John Brummett: "When Hosts Boo Their Guests"

[Wild Bill Hog]

Yet again, hogfans have managed to live up to many of the sterotypes that exist about us.

Guess what?  Arkansas sterotypes are going to be with us always.  What's wrong with having a little fun?  Texas knew they would be booed here.  (Why do you think Barnes mentioned it in the first place?)  It was nothing but fun in a spirit of the natural competitiveness that exists between two former conference rivals located in adjoining states.

[cosmodrum]

And why were you brought up that way?  Because Ar has the biggest red-headed stepshild syndrom in the world.  Bigger than actual redheaded stepshildren.  Everyone is out to get us.  In sports, ESPN, the refs, the sec, Texas, Raycom, CNNSI, the NCAA, the announcers, are all out to get us, according to our fans. 

It has NOTHING to do with an inferiority complex. I am not envious of Texas. I just enjoy giving the other team a little good-natured ribbing.

Tell me Hogsanity, who is it OK to Boo? LSU? Well, I'm sure you'd say no, because they, like Texas, don't care about the rivalry like we do. Surely not Bama, I mean, for Christ's sake, they were coached by Bear Bryant! We have no business even being on the same field as them. We're inferior to everyone.

Since we are so damn inferior, let's just call Dale and beg him to come back. Anyone got another $3.5M? He fits into the inferior mold so well. I guess I didn't realize we were really losing the face of Arkansas sports when we sent his butt to Oxford.

[WilsonHog]

Wow.  For those of you guys who like for your preacher to just "tell it like it is" and don't pull punches, you should love the quote above.

That is some unvarnished truth, right there.

Of course many Arkansans have an inferiority complex. They just don't like to be told such. 

[hogsanity]

It has NOTHING to do with an inferiority complex. I am not envious of Texas. I just enjoy giving the other team a little good-natured ribbing.

Tell me Hogsanity, who is it OK to Boo? LSU? Well, I'm sure you'd say no, because they, like Texas, don't care about the rivalry like we do. Surely not Bama, I mean, for Christ's sake, they were coached by Bear Bryant! We have no business even being on the same field as them. We're inferior to everyone.

Since we are so damn inferior, let's just call Dale and beg him to come back. Anyone got another $3.5M? He fits into the inferior mold so well. I guess I didn't realize we were really losing the face of Arkansas sports when we sent his butt to Oxford.

It is perfectly okay to boo your opponent.  It is not, imo, okay to boo a team when you are the host area for a NCAA event in which your team is not present.

[IronHog]

Sure he was, which is why so many have had a such a defensive reaction.

Thank you Hog "Arkansas will never put out more than 3 SEC players per year, I love the Texas freaking Longhorns, I wish I were in Indiana watching ESPN" Sanity

[swinemaster]

Booing Texas is never wrong!  They suck.  I don't like them.  I don't care how they feel.  I want to see them fail whenever possible.   

BUT, doing the hog call during a game in which the hogs aren't even playing, is embarrassing.  Especially when paired with the remote chance that said team is getting blown out at the same time on another court.  ?   

[cosmodrum]

Guess what?  Arkansas sterotypes are going to be with us always.  What's wrong with having a little fun?  Texas knew they would be booed here.  (Why do you think Barnes mentioned it in the first place?)  It was nothing but fun in a spirit of the natural competitiveness that exists between two former conference rivals located in adjoining states.

Well lookey thar', a little bit of sense. It was just in fun. NO ONE is talking about this but us. Not the media, not the Longhorns. No one. Brummett had nothing else to write about, even though he typically covers politics and this is an election year, not to mention a former Arkansan, and woman (perhaps former in that regard, as well), is running for office. He chose to print this crap because he knew some Arkansans would piss and moan to each other about it and some more folks might actually read the asinine article.

[ThunderHog]

I think that if Brummett lived in Alabama he would have the same views about the Tide and Auburn. I think he would feel the same about North Carolina and Duke, or Ohio State/Michigan.

I will have to disagree with those examples...those are true and storied rivalries with two of those being instate which is a huge deal.  I think Brummett understands those.  His point is that Razorback fans are hanging on to a part of the past...it's over and it was probably never as important to Longhorn fans as it was to our fans.  I loved it, but 18 year olds really do not have a clue...that's his point...we showed our a$$ in front of a bunch of 18 year olds.

[WilsonHog]

It's like the old "we wuz cheated" nonsense that uneducated fans from coast to coast spew.

