The Most Unique Event in All of Sports
by AutumnSpectacle.com staff  E-mail

At AutumnSpectacle.com, we try to avoid big labels out of respect for how unique and special the traditions at each school are to their fans.  But, when you're talking about the second weekend of October, it's a must that we sound off.

Oklahoma-Texas is the most unique event in all of sports.  No matter where you go in the world, there's nothing else remotely like it.

There are heated rivalries fueled by hate, which is a great thing when you're talking about sports.  Michigan-Ohio State is as bitter as they come.  Alabama-Auburn?  Much the same as UM-OSU.  They hate the other because "they" are not "us."

The list of hate-filled rivalries is long and includes schools from across the country.  UT-OU has hatred for both sides just like the ones we mentioned above.  However, this is not at the heart of our proclamation.

OU-UT is unique.  Sure, there are other neutral site games, but none offer as much as the Red River Rivalry.  Florida-Georgia (The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party) is similar to the battle between the Sooners and Horns.  The WLOCP takes place in Jacksonville and the stadium is divided in half at the goalposts.  Half of the stadium cheers on every play, just like at the Cotton Bowl.

Army-Navy is the other annual neutral site showdown.  The biggest difference between this game and the others is that many in the stands are there for the spectacle of the event.  They are a fan of college football and they respect the military academies.  But, they don't have a rooting interest.  That affects the electricity inside the stadium, which is dominant in Dallas and Jacksonville.

Let's get back to our claim.  The unique nature of the UT-OU game is unmatched.  The Super Bowl, March Madness, the Olympics, etc.  None have the feel that permeates outside of the Cotton Bowl walls and into Fair Park.

The stands are divided at the 50 yard line and you can see the division just by the colors in the stadium.  North end is burnt orange, south end is crimson.  Unlike the Cocktail Party, there is a home field advantage whenever the play moves to one end of the field.

If you're a college football fan, you've probably heard all of this before.  It's great inside the stadium but the identity of this contest for fans of these universities is not just about what happens inside the stadium.  It's sacred to the fan bases because of the overall atmosphere.  It's a heated rivalry that takes place in the middle of an annual festival.

The State Fair of Texas provides the backdrop to this huge showdown each year.  People are riding a ferris wheel, trying to win goldfish by tossing rings around bottle necks, eating Fletcher's corny dogs and looking at livestock literally just yards away from the actual game.  We've said it before and we'll say it again: there is just nothing else like it.

With all of that in mind, the powers that be are currently putting forth a power play by threatening to move the game to the campuses and away from its unique setting.  Just to capture a few more dollars, the presidents and athletic directors of the schools are greatly exaggerating the situation of the stadium's capacity and upkeep in order to strike fear into the City of Dallas.

The current contract keeps the game in its rightful spot through 2008 with an option to leave after 2007.  In November of '06, the Dallas residents will vote whether or not to pass a bond that will set aside approximately $50 million to renovate the storied stadium.  If it passes, it appears that the Sooners, at least, are game to make the Red River Rivalry a Dallas tradition - again.

Recently, Sooner athletic director was given the go-ahead by the Board of Regents to begin new negotiations with Dallas.  From the outside looking in, it appears that if the Dallas residents pass the bond, then OU will negotiate to keep the game there.

But, what about Texas?  The athletic department in Austin has been mum on the subject, except for the obligatory, politically correct responses that keep the Horns from committing one way or the other.  If Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds allows this to happen on his watch, it will be his albatross, his legacy.

Generating more money is fine.  It's necessary to have the green to make things happen.  But, the Suits' willingness to bark for a dollar is gross, to say the least.

Nothing is sacred in the 21st century except for the quest for more payola.  For some reason, the love of cash trumps a tradition that has stood for more than three quarters of a century.

Do the college football world a gigantic favor and keep the game in Dallas at Fair Park - regardless of what happens with stadium renovations and bond elections.  Children and grandchildren of those who hold this game dear deserve to experience something so special

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