Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns

It has been a great year to be a Texas Longhorn football fan....actually, more like a great decade. Since Mack Brown arrived as head coach, UT football has risen to the upper echelon of college football, where it rightly belongs. I am a huge fan, and I know that I must enjoy where we are at now, as it is unheard of to have such a good run.

When I was in school, I was a member of the Longhorn Hellraisers, and was a big fan, but I'm ashamed to say that I skipped a couple of games in 1997, which was John Mackovic's last year as head coach, and when we weren't all that good. Skipped, as in not even watching the games on TV.

Yes, that was bad. It just seemed like Texas had slipped to the middle tier of programs out there, and that the administration didn't care, at least from this fan's perspective. The stadium, smaller than it is now, was rarely sold out, and $5 tickets (!) were available every week at Randall's grocery stores. Although I wish it was that cheap (or even $40) to go to a game nowadays, I'll gladly trade being priced out of the game-going experience for the excellence that is now on the field every week.

When John Mackovic was let go in 1997, everyone wondered who we were going to get. There were some big names out there, but Mack Brown was who was chosen. As a casual football fan at that time, I asked, "Who?". I was working at the Erwin Center at that time, and on the day he was to be introduced, I was helping in the parking lot right outside the backstage access area, making sure that the parking space closest to the door was left open for when he was driven in from the airport. When Mack Brown got out of his car, he came up straight to me, thanked me for holding a spot, and talked to me for about 30 seconds, asking how it was going. I was just a student, not anyone important, but he gave me the time of day, and was a very classy individual. I was probably one of the first people not affiliated with the athletics department that met him, and I was impressed, and right away, I knew that he'd do well.

Fast forward to his 12th year here. As of today, he is now 124-26 with Longhorns. The only team in the nation to record at least 10 wins for eight consecutive years (second-longest streak in NCAA history), Mack's squad has been the best in the country during the first decade of the 21st century. (He will have his 9th consecutive 10 win season with a win this weekend against Baylor.)

Brown's 12 consecutive seasons (including 2009) of at least nine wins are a UT first, as are his back-to-back 11-win campaigns (2001-02, 2004-05), eight 10-victory seasons in a row and two 12-plus win seasons (2005, `08). Texas also has set a school record with a streak of 11 straight bowl berths, bettering the nine straight bowl games from 1977-85. UT has extended its streak of Top 25 finishes to 11 in a row, a first since the Horns earned eight final Top 25 rankings in a row from 1968-75. The Longhorns have also extended their current streak of Top 13 finishes to nine, which is a UT record. The Longhorns have claimed or shared the Big 12 South Division title in five of the last 10 years, including three conference championship game berths.

In 11 seasons, Brown's Longhorns squads have featured a Heisman Trophy winner and two runners-up, two Maxwell Award winners, two WCFF Player of the Year Award winners, two Doak Walker Award winners, two Thorpe Award winners, two Nagurski Trophy winners, a Butkus Award winner, a Lombardi Award winner, a Manning Award winner, a Hendricks Award winner, a Draddy Trophy winner, 42 All-Americans, 59 first-team All-Big 12 selections, four Big 12 Offensive Players of the Year, five Big 12 Defensive Players of the Year and 10 Big 12 Freshman of the Year honorees. (Everyone knows that Vince Young was hosed for the Heisman in 2005, and that McCoy probably should have won it last year.)

Anyway, it is a great time to be a Longhorn fan. Mack Brown's influence and ability to change the culture here in Austin is the main reason why. His recruiting prowess, which I didn't even mention, is amazing. Above all that, he is a genuine nice guy. In 2002, at the football banquet, I was taking tickets at the door of the Erwin Center, and he walked through my door, and he said "Hey, you take tickets, too?" There is no way he could have remembered me 5 year later, right? Anyway, this is my first MACK BROWN is AWESOME post. Hook'em!

Isn't is pathetic to cheer against a team if your team doesn't make it?

Wow, the Yankees sure do bring out the haters...people who are actively cheering AGAINST the Yankees instead of cheering FOR the Phillies. Why? It seems there are some fans that hate the Yankees more than they love their own team. It could be Fidel Castro's Cuban All-Stars playing the Yankees, and these "fans" would be sporting their military fatigues, and hoping that Jeter and A-Rod go 0-8 with 8 strikeouts. I see this mostly coming from Boston Red Sox fans...maybe it is just envy, but it is kinda pathetic. Yes, you are rivals, but your season is over. It isn't just BoSox fans, though. Other teams' fans are like that too. Is it jealousy as to how successful the franchise has been?

This doesn't just happen in baseball though...you've got your Laker haters, your Cowboy haters, Spurs, Longhorns, etc. These people will go out of their way to try and antagonize the fans of these teams....I guess it makes them feel better about themselves. I mean, I'm a Rangers fan (Astros close second), but I am not going to be posting on a Yankee lover's facebook posting to tell them that they are going down. I won't pretend to be the biggest Phillies fan because I couldn't name 8 players off their team. I am cheering for the Yankees since A-Rod is one of my favorite players, and I loved the old Yankee stadium when I visited. I'm not going to actively seek out Phillies fans just so I can talk smack.

As a Texas Longhorn fan, I am not a fan of OU. Yes, I want them to lose during the season to help the Longhorns' cause, but when we're at our respective bowl games at the end of the season, and they are playing Boise State or whomever, I don't become a big Bronco fan and start looking to agitate the Sooners. Aggies? Egh. They are like your little brother who you might pick on, but you don't cheer against them...isn't it bad enough that they are aggies? :) it doesn't mean you won't smirk when OU loses to Boise State, but if they win, oh well.

I used to work with someone who cheered against the Longhorns. Why? Because it was the "cool" thing to do. "Look at me!! Look at me!! I'm cheering for Texas Tech!! Guns up!! (What color are they? Where are they from, Amarillo?)" When the Horns won, well, they didn't REALLY care anyway, and knew the Longhorns were gonna win. (Roll eyes).

So, Phillies fans, good luck. Yankee haters...really? Do something useful with your time. Go watch Fever Pitch or something instead of watching this game.