My weekend in Lubbock

Sep 26, 2022 - 3:30 PM

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This past weekend, I traveled with my girlfriend and a group of friends to Lubbock for the Texas game because, like most, we figured it would be the last time Texas made the journey to the Jones. We stayed close to campus in a hotel and when I walked in I was immediately greeted on the elevator with some Tech fans who were understandably excited about the weekend. “Horns down” was the greeting and the sentiment was exchanged. I was looking forward to a great weekend.

After looking back and having multiple interactions with UT and Tech fans alike, I can say it was an amazing weekend. A great game that was competitive throughout, ending in OT, made all the sweeter by a Texas Tech victory.

There will be a game recap later on this week, but I would like to talk about my interactions. I spoke with an older gentleman, probably in his early to mid 60’s at the game because he was in a UT shirt. I asked if anyone was being too hard on him, he answered absolutely not and that the Lubbock trip was his favorite over the years. It was the 12th straight game in Lubbock he had attended. I asked him if he’ll miss coming to Lubbock at all and his response was, “If they don’t ever come back to Lubbock it’ll be unfortunate for everyone involved.”

A different interaction I had was by a heat management station in the 2nd quarter. An elderly Tech fan had gotten too hot and was being walked over to the management station by UT and Tech fans alike. After they had sat her down, handshakes were exchanged and some even stayed around to keep talking afterwards.

My third interaction was with an elderly Tech couple sitting behind us at the game. They were just as loud as we were, and they were standing the whole time, just like us. I asked if they wanted us to sit down so they could see over us, and the lady responded with “they won’t hear us if we’re sitting down.” Simply amazing.

My next one to talk about was the only bad interaction I was around. It was after the game on the foot bridge crossing Marsha Sharp Freeway. Apparently an intoxicated Texas fan was running down the foot ramp and ran over multiple people and just kept going. Well a disgruntled husband caught up with him and right before he tried to knock his head off, Lubbock Police stepped in and arrested the intoxicated fan.

The last interaction I’ll mention was another with a UT fan. After the game my group waited about five minutes, then we went down on the field to take some pictures. Weirdly enough, there were some people sporting burnt orange on the field which I thought was a little strange, nevertheless, they accidentally bumped into us. The woman immediately apologized and commented about how great the game was. We agreed, told her to be safe getting off the field and she offered to take a group picture for us. We took her up on the offer, thanked her and we went our separate ways.

I bring all of these up because we have all seen videos that paint both sides in a negative light. A Tech fan pushing a UT player, and a UT player shoving a Tech co-ed. These are outliers in what in my mind was an intense-yet cordial affair.

Everyone will have their “takes” on the videos and the opposing fanbase. I know I have mine. But I thought I would share what the experience was ACTUALLY like before you read some trash that other sites put out about how bad our fanbase is.

I will not stand for people spewing utter garbage and trash about Lubbock and our fanbase.

The truth is there are bad eggs in every basket. They don’t speak for an entire fanbase.

The interactions above prove this.

On to K-State.