The day: October 12th, 2002 Where: The Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas What: Two unbeaten teams clashing head-to-head to decide who will remain in the hunt for the national championship. I had two very coveted tickets to this football battle between the second ranked University of Oklahoma - Norman (OU) Sooners and the third ranked University of Texas - Austin (UT) Longhorns. The stadium was split down the 50 yard line. One side was clad in solid crimson. The other, solid burnt orange. The game began and the battle was nothing short of what I thought it would be. Then the University of Oklahoma began to pull away. When it became evident that my beloved Longhorns were not going to win, my mind began to wonder. I pondered the fact that I could have sold my two tickets in the end zone for close to $500. $500 richer I would have been, but instead I chose to go watch my college, the team I have loved since birth, lose. I thought about that more and more and then my mind ventured into a bigger picture. Why was the demand so high and the stadium so small? These schools were losing money because of their desire to keep tradition. To have such a high profile game in the Cotton Bowl for this reason alone seems foolish and ignoran
. . .
The game was played in either Norman or Austin until 1929, when the game was moved to the Cotton Bowl. When the money that should be going to the schools is going to greedy ticket scalpers, society is not benefiting. Just being in town, wearing your school's colors, and hyping the game when UT and OU meet is a tradition.
Many people have expressed ideas on how to return this game to maximum profitability. The site will still be neutral, halfway between Norman and Austin, and everyone that will want to attend will be given a fair opportunity to do so. The game used to be a regional rivalry that meant a lot to the students and alumni of both schools, but little to the rest of the country. The entire weekend is filled with pageantry, spirit, excitement, and most of all, tradition. Whether the change is renovating the Cotton Bowl or moving it to another site, is up for discussion.
I would hate to see the Cotton Bowl and the State Fair of Texas not host this game in the future and Dallas Mayor Laura Miller feels the same way. Also, the Cotton Bowl, built in 1930, is in dire need of repair. He claims that holding the game in Dallas every year robs Oklahoma's economy of millions of dollars. Less economic revenue means less facility and faculty growth which then leads to a lower quality educational experience for all involved. The game is played inside the stadium, while the State Fair of Texas takes place outside. It's two programs that should be this good each year. This was proposed by University of Oklahoma President David Boren in early October.
Approximate Word count =
1431
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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