All Things Texas Tech: Masked Rider Named One of AP's Top College Mascots!

I did not like the AP story too much when I read it earlier tonight (Saturday) because I disagreed with the rankings. Then I read another AP story by an idiot writer from the Kansas City Star; he made fun of Tech for being glad our mascot was at #9. The writer went on to state that he thought Texas Tech (Gerald Myers) was "funny" (though to me he insinuated "stupid") for the press release of the "wonderful news" that the AP poll picked Tech's Masked Rider at #9. Like being #9 is bad out of the hundreds of other mascots out there. Maybe that idiot writer was on to something - NOT - I refuse to agree with a writer who works for a paper that represents such Big XII (north) schools as Kansas-St, Kansas University and Mizzou. The very three universities that were scrambling for a conference home not so long ago. You remember back when...during that fiasco a few weeks ago when the Big XII was about to fall apart after the Huskers and Buffs announced their new conference affiliations. UT, Tech, A&M, OU and OK ST were going to have other conference homes, but no other conference(s) came running to snatch up K-St, KU or MU. The very same three schools whose respective mascots were not even on in the top 12 of this "Top College Mascot" list.

NOTE: My sincere apologies for pointing that out to alumni/fans of those three universities,
as I was merely being contrary to the writer who posted the story who has the affiliation with your three schools.

No, sir, I do not agree with that writer's remarks or his opinion, but for sure I do NOT agree with the AP poll's "Top College Mascot" list either! Not at all! For one, Bevo should not be ahead of our Masked Rider. The "Beve" is a freaking bull being lead around the stadium by a bunch of guys. When he (Bevo) feels like being lead around - that is. Most of the time he is somewhat sedated to keep him calm. You call that interesting. Nor do I agree that "Ralphie" the Colorado Buff be at #1. That mascot is worse than Bevo and also has to be lead around. Again...B-O-R-I-N-G!!! Even the stupid Stanford Tree was ranked higher at #6 and technically Stanford has "no official mascot" so how can choosing the tree to be on this list even be justified. I admire and respect the heck out of the school and its academic standing in the U.S. and all around the world, but a freaking tree?!! Yep, this poll was bogus. Plus, I dislike that some Native American mascots are still being used (i.e. Chief Osceola, Florida State #3 and War Eagle, Auburn #5), but it's their (university) right to do so if no one or no organization has motioned otherwise in any court of law to deny the usage of those mascots so for that I won't begrudge anyone or any institution their Constitutional right.
For those of us who know the story behind the inception of our beloved Masked Rider, those who have seen it in person...you may agree with what I wrote. Maybe you won’t agree with everything I wrote, but you will with the very fact that our mascot should at least be ranked in the top 5. I would place it at # 1, but that would be biased of me - I admit it. Maybe the AP voters should be required to attend the games to see the mascots before they vote if they have not done so because it is my personal feeling that they have not seen our Masked Rider in person - in all of its glory when it enters the stadium. For anyone who has never seen the Masked Rider in person or been at a football game when this wonderful mascot comes charging out onto the field, horse and all, leading the way for our Red Raider football team then you are missing quite a show. You certainly have NOT experienced the awe, the chills and the pride that our fans feel at seeing that wonderful spectacle. Words fail to describe it. You just have to see it in person to fully appreciate it - an experience you won't soon forget. For me and my family it is like seeing it for the first time every time I/we see it. But that's just me/us!

AP's Top College Mascots (list):
1) Ralphie the Buffalo, Colorado
2) Uga, Georgia
3) Chief Osceola, Florida State
4) Mike the Tiger, LSU
5) War Eagle, Auburn
6) Stanford Tree
7) Bevo, Texas
8) The Mountaineer, West Virginia
9) The Masked Rider, Texas Tech
10) Sparty, Michigan State
11) The Leprechaun, Notre Dame
12) The Fighting Duck, Oregon

DALLAS COWBOYS: Way to Go.

TO: the DALLAS COWBOYS!

Let's have a winning season.

Let's win our division.
It's time for another Super Bowl Championship.
- Michelle's dad (Pete) would have loved that -
Let's make it happen, guys!PETE ORTEGA
March 4, 1952 to August 6, 2010
REST IN PEACE!
Dallas Cowboy's True-Blue Fan!
Big Spring Herald Obit (link):

Dominguez Family Blog Dedication (link):

AROD: 600th homer: Incredible or credible.

An asterisk by his recent accomplishment - marred by steroids or not.
For what it is worth as he is by no means a fav player of mine (I like Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte to name a few),
let's allow Alex Rodriguez his day and let the chips fall as they may at a later time.
Full story (click on AROD):
AROD the 7th "Mr. 600"

TEXAS TECH: Dora's back!

I am actually back to blogging about all things "Texas Tech Sports" related.

Feeling strongly discouraged by the antics which occurred during last year's bowl season when the Texas Tech ADministration decided to abruptly end Coach Mike Leach's coaching contract from our Texas Tech football program, I stopped blogging about Texas Tech. Things were sad and just felt wrong. I could not grasp it or put my hand on anything specific until I found "Team Leach" on Facebook and figured out why I was feeling so down. And NO, I am not opposed to Texas Tech. In fact I am still as enamored now that I am in my 40s by the glorious university located in Lubbock as I was when I was just a little girl of about 5.

