Stillwater runs deep

Joe and I saw OSU's last home game of the season today -- his first college football game ever. The Cowboys whipped Baylor. Most of the excitement came in the last four minutes of the game -- three touchdowns, including a punt return for a TD.

We were not appropriately dressed, as we own no orange clothing. I haven't seen so much orange in one place since the National Association of Parking Lot Attendants convention.

We didn't know the fight songs, but that seemed to be OK, because we didn't hear anyone around us -- and we were surrounded by season ticket holders -- singing either. The OSU fight song is quite complicated -- I think I heard three distinct movements. There's the part where you wave, then some part where you chant "O-S-U".

It was senior day -- 17 senior players, playing the last home game of their college careers, were honored before the game, escorted to the field by two relatives or close friends. The names of the escorts for each player were announced over the PA system. Of the 17 seniors, only 7 players were accompanied by their fathers. (Another had his stepfather with him, and another had his grandfather along.) The rest were accompanied by mothers, grandmothers, and fiancees, but no father figure. Not a good sign.

Pre-game, we found a parking spot on the street, in front of student rental houses with front porches collapsing under the weight of rump-sprung couches which had been "recycled" in the wee hours of trash pickup day. We peeked into Eskimo Joe's, which was packed, then bought lunch (1/3 lb. burgers) at their satellite food tent across the street.

The new stadium is lovely, but it was strange walking into a place named for the man who indirectly ran my dad out of a job back in the mid-80s.

After the game we strolled around campus, noticing all the folks who were making a huge production out of tailgating parties. On the way back to Tulsa, I decided to take a detour and drive home through Cushing and Drumright -- towns I like (especially Drumright, attractively set on a hill) but rarely have occasion to pass through.