RRS vs. WLOCP

[HiFiGator]

Ok, that title is bit misleading since I'm not trying to have a competition. But with still some nearly 3 weeks until the big game, I just wanted to talk about something else and help get our minds off the Championship for a minute. I remember seeing someone mention having been to both the OU-Texas and Florida-Georgia games. How many of you can say that? I haven't. I have been to probably 15-18 games in Jacksonville as well as the two-year hiatus in 95 & 96 where we did a home and home while the Gator Bowl was being renovated. Those games in Jacksonville are just something special. I know you feel the same way about the RRS. Incidentally, I always thought it was the Red River Rivalry, but have noticed that everyone here uses RRS, so I guess "shootout" is the official title.

In case anyone doesn't know, the Florida-Georgia game has historically been called the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," although a couple of years ago they started a push to have that name eliminated. They can no longer use it on signs around the stadium or in advertisements of any sort promoting the game. Strangely enough, I haven't seen any change in the amount of drinking going on. :D :D

Even though I have never been to the RRS, I can tell that it is the one game that rivals the WLOCP. We will never reach a conclusion on which is better, but this is one area where I think a tie is satisfactory. They are both so absolutely unique when compared to any other games. The virtually 50-50 balance of fans is the obvious oddity. But it goes well beyond that.

For all the "hatred" between Florida and Georgia, it is a somewhat cordial rivalry -- at least off the field -- out of necessity. I don't know when the official first events for game week start -- probably Wednesday or Thursday night. But I know that it has become a week-long event. Jacksonville long since learned that they can't have the Jaguars play a home game the day after the WLOCP. The point is that from sometime very early in the week, there are hundreds of RV's from all over the Country that make the trek to Jacksonville. Red and Black live side by side with Orange and Blue for the better part of the week. Ok, so there are some fisticuffs every now and then. Still, it is just such an experience that I feel privileged to be a part of it. That is something that Tennessee fans never get to have. The same is true of Missouri or Kansas fans. I know there is great tailgating going on all over this great Land, but it is something special at such a unique annual event.

I know this is somewhat of a rambling post, but since we have this special type of matchup in common, I thought it might give us something else to talk about other than our upcoming matchup.


*Who has been to both the RRS and the WLOCP?
*What are the unique qualities that make the RRS so special to you?
*What are some of your fondest memories from an RRS?
*Lastly -- and I know I won't win this one -- which rivalry is the best overall experience and why?

[Cam]

1) Never been to the WLOCP.
2) Split crowd, Texas State Fair, wondering if your car will be where you parked it after the game.
3) 63-14
4) Totally subjective.

*** As far as I'm concerned, OU/Texas will always be the Red River War. Screw being pc.

[OUstud]

Hifi, to answer your question about the official name, right now it's Red River Rivalry, which is hella gay (and saying it aloud makes it sound like you've had a stroke or something). Before that it was Shootout, and before that it was War. Personally I'm partial to Shootout, it rolls off the tongue nicely.

And I didn't know they were doing away with the WLOCP name. That sucks, I always thought that was a cool name.

[yermom]

i need to check out an SEC game one of these days

OU/Texas is not really a week long ordeal, it's mostly just the weekend. basically everyone skips class on Friday, so they are kinda unofficially cancelled and tons and tons of people go to Dallas to party and antagonize Texas fans without even going to the game

it's like a bowl game in the middle of the year, with the same team every season, only half the stadium really hates the other half. recruits are watching. AD was on the OU side in 2003 when we dropped 65-13 on them and he hadn't committed yet

this might be a good question for Fraggle...

oh and Stoops is on record with how rabid the fans are at this game over any other one, and he's been to a few WLOCPs :D

[SoonersEnFuego]

... basically everyone skips class on Friday, so they are kinda unofficially cancelled ...
Except for those jerka$s Professors who schedule a test that day. :mad:

[HiFiGator]

vermom, there are thousands of students (Florida and Georgia alike) that treat the game the same way. They skip Friday and head to Jacksonville. There is a somewhat famous place on the St Johns river called "The Landing," which is the unofficial, official spot for trouble. Personally, I think it is overrated, but if your goal is to pay to park, pay to get in and then pay too much for a beer that takes a little to long to get and isn't quite as cold as it should be, then the Landing is your spot.

Seriously though, starting Monday or Tuesday, RVs start claiming their spots. By Thursday, there aren't any spots left in any of the overnight lots. You mentioned tons and tons going to antagonize Texas fans and not even go to the game. We have plenty of that too. SOmeone mentioned the Texas State Fair. Up until about 6 years ago, the friggin state fair was going on right next to our game too. The Jacksonville fairgrounds are adjacent to the stadium. That was the biggest mess. Anyone who actually wanted to go to the fair had nowhere to park and a giant traffic jam to deal with. And to the vast majority of us, there was this stupid fair right in the way. You couldn't walk through the fair without paying admission. Walking around took a good 30 minutes. It just sucked. Thankfully, those days are gone.

And one more thing: I like the angle of it being a bowl game in the middle of the year against the same team. That's very similar. I can honestly say that we would likely all be relatively comfortable in either environment.

[SoonersEnFuego]

*Who has been to both the RRS and the WLOCP?
*What are the unique qualities that make the RRS so special to you?
*What are some of your fondest memories from an RRS?
*Lastly -- and I know I won't win this one -- which rivalry is the best overall experience and why?

-I love the RRS, but have never attended the WLOCP, would be fun.
-It's in the middle of the Texas State Fair, so there's lots of food and beer available, along with rides and games. Split stands, Red/Orange.
-Jason White coming in and scrambling, Roy=Superman, and meeting Mark Clayton's dad all in the same day.
Also, the B-52 flyover was pretty damn exciting this year, and he tipped his wing (pretty pimp)
-I think OU-Texas is the best overall just because this rivalry does not end when they leave the field. Dallas is like Mardi Gras the night before. These teams were not even in the same conference until just over a decade ago, and it's not a tame, respectful meeting like OU-Nebraska. You can't shut a Texan up, they think they're the $hit just because they live in Texas. Weird.

[TexasEx4OU]

The RRS has corndogs, funnel cake, turkey legs, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a freak show, carnies, a giant ferris wheel, fried Twinkies and a swinging ship...

...'nough said.

[OUinFLA]

WLOCP?

You drink at football games?

:eek:


Ive been to the RRR/RRS/RRW back when it was simply....
OU -texas weekend.

Since it occurs at the same time as the texas State Fair, it used to attract ....hmmmm, 300,000 out-of-towners when I was going there.
That made for some mighty fine partying down on Commerce Street on Friday night. Saturday..... not so much, we were all too hungover. I assume the attendance has increased since the 60's when I went there.


Good times.

[Jacie]

I don't know when they started the whole Red River whatever-it-is but to me it was and will always be the OU-Texas game, while the other guys refer to it as the Texas-OU game.

It's been a long time since I got to experience one but those Friday nights (in the 70's anyway) were so intense you'd come this close to getting hurt . . . or arrested. Commerce Street was something you had to do at least once just to say you'd seen it. Sometimes, the Saturday nights weren't too bad either, it pretty much depended on the crowd you were partying with and whether or not OU won the game. The Texas State Fair was always worthwhile, win or lose. I personally looked forward to the pig races, playing tic-tac-toe with a chicken and getting some Helmut's Apple Streusel. If I ever do another OU-Texas game I will make it a point to stay at the Anatole (worth seeing just to hang out in the lobby even if you don't get a room).

[HiFiGator]

The RRS has corndogs, funnel cake, turkey legs, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a freak show, carnies, a giant ferris wheel, fried Twinkies and a swinging ship...

...'nough said.



So I presume you like the Florida-Georgia game more.


In all seriousness, we always viewed the fair as a nuisance at best and a royal pain in the a$$ at worst. Incidentally, Florida-Georgia is always Halloween weekend, or the closest to it. That is when they used to have the state fair in Jax. Thankfully, as I mentioned earlier, we don't have to deal with stinking carnies who bathe weekly but milk money out of people 24/7.

[OklahomaTuba]

Georgia makes me laugh.

And that game always sucks @$$.

[8timechamps]

HiFi,
I haven't been to the WLOCP, but have been to quite a few SEC games. None involving Florida though. I've been to several Tennessee/Bama games (back when both were good at the same time), and have been to a couple of LSU night games.

One thing I will say about the SEC, they tailgate better than any other conference. Hands down.

As for the RRW, RRS, RRR, there is really no explaining it to someone that's never been. Most folks rank it either just behind, or just in front of the Michigan/tOSU game.

The hatred between Oklahoma and Texas goes back so far. That's the only reason I think it's as big as it is. I don't know if Georgia is your biggest rival (ever), but there is no doubt Texas is ours.

The hatred of whorns by Sooners or Sooners by whorns doens't start and stop for that week. It's year round. Even when we play them in basketball, there's a feeling in the air that can only be likened to OU/Texas weekend.

How long has Florida and Georgia played each other? I always try to watch some of the WLOCP, and it certainly looks like a lot of fun.

I think the location has a lot to do with it. The Cotton bowl is such an historic place anyway. Add to that the location of the Cotton bowl itself (inside the Texas state fairgrounds, while the fair is going on), and you have all the making of a great time/game.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

In Norman, we can tailgate with the best of them. At the RRS there is practically no tailgating. But that is made up by the state fair experience with all the Sooners and whorns walking around. The carnies do the cooking for us.

There are events all week leading up to the game. Everynight there is an official OU alumni party/event with usually wed or thurs an alumni golf outing.

The RRS is truly amazing and like someone said, very difficult to explain to someone that has never been. Just the 50/50 and the hatred alone makes it very electric in the stadium and now that they've expanded it's just that much louder.

[tommieharris91]

i need to check out an SEC game one of these days

OU/Texas is not really a week long ordeal, it's mostly just the weekend. basically everyone skips class on Friday, so they are kinda unofficially cancelled and tons and tons of people go to Dallas to party and antagonize Texas fans without even going to the game


OU cancels classes the Friday of OU/Texas weekend. :confused:

And yes, plenty of people go to Dallas and to the State Fair of Texas, but not to the game.

Also HiFi, Mizzou and Kansas moved their annual Border War to Kansas City last season and will play there every season until at least 2012.

[SoonerBacker]

The texA$$ State Fair is not a nuisance. Oh, there are parking problems, but for OU fans, that's always the case. Parking for home games in Norman is a pain in the arse, too. But the fair experience makes up for any drawbacks related to parking.

One aspect of the exprience involes the drive in by the teams and the bands. The street that runs right by the south endzone (tunnel end) of the Cotton Bowl is lined with fans of both teams. As the team busses drive in, Dallas Mounted Police clear the road and the busses pass through a gauntlet of fans. Chants of BOOMER! SOONER!, & texA$$ SUCKS!, (those are just the printable ones) greet the whorn players. Of course, the whorn fans have their own greetings for our team. The bands march through that same area a few minutes later playing their respective fight songs and having insults thrown their way as they march by. (That's easier for OU fans to do since saxeT has the gayest band uniforms in the universe.) Once these events take place, most fans make their way to the Cotton Bowl for the pre-game festivities.

[delhalew]

Honestly, its probably a good thing they only cancel classes on fri. I n the mid-nineties when I went to school in Norman you done by Tuesday or Wed. that week. As I recall, its not so much that classes were canceled. More like the majority of profs simply required nothing of you that week. Many would actually say, "get your @ss to Dallas". Surely not the best policy for a University, but this our Sooners we're talking about here.

Its important to note this was during a rough patch for our Sooners and nothing dampens the intensity of OU-Texas. If anything uncertainty may have intensified the situation.

Next year could be the freaking Apocalypse.

[AlbqSooner]

I am the one who mentioned having been to both games. WLOCP is a GREAT time and a great rivalry. OU-texass, RRW, RRS, RRR is several steps above it. The Cotton Bowl is situated pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the Texas State Fair grounds. Your game ticket is also your admission to the fair since you can't get to the game without going to the fair. The fair runs for two weeks and the game is the middle weekend. It is the largest state fair in the country and draws, as mentioned, in the range of 300,000 on weekends, not counting the ones attending the game. Tickets are divided and the division runs down the 50 yard line. Hence, one end of the bowl is OU and the other end sucks. This produces a caucophony unlike anything I have heard except maybe UF/freeshoesu in the Swamp.

The Landing is interesting and gets kinda wild, but the old days of Commerce and Akard in downtown Dallas bordered on a Mardi Gras crowd.

Yeah, I am a Sooner fan and always will be, but after 6 times at the RRS and 3 times at the WLOCP, I am being quite objective when I tell you, the Jacksonville experience is not even close. Sorry to break it to you, but until you experience the RRS, you really can't understand. Even longtime Sooner fans who have never been in the stadium for that game really don't get it.

[8timechamps]

In Norman, we can tailgate with the best of them.

Dude. I've spent the better part of my life going to OU games. I've also been fortunate enough to go to several SEC games (at Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and Kentucky). I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, we don't hold a candle to SEC tailgating.

Don't get me wrong, I know there are some great tailgaters that put stakes down in Norman on Saturday's, but as a whole...not even close.

[goingoneight]

The RRS has corndogs, funnel cake, turkey legs, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a freak show, carnies, a giant ferris wheel, fried Twinkies and a swinging ship...

...'nough said.

Yeah, the WLOCP never sees any Texas fans.

[bluedogok]

From some of the stories that I have heard and read I think the "hatred" part reached its zenith in the 50-70's. The Dallas County Jail had separate OU and Texas holding cells because fights would break out in the combined holding cell between drunken enemy combatants. There would also be furniture launched out of the windows of The Adolphus Hotel onto to Commerce Street below. I know after the bulk of the festivities moved to the West End it seemed to lose some of "venom" towards each other. Most of the ones arrested now are local kids.

I do want to make the game in Jacksonville some year and make a game at most of the SEC schools sometime in the future, I just enjoy visiting other stadiums and going to games.

[Circle City Gator]

I've been to Jacksonville for Florida-Georgia, and to Florida-FSU in The Swamp. WLOCP is special for the neutral site and tradition, but Florida-FSU is a world unto itself. First, Florida Field is INCREDIBLY loud. When you walk in from ground level you are already half-way up the stadium- it's built on an old sink hole. Then, there is no track around the field. The stands are really right up on the field. And finally, it is the most vertical set of stands I ever way. I man, compared to most stadiums, they go straight up. Now that the stadium is fully enclosed, well, you simply can not imagine the noise in the place. At one time, mid-90s, it was in the Guiness book as the loudest outdoor event (later surpassed by an event specifically set up to break the record). Also, the hate is truly virulent, the passion astounding.

Yeah, sort of like OU-Texas. The point i'm making, really, is that Florida-FSU is probably a better comparison, rivalry-wise. And that comes from an old Gator whos most painful football memory is "Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott!" We always hated Georgia, but had at least a grudging respect for them. FSU, well, they just suck.

[bluedogok]

We always hated Texas, but had at least a grudging respect for them. OSU, well, they just suck.
Fixed that for you from the Oklahoma perspective.....but then I work with a few Whorns and live down here in the middle of them, for the most part they are fine to deal with because there is a level of respect with most of the ones that are not myopic blowhards, which luckily are most of the ones that I know. It seems the majority of OSU fans are myopic blowhards. When I lived in OKC I worked at a firm that was half Aggy (around 100 of them), I learned to understand my fathers dislike for them when I went to work there.

[owenfieldreams]

There are so many aspects of the game in Dallas, one has to stop & reflect on which ones are worthy of mention.

First, in Texas, where I have lived for some 40 plus years, it's simply called T-0 Weekend. Some also refer to it as simply, Dallas Weekend.The whole "Red River" thing started as a marketing ploy by first, Dr. Pepper & then A.T.T. as corporate sponsors. Noone refers to it that way that has any history with the game. It's like noone says they're going to watch a football game @ Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium......it's Owen Field for Christ's sake!

You have to understand the underlying issues that evolve around the game. The two campuses are almost equi-distant from Dallas. There is the whole inferiority/superiority thing with OU as it looks @ Texas & vis-a-versa. The oil business permeates the culture of both states so you have alumni working side by side in every nook & cranny of the region. Half the OU team is made up of Texans who as far as the Texas people are concerned, are traitors who should be shot.

Then there's the Fair.....largest state fair in the country. The stadium is on the fairgrounds so your game ticket gets you into the fair. The whole carnival atmosphere around the stadium, the fact that the team buses have to negotiate these throngs as they make their way to the dressing rooms. The "ramp" which both teams come down. The stadium split 50/50 @ the 50 yd. line.Home & away is alternated & the home team always gets to have recruits on the sidelines.Close to 100,000 inside & another 250,000 outside. It's simply awesome.

I have been to three county fairs and a couple of goat ropings & I have seen nothing that compares to the 2nd weekend in Dallas. This ain't no cocktail party. It's a bar fight in a Texas beer joint. I can guarantee there are no Fletcher's cornydogs @ The Gator Bowl or Altel Stadium or whatever it's called.

[Circle City Gator]

Fixed that for you from the Oklahoma perspective.....but then I work with a few Whorns and live down here in the middle of them, for the most part they are fine to deal with because there is a level of respect with most of the ones that are not myopic blowhards, which luckily are most of the ones that I know. It seems the majority of OSU fans are myopic blowhards. When I lived in OKC I worked at a firm that was half Aggy (around 100 of them), I learned to understand my fathers dislike for them when I went to work there.

Interesting. Is the OU/OSU relationship like UF/FSU? As in, "I couldn't get into UF, so I'll be a bitter little hater for the rest of my life"?

[bluedogok]

Many of the OSU people that I knew could be better categorized as ones who went to The University of I Hate OU more than they are fans of their own school. I knew quite a few people who grew up OU fans (most had parents who were OU alumni) who went to OSU because of scholarships, it always irritated the Orange Aggy's quite a bit.

[JGATOR]

Which rivalry is better? Not even close...it's the one your team is in. I liked watching the Red River Shootout (I prefer that to RRRivalry) it is usually a good game as it was this year. However, I don't get passionate about it like I do the game against the mangy buttsniffers from Athens.

[okiewaker]

So I presume you like the Florida-Georgia game more.

In all seriousness, we always viewed the fair as a nuisance at best and a royal pain in the a$$ at worst. Incidentally, Florida-Georgia is always Halloween weekend, or the closest to it. That is when they used to have the state fair in Jax. Thankfully, as I mentioned earlier, we don't have to deal with stinking carnies who bathe weekly but milk money out of people 24/7.

It's just a cocktail versus a cold beverage thing.

[owenfieldreams]

Florida vs Georgia is sort of like Colorado vs Nebraska. It became something of a happening after the only true traditional rivalry in the SEC went home/home.

The Iron Bowl is the only game that rivals OU/Texas & now that it's no longer in Birmingham, it pales in comparison.

When OU vs Nebraska no longer was a yearly game, Colordo tried to fill the void. Never happened, just like Florida vs Georgia will never be what the Iron Bowl was or OU/Texas is.

Meet me @ Big Tex & I'll tell you about it!

[KingBarry]

Never been to the game in Athens, but I consider that one of the great rivalries in sports. I would love to see a game down there, but will probably always be too busy with my Sooners.

After reading this thread, sounds like the Cocktail Party is a great rivalry, but the pure hatred between the partisans of the too schools playing in the Cotton Bowl puts the RRS over the top.

I'll tell you, unlike almost every other OU supporter, I am not a big fan of the RRS. It's just so drenched in hatred, it is never a positive experience. I've never really enjoyed the game-week, as I'm so worried about the game I can't relax. If we lose, I am miserable for a month, and if we win, instead of joy, I just feel this intense relief. And begin thinking about what could happen to us next year. To me, the whole affair is just not worth the stress.

As far as the hatred, honestly, I wish I didn't hate Texas so much, and I wish Texas didn't hate us so much -- but we all really do hate each other, so nothing can be done about it. There are just 10,000 deep-seated cultural reasons why Oklahomans can't stand the site (or sound!) of Texans, and why Texans think we (and all other non-Texans) are too backwards to matter, so the hatred will continue.

In fact, Gators, I think this fault-line between Texas and Oklahoma is a big cause of why us Sooners are unwilling to concede anything to you in the run up to the big game.

One thread on this board is filled with Sooners trying to argue, apparently, that the weather is not better in Florida, and the beaches are really much closer. And no Sooner wants to admit the SEC might, overall, be better than the Big XII, or that UF might have a better defense.

We've had all these discuss ad nauseam with Texans for decades, and we never get any relief from them, so I think most Sooners just adopt the "No surrender on any point" position as a default.

[AlbqSooner]

Having lived many years in Florida, I can say that in the intra state game UF is much like OU and FSU plays the part of osu. The main difference is that FSU has had some success in football over the years. Other than that, the attitude of the fans is comparable.

[HiFiGator]

Dude. I've spent the better part of my life going to OU games. I've also been fortunate enough to go to several SEC games (at Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and Kentucky). I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, we don't hold a candle to SEC tailgating.

Don't get me wrong, I know there are some great tailgaters that put stakes down in Norman on Saturday's, but as a whole...not even close.


I think maybe we might be onto something here. It might just have to do with what exactly is viewed as "ideal" or "best" for game preparation. Personally, I love tailGatoring, as we call it. Come baseball season, we will have at least one a week, and by SEC terms, that's nothing really to brag about. Mississippi St. and LSU at the, no-longer with us, "Box" puts our baseball tailgates to shame. Still, the point is that tailGatoring is one of the most important ingredients -- aside from the game itself of course. In that light, Florida-Georgia is nothing, if it isn't a week long tailgate that only grows larger and larger every day. Like I said, the fair was an aggrevation at the very least. Florida and Georgia football fans aren't very interested in playing shell games or three card monty with greasy transplants who don't even have green cards. And don't even get me started on silly games played with baloons and darts that won't even break skin ...

We want to fire up the grill, tap the keg or mix up a couple of cocktails and get down to talkin' some football! Anything that gets in the way of that, is not a benefit.

I know I can't say conclusively, since I have never been to the RRS -- although I am even more convinced than ever before that I must at some point in my life -- that the WLOCP is the "best." But I am even more convinced, that from the SEC perspective. it is. And I don't say that because I am an SEC homer, even though I am. At least in my eyes, the TailGatoring is largely what makes the game in Jax so special. Literally as far as the eyes can see, there is nothing but fans of one team or the other, cooking, eating, drinking and disCUSSING football, among other things. And it goes on for nearly a whole week, only getting more and more intense.

I am going to call it a tie though, because I totally understand, even if I can't directly relate to, the experience of the RRS.

I would urge any of you that have the opportunity, to check out Jacksonville, the next time you are near there on Halloween weekend. But I can assure you that if I am in the area, I will gladly check out the Cotton Bowl the first Saturday in October. And I won't be interested in any cotton candy or turkey legs.

[HiFiGator]

I've been to Jacksonville for Florida-Georgia, and to Florida-FSU in The Swamp. WLOCP is special for the neutral site and tradition, but Florida-FSU is a world unto itself. First, Florida Field is INCREDIBLY loud. When you walk in from ground level you are already half-way up the stadium- it's built on an old sink hole. Then, there is no track around the field. The stands are really right up on the field. And finally, it is the most vertical set of stands I ever way. I man, compared to most stadiums, they go straight up. Now that the stadium is fully enclosed, well, you simply can not imagine the noise in the place. At one time, mid-90s, it was in the Guiness book as the loudest outdoor event (later surpassed by an event specifically set up to break the record). Also, the hate is truly virulent, the passion astounding.

Yeah, sort of like OU-Texas. The point i'm making, really, is that Florida-FSU is probably a better comparison, rivalry-wise. And that comes from an old Gator whos most painful football memory is "Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott!" We always hated Georgia, but had at least a grudging respect for them. FSU, well, they just suck.


I am going to knock you down a peg or two, circle. Don't take it personally. First things first: this isn't a thread to get into "we're the loudest," or "we're so great" for this or that reason. We both have great programs, great rivalries and teams to be very proud of. Secondly, if you think that the event of the game itself, between Florida and FSU rivals that of Florida-Georgia, then you are sadly mistaken. Don't get me wrong, I despise FSU with every fiber of my being. I stop short of wanting their plane to crash on the way to their bowl game, but if it was hijacked and taken to Siberia and everyone was kidnapped for 25 years, then that would be a good thing. Thirdly, if you think our stadium is the "steepest," then you need to move around a bit. By far, without a doubt, the steepest stadium I have been in, is Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, and specifically, the upper deck. I swear, you have the feeling that if you fall forward at all, you will tumble onto the field. Our stadium isn't even close, in that regard. In fact, the Gamecock stadium is steeper, as well.


All of that being said, I think we have stumbled onto something. This will be hard to say without sending out the wrong message. There is certainly no love lost between Florida and Georgia. But I think that the intensity of the hatred between Florida and FSU that you point out, signifies why the OU-Texas game might have the edge. As an outsider looking in, it sounds to me that the Texas-Oklahoma game might be a blending of the Florida-FSU and Florida-Georgia rivalries. There is the intense hatred that Florida and FSU have for each other, as well as all of the peripheral aspects that make the annual, neutral field contest so special. I still contend that the Florida-Georgia game ... the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party!!!! ... is the best overall game experience. But I must admit that there is a personal preference to the tailgate atmosphere, rather than the carnival atmosphere.

I would suggest that you OU fans might actually agree with me, if the shoe was on the other foot. But I also understand that the novelty and speciality of your game is unsurpassed as well.

Once again, I call it a tie as to the overall experience. But now that I think about it a bit more, I certainly can't argue with those of you that favor the RRS. If the rabid hatred of the Florida-FSU rivalry was added to the WLOCP, then Duval County would need those separate jails that someone else was talking about earlier.

[fadada1]

been to OU/texas 6 times and have never seen us win. thus, i will never go again. i digress...

i've never seen anything that could be considered "cordial" about the OU/texas rivalry. "hate" might be to compasionate of a word - possibly even suggesting friendship. i've got a good friend that is a texas fan... he hasn't responded back to any messages in the last month. i've never had a conversation with a texas fan that seemed totally respectful. there always seems to be something brewing under the surface.

i've always said if you're a fan of college football, you should see the OU/texas game at least once before you die. if you can't appreciate what a college football rivalry is after that, you should start watching women's bowling.

[fadada1]

on a side note, i loved going to as many gator baseball games as i could, but nothing beat sitting in the outfield for OU games. SEC baseball is fun, but find me a better atmosphere than the OU/osu baseball weekend series, and i'll change my tune.

[tbl]

*Who has been to both the RRS and the WLOCP?

Not I. Not really interested either. Before the end of this season, I had contemplated adopting the Dawgs as my SEC team of note (just b/c I have some good friends that are UGA fans). Now I've realized that still goes to Bama... and obviously I can't root for UF (unless the game this year goes well and the fanbase turns out to be respectable).

*What are the unique qualities that make the RRS so special to you?

The State Fair has a lot to do with it. That's definitely unique to the game. Usually it works out that whoever wins the game takes control of the Fair and West End for the night. The losers can either go home, go to the hotel, or have a night of hell on earth.

*What are some of your fondest memories from an RRS?

65-13. I was on the front row at the 30 yard line, paid face value for my ticket, got to meet TRRW, got hi fives from all the players after the game, and had my picture taken with the trophy, all while being present for the largest point differential in the series history. It was AWESOME.

*Lastly -- and I know I won't win this one -- which rivalry is the best overall experience and why?

I can't say for the WLOCP, but I would obviously give the edge to OU/TX. A big part of that now is that an overwhelming number of UGA fans are rooting for UF this year in the game against OU. The only reason behind this is all the SEC pride bullcrap. While there are OU fans that will root for saxet, I believe the majority are like me that only wish misery, loss, and pain on UT and their program for all eternity. The worse off saxet is, the better it is for OUr recruiting, National title hopes, conference championships, etc. However, saxet has always been good, always will be, and yet we still dominate them in the latter two (which are the most important). :D

There isn't a grudging respect like there is with you guys. That would be held for Nebraska (though that rivalry has definitely lost some of its magic since we adopted the sucko Texas teams into the Big 8). There is hatred, all year, for all sports, and it will always be that way. Just imagine if FSU were adopted into the SEC. I'm sure UF's butthumping of the SEC would taper significantly were that to happen.

[StormySooner-IN]

i'm confused. I thought Ohio State-Michigan was the greatest rivaly in all of sports history?? :confused:



:rolleyes:

[tbl]

You can't say that isn't a good one. Those people HATE each other, and that's been going on for a long time as well.

I think the two greatest rivalries would be tOSU/UM & OU/TX. UGA/UF is up there, but there is no room for "grudging respect" in a true rivalry. When that happens, its a different category. I love the OU/NU game, but with the respect and lack of hatred there, it doesn't carry the same emotions as TX... not even close.

[HiFiGator]

You can't say that isn't a good one. Those people HATE each other, and that's been going on for a long time as well.

I think the two greatest rivalries would be tOSU/UM & OU/TX. UGA/UF is up there, but there is no room for "grudging respect" in a true rivalry. When that happens, its a different category. I love the OU/NU game, but with the respect and lack of hatred there, it doesn't carry the same emotions as TX... not even close.



That's fair enough, but from my perspective, there's no place for "tilt-a-whirls" and turkey legs at a football game either.

In fairness, my question wasn't specifically concerning the "rivalry" itself, as much as the overall game experience. There are a bunch of great rivalries out there. In addition to those mentioned, you could add USC-UCLA and Army-Navy to the list. Auburn-Georgia, Bama-Tennessee and the Iron Bowl -- Auburn-Bama would be on a very short list as well. Oklahoma-Nebraska should be, but that isn't annual anymore is it?

