Talked to Michael Huff

[Herr Scholz]

He said OKC was a lot of fun last night when he and Duane Akina picked up the Thorpe Award. ;)

Michael Huff was recognized as the 2005 Jim Thorpe Award winner on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.
http://cache.mackbrown-texasfootball.com//image_lib/huff_michael_020706_446.jpg
http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/

[Seamus]

Looks like Ted Turner's ghey brother standing next to Puff.

Admins, can somebody clean up the whorange trash around here? :texan:

[PDXsooner]

i hope he saw a dentist to straighten out those front teeth while he was here...

[Herr Scholz]

i hope he saw a dentist to straighten out those front teeth while he was here...
:D He'll have plenty of money for braces. He might sneak into the top 10 in the draft.

[Herr Scholz]

Also, I don't want to start another Longhorn post because I'll get booed off the site, but in case anyone was wondering, UT is expanding our football stadium. Will seat >90K by 2008.


February 08, 2006

University of Texas System regents on Thursday are expected to approve spending nearly $150 million to remodel and expand Royal-Memorial Stadium.

The project, scheduled to be completed in August 2008, would boost seating capacity for football games to more than 90,000. The regents also are expected to authorize construction of a $120.9 million hotel and conference center at the southern edge of campus. That is nearly $37 million more than previous estimates, an increase caused partly by the need to build underground parking to avoid condemning a restaurant that has operated adjacent to the site for more than 20 years.

The stadium expansion, which focuses on the north end zone, has been under discussion for some time, but officials have not disclosed a price tag until now. The $149.9 million cost includes $15 million approved by the regents in November for renovating and expanding the west side of the stadium, work that is under way.

"We had exceptional demand before we won the national championship. I think because of winning the national championship, sales of the inventory of new seating will probably go even faster than we anticipated," said Patti Ohlendorf, UT-Austin's vice president for institutional relations and legal affairs.

The expansion would make Royal-Memorial one of the nation's largest college football stadiums but not one of the true giants. The University of Michigan's stadium has a capacity of 107,501, and Penn State's seats 107,282.

A committee of regents will meet in Austin today to consider the stadium and hotel-conference center projects, with the full Board of Regents scheduled to take action Thursday. UT System Chancellor Mark Yudof and his top aides have recommended approval.

The stadium proposal calls for replacing the existing north end zone structure. Besides increasing the seating capacity, currently 80,082, the project would add offices for the cheerleading program, production TV crew members, ticketing, patron services, the Longhorn Foundation, athletics officials and academic advising. Also, sprinklers would be added to interior portions of the stadium that lack such fire controls.

"There will also be some gymnasiums in the basement for academic use, classes and that type of thing," Ohlendorf said. "And there will be a portion — I think one floor — not yet finished out that will have some future university use."

Bonds would be issued to cover $106.6 million of the project, with the debt to be repaid from revenue generated by Centennial Room and west stadium seating. Gifts would pay for $35 million, and the $8.3 million balance would be covered by investment returns on UT-Austin's construction account.

The budget for the hotel and conference center — to be known as the University of Texas Executive Education and Conference Center — is poised to rise about 44 percent from the $84 million estimated last year.

UT-Austin officials had hoped to acquire the adjacent property occupied by Player's restaurant for a parking garage to serve the hotel and conference center, but the restaurant's owners didn't want to sell. Although the regents had authorized the use of eminent domain to acquire the tract, a legislative effort last year to restrict the university's condemnation power prompted officials to forgo that option.

The increased cost for the project stems from a decision to build three levels of underground parking and to expand executive education capacity, with 300 hotel rooms rather than 250, according to UT System records.

The financing plan consists of $85.9 million in bonds, $30 million in gifts and $5 million in investment earnings from UT-Austin's construction account. Bond debt would be paid with revenue from operating the hotel and garage.

