Why the Texas Longhorns Will Be Missed in the Big 12
I'm not much on college football or sports at all, but I can tell a class operation when I see one.
Let's start with a quote by actor Matthew McConaughey, speaking on opposing teams giving the "Horns Down" sign:
"It's a compliment to us. It means they hate us more than they love themselves"
He's right, you know. He's also 100 percent squared up with most UT fans. They have built such a strong school vibe that they don't really care about you, because they're too busy caring for themselves. They don't care if you don't like them because your opinion doesn't matter to them.
I witnessed all of this firsthand while working in Austin. I have to say that it's really not a sense of arrogance either. The sports teams always behave like winners even when they're losing. They have class and pride and they really support each other in Longhorns nation. And once again, it didn't come with a sense of elitism either, because the coaches themselves never had a problem dropping by or asking folks to come to the game.
I really want to drop that saying, "They hate us because they ain't us," but the fact of the matter is that they don't spend much time even acknowledging their haters. This goes for the fans, too; they don't have dirty chants in the crowd and are mortified if someone in the burnt orange acts like a fool.
Now I'm sure there are a couple of rats trying to scurry away to find little faults and episodes with UT athletics (when you're dealing with college-age kids there will always be something), but everyone could learn a lesson from the Longhorns about poise, class and behaving like winning isn't a big deal, it's the norm.