Missing about 100,000 People

We were at a party in the party room at one end of Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium. This is what it looks like empty!

Um, Not PIGskin?

I believe college football has revved up practice for fall and the NFL has agreed to have a season, too. This cow is meant to belie that thing about "the pigskin." It's near the Drake Bridge (South First) on Auditorium Shores.

Heisman Winner Hooks Em

This is for you football fans out there. We went to a party last night at a club we belong to. The theme was a beer tasting with Earl Campbell's Sausage as the main course. Here you see the former Texas Longhorn and NFL Hall of Fame running back Mr. Campbell himself with a friend of ours.

Football

The University of Texas team is ready to snap at last Saturday's game against Wyoming. Repeat scenes like this until Christmas. Add bowl games. That's fall/winter in the football-obsessed U.S. About the time it is over there will be a big tennis tournament down in Australia that I care about. FFP is not quite so indifferent to football, though.

Football Season

Football season is underway all across the U.S. Austin is no exception with its University of Texas Longhorns. FFP got to see the Wyoming game from a club box. He enjoys seeing the band as much as anything. This is the half-time show with the U.T. logo.

What Season Again?

Yes, there is baseball on your TV (if you are in the U.S.) but Texas is football crazy. Our friend Jackie took this while attending the University of Texas Orange and White game. A little spring scrimmage for the players and a tidbit of excitement for the fans.

Big Twelve Champions

The University of Texas eked out a win over Nebraska last night to win the Big Twelve Championship. The UT Tower was solid orange for a conference champtionship and had '09 spelled out. Thanks to our friend Jackie for snapping this picture which I cropped a bit so you could get the effect.

What a view for a football game

A friend got tickets for the Centennial Club at The University of Texas' DKR Memorial Stadium Saturday night. He had a spare and invited me along. The game was against Kansas. I've got to say, this is best way to enjoy a football game--friends, food, and liquid refreshment, in a comfy seat and protected from the elements. Our assigned seats were on the 45 yard line, no less.

Here you see the Longhorn Band in their halftime show. Took me back to my days in the band in the mid sixties. Over forty years and somehow, it doesn't seem that long ago at all.

I could get used to this!

UT Football tomorrow

FFP took this back in September at the first home game. Tomorrow is the last home game (I think) and he hopes to be there again.

Game Day

When the University of Texas wins, the UT tower glows orange. Our friend Jackie took this last Saturday when the football team beat Oklahoma State. Today is game day again and fans hope the tower looks like this tonight.

Game Day

UT plays again today as the college football season goes into full swing. But not in its enormous home stadium. They are...in Wyoming? I don't think I've ever been to Wyoming. Thought I'd run one more picture of the jumbo screen that FFP took last Saturday.

Sea of Burnt Orange

FFP shot this while the Longhorm Band was on the field. What a sea of burnt orange (as they call their official color).

Watching TV with 100,000 Friends

FFP went to the UT football game yesterday and he watched a lot of plays on Godzilla-tron, the largest hi-def screen in collegiate sports (allegedly). There were over 101,000 people at this game. In this shot animated Longhorns cavort on the screen. I had a nice meal in between picking up and dropping off the football goers. I'm not much of a football fan but the enormous crowd and the stadium are impressive.

An Institution For Beer and Burgers

In Austin, if someone says 'meet me at the Tavern' this is the place they are talking about, at 12th and Lamar. This building was built on North Lamar before that street existed ( in 1916). As it happens I took this picture Tuesday and The Austin Chronicle wrote about such venerable institutions this week. (See Mick Vann's rundown on the Tavern.) The sign tells you that they welcome football fans. However, the big game was canceled in Austin yesterday. They thought the weather might be vicious but the hurricane turned away. However, there were hotel rooms released that were occupied by people fleeing the Houston area and the coast instead of returning Longhorn alums and visiting Arkansas Razorbacks.

Friday Night Lights

Friday night FFP and I partook of an old tradition in the U.S.A: we went to a high school football game. Both of us were at every game forty-odd years ago when we were in high school because we played in the marching bands of our respective schools. We went to Round Rock on Friday. Years ago FFP had a big client and hired some employees for his little ad agency. One of them, a talented but untamed twenty-something, became like a son to us. We worried over his financial fiascoes, bought him a suit so we could send him to a trade show, bought health insurance for him. FFP was best man in his wedding when he married a wonderful girl. He settled down to become a successful man with a lovely family. Unbelievably, his son is a Senior in High School. This was his last game as a Stony Point Tiger. Since he's as close to a grandson as we are likely to get, we were happy to see him handsomely navigating the bench warmer's role in his last regular game. (Hey, he's a great student!)

The whole experience of the high school game was there: elaborate entrances of the teams to the field, cheerleaders, bands, flag bearers, dance teams. And, of course, football. It was all more elaborate than in our day, actually. This picture was taken after the victory of 'our' team.

Disclaimer: This picture was taken in Round Rock. But most Austinites consider Round Rock a suburb and most denizens of Round Rock would say they live in Austin. From the edge of Austin to the heart of Round Rock, is a continuous area of businesses and homes. The growth there has been phenomenal due to a company called Dell. And to make the story complete: the client that made FFP hire some employees when they experienced enormous growth? Yes, Michael Dell.