rabid fans in the world. It's serious business. A fusion of state pride, tradition, and bragging rights.

All of these elements converge for the UT-OU game.

Dad and I were awake and donning our team regalia in the pre-dawn hours. Plenty of time to reach that bowl of cotton and check-out the early morning tailgating.

Me and Pops are ready to Hook 'em.

It was quite a climb to get to our seats. I figured we would be closer to God as He cheered on the chosen team.

I think I mentioned that UT fans are prideful.

While we waited for game-time we said "hi" to Bevo...

...and I started a new project. A project crocheted in burnt orange, of course.

And then it was time. The Longhorn Band took to the field signaling to thousands like us to "Texas Fight".

The game itself was ugly. Entertainingly ugly.

We did not play our best game. And that is the understatement of the season.

But a sea of orange cheered. Despite interceptions, sacks, turn-overs, incomplete passes, and missed tackles, that sea of orange stood and rallied their team to victory.

This is what victory looks like.

16-13 Horns. It wasn't a pretty win. But it secured bragging rights for another year.

Pops and I had such a memorable time. As I sat there surrounded by like-minded hardcore fans, I knew that there was not another person that I would rather experience it with than my dad.

He gets it. He appreciates it. He's into it. He loves it.

It's part of him just like it's part of me.

Hook 'em.