In any case, my question was really pertaining to the event, rather than exclusively the rivalry. I know they are intricately intertwined, but I do think there is a distinction. In my mind, the RRS and the WLOCP are at the top as far as college football game events. Army-Navy is "right there" to a lot of people, but to the general public, it falls short simply because of the lack of National significance ... at least in modern times.

Still, I would urge any real fan to enjoy Jacksonville for that one Saturday in late October/early November ... and almost as importantly, during those 4 or 5 days leading up to it. It really is something special.

One of these days, I will make it to Dallas a few weeks earlier as well. I think there is room for more than one can't miss game in a month isn't there?

Lastly, there is certainly no love lost between Florida and Georgia. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. My point was simply that starting the Tuesday before the game, thousands of fans start arriving and setting up camp. You can only fight for so long. Hell, I don't give a rat's a$$ about the University of Georgia, but I don't mind enjoying a steak and/or beer with a delusional fan of theirs.

[FirstandGoal]

That's fair enough, but from my perspective, there's no place for "tilt-a-whirls" and turkey legs at a football game either.
That's because you have never experienced it at the Texass State Fair.
Seriously, I hate almost all things associated with Baja Oklahoma, but I am willing to bet all I own that their state fair completely kick the *** of anything else that you have ever seen.


In fairness, my question wasn't specifically concerning the "rivalry" itself, as much as the overall game experience. There are a bunch of great rivalries out there. In addition to those mentioned, you could add USC-UCLA and Army-Navy to the list. Auburn-Georgia, Bama-Tennessee and the Iron Bowl -- Auburn-Bama would be on a very short list as well. Oklahoma-Nebraska should be, but that isn't annual anymore is it? This is the problem as to why we will just have to agree to disagree on this thread. What every OU fan has been saying is that the rivalry is what makes the game better and you are wanting to relegate the rivalry aspect to the back seat in evaluating the 2 different types of game. Apples to Oranges, my friend.


In any case, my question was really pertaining to the event, rather than exclusively the rivalry. I know they are intricately intertwined, but I do think there is a distinction. In my mind, the RRS and the WLOCP are at the top as far as college football game events. Army-Navy is "right there" to a lot of people, but to the general public, it falls short simply because of the lack of National significance ... at least in modern times. I would agree that the 'events' are all similar, but nothing.... and I mean nothing compares to the atmosphere and unique circumstances that makes up OU/TX.


Still, I would urge any real fan to enjoy Jacksonville for that one Saturday in late October/early November ... and almost as importantly, during those 4 or 5 days leading up to it. It really is something special.
In an alternate universe where I didn't have kids, a full-time job, and eleventy-bajillion other responsibilities that keep me from flitting off to Florida. :P


One of these days, I will make it to Dallas a few weeks earlier as well. I think there is room for more than one can't miss game in a month isn't there?
Just make sure that if you do, you learn this symbol: Hook 'em

[owenfieldreams]

You're putting way to much emphasis on the specific components of the fair w/o considering the whole panorama of the spectacle that is T-0 weekend. When you are on a massive fairgrounds with 300,000 people & attending a game like this within this panorama, you simply cannot describe it adequately.

There's no tailgating @ OU/Texas because you're in an urban area on a huge entertainment venue. It's not the car show, or the midway, or the entertainment, or the animal barns or the various shows, it's the overall spectacle that surrounds the stadium. It's the bands marching through the fairgrounds.

We tailgate @ our home games & invite opposing fans to join us but when you go to Dallas, it's a war.

[bluedogok]

i've never seen anything that could be considered "cordial" about the OU/texas rivalry. "hate" might be to compasionate of a word - possibly even suggesting friendship. i've got a good friend that is a texas fan... he hasn't responded back to any messages in the last month. i've never had a conversation with a texas fan that seemed totally respectful. there always seems to be something brewing under the surface.
I guess that it is a bit different for me, I have never developed the "hate" that some people do, even living in OKC most of my life, in the end it is just a game and to take things to that extreme just never seemed right to me. One thing that I have found out in dealing with Whorn fans is the further they get away from Austin the worse they get. I got a ton more crap from them when I lived in Dallas than I do living in Austin, most are pretty cool about being an OU alum to me. the ones that I know have more "hatred" towards A&M because they feel while OU and Texas are pretty much equals A&M is their "little brother who always wanted to be something" like OSU is to OU...although Tech is moving up on that scale to them since A&M has slid past Baylor...most just think the collie cult as an weird bunch.


That's fair enough, but from my perspective, there's no place for "tilt-a-whirls" and turkey legs at a football game either.
Much of that is tradition, the game has been held at The State Fair of Texas continuously since 1929, with the first game held there in 1912, 1913 in Houston and back to Dallas in 1914-1919. The last home-n-home games were the 1922 (Norman) and 1923 (Austin) seasons, they didn't play each other in 1920-21 and 1924-1928. So the fair location has been a tradition for almost 80 straight years, so we know nothing else than that whereas the Florida-Georgia game from what you have stated has only had the fair around it a few times.

There will be rumors on/off from here on out about the game moving to Jerryworld from The Cotton Bowl, if that happened it would probably be more like the tailgating experience that you described, which wouldn't be that bad but just different than what the OU-Texas game has traditionally been. One thing about that though, you could still get a Fletcher's Corny Dog there, we had some at the Cowboys Thanksgiving game at Texas Stadium and they were good.

Just like I would like to go to the Cocktail Party game sometime just to experience it, I would suggest that sometime y'all try to make the game in Dallas one year, all of those type games are just special events for all die-hard college football fans.

I don't have that good of a memory, I got the years of game locations from SoonerStats.com - OU-Texas Football Series (http://www.soonerstats.com/football/series/details.cfm?oppid=7).

[NYC Poke]

I have never been to either, but I do have tangential experience with the RRS. It was my second year in law school, and I was in Dallas for a job interview. I'd been really busy with law review, school, and interviewing, and hadn't kept up with what was happening in the world of college football. I'd flown into Dallas late on a Sunday night and checked into the Adolphus hotel (great place to stay on someone else's dime), where the firm was putting me up.

I thought I'd have a beer or two before going to sleep, and called room service to order a Heineken. They told me they were out of Heineken. I ordered another kind of beer, and they said they were out of that, too. I asked them what kind of beer they had, and was informed they were completely out of beer. The RRS had been that weekend, and they hadn't been resupplied yet.

[gator.net]

I wish the WLOCP would do a stadium split at the 50 yard line like the RRS, rather than splitting in the endzones

[TXBOOMER]

I'm gonna guess the Sooner fans think more of OU-texass and the Gator fans think more of the Gators vs. Dawgs. I would love to check out one of those big SEC rivalry games one of these days.

[westcoast_sooner]

Been to 3 RRS games - the last two were the 2000 (63-14) and 2003 (65-13) blowouts. Game atmosphere is the best in college football as far as I'm concerned. The split crowd with one side cheering on every single play makes it something truly special.

My son and I want to head to the WLOCP sometime soon. We have some family in Jacksonville and they are UF fans, so it would be a lot of fun going with them - maybe next season.

[Jaggles]

Been to every wlocp since the early 70s. We used to be split in quarters, now half is Florida, half georgia. its a great atmosphere, always loud. But so if the RRS. Georgia is talking of going home and home because we are dominant now. I think that would be a travesty. Glad to see the Sooners cherish the tradition, even though its in Texas. these are the last 2 big neutral site games. Hate to see either one pass away.

[SoonerBacker]

Originally Posted by HiFiGator
"That's fair enough, but from my perspective, there's no place for "tilt-a-whirls" and turkey legs at a football game either."


I've been to OU/saxeT 15 times. I have never been on a ride or eaten a turkey leg. (Corny-dog is a different story.) But it isn't the carnival itself that makes the atmosphere so special. It's just that you have all of those OU and Whorn fans crammed into a relatively confined area and you can feel the hatred. Especially as the team busses and the bands make their way to the stadium. That experience is the main thing I look forward to each year. And of course there is the West End the Friday night before. While it's not as intense as Commerce Street used to be, the West End can get pretty interesting.

I guess it's hard to really explain what either rivalry is like to someone who has never been. but from what I can tell about the UF/FSU thing, it sounds very similar to OUr experinces with oSu. Except for the fact that oSu has virtually no history of winning football seasons.........

[HungaryGator]

Lemme try to answer some of the questions posed earlier.

How long has the WLOCP been played? Since the early 30's at the very beginning of the SEC.

Are the mangy flea-bitten butt-sniffing poodles are biggest rival? HELL YES! We have beaten them 16 of the last 19 times. You would think that utter domination might lessen our hate and we might say "the poor fellows have had enough". But you would be wrong. I don't care if we are winning 60-0 in the closing seconds, if we have the ball I want us to fire it into the endzone to try to get another score just to rub their noses in it and increase their humiliation even more. We can NEVER beat them often enough or badly enough to satisfy me. When we tell you we do have a certain grudging respect, you have to understand it in the context of what I wrote above. As for fsu they are our retarded upstart little brothers who benefitted massively from our probation in the 80's, got too big for their britches for a while and have now sunk back to their previous mediocrity. We just laugh as we punk them year after year after year knowing their massive inferiority complex gets just a little worse with each buttwhipping at our hands. We have no respect for them at all. They deserve none.

One little bit of trivia....the reason they had to start dividing the Gator Bowl into halves instead of quarters is that with quarters there were more rival fans next to each other and thus more fistfights.

The party atmosphere leading up to the WLOCP is awesome. Most merchants secretly hope UGA wins because the Gators stay around even after they lose the game since a lot of them live in Jax anyway. The poodles slink back to Georgia with their tails between their legs as fast as possible when they lose. If anybody does want to go to the WLOCP, I highly recommend partying at the Beach instead of at the landing. There are plenty of better bars at the beach than anything in the Landing and the parking is easier.

[L-Boy]

Lemme try to answer some of the questions posed earlier.

How long has the WLOCP been played? Since the early 30's at the very beginning of the SEC.

Are the mangy flea-bitten butt-sniffing poodles are biggest rival? HELL YES! We have beaten them 16 of the last 19 times. You would think that utter domination might lessen our hate and we might say "the poor fellows have had enough". But you would be wrong. I don't care if we are winning 60-0 in the closing seconds, if we have the ball I want us to fire it into the endzone to try to get another score just to rub their noses in it and increase their humiliation even more. We can NEVER beat them often enough or badly enough to satisfy me. When we tell you we do have a certain grudging respect, you have to understand it in the context of what I wrote above. As for fsu they are our retarded upstart little brothers who benefitted massively from our probation in the 80's, got too big for their britches for a while and have now sunk back to their previous mediocrity. We just laugh as we punk them year after year after year knowing their massive inferiority complex gets just a little worse with each buttwhipping at our hands. We have no respect for them at all. They deserve none.

One little bit of trivia....the reason they had to start dividing the Gator Bowl into halves instead of quarters is that with quarters there were more rival fans next to each other and thus more fistfights.

The party atmosphere leading up to the WLOCP is awesome. Most merchants secretly hope UGA wins because the Gators stay around even after they lose the game since a lot of them live in Jax anyway. The poodles slink back to Georgia with their tails between their legs as fast as possible when they lose. If anybody does want to go to the WLOCP, I highly recommend partying at the Beach instead of at the landing. There are plenty of better bars at the beach than anything in the Landing and the parking is easier.

I have been to WLOCP half a dozen, maybe up to 10 times, I lost count. I live in DFW, but have never been to RRS. I have been to state fair. Basically the state fair is a ton of people falling all over each other, eating just about anything you can think of, fried. You name it, you can get it fried.

The one thing I noticed about OU/TX vs UF/ Ga is I think there is more state identity wrapped up in TX/OU - and its more on the OU side. The whole state of OK is really wrapped up in the Sooners as its identity - I knew a person who lived in OK and worked with the local and state govt officials - he said some time back a proposal was floated to bring NASCAR to OKC - but it was rejected, one of the reasons was it may become bigger than Sooner football. Also, some businesses in OK really don't want to do business with Texans, and a lot of that stems from the football rivalry.

[HiFiGator]

Originally Posted by HiFiGator
"That's fair enough, but from my perspective, there's no place for "tilt-a-whirls" and turkey legs at a football game either."


I've been to OU/saxeT 15 times. I have never been on a ride or eaten a turkey leg. (Corny-dog is a different story.) But it isn't the carnival itself that makes the atmosphere so special. It's just that you have all of those OU and Whorn fans crammed into a relatively confined area and you can feel the hatred. Especially as the team busses and the bands make their way to the stadium. That experience is the main thing I look forward to each year. And of course there is the West End the Friday night before. While it's not as intense as Commerce Street used to be, the West End can get pretty interesting.

I guess it's hard to really explain what either rivalry is like to someone who has never been. but from what I can tell about the UF/FSU thing, it sounds very similar to OUr experinces with oSu. Except for the fact that oSu has virtually no history of winning football seasons.........



I have never been on a ride or eaten a turkey leg. (Corny-dog is a different story.) But it isn't the carnival itself that makes the atmosphere so special.

I agree, but even take it a step further. Not only is the carnival itself not what "makes the atmoshpere so special." In fact, it is the carnival that actually gets in the way.


[i]It's just that you have all of those OU and Whorn fans crammed into a relatively confined area and you can feel the hatred. [/v]

That much is the same in either game, and I do agree that it adds to the atmospherel.

[tbl]

The one thing I noticed about OU/TX vs UF/ Ga is I think there is more state identity wrapped up in TX/OU - and its more on the OU side. The whole state of OK is really wrapped up in the Sooners as its identity.

Well it IS the Sooner state...

That's what happens when your state only has one real school (no offense NYC Poke). The vast majority of Okies are Sooners, then there are always the fringe Pokes out there.

In Florida, you have UF, FSU, Miami, Dolphins, Bucs, Magic, Rays, Heat, Marlins, etc. It's hard to get a whole state on board (though I know UF claims they own the state). Look at Nebraska. That state ONLY has the Huskers. They don't even have a little brother to pick on. They are a Husker state, no ifs ands or buts. It makes for a great college football state, just like Oklahoma. We now have the Thunder, but still, it's the Sooner state.

[OUTrumpet]

OU/Texas is not really a week long ordeal, it's mostly just the weekend. basically everyone skips class on Friday, so they are kinda unofficially cancelled and tons and tons of people go to Dallas to party and antagonize Texas fans without even going to the game

it's like a bowl game in the middle of the year, with the same team every season, only half the stadium really hates the other half. recruits are watching. AD was on the OU side in 2003 when we dropped 65-13 on them and he hadn't committed yet

I thought classes were officially cancelled the Friday before?

And Texas brought in AD and Bomar to the RRSO in 2003. We were the road team in 03 so we couldn't bring recruits. The only year they stood on the Texas sideline.

