Tag Archives: Red River Rivalry

Friday, July 24, 2015 – Snarky Friday – Football and No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Any More

So many topics from which to choose to snark about this Friday. We have El Strumpet – aka Tony Soprano – from the Genghis Khan School of Diplomacy on the Texas border. We have Captain Hairspray bully baiting him by calling him a “false prophet.” Did you mean “false profit?” And then we have Gooberner Abbott going after the Legislative Budget Board (LBB). If I recall it is the job and responsibility of the LBB, as defined by statute, is to oversee the budget process. Oh, well, all of that can go on Comedy Central.

In other budget related news, I see where AD Steve Patterson of The University of Texas has issued a new policy that limits the number of visits coaches can make to check upon their players. Under Patterson, coaches are only allowed 30 visits to the dining hall. If coaches exceed the number of visits, they must pay $10 for each visit out of their own pocket. And that does not look like it includes a meal. If a coach wants to dine during any of their visits, it is $19.50 a meal and no credit cards accepted. Cash on the Longhorn barrel head.

Texas claims that it was spending over $300,000 on coach and staff meals at the dining facilities. While $300,000 appears to be a significant amount, Texas took in over $161 million in revenue in 2014. It does not take John Wax math to see that $300,000 is a drop in the checkbook of the alumni that you appear to be angering, Stevie P.

I am having difficulty in understanding the sacrifice of quality coach/player time to save $300,000. The revenue for the Notre Dame game on the Notre Dame Network (NBC) will be greater than $300,000.

But if you are really that concerned about reducing the athletic budget, I am offering some cost saving ideas for your consideration.

• Dispense with hotels and camp out at the Cotton Bowl for the Red River Rivalry.
• Have some of the campus service organizations prepare sack lunches for the teams as their altruistic projects.
• Dim the scoreboard at DKR Memorial Stadium if Texas is behind by more than three touchdowns in the 4th Quarter.
• Have the team hitch hike to Waco to McLane Stadium.
• Realign the Big 12 so you do not have to go to places like Ames, Iowa or Morgantown, West Virginia.
• Sell more beer in Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium.
• Stop courting the Pac 12. With new revelations, you certainly cannot meet their academic standards now.
• Sell Boykin for Heisman T-shirts outside Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.

Here is my final thought for you Stevie P. I just saw yesterday’s Bleacher Report Preseason Top 25. Yes, meaningless, but still. Instead of concentrating on the number $300,000, I would concentrate on the means of getting The University of Texas back into some of those smaller numbers – like the Top 25. Hook ‘Em Hippies.

Taken from Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium. Photo by me.