"We wuz robbed. Us boys was done wrong."

Or maybe your team just wasn't good enough.

Or maybe you're coach just wasn't on his game that day.

Or maybe the ref was out of position and made a bad call based on being out of position.

There is a vast difference between all of those and a situation where a call was made specifically because the ref intended to screw a team over.

But hey, where's the fun in a little repsonsibility? It's always better to point a finger at someone else.

[The Marmot]

I was there and thought the booing of TX was funny, just as the cheering on of Austin Peay by hog fans and the starting of the Hog Call by the Austin Peay band was funny. It added to atmosphere of the event, and didnt seem to bother the TX band or players much. Its not as if people were throwing things at them or picking fights with them around town..... its just booing. Its all in competitive fun.

Brummet just got his panties in a wad and wanted to ruffle feathers.

[AckaBacka]

Will Brummet get upset when we boo Nutt?  We can only hope. 

[cosmodrum]

It is perfectly okay to boo your opponent.  It is not, imo, okay to boo a team when you are the host area for a NCAA event in which your team is not present.

Why not? They knew a bunch of Hog fans were going to be there, and Barnes made the supposed "tongue in cheek" comments, sort of light-heartedly sticking it to us. So, in the same nature of his comments, Hog fans boo. So what. And when I say I HATE Texas, I mean it in a sporting way. Hell, I almost applied to UT's Latin American Studies program. I would've felt a little awkward, but hey, it's great school. Instead, I enrolled in grad school at the U of A. Closer to home, instate tuition, and on top of that, I was born a Razorback fan. It was a better fit for me. But I digress...

I just don't see the big deal here. A little booing. Hell, there weren't even that many Texas fans there anyway. Why? They are a football school. They don't care that they were booed. Not one bit.

[Sivad]

I think that if Brummett lived in Alabama he would have the same views about the Tide and Auburn. I think he would feel the same about North Carolina and Duke, or Ohio State/Michigan.

Basically the notion of, "Why in the hell do grown people get so worked up over something as silly as a game?" 

Exactly.

Brummett considers himself an intellectual, far above the rest of us poor souls who derive so much enjoyment and entertainment from avidly following and supporting our Razorbacks.

But we kind of gave him a free shot at us with the booing and hog calling at games we were not even a part of and in fact were the host city for.

[NuttinItUp]

What a first class ahole. I do like the last line though:
"John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. His e-mail address is jbrummett@ [[[Stop spamming your site, Eric.]]] .com ; his telephone number is (501) 374-0699."

That will give me something to do for the next few minutes.

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

How is hating a team an inferiority complex?  Even if it's one sided. Maybe one team just hates the other.  It's sports.  Boo Texas.

Whenever a discussion comes up about the Dallas Cowboys, and somebody says they hate that NFL team, Dallas fans say it's because of jealousy. It's stated as fact, over and over again.

If that's true, then would those same people say Arkansas fans booed Texas they are jealous of the Longhorns?

So then...The Yankees are jealous of Boston.  Bama is jealous of the Crimson Tide.  FSU is jealous of Miami.  Tennessee is jealous of Florida.  Ohio State is jealous of Michigan.  I got that right?

[cosmodrum]

Exactly.

Brummett considers himself an intellectual, far above the rest of us poor souls who derive so much enjoyment and entertainment from avidly following and supporting our Razorbacks.

But we kind of gave him a free shot at us with the booing and hog calling at games we were not even a part of and in fact were the host city for.

I'm just amazed that he decided to type up an entire article about something so stupid. Again, it's an election year, and he covers politics. There is plenty to talk about. An African-American, a woman, and a guy born in the during the Zachary Taylor administration are all running for the highest office in the free world, and he writes abut something so inconsequential.

[cosmodrum]

Here's a question: Were any other teams booed the way Texas was in NLR?

Did Tennessee get booed by the Alabama and Auburn fans in Birmingham? Did Kansas or Kansas State get booed by the Nebraska fans in Omaha?

Did those opposing coaches call those fans out? Then, were those comments plastered in the papers and repeated time after time over the airwaves? Probably not.

[dacskc]

Booing Texas is never wrong!  They suck.  I don't like them.  I don't care how they feel.  I want to see them fail whenever possible.   

BUT, doing the hog call during a game in which the hogs aren't even playing, is embarrassing.  Especially when paired with the remote chance that said team is getting blown out at the same time on another court.  ?   

What's up with that? I've lived here practically all my life and never understood it. Fun to do at Hog games...strange at other times. When my sister was in H.S., they took a senior trip to NYC. When they got off the tour bus downtown, a spontaneous hog call erupted from some of the students and teachers. This was met by odd stares, and condescending snickers.

[Sivad]

I'm just amazed that he decided to type up an entire article about something so stupid. Again, it's an election year, and he covers politics. There is plenty to talk about. An African-American, a woman, and a guy born in the during the Zachary Taylor administration are all running for the highest office in the free world, and he writes abut something so inconsequential.

Any chance that Brummett gets to take a shot at the Razorbacks and their statewide fan support, he will take it.

[RazorBassin]

I see burnt orange...........I boo the man wearing it.

Loved that movie!  Still one of my favorites.  Great reference by the way.  +1

[hogsanity]

Whenever a discussion comes up about the Dallas Cowboys, and somebody says they hate that NFL team, Dallas fans say it's because of jealousy. It's stated as fact, over and over again.

If that's true, then would those same people say Arkansas fans booed Texas they are jealous of the Longhorns?


So then...The Yankees are jealous of Boston.  Bama is jealous of the Crimson Tide.  FSU is jealous of Miami.  Tennessee is jealous of Florida.  Ohio State is jealous of Michigan.  I got that right?

The Yankees and Redsox play 18 times a year.  Bama and Aub play every year.  FSu and Miami play just about every year.  Tn 7 Fla play every year.  Ohio St/Mich may be the greatest rivalry of all time, and they play every year. 

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

Here's a question: Were any other teams booed the way Texas was in NLR?

Did Tennessee get booed by the Alabama and Auburn fans in Birmingham? Did Kansas or Kansas State get booed by the Nebraska fans in Omaha?

Not the same thing.  A better question would be, would Michigan get booed if they played in a regional in Columbus? 

I believe a lot of this stems from two things, none of which is jealousy of Texass. 

1st.  Arkansas does not have a natural rival.  So we make one up and if we have reason to call someone a rival, we call it a rival.   Look at us.  We come up with the boot, so LSU is a rival.  Nutt goes to Ole Miss, so we call it a rival.  Some claim that because South Carolina is our every year Eastern Division opponent, they're a rival.  Texas is a rival.  Now we'll have people beefing up the Texas A&M rivalry. I promise you, we'll before we play Tulsa, the word "rivalry" will pop up in many a conversation that week.  It's a void that we have as a fan base that we unleash on UT when we get the chance.

2nd.  Its bred into us at this point.  I'm 27 so I wasn't even a teenager when we left the SWC for the SEC.  I vaguely remember playing Houston, TCU, A&M, etc.  Most of my memories about playing SMU stem from the Barry Lunney years.  My Texas memories are mostly from the most recent home and home and the Cotton Bowl.  But I was taught by a life-long Hog fan (Dad) to hate all Texas schools with a special place in my bowels for UT.  I'm sure my bias will bleed through and one day, if I have any sons, they'll hate UT as well.  I can only be so lucky. 

I think those two reasons are far more likely as to why we treat Texas the way we do. 

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

I don't believe so, but that was what I was asking.

That whole "People who don't like the Cowboys are jealous" is boilerplate whenever Dallas is discussed. So I wondered ... if it applied to people who don't like the Cowboys, then wouldn't it also apply to people who don't like the Longhorns?

Because the argument is stupid, which is the point I was making in the first place.

[cosmodrum]

I don't believe so, but that was what I was asking.

That whole "People who don't like the Cowboys are jealous" is boilerplate whenever Dallas is discussed. So I wondered ... if it applied to people who don't like the Cowboys, then wouldn't it also apply to people who don't like the Longhorns?

For me, the hate for the Cowboys is due to their fans calling them things like "America's Team." I'm an American, and they are not my team. It's hard to like things like that. To be honest, some of my favorite FB players of all time wore a star on the helmet. Emmit is one of my favorites, along with Moose Johnston, Novacek, and Aikman. But I wouldn't be caught dead in Cowboys garb.

I like Vince Young, Derrick Johnson, Priest Holmes, Major Applewhite, etc, but hate the Longhorns. Sort of the same thing, for me.

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

The Yankees and Redsox play 18 times a year.  Bama and Aub play every year.  FSu and Miami play just about every year.  Tn 7 Fla play every year.  Ohio St/Mich may be the greatest rivalry of all time, and they play every year. 

We only played the Russians every 4 years in the Olympics (a good average between UT and Arkansas games), but we still hated their guts, and to some degree, we still want to can Russia in the Olympics even though the Cold War rivalry should be done.  Are we jealous of the Russians?

[cosmodrum]

Loved that movie!  Still one of my favorites.  Great reference by the way.  +1

Geez, now I feel stupid for missing that. Very nice. +1

[Tripod1]

Booing was probably innocent enough.  The Hog call in NLR while our Hogs got a good ole country a$$ whopping hundreds of miles away was silly at best, and stupid at worst.  I go back to the Lance Alworth days and Barnhill having a dirt floor on one side of the court so I am not a little 18 year old who does not understand the SWC glory days.  The Texas rivilary has ALWAYS been a one way street.  They have always had bigger fish to fry than us.  Wasted energy with all the hate for Texas.  Contrary to some others beliefs here the world is not out to screw Arkansas. 

[Special Delivery Jones]

A lot of the booing was intesified due to the fact that the score of the Hogs game was much too embarassing to even think of cheering.  Not like when that score was announced or shown anyone was all that fired up. 

[hogsanity]

Please, you don't really think Barnes' joke caused all that booing do you?

If so, then why was the pep band booed? They didn't "call out" Arkansas fans. Barnes' joke did nothing but intensify the boos that were already being planned.

Wasn't there a thread on here, on the sunday the brackett came out, calling for hog fans to make Alltel miserable for Texas?  That would have been BEFORE barnes made his comment.

[Jim Harris]

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_blog_post.asp?pID=3112

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

Booing was probably innocent enough.  The Hog call in NLR while our Hogs got a good ole country a$$ whopping hundreds of miles away was silly at best, and stupid at worst.  I go back to the Lance Alworth days and Barnhill having a dirt floor on one side of the court so I am not a little 18 year old who does not understand the SWC glory days.  The Texas rivilary has ALWAYS been a one way street.  They have always had bigger fish to fry than us.  Wasted energy with all the hate for Texas.  Contrary to some others beliefs here the world is not out to screw Arkansas. 

It's not wasted energy.  It's part of the reason we've won 3 of the last 4 against the Horns, and probably should have won 4 of the last 4.

[Special Delivery Jones]

Wasn't there a thread on here, on the sunday the brackett came out, calling for hog fans to make Alltel miserable for Texas?  That would have been BEFORE barnes made his comment.

Nothing must be more miserable than being shown that you are hated and then just thrashing your opponent right in front of a group of people whose team is being thrashed elsewhere.  Must have just been unbearable for them.

[cosmodrum]

Please, you don't really think Barnes' joke caused all that booing do you?

If so, then why was the pep band booed? They didn't "call out" Arkansas fans. Barnes' joke did nothing but intensify the boos that were already being planned.

They were booed because they represent Texas. I was in band, and I would have almost felt honored that someone actually paid attention to us. Ya know, sort of like I was part of something more than the band.

And no, I don't think all the booing was because of Barnes, but A) it certainly didn't help, and B) I'd wager this would be getting less attention if Barnes didn't say it.

[The Marmot]

Nothing must be more miserable than being shown that you are hated and then just thrashing your opponent right in front of a group of people whose team is being thrashed elsewhere.  Must have just been unbearable for them.

What the hell are you talking about?? The AR/UNC game was well after the TX game. Get it straight.

[Special Delivery Jones]

So what are the Texas boards saying about how they were treated? 

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

Who cares? They're Texas. That's the point.

[cosmodrum]

Wasn't there a thread on here, on the sunday the brackett came out, calling for hog fans to make Alltel miserable for Texas?  That would have been BEFORE barnes made his comment.

Seems I remember that thread. And I expected it. Texas was entering Little Rock as the number 1 seed in the region, and the place was going to have a bunch of Hog fans in attendance. I just think it is natural to boo a team you don't like when they enter the arena. I certainly wouldn't clap, and it would be impossible for me to just clam up.

[hogsanity]

So what are the Texas boards saying about how they were treated? 

They are too busy talking about playing in the SWEET 16.

[Special Delivery Jones]

What the hell are you talking about?? The AR/UNC game was well after the TX game. Get it straight.

