Reasons to Hate: Texas

Doesn't it feel like we're partying in a time before the year 2000 when we talk about Texas? There's enough hate in anticipation of this bowl game, that Razorback fans feel like they are playing a regular conference game. It's Texas Week/Month/Bowl Season.  We've got a surplus of Hate.

1) History. Between 1932 and 1991, Arkansas and Texas played every year.  The first game was in 1894.  Texas has a clear advantage in the series, including the last two games in 2004 and 2008.  2004 was my first season on the Hill, and despite a late Matt Jones fumble, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my Razorback fandom.  On September 11th, 2004, I took the field with the Razorback Marching Band, and I felt like my ears were going to melt off as the team took the field.  I still feel like this was the most hyped Razorback football game in the last 11 years.  As the team took the field, I played the Fight Song, but I couldn't even hear myself play.  What an amazing rivalry, I thought back in 2004.  The history doesn't really bode well for the Hogs. After that 2004 game, I will always hate the Longhorns after seeing someone in the Razorback student section actively cheering for Texas.

More specifically, between the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Texas beat the Razorbacks when the Hogs were undefeated 8 times, and 5 of those times were the only regular season loss suffered by the Hogs that year. It wasn't just about 1969.

2) They Pretend They Never Cared About Us. Right, they didn't care about us so much they devoted an entire halftime show to Arkansas the last time the Hogs played in Austin as SWC members. And it's a doozy. Check it out:

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Here's some of the dialogue from the PA announcer during the show:

"As we pay tribute to Arkansas' departure from the Southwest Conference /CROWD ROARS"

"Once upon a time there was a happy place called the Southwest Conference. Everything was peaceful." Oh yes, so peaceful. Everything was rainbows and unicorns everywhere, especially at SMU.

"Then, one day, the Southwest Conference was threatened by an evil force, the Saddam Hussein of college football, the SEC." THE SADDAM HUSSEIN OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

"One small group of money-loving non-Texans caved in and joined the evil force, forsaking all their other friends." Yes, that's Texas degrading Arkansas by calling the Hogs "money-loving". Just let that process for a minute.

"Soon the SWC returned to normal" Yeah how'd that work out for ya?

3) A lot more history. Mark Carter was... loquacious about his hate for the Longhorns.  I'll summarize.  In 1977, Texas beat Arkansas 13-9, and Mark was there.  He made eye contact with a Texas band member (probably wearing fringe and everything else that goes with the worst band uniform on the planet) and felt great sadness that that guy was happy and he was sad.

But hatred of Texas, for true Arkansans, is part of your DNA. Our struggles against that behemoth, against which on paper we should never even have a chance, sum up our state -- overlooked, not fully appreciated but scrappy, tenacious and hard to keep down.

4) Okay, Enough downers.

5) The Longhorn Network. What school would have the audacity to create their own television network?  What school would think people have their heads shoved so far up their Bevos, that they want a network that only shows their school?  Texas that's who.  The Longhorn Network doesn't really affect me on a regular basis, but I would rather they put that channel somewhere away from my HD sports channels.  I don't need to scroll past that when I'm on my way to NBATV.  Put it with the weirdo music channels that play Smash Mouth and show pictures of Steve Harwell (lead singer of Smash Mouth).

6) Texas basically caused realignment, which basically cost us our Thanksgiving weekend gave vs LSU. From Devan Lawson:  "Texas was the main reason behind all of the conference realignment in the Big 12. Something about the Longhorn Network and they were getting more money from the conference than the rest of the Big 12 schools? Regardless we can probably blame them anyway. This is why we have to finish the season with a fabricated rivalry against Mizzou. This is why Texas and Texas A&M don't play anymore. They ruined so many classic rivalries in college football over greed. The Longhorns have done so much damage to itself/conference/college football that you have to hate them for it."

7) The Cannon. 52 - 10.  Texas has one of those craphole stadiums that you see all over the Big 12.  It's not very tall, seats a lot of people, and has a cannon near one of the endzones.  The cannon happened to be very close to the location of the Razorback Band in 2008.  That cannon got used way too much that game.  There's a crew of TSips in chaps and some other clothes that they would rather leave at home pulling on that cannon everytime someone kicks it off, every time Texas scores (including extra points), and during pregame and halftime.  By my best estimations, they blew that thing 2,327 times (18 if I really do the math).  Screw that cannon.

7) They Suck.

Granted, this is still Cliffs Notes. And doesn't even touch on the rich basketball history. Maybe we'll get to do that one sometime.

But this is bowl week, so for now, let the hate flow!