[SoonerBBall]

Also, I don't want to start another Longhorn post because I'll get booed off the site, but in case anyone was wondering, UT is expanding our football stadium. Will seat >90K by 2008.

So file that under "We don't really care on Soonerfans"?

[Herr Scholz]

So file that under "We don't really care on Soonerfans"?
Well, the football expansion is probably tied to the Cotton Bowl discussion going on right now (our contract in Dallas is up after 2007 and this expansion will be done before the following season). We're moving the North endzone in closer to the field and since this is where opposing fans sit, you should be happy. ;)

[sooneron]

I'm surprised that dkr wasn't that big by now anywho.

How many Thorpes for whorns? 1? 2?

[soonerlaw]

Doesn't the stadium already cross I-35??!!

[Blues1]

I kinda hate to say this but the Hotel idea next to stadium does sound like a cool idea - Go ahead a push the stadium to 90,000 plus - then after we the NC this year I'm sure we will do the same......:)

Still R'

[Herr Scholz]

I'm surprised that dkr wasn't that big by now anywho.

How many Thorpes for whorns? 1? 2?
Capacity now of 83K. Eventually will be over 100K. Has to be done in stages so that it looks as disjointed as possible.

1st Thorpe Award evar. Those guys in OKC have jobbing us for years.

[Herr Scholz]

Doesn't the stadium already cross I-35??!!
I have a very nice view of I-35 from my very high season seats.

[sooneron]

Capacity now of 83K. Eventually will be over 100K. Has to be done in stages so that it looks as disjointed as possible.

1st Thorpe Award evar. Those guys in OKC have jobbing us for years.
uh huh :rolleyes:

[Herr Scholz]

I kinda hate to say this but the Hotel idea next to stadium does sound like a cool idea - Go ahead a push the stadium to 90,000 plus - then after we the NC this year I'm sure we will do the same......:)

Still R'
Hotel's on a totally different part of campus. It's being built for conferences and parents and such. I like it that the little burger joint that they couldn't get to sell out is costing UT an additional $37M for building underground parking. That place does make good shakes though.

I think I highjacked my own Thorpe award thread.

[Harry Beanbag]

Hotel's on a totally different part of campus. It's being built for conferences and parents and such. I like it that the little burger joint that they couldn't get to sell out is costing UT an additional $37M for building underground parking. That place does make good shakes though.

I think I highjacked my own Thorpe award thread.


Can't they use the new eminent domain law that the Supreme Court made to take them out? ;)

[Herr Scholz]

Can't they use the new eminent domain law that the Supreme Court made to take them out? ;)
Actually, the Regents were given the go-ahead to do this by the state and they were going to. But then there was such negative publicity about it (I myself signed a petition for UT not to get rid of Players - a campus burger joint that has been there forever) one of the Texas representatives actually introduced some legislation to save Players (you know how crazy the Texas House is). Then, UT backed off.

It's costing the university but it would have cost the restaurant owners relatively more. They were going to get the fair market value of the real estate only and no equity in the restaurant they had built up there over the years. Glad they won.

[Flagstaffsooner]

Well, the football expansion is probably tied to the Cotton Bowl discussion going on right now (our contract in Dallas is up after 2007 and this expansion will be done before the following season). We're moving the North endzone in closer to the field and since this is where opposing fans sit, you should be happy. ;)And new snack bars!:texan: :D :texan:
http://www.animalplace.org/images/ap_cow_feedlot.jpg

[Herr Scholz]

And new snck bars!:texan: :D :texan:

You guys should eat at Players when you come here in 2008. ;)

[sooneron]

Nighthawk > Players

[Harry Beanbag]

Actually, the Regents were given the go-ahead to do this by the state and they were going to. But then there was such negative publicity about it (I myself signed a petition for UT not to get rid of Players - a campus burger joint that has been there forever) one of the Texas representatives actually introduced some legislation to save Players (you know how crazy the Texas House is). Then, UT backed off.

