Real Estate Advisor

Doug Bridges - 803.530.1732

TheBigRedWeekend

DBridges1@sc.rr.com
DougBridges.com

AsIreachedtheripeoldageof6andcouldsortof
read,IwouldgotothemailboxeverySunday
morning(religiously)andgetthenewspapersoI
couldseeifthemightyOklahomaFootballTeam
hadwonthedaybefore.Iactuallystarted
rememberingnameslikeTommyMcDonald,Max
Boydston,andJerryTubbs.TheOUplayerswere
myheroesandBudWilkinsonwastheirgreatcoach
thatneverlost.Andthenthebigdaycame..my
dadtookmetoNormanandMemorialStadiumto
seeBigRedashecalledhisOklahomateam.
Thatwas1954whenAllAmericanhalfbackTommy
McDonaldranwildandtheSoonersbeatNebraska
557.Iguesssomethingsstickinayoungkids
mindandnevergoaway.
ThispastSaturday,mainlybecauseofmyreunion
withmyTulsacousins(whoIhadnotseenin40
yearsuntilthispastJuly),Ifoundmyselfbackin
Normansittinginthatsamestadiumthatmydad
hadintroducedmetodecadesbefore.The
excitementthatIexperiencedonthatfallday60
yearsagocamebacktomeinarush.Itwas
euphoricandevenemotional.
Isatontheeastsidelookingacrossatthepress
boxonthewestsideofthefield.WhatIsaw
emblazonedunderneaththegiantstructurewas
surrealMOSTWINSSINCEWWII,HIGHEST
WINNINGPERCENTAGESINCE1945,SEVEN
(7)NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIPS,44
CONFERENCECHAMPIONSHIPS,154ALL
AMERICANS(75consensus),andFIVE(5)
HEISMANTROPHYWINNERS.Evenforanavid
sportsfanthosefactsandnumbersare
astoundingandalmostoverwhelming.Andyet
theyfittheauraandthefascinationofthisplace,
thisshrineofcollegefootball. (continuedpage2)

OfalltheincredibletraditionfilledstadiumsthatIhavevisited(toincludeNotreDame)this
onelooksatyouandsaysverysimply,ThisisOklahoma.Thatsall..nootherwords
arenecessary.ThisisOklahoma"itsnothallowedgrounditswhathallowedground
placestrytocompareto.
But,leaveittometobringtoOUnotrainbutahorrificrainstorm..whichlastedfrom
sunuponSaturdaytosundownandpouredrelentlesslythroughoutthegame(whichwas
movedfroman11:00AMkickoffto12:30becauseoflightninginthearea.)Mycousin
NancyandIsloshedthroughtheOUcampusandenteredMemorialstadium.Wepassed
theoldgymnasiumwheremydadplayedbasketballfortheSooners.Whenweenteredthe
stadiumIwasshockedtoseethesizeofthecrowd.MostSoonersfanswereignoringthe
rainstorm.itwasnotgoingtokeepthemaway.Immediatelyafterwemadeittoourseats
theSoonerstookthefieldandofcoursethebandlitupwithBoomerSoonerandIwasin
thesametranceIfoundmyselfinasakid.beforemewasBigRed,theSchooner,the
bandandmyfavoritefightsongofalltime.Butthemostamazingfacetoftheentireaffair
wasthefans.Somethingsneverchange..onceaSooneralwaysaSoonerthefight
songevensays,IwasSoonerbornandSoonerbredandwhenIdieIllbesoonerdead.
AfterthekickoffIsatdown.ItdawnedonmethatIwastheonlypersonsittingdown.IfI
wantedtoseethegameIhadtostandupbecauseSoonerfansdonotsitdown.they
onlyrestduringthecommercials.IhavefoundthatfootballisnotapassiontoOU
fans.itsnotarecreationalactivityoranothersourceofentertainment.Footballto
OklahomansisLIFE.Breathing,bloodcirculation,heartbeat,talking,listening,working,
havingchildren..andOklahomafootballitsallwithinthehumanspiritandnatural
ingredientsofjustlivingintheSoonerstate.
ButheresabettersubjectthanOUfootballa
moreimportantmessageifyouhaveacousin
oranepheworabrotherorsisterthatyou
haventseeninages.someonethatyou
oftenthinkaboutbutfinditjusttoo
inconvenienttoreconnectwith.findthem
andgoseethem.Takeitfromme.there
canbegreatvalueinreconnecting.
Oh,Iforgottomention.DuringSaturdays
gameafreshmanrunningbackforOU(used
tocallthemwhisperjets)brokethealltime
collegesinglegamerushingrecord.Samaje
Perineranfor427yardsandbroke
WisconsinsMelvinGordonsrecordsetonly7
daysbefore.Hediditinadrivingrain
storm.itwasincredible.Buteventhattooka
backseattobeingwithmycousinsandjust
glowinginsidetheambianceofthatgreat
Oklahomasetting.