Big 12, hoops and the stretch run

Some midweek thoughts on my mind:

Big 12 Expansion

Sing along with me:
“Come and listen to my story ‘bout a man named Jed….poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed…..”

OK, TCU fans – here come the Mountaineers! As a long-time member of the Big 12 Conference, let’s welcome Jed and the rest of the Mountaineers of West Virginia to our fair enclave of college athletics.

And you better be ready.

All this talk about the old days of the SWC is perfect and WVU fits right in. They’re our new Arkansas.

For those who made the trip to Fayetteville back in the day, it was a treat. A remote location with the greatest, loudest fans who let you know from the time you set foot outside the visitors’ locker room that you were a local call away from Hell, and they kept it coming all game long.

Make your plans now to experience Morgantown. And leave your good clothes at home – you might get something poured on them.

I experienced the wrath of WVU first-hand in the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl! WVU showed up in force in Houston, and that Mountaineer fired that musket so many times inside the Astrodome that my ears rang well after the ballgame was over. WVU won 31-14, by the way.

Welcome WVU to the Big 12!

Frogs over BYU

The best thing about the Frogs’ win over BYU last Friday night is that they escaped with a win AND relatively unscathed injury-wise. BYU is a big, physical team and generally grinds teams up and leaves opponents in a mess physically.

Second best thing about the Frogs win last Friday: It took my mind off the painful last two games of the World Series. To Ron Washington and all the Rangers: Thanks for a great season and we all feel your pain.

Time to be Healthy!

Thankfully, the Frogs are healthy as they enter this two-game gauntlet that involves a Wyoming team that’s very dangerous, and then there’s Boise State. Oh, and don’t forget the weather. Forecasts are calling for temps in the upper 20s and snow at game time. I can hear the voice of NFL Films, John Facenda, right now: “The frozen tundra of Laramie, Wyoming.” No kidding.

Hoop It Up

Basketball season is here and the Frogs and Lady Frogs are well under way. Jeff Mittie’s team is a little bit beat up at the moment, but they’ll get there. Meanwhile, Jim Christian has the longest, most athletic team he’s put on the floor in his time at TCU. Look for good things from both of these squads.

Sidelines

Happy Birthday to Jeff Williams, our sideline reporter on the TCU Sports Network. He’s the best in college football, and this weekend he will prove it as he works the Wyoming game in a T-shirt! Not really, he’ll be bundled up.

Kick ‘Em High!