Labor Day Weekend: The Texas Transplantation Cultural Experiment

by ucla84 on Aug 27, 2008 10:35 PM PDT Comment 6 comments

The first in a series of however many reports bad hotel internet service allows me to post from deep in the heart of Tejas.

Some of us just can't handle the thought of no Bruin Football on a Saturday during this most sacred time of the year. Make it opening weekend, and Monday is just too long to wait for college football. It's enough to make a jonesing Bruin seriously consider driving down I-5 for that fascinating San Diego State-Cal Poly tilt...or not. I figured I'd pass on a few notes about how they ball Texas-style over the next few days. I'll look for the Bruin angle where I can.

The itinerary:

Wednesday: American Airlines to Dallas. Greetings from a dumpy airport hotel!

Thursday: Wake Forest @ Baylor

Friday: SMU @ Rice

Saturday: Arkansas State @ Texas A&M

Sunday: Home Sweet Home - passing on Colorado-Colorado State, which woulda been fun, but I didn't want to find myself sitting in a daze on Brookside come noon Monday after a late morning flight from Denver.

Monday: Duh.

About the schedule: Sometimes you eat gourmet; sometimes you eat Hometown Buffet. Consider this schedule a matter of going for quantity over quality, while trying to preserve as much quality as possible. That having been said, there were only two Friday games of note, and the other one was in West Point. While it would have been awesome to see a game there, a two-hour direct flight to Dallas and a chance to visit College Station was too good to pass up.

There's some interesting stuff here, mostly three head coaching debuts and since everything is allegedly bigger in Texas, hopefully some very interesting tailgating. Rest assured, Bruin Blue will be worn in all three stadiums. Rest equally assured that some yokel will ask why I'm wearing a blue Bosox cap at least ten times a day.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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84

What made you do this road trip? How did you pick the three games before UCLA-Tenn?

by Nestor on Aug 28, 2008 7:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's exactly as I wrote.

I hate the thought of not having a Bruin game to watch on a college football Saturday. I especially hate it when it’s opening weekend. Actually, I’d be bouncing off the walls all the way to Monday if I didn’t do this.

So, I thought it would be fun to catch as many games as possible over the weekend. Because (1) Dallas is a two-hour non-stop flight away from SoCal, (2) the only other Friday game was much further away, and (3) Texas has its reputation for being a place that takes football mania to an entirely different level, I thought I’d come see how they do it out here.

The schedule was just a matter of finding at least one “legendary” place to go and as many D-1 games with an interesting story line around them. A&M is the payoff game. Rice is one of two Friday games out there, but there’s also the matter of seeing SMU’s first go with the run & shoot. Baylor just fits in geographically, but it’s also somewhat interesting, with Briles trying to fix BU and with Wake Forest still a surprisingly strong program.

I’m not looking forward to the 200 mile drive I have to make after Baylor tonight, however…

by ucla84 on Aug 28, 2008 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

A Taste of Texas Football

84, to really get a good taste of Texas football, you have to go to some Friday night high school games.

They will satisfy the football jones in the most rabid fan.

If you can set aside the ridiculous emphasis on the high school game here, and take in the total experience, it will blow you away.

Like everything in the eyes of most Texans, high school football is bigger and better in Texas — everything from great games to great bands. Stadiums better than some college facilities. Knowledgeable fanatic crowds. And, BBQ that doesn’t quit.

As a Bruin, living in Exile in Texas, I’ve truly enjoyed these Texas kids and the show they put on.

Of course it helps that my 16 year old daughter has marched in the band for a year and is now spending her second year in the color guard — but if I’m still here after she graduates, I’ll still take in a high school game or two each year.

Friday Night Lights — it’s a way of life, not a movie.

sjh

PS. Jen is going to try hard to get into UCLA and become a part of the solid gold sounds of the UCLA marching band.

sjh

by Class of 66 on Aug 28, 2008 5:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Color Guard

I was lucky enough to be recruited to join the color guard my freshman year at UCLA. It was a wonderful experience!

by jatkatbruin on Aug 30, 2008 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Texas is the king of high school football

Then Alabama is the prince. This time of year, Friday night newscasts are cut short so that all the scores can be reported. To be honest, I don’t understand all the hype, but that’s probably because my high school won 9 games in the four years I was there and hasn’t made the playoffs since 1983.

I’m glad to hear Jen wants to go to UCLA. I’m sure you and Mrs. 66 are only too happy to encourage her. How wonderful if she can be a third generation Bruin. I’m pulling for her.

So if Jen has two more years until college and Mr. BB has two more years left of grad school, how about you me and our spouses leave exile and return to California in 2010, maybe even on the same flight (fingers crossed very tightly).

by bruinbabe2000 on Aug 30, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Too bad on the CU-CSU game!

They used to play that game early in the morning. Guessing it got bumped because of the DNC hangover/cleanup. You could catch a contact buzz anywhere in Invesco, too.

I made travel and business plans for September 4-9 about 4 months ago so I could see the UT game. We had a family reunion planned for Sunday 7. I was one of the few who was bummed the game moved to Labor Day…oh well!

by BruinInDenver on Aug 29, 2008 1:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs