I ran across this yesterday, thanks to Hey Jenny Slater.  Made me stop and think.  How many years has it been since UT failed to accomplish this trifecta?  Being lazy, I'll leave the research to one of my fellow BON'ers, but I suspect that it has been quite awhile.  More to the point, I can't imagine any newspaper or other organization in Texas that would feel the need to congratulate UT for such a major "accomplishment".

So, the next time you feel the need to complain about Mack's not landing every 5 star recruit in the country, or Rick's not winning it all, or Augie's tendency to sacrifice bunt too often, just stop and take a deep breath.  Things could be so much worse.  Yes, we're spoiled, but it's good to be spoiled.  Just don't get too upset if we don't win National Championships in every sport  in which we compete.   How many fans can honestly look forward to the possibility of a championship at the start of the season for each of these major sports?

Remember, as my Grandpappy always said, "It's not polite to ask a man where he's from.  If he's from Texas, he'll get around to telling you.  If he's not, well there ain't no point in embarrassing him."

Like most of you, I am just trying to cope with yesterday's disappointing loss to Duke.  Combined with OU's win, it might make some of you temporarily jealous of our good neighbors to the north.  This morning, I ran across this. 

"In January 2008, London's The Sun found a practitioner of a new art form in which a design is inked, with a tattoo needle, into the sclera, which is the white part of the eyeball. That volunteer (from Canada) may well be the only daredevil, or one of a tiny number, but Oklahoma state senators were alarmed enough that they passed legislation out of committee in February to ban the practice in their state. "If we can stop ... one person from doing it, we've been successful," said Sen. Cliff Branan. An Oklahoma City tattoo artist told KSBI-TV that the law is useless, in that "common sense" will prevent the problem. (So far, only the senators from Oklahoma seem to believe they have constituents who might actually ask for ink to be inserted into their eyeballs.) [KSBI-TV (Oklahoma City), 2-20-09; The Sun, 2-27-08] "

While Chuck Sheperd seems to be poking fun at the Oklahoma state senate for passing an unnecessary law, we know better.  The good senators from Oklahoma know their constituents all too well, it seems.  If any jurisdiction on the planet needs a law to prevent its citizens from getting their eyeballs tattooed, it's Soonerland.

To summarize, while you may feel pain this morning, life could be worse.  You could be an Okie. 

Watching the Titans this year, particularly yesterday in their predictable loss to the Ravens, I found myself less than overwhelmed with Kerry Collins.  Serviceable, yes.  Good enough to carry the team in a big game?  I didn't think so earlier, and yesterday seemed to bear that out.  I don't think Kerry had a bad game, so much as he didn't have the weapons to win this one.  Once Chris Johnson went to the sidelines, Tennessee just had nothing to beat the Ravens' defense.

Watching the second half, I kept thinking that someone had predicted this, and had offered a solution.  Oh yeah, our own PB.  http://www.burntorangenation.com/2008/12/21/698862/kerry-collins-vs-vince-you

When you're right, you're right.

Watching last night's game, when even Kirk Herbstreit noticed the blatant OU holding, I recalled a post I had made here some time ago.  Stoops has his offensive line well coached to play in the Big 12.  If the officials are not going to call holding, then teach your line to hold.  This strategy has worked well for him, with more conference championships than I care to remember.  However, when you reach a BCS game, you are not going to find Big 12 officials.  I think this may be one reason Bob has laid so many eggs in bowl games recently.  (Love that picture.)  Your O-line cannot be conditioned to hold all year long and then suddenly switch to clean blocking.

What could we expect if OU passes Texas in the BCS, and goes to play Florida, for example?  Well, let's look back to Dallas in October, when the Sooners faced another fast, talented team.  45-35, and I think it would have been about 52-21 if that game had been called by real officials.  Given the speed and skill of Florida, I expect that score would be close to the outcome in Miami.  As it would be closer to a Florida home game, and given a natural tendency of teams to give up when they are being whipped, i would not be surprised to see something like 63-14.  Then  everyone will say how much better Florida and the SEC are than the Big 12.

It's time for the Big 12 to start enforcing the rules of the game.