One day people, one day until my husband enters into either a downward spiral or experiences euphoria. This is because on Saturday, September 4 the University of Texas begins its 128th football season.
And not just any season mind you but yet another year with a brand-new coach. This means a myriad of things but mainly from now until December I’m going to have to hear almost on a continuous loop how the Longhorns can’t be held responsible for any losses because “it’s a rebuilding year.”
Do you know how many “rebuilding years” I’ve had to live through? I’m not sure I can handle the emotional rollercoaster my husband will be riding on for the next four months. Truth be told I’m still a little raw about Texas leaving for the SEC. Like I needed that level of football drama in the middle of my summer.
It doesn’t help that I’m still miffed over the Southwest Conference imploding in 1996. That was a good conference and one that made sense. It was schools that were neighbors. Then 25 years ago legacies and traditions all got kicked to the curb.
The biggest casualty was the UT/Texas A&M Thanksgiving day game. Do you know how many Texas Thanksgivings revolved around that football event? Let’s just say a lot. Throughout the state turkey dinners were meticulously planned to be consumed before kick-off time.
And God forbid if there was a screw up in the kitchen and dinner wasn’t going to be ready before the game. Cue plan B which meant you either ate with plates on your lap in front of the TV (while someone kept shouting “don’t you dare get gravy on the sofa!”) or that TV was dragged into the dining room.
I know collegiate football conferences are now all about the money which means TV audiences and the SEC is a big cha-ching. But dang it I had literally just started getting used to West Virginia being in the Big 12 and now this happens.
Through sheer force of will I’ve managed to push the SEC drama to the back of my brain primarily because it won’t happen this year and because I need to reserve whatever football capacity I have left to focus on getting my husband through another Longhorn season.
My main concern is centered on if Texas loses its first home game to the University of Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun’s. Because I now considered myself a little bit of a sports therapist, I did my due diligence on this game and concluded that there’s a good chance it could cause my husband to have a complete nervous collapse.
A recent poll has the Longhorns ranked #21 and the Ragin’ Cajuns #23. Also, the Cajuns were almost undefeated last year. Umm, that’s not something the Texas football team can say. I’m hoping the game won’t enter into four letter word territory. Yes, that four letter word – rout.
Living up to our family motto of “Plan for the worst, hope for the best” (I’m not kidding when I tell you that my dad wanted that on his tombstone.) I’m currently conducting micro therapy sessions with my husband. At least four times a day I tell him to “think big picture” and to not “put so much pressure on the first game.”
I’m also leaning hard into making the dreaded phrase – “It’s a rebuilding year” into our football season mantra. I really, really, didn’t want to go there but I felt I had to. I fear it may be the only lifeline I’ve got. Here’s hoping I won’t need to use it on Saturday, or at the very least, not have to use it that much.
Snarky in the Suburbs 