I was undecided whether or not I would blog anything about the Texas Tech win over my hometown team, TCU, yesterday a nail-biter before a homecoming crowd — the second largest crowd in TCU history — with 48K in the seats. The breakdown: about 32K in purple, another 15,999 in Raider red … and one XL PinkWi-Fi shirt representin.

What a game … 56-53 … a bargain at $61, I say!

Oh … and it is refreshing to see not one but two Sports Page 1 stories today on my alma mater in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Great pieces by Jimmy Burch and Stefan Stevenson.

However …

However … I want to point out a few observations that were missed. For instance no mention of the incompetency of the officiating crew — a crew that even the “official in the sky,” the replay booth, lost confidence in and had to correct and override on not one but three crucial and obvious missed calls. I saw many more that were missed … bad calls that hurt TCU and Tech as well. Hey does The Big 12 now employ the replacement officials, cast out by the NFL? Was it merely a case that Mack Brown’s moneymaker, sacred cowteam wasn’t on the field or much affected this year in league standings, so the officials didn’t know which way to lean? Just sayin …

 

OH … little if any mention of the uncharacteristic skullduggery of the Texas Tech coaches late in this game with 3 hypertensive overtimes. For 3.5 quarters of football, the Tech braintrust repeated running plays over and over and over, I am sure to “set up the throw.” The runs were more a case of one totally wasted play in every Texas Tech offensive series (excluding one long scamper late int he game). Even the old women in the stands were throwing up their hands, saying, “Really, Again?!?” Ha, Tech could have downed the ball and had more of mysterious and strategic effect. The best sports analogy I can think of … It’s like always taking the first pitch in baseball, against a pitcher who only throws strikes. There is no point. I digress …

But the upside … the skullduggery that was unsaid? Not a single mention in two articles that this seemingly bland offensive mindset came up with a highlight reel touchdown in … hmmm …. I believe it was the first overtime. Tech perfectly executed an uncharacteristic trick play … a double reverse in which the second ball carrier flipped the ball back to QB Seth “He’s my dog” Doege. Doege pitched a perfect home run strike to a wide open Jakeem Grant … and then he took a violent late hit after the throw … with no flag, I might add.

Slightly less clever, Tech also perfectly executed an on-side kick after one of its scores … that one actually was in print in one of the articles.

More … Did a single sports writer or analyst notice that Tech and Doege’s most potent and longest passing drives went INTO the wind? Repeatedly, Doege threw perfect passes into a pretty good gale. (Maybe Doege has perfected this out on the windy South Plains, and does have an advantage in wind as West Virginia lamented after their Heisman-ending Lubbock Shellacking.)

TCU played great, btw. They don’t seem to lose anything with their new quarterback. In fact, as Coach Gary Patterson said of Trevone Boykin before his first start this year, he actually adds more dynamics to the Frog offensive attack. So … can’t really blame the loss on that … And he rung up 516 total yards against what was the 4th ranked defense in college football.

And how about the Frog kicker — a school record for personal points – 23 total, keeping the Frogs in the game. And his 6 for 6 field goals — not chip shots either — set a new Big 12 record. I mean … all of these easily were within Jaden Oberkrom’s range … but perfection in a tight game … Lot’s of pros would have buckled and shanked one under the pressure.

I was asked to predict the game the other day and I wrongly said it would be 4 field goals to 1 field goal, just like the last meeting of these two teams. I was wrong … six field goals to none this time.

 

 

Let’s see … what else? Oh … no mention of TCU’s one truly superior secret weapon — the TCU Song Girls! Where do they find these dancers? They all look perfect and yet scarily mass produced from the same body-type mold. Hmmm … have you noticed they look really mature for college women? Does TCU recruit cheerleaders from other programs and enter them into the grad program. I am tongue-in-cheek here … but I have to wonder. Whenever the going gets tough for The Frogs, you can bet the band will fire up the sports arena classic “Rock ‘n’ Roll, Part 1” and let the Song Girls strut their stuff and work bad magic on the entire crowd … even the opposing players are mesmerized, I saw Tech players watching the big screen during a time out.

 

And speaking of that big screen JumboTron. Very impressive visually … but what about that shady sound system strategy? Is this intentional? Is it common? Do other teams blast the speakers way beyond their intended volume as opposing, visiting teams prepare to snap the ball? Ha … it would be like The Dallas Mavs dimming the lights when Coby shoots a free shot. I would think the crowd mustered plenty of purple noise on its own — a perfectly legitimate home field advantage — without the deafening electronics. Yes … I watched this carefully … technology is my ‘thang” … The TCU sound man let the speakers rumble for a second or two after the Tech center was prepared to hike with this hands on the ball and the Tech QB was barking signals and audibles. Is that fair? Within the rules? Common at other ‘houses of pain?” I don’t know. I can say without a doubt … pretty cheap! (Hope my alma mater doesn’t do this …)

 

 

Back to the sound issue. I noticed this because the speakers are also strategically placed near the visitors sections, and effectively drown out the “Raider Power,” “Farmers Fight,” “Hook ’em Horns” or whatever. That strategy is probably a little more legitimate than adversely affecting the play on the field. And I had the misfortune of sitting way up in the noise-bleed section, with other Tech types, where we got to suffer the full capabilities of the loud speakers. Hard to clap for a Tech touchdown when you are covering you ears … but somehow we managed.

 

Was there Wi-Fi? Well … in the old Amon G. Carter Stadium I have used the Wi-Fi in the pressbox. In this new and improved Frog facility, I couldn’t get a Wi-Fi network up in the 20,000-feet-elevation seats … Hmmm … maybe the lower levels and the sidelines get Wi-Fi. I don’t know. TCU denied my request for press credentials, even though I enjoyed full privileges, including sideline access the last time Tech played TCU … what six years ago?

 

So, field goals were crucial again this time. The day I was on the sidelines, field goals were everything — as TCU defeated Tech 12-3 in a non-conference game yawner with no touchdowns … a game largely decided by heat exhaustion at the beginning of that season. So, happy to see this conference matchup was later in Fall, when IVs wouldn’t be the storyline on the sidelines … a much better face-off between two up-and-coming Big 12 programs — one with a quarterback controversy, and one still trying to find it’s identity after a self-inflicted head wound (the firing of its best coach ever, Mike Leach).

 

 

Last note … the power of social media. As Tech seemingly had secured a win in the fourth quarter, with a 10-point lead and only a few minutes left to play … I had my Facebook status update loaded on my iPhone and ready to post … “Welcome To The Big 12” a reference to the end of TCU’s small conference cakewalk … and its now having to earn a bowl appearance or a ranking (which by the way, I think they are deserving … I just happy they will now be legit).

 

So … for some reason I waited before posting … and LOL … good thing! The Frogs answered with 10 quick points … 30 minutes and three OTs later, I was finally able to post “Welcome To The Big 12” in good conscience … and guess what … Check the talking points for TCU Coach Gary Patterson in the articles today … “Welcome To The Big 12” a recurring theme. Ha … did I just go viral?

 

More on social media … a small world thing, thanks to Facebook. After TCU denied my journalism credentials, I found out the game was sold out. so, I secured a ticket from my friend Pam on Facebook, only to find out this ticket would seat me with one of her friends … a stranger, I thought at first. However, through an uncanny coincidence, I had already met Corky Harrison some 20+ years ago, when I was new to the Fort Worth advertising community and he was a star salesperson at the Star-Telegram. Great catching up with this Fort Worth media VIP and former star baritone player for The Texas Tech Goin’ Band From Raiderland.

 

Know what I sayin?