It's costing the university but it would have cost the restaurant owners relatively more. They were going to get the fair market value of the real estate only and no equity in the restaurant they had built up there over the years. Glad they won.


That's actually the best news I've heard come out of Austin in many many years. :)

[Herr Scholz]

Nighthawk > Players
Nighthawk = gone from Austin

[Flagstaffsooner]

You guys should eat at Players when you come here in 2008. ;)I am not eeeeeeevan going to ask about what you do to players in rainbow town, Herr.:D :texan:

[sooneron]

Nighthawk = gone from Austin
Yeah, but I'm old school.:texan:

[shavedmarmoset]

I'm sorry. I can never go to Austin again knowing that I might be a prospective husband for some flamin' whorny shortwhorn.

[Herr Scholz]

I'm sorry. I can never go to Austin again knowing that I might be a prospective husband for some flamin' whorny shortwhorn.
So, you're saying there's a chance...

http://www.dvdweb.co.uk/reviewsgfx/dnd5.jpg

[AustinTXHorn]

My question is, what happens during the 2007 season? Surely they're not going to get it all done in one offseason. Are we going to be about 70,000 capacity for a year or something?

[BASSooner]

Last time I checked, this was a soonerboard that talked about Oklahoma-related topics.

[Harry Beanbag]

Last time I checked, this was a soonerboard that talked about Oklahoma-related topics.

You've been gone awhile huh?

[BASSooner]

Nah I've been here. Just telling this to people who are gone in their own little world.

[Herr Scholz]

My question is, what happens during the 2007 season? Surely they're not going to get it all done in one offseason. Are we going to be about 70,000 capacity for a year or something?
Not all during one offseason. I believe the north part will be moved in after the 2006 season and the 2nd deck will be added on after the 2007 season.

BAS, you'll be using the stadium here in Austin soon.

[TexasLidig8r]

You guys should eat at Players when you come here in 2008. ;)

Bastadges!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR... :mad:

Dam that Laura Miller straight to hell and the horse she rode in on!!

GRRRRRRRRR....

Who cares about tradition anymore!

Hell, we may as well go with orange pants next and orange facemasks.

[colleyvillesooner]

We have no problem coming to Austin for the first home-and-home meeting and kicking your ***. :D

[Collier11]

Also, I don't want to start another Longhorn post because I'll get booed off the site, but in case anyone was wondering, UT is expanding our football stadium. Will seat >90K by 2008.


DO NOT CARE

[GDC]

Last time I checked, this was a soonerboard that talked about Oklahoma-related topics.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA:rolleyes:

Where the blank have you been? This is whornfansnorth.com, and has been for a while. Don't you know we're fascinated with puke orange to the extent that we want to hear about every award they win, every fart Mack squeezes out, and every opinion Lid ever had on anything, whether it concerns sports or not?

Geez Louise.

You know, I may get banned once and for all, but there is something fundamentally twisted and effed-up about a whorn starting a thread here telling us he talked to a UT player, who just happened to win an award right under our noses in OKC, and splashing a huge picture of his sorry *** all over the board.

Notice how also, the herding instinct is so deeply ingrained in our bovine brethren, as they cluster like someone is throwing bales of hay from the back of a truck.

Of course, this makes mass negspekking much easier.

[Ruuuuuufus]

Isn't Michael Huff a cousin of Adron Tennel?

[TexasLidig8r]

well well well... someone finally signed their negspek.. How special... In terms of "truly no one cares...".. my post was directed to home and home vs. retaining the game at the Cotton Bowl... most everyone has an opinion on that topic and cares a great deal about that issue.

At least try to be halfway accurate when you give out negspek. :rolleyes:

[C&CDean]

OK. Some fag from Texas won the Jim Thorpe. **** happens.

I couldn't give a rip if DKR stadium gets bigger. I don't want the RRR to leave Dallas. I don't think this thread needs to exist any longer.

Goodnight.