My “longhorn” Labor Day

I am so excited about being a Bobcat in this era. Why? Because it is getting better every day!

I have made a career out of being a Bobcat fan. Some universities’ potential can only take them so far. There is only so much they can do. However, I know Texas State and its potential is limitless. I don’t want to list the plethora of reasons but take a quick look at San Marcos and Texas State and any half wit can figure it out- Hey, I did!

I’m saving most of this story for my next Publisher’s Letter in BobcatFans Magazine but I will share a little bit of it right now.

My neighbor invited the wife and I over for a Labor Day BBQ. I walked next door with my drink proudly displayed in my BobcatFans koozie, one that prominently showcases the Bobcat logo.

Not 10 minutes into being there, this dude I’ve never met before comes up to me and asks me, “So did the kitty cats win Saturday?” in front of a room full of people I didn’t know. The guy was wearing a UT visor and I was contemplating how to respond to such a jack-ass comment from a guy who doesn’t know me from Adam. As I was about to respond there was a silence in the air and a lingering uncomfortable feeling. Everyone in the room knew how uncouth his question was. The guy now recognizing this, then interjects with, “Hey, I should be able to call them that. I mean, I did graduate from there!”

Well, he might as well have kicked me where it counts.

To make a long story short (or for the sake of saving it for the magazine), I spent the eveing in a place riddled with SWT grads who couldn’t care less about the school but wanted to complain about the name change. Typical!

I left the party feeling dejected about the number of Longhorn fans our school kept putting out year after year in the 90’s. My wife knew it ruined my night being surrounded by so called “alumni”. That dude was not just insulting Texas State. He was insulting me, my wife and all the other proud Bobcats who attended our great institution and love being a part of Bobcat Nation. Those of us who love to attend games on hot Saturdays and will happily sweat to watch our beloved Bobcats play.

The next day I got up and went back to work for BobcatFans and my fellow Bobcat fans. The shot in the arm I needed came that day when a very successful business in Austin contacted me about advertising a product that they make for UT. Now they’re planning to make a Texas State version because of numerous requests by Bobcats living in the area. These are high end, top quality goods that UT alumni have been able to buy for years and now, because of popular demand, they want to produce TXST versions…. Show’em Freaking State! How proud I felt. Redemption, Bobcat Nation!

I absolutely hate SWT-Longhorns but I love me some Bobcat Nation! Thank you, Bobcats who demand for Texas State to be represented at the highest level. You may not always get to see the fruits of your labor when you take five seconds to ask a store manager or a manufacturer to carry Texas State goods, but it works, it really does!

We have a lot of ground to make up, but the alumni the university is producing now have the right idea. The faster we want to be recognized the more vocal we have to be and the more united we must stand as true Bobcats. People perceive what they want to perceive but when there are many voices that are Bobcat Loud and Bobcat Proud, perceptions change and others start paying attention.

Thank you, Bobcat Nation, for brightening up my day. You make it happen!

rick@bobcatfans.com

*let me be clear, my wife and I are both products of SWT. I am not saying all SWT grads have no pride and are all longhorn fans. But what I am saying is, the ratio is higher if you are, and to say otherwise at this time would be lying.