Someone recently accused me of being a Longhorn supporter.
Guilty as charged.
I also support the Bobcats, Hilltoppers, Tornados and other Central Texas college teams.
Although the social settings differ dramatically, some things stay the same. One can break down the crowds into seven groups.
The core class for every sport are the gray alumni. They form a knot of fans that are loyal but hard to please. These burnt-orange die-hards don’t cheer, stand or gesticulate unless the athletes deserve the approval.
Next in line are the student zealots. They stand. They jump. They dance and paint their faces. The bigger the sport, the bigger their numbers. They seem to be having a good time no matter what happens. Of the four sports I sampled this week, only volleyball earned their ardor.
Another group mystifies me. Mostly male, they file in as the competition begins. They don’t look too excited to be there, as if their fraternity houses required some spirit attendance. They are even harder to please than the alumni. And they leave as the final second tick off whichever clock.
We should also acknowledge a fourth and more visible group: The cheerleaders, precision dancers. band members and other entertainers who try to pump up the energy in the stands and therefore among the players. They earn my enduring respect. Disciplined, they rarely betray any distraction from the action. Too bad they were absent at most Olympic sports.
A fifth group is almost always present: Kids. Parents and teachers bring along van-loads for wholesome distraction. I’m positive UT does everything to make this possible. What better way to nurture future Longhorns. Virtually the entire crowd for the wind-chilled soccer game versus West Virginia — won in overtime — were youngsters.
Sixth in our field are the sports nerds. I’m searching for more flattering term, but these are the folks who gather balls, polish the court, organize the off-time promotions, keep time, record statistics and otherwise keep the athletic gears greased.
The last tribe: Those like me who are strangers in a strange land. Thank goodness there are others still exploring Longhorn Land.
Of the four new sports for me, volleyball is the most familiar. I’ve played it. Not competitively. But I understand the rules. And it’s exciting. Even given some sloppy playing, the Longhorns looked good in the renovated Gregory Gym, although the house was not full for a Big 12 show down with Baylor. Longhorns won 3-1.
The Jamail Swimming Center is not easy to enter. Signage is almost non-existent. Even inside the building, one doesn’t know where to go. But once in the holy of holies, awe is the right response. Almost immediately, the newcomer can figure out the nature of heats from large screens.
Shamefully, the meet that matched Texas against Michigan and Indiana did not draw more than a few dozen fans. Presumably, we were watching future Olympians in the pool. Just check out the records for the long and short courses posted to the left and right. Big, big, big names on the swimming scene.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how overwhelming and intimidating it is to be in the same space as scores of righteously fit men and women. Don’t go on a bad body day.
Texas women dominated. Michigan men did.
That evening, after an intensely enjoyable meal at nearby Salty Sow, I braved the cutting wind at Mike Meyers Stadium for the women’s soccer team. The space is immense. The field seems impossibly wide and long and the bleachers go on forever, presumably for the Texas Relays.
Luckily, much of play landed at the northeast corner near where I huddled with my iPad. Again, the average age of the crowd was 50 years younger than me. They appeared to be having fun, no matter what happened on the field.
I left at half-time. The score: 0-0. I love the larger patterns of soccer play, but on a cold night, I lost momentum.
Yet I’ll return to all four sports. Eleven more to go.