Seriously...Is It Me?

Thought I was going to have a great run of seeing some big time ball games in person.

Then I travel to Dallas for a special experience with tickets on the 20-yard-line, only to see the Cowboys get spanked by the Saints 42-17.

So on Saturday, as an early Christmas present, I took the family to Alltel Arena in North Little Rock to see the Arkansas basketball Razorbacks take on legendary (or infamous) Coach Bobby Knight and his Texas Tech Red Raiders. It was a large and responsive crowd. The seats, in the upper deck, had a good view. It was closer than it seems from my camera phone picture (at left). Alli, wearing her Razorbacks cheerleader outfit, and Lucas both called the Hogs. Then the game started.

After jumping out 3-0... the Hogs stopped. And the Red Raiders went on an 18-0 run. And it was never closer than an 8-point deficit down the stretch. The Hogs ended up losing by 15. It was a rotten game, Hog-wise. No consistent offense, nobody stepping up and putting the team on their back (Charles Thomas looked good inside, but they really needed more than some good post play).

The story on this team was that after depending on Ronnie Brewer so much the last 2 years, this team had a bunch of good players. The lack a playmaker, though, and still have no consistent outside shooter that can knock down a couple of 3s when playing catch up. The defense was shaky and they kept turning the ball over. Lucas, as you can see from the picture, was bummed like the rest of us. Can't blame the crowd. They were loud - when there was something to get loud about - and in the game until nearly the bitter end.

Then I started thinking...when was the last win I saw...took me a bit. Saw the Hogs lose to Tech; saw the Cowboys lose to the Saints; saw the football Hogs lose to LSU; saw the Malvern Leopards lose to Bauxite...ahhh...I guess it was this summer, when we saw the Cardinals beat the Indians in St. Louis. THAT was an exciting game, with a 9th inning rally.

Wait...did I use up all my big game mojo then??? I hope not. We still have the Hogs bowl game. At least - for the Hogs sake - I'll only be watching on TV. And I'm not wearing the Hogs T-shirt I bought to wear to the LSU game (loss) then wore to the watch party for the SEC Championship (loss)...then wore to the basketball game on Saturday (loss). Not that I'm superstitious. :)