Mazeppa
7/13/2012, 08:00 PM
Top 25 Reasons It's Good to Be a Texas Longhorns Fan
By Samantha Perkins | Yahoo! Contributor Network
Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, it has to be said that everyone knows what it means when they hear "Hook 'em!'
In no particular order, the following is a mere sampling of why it feels good to be a Texas Longhorns fan:
1. No matter what happens, Texas does it big: Win or lose, Texans know how to get excited about football -- that's a fact.
2. Bevo: One of the toughest and most recognized mascots in college football, Bevo holds a special place in the hearts of Longhorn fans.
3. The Red River Shootout: The intense rivalry between Texas and OU is one of the best in NCAA football. The game is played each season at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, just in time for the State Fair of Texas.
4. Hook 'em Horns: The famous hand sign representing the Texas Longhorns, which can be thrown up anywhere, at anytime, to display instant Longhorn pride.
5. Better than OU: 59-42 5.
6. UT Tower: The 307-foot campus tower lights up in spectacular burnt orange for football victories.
7. "The Eyes of Texas": Played at every sporting event, this is the official Alma Mater of UT.
8. The Torchlight Parade: An annual show of spirit where students rally pep before the Red River Shootout.
9. Success: 858 all-time victories. The second-most wins of any Division I FBS team, even though we got started 14 years after Michigan.
10. 2005 National Championship: Texas won arguably the most exciting football game ever played against USC for the 2005 national championship.
11. We have our own TV network: The Longhorn Network kicked off last year. Despite some controversy, having our own channel is pretty cool.
12. Smokey the Cannon: An old Civil War replica cannon shot off during games, and especially after the fight song.
13. Multiple Heisman Trophy winners: Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell are examples.
14. Still better than OU: We stole Darrell K. Royal from rival OU.
15. Location: Austin is the live-music capital of the world, as well as the name of my first-born.
16. Burnt Orange: (Texas Orange) The best color. Period.
17. Book Smarts: Along with football, there is also focus on academics. UT is one of the largest and most esteemed public universities in the U.S.
18. Cheerleaders: Unlike Texas A&M, the Longhorns have female cheerleaders.
19. Tom Landry: The legendary Tom Landry played for the Longhorns.
20. Hex Rally: An annual ritual were thousands of fans light candles and meet on the steps of the UT main building to curse the Texas A&M Aggies.
21. 2011 Lone Star Rivalry Game: Trailing most of the game, Texas came back and won it in the fourth quarter with a last-second field goal. The game ended the over 100-year-old rivalry with Texas A&M.
22. "Texas Fight": The official fight song of UT, which inspires a healthy fighting spirit in any Longhorns fan.
23. Colt McCoy: He has the most victories for a Longhorns quarterback and, up until last season, had the most victories for any Division-I quarterback.
24. Big Bertha: It has to be said: Everything is bigger in Texas. Eight feet in diameter, Big Bertha is the world's largest drum.
25. The fans: "If God isn't a Longhorns fan, why is the sunset burnt orange?" -- Adam R. (personal interview)
As a loyal Longhorns fan of many exciting years, sharing this list fills me with magnificent burnt orange happiness. I can only hope that the world enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
(This last line is from the author not Mazeppa, just wanted to make that clear!)
By Samantha Perkins | Yahoo! Contributor Network
Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, it has to be said that everyone knows what it means when they hear "Hook 'em!'
In no particular order, the following is a mere sampling of why it feels good to be a Texas Longhorns fan:
1. No matter what happens, Texas does it big: Win or lose, Texans know how to get excited about football -- that's a fact.
2. Bevo: One of the toughest and most recognized mascots in college football, Bevo holds a special place in the hearts of Longhorn fans.
3. The Red River Shootout: The intense rivalry between Texas and OU is one of the best in NCAA football. The game is played each season at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, just in time for the State Fair of Texas.
4. Hook 'em Horns: The famous hand sign representing the Texas Longhorns, which can be thrown up anywhere, at anytime, to display instant Longhorn pride.
5. Better than OU: 59-42 5.
6. UT Tower: The 307-foot campus tower lights up in spectacular burnt orange for football victories.
7. "The Eyes of Texas": Played at every sporting event, this is the official Alma Mater of UT.
8. The Torchlight Parade: An annual show of spirit where students rally pep before the Red River Shootout.
9. Success: 858 all-time victories. The second-most wins of any Division I FBS team, even though we got started 14 years after Michigan.
10. 2005 National Championship: Texas won arguably the most exciting football game ever played against USC for the 2005 national championship.
11. We have our own TV network: The Longhorn Network kicked off last year. Despite some controversy, having our own channel is pretty cool.
12. Smokey the Cannon: An old Civil War replica cannon shot off during games, and especially after the fight song.
13. Multiple Heisman Trophy winners: Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell are examples.
14. Still better than OU: We stole Darrell K. Royal from rival OU.
15. Location: Austin is the live-music capital of the world, as well as the name of my first-born.
16. Burnt Orange: (Texas Orange) The best color. Period.
17. Book Smarts: Along with football, there is also focus on academics. UT is one of the largest and most esteemed public universities in the U.S.
18. Cheerleaders: Unlike Texas A&M, the Longhorns have female cheerleaders.
19. Tom Landry: The legendary Tom Landry played for the Longhorns.
20. Hex Rally: An annual ritual were thousands of fans light candles and meet on the steps of the UT main building to curse the Texas A&M Aggies.
21. 2011 Lone Star Rivalry Game: Trailing most of the game, Texas came back and won it in the fourth quarter with a last-second field goal. The game ended the over 100-year-old rivalry with Texas A&M.
22. "Texas Fight": The official fight song of UT, which inspires a healthy fighting spirit in any Longhorns fan.
23. Colt McCoy: He has the most victories for a Longhorns quarterback and, up until last season, had the most victories for any Division-I quarterback.
24. Big Bertha: It has to be said: Everything is bigger in Texas. Eight feet in diameter, Big Bertha is the world's largest drum.
25. The fans: "If God isn't a Longhorns fan, why is the sunset burnt orange?" -- Adam R. (personal interview)
As a loyal Longhorns fan of many exciting years, sharing this list fills me with magnificent burnt orange happiness. I can only hope that the world enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
(This last line is from the author not Mazeppa, just wanted to make that clear!)