"O...K...L...A...H...O...M...A..."

"...Oklahoooooooooooooooma......STATE!!!" *LOL*

I know, two posts in one day - wow. *L* But we went to see the OSU Cowboys whup up on the Grambling State Tigers yesterday! Supposedly Grambling has one of the premiere marching bands in the country so everyone suggested that this was the game to attend. We were trying to choose a game since Eric started at OSU this semester and plays trumpet in the Cowboy Marching Band. As it happens, Laura got offered free tickets by a policy holder so we got to go to this one. We went over in the morning and spent the day at OSU. I absolutely LOVE that campus - it's everything a traditional college campus should be. It always makes me wish I had gone there. I would still love to attend some classes there some day and be a Cowboy Alumni. *G*

The day started with a walk around the campus. I put some pictures in the albums here if you'd like to see them. We met up with Eric briefly at the Student Union, then he was off to play with the Pep Band at the stadium while we stayed at the SU to watch the Spirit Walk. Half of the band stays at the SU and plays for the crowd, then the drum line marches the football team and the Coaches to the stadium. Both Coach Gundy and T. Boone Pickens walked by as they made their way down to get ready for the game.

Then the band got back together and did their practice on the lawn outside the Student Union. They're really quite good. As for the opening of this post...well....usually when you hear the song "Oklahoma", they spell it out at the end....sing "Oklahoooooma!" and end it with a whoop. At OSU though, it ends as I wrote..."Oklahooooooma! STATE!" It's really pretty cool. And if orange bothers you...never go to Stillwater. *LOL* The town is very proud of its association with OSU and orange and black are everywhere!

The game was great - we smashed 'em but good! Every time there is a Cowboy first down the announcer says, "And that's enough for a COWBOY first and ten!" and everybody does the forward chop motion. Every time there is a Cowboy touch down: the ROTC fire a cannon then one does push-ups on top of a board held by the other ROTC members to equal the score, then the announcer yells, "And here cooooomes Bullet!!!", and Bullet the horse rides out to about the 40 yard line and circles back to the goal. He also has three guys running after him holding flags that spell out O S U. I think I included a picture of this.

During this time the dance squad is performing just beyond the far goal, the cheerleaders are cheering at the near goal, Pistol Pete is running around and firing his guns and the crowd is going wild. They play the school fight song and everybody does the OSU motions and cheers in the appropriate places. There was a little girl, maybe 6 or 7 years old, down the row from us and she knew every single motion and every single cheer - she never missed a step. And of course, she had her orange jersey and her orange hair ribbon, and OSU painted on her cheek. Very snazzy! *L* But the cutest all day were the three little stair steps - he was about 3 wearing an OSU football jersey, she was about 2 wearing an OSU cheerleader outfit, and the baby in the stroller was about 1 wearing a bright orange tutu that had an orange ribbon with black polka dots around the waist. *ROTFL* And of course, Mom and Dad had OSU t-shirts and Mom had orange and black beads around her neck. I'd say those kids don't stand a chance - there's three future Pokes there!

It's quite a spectacle and loads of fun! The new T. Boone Pickens Stadium is really nice and a great venue for a college game. We had beautiful weather all day and evening...oh...and did I mention that we KICKED THEIR BUTTS??????? *G* GO POKES!!!!!!!! I swear....I gotta go to that school before I kick the proverbial bucket! *L* Cowboys 4-Ever!!!!