[HiFiGator]

Well it IS the Sooner state...

That's what happens when your state only has one real school (no offense NYC Poke). The vast majority of Okies are Sooners, then there are always the fringe Pokes out there.

In Florida, you have UF, FSU, Miami, Dolphins, Bucs, Magic, Rays, Heat, Marlins, etc. It's hard to get a whole state on board (though I know UF claims they own the state). Look at Nebraska. That state ONLY has the Huskers. They don't even have a little brother to pick on. They are a Husker state, no ifs ands or buts. It makes for a great college football state, just like Oklahoma. We now have the Thunder, but still, it's the Sooner state.


That's a fair point, at least on the surface. But it isn't quite like you suggest. First off, there are NO Marlin fans. The same is really true of south Florida in general -- the area, not the University. Dolphin fans are beginning to crawl out from the woodworks now that they are doing well. But if they lose at the Jets this weekend and if New England wins, then the Fins are out of the playoffs. If that happens, all of these fair weather fans will put their jersies up for the year. But in fairness, we do have 2 NHL hockey teams, 2 NBA basketball teams, 2 MLB baseball teams and 3 NHL football teams in addition to the number of universities. That will certainly divide a state.

[OUinFLA]

3 NHL football teams?
do their cleats slip on the ice a lot?

[TexasLidig8r]

I have been to every Texas - OU game since 1977.. except for one (damn the Indian Princess campout that weekend! :mad: )

The weekend atmosphere cannot be adequately explained.. it has to be experienced.

As a younger man, in college and law school, there is that irrational, all out hatred for everything OU. It is ingrained that they epitomize everything that is wrong about college football... you hold on to that and it just is all encompassing. The night before is for getting trashed, smack yelling at anyone wearing red polyester, watching college kids from both schools being hauled off to jail.

Drinking beer from the crack of dawn the next day until you cannot stand.

The game itself, has a feeling, an intangible atmosphere that again, can't be explained.. but it is felt. You have so much history and you know that for decades, the giants of the game played in that stadium, either that first or second Sat in October... You can sense it. And every play you stand in anticipation.. either anxious or dreaded.

Now, .. the weekend is a great reason to meet up with friends.. eat fabulous food, soak in the game.... we go to Del Friscos, or N9ne or Craft Steakhouse and watch OU alums valet park our cars... enjoy bloody mary's before the game, Maker's Mark at the game, a good cigar afterwards.. and then again, great food after the game (again, tipping the OU alum waiter more generously after a Texas win).

I'm too old to "hate" OU... there is a begrudging respect for their accomplishments... I have met a number of people from this website, enjoy their company, try to ignore the noobies and the kids as much as possible.. and know that next October.. will be enjoying the atmosphere again.

[PLaw]

Which is better? How many times has the WLOCP had a direct impact on the National Championship? 'nuff said.

BOOMER

[O-town Gator]

And I didn't know they were doing away with the WLOCP name. That sucks, I always thought that was a cool name.

We Gator fans still call it the WLOCP. And we always will. We won't listen to that bunch of self-righteous pansies who just want to call it Florida-Georgia.


How long has the WLOCP been played? Since the early 30's at the very beginning of the SEC.

Are the mangy flea-bitten butt-sniffing poodles are biggest rival? HELL YES! We have beaten them 16 of the last 19 times. You would think that utter domination might lessen our hate and we might say "the poor fellows have had enough". But you would be wrong. I don't care if we are winning 60-0 in the closing seconds, if we have the ball I want us to fire it into the endzone to try to get another score just to rub their noses in it and increase their humiliation even more. We can NEVER beat them often enough or badly enough to satisfy me. When we tell you we do have a certain grudging respect, you have to understand it in the context of what I wrote above. As for fsu they are our retarded upstart little brothers who benefitted massively from our probation in the 80's, got too big for their britches for a while and have now sunk back to their previous mediocrity. We just laugh as we punk them year after year after year knowing their massive inferiority complex gets just a little worse with each buttwhipping at our hands. We have no respect for them at all. They deserve none.

One little bit of trivia....the reason they had to start dividing the Gator Bowl into halves instead of quarters is that with quarters there were more rival fans next to each other and thus more fistfights.

The party atmosphere leading up to the WLOCP is awesome. Most merchants secretly hope UGA wins because the Gators stay around even after they lose the game since a lot of them live in Jax anyway. The poodles slink back to Georgia with their tails between their legs as fast as possible when they lose. If anybody does want to go to the WLOCP, I highly recommend partying at the Beach instead of at the landing. There are plenty of better bars at the beach than anything in the Landing and the parking is easier.

It's a great weekend to be up in Jacksonville, that's for sure. Parties all over the place (and the cops too); driving in from Orlando the St Johns River is THICK with boats - and fans out there partying. There are events planned for both Florida and Georgia fans, so nobody gets slighted.

Not just at the beach, but outside the city there are also some decent places to go party as well. If it's still warm enough to hit the beaches, the WLOCP is even more special.

And when the leghumpers lose, they are nowhere to be found in Jax the next day - they're north of the state line - where they belong - in three shakes of a gator's tail.

[MrJimBeam]

The game itself, has a feeling, an intangible atmosphere that again, can't be explained.. but it is felt.

I've never heard crowd noise at any other sporting event like that at the OU-Texas game. The sound made by the fans is not so much a cheer but more a guttural roar.

Of course the weekend has not been the same since Commerce Street. It's not the same OU-Texas unless someone gets their skull crushed by a TV tossed from a 7th floor hotel room.

Next year may be as close to old school OU-Texas we've seen in a long time.

[owenfieldreams]

Yes, next year will be interesting. Jack Cisco replaced by Jerry Palm.

I can hardly wait to wear my "God Bless Blake Gideon" t-shirt.

Best response so far....."how many times has the Flordia vs Georgia game had national significance? How many total NC's do these two have compared to OU/UT?

[oudivesherpa]

After living seven years in Florida (Sarasota) eight years in Georgia (Chickamauga) ten years in Oklahoma (Norman & Tulsa) and twenty years in Texas (Houston) nothing compares to the RRS. A few years ago a group of Nigerian exchange students were staying in downtown Dallas during the second week of October (the weekend of the RRS) and saw the crowds in the street at 1AM and shouting in the halls of their Hotel. The students afraid for their safety, the called 911--the police tried to calm the students and told them they didn't need police protection. It was only an orderly riot.It would be over by 11AM (game time) the next day.
After WLOCP the fans seems to move on, you can wear Dogs gear in Tampa, but you're taking you live into your hands to wear Sooner gear in Houston!

[Fraggle145]

i need to check out an SEC game one of these days

OU/Texas is not really a week long ordeal, it's mostly just the weekend. basically everyone skips class on Friday, so they are kinda unofficially cancelled and tons and tons of people go to Dallas to party and antagonize Texas fans without even going to the game

it's like a bowl game in the middle of the year, with the same team every season, only half the stadium really hates the other half. recruits are watching. AD was on the OU side in 2003 when we dropped 65-13 on them and he hadn't committed yet

this might be a good question for Fraggle...

oh and Stoops is on record with how rabid the fans are at this game over any other one, and he's been to a few WLOCPs :D

Ya the two games are totally different. Although I havent been to the WLOCP :( I have a lot of experience with UGA games and the way their fans feel about UF etc...

I like the way we alot the 50:50 better so that each team has its own endzone. The WLOCP is vertical instead of horizontal. the WLOCP is much more of a hanging out and get drunk and then hit up a football game. There is a lot more hatred between OU/tx. Partially because UGA and UF have like 3 big rivalries apiece. UGA has UF, Auburn (which I personally think is the biggest), and GayTech. UF has UGA, Fla. St., Miami (occasionally), and I think LSU is their big (or at least non-rotating) rival in the west.