Excuse me as I go off on a little tangent here, but... as a person born with a severe cleft palate - although young, but still old enough to remember certain events - I remember those earlier years of doctor's visits and hospital stays in Lubbock and of seeing that grand old campus for the first time!
And each time thereafter when my family had to pack up our stuff and head over there (Lubbock) for what always turned out to be an entire day just for a routine visit with my E.N.T. specialist (Dr Koch).
Whether a routine visit or when I was placed in the hospital (used to be Methodist) numerous times for various operations, I will always remember my first sighting of the university.
During hospital stays I remember the students and the residents and doctors who were attending or had attended Texas Tech. They were the friendliest people and always made me feel safe and welcome. They were clearly proud of their affiliation with Tech and of being alumni. Those awesome attitudes I was around and seeing the campus, even if we never stopped for a better view, always put a smile on my face and believe me, I needed one.

Anyway- the Texas Tech administration and their pathetic way of handling the Coach Leach situation is what muddled my thoughts and feelings. They soured me to a lot of things. They made me despise authority such as theirs and how they misused it to do their dirty deed of ridding themselves of the most successful football coach that Tech had ever had. A hugely beloved coach by Tech fans everywhere. The "Adam James Story" has yet been truly uncovered but soon the scam that it was will be undone and all will know what a creep Adam and his father, Craig, were and surely will continue to be. The older James with controversy plaguing his collegiate football career while attending SMU sure to be doing the same to his son's years while at Tech. Destroying another football program without the blink of an eye or care in the world. Sure they (James's) as much a pawn to the Tech ADmin in using them to fire Coach Leach and not having to pay out that huge bonus rightly owed to Coach Leach. Yes, indeed as much as Tech used the James's the James's used Coach Leach and Tech to overshadow Adam's ineptness at being a hard-working, dedicated team-player instead they tried another tactic and tried in vain to sway Adam James's bad behavior and laziness into that "closet incident".
My problem not being with the university or the team, or even the new head coach, just with the Admin and the likes of Kent Hance, Guy Bailey and Gerald Myers (a.k.a. "the three horsemen"). All three men who had a hand in dismantling our Tech football program and coaching staff only to bring in a man to coach our team who is more known for his GQ attire, "jumping ship" coaching style and for not having a loyal bone in his body. Coach Tuberville's m.o. is defense while Tech, under the care and tenure of Coach Leach, made headlines with its pass offense, our "Air Raid" was loud and proud. Surely our spread offense style under Coach Leach cleared the way for almost all Big XII teams to follow suit with similar offense styles - even though most coaches will never admit it.

What's right is right and, well, what's wrong is...

What the Tech ADmin did was wrong when they fired Coach Leach the way they did and everything negative against them and Tech since the cowardly games, per se, began. The "three horsemen" took it upon themselves to fire a coach who was more popular then the three of them combined. What a thing to worry about instead of worrying about Tech becoming a possible "Tier One" university and making sure that came to fruition. The "three horsemen" worried about losing out on an $800,000 bonus pay-out fairly owed to Coach Leach. Instead for an entire year they plan and scheme on how to fire the coach and risk owing millions instead of thousands to him (Leach). The "three horsemen" did use a bum like Adam and his super-bum father, Craig, as a stepping-stone towards ridding themselves of Coach Leach whom they were afraid was acquiring too much power with his popularity to justify their firing of him (Leach) only to appear like fools and money-hungry idiots. Instead of just making things difficult for themselves, they ("three horsemen") took the entire university and anyone associated with it down with them; they made all of us look bad in the eyes of the world that was watching us so closely for those several months. Hance, Bailey and Myers did not care about the university as they said they did. Yes, in the end it was/is about money and narcissism. The very narcissism they ("three horsemen") cited Coach Leach for is the one the three of them were influenced by when they began their witch hunt almost one year to the date of when they unjustly fired Coach Leach.
My love of all things Texas Tech has led me back to blogging about the Double T "U", and I will never succumb to the likes or pretenses of the "three horsemen". Only we as individuals can love Tech as much, and we do not need to be inspired by anyone or anything. Our love for the university is the only thing that truly matters, and only we should pick and choose what means the most to us. Only we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong and do something about it or not. Only we can decide to take chicken shit and turn it into chicken salad.
That is my current m.o. and what will lead me into the future as Tech prepares itself for another football season. Will my heart be the same? Yes, it is healing after the Tech ADmin tried to rip it apart by their low-down antics last December right before the Alamo Bowl. I will miss Coach Leach and his style (on and off the field) and his character. He brought us (Tech) "Pirate Nation" and for that we are all truly grateful. He brought us (Tech) that awesome "pass/spread offense" and for that and the notoriety and successes that came with it, we are humbled but still thankful. He did as much for Tech (and us) back during those days of glory as Tech surely did for him. Except now Tech is able to "clean itself off" of all the mud it threw around and continue in all its grandeur, but for Coach Leach, the fight is still on-going and he is still a coach sans a coaching job and coaching home. Here's wishing Coach Leach continued luck and success elsewhere whether on or off the field...may he turn his chicken shit into chicken salad as well.

For Texas Tech and the rest of us fans...
"Long Live the Matador"! INDEED!