You who live in the part of America that is not Fort Worth may be surprised to learn that Fort Worth is the "envy of the nation" because a university in this town won the Rose Bowl.
At Sunday's celebration Mayor Mike Moncrief thanked TCU "for making us the envy of the entire nation."
The "entire nation."
That is impressive.
I no longer subscribe to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Because it was no longer worth subscribing to. So, I do not know if the paper has reverted to using its "Green with Envy" type verbiage over and over again in its print version regarding some nonsensical thing that no one is envious of. Like some little known country music singer moving to town.
But.
I do look at the online Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and, though I missed it til Elsie Hotpepper pointed me to it, there it was, once more the goofy "envy of" conceit. This time in quote form on the front page, linked to an article titled "More than 6,000 TCU fans pay tribute to 'unbelievable' season for Horned Frogs" in which the Star-Telegram repeats the "envy of the nation" verbiage....
FORT WORTH -- As the community heralded its university and Rose Bowl champions as the "envy of the nation," one couldn't help but wonder whether guys named Baugh, O'Brien, Meyer and even Wacker weren't somewhere looking down and sporting smiles as big as Fort Worth.
More than 6,000 enthusiastic Texas Christian University fans filled Daniel-Meyer Coliseum on Sunday for a public celebration honoring coach Gary Patterson's football team and recognizing a 2010 season that was about as good as any in the 110-year history of the program.
I have no clue who guys name Baugh, O'Brien, Meyer and Wacker are.
But, I do know I read in west coast online newspapers, more than one Pac-10 football fan opine that a Fort Worth school named TCU, from one of the non-top type conferences, playing in and winning the fabled Rose Bowl is the final nail in the coffin of the widely disliked BCS system of choosing who plays in what football Bowls.
This somehow does not sound like envy to me. It seems more like disappointment that a fabled institution like the annual Rose Bowl has been greatly lessened. And is no longer even played on New Year's Day.
Now, what I am really curious about is all the years some team other than a Fort Worth football team won the Rose Bowl, was Fort Worth collectively envious of the town in which that winning team was located?
I do not recollect ever reading in the Seattle P-I, or hearing anyone opine that Seattle was the "envy of the nation" because the University of Washington won the Rose Bowl.
Do these locals who tout this type verbiage have even the slightest clue that it gets read by people outside of Fort Worth, you know, out in America, and that it makes Fort Worth seem really silly? And that it is sort of embarrassing to be saying this that or the other thing in a town like Fort Worth is the "envy of the nation."
This type bragging really needs to be retired permanently from this town. Until the day comes where something is actually worthy of such lofty verbiage.
What a disappointing way to share such an accomplishment...final ranking as the #2 team in the nation, over huge schools (and budgets) that are up to ten times as big, like UT, Ohio State, and Florida. This accomplishment came over other obstacles besides student body and budget limitations, with the main one being the monopoly on the major bowl games and the benefits that accompany them that the syndicate of big schools comprising the BCS group controls for their select members, leaving smaller schools and conferences to be almost perfect in order to crash their elite bowling parties.
ReplyDeleteIt's extremely hard to be a "BCS bowls buster" like TCU (and Boise St. being the only other one, you know the team that plays on a BLUE field) with the way this unfair and really unAmerican system. So good for TCU who represents the little guys and the overachieving gals, which are integral parts of American culture and history (13 dinky colonies defeating one of the world's major powers).
While by no means "green with envy", at least a couple groups from other states had bough bill board signs congratulating TCU's feat on behalf of the underdogs.
The names mentioned are players and coaches who had brought honor and distinction to little TCU (not Moncrief's Alma material or any significant connection) in the past, including a stretch after WW II as the top five football teams in the country under coach Meyer and Heisman trophy winners O'Brien and Baugh. The O'Brien award is given to the best college quarterback each year. Coach Wacker was a loud and colorful son of a Presbyterian minister whose leadership in the 1980's inspired little TCU to overachieve and returned some of the glory and local pride in their local college team, the only top teams with the word "Christian" in their name (Disciples of Christ denomination).
The current coach seems to be doing a good job not to sully that name in his humble manners both on and off the field. Something we cannot say about the profiteering and power hungry mayor and his minions.
Thanks, Fan of the Davids.
ReplyDeleteSee you sound totally reasonable. I thought it cool TCU was in and won the Rose Bowl. I don't mind, unlike some, that the Rose Bowl is no longer the Pac-10 against the Big-10. Actually it never actually mattered to me. But, what obviously bugged me is some of the locals had to go an ruin the perfectly fine local winning of the Rose Bowl by acting like they think the rest of America envies Fort Worth because of this Rose Bowl win. That is just moronically stupid and does not belong in a legitimate newspaper or coming out of the mouth of Fort Worth's moronic mayor.
Fan of the Davids has a few facts wrong.
ReplyDeleteDavey O'Brien and Sammy Baugh played football at TCU prior to WW2.
Jim Wacker - Lutheran not Presbyterian.
TCU lost a second tier bowl game (Bluebonnet) in the 1980's by paying players to play including their best player, Kenneth Davis.
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The Star-Telegram mentions an old man who ushered at TCU games and how enviable the ushers were. haha I know better.
Horney Toad, you do know better indeed. Good for you, especially if you're an alum or a lifelong FW resident who has followed TCU's football history closely.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you must admit that this non-native and non-alum has a pretty grasp of the substantial parts of the facts. And off the cuff, without having looked up any info which means I'll take your word regarding which era O'Brien and Slingin' Sammy played relative to the Great War. I know that Baugh had passed on not too long ago at a ripe old age.
And now that you mentioned it, Jim Wacker's style reflected his more enthusiastic Lutheran background. I remember something about a scandal ( with self reporting and self-imposed sanctions? ) that knocked the wind out of the Wacker era. Coach Wacker was himself an overachiever who represented the little guys.
His premature death from cancer was sad news to the school and city despite the relatively lengthy period between his being this city's #1cheerleader and his passing. Good man, that Jim Wacker.
Can't say the same about mayor Snidely Whiplash and his phoney elitist ways, despite his well honed homey ways that are hallmarks of a professional politician with hidden agendas. He looks completely purple in that photo.
Good point, Durango. Overachieving is quite different from overstretching its proper significance. Maybe former councilwoman Cathy Hirt will overachieve and boot this oil and gas enabler-in-chief out of the tracking mayor's seat come this May election.