The importance of the game is different also, the RRR is typcially more of a must win than the WLOCP, especially now that OU/tx seems to be a back and forth affair victory wise and WLOCP is a lot more streaky and currently UGA hasnt really showed up to that game. UF has been making them their beoch for the last 10-15 yrs or so.

[Fraggle145]

I have never been on a ride or eaten a turkey leg. (Corny-dog is a different story.) But it isn't the carnival itself that makes the atmosphere so special.

I agree, but even take it a step further. Not only is the carnival itself not what "makes the atmoshpere so special." In fact, it is the carnival that actually gets in the way.


[i]It's just that you have all of those OU and Whorn fans crammed into a relatively confined area and you can feel the hatred. [/v]

That much is the same in either game, and I do agree that it adds to the atmospherel.

But its also what makes it one of the few games where you can leave at half time and go get a beer, which adds to the atmosphere. its similar although not completely the same as The Landing. And If you havent had a Fletcher's Corny-Dog then you havent had a real corny-dog.

[Pigface1]

Strictly from an objective standpoint, you have to give the nod to the RRS because of national title implications. The WLOCP rarely has had national title implications as Florida has two national titles and Georgia has one.
Oklahoma has seven and Texas has three, iirc.
By that measure alone it's the RRS.
.02

[HiFiGator]

Couple of quick notes:

*I am totally with whomever it was that pointed out the benefit of a half-time pass-out. I miss those days a lot. I guess I was kind of spoiled, since Florida had pass outs up until about 4 or 5 years ago. I remember being kind of shocked back in the late 80's/early 90's, when I went to opposing stadiums, only to be shocked that there was no re-admission. During the Spurrier era, our trick was to pick up an extra ticket, which we could typically do for just a couple of bucks, since we would routinely win by 30, even on the road. Still, pass-outs are something I sorely miss for sure.

One of the "traditions" around Florida football from the 70's through the 90's was the "kamikazi halftime" at the Purple Porpoise. The college bar was about 3 blocks from the stadium and started serving $1 kamikazi shots during halftime. Also, there was a locally famous sub shop called "Joe's Deli." The campus location was even closer to the stadium, a couple of doors down from the Porpoise. They were somewhat popular for their $2 tall boy Budweisers, which were very popular at halftime. Ah .. those were the days.

In fact, Joe's Deli is now closed. I talked to the owners, and he told me strait up that cutting out passouts was the final blow to their business. He said that they made literally half of their money annually from the 6 home game weekends. That was just enough to cause him to give up and move on to other things. Oh well ...

As for the National Title implications, as I've mentioned before, you have a longer tradition for sure. But to be fair, I think going back as far as most of the players on both of our teams have been alive is sufficient. Not to take anything away from the great teams under the likes of Wilkerson and Switzer, but seriously, how important are those days to today's student athletes, who were born somewhere around 1990? In all seriousness, Florida has been in the National spotlight and among the Nation's elite, for the most part, as have Texas and Oklahoma. Granted, Georgia falls a peg or two short, but that's largely because we have owned them over that period. They have a total of 3 wins in Jacksonville since 1990.

I think this topic has run its course, and I have enjoyed it. Like I said at the beginning, neither of us is likely to convince the other to change their view. But once again, I finish with this thought: in my personal opinion, I view the tailgatoring and interacting with opposing fans as an integral part of the game experience. In that regard, a carnival gets in the way. But in fairness, I can certainly see how others would think otherwise. If I had grown up with the RRS as my game, then I probably wouldn't be able to comprehend why others wouldn't view the overall event, including the fair, as something really special.

Again, I will call it a tie in my book.

[Fraggle145]

Strictly from an objective standpoint, you have to give the nod to the RRS because of national title implications. The WLOCP rarely has had national title implications as Florida has two national titles and Georgia has one.
Oklahoma has seven and Texas has three, iirc.
By that measure alone it's the RRS.
.02

UGA has 2. 1942 and 1980

[Fraggle145]

As for the National Title implications, as I've mentioned before, you have a longer tradition for sure. But to be fair, I think going back as far as most of the players on both of our teams have been alive is sufficient. Not to take anything away from the great teams under the likes of Wilkerson and Switzer, but seriously, how important are those days to today's student athletes, who were born somewhere around 1990? In all seriousness, Florida has been in the National spotlight and among the Nation's elite, for the most part, as have Texas and Oklahoma. Granted, Georgia falls a peg or two short, but that's largely because we have owned them over that period. They have a total of 3 wins in Jacksonville since 1990.

I think this topic has run its course, and I have enjoyed it. Like I said at the beginning, neither of us is likely to convince the other to change their view. But once again, I finish with this thought: in my personal opinion, I view the tailgatoring and interacting with opposing fans as an integral part of the game experience. In that regard, a carnival gets in the way. But in fairness, I can certainly see how others would think otherwise. If I had grown up with the RRS as my game, then I probably wouldn't be able to comprehend why others wouldn't view the overall event, including the fair, as something really special.

Again, I will call it a tie in my book.

See I would disagree with you here. I think that the historic perspective is important to today's players in that they are part of something bigger and a true winner. I would expect this response from a UF fan because UF simply wasnt relevant until Steve Spurrier was your coach i.e. since the 90's. Your winning tradition runs 20yrs deep ours runs at least 60. Granted since then it has been impressive, but Tennessee, Alabama, and to a lesser extent UGA owned the SEC at just about everything football until that time. And within the State of Florida, Miami has the deepest tradition. Additionally, UGA owns the all time lead in the series even after like 16 losses 46-38-2.

JMHO, but the state fair is like a Huge Tailgate for everyone. In fact it forces opposing fan interaction. Not to mention the people that actually do tailgate outside of the State Fair in parking lots etc...

[Pigface1]

UGA has 2. 1942 and 1980

Ohio St won the AP that year.
http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html

[Fraggle145]

Ohio St won the AP that year.
http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html

Just saying UGA claims that one... and I think that is the year Sinkwich won the Heisman.

There's a reason its called the "MNC" because there can be more than one... Its not that easy to just say the AP is the only one that counts.

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/yearly_results.php?year=1942

[StoopTroup]

I have been to every Texas - OU game since 1977.. except for one (damn the Indian Princess campout that weekend! :mad: )



Just because you have your own corn dog stand at the fair every year doesn't mean you went to the game.

[GottaHavePride]

1. Last time I checked, OU's classes are not UNofficially canceled the Friday before OU/Texas. They're officially canceled. Called "Fall Break" or something.

2. We have some confusion over the whole "State Fair" issue with the Gator fans here. Y'all keep saying the trouble in Florida was that the state fair was going on right next door, so parking was a nightmare. In Dallas, the Cotton Bowl stadium is in the center of the State Fairgrounds. There's no getting to the stadium without going through the Texas State Fair. Basically, OU/Texas is a part OF the Texas State Fair, and everyone there knows that if you don't want to go to the game, you pick a different day to go to the State Fair.

[Pigface1]

Just saying UGA claims that one... and I think that is the year Sinkwich won the Heisman.

There's a reason its called the "MNC" because there can be more than one... Its not that easy to just say the AP is the only one that counts.

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/yearly_results.php?year=1942

I don't disagree, I just think all things need to be equal when counting national titles. Bama claims anything they get .. Better Homes and Gardens could give them a title and they'd hang a National Championship banner.