Did it matter?  Fact was that was what was going to happen.  Do I actually care about the timeline?  Nah.  Not at all.  Those fans were getting their last shot at glory this basketball season.  Hey lets cheer against the Horns.  Why not because we are going to get taken to the woodshed tonight. 

[cosmodrum]

So what are the Texas boards saying about how they were treated? 

Very little, if anything, I would imagine. It would be nice to see, though, for the sake of this conversation.

[Wild Bill Hog]

So true that they paid the money to do whatever they want.  Hey if that is what someone wants to do.  Go right ahead pay x amount of money for a ticket and call the Hogs like crazy as they get their brains beat in half a country away.  Fact is some people think it is silly.  Others don't.  Pretty much nothing more than a difference of opinion.  Not going to change mine any more than someone else is going to change theirs.

Absolutely agree, and wouldn't it be boring if we were all of the same opinion!

[Special Delivery Jones]

Who cares? They're Texas. That's the point.

I betcha they are thinking (well actually probably not wasting the time) how stupid it all seemed to them.  On second thought they are probably thinking a lot more about plans for the weekend in Houston.  Gonna guess they will not be too concerned with what happened in North Little Rock. 

[cosmodrum]

They are too busy talking about playing in the SWEET 16.

Exactly. No one cares about this but us. That's why Brummett wrote the article.

[sshawg]

First of all, faldon is a hog hater & has been for years.  Brummett is just , well not very informed. 

Second, the horns in football may think we're an afterthought (don't know why when we've beaten them 4 out of five) but when it comes to basketball, they hate us and probably envey us, even though we've been bad for a few years. Don't think for a minute they don't remember what we did to them every year in basketball.  And, for you that thinks it terrible that they were bood here, watch videos off the tournament in 95.

Lastly, Brummett shouldn't worry about our obsession with texas, but should be concerned about his obsessions with George Bush. Get over it John.

                    Boo texas

[Wild Bill Hog]

I betcha they are thinking (well actually probably not wasting the time) how stupid it all seemed to them.  On second thought they are probably thinking a lot more about plans for the weekend in Houston.  Gonna guess they will not be too concerned with what happened in North Little Rock. 

My guess is all the visitors had a great time in NLR.

[Special Delivery Jones]

See Brummett must be fairly smart considering the number of people who have probably gone out today just to read his article.  State is the barrel people are the fish.  Got to seem easy for them sometimes.

[cosmodrum]

I spoke with some Texas fans at the Wyndham, they thought it was somewhat funny. Though one of them did ask "Why are Arkansans more fixated on Texas than Mississippi State, a conference rival? Do they not realize the SWC is dead and buried?"

I just wish all the booing would have been directed at whoever limited iced tea sales to just two locations in the entire arena.

Is MSU really a conference rival? I usually cheer for the SEC to represent well, save LSU and Kentucky.

[Bacon The Saddle Again]

I spoke with some Texas fans at the Wyndham, they thought it was somewhat funny. Though one of them did ask "Why are Arkansans more fixated on Texas than Mississippi State, a conference rival? Do they not realize the SWC is dead and buried?"

I just wish all the booing would have been directed at whoever limited iced tea sales to just two locations in the entire arena.

And again, because they don't see it as a rivalry and we do, we outplay them when meet on the field.  It's a perfect situation for us.  Their down emotionally while we're on a high. 

We kind of have the same mentality with LSU, but I think they have about figured out that they better by-golly get the jumper cables ready when they play the Hogs.

[Wild Bill Hog]

I spoke with some Texas fans at the Wyndham, they thought it was somewhat funny. Though one of them did ask "Why are Arkansans more fixated on Texas than Mississippi State, a conference rival? Do they not realize the SWC is dead and buried?"

I just wish all the booing would have been directed at whoever limited iced tea sales to just two locations in the entire arena.

Do your Texas friends not realize AR is the reason the SWC died?

[Special Delivery Jones]

1995 was the main catalyst for our fans reaction.  
What was happening in Raleigh did not have anything to do with Hog fans behavior in Alltel.  Why do you keep bringing that up? 

I see that it does though.  If we were more like what we were in the early late 80s and early 90s booing Texas would be a 10th thought.  With not a lot to cheer for that becomes the number 1 thing to do.  Everyone knew the score coming into the deal with Carolina.  Last shot at glory was to possibly see Texas go down.  But then again that is just my opinion.  Now as far as those go I am 100% correct.  Regardless I sure as heck am not going to change what I think.