OU/Texas: The Red River Rivalry

When I first met my wife, she introduced me to a whole new world of college football.  She and her entire family were Sooner born and Sooner bred and they have always been gracious by inviting me to join in the Oklahoma football festivities.

OU game back in '07.  At this point, I still didn't own any actual OU gear.  This would change.

By far the best Oklahoma football experience, and one of the best sporting events in America, is the Oklahoma/Texas football game (aka The Red River Rivalry) that is held every October in Dallas, Texas.  There are so many aspects of the Red River Rivalry that make it exciting, even to the neutral observer.  Here are a few of the highlights:

Totally worth the wait!

• The game is held at the Cotton Bowl, which is in the middle of the Texas State Fairgrounds.  Before and after the game, fans clad in Crimson and Burnt Orange explore the car show, eat Fletcher's delicious corny dogs, and display their man-hood by showing off the size of their stuffed animals.
• These two teams HATE each other.  From the fans, to the coaches, to the players on the field, there isn't anything that these two teams like about each other.  Smack talk is all too common throughout the entire weekend.
• The Cotton Bowl is split literally right down the middle between OU and Texas fans.  With every play, half of the stadium is erupting with cheers and the other half is turning red and throwing their hats down.  You can only imagine cheers and boo's that come out when each team takes the field.
• The word of the day is "sucks."  Each team has their own special cheer or verse that proclaim how much the other team "sucks."  It's really a lot of fun.

This year the game was a little lopsided.  I wish I could say Texas played a good game, but they really didn't.  Let's just say that there weren't too many Texas fans who decided to come back after halftime.

If you are a sports fan, you NEED to experience the Red River Rivalry at least once.  It's an incredible atmosphere and I am so thankful that my wife and her family have included me in the fun.  Can't wait for next year!